Outpost

Horrorphile

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Outpost

May 13th 2008 04:22

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

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Comment by Damo

May 14th 2008 00:29

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.