Written by: Kevin Berge
How does one start watching horror? It's a question I have recently wrestled with after largely avoiding the genre for most of my life. I was missing an entire of genre of films, and it did not seem right. I've decided it's best to jump right in during the month of October beginning with some modern horror flicks that were recommended to me.
As someone with less than five horror films on my resume, I have a basic breakdown of horror films already set in my head. Terrible horror is only good for a few jumps. Fine horror is stupid but emotional. Good horror is smart but fast. Great horror is the terror that catches hold early and never lets go.
As someone with less than five horror films on my resume, I have a basic breakdown of horror films already set in my head. Terrible horror is only good for a few jumps. Fine horror is stupid but emotional. Good horror is smart but fast. Great horror is the terror that catches hold early and never lets go.
I already fear all my neighbors at all times. Don't need a virus to change that. I just fear people. (Image Courtesy of: liamdoesfilm.wordpress.com)
Quick Take: The Crazies moves quickly through every moment from tension and scares to character interactions and leaves a strong impression through several captivating visual horrors. Its social commentary may not be up to the level of George Romero's original, but it has more of an emotional heart with its character focus.
***This review will contain spoilers for many crucial moments in The Crazies (2010) in order to better talk about how it portrays its vision. Those who have not seen the movie but plan to should not read ahead if they wish to be unspoiled.***
No genre is worse for reboots than horror. Perhaps that's because the genre as a whole is just too driven by certain tropes. No one seems to respect what they are repurposing, just expecting to make a quick buck. The same is often true of horror sequels though they are even more plentiful.
I may not be a big fan due to preconceptions about the genre, but even the most avid horror fans will tell you that horror quality can vary significantly and often for the worse. The truly great are obviously there, but there's a steeper cliff to fall off than for basically any other genre.
That is why a good horror remake is something to be celebrated. It shows not only care taken in reinventing a good idea but also in creating more quality for the genre. The Crazies (2010) is a remake of George A. Romero's 1973 original that ramps up the horror and thrills while also turning the focus more to a few central characters.
The story is focused on the town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa which has been quietly quarantined after an airplane crashed containing a dangerous biological weapon that is slowly turning many of the populace insane with sheriff David (Timothy Olyphant) and his deputy Russell (Joe Anderson) attempting to escape with the sheriff's wife and town doctor Judy (Radha Mitchell) and hospital assistant Becca (Danielle Panabaker).
I will not go in-depth on the differences between the original and remake even though I did watch both in short succession to get a strong sense of how much this movie is helped by the original's groundwork. The concept is certainly strong in that it hits one of the fundamental fears: society.
What do we do when everyone we know is out to kill us and no one is truly left to help? Suddenly any empty space becomes frightening, and every movement is a fright. While the virus is fictitious and isolated, there is the creeping fear that these are just ordinary neighbors who are now murdering psychopaths.
No genre is worse for reboots than horror. Perhaps that's because the genre as a whole is just too driven by certain tropes. No one seems to respect what they are repurposing, just expecting to make a quick buck. The same is often true of horror sequels though they are even more plentiful.
I may not be a big fan due to preconceptions about the genre, but even the most avid horror fans will tell you that horror quality can vary significantly and often for the worse. The truly great are obviously there, but there's a steeper cliff to fall off than for basically any other genre.
That is why a good horror remake is something to be celebrated. It shows not only care taken in reinventing a good idea but also in creating more quality for the genre. The Crazies (2010) is a remake of George A. Romero's 1973 original that ramps up the horror and thrills while also turning the focus more to a few central characters.
The story is focused on the town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa which has been quietly quarantined after an airplane crashed containing a dangerous biological weapon that is slowly turning many of the populace insane with sheriff David (Timothy Olyphant) and his deputy Russell (Joe Anderson) attempting to escape with the sheriff's wife and town doctor Judy (Radha Mitchell) and hospital assistant Becca (Danielle Panabaker).
I will not go in-depth on the differences between the original and remake even though I did watch both in short succession to get a strong sense of how much this movie is helped by the original's groundwork. The concept is certainly strong in that it hits one of the fundamental fears: society.
What do we do when everyone we know is out to kill us and no one is truly left to help? Suddenly any empty space becomes frightening, and every movement is a fright. While the virus is fictitious and isolated, there is the creeping fear that these are just ordinary neighbors who are now murdering psychopaths.
Seriously, these characters are generally pretty smart but really? You couldn't just check the room first? (Image Courtesy of: decider.com)
This movie leans on the sense of unease even through uneven pacing that, despite taking 40 minutes (in a 100 minute movie) to get to the central four running for their lives all alone, still feels far too fast from scene to scene. The character's connections feel a bit flimsy, and even the atmosphere is not often well established.
Still, there are some phenomenal moments in the movie. When Judy is taken and tied to a bed, expected to go mad, everything goes wrong, and she is left to watch helplessly as a Crazy with a pitchfork walks in and starts selectively stabbing people. The lingering shots on the pitchfork dragging blood are eerily beautiful with the sense that she is absolutely doomed right until the moment she is saved.
Another fantastic scene is when the whole group get stuck in a car wash and are assaulted by Crazies, using the haze of the wash as cover. The silhouettes press in before assaulting the car, and the final scare of Becca being strung up and ripped from the car by her neck is the best death scene of the movie.
While the movie establishes rules with the monsters, it breaks them a few times without explanation particularly in the story of Russell's gradual descent into his sickness. This is fine though as it is the best storytelling of the movie with Joe Anderson (Across the Universe) slowly showing the signs of his aggression coming out without ever having to telegraph the change.
His death at the hands of the military as a distraction for David and Judy to escape is the last real emotional moment of a movie that, while being heavily focused on its central leads, lacks a bit in developing the characters. Most of the time, they are smart and brave, but they're never more than survivors trying to survive.
The military involvement had its own purpose in the story, but it is clear director Breck Eisner (Sahara) was not much interested in them as more than an extra plot device. They often feel more in the way than anything with little thrill to the scares they could potentially cause.
The ending with David and Judy surviving only for the satellite to catch their escape and start the process of extermination all over again in the next town would be heartbreaking if it felt like the characters were worth saving. The viewer is left to assume Judy and David are immune, so the only reason to kill them is they know too much.
Overall, the movie is a fun ride that is much more focused on visual horror than jump scares with a good plot as a starting point to make it far more effective than the typical horror flick. I likely would not watch it again, but I enjoyed the ride for the time I spent on it.
Still, there are some phenomenal moments in the movie. When Judy is taken and tied to a bed, expected to go mad, everything goes wrong, and she is left to watch helplessly as a Crazy with a pitchfork walks in and starts selectively stabbing people. The lingering shots on the pitchfork dragging blood are eerily beautiful with the sense that she is absolutely doomed right until the moment she is saved.
Another fantastic scene is when the whole group get stuck in a car wash and are assaulted by Crazies, using the haze of the wash as cover. The silhouettes press in before assaulting the car, and the final scare of Becca being strung up and ripped from the car by her neck is the best death scene of the movie.
While the movie establishes rules with the monsters, it breaks them a few times without explanation particularly in the story of Russell's gradual descent into his sickness. This is fine though as it is the best storytelling of the movie with Joe Anderson (Across the Universe) slowly showing the signs of his aggression coming out without ever having to telegraph the change.
His death at the hands of the military as a distraction for David and Judy to escape is the last real emotional moment of a movie that, while being heavily focused on its central leads, lacks a bit in developing the characters. Most of the time, they are smart and brave, but they're never more than survivors trying to survive.
The military involvement had its own purpose in the story, but it is clear director Breck Eisner (Sahara) was not much interested in them as more than an extra plot device. They often feel more in the way than anything with little thrill to the scares they could potentially cause.
The ending with David and Judy surviving only for the satellite to catch their escape and start the process of extermination all over again in the next town would be heartbreaking if it felt like the characters were worth saving. The viewer is left to assume Judy and David are immune, so the only reason to kill them is they know too much.
Overall, the movie is a fun ride that is much more focused on visual horror than jump scares with a good plot as a starting point to make it far more effective than the typical horror flick. I likely would not watch it again, but I enjoyed the ride for the time I spent on it.