The Crow: Wicked Prayer
Encyclopedia
The Crow: Wicked Prayer is a 2005 American film directed by Lance Mungia
and inspired by Norman Partridge
's novel of the same title. It is the fourth and final film based on The Crow
comic book
by James O'Barr
. It had a one week theatrical premiere on June 3, 2005 at AMC Pacific Place Theatre in Seattle, Washington
before being released direct to video on July 19, 2005. Like the other sequels to the cult movie, The Crow
, it had a poor critical reception.
) is an ex-con living in Lake Ravasu on the Raven Aztec
reservation
. He was imprisoned for killing a would-be rapist in a fight. Jimmy plans to start a new life with his girlfriend, Lily Ignites The Dawn (Emmanuelle Chriqui
), and leave the town for good. Lily's priest father, Harold (Danny Trejo
), and brother, local cop Tanner (Dave L. Ortiz) both hate Jimmy.
The town is home to a group of Satanists
led by escaped convict Luc "Death" Crash (David Boreanaz
) and his fiancée Lola Byrne (Tara Reid
). Along with their three confederates "Pestilence" (Yuji Okumoto
), "Famine" (Tito Ortiz
), and "War" (Marcus Chong
), Luc and Lola murder Lily and Jimmy in a brutal ritual that they hope will conjure the rebirth of the Antichrist
. The ritual includes removing Lily's eyes—bestowing precognitive powers upon Lola—and Jimmy's heart. They dump the bodies inside an old freezer.
When the Crow returns Jimmy from the dead, Jimmy 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 it was Jimmy who killed Lily.
On the night of a local festivity, Jimmy dons the costume and make-up he wore to the celebration a previous year. He finds and kills Pestilence and then seizes the hearse carrying Lily's body, and buries her himself. Jimmy next finds and kills Famine in front of Luc. A fight ensues between Jimmy and Luc during which the crow, the source of Jimmy's power, is injured, thereby weakening Jimmy. Jimmy and Tanner meet and Jimmy shows Tanner telepathically what really happened to Lilly.
Luc and Lola visit El Niño (Dennis Hopper
), the head of their order, at a former church. 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 burial ground 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. In order to heal the bird and restore Jimmy's powers, the still sceptical Harold performs the Crow Dance. Weakened, Jimmy heads to the sacred ground and stops Luc from having sex with Lola. Luc and Jimmy engage in a fight and the revived crow returns restoring Jimmy his strength and invulnerability. The sun rises and Luc's ritual wears off. Jimmy then kills Luc by impaling him on a wooden spike and cutting his throat. Lola tries to repent by praying to the Virgin but it is too late :she loses her sight and is taken into custody. Jimmy and Lily's spirits find each other and kiss.
. The only special feature was Widescreen
for both films. There was also a single feature release under the same company.
Lance Mungia
Lance Mungia is an American screenwriter and film director, of the film Six String Samurai; and co-writer/director of The Crow: Wicked Prayer for Dimension Films....
and inspired by Norman Partridge
Norman Partridge
Norman Partridge is an American author of horror and mystery fiction. He has written two detective novels about retired boxer Jack Baddalach, Saguaro Riptide and The Ten Ounce Siesta. He is also the author of a Crow novel, The Crow: Wicked Prayer, which was adapted in 2005 into the fourth Crow...
's novel of the same title. It is the fourth and final film based on The Crow
The Crow
The Crow is a comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a drunk driver. It was later published by Caliber Comics in 1989, becoming an underground success, and later adapted into a...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
by James O'Barr
James O'Barr
James O'Barr is an American graphic artist, best known as the creator of the comic book series The Crow.-Personal life:O'Barr, an orphan, was raised in the foster care system...
. It had a one week theatrical premiere on June 3, 2005 at AMC Pacific Place Theatre in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
before being released direct to video on July 19, 2005. Like the other sequels to the cult movie, The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
, it had a poor critical reception.
Plot synopsis
Jimmy Cuervo (Edward FurlongEdward Furlong
Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in...
) is an ex-con living in Lake Ravasu on the Raven Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
. He was imprisoned for killing a would-be rapist in a fight. Jimmy plans to start a new life with his girlfriend, Lily Ignites The Dawn (Emmanuelle Chriqui
Emmanuelle Chriqui
Emmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
), and leave the town for good. Lily's priest father, Harold (Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
), and brother, local cop Tanner (Dave L. Ortiz) both hate Jimmy.
The town is home to a group of Satanists
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
led by escaped convict Luc "Death" Crash (David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
) and his fiancée Lola Byrne (Tara Reid
Tara Reid
Tara Donna Reid is an American actress. Reid has acted on television shows such as Saved By The Bell: The New Class, Days of our Lives, California Dreams, and Scrubs....
). Along with their three confederates "Pestilence" (Yuji Okumoto
Yuji Okumoto
is an Japanese-American actor best known for his intimidating movie roles, such as Chozen in The Karate Kid, Part II.-Early life:...
), "Famine" (Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
), and "War" (Marcus Chong
Marcus Chong
Marcus Chong is an American actor most noted for his role as Tank in the science fiction film The Matrix....
), Luc and Lola murder Lily and Jimmy in a brutal ritual that they hope will conjure the rebirth of the Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
. The ritual includes removing Lily's eyes—bestowing precognitive powers upon Lola—and Jimmy's heart. They dump the bodies inside an old freezer.
When the Crow returns Jimmy from the dead, Jimmy 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 it was Jimmy who killed Lily.
On the night of a local festivity, Jimmy dons the costume and make-up he wore to the celebration a previous year. He finds and kills Pestilence and then seizes the hearse carrying Lily's body, and buries her himself. Jimmy next finds and kills Famine in front of Luc. A fight ensues between Jimmy and Luc during which the crow, the source of Jimmy's power, is injured, thereby weakening Jimmy. Jimmy and Tanner meet and Jimmy shows Tanner telepathically what really happened to Lilly.
Luc and Lola visit El Niño (Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
), the head of their order, at a former church. 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
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
himself, telekinetically hangs Jimmy from a cross while Lola kills El Niño. Luc and Lola leave the church and head to a nearby burial ground 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. In order to heal the bird and restore Jimmy's powers, the still sceptical Harold performs the Crow Dance. Weakened, Jimmy heads to the sacred ground and stops Luc from having sex with Lola. Luc and Jimmy engage in a fight and the revived crow returns restoring Jimmy his strength and invulnerability. The sun rises and Luc's ritual wears off. Jimmy then kills Luc by impaling him on a wooden spike and cutting his throat. Lola tries to repent by praying to the Virgin but it is too late :she loses her sight and is taken into custody. Jimmy and Lily's spirits find each other and kiss.
Characters
- Edward FurlongEdward FurlongEdward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in...
as Jimmy Cuervo/The Crow - David BoreanazDavid BoreanazDavid Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
as Luc "Death" Crash - Tara ReidTara ReidTara Donna Reid is an American actress. Reid has acted on television shows such as Saved By The Bell: The New Class, Days of our Lives, California Dreams, and Scrubs....
as Lola Byrne - Marcus ChongMarcus ChongMarcus Chong is an American actor most noted for his role as Tank in the science fiction film The Matrix....
as War - Tito OrtizTito OrtizJacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
as Famine - Yuji OkumotoYuji Okumotois an Japanese-American actor best known for his intimidating movie roles, such as Chozen in The Karate Kid, Part II.-Early life:...
as Pestilence - Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
as El Niño - Emmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
as Lilly - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
as Harold - Dave BaezDave BaezDave Baez is a Hispano-American actor and model, probably best known for starring as Gabriel, in Showtime TV drama series, Dexter and as Elias in 9/Tenths. He was named one of the people in "Español's 25 Hottest Bachelors" in 2004. Baez is of Puerto Rican, French-Canadian, and Portuguese descent...
(credited as Dave L. Ortiz) as Sheriff Tanner
Reception
The film was critically panned, currently holding a zero percent approval rating based on six reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.Re-release
In 2011, it was re-issued by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment as a double feature paired up with The Crow: City of AngelsThe Crow: City of Angels
The Crow: City of Angels is a 1996 action film directed by Tim Pope. It is a sequel to the 1994 cult film The Crow.-Plot:The film is set in Los Angeles, where drug king Judah Earl controls it all...
. The only special feature was Widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
for both films. There was also a single feature release under the same company.