The Crow

The Crow 

Screenplay by                             David J. Schow

                                                 John Shirley

Produced by                               Edward R. Pressman

                                                 Jeff Most

Directed by                                Alex Proyas

Cast List:

Brandon Lee                            Eric

Ernie Hudson                           Albrecht

Michael Wincott                                  Top Dollar

Rochelle Davis                         Sarah

Michael Berryman                   Skull Cowboy

John Polito                               Gideon

David Patrick Kelly                 T-Bird

Angel David                             Skank

FADE IN:

EXT. CEMETERY – LATE AFTERNOON

BOOM! A crack of lightning illuminates the silhouette of a perched crow large in the f.g.

TIGHT ANGLE – FRESH GRAVE

As a spade smooths the walls of a new double-decker plot.

DIMITRI (O.S.)

We're losing the light; let's pack it in.

ANGLE – DIMITRI AND ALEXI

TWO GRAVEDIGGERS. Scoop digger parked f.g. towering gothic-style church b.g. Rolls of astro turf. They look up toward the sky.

ALEXI

Snow, maybe?

DIMITRI

What, you gonna ski on this?

He indicates the mound of fresh dirt. Spits into the grave.

DIMITRI (CONT'D)

Come on, let's bag this. It's beer time.

Alexi nods and unfurls the tarp over the dirt.

LOW ANGLE TRACKING SHOT – FLOWERS ON GRAVES

As we MOVE alongside a pair of canvas-sided combat boots, as the wearer collects the most lively flowers from each grave in sequence.

TIGHT ANGLE – THE CROW

Cemetery DEFOCUSED b.g. Large, glossy-black, the bird follows the arc of movement in the previous shot. Ruffles its feathers as it begins to sprinkle rain.

ANGLE – ELLY – RESUMING HER MOTION

A dirty-blondish tenement KID of eleven, clad in a blend of cast-offs and hand-me-downs; her version of street punk chic. She totes a skateboard under one arm (itself a berserk Jackson Pollock chaos of band stickers, silver marker and graffiti, with day-glo wheels), and transfers her impromptu bouquet so she may unzip a flap and hike up a ragged hood against the rain. She stops to watch the grave diggers pack up and EXIT b.g.

ELLY

Guess the picnic got rained out.

She looks down off screen at...
 

ANGLE – SHELLY WEBSTER'S GRAVE

As Elly places the gathered flowers down. Almost reverent.

RESUME CROW ANGLE – ELLY BACKGROUND

As Elly takes a single white rose and places it atop the grave near Shelly Webster's.

ANGLE ON GRAVE – AS ELLY LEAVES

TILT UP from rose to the name: ERIC DRAVEN. Rain spatters the granite, darkening it.

EXTREME CLOSEUP – CROW'S EYE

It blinks in its alien way.

WITH THE CROW

As it takes wing from it's unseen perch. Lands stop Eric's headstone. It pecks tentatively at the top of the monument.

ANGLE – ELLY NEAR ERIC'S GRAVE

She hasn't gotten too far before she notices the bird.

ELLY

Oh, scary.

The bird blinks at her from the headstone.

ELLY

What are you, like, the night watchman?

Another blink from El Birdo.

CAMERA WITH ELLY – BOOMING BACK HIGH

As she exits the iron gates of the cemetery without looking back. Brutal building facades, like dead eyes, and bad alleyways, like hungry mouths, are gradually revealed as we continue PULLING BACK to unveil that the cemetery is smack in the middle of the city.

EXT. MAXI-DOGS – TWILIGHT – RAIN CONTINUES

CLOSEUP of a foot-long hot dog being drowned in mustard.

MICKEY (O.S.)

What this place needs is a good natural catastrophe. Earthquake, tornado...

ANGLE – ALBRECHT AND MICKEY

ALBRECHT is a black beat cop, 35, in a rain slicker.

MICKEY is the grease-aproned entrepreneur of MAXI DOGS, a steamy open-front fast foodery.

ALBRECHT

You gotta put the mustard underneath first.

MICKEY

Maybe a flood, like in the Bible.

ALBRECHT

Here, let me do it.

He grabs the dog from Mickey. Mickey puffs his cigar while he cooks. Albrecht methodically spreads a napkin and performs surgery on the hot dog, coating the bun with mustard, rolling the dog in the bun. Flashes Mickey a "gimme" look.

ALBRECHT

Come on... onion. Don't cheap out on me. Lotta onions.

MOVING ANGLE – AS ELLY SKATEBOARDS TOWARDS MAXI DOGS

MICKEY

Heyyy – it's the Elly monster.

ALBRECHT

How do you ride that thing on a wet street?

ELLY

Talent. Hi.

ALBRECHT

Care for a hot dog?

ELLY

You buying?

ALBRECHT

I'm buying.

Elly grabs the stool next to Albrecht. They've done this routine before.

ELLY

No onions though, okay?

ALBRECHT

(horror)

No onions?

ELLY

They make you fart.

Mickey laughs. Spots Elly a Coke.

MICKEY

What's goin' on, Elly?

ELLY

I went to see a friend of mine.

MICKEY

Well, how's your friend?

ELLY

She's still dead.

Albrecht and Mickey exchange a look re: Elly's matter-of-factness.

EXT. CEMETERY – NIGHT (RAIN)