Could it be that these promotions, bits of new content, games and apps for The Crazies are infinitely more sophisticated than the horror flick they’re selling? Well, they’re way ahead of the original source material, that’s for sure. The Crazies, for non-cult fans, was first a 1973 B-movie about a bucolic Pennsylvania town where the folks just go plain loco and homicidal mania ensues. (Hint: It’s something in the water, and the government’s to blame). Written and directed by legendary horror maven George Romero, The Crazies had a reported micro-mini-budget of $275,000. The remake, from Overture Films and Participant Media, not only has a few stars on the bill—Timothy Olyphant as the town’s sheriff—but much better (read: more expensive) special effects. As for the surrounding hype, there are traditional comics, a four-part animated comic series, a Facebook game called The Crazies Tower Defense, an iPhone app dubbed "Beware the Infected" (where you can doctor photos of yourself and others to look like Ogden Marsh’s whacked-out inhabitants) and an online game that lets you make fight videos to share. That should be enough to keep you busy until the movie launches Feb. 26. Try to stay sane!
—Posted by T.L. Stanley