THE CRAZIES Remakes Casts Its Leads

[Angel Orona]

Looks like I'm working double-duty on the remake front today . . . But then does Hollywood even bother making anything else anymore?

My earlier story involved the "do-over" of THE KARATE KID.  While I could go either way on that one, I'm fairly sure I've made clear my pure loathing towards the current onslaught on shitty horror remakes.  However, there are always acceptions to the rule and with me its THE CRAZIES.

Originally THE CRAZIES (which also went under the title CODE NAME: TRIXIE) was George Romero's third venture into the horror genre.  Its plot involved a biochemical weapon accidentally unleashed upon a small town and the military's futile effort to clean up the mess . . . Which becomes increasingly bloody as the affected townsfolk are transformed into crazed killers. 

Just reading that set-up should make apparent its shared similarities to Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.  Unfortunately, while LIVING DEAD was an intense, horrific masterpiece, THE CRAZIES greatly suffers from choppy storytelling and painfully slow pacing.  I consider it be one of my biggest disappointments in my ongoing quest to track   down obscure horror films for my viewing pleasure. 

Hopefully those involved in the remake will be able to take advantage of the still-intriguing concept and deliver some genuine cinematic shocks.  And there is reason to be optomistic, based on recent developments both behind and in front of the camera:  The film is being directed by Breck Eisner, who did a competent enough job on his first film SAHARA.  The lead is being played by Timothy Olyphant (HITMAN, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD and most memorably HBO's DEADWOOD) who has proved himself to be a solid actor. 

Now comes words that the female lead has been cast in the curvy form of Rhanda Mitchell, who has also proven her acting talents in such prestige projects as FINDING NEVERLAND and Woody Allen's MIRANDA AND MIRANDA.  However, she is no shrinking violet when it comes to the horror genre by having starred in SILENT HILL and ROGUE (in which she battles a giant crocodile in the Australian outback).




Besides, haphazard suits never stop being creepy as all hell.

Source: Aint-It-Cool

[T.ROSS]

I have never seen the original, is it good?

[Christian Sellers]

Another classic gets pointlessly remade.  Yawn, cinema has got so boring lately

[T.ROSS]

so its a good one? how old is it?

[Christian Sellers]

Mid 70's.  All the movies where a viral outbreak causes the military to quarantine a small American town (Rabid, The Blob remake, etc) took its cue from this.  Not Romero's best but by no means his worst

[T.ROSS]

I will check it out, but I have never really been able to get into zombie flicks.

[Christian Sellers]

It's not really a zombie movie.

"A biological weapon gone awry is only the start of problems in the little town of Evan's City, Pennsylvania. Bouts of insanity in the populace are leading to murder and rioting, until the US Army turns up - and things really start going to hell."

[T.ROSS]

I will defintley give it a shot!

[Angel Orona]

T. Ross:

If nothing else check out the movie since you seem to be, like myself, a horror film completist.  But IMO I think you'll see its more of a missed opportunity than anything else, which is why this is one of the few remakes I actually look forward to.  (A few others I'd like to see BLUE SUNSHINE and GOD TOLD ME TO).  But I do agree its not the worst Romero has ever made, which would have to be DIARY OF THE DEAD.  God was that awful shit.

BTW If any one has the chance to see THERE'S ALWAYS VANILLA (Romero's second film) be sure and check it out.  It might be kinda difficult since I had to jump through a few hoops to even get access to a videotape copy.  Romero inexplicably hates the film but I found it to be a low-budget but decent early-70s drama about the romantic relationship between a self-serving heel and his model girlfriend.

[T.ROSS]

Thanks for the recommendations! I defintely will check it out soon. Horror film completist, I like that!