The Crazies (1973 and 2009)

Remakes are shadows of their originals, right? Every once in a while, though, an exception appears. Such is the case of “The Crazies.” Both follow the same outline: A military plane crashes in a small town’s main water source (Pennsylvania in 1973, Iowa in 2009) and unleashes a chemical weapon. The insidious agent turns the locals into mad killers, and the Army steps in for control. Then extermination. The ’73 version is spearheaded by Zombie King George A. Romero, who also has a co-writer/producer credit on the remake (directed by Breck Eisner).

Version 1 is a herky-jerky K-Mart cheapie that bounces between two firefighters and one’s girlfriend, stiff military honchos and a desperate scientist. Way too many people. There’s precious little suspense and no ending. I dug the scenes with normal regular folk fighting for their lives when they are mistaken for zombie-like killers, but the commentary push on Kent State falls flat. C+

Version 2 is a grisly violent flick that focuses only on two lawmen and one’s wife, skipping the larger picture. A total lack of outside information and the fine actors drive the suspense. Several lapses in logic and a lack of satire hurt the film, but it’s wildly entertaining. Two scenes rock: A deranged principal with a pitchfork and an equally mad coroner with a bone saw. The violence is nasty, but emotional, too. B