Better than I Expected
Added 11/4/2009
I liked this movie. All characters are well played. The script is tight and makes sense. It is more a psychological horror movie, not a lot of blood and guts, but some (it is about WWII). The DVD transfer is poor, however, particularly the "gray scale", but the quality of the story overcomes that deficiency. Don't prejudge the movie by its cover.
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Plenty of atmosphere, not much forward momentum
Added 10/8/2009
THE BUNKER
(UK - 2001)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Theatrical soundtrack: Dolby Digital Surround EX
1944: A group of German soldiers take refuge from advancing Allied forces inside a bunker on the German-Belgian border, where they're haunted by what appear to be the restless spirits of a Medieval massacre...
Debut director Rob Green aims for something less exploitative than your average low budget shocker, but he's rather handicapped by Clive Dawson's feeble script, which mistakes 'creeping dread' for 'narrative drive', and the resolution is both confusing and unsatisfactory. The funereal pace and lack of action is further amplified by Russell Currie's dissonant music score, which fails to bolster the visuals in a constructive manner. Still, some viewers will get a kick out of the creepy setting and sudden flashes of violence, and there's an excellent cast, toplined by Jack Davenport (THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY), Jason Flemyng (LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS) and Andrew Tiernan (EDWARD II).
See also DEATHWATCH (2002), a marginally superior reworking of the same basic storyline.
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DAS BUNKER...
Added 4/29/2009
Trapped in an anti-tank bunker, a small group of german soldiers wait for advancing allied forces. The war is basically lost, but HQ has made it clear that these men, who are exhausted and nearly out of ammo, are to hold their positions. Well, if that's not bad enough, there is also the possibility that the bunker is haunted! THE BUNKER is a cool blend of WWII action and supernatural / psychological terror. While there are no flesh-eating zombies, nazi torture chambers, or other such things, there is a building atmosphere of creeping dread. The story is also sound w/ believable characters. So, if you enjoy movies like BELOW (which has some of the same cast) or SESSION 9, you'll be in heaven w/ this one...
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Bad Karma Bunker OR What Comes Around Haunts Around!
Added 1/28/2009
THE BUNKER is about a group of WWII German soldiers who take refuge from advancing Allied troops in a bunker haunted by their own personal demons of war. It's an ultimate example of bad karma, with victims of war crimes coming back around to victimize their killers--hence "The dead don't pick sides." I guess you could say that these soldiers should have just taken their chances and surrendered to the Allies!
I liked THE BUNKER, although I admit that not everyone will enjoy this one. It's a little more pensive, with far less obvious interpretations of events and meanings. For example, I'm not sure how much is going on in the minds of a few demented soldiers and what's really happening on a true supernatural level. However, I think the not knowing for sure and the multiple interpretive levels are part of the charm here. Since we get a number of soldier perspectives, rather than what is always one objective view, who knows? It could be either, both, or any way you chose to analyze it, I suppose. In any case, who cares? It's a war/horror movie, after all.
THE BUNKER is also surprisingly well-acted. There's also British accents abound! The word "bloody" (although literally appropriate for this movie) is used by a German soldier, while Germans would not use it, of course. I admit that was momentarily distracting on a language level. However again, I do excuse such movies about soldier ghosts, zombies, etc., from most such things, for obvious reasons. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've watched an otherwise good German war movie in English.
This movie is also not as heavy on the blood and gore as some others in the genre I've seen, such as OUTPOST. So, all you gore hounds out there may have to look elsewhere on that level alone. As I suggested earlier, it's really more of a psychological, thinking man's war/zombie movie, if you will. There are horribly-burned soldiers fighting to the point of unbelievable stamina, a soldier being stabbed by an unseen something or somebody, and more than one example of demonic possession (or just simple insanity).
As you might have already guessed, I am quite partial (and at times even a bit biased) towards war/horror movies. Some will obviously consider this one total trash (or rubbish, as the British would say), so be warned in advance. It's about how much you enjoy watching a war/horror movie, while having the freedom to draw your own insightful conclusions from multiple perspectives. Or, maybe it's just about how much of a cinematic gore hound you are. From here, I'll let you decide for yourself.
As I said in my OUTPOST review, be sure to watch THE BUNKER, just don't take refuge there!
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Psychological awesomeness
Added 5/31/2008
Although Very different from any WWII film. The bunker does a good job of blending history nis horror.
After hearing of an Allied Assualt headed thier way a band of German soldiers take refouge in an abondon bunker. Soon after they begin to suffer from hallucinations and paranoya. But when they start disappering the Fear gets real. It turns out this is the bunker is the site of the Brutal Murder of Several Allied War Prisoners that none other than the main characters shot. Now they are haunted by the memory of those wronged souls and it may be the end of the line for these men.
Instead of horror the film focuses maily on the paranoya and hallucinations of the soldiers to build up tension until the end where the souls take solid form. I was suprised by the film as i had rented it and expected a crappy thrill. I was corrected.
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