The Crazies

Seems that the military-industrial complex has dumped a biological agent into Ogden Falls, Iowa’s water supply, and everyone in town has taken a quaff from Pandora’s water cooler. Which means that as the locals set about doing very rude things to each other, the military has to go all hazmat and open up a mini Guantánamo right in the Heartland. A remake of zombiemeister George Romero’s 1973 quasi-zombie flick of the same name, the new The Crazies is at heart a subtle homage to ’70s horror films, without being a caricature. Which means that the vehicle might be a little too leisurely paced for folks used to shaky-cam and machine-gun editing. But Timothy Olyphant as the studly Sheriff makes for a solid B-movie hero, and his supporting cast members have some refreshing lines on their faces. My main quibble was that, just when the shit really begins to hit the fan, it cuts to the aftermath. How society reacts to impending apocalypse is (for me) the most interesting aspect of the genre. Even if the crazies here aren’t really zombies. Feather River Cinemas and Tinseltown. Rated R