Crazies

The Crazies (1973)

Note: This review is for the recent Blue Underground release on Blu-Ray.

The small town of Evans City wakes up one night to a nightmare of insanity and death. Just a few days earlier a military transport carrying a biological weapon called Trixie crashed. While the military initially thought that it was contained, the Trixie virus got into the water supply and started to infect the locals. Basically it causes those afflicted with it to pretty much go crazy, some of them violently. If having to deal with violent, angry, insane locals weren’t bad enough the team brought in to solve the issue also has to deal with military bureaucracy and the struggles trying to keep the outbreak secret, even from their own men.

With this as a backdrop we follow a group of characters, with the leads really being Judy, David (her boyfriend), and David’s friend Clank. Later the 3 pick up a disturbed girl named Kathy, played by the always great Lynn Lowry and her father Artie. They spend most of the movie dodging army patrols as they try to break the perimeter and get away from the infected. The only thing is that as they try to escape it is pretty clear that some of them have become infected already. Eventually both storylines are resolved and the movie comes to a satisfying, if not happy, ending.

So if listen to the podcast (Episode 16 –cheap plugs ahoy) you already know what I think about the movie. In short I’ve always thought that the Crazies was one of the most underappreciated Romero films and stands only behind his dead trilogy as his best movie. The story is solid from start to finish. Right from the opening where we have a father trying to kill his family and set fire to the house you can tell we are in for a movie that isn’t going to pull any punches. And while this movie lacks the gore that something like Dawn of the Dead or Day of the Dead boasts, it is very powerful. There is one particular scene with Lowry’s character and her father that is really messed up that jumps to mind. Additionally the characters are all very interesting and there is some tension between the Clank and David characters over Kathy before Trixie even shows up. This gives the characters somewhere to go as they start to lose control and give into the effects of Trixie. Now I’ll agree that some of the stuff with the government men in Washington is a bit dry, but it is important to the plot and needs to be there.

Speaking of the plot I think that it might be the biggest sticking point with a lot of those who don’t like this movie (including my co-host in the podcast – more cheap plugs). While there is an obvious political message in all the of the Romero dead films, it is really out front in the Crazies. Some of the individual military men might come off as a bit sympathetic, but as a whole the military does not. In fact they are portrayed as an occupying force that has invaded Evans City and push the citizens around for their own good. In fact the stubborn adhering to the bureaucracy and need for secrecy actually allows Trixie to become even worse than it should. Obviously being made in the early 70s this is making some comment on Vietnam and the mood of the country.

Agree or disagree with the politics of the movie I still think that it is worth watching. If for nothing else than the fact that this is an interesting look at Romero as a filmmaker as he transitions from something like Night of the Living Dead to Dawn of the Dead later on. I’ve always found that the Crazies is very similar visually to Dawn, which comes 5 years later and at the same time takes even more obvious shots at authority then Night did. Really sometime sit down and watch Night, the Crazies, and Dawn in that order and tell me you don’t see a progression. Of course then again I’m kind of a fanatic about Romero movies, so maybe it is just me.

Now lets talk a bit about the Blu-Ray of the Crazies that Blue Underground just released. I’m being completely honest here when I say that I was kind of dubious when I heard that they were going to put the Crazies out on the format. I’ve seen the movie dozens of times, including on a 35 mm print at the drive-in. It has always been sort of grainy and soft at points. When I saw the DVD that Blue Underground put out I thought that was about as good as the movie was ever going to look. Boy was I wrong. I have no idea what Blue Underground did or where they found the source materials for the Blu-Ray but the movie is just… pretty. I mean there is no other way for me to describe it, though I’m going to try. The colors are vibrant and distinctive, which only further reinforces my feeling that this shares a visual style with Dawn of the Dead. Also the night shots are so sharp that I was picking up details that I’ve never seen before, which considering how many times I’ve seen this movie says quite a bit. The special features on the Blu-Ray are pretty much the same as the DVD. You have a commentary with George Romero (always worth listening to), a great interview with Lynn Lowry, and then the disc is rounded out with some TV spots and trailers.

If you consider yourself a horror fan, a Romero fan, or a fan of early 70s exploitation/drive-in movies you need to check out the Crazies. Now I know that there are a lot of fans that don’t dig this movie, and I really can’t understand that. But if you haven’t seen it yet you really need to give it a shot. If you don’t have a Blu-Ray player then I would go get the DVD release, but if you are setup and ready then grab the Blu-Ray. This is a great transfer and looks incredible. Hell if you are a fan of the movie and have the DVD I’m recommending that you double dip, it really is worth it.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer