This article covers the following: Mild Spoilers for “The Crow”.
It makes logical sense why consensus is such a desired thing. Our lives in this world are limited, and free time is a luxury in a capitalist society, so most people don’t want to waste their time on books, music, television, or movies that most people generally hate. However, there is no greater release for a film fanatic than to risk seeing a film whose reputation is in the toilet, but then have a good time watching it. These films don’t have to be really good, they don’t have to be hidden gems or unsung masterpieces (although some of them absolutely can be!); they just don’t have to be garbage. Yes, this can happen with reevaluation when they fall into the rose-colored realm of nostalgia, but it can also happen when you free yourself from the tyranny of consensus and make up your own mind.
Right now, a lot of people on Al Gore’s internet are loving 2024’s “The Crow” for all sorts of reasons. Whether they’re enamored of the 1994 film, leery of the reboot’s decades-long journey through development hell, laughing at star Bill Skarsgard’s Machine Gun Kelly-meets-Jared Leto Joker getup, or rolling their eyes at the attempt to dramatically revive the direct-to-video franchise, there are plenty of reasons why this movie has become an online punching bag. Here’s more to add fuel to the fire: “The Crow,” in its theme and structure, is very similar to another comic book action-horror film that became a punching bag: 1997’s “Spawn.” But, if you shut out the peanut gallery and give these movies a chance, you might find there’s still some fun to be had with them.
Spawn, The Crow, and the joy of action-horror
It wasn’t that long ago that horror was a dirty word among prestige movie lovers, as it’s only been in the last few decades that the genre’s popularity has grown so much that it can no longer be easily dismissed. Unlike comedy and horror, the combination of action and horror is relatively new. It still confuses some people who can’t connect with a movie that has fights, explosions, monsters and blood. Perhaps that’s because these people find it easier to understand movies that either start with one and turn into the other – for example “Predator” and “From Dusk Till Dawn” – or favor one element over the other, such as “Aliens” or “Army of Darkness.”
The original “The Crow” was one of the first examples where the film’s mix of genres didn’t allow any one to become particularly dominant: it had equal parts comic book, action, film noir, horror and gothic romance. That genre mash-up quality became extremely influential, leading to similar efforts like “Blade” and “Underworld” as well as new cultural milestones like “The Matrix.” “Spawn” is one of these earlier examples, a clear descendant of “The Crow” in its aesthetic aims, which, along with the comic book it’s adapted from and the animated series also (sorry) gave birth to the “Blade” films and other action horror films. Unlike other action horror movies about zombies or vampires, which can tone down their horror a bit, “Spawn” is clearly horror themed, with a title character (played by Michael Jai White) who looks like a mix of Freddy Krueger and a Romero zombie, even as he flies with a sentient cloak (necroplasm armor, thank you very much), wields a gun, and is adept at martial arts.
The concept of a man brought back from the dead, who is immune to mortality as well as possessing new physical combat abilities, is a central aspect of both “The Crow” 1994 and 2024. In each case, it is the kind of empowering wish fulfillment seen in comic book superhero narratives, mixed with the poetic justice and revenge aspect of the gothic, as seen in many of the classic Universal monster characters. Action and horror are perhaps generally seen as pretty weak genres in their own right, so their combination is surprisingly disliked. Yet if one embraces it, each genre only enhances the other brilliantly.
Faust, but with clown monsters and vivisection
Both “Spawn” and “The Crow” 2024 build their gun-fu, demonic bloodshed and other assorted genre elements around the same compelling classic of German literature: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Faust.” Goethe’s story, about a man who makes a pact with the devil to achieve the closest experience to transcendence on Earth (which in his case involves falling deeply in love with a woman, Gretchen), is a building block of both the gothic and horror genres. As such, elements of the story crop up in some form in many places, usually narrowing down to the idea of someone committing a horrible act in the name of lust and/or love. In “Spawn,” the allusions to “Faust” are nearly 1:1, as Al Simmons, aka Spawn, is propositioned by a demon from hell called Malebolgia (played by Frank Welker and rendered with some of the most questionable CGI of the ’90s) following his untimely death. Malebolgia offers Spawn a Faustian deal whereby he can return to the real world and see his widowed wife, Wanda (Teresa Randall), and even take revenge on his killers, provided he only agrees to become the demon’s servant and lead his armies for eternity. As is typical of such setups (as popularized by Christopher Marlowe’s play “Doctor Faustus”), Spawn soon discovers that the deal is not as great as it was made out to be, and he breaks his pact and fights off Malebolgia and his demonic companions.
“The Crow” 2024 adds some clever wrinkles to the Faustian legend, indicating its thematic interest in exploring the ambiguous morals within its story. In “The Crow” 1994 (as with every “Crow” sequel before this latest film), the Crow is almost automatically brought back from beyond because such an injustice was committed. Thus, he is imbued with supernatural powers and rules, chief among them being to hunt down his killers and not mess with any other crimes or criminals. In Rupert Sanders’ 2024 “Crow,” Eric (Bill Skarsgård) is given the choice by an otherworldly spirit named Kronos (Sami Bouajila) to return to the living world to fight for the lost soul of his love, Shelly (FKA Twigs), as well as break the pact between Hell and the evil Vincent (Danny Huston), who has been sending innocent souls to Hell as part of his own demonic deal. Early on, Eric is told that he and Shelley can return to life after completing their mission if their love remains true. When Eric begins to doubt his love for Shelley, he offers Kronos one last bargain: his soul for Shelley’s, meaning he will forever be a servant of the afterlife. It’s a pact that is not only Faustian but reminiscent of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. All of this thematic material helps give “Spawn” and “The Crow” extra emotional power and vigor, so that the films’ respective outrageous action sequences and bloodshed can be better understood.
Never underestimate the power of a great soundtrack
It would be too generous to call either “Spawn” or “The Crow” flawless, as both films have some weaknesses that contribute to their less-than-perfect reputations. Yet it seems dishonest to dismiss the notion that each film also has something entertaining in it. While forming a consensus about what those good things are is a matter of taste, it seems safe to say that both films have fantastic soundtracks. Although the concept of a hit soundtrack is a bit rare these days (especially tie-in soundtrack albums), one can’t underestimate its power to elevate a flawed film to entertaining status. Would “Flash Gordon” or “Highlander” have the same cult film credibility without Queen’s brilliant work? What is “Tron Legacy” without that lovely Daft Punk score? For me it’s a conundrum: what’s more beloved, “Batman Forever” or its soundtrack album?
In the case of “Spawn,” its soundtrack album is famous for being one of three “mash-up” tie-in albums produced by Happy Walters. Following “Judgment Night” and preceding “Blade II,” the “Spawn” album sees collaborations between electronic music artists and heavy metal/alternative bands: The Crystal Method and Filter, Korn and the Dust Brothers, and The Prodigy and Tom Morello, among others. This not only gives the album and the film a unique and distinctive sound, but it also feels of a piece with the aesthetics of the film. With its loud, harsh shrillness paired with emotional songwriting, the music enhances the story and characters that might have otherwise been lacking.
“Spawn” is scored by Graeme Revell, who also composed the soulful music for the original “The Crow,” itself famous for a soundtrack album full of goth and industrial bands. The album was so influential that “The Crow”‘s soundtrack became a series staple, and while “The Crow” 2024, as of this writing, doesn’t have its own tie-in album, it absolutely puts its score and needle drops front and center in the same way. Joy Division’s “Disorder” and Gary Numan’s “ME” give the film goth bonafides, and combined with the new tracks (which also include a track from people like its co-star, FKA Twigs) and Volker Bertelmann’s moody, electronic-tinged score, the film gets a vibe from its music that carries the film through its slower moments. While “The Crow” 2024 is more of a reimagining than a straight remake of the 1994 film, the fact that it has all these similarities with “Spawn” (one of the original “Crow’s” cinematic children) is proof positive that it exists on the same spectrum. In the case of both films, you may agree with the consensus and they may not suit your tastes, but you’ll never know if you don’t try them.
“The Crow” is in theaters everywhere.
