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| Umbrella Entertainment (Australia). All Regions, PAL. 1.66:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 2.0, English DD 5.1. 98 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: George A.
Romero
Starring: Lane Carroll,
W.G. McMillan, Harold Wayne Jones, Lloyd Hollar,
Lynn Lowry, Richard Liberty
Screenplay: George A.
Romero
Country: USA |
Believe it or not, in-between instalments of
his 'DEAD' series, George Romero makes
other films. Like all filmmakers, some of his
flicks are losers, but some are real winners: The Crazies is one of those winners.
Romero's fandom towards monster movies and
'atomic scare' films of the fifties
are both obvious influences on the 'Dead'
films, and the Crazies also gets a gigantic push
from these influences as well. Probably just as
relevant now as in 1973 when it was released,
this tale of the government's suppression
of a Pandemic virus accidentally released in a
small town feels like it was pulled from today's
science magazines like Focus and Scientific American.
The Crazies is the story of a
town in Pennsylvania, called Evan's City,
which has a virus, codenamed Trixie, accidentally
released into its water supply. The virus causes
madness and violent tendencies in all those who
are exposed to it. The army declares martial law,
and do their very best both to suppress the infection
and control those who have already been exposed
to it. While scientists, such as Dr. Watt (Richard
France) search for a cure, five people (Lane Carroll,
Will MacMillan, Harold Wayne Jones, Lynn Lowry
and Richard Liberty) try to avoid the army, and
to avoid being infected as well. Or have some
of them already contracted it…
An obvious precursor the Dawn of the Dead,
with scenes of the army entering houses, and the
extreme military control, as well as the panic
caused by an outbreak (in this case a virus, in
Dawn…the dead coming back to life).
Even though filmed with a lot of unknowns, including
locals from Evan's City, this film is surprisingly
well acted, which might also be due to Romero's
excellent script. There are some amazingly shocking
scenes of the soldiers entering people's
houses, and terrorizing families, which sticks
into the mind, especially since these are the
good guys, who have to do awful things to maintain
law and order. It is rare than we get to see Romero
deal with something not supernatural, and this
proves that he can do it. |
| Video |
| The picture has quite a lot of artefacts, and
on occasion a bit of Chroma noise, but the picture
is still incredibly clear and colourful for a film
that is over 30 years old. |
| Audio |
| The soundtrack can be heard in either 2.0 or 5.1,
and unfortunately is not that spectacular in either.
Unfortunately the hazmat suits the soldiers are
wearing tend to muffle some of the dialogue, which
can make is a bit awkward to hear. Admittedly the
5.1 is slightly less 'tinny' and a slight
bit clearer. |
| Extra Features |
The audio commentary is done by Bill Lustig and
George Romero, and is one of the better ones I have
ever listened to. Lustig manages to drag some great
information out of Romero, and Romero's recollections
of the shoot are thorough. It is an interesting
commentary also from the point of view of having
a seasoned filmmaker looking back and assessing
his own style 30 years ago.
TV Spots are two TV commercials for the Crazies.
Basically they are the same clip, but one has a
more 'SEE! HEAR!' styled voice over.
Stills Gallery is a scrolling slide show of promotional
and behind the scenes pictures. Some of the shots
are interesting, but with no audio, not even some
muzak, it is not very engaging.
George A. Romero Biography is a text bio of Romero's
life and cinematic output.
Trailers has a few different versions of the trailer
for The Crazies. These trailers have suffered the
test of time and have various artifacts and low
level noise running through them. Again they are
basically the same trailer with different voiceovers.
This disc also has trailers for Spontaneous
Combustion, Driller Killer, Masters of Horror Volume 1: Mario Bava and Candyman. |
| The Verdict |
While at times a little 'old school'
now, the basic themes hold up well with today's
natural threats. This film is before its time, and
an obvious influence on films such as Nightmare
City and 28 Days Later.
A must see, and a worthy addition to any horror
buffs collection.
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Good review though - spot on for an excellent movie!