Hello there
Any life updates? Alien: Romulus was absolutely stunning, but the power in the movie theater went out just as a face-hugger was attacking. Made the viewing experience a little too immersive. Brat Summer is coming to a close and there is a Spirit Halloween opening across the street from me. The change in weather has given me severe vertigo and I just got exposed to Covid, yay. Upcoming movies I'm excited about are Nosferatu and Anora. I recently watched Drive-Away Dolls and had mixed feelings1.
Review
A squad of mercenaries is hired by a mysterious entity to find a secret bunker, easy. Sure, if you ignore the nazi-zombie-ghosts.
I know several nazi-zombie movies are theorized to have inspired Overlord (2018), but I think Outpost had the most direct influence. The underground bunker, the piles of pale flesh, the dark corridors. Overlord, but low budget and a little more sci-fi. While I don’t think this is nearly as good as Overlord, Outpost gives a solid showing.
I know I say this a lot, but this movie has a real atmosphere. Impressive use of lighting and tension elevates Outpost above your run-of-the-mill nazi-zombie Tubi movie. The budget never feels like a burden, and the visuals hold up surprisingly well for a movie made in 2008. The characters are a little annoying, but they never really got me riled up. It’s definitely more visually interesting to me than character-driven, but I don’t mind that.
What I dislike about Outpost is the plot. I think it goes a little too Devil’s Pass (2013)2, and it needed to be a little more straightforward. I am always going to prefer well-done simplicity to something fresh. 90% of the movie had me reeled in, but the last act had me rolling my eyes. Outpost is basically a cult classic among weird-war movie fans, and I think it mostly deserves that status.
Is this just an X-Files episode?
Over the years I have seen some episodes of the X-Files, but never committed to sitting down and watching it through until a couple of months ago. A show that seems so completely up my alley, why did I give up after season 1?
What I love about the X-Files is the “Monster of the Week” episodes. Mini sci-fi horror movies with a loveable cast, how can I resist? Where X-Files loses me is the extended lore and overarching story. I found that I simply didn’t care about the secret government UFO coverups, all I wanted was to see Mulder and Scully solve one-off mysteries. I think this is why I rarely watch TV shows. I don’t have the attention span or energy for a saga, I want my stories in neat 90-minute packages.
Outpost reminds me a lot of an X-Files episode. A more forgettable cast for sure, but a neat mystery that should end when the credits roll. But the mystery doesn’t end, that’s my problem. There are 2 more movies! What could be a lovely Monster of the Week insists on forcing a bigger picture. I’m sure the other films are fine, but I have no desire to pursue them any more than I want to watch 11 seasons of The X-Files. I also learned that Mulder and Scully don’t even get together until like maybe season 7?? I don’t have the time!
This fatigue for a series is a fairly new thing for me. I used to love large book series and long TV shows, but the older I get the more I reach for standalone novels and turn to movies. I find myself rewatching the shows I used to love like season 1 of Doctor Who3 and old Castle re-runs instead of finally committing to finishing The Walking Dead and starting Game of Thrones. Maybe I’ll break the cycle and start-up X-Files again, but for now, I’m content with my familiar content.
See you soon
This post was late, I hope that the next one won’t be, but no promises. Do I recommend Outpost? Yeah, it’s a good time. The next Creatures of War will be the last regularly scheduled review, with edition 15 being a wrap-up and list of all my favorite war-horror movies. I haven't decided what edition 14 will be, but I'm thinking War of the Dead (2011).
Bonus
Movies I watched recently that I’d recommend:
Alien: Romulus (2024) - I’m obsessed with it I’m serious
Upgrade (2018) - Venom, but make it cyberpunk
Abigail (2024) - It’s not amazing, but it’s fun
The whole movie felt like the first half of a movie. I'm usually a short movie girl, but the end left me asking where the rest of the film was. It was funny and unique, but not much else beyond that.
No one is going to get that reference, I’m so sorry.
Just this season. I know that’s the worst one, but it’s kinda special.