OK, so it’s no secret the a remake of The Crow is in the pipeline, but as time drags on and momentum gathers behind the ludicrous idea, I begin to feel increasingly agitated about it.
In true ‘High Fidelity’ fashion, I’ve kept a top five list of my favourite movies for many years, and whilst all the other film titles are in flux, The Crow has always been a constant in my list. Quite simply, for me, it’s a great film that builds up a diegetic universe that you can happily suspend your disbelief in (I know, I’m sort of geeking out about it… I once went the whole hog and wrote an essay about the use of sound in the film for a piece of final year coursework – if only every other essay could have been as fun to compose as that!).
So now Steven Norrington, of ‘Blade’ and ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentleman’ fame is out to muddy the experience of this great film for fans of the original and the prospective new generation of younger fans yet to discover the cult hit.
Norrington is said to be remaking the gothic original as a film that will have a “realistic, hard-edged and mysterious, almost documentary-style.” This from a guy who has had so-so success with his previous exploits and intends to make a quick buck by ripping the narrative from its look and feel (like pulling apart a symbiotic relationship) to provide a ‘fresh’ spin on things… and choosing to put Jason Statham at the heart of the film to play the lead character of Eric Draven.. I can see it will spell disaster already. The cult classic is popular and ages fantastically… even with the advances in CGI, it stands up well to the films of more recent years that are laden with synthetic special effects.
A particularly scathing yet indulgently cathartic view on the suggestion of a remake can be read here
It’s very hard for me not to be vocal about it. Yes, I could go into some theory -heavy postmodernist rant about how there are no ‘new’ films left out there to create and that we’re just creating pastiches of pre-existing materials, but I simply don’t buy it.
I’m pretty sure there are other remakes out there that have enraged others… anyone else care to share the remakes that have repulsed them?
Jason Statham?.. hmmmm … is he going to wear a black wig ?
Exciting stuff!
A shame Brandon Lee is not with us anymore, still Vincent Perez for the remake though ! Just kidding..
I will definitely be up for it when it’s out!