The Crazies
1973
In director George Romero's THE CRAZIES, a government plane carrying a biological warfare virus crashes near the small Pennsylvania town of Evans City. The virus finds its way into the town's drinking water, turning everyone who comes in contact with it into a murderous lunatic. Firefighter David (Will McMillan) and his .. Read more
| Starring | Lane Carroll, Harold Lowry, Richard France, Edith Bell |
|---|---|
| Director | George A. Romero |
| Genres | Horror |
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The Crazies
In director George Romero's THE CRAZIES, a government plane carrying a biological warfare virus crashes near the small Pennsylvania town of Evans City. The virus finds its way into the town's drinking water, turning everyone who comes in contact with it into a murderous lunatic. Firefighter David (Will McMillan) and his pregnant wife Judy (Lane Carroll) remain unaffected but face great danger in trying to escape the town, which has been quarantined by the U.S. army, who lurk around every corner clad in gas masks and protective suits. Joining them in their attempt to escape are Clank (Harold Wayne Jones), one of David's fellow firemen, and Kathy and Artie (Lynn Lowry and Richard Liberty), a father and daughter whose strange behavior indicates that they might have been exposed to the virus. Similar in tone and structure to his LIVING DEAD trilogy, Romero's film overcomes a visibly limited budget to create a colorful 1970s genre film that neatly captures the feeling of governmental distrust that was characteristic of the Vietnam era. With both a social message and plenty of splatter, THE CRAZIES is an underrated horror film with appeal.
| Starring | Lane Carroll, Harold Lowry, Richard France, Edith Bell |
|---|---|
| Director | George A. Romero |
| Studio | ANCHOR BAY HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 38 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Horror |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 28 Jul 2003 Production year: 1973 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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This is a commendable, if unsuccessful, attempt by director George A Romero to repeat the success of his revolutionary horror classic Night of the Living Dead. Here, panic and paranoia prevail when an army plane carrying a biochemical virus crashes in Pennsylvania and turns the locals into killers. Shifting points of view keep involvement to a minimum and greatly undercut the suspense, despite the sudden acts of shocking violence and some effective gore moments.
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Night of the Living Dead suggested that Romero was an unusual if none too clearly defined talent; two non-horror movies... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Apocalypse then
Having surprised the viewing public with his cult classic, "Night of the Living Dead", George Romero found a worthy follow-up in this re-working of the zombie genre.
Once again, the story kicks off apparently some way into the action, with the plot explanation occurring along the way - giving the viewer the same sense of disorientation and confusion that the characters are experiencing. And once again, Romero piles on the action, neglecting characterisation (and acting skills), and produces a low budget minor classic.
Admittedly, we are used these days to far more sophisticated special effects, but the vaguely amateurish nature of the enterprise helps create an atmosphere of almost documentary-like (sur)realism.
The Vietnam allegory is even more direct in this film, as well as the early 70s paranoia about oppression of the hippy counter-culture. And, with today's sensibilities, one can pick up more than a passing pre-echo of American antics in Iraq.
Well worth a watch. -
Most recent members' review
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3 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Patchy Seventies' Horror
George A. Romero?s tale of a man-made virus which causes its victims to become homicidal maniacs and is accidentally unleashed on a small American town should feel like something far more relevant to our own paranoid, WMD-obsessed times. Unfortunately both the horror and the social comment fall well short of the god-like genius in evidence in The Dawn of the Dead.
That said, I?d reservedly give it my recommendation, since a mediocre film from Romero is worth ten hackneyed re-makes from the mindless clich?-merchants and time-servers currently grinding out nonsense for the multi-plexes. The old lady who eviscerates some chap with a knitting needle and then goes back calmly back to her rocking chair is good fun, and so are the thieving, incompetent military, robbing victims? homes and corpses or unthinkingly following their stupid superiors stupid orders. The idea that both the infected victims and the soldiers sent to quarantine the townsfolk are both equally destructive is interesting, but ultimately neither threat summons up the necessary and the actors spend rather too much time shouting at each other at the expense of character and atmosphere.
Hard-core Romero fans will find bits and bobs here to keep them entertained on a wet afternoon, including a rather sweet featurette interview with one of the stars, Lynn Lowry, who explains how she once stabbed David Cronenberg with a toasting fork. As you do. -
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The Crazies
In director George Romero's THE CRAZIES, a government plane carrying a biological warfare virus crashes near the small Pennsylvania town of Evans City. The virus finds its way into the town's drinking water, turning everyone who comes in contact with it into a murderous lunatic. Firefighter David (...
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