Day 260: The Bunker

The Bunker

Pvt. Skeletonface reporting for duty, Sir!

War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing! There are no shortage of war movies and there are countless horror movies out there, but rarely do the two genres meet. It's actually surprising how few war/horror movies are out there given the fact that "war is hell". There is already so much blood and carnage in war that you'd think it would be a natural setting for horror. The same could be said for Westerns in horror. These movies do exist, there has just never been a great standout. What is it about war and horror that are so difficult to mix together into one great movie? All it takes is one great war-themed horror movie to spawn a a practically untouched subgenre.

The Bunker is a 2001 supernatural/psychological horror movie directed by Rob Green (House [2008], The Trick). Set near the German-Belgian border in 1944, a group of German Panzer soldiers are ambushed by American soldiers. They seek refuge in an old bunker being manned by a teenage soldier named Neumann (Andrew-Lee Potts, Primeval, 1408) and an old soldier named Mirus (John Carlisle, The Omega Factor, The Avengers). When they contact their commanding unit for instructions, they are told to just wait. Mirus informs the soldiers that there are tunnels below the bunker holding ammunition, but he has never ventured far into them. He tells a story of the forest they are in, how a plague ravaged a town and a priest convinced people to murder the infected. As the night progresses, strange sounds are heard from the forest, which the soldiers believe to be Americans. We also see flashes of a traumatic event that occurred previous to the soldiers' arrival at the bunker. Soon Mirus ventures down into the tunnels, believing he is speaking to his dead son. Another soldier follows, and when their commander wakes up, he believes they have deserted and forces the rest of the group down into the tunnels. Deep inside, they discover a pit filled with bones and rotting corpses. The soldiers begin seeing things in the tunnel, believing they are being tricked and psychologically tortured by the Americans. The Germans begin turning on each other, unable to get a grasp on what is going on and who is down there with them. Who or what is haunting the soldiers and how does it fit in with the recent past?

"You can't just yell "Blammo!" You have to actually shoot!"

Initially, I thought The Bunker was going to be a supernatural revenge movie involving dead villagers getting their revenge on Nazi soldiers. Sadly, this isn't the case, which is a shame because who doesn't like seeing Nazis die horrible deaths? The movie puts me in a tough spot because I don't want to feel sympathetic towards Nazis. The Bunker goes for a mixture of psychological horror and supernatural horror, though neither are very good. While we do see shadowy soldiers towards the end of the movie, most of the supernatural elements are implied with shadow and flickering light. Paranoia is the main factor in the movie, and while not executed perfectly, the movie does well enough to get us from point A to point B. It makes me wonder why the filmmakers even bothered trying to make this a horror movie instead of just a psychological thriller. The movie clearly doesn't have a large budget, so if you can't pull off spirits, then it's just not worth it.

Most of the money went into sets and uniforms, which both look very good. The acting is good throughout with a cast of people that you may recognize from bit parts in other movies. The film is fairly dark, not in content, but in actual color. While it makes things difficult to see at times, this styling actually serves a purpose. The dark colors are juxtaposed with the bright, dream-like flashbacks that inform the audience of what transpired before the soldiers arrived at the bunker. The atmosphere is fairly good and there's enough suspense to keep the audience interested in seeing what will happen. Unfortunately, the big reveal is kind of a dud, especially when you look at the DVD cover and expected something else. There is a mediocre amount of violence with one good scene involving a flare gun. It's certainly not enough for a movie set in World War II.

"Who left ze smoke machine on again?"

The Bunker had a lot of potential, but just couldn't pull it together for a good horror movie. The psychological fear and paranoia is decent, but the supernatural elements are too sparse to make everything come together. The movie would have been better off as a straight war film than horror. There is nothing particularly scary about the film and the lack of violence in a war movie is disappointing. The costumes and sets look very good and the solid acting helps carry the movie. The Bunker isn't a bad movie, I was just expecting a lot better. If you're looking for a better mix of war and horror, you're better off with Deathwatch.

5/10

Day 17: Rammbock: Berlin Undead

Rammbock: Berlin Undead

 Bad strudel and pretzels did this

Zombies are my favorite genre of horror movies. My first real introduction to zombies when my dad bought a VHS copy of Dawn of the Dead. I loved everything about it; the slow zombies, shooting them in the head, and social commentary. Ever since then, I have held every zombie movie I've seen to that golden standard. When newer zombie movies deviate from the form, I have to try extra hard to enjoy it.

Rammbock is a German zombie movie set in a small apartment complex in Berlin. We follow the story of Michael as he returns to his ex-girlfriend Gabi's apartment to try and win her back. It doesn't take long for Michael to be attacked by a crazed handyman. Harper, the teenage apprentice, helps Michael fight back the handyman and the two form an unlikely partnership to stay alive. Michael is determined to find Gabi, but first he must survive a horde of zombies and stave off starvation.

Close the door! This is private time!

The zombies in Rammbock are of the fast 28 Days Later-style zombies. Part of me hates the fast zombie because the real fear comes from being surrounded and helpless. The other part likes it because it ups the action and immediate fear. We are never given a decent reason as to why the zombies are up and about, but they are not the undead. Once again, the traditionalist in me hates that. It doesn't have to be definitive, but give me a few theories and let my mind make the connections. Also, the zombies are susceptible to bright flashes of light. That's certainly a new one for me, but I can accept it.

If you're looking for some good flesh-eating and over-the-top gut ripping, Rammbock isn't for you. There are some moments of violence and fast action, but the movie is light on blood and gore. No fun headshots or arm ripping. More focus is given to the characters dealing with their emotions and plans to survive. That's fine because that's what makes a zombie movie great, but when you don't have the horrific acts of violence, it feels more like a soap opera. With a running time of about an hour, I think the extra 25-30 minutes really could have made the difference between an OK movie and a good one. Everything is told in that time, but it seems odd to just have hour-long movie that wasn't meant for television.

Do you want Cheesy Bread or Wings?

Rammbock is certainly not a bad movie. That being said, everything about the movie felt just “OK”. The characters, the acting, the action; it was all “OK”. I guess it just left me wanting. It's good to see the genre stretching out across the globe, such as in Norway with Dead Snow. I hope to see more international films focusing on zombies and how other cultures choose to portray them. Rammbock would be a good gateway horror film for those not initiated.

6/10