Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Sites | Writers | Advertise | My Orble | Login
 
“Night brings terror. Strange, alien forms move restlessly across the face of the earth. Fear, horror and death follow in their wake. The sky is dark; the moon has not yet risen; the stars seem too frightened to shine ..." --- Drake Douglas (introduction to Horrors)

Horrorphile - May 2008

Outpost

May 13th 2008 04:22
Outpost DVD cover art
Present day: In a seedy bar in a Eastern European town ravaged by war, a sly businessman Hunt (Julian Wadham) hires an ex-marine DC (Ray Stevenson) to assemble a crack team of ex-soldiers (read: borderline criminals) to protect him on a mysterious journey into dangerous territory. Their mission is to scope out an old military bunker.

Once at the outpost, the men make a horrific discovery dating back to WWII. Amid the carnage, they find something even more unsettling and disturbing – a survivor. As unknown assailants attack the soldiers stationed above ground, Hunt reveals the real truth behind the mission, and D.C. and his men find themselves trapped in a claustrophobic and terrifying scenario.
Outpost Ray Stevenson and Julian Wadham
DC (Ray Stevenson) eyes up the bunker under Hunt (Julian Wadham)'s instructions
A low-budget UK production (economically shot in Scotland on HD video) Outpost (2008) is not the most original premise, but it’s executed with enough lean, mean chutzpah to make it a worth while viewing. Several other movies immediately jump to mind; The Keep (1983) and The Bunker (2001) being the most obvious, but also Dog Soldiers and Predator (1987) came to mind.
Outpost scared soldiers
Soldier McKay (Michael Smiley) and team hear an eerie noise
The acting is above average, but nothing to rave about. Many of the largely unknown actors sport unnecessarily impenetrable accents (French, Russian, Scots, cockney) which I found frustrating. It didn’t do their performances any favours. Some of the dialogue is tenuous and hackneyed, but at least the pace is swift.
Outpost Nazi execution
The soldiers watch found footage of Nazi bad behaviour
The movie has been given an Australian R-rating (high level violence), which I thought unnecessary. Yes, there are some sequences of extreme brutality, but for the most part it’s too dark to see anything, or the editing has you wondering what you just missed. Perhaps it was the frenzied bayoneting of one character near movie’s end which took it over the MA edge (the criteria for rating in this country – let alone the US – always confounds me).
Outpost Hunt's machine
The cause of all the trouble: a SNAFU machine
The spectres themselves are borderline zombies; Nazi soldiers dead-set on maintaining the bunker’s status quo; that off an ominous, supernatural tomb. I must say they looked quite nightmarishly splendid in their SS uniform trenchcoats and dark hidden faces under those unmistakable German helmets.
Outpost Scott Peden
Nazi Sargeant Major (Scott Peden) at your undead service
As for the real reason behind the mission, let’s just say Hunt had spent a good portion of his life trying to locate his own Holy Grail; basically a machine capable of harnessing energy, and at the same time messing with time and space. Hunt makes reference to the Philadelphia Experiment, if you get my drift.
Outpost Nazi SS ghost
Hell hath no fury like a ghost-zombie Nazi SS soldier


Outpost is a brooding chamber piece, relying more heavily on atmosphere, tension, and a decent score and soundtrack, than on cracking set-pieces, great acting and a bravura ending. Yes, the ending is one you’ll either be bemused by, or roll your eyes. Let’s just say you could do a damn lot worse whilst in the video store on a rainy Saturday afternoon.



Here's the UK theatrical trailer:


Here's the US DVD trailer:

54
Vote

   
Subscribe to this blog 


Just this blog This blog and DailyOrble (recommended)

   

   

   

[ Link ]
Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews
Related Posts:

Comments
2 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

May 14th 2008 00:29


For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
That looks like fun.
Nazis, guns, undead and Victim Bingo.

The score sound very unsettling and the colors are almost black and white.

I must see this.

Comment by Bryn

May 14th 2008 06:17


Horrorphile
Damo, methinks you'd enjoy, not a deep arterial cut, but then not a surface mosquito bite either

Add A Comment

To create a fully formatted comment please click here.


CLICK HERE TO LOGIN | CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Name or Orble Tag
Home Page (optional)
Comments
Bold Italic Underline Strikethrough Separator Left Center Right Separator Quote Insert Link Insert Email
Notify me of replies
Notify extra people about this comment
Is this a private comment?
List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this comment


One per line max of 30

List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this private comment thread. Only the people in this list will be able to see or reply to your comment.


One per line max of 30

Your Name
(for the email going out to the above list, it can be different to your Orble Tag)
Your Email Address
(optional)
(required for reply notification)
Submit
More Posts
July 2008
4 Posts
June 2008
23 Posts
May 2008
23 Posts
Older Posts
411 Posts dating from August 2006
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
0
[ View Blog Summary ] [ Create A New Post ] [ Add A Comment ]
Moderated by Bryn
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]