Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz

By this third film in the Outpost saga, you know what you’re getting into. If zombie Nazis in secret bunkers aren’t your thing, you might want to stay clear. This prequel to the 2008 hit has elite Russian soldiers (the Spetsnaz of the title) captured by Nazi scientists, who are experimenting with the undead in their underground lab.

The zombie Nazi series is from Scottish-based production company Black Camel, and its Celtic roots are felt in the casting, with Glasgow-born Bryan Larkin as lead soldier Dolhokov. Sporting a passable Russian accent and an impressive physique, Larkin completely commits to the role. Without him this ‘Die Hard in a bunker’ could easily have gone off the rails with its cartoonish bad guys and outrageous dialogue like “asshole or bullet-hole, in the end you all scream just the same.” It’s scrappy, but it’s not as indulgent or half as smug as other films in the genre. [Scott McKellar]