The Crazies is all the rage right now. Last time I checked, it was scoring a 71% on the T-Meter. imdb.com's marvelous readers gave it 7.6 out of 10 stars. Even the Wall Street Journal's Joel Morgenstern gives this movie rave reviews. This is absolutely unprecedented, inconceivable, and unheard of. Zombie apocalypse movies just don't get good reviews like this. This is as abnormal as Chris Johnson running 4.24 at the combine, or Bruce Campbel running 4.85.
I was shocked when I discovered these scores. I thought this had to be a serious mistake.
Just the other day I was ridiculing how many times Hollywood has attempted to create a biological contagion, zombie apocalypse movie over the past 10-12 years. How many of these movies have there been? Only the original 28 Days Later, not truly a zombie movie but a movie about inflected people, stood up to close scrutiny. How many have they made?
- Jacob's Ladder 1990
- Resident Evil
- Resident Evil Apocalypse
- Resident Evil Extinction
- House of the Dead
- House of the Dead 2
- Dawn of the Dead
- Day of the Dead
- Night of the Living Dead
- Return of the Living Dead
- Return of the Living Dead 2
- The Zombie Apocalypse
- Zombieland
- Pain Killer Jane
- 28 Days Later
- 28 Weeks Later
- Undead
- The Evil Dead
- Shaun of the Dead
- Left 4 Dead
- Planet Terror
- I am Legend
- The Omega Man
- Zombie Wars
- Night of the Comet
- The Reanimator
- The Reanimator 2
- Zombie Holocaust
- Feeding the Masses
- The Rage
Not all these movies are identical. Some are video game adaptations. Some are comedies. Some are religious in nature (Jacob's Ladder). Some are existentialist in nature (28 Days Later). Some are just out-n-out terrible. One thing they have in common: I don't like many of them. I am Legend, Omega Man, 28 Days Later, Planet Terror. To a minor extent, I like Jacob's Ladder. The rest are largely rubbish.
With that in mind, you are about to read a very positive review. I did not believe it, but seeing is believing. I could not believe that it was possible; never could Hollywood produced a zombie-lunatic virus movie that I would like... And yet they have done it.
The Crazies is the best pure horror movie I have seen in at least 5 years. It is an example of super film making. They got me to buy in immediately. They raised tension superbly. They had me jumping out of my seat a few time, and believe me, I never do that. The last time I remember doing that it, it was 1978 with John Carpenter's Halloween. How in the world did they manage this achievement? Its just the artistry of the director & the editor. The director and the editor knew what the hell they were doing. They caught lightning in a bottle here.
This movie is very innovative also. Just when you think you have seen all the moves in the scene catalog of zombie movies, they throw another new pitch at you. I love and innovator.
Looking back through the catalog. The Mist was probably the last good horror movie I saw. Before that, it was Jeepers Creepers 2. They don't make many good ones.
Go see it quick! The cast and crew deserve to be rewarded.
