The Crow: Wicked Prayer

Last updated
The Crow: Wicked Prayer
Wicked Prayer Poster.JPG
DVD cover
Directed by Lance Mungia
Screenplay by
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKurt Brabbee
Edited by Dean Holland
Music by Jamie Christopherson
Production
companies
  • Pressman Film
  • Jeff Most Productions
  • Fubu Films
Distributed by Dimension Films
Release dates
  • June 3, 2005 (2005-06-03)(Seattle, Washington)
  • July 19, 2005 (2005-07-19)(United States)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Crow: Wicked Prayer is a 2005 American superhero film directed by Lance Mungia, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Most and Sean Hood, based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Norman Partridge, which in turn was based on the comic book character The Crow created by James O'Barr. It is the standalone sequel to The Crow: Salvation (2000) and the fourth installment in The Crow film series. The film stars Edward Furlong, Tara Reid, David Boreanaz, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Dennis Hopper, Marcus Chong, Tito Ortiz, Rena Owen, Danny Trejo, and Macy Gray.

Contents

The Crow: Wicked Prayer received a one-week theatrical release in Seattle, Washington on June 3, 2005, before being released direct-to-video on July 19, by Dimension Films. The film received negative reviews from critics.

Plot

James "Jimmy" Cuervo, paroled after serving a prison sentence for killing a rapist in a fight, lives with his dog in a mobile home in Lake Ravasu on the Raven Aztec reservation. Jimmy plans to start a new life with his girlfriend, Lily, and permanently leave the town, but her father, pastor Harold, and brother, local cop Tanner, both despise Jimmy.

The town is home to a Satanic biker gang led by escaped convict Luc "Death" Crash and his fiancée Lola Byrne. Along with their three confederates "Pestilence", "Famine" and "War", Luc and Lola murder the pair in a brutal ritual that they hope will reawaken the Antichrist, which includes removing Lily's eyes — bestowing precognitive powers upon Lola — and Jimmy's heart. They dump the bodies inside an old freezer.

The Crow then appears and revives Jimmy, who discovers his newfound invincibility after attempting to shoot himself. He takes Lily's body and leaves it on her bed so it can be found. Tanner and Harold find the body and assume Jimmy killed Lily.

On the night of a local festivity, Jimmy dons a gothic costume and make-up he wore to the celebration a previous year. He finds and kills Pestilence in a bar. He then seizes the hearse carrying Lily's body, and buries her near the tree where he carved a love symbol for them both. Jimmy goes to a casino and kills Famine in front of Luc. During an ensuing fight between Jimmy and Luc, the crow, Jimmy's power source, is injured, thereby weakening Jimmy. Tanner finds and accuses Jimmy of killing Lily, but Jimmy shows Tanner telepathically what really happened.

Luc and Lola visit El Niño, the head of their order, at a Catholic church which has been abandoned by Christians and has been modified for use by the satanic cult. Tanner and Harold and a group of men assemble outside to confront them. As El Niño is performing the marriage ceremony that will bring Luc closer to the power he craves, Jimmy, Tanner, Harold, and the other men arrive and shoot War. El Niño completes the ceremony as Jimmy enters the church. Luc, now a host for Lucifer himself telekinetically hangs Jimmy from a cross, while Lola kills El Niño. Luc and Lola leave the church and head to a nearby graveyard where they must consummate their ritual before sunrise in order for Lucifer to fully manifest.

Harold, Tanner, and the others free Jimmy, who tells them the crow is dying. To heal the bird and restore Jimmy's powers, Harold performs the Crow Dance. Weakened, Jimmy heads to the graveyard and stops Luc from having sex with Lola. Luc and Jimmy engage in a fight and the revived crow returns, restoring Jimmy's invulnerability. The sun rises, halting Luc's ritual. Jimmy then kills Luc by impaling him on a wooden spike and cutting his throat. Lola loses her sight and unsuccessfully attempts repentance by praying to the Virgin Mary, but it is too late; Harold apprehends her and takes her to prison. Jimmy and Lily's spirits find each other in the afterlife.

Cast

Production

In July 2000, rapper DMX had been in discussions with producers about a fourth Crow film titled The Crow: Lazarus about a rapper who chooses to leave the music scene for the love of a woman and is killed during a drive-by shooting. The rapper is then resurrected by the Crow in order to take revenge on the gang responsible for his death. [1] Production had been slated to begin in November of that year, but the project ultimately never came to be. [2] In March 2003, it was announced Edward Furlong had been cast as the lead in The Crow: Wicked Prayer. [1] Lance Mungia was approached by the producers to direct, and accepted as he was a fan of the original. [3] Mungia initially expected the film to be ready within about six months, but the process ended up taking three years [3] Regarding his approach to Wicked Prayer, Mungia said:

I wanted to make a movie more about the process of revenge, the winding, circular course that hatred can take on it’s path to revenge. That’s why the villains have their own motives, and why Jimmy is not the basic innocent guy, but a convict. Everybody in Wicked Prayer feels like they’ve been wronged somehow, that was very intentional. It sprang from the feelings I had after the Columbine Shootings occurred and 911. I didn’t think of this in a high brow way, but I liked referring to the concept that hatred begets hatred and I felt that the previous Crow movies were very clear cut about how they viewed good and evil, and my views were slightly more off center to that. [3]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 0% based on seven reviews. [4]

Re-release

In 2011, The Crow: Wicked Prayer was re-issued by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment as a double feature paired up with The Crow: City of Angels . The only special feature was Widescreen for both films. There was also a single feature release under the same company.

The film has been featured in various horror compilation DVDs from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment.

On September 11, 2012, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released a Blu-ray release of the film. Once again, it is a double feature with The Crow: City of Angels. It was already being sold at Walmart stores before its official release date had been reached.

On October 7, 2014, the film was released on DVD by Lionsgate in a triple feature edition with The Crow: City of Angels and The Crow: Salvation . [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satanism</span> Ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan

Satanism refers to a group of religious, ideological and/or philosophical beliefs based on Satan – particularly the worship or veneration of him. Satan is a figure of the devil in Christian belief, a fallen angel and leader of the devils who tempts humans into sin. For many centuries the term was used by various Christian groups as an accusation against ideological opponents. Actually self-identified Satanism is recent, and is thought to have begun with the founding of the Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966 – that "church" being an atheistic group that does not believe in a literal Satan. Sharing "historical connections and family resemblances" with Satanism, and sometimes overlapping with it, are paganism, ceremonial magic, and "other dark entities such as Set, Lilith, Hecate, and Chaos", from the occult and the 'Left Hand Path milieu.'

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxil hoax</span> 1890s hoax of exposure by Léo Taxil

The Taxil hoax was an 1890s hoax of exposure by Léo Taxil, intended to mock not only Freemasonry but also the Catholic Church's opposition to it.

<i>The Crow</i> (1994 film) Film by Alex Proyas

The Crow is a 1994 American superhero film directed by Alex Proyas and written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, based on the 1989 comic book series by James O'Barr. It stars Brandon Lee, in his final film appearance, as Eric Draven, a musician who is resurrected from the dead to seek vengeance against the gang who murdered him and his fiancée.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Furlong</span> American actor (b. 1977)

Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor. He won Saturn and MTV Movie Awards for his breakthrough performance at age 13 as John Connor in James Cameron's 1991 science fiction action film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which was followed by a mini-sequel, short attraction film T2-3D: Battle Across Time.

<i>King of New York</i> 1990 film by Abel Ferrara

King of New York is a 1990 neo-noir crime film directed by Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St. John. It stars Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Victor Argo and Wesley Snipes, with supporting roles played by Giancarlo Esposito, Steve Buscemi, Paul Calderón, Janet Julian and Theresa Randle. Walken portrays Frank White, a New York City drug kingpin rebuilding his criminal empire after his release from prison, while also attempting to go legitimate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sympathy for the Devil</span> 1968 song by the Rolling Stones

"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. The song was written by Mick Jagger and credited to the Jagger–Richards partnership. It is the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. The song has received critical acclaim and features on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list, being ranked number 106 in the 2021 edition.

<i>The Crow</i> Comic book series created by James OBarr

The Crow is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancée at the hands of a drunk driver, was first published by Caliber Comics in 1989. It became an underground success and was later adapted into a film of the same name in 1994. Three film sequels, a television series, and numerous books and comic books have also been subsequently produced.

The Devil, appears frequently as a character in literature and various other media. In Abrahamic religions, the figure of the Devil, Satan personifies evil.

La Saga, Negocio de Familia was a popular Colombian soap opera aired in 2004 by Caracol TV and then after 2006 aired on GenTV in South Florida. The show follows the history of the Manrique family, which was prominent in the underworld of Bogotá, Colombia. This telenovela is characterized by an unconventional plot: unlike many others, it is not a love story, but several stories of events that occur through five generations of the same family. Moreover, there is no humor and the plot is marked by death, suffering and crime. It received the "Best Telenovela" award at the Colombian Television Awards in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benito Stefanelli</span> Italian actor (1928–1999)

Benito Stefanelli was an Italian film actor, stuntman and weapons master who made over 60 appearances in film between 1955 and 1991.

Paradise Lost has had a profound impact on writers, artists and illustrators, and, in the twentieth century, filmmakers.

The Crow is a fictional antihero character and the protagonist of The Crow comic book series, originally created by American artist James O'Barr in 1989. The titular character is an undead vigilante brought back to life by a supernatural crow to avenge his murder and death of his fiancée.

Castiel (<i>Supernatural</i>) Character from American TV series Supernatural

Castiel is a fictional character portrayed by Misha Collins on The CW's American fantasy television series Supernatural. An Angel of the Lord, he first appears in the fourth season and is used to introduce the theme of Christian theology to the series. In the series, Castiel brings Dean Winchester back from Hell and frequently helps him and his brother, Sam, in their battles with various demons and angels along the way. During his travels with the Winchesters, Castiel develops friendships with both men. As an angel, he possesses a number of supernatural abilities, including the ability to kill demons. Initially, the character demonstrates complete devotion to God and little emotion. However, his interactions and experiences with Dean and Sam, as well as certain revelations about God and his fellow angels, have a humanizing effect on him. This, despite the stress and harm it causes his character, allows him to develop an independent will as the series progresses and helps the show address topics related to free will.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in popular culture</span> Popular depictions of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the derived term Four Horsemen have appeared many times in popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghosts in Mexican culture</span>

There are extensive and varied beliefs in ghosts in Mexican culture. In Mexico, the beliefs of the Maya, Nahua, Purépecha; and other indigenous groups in a supernatural world has survived and evolved, combined with the Catholic beliefs of the Spanish. The Day of the Dead incorporates pre-Columbian beliefs with Christian elements. Mexican literature and cinema include many stories of ghosts interacting with the living.

The Crow is an American media franchise based on the limited series of the same name by James O'Barr.

References

  1. 1 2 "Edward Furlong To Star In 'The Crow: Wicked Prayer'". MTV. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  2. "DMX Signs On To Resurrect "The Crow" Film Series". MTV. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "INT: Lance Mungia". JoBlo.com . July 20, 2005. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  4. "The Crow: Wicked Prayer". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 2021-10-07. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  5. "The Crow: Wicked Prayer". Lionsgateshop.com.