Vol. VI - Video, Laser, DVD, CD and Cassette



The Crow laserdisc

    
Above left, original 1994 issue. At right, 1996 reissue with DTS soundtrack and History of The Crow 10-minute bonus chapter.


BRANDON LEE
is
THE CROW

THX CERTIFIED
WIDESCREEN EDITION LASERDISC

"People once believed that when someone died, a crow carried their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right...".

FROM THE LASERDISC REVIEW:

So begins 'The Crow', a story of the supernatural, of revenge and redemption, set in an urban netherworld of violence, destruction and death. Into this land of perpetual night, lit by the pulsing red of police lights and the bright white flash of a muzzle, comes the risen soul of Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) who, along with his fiancee, was ruthlessly murdered a year earlier by a marauding gang of thugs. Now impervious to injury and death, Draven, under the watchful eye of the mysterious crow, hunts down the evil crime lord and his minions, seeking revenge for the crimes they have committed. 'The Crow' is, at it's heart, an action film. But also an action film with a brilliant visual style that seems to capture the eye then draws the viewer into this, often hypnotic and, at times, repulsively violent world. Whatever one may think of this movie, it is a difficult film to ignore.

Transferred and manufactured under THX quality control, this laser disc presentation of THE CROW is, in a word, stunning. With so much of the story taking place at night, sometimes in the rain, with some very difficult lighting, hard shadows and abundance of red lighting effects, I shudder to think what this film looks like on VHS, however, this laser transfer is near flawless. Though many scenes are almost monochromatic, the suddden flash of bright color can be jarring. Reds are highly saturated without the noise or smearing usually seen in a video transfer. And speaking of video noise, well, there isn't any. The image is always clear and sharp with incredible detail. 'The Crow' was shot flat and this transfer has a matted ratio of about 1.85:1, despite the huge error on the jacket listing the ratio as 2.35:1. The 1996 DTS reissue corrected this error.

Many of the sequences in this film are destined to become sound demo material. This soundtrack is loud and brash and low and menacing. From pounding rock music to subtle foley effects, it doesn't miss a beat. Dialog is always intelligible, quite a feat with all that is going on. The dynamic range takes full advantage of the digital spectrum. From the clear, sparkling highs to the solid, wall shaking bass, this disc is sure to give any audio system a workout. Those with a decent subwoofer are going to love this disc.

'The Crow' runs 101 minutes contains 18 chapters. It was reissued in 1996 with a new catalog number (12157AS), DTS digital sound, and a 10-minute bonus chapter The History of The Crow.

THE CROW Widescreen Edition Laserdisc - 1994 issue
CLV Format THX Certified, Widescreen Edition, 1.85:1 Dolby Surround
Year: 1994 Rated: R for violence, language, nudity, and drug use. Chapter Stops: 18
1 Hour, 41 Minutes Miramax Home Entertainment Catalog Number: 3034AS

THE CROW Widescreen Edition Laserdisc - 1996 issue
CLV Format THX Certified, Widescreen Edition, 1.85:1 Dolby Surround/
DTS Digital Surround
Year: 1996 Rated: R for violence, language, nudity, and drug use. Chapter Stops: 19
1 Hour, 51 Minutes Miramax Home Entertainment Catalog Number: 12157AS


Vol. VI - Video, Laser, DVD, CD and Cassette