Day 8: The Crazies (1973, Dir. George A. Romero)
With the release of the new Crazies film in cinemas this week I thought I’d take a look at the original, as a big Romero fan something I have wanted to see for ages.
The virus making the crazies so crazy falls somewhere between the zombie virus and swine flu; a bit of a problem but never seeming to actually matter all that much. If only we were treated to a few more scenes of craziness it may have had a bit more effective. However it is very effective as the story unravels to try and work out just who is infected. Though it is hard to watch this and not think of it as a zombie film but without the zombies, adding not only more scares to the mix but also a much needed level of humour every now and then.
The soldiers are a very visually striking force, always unnerving in their white jump suits and gas masks. Their quick turn from peace keepers to trigger happy rent a killers is really unnerving, especially when they are shown stealing the possessions of the dead. Whilst the military presence is effective in scare mongering and increasing the tension, the endless scenes of suits shouting at each other does slow down the narrative a fair bit.
If there is one thing Romero always manages to get right it’s an ending, and Crazies is no exception to this. It’s a complete down note but it completely works. However while some of Romero’s editing and pacing is questionable, it is ultimately his unnerving story that prevails.
I’m looking forward to seeing the 2010 Crazies and after all of the positive press it is getting it should be a treat. And talking of George A. Romero, Survival of the Dead gets a DVD release next month which I am very excited about! Watch this space…
6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069895/
Extra: Cate fell asleep half way through this one!
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