Brandon Lee

Actor Brandon Lee, the 28-year-old son of the late kung fu star Bruce Lee, was killed Wednesday after a small explosive charge used to simulate gunfire went off inside a grocery bag during filming on a movie set in Wilmington, N.C. Lee, who many believed was on the threshold of stardom similar to that attained by his father two decades earlier, had been working on the $14-million movie "The Crow," produced by Edward Pressman and Jeff Most.

POP/ROCK Brits Thirsty for Oasis: Oasis, the English rock group that has frequently compared itself to the Beatles, released its third album to a clamorous welcome in its homeland Thursday amid predictions it will become the biggest seller in U.K. music history. Lines of fans waited outside record stores and supermarkets to be among the first to pick up "Be Here Now," which music industry insiders believe has a good chance of overtaking the all-time sales leader, the Beatles' "Sgt.

In the scene, actors holding guns are listening to a prop master as he hands out blank cartridges. "Gentlemen, these are blanks," the man tells them. "Only aim upward. There's a wad of paper that comes out and can injure someone." But unbeknown to the movie crew, a hit man is standing among the actors. He pulls a real bullet from his pocket and inserts it into the chamber of his gun. Then the director calls for quiet on the set and Bruce Lee runs toward the group, displaying kung-fu acrobatics.

The death of Brandon Lee in a filming incident took a startling turn Thursday when police revealed the actor was killed by what was apparently a .44-caliber bullet. What appeared to be a bullet was discovered lodged near Lee's spine during an autopsy, calling into question the safety procedures on the set of the film. Detectives from the Wilmington Police Department said that they are still treating Lee's death as an accidental shooting. They said that they recovered the .

No criminal charges will be filed in the death of actor Brandon Lee, 31, who was shot on a movie set with a gun that was supposed to fire only blanks. Dist. Atty. Jerry Spivey said he found no evidence of the "willful and wanton" negligence that would have been required to prosecute Crowvision, the production company making the movie "The Crow."

Only a few months after the death of 28-year-old Brandon Lee, a documentary released by Warner Home Video on laser disc manages to link the young actor's fate with that of his father, martial-arts star Bruce Lee who died 20 years ago at age 32. "The Curse of the Dragon" ($35) comes almost simultaneously with the wide-screen laser release ($35) of Bruce Lee's major--and posthumous--international success, the 1973 "Enter the Dragon."

There has been a surge in renting Brandon Lee movies since the actor--son of the late Bruce Lee--was killed on the set of "The Crow" last week. In a check of stores around the country, some retailers report that FoxVideo's "Rapid Fire," featuring Lee's first major starring role, is suddenly among their hottest rentals. But even before his death, the movie had done impressive rental business.

The mother of actor Brandon Lee has filed suit against the Edward R. Pressman Film Corp. and 13 other corporations and individuals, alleging that their negligence was responsible for her son's "agonizing pain, suffering and untimely death" last March on the set of the movie "The Crow."

"The Crow," starring the late Brandon Lee, is like one long fright night. Even though it was photographed in color, the edge-of-darkness atmosphere descends on the audience like a shroud. The "Batman" movies were probably the first to transfer the new style in doom-and-gloom comic book fantasias to the screen, but "The Crow" makes those films seem happy-go-lucky. On its own terms it's highly effective but that doesn't mean you have to accept its terms.

"The Crow," starring the late Brandon Lee, is like one long fright night. Even though it was photographed in color, the edge-of-darkness atmosphere descends on the audience like a shroud. The "Batman" movies were probably the first to transfer the new style in doom-and-gloom comic book fantasias to the screen, but "The Crow" makes those films seem happy-go-lucky. On its own terms it's highly effective but that doesn't mean you have to accept its terms.

"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens, that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then, sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put things right." * On May 11, "The Crow," which opens with the above ominous voice-over, will arrive in Los Angeles and New York theaters. Two days later it will open nationwide.

Only a few months after the death of 28-year-old Brandon Lee, a documentary released by Warner Home Video on laser disc manages to link the young actor's fate with that of his father, martial-arts star Bruce Lee who died 20 years ago at age 32. "The Curse of the Dragon" ($35) comes almost simultaneously with the wide-screen laser release ($35) of Bruce Lee's major--and posthumous--international success, the 1973 "Enter the Dragon."

No criminal charges will be filed in the death of actor Brandon Lee, 31, who was shot on a movie set with a gun that was supposed to fire only blanks. Dist. Atty. Jerry Spivey said he found no evidence of the "willful and wanton" negligence that would have been required to prosecute Crowvision, the production company making the movie "The Crow."

'Fugitive' Favored: Moviegoers, spending their box-office bucks in record amounts this summer, have dubbed "The Fugitive" their favorite flick. In a poll of 2,400 people over the age of 12 by the American Research Group, the top five movies were "The Fugitive," "Free Willy," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Jurassic Park" and "The Firm." Moviegoers rated the 19 summer films released so far higher than the 1992 crop, giving them an average rating of 4.9 (on a scale of 1 to 6), compared to 4.4 last year.

"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens, that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then, sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put things right." * On May 11, "The Crow," which opens with the above ominous voice-over, will arrive in Los Angeles and New York theaters. Two days later it will open nationwide.

The mother of actor Brandon Lee has filed suit against the Edward R. Pressman Film Corp. and 13 other corporations and individuals, alleging that their negligence was responsible for her son's "agonizing pain, suffering and untimely death" last March on the set of the movie "The Crow."