Sidewalks On The Corner

Here comes another remake of a George A. Romero classic. Directed by Breck Eisner, Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, and Danielle Panabaker star in Overture Films' "The Crazies."

Follow up:

THE CRAZIES
Directed by: Breck Eisner
Screenplay by: Scott Kosar and Ray Wright
Produced by: Michael Aguilar, Dean Georgaris, Rob Cowan
Executive Produced by: George A. Romero, Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King
Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker
Rating: R
Runtime: 101 minutes

Studio Synopsis:
A husband and wife in a small Midwestern town find themselves battling for survival as their friends and family descend into madness in The Crazies. A mysterious toxin in the water supply turns everyone exposed to it into mindless killers and the authorities leave the uninfected to their certain doom in this terrifying reinvention of the George Romero horror classic. Directed by Breck Eisner (Sahara), The Crazies is written by Scott Kosar (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Ray Wright (Pulse, Case 39).

The American Dream goes horribly wrong when the residents of this picture-perfect town begin to succumb to an uncontrollable urge for violence and the horrific bloodshed escalates into anarchy. In an attempt to contain the epidemic, the military uses deadly force to close off access into or out of town, abandoning the few healthy citizens to the growing mayhem as depraved killers lurk in the shadows.

Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant); his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell); Becca (Danielle Panabaker), an assistant at the medical center; and Russell (Joe Anderson), Dutton’s deputy and right-hand man, find themselves trapped in a once idyllic town they can no longer recognize. Unable to trust former neighbors and friends, deserted by the authorities and terrified of contracting the illness themselves, they are forced to band together in a nightmarish struggle for survival.

(l-r) Radha Mitchell and Lisa Wyatt star in Overture Films` THE CRAZIES.
Photo By: Saeed Adyani.
© 2010 Overture Films, LLC and Participant Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

J.P.'s Take:
Imagine if you lived in a small farm town in Iowa. By the looks of things you assume it’s a quaint, quiet and neighborly place to live … when unexpectedly your friends and family aren't behaving like themselves lately. A neighbor who points a gun directly at you for no reason approaches you. Another begins to babble incoherently about nothing. Before you know it, you are being chased by one of the residents. Within the course of a day that serene atmosphere turns to panic and little by little the town starts to tare itself apart. The military rushes in to round up the inhabitants like cattle, placing them under quarantine. For the first 15-20 minutes that is what you will experience as you tag along with Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and Deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson). You find they are trapped in a similar situation.

What I find refreshing about “The Crazies” is a story that is strikingly realistic. A toxin leaks into the water supply, which the residents come into contact. The effect of the toxin soon causes all sorts of chaos, as the townsfolk of Ogden Marsh become mindless zombies. You watch each of the characters while their lives start to deteriorate at a rapid pace. There are some especially startling moments where the audience witness people being shot in the streets or set on fire. Other creepy moments include a scene where a husband, who has been infected, is stalking his wife and young son. Watching such a brutal scene, you start to fear the worst and your hair begins to stand on end. The plot thickens when David, his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell), the Deputy, and Becca Darling (Danielle Panabaker) have to make a run for their lives. What keeps the audience in suspense is the fact that the foursome has no idea who to trust, versus those who are in infected with the toxin. That fear causes them to fight like never before in order to save themselves and their city.

(l-r) Star Timothy Olyphant goes over a scene with director Breck Eisner on the set of Overture Films` THE CRAZIES.
Photo by: Saeed Adyani.
© 2010 Overture Films, LLC and Participant Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

About midway through the film, the story takes a break from the freight fest to make room for the more dramatic scenarios. During this low point, the characters reflect on what has happened, their lives in general, as well as the impending danger that still lies ahead. The break is needed; however, it doesn’t help to move the film onward. In fact, the drama just sets up the remainder of the movie for just a few more “gotchas.” Yet those “gotchas” start to run their course over a period of time. Over all, the result is a well-balanced mixture of the genres such as drama, sci-fi, and horror. That balance makes for an unnerving well scripted slice of terror.

All in all, this chilling nicely constructed remake kept me on pins and needles. I felt for the characters, while I was creeped out all at the same time. I enjoy flicks like this, which is why I’m recommending “The Crazies” for my 31 Days of Horror movie marathon.

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J.P. Langston is a member of "Sidewalks Entertainment" team primarily as a videographer. He loves movies, especially sci-fi horror and action comedies. Some of his favorite films include "Blade Runner" "The Matrix Trilogy," The (original) "Star Wars," "Equilibrium," "Serenity," "Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2," "Appleseed," "Unbreakable" and "Sin City." He has a large DVD collection, which is still growing. Since reviewing films for "Sidewalks," he has been expanding his palette for all types of films.