This is a Zombie Movie that came out a little while ago, and now it is on DVD. It is a remake of a George Romero original from years back (1973). Romero is involved as a Producer with this 2010 version, too.
It’s your standard zombie movie with familiar broad Romero themes. The source of the infection is a government created virus that accidentally spreads to a small farming community. The ‘zombies’ aren’t walking dead, they are just made psychotic by the disease. The government comes in to contain it in a heavy handed manner, and then unforeseen circumstances cause the whole situation to crumble out of control.
Psycho Zombies are like Rage Zombies but less energetic. Rage Zombies are so pre-occupied with their hunger that they’re mindless, sprinting after any known victim detected. Psychos remember things from before they were ill and can use tools and weapons and plan ambushes and traps. They can probably drive, too.
The movie follows the 2 main characters, the Sheriff, and his wife who also happens to be town doctor, and their efforts to survive and escape. Not just the Crazies but the military trying to contain the Crazies.
When I say “Broad Romero Themes” there are folks that have studied his entire corpus or oeuvre. Commonalities in a Romeor work are a “secret government project” that cause a horrendous disaster when an ‘accident’ happens. You can’t trust the gov’t though so the accident may have been on purpose. George has positive, redemptive racial themes in many of his films. Often a black man is the hero or savior. If you find yourself in a Romero movie, pay attention to and follow the African American gentleman near you, as he may be your best hope for long term survival. The flip side of that coin is Romero HATES ‘rednecks’. They are never portrayed in anything but a stereotypical matter and are usually as close to the epitome of drunken, toothless, violent, usually evil, cousin-humping hillbillies as he can get away with without overtax their believability to the movie-going audience.
While there is no redemptive black hero in The Crazies, boy howdy there was evil rednecks to spare in this one.
It’s your standard zombie movie with familiar broad Romero themes. The source of the infection is a government created virus that accidentally spreads to a small farming community. The ‘zombies’ aren’t walking dead, they are just made psychotic by the disease. The government comes in to contain it in a heavy handed manner, and then unforeseen circumstances cause the whole situation to crumble out of control.
Psycho Zombies are like Rage Zombies but less energetic. Rage Zombies are so pre-occupied with their hunger that they’re mindless, sprinting after any known victim detected. Psychos remember things from before they were ill and can use tools and weapons and plan ambushes and traps. They can probably drive, too.
The movie follows the 2 main characters, the Sheriff, and his wife who also happens to be town doctor, and their efforts to survive and escape. Not just the Crazies but the military trying to contain the Crazies.
When I say “Broad Romero Themes” there are folks that have studied his entire corpus or oeuvre. Commonalities in a Romeor work are a “secret government project” that cause a horrendous disaster when an ‘accident’ happens. You can’t trust the gov’t though so the accident may have been on purpose. George has positive, redemptive racial themes in many of his films. Often a black man is the hero or savior. If you find yourself in a Romero movie, pay attention to and follow the African American gentleman near you, as he may be your best hope for long term survival. The flip side of that coin is Romero HATES ‘rednecks’. They are never portrayed in anything but a stereotypical matter and are usually as close to the epitome of drunken, toothless, violent, usually evil, cousin-humping hillbillies as he can get away with without overtax their believability to the movie-going audience.
While there is no redemptive black hero in The Crazies, boy howdy there was evil rednecks to spare in this one.
2 comments:
I was kinda dissapointed in The Crazies.. glad I saw it on DVD and didn't pay for it in the theater. It just seemed like it was missing something. I like Timothy Oliphant, though, and he was good in it.
Maybe it was that I'm used to my zombies being mindless and out of control?
I also was glad I waited to rent it on DVD. It was good, but not $10 movie ticket good. $1 redbox rental suited it just fine.
Since I have a passion for zombie and apocalypse flicks, I'll probably end up getting a copy of it on DVD at some point.
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