Matt Connarton Unleashed: Erich Pilcher reviews George A. Romero's The Crazies.

0:01 We never thought it would happen. Nobody gets in or out of that town, though, Is that clear? The girls just died. How do you intend to let the people know about all this? We were asleep? They dragged up right out of the house. Are we under martial law? They'll talk to me or anybody else unless you get a voice print check. Oh knows broke loose some town. Nobody knows what's going on now? Look, you just can't push us around this way. We've got to get a nuclear weapon in the air above that town, and what the hell's going on?

0:31 Share? You know what I do? Boy, let's go hi, taking me new push good man. They started something they can't stop about. Crazy.

0:45 There's a something that commits, something that inclains, something that brutalizes.

0:56 It's madness unleashed by human error, the crazy. Can they tame it before time runs out? I'm a key man in the Christy team, a key man. I'm one of the developers of that goddamn thing. Now, if you want me to get the job done, you get me the stuff I need and you get it to hell at em before the morning's over. A small town becomes a giant stock aide Evans City must be contained or leveled. We're all concerned with Evans City. Mister hawks, If we have to push the boon, would you say the weapon went off?

1:38 Get me the President.

1:47 Three thousand, six hundred and fourteen people are trapped by an unknown enemy.

1:56 Five are on the run. Can they escape the spreading fury of the crazy? You can make it. I know it. They're coming, David, David, They're coming to move. We gotta get out of your Jesus man, and I want a weaponster for the entire time. What's your body? This is exactly the kind of thing with trying to prevent a lethal terror snowballs into hell. Mad miss runs repons we'll dope it out sooner later, singer later, really the crazy. It is my belief for horror films to succeed in scaring the viewer, the evil or villain must be something born out of a real fear.

3:08 This week's film combines many multiple fears that we all have biochemical weapons, a major sickness in the government overreaching in declaring martial law. In our first film honoring George A. Romero this month, The Crazies was released in nineteen seventy three, This film takes us to Evans City, Pennsylvania, where a government developed biochemical weapon codenamed Tricksy has contaminated the town's water supply following an accident. This causes those infected with the virus to become crazed maniacs before dying.

4:01 Our first two scenes will explain the power of the weapon. First, one of the chief developers of Trixie, doctor Watts, played by Richard French, explains what Trixie does to its victims and how dangerous it is. Then we hear fighting between two members of the National Guard that have been sent to quarantine this small town, Major Writer and Colonel Peckham. They are arguing over what action to take in the town. These two scenes develop the danger that Trixie is and also show us a major thread in most of George A. Romero's films, that is the struggle for control in catistrophic circumstances.

4:55 That is not evident in just these two clips, but it is evident throughout the entire film. We don't have to worry about its being spread by the dogs, sirtcats, birds. Sort of a consolation that may be to you, that's there any that monkeys hereabouts. The only ones infect it will be human beings. If we catch it in the early stages, can it be reversed? Oh, we searched for an antidote to three years. That project was an existence, doctor, no dice? How many visionary sargeant don't you know? Don't form doctor watch were be able to call in the commanders?

5:32 Yet they told me I could use the radio on the plane, but it wasn't pipe through you. What are you calling you? You're aving a network using the ultimates to avoid any chance of the lady precious security. Keep it under wraps it all costs. Meanwhile, do you realize the blunder that's been made. We can have you flown back as those who are on a complete med check and get a glance from washing. Let's get started. If you don't have all our equipment anymore, Beautiful, when will that be as soon as possible?

5:58 Appropriately bade, colonel. Look, it's your fake boys who created this thing in the first place, Beautiful, I am one of the only chances we have. I can't get back to a lab because you're not equipped to run a medical check, which we wouldn't eat in the first place. I hadn't packed up here. The whole operation is one fat blunder. You talk about blunders. According to the report from your team, the virus was considered an active said, yes, that's the important word. Any man on a team of lady that means maybe that's a standard we don't set, Colonel, that's set by the military.

6:32 We're not getting anywhere trying to assign blame. It authorizes me back to the lab. I can't take a chance on breaking the perimeter with somebody that might be a carrier. Rixie's been in these waters for six days. Some truck driver could have taken it out of here long before you set up that perime. Well, we're going to the assumption we've got it container were then we're going to keep it container until it runs its course. How is this course? You said it can't stay active in the annultra violet.

6:58 Ye in the water, man, I need the ground. And it's obviously people too. People are vectors. They carry it about with them unawares. The incubation period may very, Colonel, but ultimately Trixie is going to spread throughout this entire town. The town is sealed off, Oh, colonel, look shortly before the funds ran off. Two of my technicians caught this bug from Mauricea's monkey. One of them was delirious for two days before he finally died. The other phased in and out until he finally went hopelessly mad.

7:33 Those are the two ultimate effects of this thing. It's not just gonna run its course and be forgotten. How the hell are you guys gonna explain away a pound. It's either wiped out or reduced to mindlessness. What is this another piece of information they've got to pass on you guys. Oh, gentlemen, we're not dealing with the flu virus here. We're dealing with an awten lethal, always debilitating, and syphletic mutation leaves its victims on the dead. I'm curably mad you got that and now fighting between Colonel Peckham in major Watts.

8:19 Yet, I want to set up a second perimeter now. The inside line will continue the moving towards the downtown area, bringing everything they find with them. I want the second perimeter two miles inside the first. That's too miles. Spress would be called a no man's land. Nothing can stay on it, no one can cross it. Talking about an awful lot of minster well, We'll just have to get them in here. What do we have now? I've company? Why did this get down to the last minute? These the plumb should have been raid I'm over here.

8:46 Oh. The initial information was that the vaccine was harmless. Do you mean they didn't take any precautionary action routine procedure. I got here the day of the crash, playing with down in these hills above the town investigators reported that the casings wound up in the river. Apparently the water flows through an underground reservoir and Evans City is applied with artesian systems out of that so I stayed in town, notified the police and the town doctor beyond the alert for any high fever symptance of delirium, sir.

9:20 The report was that the Trixie team had deactivated the pastor. Trixie wasn't developed as a vaccine. Trixie was developed as a bacteriological weapon. That's abot Colm Central calling Colonel Peckham Colm Central, Colonel Peckisspecam, Yes, sir, we have completed your voice print check weekend. Let's make blackout whom when we knew the blackout was to avoid embarrassment, but a bio weather never occurred to me. I felt for that storybook Blinded Sinker. That was the idea that our Colonel Peckham an unosters name Christopher Chris Chris, Uh, this is a Proul Baker, Chris, glad you're there, your writers, A coveted man and a good officer.

10:01 But I did get the feeling he's hitting the panic button a little too prematurely, mister Brubek. I wanted a real evaluate. Mister Brubek could really like out there, mister Brubeck away running out of time. Now, if you want me to get the job done, you get me the stuff I need and you get it back Hell and happy bore in the morning cover. What made Romero not just a horror film maestro but a film directoral maestro is his ability to show the darkness of humanity amongst chaos. While viewing this film, I found it to be rife with disturbing cinematography.

10:46 The opening scene is a man that, while being crazed, burns down his home with no provocation, with his children preparing for bed. The residents turn on each other, with it being unknown if it is due to the virus or fear. That is one way out of many that Romero is truly one of the greatest. These last two clips show that darkness and chaos. First, we hear the struggle between the town and National Guard when the mayor confronts Peckham right before martial laws declared. Then, once martial laws declared, the town people are gathered up by force.

11:32 What makes this scene harrowing is the fact that you can hear the fear and confusion of the townspeople. Another trick is the ones gathering the people. Their voices are muddled. This was intentionally done by Romero to show the confusion the government throws at its people during times of unmitigated chaos. Right old nine hundred check Now you listen to me. Rider Buck's been telling me what's going on here tonight. Well, I don't mind telling you that nobody's got and I'm pushed around like this, Sir, I know, we've just had no way of preparing anybody for this girl.

12:11 It's been a snowball on us and we were forced to take action. Now, you said it would never come to this. Look, we've cooperated with you. We've attempted to keep this thing quiet in order not to create a panic. But Christ, we never expected this. Neither did we, Sir. We're trying to get everyone into the high school, setting up an infirmary. There are we under martial law? Yes, sir, well, let me tell you something. You just can't walk all over the people of Evan City that easy, Major, And as mayor of this town, I'm protesting your action.

12:43 In fact, I'd like to speak to somebody higher up party. Sir. We can't let the meet. I don't know how long this quarantine will be in effect. I'm talking about the lives of the citizens of the city. We're also talking about the lives of many of our own men. Sir, well, you're a minute where we started. The people of this town. Al Major anster Major rid with Colonel Peckham. I'll take give me service, sir. At the Interstate Highway, one of the trucks blet with massive sumpters. They have one of them that hurt any civilian casuals three dad, sir, Now you just listen to me, mister.

13:14 In addition to being mayor of this town, I also happened to be a practicing attorney, and I know the rights of civil laws touch and I want a weaponstir so to the entire town that stars included, confiscate everything. Look just a minute, I'm demanding a rider of habeas car sir. If I've got to take your weapons now, you just hold off. Don't you give them to him? Bucky, you don't have to give him to him? Now, Look, you just can't push us around this way. Don't you do it for me? Finally, martial law takes over the town.

13:51 I'm gonna listen up, listens up, warranting, We'll go all under. Martial law, will take all over the high school. We'll explain it to you over there, explain it to you over very way. Hey, Hey, you going around? Time make a good amer, j Hi pointing out here. We're not going up. Tell me what this is all about. Maybe I'll cooperate with you. What's going on? Workout? Tell tell me what they're doing? Crazy Mary? Where are we going? Where do I go? What I what? A question that you might be asking is why did I choose this film?

15:56 First? Well? I felt this film to all the elements that George A. Romero does an exemplary Java, showing people fighting against government control, the unraveling of humanity amongst chaos in the battle between science in control by force. They are all here and presented in a manner that leaves its impression on a viewer for all time. I wish I could tell you that this film was a major success, that it won awards, that people fawned over it. It didn't happen. This film was a box office disaster. It was released between Romero's zombie masterpieces, which we will cover later this month, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead.

16:49 Of note, there were also two other films, There Will Always Be Vanilla and The Season of the Wit We're also released in between those two heavily favored films. Since being a meteoric box office failure, much like many of Romero's other films, it has gained a major cult following and an appreciation amongst not just horror fans, but cinophiles in general. It even received a remake in two thousand and nine given the pandemic that the country has endured with COVID. This film digs at the scars of those memories, but that should not drive you away from viewing this film, because, after all, that is what horror is for.

17:39 To have our darkest fears in memories be realized income to the surface. I hope you joined me next week when we will continue our month long tribute to George A. Romero When We Look At Him and Stephen King joining four for the nineteen eighty two anthology film creep Show for wm n H and Matt Connerton Unleashed. This has been a classic film review with Eric Pilcher and the Hells Firelight Leaby Happy, so Hellless? How can find the more? Day? Time? Sah, step I saw time, and while we won't and while and I get so I can't one and so you find mehind world, A world is your you can find the boy.

19:51 He he he ha