George A. Romero's 1973 infection shocker The Crazies was a picture that essentially fell through the cracks, overshadowed by the popularity of the man's Living Dead series. While horror purists balk at the notion of any Romero product being reprocessed, this is one of those rare occasions when great care was obviously taken to deliver a different yet inherently faithful offspring.
Interestingly, director Breck Eisner (helmer of the ill-fated Sahara and son of former Disney chief exec Michael) seems more influenced by recent zombie and vampire pictures than the spirit of Seventies-era horror. His take on this "small town gone bad" saga feels indebted to stylish modern releases like 30 Days of Night, 28 Days/Weeks Later and of course Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake.
Ogden Marsh, Iowa Catches a Bout Of The Crazies
Where the 2004 Dawn of the Dead began with the lead track from Johnny Cash's American IV album, The Crazies opens with that disc's closing tune - "We'll Meet Again." The light, plucky number and associated imagery of quaint, bucolic farm life establishes a cheeky tone before unleashing the ironic reveal of Ogden Marsh, Iowa's downtown area after being engulfed in flames.
Flashing back a mere two days, things begin going wrong immediately as a seemingly catatonic (or drunken) old man shambles onto a busy baseball field while wielding a loaded gun. This juxtaposition of a great American pastime and shocking violence is just one of the film's many stylish, nerve-fraying setups. As soon as it's discovered that a recent plane crash may be tied to a spreading insanity, it's already too late.
Timothy Olyphant Knows the Government's Up To No Good
Replacing the original film's protagonists (two firefighters and a nurse) are the county's sheriff (Billy Bob Thornton lookalike Timothy Olyphant), his pregnant doctor wife Judy (Radha Mitchell) and his trusty yet trigger-happy deputy Russell (Joe Anderson). Whereas the original film balanced the civilians' travails against the bumbling exploits of the military, Eisner's version sticks as close as possible to this beleaguered trio as all hell breaks loose.
Military forces do arrive however, but they're portrayed here as a faceless, alien enemy hiding behind gas masks and ominous fallout suits. They're as bad at communicating as their psychotic prey are, and roll into town without warning or explanation. Suddenly the townsfolk are sorted and contained, using abnormally high body temperatures as an indication of whether or not they have become violent "crazies".
Biological Weaponry Breeds a Rural Apocalypse
Even though the sheriff is cleared, he is loathe to leave his wife behind strapped to a gurney in the repurposed high school. As expected, the "containment" process fails miserably and the town erupts into a dangerous hell-hole. Plagued citizens devolve into baser creatures, and in quick succession breathtakingly grisly encounters (with a pitchfork-wielding madman, a deranged mortician and a pack of human-poaching hunters) batter the audience.
While not quite as bleak as most zombie films (or last year's The Road), there's relatively little hope on the horizon as the survivors struggle to make it out of the hot zone. The men seem fixated on solving the problem by getting across the closed borders, but Judy is acutely aware of their deteriorating chances and how Ogden Marsh is no longer a place to raise a child. Or to simply survive.
Breck Eisner Delivers a Faithful Yet Inventive Crazies
The film gets a bit sluggish and talky in the middle, but some inventive setpieces (including an unforgettable trip to the car wash) enliven the plot. The script (adapted by Scott Kosar and Ray Wright) is exceptionally deft at toying with genre conventions and putting a fresh spin on the scares. There are a number of moments (a woman staring down an idling thresher, a runaway cranial saw, various trips into spooky barns) that lead the audience down one corridor only to drop a surprising payoff.
Eisner is great at framing his images, and while there are quite a few loud jump sequences he often opts for unsettling reveals of crazies lurking deadly still in the shadows. The cinematography by Maxime Alexander (who lensed Haute Tension) is a notch or two above traditional horror fare, as is Mark Isham's effectively chilling score - one that often apes the style of John Murphy's sonic work on 28 Days Later.
The Crazies - An Example of The Rare Satisfying Horror Remake
There are a few moments that feel rushed or excessively edited (just how does Sheriff Dutton get back into town after being placed beyond the heavily guarded quarantine zone?), but it's all in the name of producing a lean, viciously crafty rollercoaster ride. Eisner deserves credit for understanding that such rides begin with tantalizingly slow build ups before any dizzying drops can occur.
The Crazies has a great sense of pace, inspired visuals and gore-laden action scenes that never pull their punches. The focus on its three leads' evolving relationships may not elate all thrillseekers, but the film's dedication to character dynamics is something sorely missing in most modern horror pictures. Smart, cynical and at times bitingly funny, this updated Crazies is an exception to the rule that all remakes must disappoint. Grade: B+
- The Crazies, directed by Breck Eisner
- Adapted from George A. Romero's script by Scott Kosar and Ray Wright
- Starring Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker
- Running time: 101 Minutes
- Released by: Overture Films
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