The Crazies (1973)

The military attempts to contain a manmade combat virus that causes death and permanent insanity in those infected, as it overtakes a small Pennsylvania town.

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers:

Paul McCollough (based on a script by), George A. Romero (screenplay)

Stars:

Lane Carroll, Will MacMillan, Harold Wayne Jones

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lane Carroll	...	Judy
Will MacMillan	...	David (as W.G. McMillan)
Harold Wayne Jones	...	Clank
Lloyd Hollar	...	Col. Peckem
Lynn Lowry	...	Kathy
Richard Liberty	...	Artie
Richard France	...	Dr. Watts
Harry Spillman	...	Maj. Ryder
Will Disney	...	Dr. Brookmyre
Edith Bell	...	Lab. Technician
Bill Thunhurst	...	Brubaker (as W.L. Thunhurst Jr.)
Leland Starnes	...	Shelby
A.C. McDonald	...	Gen. Bowen (as A.C. MacDonald)
Robert J. McCully	...	Hawks
Robert Karlowsky	...	Sheriff Cooper

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

virus | biological weapon | grindhouse film | cigarette smoking | cult director | 

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Taglines:

All hell is about to break loose.

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edith Bell, who plays the lab tech., is the wife of the film's presenter Lee Hessel.

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Goofs

When Judy and company are being hunted by helicopter, the two men are shooting their M2 Carbines straight up, which is how one would shoot down a helicopter. BUT, when the helicopter returns fire, the impacts in the trees are coming from a ground level trajectory, not down at an angle, which, if the helicopter were firing, is the way they'd hit.

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Quotes

Army Doctor: Okay, Colonel Peckem, last test is negative. You're all clean, virus free. We can sign you out. The helicopter will be arriving in a few minutes.
Col. Peckem: Any news from Deitrich?
Army Doctor: They're sending a new man from the Trixie project to take over as Dr. Watts' replacement. He should be here in the morning. If only we knew what Watts was working on. We checked the slides he left behind in his microscope and his notes, but we can't make heads or tails out of any of it. He was onto something, we know that. We'll ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Cult Film Legacy of Lynn Lowry (2003)

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Soundtracks

Heaven Help Us
Composed by Carole Bayer Sager and Melissa Manchester
Sung by Beverly Bremers
Courtesy of Sceptor Records

User Reviews

Oh ! the Horror! the Horror!

Very cheaply made film by Director George Romero about a virus, known as Trixie, that has somehow leaked out in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. The military quickly comes, assesses the situation, and then implements martial law. This is a very thought-provoking film and has some clever dialog and direction here and there. The biggest problems arise with Romero's virtually absent budget. We have a cast of amateurs, some moved on to star in other films particularly by Romero. Richard Liberty as Frankenstein in Day of the Dead being the most noteworthy. Despite not having any star power, the cast for the most part does a decent job notwithstanding. But the settings, although very "realistic," just don't create a real sense of fear for me or believability. I wonder what this film might have been with a budget double the size. If you can get past the minuscule budget, you will find an interesting film here. A film I think that has some real issues at hand even now. The things Romero does do well is create suspense based on the feelings of time being an enemy and make some scathing social commentary on the nature of war, science in war, and apocalyptic threads concerning the way rules are all thrown out when faced with doomsday.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Code Name: Trixie

Filming Locations:

Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$275,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pittsburgh Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1