Despite sharing how he does not "get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers' work" when condemning the remake of 1994's The Crow earlier this year, director Alex Proyas appears to be loving every last takedown of the film.
After the Rupert Sanders-directed remake made $4.6 million at the box office against a reported production budget of $50 million, the poor reviews from both audiences and critics alike are the wind beneath Proyas's wings.
A week ago (August 21), Proyas shared a screenshot of a negative review of the "awful goth remake" from The Guardian on Facebook, complete with a monocle emoji. Two days later, it was clear he couldn't turn away, writing to followers, "Wow. The reviews are brutal."
Proyas also shared one a French review that deemed the remake a "gigantic insult," and another calling it "the worst movie of the year," writing, "It's a bit like flogging a dead horse now so I think I'll stop after this... until another funny one comes along!"
The director even spoofed Facebook's Crisis Response tool, marking himself safe from seeing the 2024 reboot. On those aforementioned box office figures, the director quipped, "I thought the remake was a cynical cash-grab. Not much cash to grab it seems."
Only today did Proyas appear to give his posts a second thought, sharing on Facebook, "Think I'll stay away from the internet for a while."
In March, Proyas expressed his feeling that The Crow should not be remade out of respect for the late Brandon Lee, the lead who died on the set of the movie after being fatally shot by a prop gun.
The 1994 film was completed using digital effects and stunt double, and was dedicated to Lee and his fiancée upon release.
"[The Crow] is not just a movie," Proyas shared in March. "Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy. That's how it should remain."
Revisit Exclaim!'s list of Five Noteworthy Facts You Might Not Know About The Crow.