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Just saw The Crazies. I was probably one of eleven people in the Western Hemisphere that has seen the original. And let me tell you - the original SUCKED. Like a Black Hole sucked. I had to get a copy of a Canadian bootleg (during my college years) to see the goddamn thing and it was bloody awful. The only reason I sat through it was because it was one of John Carpenter's earliest works, and I am nothing if not loyal fan.
So, when I heard there was a remake of The Crazies coming down the chute, I snorted in disbelief. However, the sneak previews and the fact that Timothy Olyphant was in it made me change my mind. And I am glad that I saw the film, for this version is one of the elite few where the remake tops the original.
Timothy Olyphant is one of those rare leads who can don both the white hat and the black hat (the other being Ben Foster). So, throughout the film, I was filled with the sense of dread that he'd go off his rocker. Whether he does or not really isn't important as most of the townsfolk of Ogden Marsh become a bunch of barking loonies. But unlike 28 Days Later or Rec, these people go insane, not stupid. They don't mindlessly chase people down Main Street, drooling and screaming. Their insanity is firmly based on their personalities, so the killings get friggin' creative. And, this being good ol' US of A, guns are involved. Lots and lots of guns.
Another scary part that was inherited from Carpenter's original and done right: there is NO safety in numbers. As we're dealing with a biological contagion, the more people you try to save - the greater the odds of you being screwed. So, it's basically every person for him/herself. This leads to complete breakdown of any social structure/hierarchy/familial roots - and even the sane soon end up in a crazy situation on top of dealing with the homicidal nutjobs running amok.
The idea of military involvement then conflagration is, by now, a beaten horse. So, Breck Eisner handles that part efficiently and methodically. And that for me was the scariest, because the complete plausibility of the government's response to a twenty-first century plague.
The original was a B-horror movie. This one is not. There was a lot of money spent and spent well. I don't know who the DP was, but the movie was shot beautifully, and unlike its predecessors, there are no extensive handicam shots to drive people crazy (or nauseous), so kudos for that.
I highly recommend this one to be seen in the theaters.
So, when I heard there was a remake of The Crazies coming down the chute, I snorted in disbelief. However, the sneak previews and the fact that Timothy Olyphant was in it made me change my mind. And I am glad that I saw the film, for this version is one of the elite few where the remake tops the original.
Timothy Olyphant is one of those rare leads who can don both the white hat and the black hat (the other being Ben Foster). So, throughout the film, I was filled with the sense of dread that he'd go off his rocker. Whether he does or not really isn't important as most of the townsfolk of Ogden Marsh become a bunch of barking loonies. But unlike 28 Days Later or Rec, these people go insane, not stupid. They don't mindlessly chase people down Main Street, drooling and screaming. Their insanity is firmly based on their personalities, so the killings get friggin' creative. And, this being good ol' US of A, guns are involved. Lots and lots of guns.
Another scary part that was inherited from Carpenter's original and done right: there is NO safety in numbers. As we're dealing with a biological contagion, the more people you try to save - the greater the odds of you being screwed. So, it's basically every person for him/herself. This leads to complete breakdown of any social structure/hierarchy/familial roots - and even the sane soon end up in a crazy situation on top of dealing with the homicidal nutjobs running amok.
The idea of military involvement then conflagration is, by now, a beaten horse. So, Breck Eisner handles that part efficiently and methodically. And that for me was the scariest, because the complete plausibility of the government's response to a twenty-first century plague.
The original was a B-horror movie. This one is not. There was a lot of money spent and spent well. I don't know who the DP was, but the movie was shot beautifully, and unlike its predecessors, there are no extensive handicam shots to drive people crazy (or nauseous), so kudos for that.
I highly recommend this one to be seen in the theaters.
