To mark the release of next week’s riotously fun Overlord, we take a look at some of the most blood-soaked horror movies with a military focus that Overlord joins the ranks of. Bring a bib, things are about to get bloody.
5. Dead Snow – Dir. Tommy Wirkola (2009)
They don’t come more gloriously B-movie than this! This Norwegian horror from Hansel & Gretel’sTommy Wirkola focuses on a group of medical students who head out on a ski trip. They get more than they’re bargained when they unwittingly wake a horde of Nazi zombies, out to protect their hidden treasures and eat some human flesh. This film is a lot of fun, playing on Scandinavian folklore with a manic glee, packed with fun kills that look rather striking against the snowy backdrops. Wonderfully dumb, schlocky thrills.
4. Dog Soldiers – Dir. Neil Marshall (2002)
Neil Marshall made a name for himself with the truly frightening The Descent, but before he was diving caves to thrill audiences, he took us to the Scottish highlands for a lycian horror that packs great wit into its gut-spewing horror. We follow a group of soldiers on a training routine in the highlands, only to come across a very real threat in the form of vicious Werewolves. With a great use of practical effects and a collection of chuckle-inducing one-liners, this is a British horror with a terrific sense of humour and plenty of crimson lashings across its proceedings.
3. The Keep – Dir. Michael Mann (1983)
One of Michael Mann’s first films, and one that is incredibly different to his future output, this is a fascinating 80’s B-movie. It is fascinating down to rumours of a gruelling production that saw shooting over run and Mann making changes throughout, with the final result resembling a bit of a rush job. But it has a great concept at its centre and lives on as a curious 80’s oddity (a 210 minute cut exists somewhere, a treasure for cult movie aficionados). With a hypnotic Tangerine Dream score, the film follows a group of Nazis who must ask for the assistance of a Jewish priest to battle a demon that they have set on the world. The concept at its centre more than holds interest, and it is one of the stranger 80’s curios that you can find.
2. Jacob’s Ladder – Dir. Adrian Lyne (1990)
Going down the psychological thriller route with our next entry, Jacob’s Ladder is a very dark and disturbing look at an experience of a Vietnam Vet (Tim Robbins) who is faced with hallucinations and disturbing visions of his time in the war. This is a film very much propelled by despair, often standing as quite an uncomfortable experience but one which is very hard to look away from. Visceral, visually arresting and often very scary, Jacob’s Ladder is a horror that is hard to shake.
1. Predator – Dir. John McTiernan (1987)
I may be cheating a little here, as its very much an action-driven suspense movie, but there is no denying its horror and military elements at play in one of Schwarzenegger’s finest hours. When a group of mercenaries are left in a jungle on the mission, they soon realise that they themselves are being hunted by something not of this Earth. Action-horror doesn’t come more 80’s than this, a great creature feature with a wonderfully iconic monster at its centre taking on American machismo, still awesome in spite of the paler sequels that followed.
Overlord is released in UK cinemas on 7th November 2018.
Going down the psychological thriller route with our next entry, Jacob’s Ladder is a very dark and disturbing look at an experience of a Vietnam Vet (Tim Robbins) who is faced with hallucinations and disturbing visions of his time in the war. This is a film very much propelled by despair, often standing as quite an uncomfortable experience but one which is very hard to look away from. Visceral, visually arresting and often very scary, Jacob’s Ladder is a horror that is hard to shake.
I may be cheating a little here, as its very much an action-driven suspense movie, but there is no denying its horror and military elements at play in one of Schwarzenegger’s finest hours. When a group of mercenaries are left in a jungle on the mission, they soon realise that they themselves are being hunted by something not of this Earth. Action-horror doesn’t come more 80’s than this, a great creature feature with a wonderfully iconic monster at its centre taking on American machismo, still awesome in spite of the paler sequels that followed.
