The Crazies

"Why are the good people dying?"

1973 1h 43m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🍅

68%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.1

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 429🍅68%Rotten Tomatoes●63Metacritic★6.1IMDB · 16,436

Science FictionHorrorAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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

“Why are the good people dying?”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Lane Carroll
Judy
Will MacMillan
David
Harold Wayne Jones
Clank
Lynn Lowry
Kathy
Lloyd Hollar
Col. Peckem
Richard Liberty
Artie
Richard France
Dr. Watts
Harry Spillman
Maj. Ryder

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George A. Romero
Writers: George A. Romero, Paul McCollough
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 52% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George A. Romero, shot by S. William Hinzman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bruce Roberts. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor George A. Romero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lane Carroll and Will MacMillan and Harold Wayne Jones carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Why are the good people dying?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George A. Romero directs. S. William Hinzman behind the camera. Bruce Roberts scores. George A. Romero cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 52% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
353 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Directed by George A. Romero, shot by S. William Hinzman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Bruce Roberts. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor George A. Romero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Lane Carroll and Will MacMillan and Harold Wayne Jones carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Why are the good people dying?".
9IMDB entry: tt0069895 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "small town", "biological weapon", "quarantine", "pennsylvania, usa".

The technical file

Cinematography: S. William Hinzman
Original score: Bruce Roberts
Editing: George A. Romero
Makeup / hair: Bonnie Priore
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $275,000
Box office: $143,784
Return: 52% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Crazies (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 63/100
IMDB rating: 6.1/10 · 16,436 votes
MPAA: R

Also by

George A. Romero

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-04-01
★ 5/10
I suppose this might resonate more now in the wake of the recent global lockdown, but I'm afraid I found it all rather tame and predictable. A devastating virus is accidentally released in a small Pennsylvania town and the military have to contain it before the gradual, but irreversible, insanity it causes spreads throughout the entire country. Responsibility for this onerous task rests firmly with "Col. Peckem" (Lloyd Hollar) as he has to contend with an increasingly fed up local mayor, communications problems and a town that is slowly becoming more and more lawless (and dangerous) by the minute. It doesn't help that, pregnant, local nurse "Judy" (Lane Carroll) has skulked off with fireman husband "David" (Will MacMillan) to try escape the quarantine zone and so he has to try and track them down too. Finally, there is the eccentric "Dr. Watts" (Richard France) who is trying to find a cure for this by sampling the blood of just about everybody/thing he can jab a needle into. This is all your standard contagion horror film, and is produced to a remarkably mediocre standard. The acting is pretty ropey, the script likewise and the denouement is probably the least realistic you could imagine. Taken with your tongue in your cheek, it might raise a smile or two as the stupefied locals take on more zombified (and super-human) strengths, but this is just a rehash of some more charismatically cast Hammer style films without the slightest sense of peril. It does reiterate the oft presented position that the US Military is great at starting problems but hopeless at solving them, but I'm not sure that's what George A. Romero was looking for when he created this rather feeble effort. I saw it on a big screen just last week and I made it through to the end. I won't bother with it again.

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