The Crazies (1973)

With both the social message and plenty of splatter, The Crazies is at times dated but still appealing for horror aficionados.

The Crazies (1973)

Directed by George A. Romero

In the same vein as Fahrenheit 451 and Soylent Green, and pre-dating Stephen King’s The Stand (by quite a few years), The Crazies has a similar story, but on a much smaller scale. Made in the shadow of both Vietnam and Watergate, the story is set in director George Romero’s home state of Pennsylvania where a government plane carrying a dangerous virus crashes near the small town of Evans City. The virus finds its way into the town’s drinking water, turning everyone who is exposed to it into a murderous lunatic.

At its heart, The Crazies is nothing more than a movie about civilization gone mad. However, Romero’s cult classic speaks more radically about the American love-hate relationship with authority than any film of the Nixon era. Romero points a jaded eye at the American military and the how the government is often society’s most dangerous enemy. Of course, the central theme of chemical weapons will strike a chord with many people today, but even more unsettling is the powerful mix of paranoia, both within the army and among the politicians and scientists making The Crazies a grim allegory about government conspiracy and genocide.

For a film devoid of heroes (and all the better given the premise), The Crazies is blessed with several fun performances including Richard France (playing much the same role as he did in Romero’s Dawn of the Dead), the always beautiful Lynn Lowry and a very young Richard Liberty – aka Dr. “Frankenstein” Logan from Romero’s classic Day of the Dead. Gore-wise, The Crazies is not exactly a bloodfest, but it does have it’s moments including one rather nasty case of death-by-knitting- via a sewing needle. The picture feels cheap given its shoe string budget, aggressively obnoxious score, and eye-rolling dated editorial choices. Even with its drawbacks, the film has a rough, edgy feel that works to its advantage and Romero is able to add an unusual amount of depth and thought into the proceedings. As with Dawn of the Dead, Romero shows that he is a master at creating both horrific entertainment and social commentary. With both the social message and plenty of splatter, The Crazies is at times dated but still appealing for horror aficionados.

- Kyle Reese