The Crazies (1973)

Better Late Then Never

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

If you enjoy seeing bad tempered men being constantly hostile and rude, shouting at each other for 100 minutes and saying "ass" a lot, you'll love this film.

Romero once again does a good job of telling a compelling story full of social commentary, all the while getting good performances out of his actors. The stand-outs for me were Lloyd Hollar and Richard France, both of whom give intense performances, as their characters are constantly at each others throats. Will MacMillan is fairly straight-lace as the hero, and Lane Caroll is sweet and likable as the love-interest (she also shows off her titties in the beginning) - the ending is where they get to shine, in a tear-jerking scene. My only gripe is the lack of 'crazies', where as in contrast, Romero's zombie movies are full of said menace. Still, the threat of the 'crazy-virus' looms over the entire story, enough to imbue a sense of urgency to everything. This movie is an interesting foot-note in the zombie dominated career of the legendary Mr. Romero, and should not be overlooked.

Although this is a motion picture very much of its era, it is still one of the finest cautionary tales ever filmed regarding the threat of biological warfare and the terror of an unknown rampaging virus. Director George Romero uses his camera in a scalpel-like manner as he shocks the audience out of their senses and brings the unholy horror to life in graphic detail. This is truly a nearly brilliant movie that is bound to chill your very blood as the characters portrayed superbly by a gifted cast face one of human kind's most seminal fears: contagion spreading like wildfire. Not only one of the greatest horror films ever made and a Romero masterpiece, The Crazies retains its power even all these years after its original production. Unrelenting suspense, unforgettable imagery, and stunning fear. These are only a few of the elements that will assault you as you become engulfed by the breathtaking horror that is The Crazies.

A plane carrying a biological weapon crashes near a small Pennsylvania town. The weapon is a virus that drives people insane. The military quickly moves in and sets up martial law, preventing anyone from leaving the town. A group of people, including a nurse and her unibrowed boyfriend, try to escape the town before they're infected. But to do so they'll have to evade the military and the crazies.George Romero's first really good movie after Night of the Living Dead is this engrossing low-budget thriller with some creepy moments and surprises. The actors are a mixture of semi-professionals and amateurs. I know Romero went for this approach to add some realism to the movie. Sometimes it works; sometimes it is pretty campy. A lot of these people can't act to save their lives. Most of the movie is people yelling at each other but there is quite a bit of action (of the uncoordinated variety). The '70s aesthetic and rural location shooting is a plus. Definitely worth a look. Also, 2010 remake wasn't half-bad.