George Romero's name may be synonymous with the living dead sub-genre, but his filmography is far richer and more varied than his reputation as "the zombie guy" would suggest. Following the breakout success of his debut feature Night of the Living Dead, the director would embark upon a series of projects which demonstrate a master filmmaker with more than mere gut-munching on his mind. The Crazies sees Romero returning to firmer horror territory as a small rural town finds itself in the grip of an infection which send its hosts into a violent, homicidal frenzy. This version of the film comes from a brand new 4K restoration of the original theatrical version from the camera negative. This film, along with Season of the Witch and There's Always Vanilla, made in the period between Romero's celebrated living dead outings, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, serve to shine a light on the broader thematic concerns and auteurist leanings of a skilled craftsman too often pigeonholed within the genre.
