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The Crow: The Story Behind The Film by
Bridget Baiss check out website: www.titanbooks.com
Some said it was the infamous 'Curse of the Dragon' that had purportedly claimed his father's life and now came back for his as well. Others stated that it was some sort of 'blood pack' placed on his person that imploded, rather than exploding as it was supposed to. After all this time, it is nice to have an author gather all of the evidence together concerning this tragic event and provide us with the most accurate account available so far.
Having been a fan of this film for such a long time, it is wonderful to peruse this work which, in reading, allows you to feel somehow closer to the subject matter than has been possible before. This is despite the fact that a few of the key players involved in the project actually refused to discuss the film with Baiss, as various groups told her that they planned to write their own books about the subject in the future. Books which have, as Baiss points out, consistently failed to appear. Unfortunately, this group of people includes Alex Proyas, the film's director. Despite this seemingly crippling disadvantage, Baiss has managed to talk to most of the rest of the cast and crew, who have helped her to create a book that captures the essence of what it must have been like to be a part of this classic SF film. Particularly wonderful are the cast's recollections of Brandon himself and how he reacted to the often uncomfortable and difficult conditions that were prevalent whilst filming the movie. We are left with a poignant image of a young man engaged in what was likely to have been his big break, who had so much to live for, who was almost universally liked and respected by the people with whom he was working. Of course, the reluctance of people to speak ill of the dead may have something to do with this, but so many of the accounts given seem so genuinely heartfelt that this could never be the sole cause of all the good things they remember him for. The book does suffer from a few odd quirks, though, and these are principally to do with Basis' style. She has a tendency to mention people's physical condition, when it's not really relevant to the events she is depicting. Do we really need to know that O'Barr is 'losing his longish fair hair...and has gained some weight'? The work can also be sometimes bogged down in a swirl of names and seemingly inconsequential detail and there are the occasional moments when getting from one chapter to another is a bit of a chore. Despite this, I often found myself discussing the book with friends and family and any poor unfortunate soul who couldn't get past me in a corridor. It is a book packed full of insights into the way films are created and the terrible consequences of focusing too hard on the bottom line. The genuine cause of Brandon's death will have you in tears, as knowing it only serves to increase the sense of waste that many of us associate with his passing. For anyone who appreciates the film or loves movie-making tales this is definitely one to put on your wish list. This is not really a book that favours the casual reader, but true devotees will come away feeling, as I did, that a gap in movie history has at last been properly filled. Paul Skevington
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OTHER REVIEWS - April 2004
Other reviews: April 2004 Lucifer's Dragon by Jon Courtenay Grimwood The Companions by Sherri S. Tepper Beyond Infinity by Gregory Benford Sunshine Patriots by Bill Campbell The Skies Of Pern by Anne McCaffrey Eight Keys to Eden by Mark Clifton The Adam Strange Archives Volume 1 Wit'ch Gate: Immortal Magic - Infinite Vengence by James Clemens Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong Deep Space Nine: Rising Son by SD Perry Absolution Gap (The Inhibitors series book 3) by Alastair Reynolds Alchymist (The Well Of Echoes book 3) by Ian Irvine Hal Spacejock: Second Course by Simon Haynes Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris The Dancers At The End Of Time by Michael Moorcock The Crow: The Story Behind The Film by Bridget Baiss British Summertime by Paul Cornell The Year Of Our War by Steph Swainson April 2004: Hardback to Paperbacks The Chesley Awards: A Retrospective by John Grant and Elizabeth Humphrey with Pamela D. Scoville
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'Thank
heaven that somebody has finally decided to bring out a book that
tackles this subject. Over the years, I have become increasingly
irritated by the rumours and false explanations that surrounded
the subject of Brandon Lee's death on the set of 'The Crow'. 
This
book offers far more than a simple account of the terrible accident
at the centre of the controversy. It also details the entire process
of bringing 'The Crow' into being, from the producer Jeff Most's
discovery of the intense comic series by James O'Barr to the movie's
completion in post-production. It is a fascinating subject worthy
of examination and, for the most part, Baiss lives up to the challenge
of dealing with such an emotive subject. 
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