George A. Romero is best known for his zombie films. While those are tempting to review I decided to look at his other horror films. Oh and if you're questioning why I put 1973 it's because there was a remake released back in 2010. Just thought you should know.
The Crazies is a sci-fi horror movie produced by Pittsburgh Films and distributed by Cambist Films. George A. Romero both wrote and directed.
The story is, Evans City, Pennsylvania has accidentally been exposed to a bioweapon called "Trixie". This virus causes people to either die or worse, become hysterically and homicidally insane. While the government officials try to contain and cover up their mess, a group of survivors are try to escape the martial law city and try to find safety outside.
- Negatives
I've got nothing.
- Mix
The only mix bag I can think of is the acting. Some actors are actually good and can give you good performances. But there are others who can veer into over the top which can take you out of the moment.
- Positives
One praise I'll give is Romero's directing. His Guerrilla style directing with its raw location shots, urgent, and chatter overlapping gunfire almost gave the movie a documentary feel to it. Which was very similar to what he did with Night of the Living Dead.
My other praise goes to how much pressure there. We get two parallel storylines. One is our survivors trying to escape but will either be attacked by the infected or soldiers. Meanwhile we have government officials trying to control the chaos while waiting for their scientists to find a cure. So you can't help but feel on edge for both stories.
The last thing I'll praise is the movie is scary but for a much different reason. While it can be violent, what makes it scary is the fact Romero didn't pick and choose which side is "the good guys". The government soldiers are rounding people up, will sometimes shot people on the suspicion of infection, will occasionally enforce the quarantine with lethal force, and treated Evans City as a containment problem rather than a community of citizens. But the infected (or "The Crazies" as they're called) are no better. Some are quietly unhinged, others are childlike, and then there are some who are brutally violent. So you can't tell who's infected by looking at them and if you can figure it there's no telling what level of insanity they are unless they act in a truly violent manner. So by not choosing a side, Romero has in a very uncomfortable truth that both are capable of extreme, dehumanizing behaviors. Because of this decision not to pick sides, the movie has more of lasting impact after you watch it.
The Crazies is a really enjoyable film to watch. And I'm glad I picked it over one of Romero's zombie films even if said zombie films are more iconic.
My final rating is, Good.
That's all for now and there'll be more to come for this Halloween season. Come back on Saturday, Oct 10th, for my double review of The Social Reckoning and Other Mommy. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.
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