Larry Cedar – The Crazies (DVD)

In the 2010 remake of George A. Romero’s 1973 horror film “The Crazies,” actor Larry Cedar plays Ben Sandborn, a pitchfork-toting high school principal who is one of the residents infected with a chemical that has seeped into the town’s water supply. Once infected, the townspeople transform into zombie-like killers devoid of any conscience.

Cedar, 55, who has been in the film and TV industry for over 30 years, has starred in such movies and TV shows as  “Deadwood” and “Hollywoodland.” In one of his most famous roles, which most people will not recognize him from since he was in costume, Cedar starred in 1983′s “Twilight Zone: The Movie” where he played The Creature on the wing of the airplane who causes actor John Lithgow some serious mental anguish.

During an interview with me, Cedar talked about his gory scenes in “The Crazies, what he thinks about being on the cover of the DVD, and why he personally feels zombies will always have a leg up (albeit a dead one) on vampires and werewolves.

You’ve been in this industry for over 30 years and have starred in a number of different horror projects in that time. What are your thoughts on how studios are revisiting many of the old classic horror movies and remaking them for a new generation?

I think it’s terrific, but a real high wire act. Audience expectations run high. Not only do they demand that the original theme be respectfully preserved, but that the new incarnation takes the whole concept to the “next level.” For filmmakers, it’s do or die so to speak. If it all works out, everyone goes home happy. If not, you’ve sullied an icon and there’ll be hell to pay.

What was it about the character of Ben Sandborn in “The Crazies” that you found intriguing?

How slowly he moves in the morgue. Director Breck Eisner made a point of dialing me down almost to the point of stillness, which gives the scene its uber-eerie vibe. But the really interesting thing about Ben – and all “the Crazies” for that matter – is that he isn’t your stereotypical brainless zombie. I made a point of NOT lurching along like the living dead. Rather, he is smooth, methodical, calculated, and frighteningly aware of his surroundings, making him all the more terrifying. It was suggested that the virus merely brings out the infectee’s deepest, most repressed sub-conscious impulses. And by the way Principal Ben treats those kids on the gurneys, he apparently harbors some deep-seated animus toward his students. You see inklings of this when he first refers to them in the bleachers with Sheriff Dutton.

As an actor, where does your mind have to be during a scene where you character is crossing over into some dark territory and impaling people with a pitchfork?

Very, very focused. Any individual like Ben who’s decided it’s time to start gutting helpless victims has pretty much shoved aside all moral and social parameters and is acting out of sheer egotistical will. For purposes of doing the scene, that meant shutting out any consideration for the needs of the people around me – professional courtesy notwithstanding – and getting down to the serious business of maiming.

George A. Romero, of course, has been the master of the “zombie movie” for years now, although “The Crazies” doesn’t technically fall under that umbrella. But nowadays it seems like the “zombie” has taken a back seat to other movie monsters who are getting more playing time like the vampire and the werewolf. Is there still room for the “zombie” to thrive in an industry that is trying to keep up with the trend?

Zombies and their marauding cousins the Crazies will always have a home in horror and even perhaps an edge over their fanged and hairy brethren for one very important reason: vampires seduce and even fall in love; wolfmen mournfully howl at the moon over their lost humanity, but the zombie just doesn’t give a shit. He’s a heartless, killing machine.  No happy endings, no rhyme or reason, just death and destruction. Dude, that’s cold.

You’ve played a number of pretty scary characters in the last three decades. What has been your most memorable? Also, which “non-horror” role has been your favorite and why?

Until Ben Sandborn, my favorite had always been The Creature on the Wing, from “Twilight Zone: The Movie.” Working with John Lithgow and George Miller was a one of a kind experience to be sure. Flying on a wire in near atmospheric conditions on a Warner Bros. sound stage, suspended over a mock hydraulic jet airplane wing….hell, it was almost like being there. But for sheer psychological terror, the pitchfork scene takes the cake. Favorite “non-horror” role? Toss-up between Chester Sinclair in the feature “Hollywoodland,” and Leon, the opium addict in the HBO series, “Deadwood.” Those guys really got under my skin. Both, incredible, unforgettable gigs.

Ben Sandborn is featured on the DVD cover. How exciting is it to have your character as the “poster boy” for “The Crazies?” Have you ever been featured on a DVD cover before?

Nope, first time, and it’s an honor. What’s funny is how many times I’ve been asked, “Are those really your feet in the picture?”  Answer? Yes.

What scares you? Have you ever had nightmares about the work you’ve done?

The ocean, drowning, being attacked by sharks. “Titanic” was a rough go, and you couldn’t pay me enough to sit through “Open Water.” The only time I ever had a nightmare about my work was when I played Vermin Man in “Constantine” with Keanu Reeves. I’ve worn plenty of prosthetics, but that particular suit included a thick neoprene hood zipped skin-tight over my head and face with nothing but tiny holes cut for air and vision. Because of the time involved getting in and out of the rig, I was asked to remain in the piece for hours at a time and it got, shall we say, claustrophobic. Other than that, working in horror flicks has always been a thrill. Fact is, I’ve yet to do a role that was as scary as my actual nightmares. Believe me, if I could transfer them directly to film, I’d be rich.

Breck Eisner – The Crazies

During a phone interview with me, director Breck Eisner spoke about his new film “The Crazies,” a remake of the 1973 horror film of the same name by George A. Romero, why he decided the movie needed to be remade, and whether or not he thinks he could survive a global pandemic. If you don’t know, Breck is the son of former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner.

One could say that the reason we’re seeing so many horror remakes is because Hollywood is running out of ideas. Original scripts are a rarity in the industry. Would you disagree with that assertion?

You know, I totally understand the frustration with all these remakes. I would share that same frustration if every remake was a piece of junk. If a remake is great and people are making them for a reason and there’s something to tell, then go for it. But if a remake is just there to exploit a property and make money it’s no longer a reason to make a movie. With “The Crazies,” I saw a movie that had relevance when it was first made in ’73 and a relevance that existed today. It’s a different world, a totally different audience, and there are still things to say about the core conflict that makes the original work. For me, the idea of writing off all remakes is wrong. If it’s good then it’s no different than remaking a book or a graphic novel. Do it because there is a purpose.

Why do you think directors like George A. Romero and Wes Craven are open to the idea of their movies being recreated? I know you’ve said in a past interview that you would only remake a movie if you saw a flaw in the original. Do you think they see some of those flaws, too?

I think the flaw – if you can call it that – of [1973’s] “The Crazies” is a lack of resources. Obviously, having more money doesn’t mean you are going to have a better movie, but in a movie like “The Crazies” it’s a movie about the government taking over a town. When scaled to that, it’s kind of expensive if you have the desire to do it right. Romero was very limited in what he could do. One of the things I wanted to push against and try to scale up was to depict the military in a realistic way. In terms of their openness to make movies, I can talk specifically about Romero. He owns the rights to this movie. He benefits financially from selling it. It was his decision to allow the remake to happen, which gave me confidence in getting into this project. His point of view on it is this: here it is guys, be true to the original but I want to see your version of it. This is your movie. Go ahead and remake it.

While “The Crazies” has some gory moments, I wouldn’t necessarily say it focused on that element like a lot of horror movies do these days. Was not overdoing the gore something you did intentionally?

For me I just wanted to make a movie that I would want to see and the style of horror that I like. I certainly recognize that there are gorier movies out there. What I like in horror is a strong concept and good characters that you can invest in so when things start going horrifically wrong for them you have an emotional connection to them. My thought on gore is that it should service the movie itself. It’s fine when it’s in a scene where it’s appropriate. But don’t put gore in a movie for gore’s sake. Don’t just make it graphic because you think that’s what people want.

You’ve said in a past interview that the horror genre is something you hope you can keep doing. You said you’re not mucho of a romantic comedy type of guy. What’s the last romantic comedy you saw?

(Laughs) Oh, gosh, what is the last romantic comedy I saw? Is “Wedding Crashers” a romantic comedy? I love comedy. I love what the Coen Brothers do and I love comedy with a male point of view. If I was going to do a romantic comedy it would have to have some kind of dark comic take on it. But I love movies and appreciate them so to get the opportunity to make a good one, I would certainly take it.

Do you personally think you would be able to survive something apocalyptic like what we see in “The Crazies?”

I would absolutely go down in the first page of the script. I would like to think I would survive but I think I would be one of those guys that didn’t make it out alive.

What is something that drives you crazy about the film industry? About life in general?

What drives me crazy in the film industry is just the uncertainty of it. You’re never employed. You’re always looking for your next job. It’s a really unstable life. It can drive you mad. In life: traffic. Sometimes traffic can push me to the brink of insanity.

The Crazies

Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson
Directed by: Breck Eisner (“Sahara”)
Written by: Scott Kosar (“The Amityville Horror”) and Ray Wright (“Pulse”)

With as many mediocre horror movies that come out of Hollywood in any given year, there is bound to be some apprehension when a remake of 1973’s “The Crazies” rears it’s ugly, infected head at theaters.

First of all, things don’t look too promising when screenwriters Scott Kosar and Ray Wright are attached to the project when they’ve already penned three unmemorable remakes between them in the last seven years (“The Amityville Horror” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” belong to Kosar; Wright remade a Japanese horror movie into 2006’s yawn-inducing “Pulse”). Secondly, although director Breck Eisner has some talented genes (his father is Michael Eisner, former CEO of Walt Disney), he didn’t make much of a statement when he dropped the cinematic bomb that was the action/adventure “Sahara” in 2005.

Funny thing is, with nothing much going for it, “The Crazies” somehow works rather well. Produced by the original film’s director George A. Romero (“Night of the Living Dead”), “The Crazies” is a stimulating blend of chilling moments, solid characters, and enough violence and gore to make aficionados of the genre screech in delight.

Set in the small, fictional town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, “The Crazies” – if you want to get technical – isn’t part of the zombie culture Romero’s name is usually tied to. This follows a story more in the realm of “28 Days Later” than “Dawn of the Dead.” In the film, townspeople have become infected by something that is turning them all into aggressive, murderous pyschopaths. Unless the military can quarantine the population, the mysterious sickness will eventually infect millions and lead to a global pandemic.

Timothy Olyphant (“A Perfect Getaway”) plays David Dutton, the sheriff of Ogden Marsh who is trying to uncover the reason his neighbors are becoming raving lunatics. Along with his doctor wife Judy (Radha Mitchell), his deputy Russell (Joe Anderson), and his wife’s assistant Becca (Danielle Panabaker), the foursome maneuver their way through town on survive mode and become aware of something more frightening than the virus-plagued antagonists who are after them. There is something inherently wrong with the way the soldiers are sweeping through the farming community and rounding up the sick for testing that points to a government conspiracy.

While “The Crazies” doesn’t offer much in groundbreaking plot or character motivation, it does something so few horror movies do these days: avoids undermining the audience. Instead of cheap thrills created by deceitful editing and lame scare tactics, “The Crazies” stays engaging through its tone and attention to detail. It all makes for an entertaining zombie-type movie featuring military cover-ups, apocalyptic scenarios, and a paranoid cast of characters you can actually root for.