An underrated masterpiece from George Romero. It's NOT a zombie movie, more of a plague film. When a plane carrying a biological weapon codenamed 'Trixie' goes down near a small town (Trixie turns those exposed to it into psychotic madmen), the weapon is leaked into the town's water supply. The military is sent in to contain the situation, but their over-reaction threatens to only make things exponentially worse. As citizens fight back and the infection spreads among soldiers and laymen alike, it soon becomes almost impossible to tell who is actually one of "the crazies'.
In The Crazies we follow the military leaders, the soldiers mindlessly following orders, a team of scientists tasked with finding a cure, and a small group of survivors led by an ex- Green Beret Vietnam vet turned member of the VFD and his pregnant wife. The acting is pretty tops all around. Will McMillan as the ex-Green Beret David, Lane Carrol as his wife Judy, Harold Wayne Jones as David's best friend Clank, Harry Spillman as Major Ryder, Richard France as Dr. Watts, and Lloyd Hollar as Col. Peckham are all great. It's nice that the antagonists in the film (Major Ryder and Col. Peckham) aren't just evil, sinister figures but are clearly distraught over their choices and have a good deal of humanity injected into them. While there is a good deal of carnage, the effects aren't all that great and the blood looks pretty fake (almost like ketchup).
The Crazies is clearly influenced by social issues in society during the Vietnam War including distrust of the Govt./military/authority/military over-reach, mob mentality, and the terrifying effects of fear and paranoia. George Romero set out to make a film that comments on social issues of the time while being unique, different, and refreshingly dark. He succeeded. The Crazies is definitely a film that will stick with you due to it's rich, superb, tasty themes and the well-built characters within it. A must-see!
5 STARS
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