Tuesday, March 24, 2020

MOVIE REVIEW: The Crazies (1973) by George A. Romero aka Code Name Trixie

George A. Romero's "The Crazies" 1973
This is a classic movie by horror director George A. Romero, "The Crazies" also known as "Code Name Trixie" was released under two different titles.

The Crazies is a 1973 horror film that is one of George A. Romero's early movies. 

Now why would I be reviewing this movie? 

A surprise to myself  being a fan of the cult classic's "Night Of The Living Dead" , "Dawn Of The Dead" and "Day Of The Dead" in the classic George A. Romero "zombie trilogy" The Crazies is often overlooked by horror fans of George A. Romero and yet another "abandoned" classic.   

The Crazies 1973 in fact is not marketed as a movie in the Night Of The Living Dead series but fits in with the trilogy as a fourth movie between Night Of The Living Dead and Dawn Of The Dead.

The original "Dawn Of the Dead" is in fact one of my favorite movies ever, George A. Romero's classic horror movies leave clues through out the films for fan debate and discussion and although "The Crazies" is not marketed specifically with "Dawn Of The Dead" it in fact is.

The Crazies in fact would be a prequel to "Dawn Of The Dead" although it was released first, this could also be a stunt from George A. Romero. 

If you watch the original movies The Crazies then Dawn Of The Dead back to back  they seamlessly bled together, this got my attention as it is not a widely discussed topic in horror movies that "The Crazies" is a sequel to "Night Of The Living Dead" and prequel to "Dawn Of The Dead" original versions. 

The Crazies aka Code Name Trixie is the story of how the United States Military's biological weapon named "Code Name Trixie" was actually the cause of the zombie apocalypse. 

So if you want to find the cause of the zombie outbreak in the Night Of The Living Dead films the story is in "The Crazies", the point to that is the movie takes place after the outbreak of the virus "code name trixie" which makes the citizens turn crazy and begin attacking the military when infected with the virus who have to fend off the town citizens who are obviously turning into zombies.

Before they are zombies they turn crazy and start attacking the military with weapons exhibiting the same behavior as the zombies in the other films before they are officially dead.

Also to note people infected by the virus in "The Crazies" turn insane that later they seem to be the background characters in the zombie movie "Dawn Of The Dead"

So if you watch the original "Dawn Of The Dead" where the zombie's came from is from the outbreak in "The Crazies" from the "code name trixie" virus, the crazy people in "The Crazies" blend in as seamless characters with the zombies in "Dawn Of The Dead" so you can see them turn crazy then their crazy behavior continues as they appear as the same characters only now they are zombies in "Dawn Of The Dead" with the same character traits.

Like this, the Crazy people in "The Crazies" who are infected with the virus are later documented as the zombies with the same character traits only now they are roaming around dead in "Dawn Of The Dead".

Another important event in the film is the "bearded doctor" character who appears on television in "Dawn Of The Dead" is actually the same character as a military scientist in "The Crazies" who Romero hints in the film that he is the person who actually worked on and released the virus into the town, which is then threatened to be nuked by the United States Military.

In the science lab in the film "The Crazies" the are working on an antidote to the virus and have a communication open to the President for permission to nuke the town and the president in fact appears to have the "code name trixie" virus and is in the process of turning into a zombie.

In true Romero fashion I wouldn't be surprised if the president in "The Crazies" turns out later to be one of the zombies in "Dawn Of The Dead" like the other town characters in "The Crazies", I didn't watch closely yet but I will keep my eye open for that in the original "Dawn Of The Dead".

The important facts here, the zombies in "Dawn Of The Dead" are probably in fact the town's people from "The Crazies" and they all turned into zombies from the "code name trixie" virus.

Rating...a movie classic and fourth movie in the "Night Of The Living Dead" series taking place before the original "Dawn Of The Dead". This movie looks exactly like the "Dawn Of The Dead" movie only it is a setup like a prequel to the film or would also fit in as an extra 113 minutes before the start of the "Dawn Of The Dead" film.


-END-       

No comments:

Post a Comment