From Rebel Without a Cause to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, films whose stars died prior to release have a particular allure for fans. When it comes to legendary movie star deaths, though, nothing holds a candle to Brandon Lee — son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee — who was killed on the set of The Crow by the tip of a dummy round that had been lodged in the chamber of a prop gun that was used to fire a blank at him.
The Crow stars Lee as Eric Draven, who is resurrected a year after his murder to take vengeance against his and his fiancée's killers. The film draws from James O'Barr's 1989 comic book series of the same name. It later became a franchise in its own right, spawning a slew of sequels despite the demise of its original star.
Lee's death came so close to the completion of The Crow that director Alex Proyas decided to complete the film, but not without first receiving the blessing of both Lee's fiancée and his mother. The missing material that was planned for the final days of shooting was dealt with via rewrites, a stunt double and CGI. What resulted was quite the anomaly: not only was The Crow well-received by critics, but it also earned well at the box office — $50 million on a budget of $23 million, which isn't half bad for a comic book adaptation made decades before the MCU started raking in major cash.
On Thursday, Video Dungeon Theatre revives Lee's iconic final performance for its monthly free film series. As usual, festivities kick off at 9 p.m. at the Oak Hills Tavern, with accompanying snacks and drinks to keep ravenous fans satisfied.
Free, 9 p.m. Thursday, November 21, Oak Hills Tavern, 7920 Fredericksburg Rd., (210) 614-8855, facebook.com/thevideodungeon.
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Video Dungeon Theatre Will Resurrect Brandon Lee on Thursday with a Free Screening of The Crow
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