8 Things We're Sure We've Seen In Films (But Actually Haven't)

7. Brandon Lee's On-Screen Death - The Crow

The Crow Brandon Lee
Miramax

1994's grim, gothic superhero flick The Crow was a well received and iconic work, but gained notoriety due to one particular setback - namely the tragic on-set death of Brandon Lee.

Just eight days before production was to wrap, Lee was fatally wounded when a poorly cleaned pistol was used in his death scene. A fragment of a dummy round had been left in the gun and a blank cartridge then propelled the round out of the barrel, hitting Lee. Despite his death, the film was completed without much alteration to the script, merely reworking the character's death scene.

Now it's obvious that the filmmakers wouldn't use an actual clip of Lee's death in the finished product (though it's not like every studio is above this), and it's clear upon watching the scene back. Draven's face isn't scene once during his murder, and the scene is edited cleverly in order to avoid any risk of the use of a body double looking too obvious.

However, due to the macabre nature of Lee's death and a few initial assertions that we were watching the act itself in cinemas, the question is still asked and the myth believed by some to this day.

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A self-taught video editor with nearly 25 years of experience, Joe worked in freelance videography for many years before joining WhatCulture in 2018. During that time, he has expanded his work to include both writing and presenting, and has been at the forefront of several new channel launches including WhatCulture Horror and WhatCulture Star Wars, largely defining their visual identity through the design and curation of their bespoke assets. As a dedicated WhatCulture Gaming staff member, he has spearheaded numerous new content strategies and formats, and has taken the lead on various charitable projects that have raised large sums of money for charities close to his heart. Bluesky and Instagram: @jjpinwheel