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The Crazies DVD Review

“The Crazies” is one of the few remakes that is better than the original.

Grades:

Content: B

Picture: A

Audio: A

Extras: B+

The plot: A plane crash leaks a deadly toxin into the water supply of the small town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa which causes the inhabitants who drank the water to become vicious, savage killers. The story mainly focuses its attention on a Sheriff and his wife whom are trying to make it out of the town alive. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done as the military is attempting to quarantine the town and contain the mysterious epidemic. On top of that, many of their friends and fellow townspeople are succumbing to the virus which naturally makes things difficult when having to confront them in a fight. Can the married couple make it out alive? Can anyone make it out alive?

As big of a George A. Romero fan as I am, I can’t say that his version of “The Crazies” was one of my favorites. Thematically, the film was interesting, but the cinematography and editing drove me nuts. When I first heard about the remake I was naturally not very enthused, but I did feel it had potential. However, in the past 30 years, only a handful of remakes have ever been good to great. To my surprise, “The Crazies” turned out to be one of these few remakes worth talking about.

While this remake doesn’t offer up any new ideas, it’s still a deliciously dark and competently made horror thriller filled with intese sequences with infected people, a few jump inducing scares here and there, a thought-provoking military cover-up story at the center, and yes, the best buzzsaw scene ever put to film. Add in solid performances by the always reliable Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell and you’ve got yourself a genuinely fun movie going experience (which is a real rarity during this poor film year).

The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen picture quality is superb. You can’t ask for a better DVD transfer. Likewise the Dolby Digital 5.1 hits all the right notes. From the cricket chirps to the gunfire, everything sounds crystal clear to my ears.

Extras:

* Anchor Bay trailers and “The Crazies” trailers.

* 2 “The Crazies” motion comic episodes.
* Behind the scenes photo gallery, screenplay, and PDF storyboards via DVD-ROM.
* “Visual Effects In Motion”- A look at several scenes that show a series of images from original shot to the final product with effects.
* “Make-Up Mastermind Rob Hall In Action”- A behind-the-scenes look at the Almost Human make-up company at work.
* “Paranormal Pandemics”- A featurette that discusses the virus in the film.
* “Behind The Scenes With Director Breck Eisner”- Self-explanitory.
* ‘The George A. Romero Template”- A look at Romero’s work, the messages in his film, his directorial style, his version of “The Crazies,” etc. A nice tribute to one of the best directors around.

* A decent commentary by diector Breck Eisner.

June 28, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | George A. Romero, The Crazies DVD Review, Timothy Olyphant