The Crazies

While you could dismiss this as just another Romero zombie flick, let me tell you this: it isn't! Of course that doesn't mean, that you will like it or even that the Remake will make you want to watch this. And of course the stringent budget does affect the shooting. But I think they did not only do their best with the money, but Romero went all out with the "documentary" feel. The basic idea stays the same (as is shown in the Remake too) and has been done quite a few times. Some have said, that this movie was ahead of its time and maybe it was, but that is not the point. It's how you feel about the movie and the message (you might feel it's too preachy, too slow or lacking in other categories). Or you might think it's a classic (although I do think that word has been overused). But you will know after the first few minutes, because like it or not, it stays true to the style and visual it sets out to.

I viewed George A. Romero's "The Crazies" as part of my exposure therapy, or unhealthy obsession with, the current coronavirus pandemic, as the film is about a viral outbreak, which in this case turns people, well, crazy--oft, homicidally so. Unlike the 2010 remake, this one doesn't waste time with a gradual buildup to the action, jumping right into the lunacy, with a military quarantine and a rebellious townsfolk. There's the blatant allegory here to the Vietnam War and the political turmoil and distrust of the 1970s. All of that is lost in the remake. Moreover, there's the thrill here of the exploitation genre, of guerrilla filmmaking and with lots of blood splatter and a bit of gratuitous nudity. Whether an acute depiction of mass hysteria, or merely hysterical, "The Crazies" earns its status as a cult classic.

It's easy to see this as a close cousin to the zombie genre of which it's creator is the undisputed king. However, it flips the script, presenting a world in which nearly everybody is the bad guy. It's commentary on how well meaning government policy can become barbaric when implemented through brute force was obviously intended for the Vietnam War, but it's interesting to consider in a literal post pandemic world. It often favours this allegory over realism, but if you can accept the exaggerations along with a few other low budget trappings, the grisly action and deep cynicism make for a wild ride.