Every artist has their beginning. Growing up, we find ourselves shaped by the cultures that surround us. We use our experiences with them to perceive either ourselves, or the world at large. For many filmmakers, their catalyst of creativity may be King Kong, Jurassic Park, or The Dark Knight. But, in the case of indie filmmaker and musician David Ullman, this was The Crow.
Completed in 2001, Inertia: Re-Making The Crow chronologizes two passionate high schoolers who take on an ambitious project with limited resources. Nothing, but sheer creative ingenuity, and old-fashioned guerilla filmmaking. This documentary features directors David Ullman and Matt Jackson, as they spend four long years creating a fan film based on the classic 1989 comic by James O’Barr. From after the release of the 1994 film, and until completion in 1998, the two endure a handful of challenges. Some of which range from mundanely minor to serious, all treated with the extreme sincerity of young, aspiring filmmakers.
To set the stage, Inertia (named after the first chapter of the graphic novel) opens with newsreels of the passing of The Crow’s late star, Brandon Lee. While one may view this as exploitive to Ullman’s own admission, the moment only highlights the significance of Lee’s passing. This shows how much this event meant to the industry as a whole, in addition to how his performance helped build the legacy this respective film adaptation would leave behind.
Obviously, Ullman and Jackson, like many, would end up falling in love with the film. From there, they were encouraged to read the graphic novel. Seeing how different the two were, the young duo took it upon themselves to build a fan-made adaptation of The Crow from the ground up, and in a way that was much more faithful to James O’Barr’s ideas of grief, loss, accepting death as a natural part of life.
In an age where anyone can look up tutorials on YouTube, and gather equipment with a few button clicks, there is a transcendent charm to seeing the lengths indie filmmakers of the 90s have gone just to put something to screen. Everything, from the graininess of a home camera, to filming a fight scene without getting the cops involved is captured and retroactively discussed with a light-hearted stun. These vignettes are recalled as unbelievable feats of two high school students, which is backed by the absurdity that occurred while filming. These wild happenings include Ullman being buried alive with a snorkel to reenact Eric’s resurrection, cutting his hand while punching glass, and a whole abandoned house being set to flames (with supervision by the Rittman, Ohio fire department). It really goes to show the dedication they, and other contemporary independent filmmakers (James Rolfe comes to mind) had to their craft at the time, and without the red tape and regulations needed.
As troublesome as the production was, Inertia makes for such an inspiring tale about the beauty of creating. Whether it is a book or a film, it doesn’t have to be perfect, as artists bleed for their work. Sometimes, that bleeding can be too much for one to handle– but, it is only a matter of how they handle the bleeding. The philosophy that Ullman and crew have borrowed from Robert Rodriguez in the vein of “just do it” is on full display; watching them power through something that only a handful of people would have watched at the time injects the viewer with complete creative optimism. There will always be room for improvement, for we can only learn as we push forward.
As of this review, Inertia: Re-Making The Crow has seen a select few screenings– as of October 2025, it is to be screened on October 8th in Minneapolis at the Trylon Cinema, and October 16th at the PhilaMOCA in Philadelphia. Additionally, the documentary is available for purchase at LunchmeatVHS, whose YouTube channel is the home of the 1998 fan film, The Crow, which Inertia is based on. For more about the making of this documentary and the film, check out our interview with David Ullman.
Whether you’re a fan of The Crow, or independent cinema, Inertia: Re-Making The Crow is an endearing and insightful look at no-budget student productions, and how these experiences have helped shape the people behind its making.
For more info, check out David Ullman’s website!
