Nazi zombies have travelled through time to attack a group of mercenaries in an unnamed Eastern European military compound. The seriousness of this situation cannot be overestimated – and never is – in this grave but confused foray into the sci-fi genre.
In fact, so serious is Outpost, it’s the cinematic equivalent of getting a letter from the taxman. Despite having a perfect B-movie set-up, director Steve Barker is intent on establishing a bleak and barren ambience. But any attempt at playing it straight is completely undermined by the film’s ridiculous premise.
The idea that the Nazis developed a machine based on Einstein’s Unified Field Theory (called the Nazi-Bell) is a popular pop culture conspiracy. But you can approach it with as much gravitas as you like; the suggestion that it allows these undead bastards to exist in limbo until they appear at will to attack our plucky heroes is stretching credibility way, way past breaking point.
No real explanation is offered for the discovery of the machine, and yet the film asks the audience to take greater and greater leaps of logic, while Barker dutifully labours under the mistaken impression that he’s making Apocalypse Now. Anyone thinking that zombie time-travelling Nazis would make a kitsch horror classic are undoubtedly right, but Outpost isn’t it.
