Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Crazies Blu-ray Movie Review

Would collectors be crazy not to add this classic low-budget Romero flick to their high-def collections?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 25, 2010

'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.

In the small Western Pennsylvania borough of Evans City, a secret government biological agent -- codename "Trixie" -- has escaped the confines of its secured container following a plane crash. The townsfolk are quickly infected; a father murders his wife and burns his farm, perhaps the first dastardly deed of what is to become a deadly outbreak not only of an infectious disease but also of mistrust, abuse of power, and all-out war between Evans City's innocent citizenry and the government's military personnel, led by Colonel Peckem (Lloyd Hollar), sent in to contain the situation. When martial law is declared and the town is sealed off, the military rounds up Evans City's civilian population, confiscates their weapons, and forces them into confinement inside the walls of the local high school. A local nurse, Judy (Lane Caroll), and her boyfriend and Vietnam veteran David (W.G. McMillan) are among a few locals who manage to evade imprisonment and take the fight to the military. Meanwhile, Dr. Watts (Richard France) desperately fights to discover a cure while a bomber with a nuclear payload is ordered to circle Evans City should the need arise to efficiently wipe out the virus before it can spread beyond the borough's borders.

The Crazies offers audiences a rough and raw look at a quickly-unraveling situation that's dangerous on all fronts; not only does the picture depict the effects of a particular contagion let loose on a small, confined population, but it more importantly -- and more horrifically -- examines the resultant government and military response that might be, at its absolute base, grounded in an effort to do the "right thing" but quickly dissolves into anarchy as power runs amok and even those meant to protect begin to turn on America's citizenry as the contagion spreads even to the well-protected soldiers. The Crazies looks at the breakdown of society on a microscopic level and in modern times, the quickly-devolving situation demonstrating the dangers of rapidly-decaying moral compasses and the degradation of civilized structure, reason, and sanity, caused not only by a disease but also the firm-handed and arguably excessive government response that itself quickly dissolves into chaos not necessarily because of the underlying circumstances but instead an overzealousness and confusion as to the purpose of the mission on both sides of the rifle's barrel. Romero has crafted in The Crazies an often pointed and no-nonsense picture that's of the rough-and-tumble variety as it unflinchingly examines chaos on several fronts and often and not-so-subtly ponders the story's overreaching thematic element: who are the true "crazies?" Are they those that are crazy of their own accord or unwittingly made so by an invisible agent?

George A. Romero's The Crazies proves something of a cinematic curiosity considering its extremely low-budget and sometimes goofy and rough look and feel, but the director proves his mettle not by crafting a picture that doesn't look bigger and better than its budget, but instead conveying the film's message and tone through a visual style that accentuates the mood of the picture wonderfully. Every frame is awash with feeling, be it confusion, despair, hurt, anger, or any other number of emotions that define the greater experience of the "Trixie" outbreak and the subsequent government/military response. Fortunately, the film's rough exterior does in and of itself accentuate the gritty nature of the story, but Romero relies not only on that but also lends a sure-handedness that puts all of it in context and perspective, the picture certainly not one to be remembered for its production values but nevertheless one that uses its limited resources to fine effect. Romero uses confused edits and plenty of surreal imagery to sell the picture. A simple shot of an armed, masked soldier standing guard outside a post office or a priest who sets himself ablaze in response to the exaggerated military response -- the latter even overcoming a terribly phony special effect that even itself doesn't detract from the scene's thematic purpose and power -- add to the picture a feeling of despair that reinforces the wayward, topsy-turvy story that highlights burgeoning chaos in a rapidly-degenerating situation. Additionally, The Crazies features rather poorly-realized action and gore, but again the film overcomes its budget by allowing the violence to emerge as an extension of the story and not its centerpiece and determining factor in how the picture will ultimately fare. Finally, The Crazies excels in spite of below-average acting thanks in part to the performers' ability to play -- albeit with excessively exaggerated flare -- to the picture's gritty feel, but a decent script and story, not to mention Romero's eye for filmmaking, allow the film to overcome yet another problem in favor of a timely and strongly-realized nightmare scenario.

The Crazies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.