The Crazies (1973)

A bio-weapon is accidentally leaked into the environment near a small Pennsylvania town and citizens become homicidally murderous, whereupon the Evil Government send in a decontamination-suited clean-up crew who treat the infectees by gunning them down. Romero's return to the angry tone of Night of the Living Dead, this is at once a terrific action thriller as uninfected survivors try to elude the random crazies and the ruthless soldiers and a frightening analysis of the way America can be instantly turned into a huge concentration camp. On a low budget, Romero stages great chases and fights, but he has room for creepier, quieter sequences and an eerie performance from Lowry as a psychotic nymphet. The finale is especially shattering as unpleasant ironies pile up and the authorities' brutality ensure that the crisis they are trying to squash will just get worse. ****
KIM NEWMAN

First Published In:

Visit Kim's Official Website at www.johnnyalucard.com