The Crazies Original vs Remake
How does the remake vs original of the Crazies compare?
This week we discuss which is better.
SPOILER ALERT - there will be plot elements related to the endings for both movies. If you haven't seen them, go watch them now.
Where to watch online (current as of 04/09/20) -
1973 - https://tubitv.com/movies/475881/the_...
2010 - https://tubitv.com/movies/507457/the_...
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Show notes:
0:01:10 - filmmakers struggling after initial success, e.g. George Romero after Night of the Living Dead
0:01:54 - similarly director Breck Eisner has done little since 2010 remake
0:03:10 - ‘70s horror treated not much better than porn; Silence of the Lambs only horror to win Oscar
0:04:24 - Romero saw more success after going back to zombie movies such as Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead
0:05:10 - typecast filmmakers and actors such as Tom Hanks
0:05:50 - making movies in Pennsylvania - George Romero and M Night Shaylaman
0:06:40 - parallels to Vietnam, e.g. priest burning himself vs. buddist monk
0:07:40 - incompetence of military and experts, Dr Watts who returns in Dawn of the Dead
0:08:40 - story becomes less and less coherent, reflecting chaos within plot
0:09:20 - can’t tell Vietcong aka VC from civilians; likewise can’t tell infected aka crazies from other, similar to current Coronavirus Covid-19
0:11:10 - lack of physical symptoms blurring lines between infected vs not, unlike zombies
0:12:40 - infecting others with viral ideas such as politics, e.g. Islamic extremists and jihad - terrorist cells vs. democracy antibodies
0:15:24 - 70s rise of individualism and mental health
0:16:30 - us vs them, i.e. when do we become “them”?
0:17:20 - soldiers saying “I didn’t sign up to kill civilians”
0:18:00 - when did nuclear option get taken off after The Day After, or Chernobyl
0:19:50 - more environmental awareness vs. farm communities
0:20:48 - creation of “fly over states” since 1970’s
0:22:10 - mayor struggling with dilemma of shutting water and impacting family farms
0:24:02 - transition from late 80’s to 90’s into farm conglomerates like ConAgra / Monsato
0:25:42 ** short break **
0:25:54 - are there really any small towns like what’s portrayed in Crazies remake
0:27:50 - in remake lone gunman walking on to baseball field sets people off, unlike times of 70s original, making it hard
0:29:40 - different signs of “crazy” between original vs remake
0:31:32 - military portrayed as more competent in remake vs current reality with coronavirus
0:33:30 - seeing leaders in original vs. anonymous leadership in remake
0:35:20 - while we have better technology in communications, there is more distance between soldier and leadership
0:36:50 - in George Orwell’s 1984 rumors of far-off wars and now we have Iraq / Afghanistan
0:37:56 - how living room war of Vietnam gave way to controlled PR in current wars
0:40:10 - first Gulf War - “we won’t have a repeat of Vietnam” then second ended up being in protracted war
0:41:44 - Western feel of remake with Tim Olyphant like High Noon
0:42:50 - stereotypical redneck hunters
0:44:00 - dropping the nuclear bomb in remake
0:44:24 - humor of carwash scene
0:45:32 - comparing controlled atmosphere of remake vs chaos of original
0:47:28 - dehumanizing townspeople reflects horrors of war or pandemic
0:50:40 - coming up next: Lone Wolf and Cub vs Mandalorian
Andromeda Strain / Thomas Crown Affair