The Crazies (2010) [Blu-ray]
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close  The Crazies (2010) [Blu-ray]
Rated:  R 
Starring: Radha Mitchell, Danielle Panabaker, Timothy Olyphant, Joe Anderson.
Director: Breck Eisner
Genre: Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller
DVD Release Date: 06/29/2010

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In this terrifying glimpse into the "American Dream" gone wrong, an unexplainable phenomenon has taken over the citizens of Ogden Marsh. One by one the townsfolk are falling victim to an unknown toxin and are turning sadistically violent. People who days ago lived quiet, unremarkable lives are now depraved, blood-thirsty killers.

While Sheriff Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell), try to make sense of the escalating violence, the government uses deadly force to close off all access and won't let anyone in or out - even those uninfected. In this film that Pat Jankiewicz of Fangoria calls "disturbing," an ordinary night becomes a horrifying struggle for the few remaining survivors as they do their best to get out of town alive.

Breck Eisner (Sahara) directs this suspenseful reinvention of the George A. Romero classic.

Storyline: As a toxin begins to turn the residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa into violent psychopaths, sheriff David Dutton tries to make sense of the situation while he, his wife, and two other unaffected townspeople band together in a fight for survival. Written by IMDb Editors

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, July 3, 2010 -- This town is dead and it's not coming back.

In some corners, The Crazies would be referred to as a depiction of a "SHTF" situation, meaning that something's gone terribly wrong -- society has broken down; few can be trusted; danger lurks around every corner; guns, ammunition, and water become cherished commodities; and only those with either a lot of luck or skilled in survival techniques are likely to make it through the event alive. It's become a popular sub-genre in recent years, with films like 28 Days Later, 2012, I Am Legend, and the remake of Zombie Maestro George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead charging into theaters and engrossing audiences with depictions of civilizations on the brink. The same concept holds true with The Crazies. It, too, is a remake of a Romero movie of the same name; his version of The Crazies is probably his best-known film outside of anything with "...of the Dead" in the title. Slick, intense, fairly predictable, but loads of fun, this modern-day retelling of The Crazies proves itself to be a rare creature; it's a worthy remake that's arguably superior to the original and, if nothing else, it makes for a very good time at the movies.

After 'The Crazies,' the government decided that pitchfork buyers would have to pass a background check.

The small Iowa town of Ogden Marsh is a cozy, close-knit community. Spring weather means baseball, and the town is abuzz with hardball fever. Everything's hunky-dory until a game is interrupted by a man who wanders onto the outfield grass -- armed with a shotgun. Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant, Live Free or Die Hard) confronts him, but reason and logic fail; the man with the shotgun raises his weapon, but David manages to shoot and kill him first. The town is in a daze; the shooting is a surreal event that's pierced the otherwise tranquil setting, but little do the denizens of Ogden Marsh know that there's more -- much more -- to come. It's believed the man was drunk, but when the toxicology reports show otherwise, it would seem that the mystery is only bound to intensify. It's soon forgotten, however, as more and more people begin exhibiting symptoms similar to those that plagued the man who wandered onto the baseball field. It doesn't take long before the town falls into a state of disarray, and the confusion and chaos are only furthered when the military arrives with orders to quarantine the town and kill any and all who resist. David, his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell, Pitch Black), and his deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson) must not only piece together the mysterious happenings inside Ogden Marsh, but fight for their very lives against an increasingly hostile military, a crazed populace, and an unseen enemy that threatens to turn them into whatever it is that their friends and family have already become.

When analyzing a movie like The Crazies, there are two obvious avenues of examination that factor into determining how well it works. The first, and most important, is the question of how well-made and entertaining it is on its own merits, while the second, and somewhat less crucial but certainly not irrelevant element, is how close to or respectful of the source material it is. As to the first, The Crazies is borderline crazy-good. Forget that it's not at all original; it's a remake of a cult-classic picture that's several decades old, and it's awfully reliant on genre cliché to get from start to finish. The Crazies manages to work in spite of these potential roadblocks and stumbling points out of sheer will and determination to entertain and visually dazzle its viewers. The result is a picture that's so slick and, more importantly, fun, that even the dreaded predictability and influx of generic plot advancement elements can't slow it down. Yes, even through the almost laughably-transparent plot devices (someone's about to die, but a hero barges into the room and shoots the bad guy at the last second) and painfully-predictable story arcs (including the unsurprising "gotcha!" final shot), The Crazies works as mindless entertainment at its very best. Director Breck Eisner juggles the balance between glossy entertainment and dumbed-down story very well. His direction is incredibly flashy and taut, his action scenes well-constrcuted, and his actors all turn in surprisingly energized physical performances. These positives more than make up for the picture's greatest negative: a total lack of emotional or thematic resonance.

2010's The Crazies works best when watched for sheer entertainment purposes; the slick veneer and well-staged action will keep genre fans glued to the screen, but unlike Romero's vision of the story, there's nothing under the surface to further intensify the picture beyond its glossy sheen. Romero's picture -- much like his "Dead" films -- is slathered in social commentary; Eisner's focuses far less on the hows and whys of the military, government, and scientific responses to the event and more on the individuals effected by it at ground level. In a way, Eisner's approach proves more engaging for the average viewer for its ability to further the senses of confusion, despair, anger, and frustration at the unfolding events, lending to the movie a more on-the-gorund, driven-by-reality experience that makes it a more personal and dangerous experience. That style comes with more action and glitz but at the expense of the biting satire that's found in Romero's picture, but both movies prove that either approach, done right, can yield different but equally effective results. This version of the film doesn't feel hollow for the absence of sly commentary; it's an action-driven picture that works on its own level, the film built on a taut and glossy veneer but also a showcase for the raw and gritty violence of a world gone to hell. One of the film's greatest attributes is its pacing; it's a fast watch, and unlike plenty of other genre pictures, it gets off to a fast start and never relents. The picture spends only a few minutes establishing its setting and characters before opening with a bang that resonates throughout the entire movie and sets a grisly tone for all that's to follow. Additionally, The Crazies boasts of some good acting that's at a level not often found in movies of this sort; the venerable Timothy Olyphant disappears into his role and plays the town sheriff with an authority but also a sense of fear and acceptance of the stark realities around him wonderfully. It's not an Oscar-level effort, but for a movie like this, it's solid gold.

The Crazies is a rare breed: it's a remake that works and a movie that's absent any real originality, but one that still delivers a tense and exciting experience. It's craftily-directed, slick, and fast-paced; the acting is strong; the action is well-staged; and most importantly for a Survival/Action/Horror picture, The Crazies is just a blast to watch. Eisner's film lacks the social commentary and raw, gritty tone of Romero's picture, but it excels past that film with a smoother fit and finish, more action, and superior special effects. Those tired of and worn out by lesser remakes should give The Crazies a try; it's better than most. Starz/Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of The Crazies serves up a superior technical presentation while featuring a quality assortment of extras. Highly recommended.

[CSW] -3.1- A non-zombie zombie movie making it a refreshing (one-sy) horror film. Let's see what D-Box will add... D-Box 7.4/10 - The end of chapter 11 has some pretty good action

Cast Notes: Timothy Olyphant (David Dutten), Radha Mitchell (Judy Dutten), Joe Anderson (Russell Clank), Danielle Panabaker (Becca Darling), Christie Lynn Smith (Deardra Farnum), Brett Rickaby (Bill Farnum), Preston Bailey (Nicholas), John Aylward (Mayor Hobbs), Joe Reegan (Pvt. Billy Babcock), Glenn Morshower (Intelligence Officer), Larry Cedar (Ben Sandborn), Gregory Sporleder (Travis Quinn), Mike Hickman (Rory Hamill), Lisa K. Wyatt (Peggy Hamill), Justin Welborn (Curt Hammil).

IMDb Rating (08/20/10): 6.7/10 from 19,611 users

Additional information
Copyright:  2010,  Starz / Anchor Bay
Features:  • Audio Commentary With Director Breck Eisner
• Behind The Scenes With Director Breck Eisner
• Paranormal Pandemics
• The George A. Romero Template
• Make-Up Mastermind In Action
• The Crazies Motion Comic Episodes 1 & 2
• Visual Effects In Motion
• Storboards
• Includes Digital Copy Of The Crazies For Portable Media Players
Subtitles:  English SDH, Spanish
Video:  Widescreen 2.40:1 Color
Screen Resolution: 1080p
Audio:  ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1
ENGLISH: PCM 5.1
Time:  1:41
DVD:  # Discs: 1 -- # Shows: 2
UPC:  013132139890
Coding:  [V4.5-A4.5] VC-1
D-Box:  Yes
Other:  Producers: Rob Cowan, Dean Georgaris, Michael Aguilar; Directors: Breck Eisner; Writers: Scott Kosar, Ray Wright; running time of 101 minutes; Packaging: HD Case.
Rated R for bloody violence and language.

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