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Very cheaply made film by Director George Romero about a virus, known as Trixie, that has somehow leaked out in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. The military quickly comes, assesses the situation, and then implements martial law. This is a very thought-provoking film and has some clever dialog and direction here and there. The biggest problems arise with Romero's virtually absent budget. We have a cast of amateurs, some moved on to star in other films particularly by Romero. Richard Liberty as Frankenstein in Day of the Dead being the most noteworthy. Despite not having any star power, the cast for the most part does a decent job notwithstanding. But the settings, although very "realistic," just don't create a real sense of fear for me or believability. I wonder what this film might have been with a budget double the size. If you can get past the minuscule budget, you will find an interesting film here. A film I think that has some real issues at hand even now. The things Romero does do well is create suspense based on the feelings of time being an enemy and make some scathing social commentary on the nature of war, science in war, and apocalyptic threads concerning the way rules are all thrown out when faced with doomsday.

George Romero's legend as a genre filmmaker is secure; his repertoire is less sure, as his movies can be hit or miss. I admit I started watching 'The crazies' with expectations of something different than what we actually get. However, while the narrative starts slowly, it nonetheless ends up being duly engaging. What begins as a disordered effort to contain an outbreak gradually spirals out into a deepening crisis, and the spotlight on a handful of recalcitrant townspeople humanizes the course of events and a strong overarching theme of distrust in the military. The premise is disquieting, the story as it transpires is often unsettling, and in the midst of all the chaos, what scenes of violence we get are acutely jarring. The sense of horror here is broadly more thematic and conceptual than concrete, but even at that, this is a reasonably worthwhile classic.

The detail in the production design is somewhat impressive considering especially that this was only Romero's fourth film, a few short years after 'Night of the living dead.' The vehicles, props, and costume design presumably ate a fair portion of the budget, joined in that spread by special effects including blood. In general there's not much to speak of in terms of dialogue or characters, but the scene writing is pretty swell. And though never wholly captivating, or engaging to the extent we'd hope, the overall narrative is fairly solid.

Moments that could be emphasized with gravity or emotional weight are passed over with the same detached observer's eye that otherwise captures the unfolding events. With this in mind, the assembled cast get to explore their parts mostly only in instances of worsening infection - but they all inhabit their roles well to tell the story. And this rather summarizes 'The crazies' as a whole: the storytelling and film-making are fine, demonstrating Romero's practiced hand in the genre - and that's about it. Nothing about the movie is bad, but nor is anything exceptional to the point of demanding praise. It's modestly gripping, but not necessarily satisfying; entertaining, but not outright stimulating.

One shouldn't necessarily go out of their way to find this, but it's sufficiently deserving of consideration as to be worth watching if you come across it. As a horror film, and as a George Romero picture, 'The crazies' isn't the most essential slice of cinema, but it's a good time all the same.

Though as a lifelong resident of the greater Pittsburgh area, the idea of anything noteworthy coming out of Evans City, like a classic movie, is still a laugh.

Like Romero's "Day of the Dead," this is another marathon of carnage and excess talk, filled with scattered themes (martial law, role of the military, bureaucracy, disease, etc.). It's high-concept stuff, granted, but the budget is low and the script is unfocused. Like the attorney general's definition of "terrorism," the effects of the virus in "The Crazies" is just as vague (abnormal behavior that varies from person to person), but the unpredictability gets tedious after a while. The reason David Cronenberg's similarly-themed "Shivers" worked so well is because the parasites had a specific function (to replace a dead organ) and side-effect (they transform people into sex maniacs), and were confined to one specific location (an apartment complex). "The Crazies" is ambitious, but the unengaging performances and heavy-handed symbolism (tattered American flags, toy soldiers stepped on by real soldiers) renders it a mediocre oddity on Romero's resume.

5/10

Romero's zombie classics 'Night Of The Living Dead' and 'Dawn Of The Dead' are two of the best horror movies ever made, but they really cast a huge shadow over his career. Romero made two movies in between that are seriously overlooked, the fascinating character study of a vampire(?) 'Martin', and 'The Crazies', a paranoid thriller in a similar vein to the Dead movies. While not actually a zombie movie as such anyone who enjoys NOTLD or DOTD will find much to admire here. The budget is very low so the production values sometimes leave a bit to be desired and the acting is variable, but overall I think it's a terrific movie with some interesting echoes of both NOTLD and the Vietnam war. Will MacMillan (David) and Lane Carroll (Judy) aren't familiar to me, and neither is Lloyd Hollar who plays the Colonel in charge of the quarantine (he's very good), but cult fave Lynn Lowry ('Shivers') plays space case Kathy, her Dad (Richard Liberty) will be recognized by anybody who has seen 'Day Of The Dead', and David's 'Nam buddy Clank (Harold Wayne Jones) went on to appear in Romero's 'Knightriders'. And then there's the wonderful Richard France playing a similar character to the one he would memorably play in DOTD, an outraged scientist. 'The Crazies' pretty much flopped back in the 70s but looking at it now restored for DVD it's obviously one of Romero's best and a must for any horror buff. The commentary track by Romero and William 'Maniac' Lustig is also highly recommended as it offers lots of insights into the highs and lows of low budget film making.

A plane crashes near Pittsburgh carrying a bacteriological weapon called "Trixie". It gets into a nearby town's water supply causing it's citizen to go crazy, some of them homicidal maniacs. Some of the town's residents try to escape through a cordon around the town set up by the Army and shooting between the residents and soldiers (who go around wearing white contamination suits) and blood spurts ensue. That pretty much sums up the plot.

There's really no gore in this Romero film, but we do see plenty of gun battles that look cheap and amateurish. The only memorable character is Dr. Watts, played by Richard France, who's overacting is so bad that I actually liked his time on the screen. You can see he's trying real hard.

The Blue Underground anamorphic DVD looks nice and it contains a short interview with co-star Lynn Lowry who explains some of her experiences on the film as well as her failed film career. Also a decent commentary track by George Romero who wishes he could have done more with it if he had a bigger budget.

As long as one doesn't compare it to Romero's other films like the DEAD trilogy or MARTIN (1977), then it's better than most 70s low budget efforts in that cheap, charming way. I think it's worth a look.

6 out of 10

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After a military plane crashes nearby, an American town starts experiencing the effects of a mysterious man-made virus that causes people to act in wild, often violent ways. When the army gets involved in trying to contain the situation, paranoia and fear spreads among the population until it's practically impossible to tell who is infected and who is simply scared. As you may expect from a film directed by George A. Romero, 'The Crazies (1973)' contains a pretty blatant political underpinning. It's, essentially, a sort of satire, even though it's presented seriously, that takes aim at the government and the way in which it treats its own citizens as expendable. There's perhaps less overt 'craziness' in the piece than you may expect, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a chaotic and downright bleak affair throughout. Its moments of sometimes rather explicit violence aren't really its focus, although they are effective in conveying the senselessness and brutality of the central situation. Instead, the focus is on the way in which the town's civil liberties are slowly taken away as the army tries its best to 'help'. That's actually a far more scary prospect than the virus itself. By refusing to paint any particular person as a villain, the picture remains rather nuanced. It's the infrequently seen higher-ups who are to blame, not the boots on the ground acting out their orders. Even then, those higher-ups are simply trying to contain a potentially devastating situation (though, it is their prior decisions that caused said situation), which makes them a little more empathetic than they may otherwise have been. It truly is a no-win situation. The film itself is a little jumbled, bouncing between characters as it tries to balance its wider conflict with its more straightforward survival story. Still, it's compelling no matter how messy it gets. It's stressful, too. That's the type of horror that it aims for and that's the horror that it achieves. It's a distinct entry in the genre because of it. It's also entertaining, which is perhaps the most important thing, and never lets its underlying themes get in the way of its surface-level action. Everything comes together nicely, although there are segments which aren't as engaging as they perhaps ought to be. It's only ever so enjoyable, too, perhaps because of what it tries to achieve. It's a really solid effort, though. It's honestly surprisingly good. 7/10.

It's easy to see this as a close cousin to the zombie genre of which it's creator is the undisputed king. However, it flips the script, presenting a world in which nearly everybody is the bad guy. It's commentary on how well meaning government policy can become barbaric when implemented through brute force was obviously intended for the Vietnam War, but it's interesting to consider in a literal post pandemic world. It often favours this allegory over realism, but if you can accept the exaggerations along with a few other low budget trappings, the grisly action and deep cynicism make for a wild ride.

1973's "The Crazies" was the 4th feature film from writer/editor/director George A. Romero, like "Night of the Living Dead" using Evans City as the primary location, from a script called "The Mad People" first conceived by Paul McCollough. A plane carrying a contagious bio weapon crashes near a small Pennsylvania town, infecting the populace through the water supply, turning them into raving lunatics with no sense of self control; one father murders his wife before setting fire to the family home, another forces himself upon his all too willing virgin daughter. The military swiftly takes action through martial law, blaming radiation as the safest way to cover up the blunder, while the viewer remains focused on the attempted escape of a pregnant nurse and her experienced fiancee. Romero's rapid fire editing style maintains the same kind of breakneck pace as his best known films, making this a welcome addition to the more obscure early works prior to "Dawn of the Dead." Lynn Lowry was already a familiar face from David Durston's cult classic "I Drink Your Blood," while Richard Liberty would later play the role of Frankenstein in 1985's "Day of the Dead."

After the success of his classic Night of the Living Dead (1968), horror master George Romero followed up with this low-budget thriller.

Airplane crashes outside of a small Pennsylvania town and unleashes a bio chemical substance that turns the locals into murderous psychotics. The government steps in, but only makes things worse... far worse.

George Romero's films have long been known for their violence, disturbing nature, and social commentary and this early film is no exception. The Crazies has exciting action wrapped all in a thought-provoking and unsettlingly believable story. There's plenty of moments of gore and a number of scenes that are quite horrific (burning preacher anyone?). Romero's direction is nicely done, providing tense atmosphere and using the rural locations of Pennyslvania well.

Cast-wise some of the performances of this film seem a bit forced, but the performers do manage to hold it together. Harold Wayne Jones, Will MacMillian, and Lloyd Hollar are the best stand-outs.

While The Crazies is often forgotten among the horror films of the 70's, it's a good film from a great director. A must for Romero fans.

*** out of ****

The crazies, a movie about the inept efforts of the military to deal with the consequences of an accidental release of a biological weapon into a small town that drives the townspeople mad, feels on the surface like a zombie movie.

Sure, just by looking at them you can't tell they are crazy, and, unlike zombies, they don't eat people but just kill them. However, the opening sets a tone that belongs to any standard zombie fare.

Two aspects make movie this different and more interesting: first, the almost-obligatory band of survivors who try to escape the reach of both the infected and the military effectively takes second place to a portrayal of the authorities' efforts in dealing with the catastrophe, and second, that portrayal relentlessly depicts a group of incompetents in charge who don't know how to deal with the situation effectively and could care less about the population they are supposed to protect. In that, it reminded me a little of 'Dr. Strangelove...'.

The movie was made in the early 70s and seems to have been influenced by at least three contemporary sociopolitical events:

First, a large proportion of Americans was becoming disillusioned with the Vietnam war, and this reflected itself in growing protests against the ongoing operations. One of these culminated in the Kent State massacre in 1970, where national guard troops shot and killed, as well as injured, several student protesters at Kent state University. In fact, this is briefly referenced in the film.

Second, the Biological Weapons Convention was signed in 1972 (going into effect in 1975), which banned its signatories, including the United States, from developing and testing biological weapons.

Third, also in 1972, the Watergate scandal erupted, which exposed people at the highest levels of authorities attempting to pull strings behind the scenes illegally and being quite incompetent at doing so. Incidentally, these political events reflected themselves in cinema in a string of excellent paranoid 70s thrillers of which this movie is at least a close cousin.

There are a few nice examples of how the various forms of the incompetence by the authorities stack on top of each other to give rise to something like a synergistic effect. In one scene, a scientist finds a potential cure but cannot transmit the information due to excessive bureaucratic procedure, so he decides to report it in person. He fails to communicate his findings to his colleague before dashing off, only to be blocked by the military who lump him together with the crazies.

While much of the cinematography seems dated, there are still several effective scenes with rapid editing techniques that keep the tension high. The acting is for the most part decent, and the multiple story lines are easy to follow, even if we may not care about all characters the same amount.

Quite early in the movie it is established that there is practically no hope for the townspeople, and this gives the entire movie a nihilistic outlook. As the movie progresses, the authorities in their white decontamination suits, initially portrayed as not unreasonable, seem increasingly like evil aliens, an effective device which inverts the standard good guys vs bad zombies movie narrative.

In my view, the subversive sociopolitical commentary puts this movie a cut above the rest, even though purely in terms of film-making it does not stand out as much.

The film's story and plot is imaginative, however it over all is a poorly acted and scripted film. Romero deserves credit for his work, however he needs to stop and not be in so many places at once. Much like George Lucas, he needs to produce his work, and never direct it.

My biggest complaint is the grossly inaccurate military use in the story.

Aside from Dawn of the Dead, I feel that this little seen film is one of Romero's strongest vehicles. Indeed the two films have a great deal in common in terms of pacing, style and overall visual impact. It throws the viewer into the middle of a story with little introduction, and continues at a breakneck pace right until it's bleak conclusion. The wonderful thing about Romero's works is that he manages to take situations that might just be distantly possible and make them an absolute chaotic reality. This film is a testament to that, and may even stand as one of his more realistic and plausible stories. Performances on the part of almost all of the actors are very good, particularly the main group of focus. There are some awkward moments with David, but Judy is very good, and proves herself particularly in her final scenes. Clank is interesting to watch, and does a very good job of descending into a dangerous and confused haze. Richard Liberty's Artie is a favorite, though, due largely to a scene where he tells why he never allowed his daughter to date. He is truly creepy. Those on the military side are also very good, particularly Major Rider and Colonel Peckam. I must admit that I do have a soft spot in my heart for Richard France as Dr. Watts. He rants and relentlessly chews the scenery in a grand performance, and adds a wonderful dash of color and even more insanity to this bleak film. Romero is always interesting in his use of characters, and this film is no exception. He is constantly pushing the envelope of audience expectations by having major characters die or succumb to the madness. Nothing is safe in a Romero movie. His use of the soldiers is wonderful in the frenzied and gritty military and chase scenes. This film as a whole is gritty, unnerving and a perfect stylistic precursor to Dawn of the Dead. One of the better scare pictures of the 70s.

In Evans City, a plane crashes on the hill releasing for six days in the water the bacteriological weapon Trixie that affects only human beings. The army under the command of Colonel Peckemseals (Lloyd Hollar) seals off the town to contain the virus and there is no antidote for the victims that are doomed to die or become incurably mad. The pregnant nurse Judy (Lane Carroll), her husband David (W.G. McMillan), their friend Clank (Harold Wayne Jones), their new acquaintance Artie (Richard Liberty) and his daughter Kathy (Lynn Lowry) tries to cross the border of the town, but the escapees are hunted by the army. Meanwhile, the scientist Dr. Ralston Watts (Richard France) researches blood samples trying to find the cure for the disease.

"The Crazies" is a tale of paranoia and madness in a period when the world was afraid of a bacteriological war. The plot is based on a total stupidity from the authorities that send the army to contain the virus in a small town but does not provide any explanation to the population, invading real estates and breaking in homes. The lead scientist is another stupid character. Surprisingly this year it was released a remake of this average film. Last time I saw this film was on 04 July 2000. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Exército do Extermínio" ("The Extermination Army")

Oh boy, have I found the most 2020 movie ever. The Crazies is about a pandemic unleashed by the government that turns people rabid. It's mad cow disease, but for people. The infamous government hazmat suits are pretty creepy and signify the unique world that George A. Romero creates. But let's not kid ourselves, this is a really kitschy, grungy movie. The war room scenes are practically filmed inside of Romero's basement. We're talking high school student film level filmmaking. That kind of gives it its charm and strangely enough, it makes the absurd situation seem more real. It's story and scope should be big budgeted, yet it done entirety on the cheap. It's a formula that worked in Night of the Living Dead and it works here.

This early film of George Romero is about a small town in Pennsylvania that is infected by a virus created by the U.S. Army. The virus produces one of two results; violent rage or a dementia like state. We initially see the violent side as the film opens with a man killing his wife and burning down his home. The military acts quickly in an effort to quarantine the town and prevent the spread of the virus. This goes fairly smoothly at first, with the residents cooperating as the soldiers herd the townsfolk into the school gymnasium. Problems arise, as the infection prompts many residents to shoot the soldiers. And, of course, the soldiers shoot back. At the army command center, a local doctors office, no one can quite agree on the proper course of action to take. There are even some scenes with the higher ups in Washington, DC gravely agreeing that, if need be, the town will be destroyed via bombardment. The main crux of the story centers on a small group of townspeople who decide to try and break out of the quarantine and are pursued by government forces. The group consists of David, an ex Green Beret and his pregnant wife, Judy, followed by Clank, an old army buddy, and Artie and Kathy Bolman, father and daughter. Things go from bad to worse as some members in the group exhibit signs of the virus and the film follows on from there.

This was Romero's third film, and he made it before his first film, Night of the Living Dead, was to make him a horror legend. The Crazies is similar to Dead in many ways, it was shot in Pennsylvania, centers on an invading "army," and the chaotic breakdown of society.

The Crazies is definitely a cheapie. Romero would be the first to admit that. However, the film is effective in its execution despite its low budget. There is a clear storyline and the film is competently shot. The acting ranges from awful to convincing and Romero relied on stock footage and cut-aways to keep the movie rolling. To me, the editing seems choppy and appears as if the director, who also edited the film amongst other duties, was attempting to salvage some scenes. Oddly, this enhances The Crazies charm. It is truly a low budget film and illustrates what a creative spirit and some teamwork can achieve. It is watchable and a perfect example of how films got done back in the 70s without studio support. I really believe this is the glory years of independent movies especially as it pertains to the horror genre. Also, amazingly, these folks, Craven, Romero all had to shoot and edit with film. There were no fancy digital cameras and Final Cut Pros back then, just creativity. It makes me wonder why we aren't seeing more gems from today's filmmaker. Unfortunately, I just haven't seen any real leap with all the opportunity that is out there with this new equipment and I've seen A LOT of low budget films. Anyway, I digress.

Some of the aspects of The Crazies that I don't think work so well were in some of Romero's directorial choices. As he was to later employ to ill effect in Day of the Dead, Romero seems to think that having characters simply shout at each other is enough to illustrate drama. The scenes at the military headquarters are the best examples of this. I realize the characters are supposed to be handling a crisis, but, at times, it appeared that they could communicate by no other means then yelling. It got very wearing.

Also, ineffective and wearing was the drum roll music used throughout the film for scenes that involved the military on the move, which was most of the movie. It sounded a little too cheap and since it was repeated so often became distracting.

The costumes the soldiers wore were white biological warfare type gowns with army issue gas masks. For the budget Romero had, these were perfectly acceptable and worked. However, not the filmmakers fault, but I couldn't help but think of the white clad storm troopers from the Star Wars series and not just in resemblance. The soldiers were about as effective as the buffoonish space soldiers in shooting and chasing after the renegade townspeople. I imagine this was Romero's own view of the American army as there are also many scenes of the soldiers stealing.

As a film, on its own, The Crazies isn't the greatest film you'll see, even in it's genre, but it is often engaging and with the right nostalgic frame of mind entertaining. It's chief value, so many years later though, is its illustration of an early filmmakers creativity and independent spirit.

George Romero, as he did with many of his other early films, got the money together and went out and, for better or worse, got it done.

There is a lot to learn and appreciate from that.

The Crazies (1972) presents a compelling premise: a small town is thrown into chaos after exposure to a biological weapon, Trixie, which causes either death or complete mental breakdown. The film explores this concept with a mix of raw, unsettling moments and others that feel uneven or underdeveloped. Some scenes are genuinely disturbing and effectively convey the panic and disintegration of society, while others suffer from abrupt editing or inconsistent performances. There's a sense that parts of the film were cut or reshuffled, which disrupts the pacing and coherence. Despite these flaws, the film stands out for its unsettling atmosphere and underlying social commentary, especially on military control, misinformation, and collective paranoia. It's not a flawless execution, but it's certainly a unique and memorable entry in the pandemic subgenre-messy, thought-provoking, and ahead of its time in several respects.

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs. Revisited it recently.

Small town residents go berserk after a viral epidemic engulfs em n military law is enabled to control the town's border, place people in quarantine n shoot the 'crazies'. While scientists work hard to learn the pathogen n search for a cure, two ex army men turned fire fighters along with three other civilians fight their way out to obtain the information n evade the quarantine.

The film moves at a good pace n surprisingly without it containing any zombies, it has sufficient tension n suspense. The chaos n fear shown is pretty relevant in today's covid 19 pandemic.

One of Romero's least-seen efforts, this film is well-made on a low budget, but the frenzied pacing, the documentary-type directing techniques and the unsympathetic characters leave you with nobody to root for. More cruel than bloody, and especially interesting for those who want to study Romero's career more closely, as it has both the nihilism of "Night of the Living Dead" and the strong anti-military spirit of "Day of the Dead". Worth seeing. (**1/2)