'The Crow' original soundtrack was iconic. This new one could be, too.
If you loved "Donnie Darko," shopped at Hot Topic and blasted My Chemical Romance on the ride to school, then chances are you'll dig "The Crow."
The new R-rated movie (now in theaters) taps into a very particular brand of millennial nostalgia for moody 2000s films such as “Twilight” and “Underworld,” which had similarly dark palettes, emo music and hyper-stylized action. In other words, “The Crow” might make you feel like you’re 15 all over again.
“We’re all still teens inside,” director Rupert Sanders says with a laugh. “Luckily, we work in an industry that can keep us in Neverland.”
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“The Crow” follows a recovering addict named Eric (Bill Skarsgård), who uses supernatural abilities to try to save his dead girlfriend, Shelly (FKA Twigs), from the depths of hell. The movie is a fresh take on the 1994 original film starring Brandon Lee, which spawned an immensely popular soundtrack.
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That album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was later certified platinum with more than 3 million copies sold in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The soundtrack was made up of all goth and heavy metal bands, including Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine, Helmet and Pantera.
“It was the first movie that was for that audience, and the first film that unabashedly was into that kind of music,” Sanders says. With this reimagined “Crow,” he wanted to honor the first movie’s hard-rock edge while also bringing in electronic and new-wave artists that reflect his personal music tastes.
“It’s really about people who have been making dark love songs and melancholy music across the last 30 years,” Sanders explains.
For the terrific new soundtrack, the British filmmaker looked to some of his favorite acts growing up in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, including Joy Division (“Disorder”), Enya (“Boadicea”), and Gary Numan (“M.E.”). He also picked some more recent tunes: The Veils’ “Total Depravity” becomes a brooding theme song, of sorts, for Eric as he seeks out the bad guys who killed Shelly.
Foals' scorching "What Went Down" makes a rousing appearance, and the movie’s poignant climax features a haunting choral version of “Meaning” by French artist Cascadeur.
“ ‘Meaning’ is very beautiful and really worked for (Eric’s) state of mind,” Sanders says. Despite the film’s graphic violence, “it’s not a revenge movie – it’s a love story. You just need to keep coming back to the emotion of what he’s trying to achieve.”
Twigs, a singer turned actress, also brought her musical knowledge to the project. She contributed an original piece of music to one early scene in which Shelly sings and plays piano. She also offered suggestions for another amorous montage in which Eric and Shelly are drinking, dancing and making love.
“I put on my playlist, and Twigs was like ‘Dude, it’s not my uncle’s wedding!’” Sanders says. “She always brought music on to the set, which really helped loosen us all up. We all became a happy family – it was very communal and creative in that way.”