of tWISTEd sPINe
tWISTEd sPINe
is one of the most hard working Crow fans on the net at the moment. Organiser of countless
Crow events, like Crow-een 2000 and CrowZone as well as host of The Crow's Despair and the
hugely successful Chamberoom (and other secret projects), The
Crow's Attic decided to travel the length of the web and ask him for his
thoughts. Here is what he had to say....
First off, how long have you been a
fan of ‘The Crow’? Were you introduced to it through the comic books or the
first movie?
I have been a Fan of The Crow since the very first time I
saw the original movie trailer on TV. When Brandon Lee came through those massive gothic
church doors, head bowed ever so slightly, arms hanging at his side...all dressed in black
and the face paint dimly glowing...that was it! I have never shared this before, but I
actually had dreams about the trailer that very night. Unfortunately, I cannot remember
all the details of them, but I woke up with those very strong images in my head, and a
desperate need to find out more about this strange movie.
What struck you most about the
comic/film?
The interesting thing is, I was about 17 years old at the
time the movie hit. I have ALWAYS been into writing, it is something I have done from a
very young age and always got support from my Dad. Even as a boy, these "dark"
subject matters seemed to permeate my words, and there was no reason for this because I
grew up in a very sheltered environment...only had one TV channel, never listened to music
and going to a movie at the one screen theatre was something special. The point is, I
always felt a bit conflicted about my dark musings...as if I was doing something wrong.
(Yes, this does have a point ...) So, in my writing, I often toned down my true feelings
and creative instincts, for fear people would think something was wrong with me. But, and
here comes the answer to the question, when I saw The Crow Motion Picture, my eyes were
opened to the beauty of darkness. That movie was about love and justice...and it is truly
moving, and yet it is pulsing with darkness and violence, the things I was afraid to let
flow. The Crow changed my life quite literally, because it gave me the courage to write
what was inside of me, rather than what I thought others wanted to see. It showed me a
whole new world and I instantly embraced it.
If you could change one thing about
‘The Crow’, what would it be and why?
This is an easy one... James O'Barr would never have lost
control of his creation. He IS the lifeblood of The Crow. Anyone else that touches it does
so with a priority of making money from the popular name of The Crow...making something
that truly captures the essence of the mythology James created is a secondary concern for
these people. O'Barr, I believe, is our only hope of ever seeing something Crow related
that is pure, savage, and contains the emotional intensity that should be there.
In the first film, Brandon Lee did
a stunning job of portraying Eric Draven, a part he was genuinely excited about. Do you
think the film would have been so popular, had the role gone to someone else?
Not a chance :) But, the main reason for that could be
different than you expect. Yes, Brandon's emotional portrayal of Eric Draven is truly
brilliant, and his physical talents combined with his acting depth to make something that
may never be surpassed. But, I think even more important than those things, was his
passion for the original comics. As most of you probably know, when the creative team for
the Movie would get together, everyone would have copies of The Crow script in front of
them. Not Brandon. He had the comic books spread out on the table. He had such a vibrant
spirit, and a commitment to succeeding...and his persistence to stay true to the original
flavour of O'Barr's book is what I feel made the movie so incredible. There are other
actors that MIGHT have been able to pull off the role with a similar level of intensity,
but I think ONLY Brandon would have been so passionate about the comics and inserting his
creative desires into the project. He was just special that way.
Some say that had Brandon Lee not
died during the making of ‘The Crow’, the film wouldn’t have such a large
cult following, there wouldn’t have been so much hype. Do you agree?
No. Not at all, not even one fibre of my being believes
that. First, the Lee name. It is legendary. It is mythical in its popularity around the
globe. Nothing else is really needed..The Crow film speaks for itself. Alex Proyas and the
team that put it together created something truly magnificent, it is art on film, and very
powerful. Add to that the legendary son of Bruce Lee...its going to impact globally.
Secondly, Brandon himself was this glowing person that everyone seemed to respond to. If
he could have been here to promote and talk about The Crow...it would have made the movie
much bigger. Just refer to his last interview. If I had seen that interview BEFORE the
film came out, if it had just been one of many interviews he had done, I would have been
overwhelmed with a desire to see the movie. His natural passion would have made a bigger
impact than his tragic death ever did. I really believe that. The last thing I would like
to say here that many seem to overlook, is many of the BIGGEST cult films did NOT have a
tragic death. Look at Rocky Horror...
Onto the other films and the third
Crow film, The Crow: Salvation. Miramax have upset many Crow fans with their treatment of
this film by not giving it a full theatrical release. Why do you think this is? Is it
purely a business decision or is Salvation just a bad film?
Well, that is a tough one. I find it VERY hard to believe
this is just business as usual. The reason being is, Miramax seems to release movies ALL
THE TIME that they know won't make much more than 10 million or 20 million at the box
office. It just seems like they are content to release these kinds of films. So what made
Salvation so different? Well, it could be all this political nonsense about rated R films,
and they just felt this Crow film would draw negative attention from the Press. That could
very well be it. In all honesty, I just don't have enough information to talk on
this...all I know is that the Fans have been lied to from the beginning and terribly
mistreated in this matter, and I will never forgive the company for that.
Do you think that ‘The
Crow’ franchise needs a new direction e.g. a female Crow, a new setting/time zone, to
stopping it going stale?
I think its a tribute to how pathetic the current people
working on The Crow are, when we can say it is getting "stale". Even if you use
the same basic formula (a man returning the avenge his lover) over and over, there are SO
MANY variations on that theme, and so many ways they could get creative with the
storyline, it just bewilders me why this franchise isn't thriving. Would changing things
up with a female Crow and different settings help? Absolutely, and it needs to be done. I
can't believe they haven't gone for the female avenger in a film, it seems like such an
obvious progression and easy way to make things exciting again. In my mind, The Crow has
an endless ability to transform and be moulded into something amazing with each new
film/novel/comic that comes out, I just can't ever imagine letting it get
"stale".
Where do you see ‘The
Crow’ franchise in 5 years?
Well, 5 years is not a very long time...funny, 5 years ago
I would have thought it was, but now I just see it as a collection of months that will
slip by quite quickly. Its really not enough time for things to drastically change if you
ask me. But, in the future, say 10+ years...I see The Crow being fully handled by O'Barr
and those close to him. I see an animated series on something like HBO, I see monthly
comic books, and I see films...all of which push the limits and do not cater to a mass
market way of thinking. James just has it in his blood to think and create Crow
material....its somehow just an extension of himself, not something he has to reach for or
fake. I have faith that The Crow will return to its rightful owner over time, and it is
then that everything we first loved will come back to life and overwhelm us again.
If you could have met Brandon, what
would you have said to him?
Oh...this is terribly hard. To be honest, I
would most likely been too awe struck to talk or behave normally. I think his natural
confidence and physical awareness would simply overwhelm me...if that makes sense. It
would just be too difficult to imagine me standing in front of the man and having a
conversation. But, if I could squeeze off one question, it would be, "Would you
autograph my back with this tattoo gun?" :)
You work hard to
provide Crow fans with exciting new projects like CrowZone and Crow-een. What’s next
in the pipeline for tWISTEd sPINe?
Next...ahh, what's next. I plan on refining
The Crow CHAMBEROOM, keep adding to it and making it better in whatever ways I can. That
to me is one of the most important things, because it brings Fans together from all over
the world, and creates an intelligent environment that is charged with a tremendous
creative energy. The ROOM will always be high on my list, a sort of ongoing project.
The Crow's Despair will be COMPLETELY revamped, almost from
the ground up, over the next months. When I started that site, it was only going to be a
couple pages...a tribute to O'Barr and The Crow...but I guess my obsessive nature took
over. Now, after many months of web work, I have learned a lot about HTML, and when I look
at the code and the structure of Despair, I literally cringe :) So, what can people
expect? Its going to be an extremely pleasing visual ride...its going to seamlessly tie in
all the things The Crow's Despair has become over the months (which is an awful lot, most
of which I'm sure many people are not aware of because it is currently so disorganised).
CrowZone will continue to be something I nurture, and want
to see grow. I'm sure it will go through many changes before it is truly an exciting
global chat experience, but I think its already an awesome thing to be a part of.
There are many other projects I am working on and no doubt
many more I will take part in down the road, but I won't bore you with all of that. All I
can say is, my commitment to The Crow online community is a real one, and I plan on being
very active in it for a VERY long time, perhaps for the rest of my life. I love the
people...the Fans of The Crow are quite amazing to me, and it is them that keeps the
motivation high and the desire to keep making things better alive.
Finally, what’s the best part
of being a Crow fan?
Well....reading, watching, and creating Crow material of
course! :) Right beside that, its the people. As stated above, Fans of The Crow are an
amazing bunch, and they are a tireless source of inspiration. Fans have really been the
life-force of this mythology over the past years...they have been the ones to keep it so
vibrantly alive online with independent projects to sites that blow the mind. It is a
special thing to be a part of.
Thanks must go to tWISTEd sPINE for
giving up his precious time to do this interview.
