I finally got around to watching The Crazies last night.   I had wanted to see it for so long, but was simply too lazy to make that happen.   It was a bit different than I had expected, but definitely not bad.   Overall, a pleasant surprise.

I always knew that it wasn't really a zombie film, at least not in the way we currently think of zombies.   Oh, but it's a zombie flick.   Just as "new" as they may be, they're also a nod to the West Indies pre-Living Dead classic concept.   Instead of mindless animals reduced to basic urges with no problem-solving skills, they're fully capable of doing whatever it is that a human can do, minus being reasoned with, which is what really makes them a viable horror antagonist by de-humanizing them.   They can do what they must, but they're not in control of their actions; at least not in a manner consistent with their personalities.   In fact, they've gone through complete personality shifts that make them aggressive and homicidal--even sadistic in some cases.

It still manages to be familiar to the zombie trend, with the cause (spoiler alerts from here on out!!!) being a viral infection.   A lot of people don't like the idea of zombies who are merely infected as opposed to dead, but it works for our society.   Some sort of large-scale pandemic is what we have to worry about, so it's what we're afraid of.   It's relatable, even if in this film it all takes place primarily in a small, back-water town.   Overall, the combination of old school new school here makes a fantastic combination to create the next school.

I think the scene that best shows the nature of these antagonists is when one of them gets into the makeshift hospital's quarantine following a large riot.   The room was full of potentially-infected "patients" strapped to gurnies when he walked in dragging a bloody pitchfork.   He moved towards a patient hysterically muttering something, making the most noise.   He just stood there, studying the patient intently for awhile before finally lifting the pitchfork and jamming it into the patient's abdomen over and over until it pierced all the way through the gurney.   Or perhaps even the scene in the funeral home, when the sheriff discovers the bodies--one still alive--with their eyes and mouths sewn shut.   These scenes really depict just how gruesome and sadistic the "zombies" really are.

It both was and wasn't a surprise to see George A. Romero's name in the credits as an executive producer.   He created the modern zombie (referred to by what they really are:   ghouls) in Night of the Living Dead decades ago and has helped create the new breed of zombies for the 21st century.   I definitely don't think that re-animated corpses or animal-like infected are done with as zombie breeds, but I'm thrilled that the genre continues to evolve.

If I had one problem with the film it would be that the explosion wasn't believable.   The flash should have been too bright to look at from their distance, and the shockwave was pretty weak and uneventful.   But none of that matters, because the film is awesome!   Go watch it.