The Crazies

Directed by Breck Eisner, this remake of George A. Romero's 1973 horror thriller revolves around the government's accidental release of a deadly toxin that wreaks havoc on the idyllic farming community of Ogden Marsh, IA. As the story begins, there's something decidedly wrong with the drinking water. Among those taking notice are straitlaced Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant wife, Dr. Judy Dutton (Radha Mitchell). After a series of mystifying and terrifying incidents (a parachute-harnessed corpse is found near a submerged plane in a nearby swamp that drains into the local water supply; previously benign citizens become homicidal) and the imposition of a brutal government quarantine, the couple decide to lead the uninfected—including deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson) and Judy's office assistant, Becca Darling (Danielle Panabaker)—to safety, which is no small feat, given that their neighbors are turning into progressively more horrifying zombies, and trigger-happy troops are surrounding them on all sides. While Romero's original conveyed a thinly disguised message about rampant militarism (it was still the Vietnam War era, after all), Eisner's redo focuses more on gore and terror. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Breck Eisner, two motion comic episodes (28 min. total), a behind-the-scenes featurette with Eisner (14 min.), a “Make-Up Mastermind” segment with special makeup designer Rob Hall (12 min.), a “Paranormal Pandemics” featurette (10 min.), “The George A. Romero Template” on the director (10 min.), a “Visual Effects in Motion” featurette (4 min.), a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, DVD-ROM accessible storyboards and scripts, Easter eggs, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an uneven horror film.] (S. Granger)