6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 2.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 2.8 |
When a plane carrying secret biological weapon crash-lands near a small, rural town, the area descends into chaos.
Starring: Lane Carroll, Will MacMillan, Harold Wayne Jones, Lloyd Hollar, Lynn LowryHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
'Trixie' is going to spread through this entire town.
On a budget that, in Hollywood, is about the equivalent of the loose change underneath the sofa
cushions, the legendary Horror maestro George A. Romero proves yet again in his 1973 Chiller
The Crazies that story and tone are more important -- and far more effective -- than
even top-flight acting, seamless special effects, professional production values, and glamorous
shooting locations. While sheer style can sometimes overcome a lack of substance, it's thematic
purpose that truly keeps cinema fresh and relevant, and The Crazies, on a shoestring
budget and minus glitz and glamour, builds an urgent and
timeless tale of a power struggle in a time of upheaval and the resultant fear and paranoia that's
compounded by elusive
elements, confused power structures, and general chaos. The skilled filmmaker Romero proves
his
mettle here perhaps more so than in any other of his exceptional films, turning an idea and a
fistful of dollars not into his best picture but certainly a thought-provoking film that's not a work
of
art but nevertheless worthy of attention and respect for its layered themes and disturbing
glimpse into what may
result from a military and government run amok inside its own borders.
Talk about going postal.
The Crazies infests Blu-ray with a somewhat inconsistent but fairly accurate 1080p, 1.66:1-framed transfer that places small vertical black bars on either side of a 1.78:1 display. This release features a somewhat inconsistent grain pattern where it's highly evident in some scenes and practically absent in others. Additionally, the picture is littered with scratches, speckles, and other debris throughout. Flesh tones can range from natural to taking on a clay-like consistency, while blacks can oftentimes overpower the screen and drown out finer background details. On the other hand, colors are nicely balanced; the slightly faded tone of each hue reinforces the picture's somewhat dated feel. Still, whether more bland objects -- such as a brown cardboard box and drab motel blinds -- or in contrast the many scenes featuring bright green grass, colors are not necessarily pristine but suitably presented given the film's age and small budget. Fine detail is rendered fairly throughout; the wear on wooden rifle stocks; pockmarks, scars, and facial hair; and clothing all appear fairly distinct in close-up shots. However, other, more complex imagery -- for instance fields of grass -- often appear clumpy and undefined. Additionally, the transfer reveals a fair sense of depth in some scenes, but fluctuates to looking terribly flat and smudgy in others. All told, The Crazies isn't a very pretty movie, but this Blu-ray transfer delivers a passable transfer of a rather visually unremarkable film.
The Crazies unleashes on Blu-ray with a paltry but generally true-to-the-scource DTS-HD MA 1.0 lossless soundtrack. This is truly a nuts-and-bolts offering. Sound effects, dialogue, and music are presented well enough to be heard, understood, and, processed by the brain, but nothing else. This is bargain soundtrack stuff, the entire thing playing like one might expect of a mediocre drive-in presentation. Still, it's not like this has original elements comparable to Terminator Salvation. It's a movie approaching its 40th birthday and made on the cheap; this is probably about as good as it gets without a complete remix and overhaul that would rob the film of its natural state. Dialogue is consistently harsh and unnatural, the opening sequence featuring youngsters as they watch their father burn their house sounds detached from the picture, setting a tone for what is to come as the spoken word is consistently muddled, indistinct, and altogether unnatural in tone. Additionally, sound effects are poorly realized, jumbled, undefined, and featuring no sense of space, but then again, that's not surprising given the one-channel presentation. Gunshots in particular are wimpy and fail to provide anything but the most basic thumping effect to get the point across that there is indeed a weapon firing. Music, too, is puny and without nary a hint of vigor or distinctive clarity. Ambient sound effects are practically dreadful; it's hard to tell what's exactly what. Some sounds pass for chirping crickets or other creatures in night scenes, but there's generally nothing but a jumbled mess of sound that competes with dialogue and effects, plays far too loudly, and gives the entire track an unnatural and sometimes borderline unbearable feel. Nevertheless, this is hardly a fault of the soundtrack; Romero himself in his accompanying audio commentary addresses this issue and listeners should rest assured that, as awful as The Crazies sounds, they are hearing the original sound mix on this Blu-ray release.
The Crazies arrives on Blu-ray with two supplements of note, the first an audio commentary with Director George A. Romero and the second an interview with Actress Lynn Lowry. The former features the famed director, alongside Blue Underground's Bill Lustig, speaking on The Crazies' place in Romero's career; shooting various scenes in and around Evans City, Pennsylvania, the same place the director shot Night of the Living Dead; casting local residents alongside professional actors; filming on a budget; the origins of the film and the director's involvement; post-production editing and the drum-heavy soundtrack; shooting techniques; the energy and pacing of the picture; the home video restoration process; the quality of the soundtrack; and plenty more. Despite a few lags, this is a fantastic track that both fans of the film and budding filmmakers should find worthwhile. The Lynn Lowry interview, entitled The Cult Film Legacy of Lynn Lowry (480p, 14:01), features the actress recalling her career, beginning in New York and moving on to look at her work in The Battle of Love's Return, I Drink Your Blood, Sugar Cookies, and other films, with emphasis later in the piece on her experiences in making The Crazies. Also included are two theatrical trailers (480p, 2:56 & 3:03) and two TV spots (480p, 1:03 & 0:32), all promoting The Crazies
The Crazies isn't the film for which Director George A. Romero will be remembered, but it's arguably one of his best efforts all things considered, the film pertinent and poignant thanks to his vision and craftsmanship as a master filmmaker, his efforts overcoming a miniscule budget and paltry acting that would have otherwise spelled doom for a picture in lesser hands. The film is also saved by a story that plays right into a low budget, rough-and-tumble tone, but it's still Romero's eye for detail that allows The Crazies to not be labeled as just another low-budget stinker with no real redeeming value. Of course, the picture is set to be remade with a glossy sheen, comparatively enormous budget, and a more talented cast, but it remains to be seen if money, names, and effects can topple Romero's admittedly rough but nevertheless smart and well-made genre cult classic. Blue Underground's Blu-ray release of The Crazies delivers technical presentations that, like the film, are rough around the edges but seemingly accurate to the original presentation. Also featuring a couple of extras, including a solid commentary track, The Crazies comes recommended to not only Romero and Blue Underground completists, but fans of cinema looking for a fine example of good storytelling and direction overcoming a micro-budget and mediocre acting.
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