Review of The Crazies (1973) by Sean G — 24 Aug 2009

Confusion, panic, desperation, hopelessness: George Romero's The Crazies not only employs the same dynamic as his 1979 classic Dawn of the Dead, but also has a similar style and pacing, making it an interesting companion piece to the director's long running zombie series. Technically, the film might lack the polish of Romero's later work (the editing, in particular, ain't that great), and it is perhaps a bit too talkative at times, but for fans of the Pittsburgh auteur, it should still be considered a 'must-see' movie.

As in Dawn of the Dead, society is facing collapse in the wake of a deadly epidemic that has been caused by the accidental release of a biological weapon; however in this film, the result of the contagion is not a plague of flesh-eating corpses, but rather a madness that can cause victims to commit sudden acts of violence.

Whilst the army struggles to cover up their mistake and prevent further contamination, and a lone scientist (Dawn of the Dead's Richard France) attempts to formulate a vaccine, two firefighters (Will MacMillan and Harold Wayne Jones) try to lead a small group of people (including Day of the Dead's Richard Liberty and cult actress Lynn Lowry) to safety, with the biggest threat coming from the ominous, trigger-happy, HazMat-suited soldiers roaming the countryside.

Once again Romero cleverly combines political commentary with visceral action, delivering an intelligent horror that not only provides excitement, tension, splatter, and a delightfully downbeat ending, but also something for the mind to chew over: although seeing a seemingly meek, old woman stabbing a soldier to death with her knitting needles is undeniably shocking, the real horror comes from the distinct possibility of such a situation occurring, and the extreme procedures implemented by the government following the outbreak, which include having a bomber with a nuclear payload circling the area in preparation for the worst eventuality (interestingly, the same 'last resort' was used to contain the zombie outbreak in the excellent 1985 comedy/horror Return of the Living Dead, a film inextricably linked to Romero's work).