The Bunker [2001]

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 2000
Running Times: 91 mins 32 sec
Length: 8,237 ft
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: Dolby Digital Surround EX

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Millennium Pictures
Executive Producer George Marshall
Producer: Daniel Figuero
Co-Producer: David Reid
Production Manager: Sandra Shuttleworth

SCRIPT
Script: Clive Dawson

DIRECTION
Director: Rob Green
1st Assistant Director: Dan Toland
2nd Assistant Director: Mick Ward
3rd Assistant Director: Jessica Hurles

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: John Pardue
Steadicam: John Ward
2nd Unit Camera Operator: Adam Gillham
Grip: Richard Davies
Gaffer: Jim Beeby
Best Boy: Dean Kennedy
Electricians: Paul Molloy, Mark Stibbs, Vince Madden, Glenn Parsons, Paul Stewart, Frank Sheakey
Generator Driver: Barry Martins
Clapper Loader: James Beeby
Focus Puller: Nathan Mann
2nd Unit Focus Puller: Andy Newell
Stills: Daniel Smith
Rigger: Kevin Viney
Standby Rigger: Stefan Kopeal
Rigging Equipment: Jones Rigging Equipment Ltd
Camera Trainees: John Evans, Lilly Fletcher
Camera Equipment: Arri Media
Camera Filters: South London Filter Ltd
Cherry Pickers: Nationwide Skylift
Grip Equipment: Arri Media
Film Stock: Kodak Limited
Laboratories: Deluxe London
Lighting Equipment: Arri Lighting

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Richard Milward
Assistant Editor: Jack Whittaker
Cutting Rooms: Twickenham Film Studios
Editing Equipment: Edit-Hire
Telecine Services: Telefilm, Arion Communications

MUSIC
Music / Orchestrator: Russell Currie

SOUND
Sound Recordist: John Hayes
Boom Operator: Jim Hok
Sound Trainee: Paul Schwartz

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Designer: Julie Knightingale
Make Up Assistants: Dulcie Spencer, Fay De Bemacker, Sarah Jane Mayhew, Michelle Oxford
Costume Designer: Fiona Chilcott
Costume Assistants: Lisa Shanley, Ceri Walford, Jemimah Tomlinson, Gabrielle Spanswick, Jackie Kennedy
Costumiers: Angels And Bermans

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Prosthetics / Special Make Up: Justin Pitkethly, Shaune Harrison

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Co-Ordinator: Ken Lailey
Special Effects Assistant: Casper Lailey
Digital Effects: The Film Factory @ Vtr
Computer Software: Sargent-Disc Ltd

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Richard Campling
Art Director: Nick Burnell
2nd Assistant Art Director: Taylor Huggins
Art Department Assistants: Jay Chapel, Louis Smith
Construction Manager: Jonathan Dickson
Construction Workshop: Jonathan Dickson Construction
Props Master: Johnny Campling
Props Buyer: Claire Grainger

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Mary Haddow
Researcher And EPK / Documentary Director: Steve Moore
Production Accountant: Tarn Harper
Corporate Accountants: Baker Tilly (Chilton Taylor, Christine Corner) Dua & Co (Rakesh Dua)
Assistant Accountant: Polly Harper
Action Vehicles: Action By Nine-Nine Cars
Animals: A1 Animals
Bowser: David Deane Associates
Armourers: Bapty 2000 Limited, Carl Schmidt, Chris Abedine
Catering: The Finer Fare, Susanna Molony Catering, Bon Appetit
Production Runner: Catriona Robertson
Floor Runner: Alex Fawcett
Runner / Driver: Simon John Weeler
Runners / Unit Drivers: Michael Goring, Charlie Waller, Amanda Straughan
Facilities Vehicles: Film Flow
Couriers: Black and White Ltd, Parkers, Gac Worldwide (Frank And Lee)
Production Insurance: Media and Entertainment, Insurance Services Ltd
Health And Safety Risk Assessors: David Deane Assoc
Location Security: John Malony
Paramedics: Capital Medical Services
Production Associates: Terence Mcmahon, Maxwell Sterry, Gwilym Davies
Production Lawyers: Drew & Co (Andrew Curtis)
Corporate Lawyers: Fox Williams (Paul Osborne, Graham Seed)
Production Secretary: Eve Swannell
Publicity Company: D.D.A
Unit Publicist: Julia Jones
Walkie Talkies: Audiosend Communications

LOCATIONS
Locations: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Location / Unit Manager: Adam Bohling
Additional Location Manager: Giles D. Edleston

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Tom Delmar

CASTING
Casting Director: Lucinda Syson
Casting Assistant: Helen Curtin
Extras Agency: Screensearch

CAST
Jason Flemyng [Coporal Baumann]
Jack Davenport [Lance Corporal Ebert]
Christopher Fairbank [Sergeant Heydrich]
John Carlisle [Private Mirus]
Andrew Lee Potts [Private Neumann]
Andrew Tiernan [Lance Corporal Schenke]
Simon Kunz [Lieutenant Krupp]
Eddie Marsan [Private 1st Class Kreuzmann]
Charley Boorman Private 1st Class Franke]
Nicholas Hamnett [Private Engels]

As the Second World War moves towards a conclusion, a platoon of retreating German troops hide out in a bunker on the Siegfried Line. Trapped by the advancing Allied forces, the soldiers discover a huge complex of tunnels beneath the bunker and start to explore. But as they venture further in, they are subjected to physical and mental torture from some unseen force. What is lying waiting for them beneath the bunker?

A cracking first half gives way to a slightly disappointing and muddled second half but overall this is a commendable first feature from Green. First class performances and a well sustained atmosphere of rising paranoia and claustrophobia mark it out from the run-of-the-mill horrors but a few more solid scares in the closing stages wouldn't have gone amiss. Also some clarification as to what's actually going on would have been useful - a pit full of plague victims features prominently but seems in the end to be peripheral to the main story. Still, definitely worth a look for those searching for more subtle terrors.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Salvation Films Limited

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

UK
Rating: 15

2001
August
24: UK - shown at Frightfest 2001, London

WEB LINKS
Official Website - http://www.millennium-pictures.co.uk/html/

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique vol.33 no.3 [June 2001] pp.20-23 [USA]
illustrated article, interview [by Alan Jones]

Eyepiece vol.21 no.4 [September / October 2000] p.9 [UK]
production notes

Film Review no.600 [December 2000] pp.10-11 [UK]
illustrated interview with Jason Flemyng [Flemyng Hell]

Hollywood Reporter v.364 no.13 [8 August 2000] p.37 [USA]
credits, production details [by Brian Fuson]

Screen International no.1269 [28 July 2000] p.34 [UK]
credits, production notes

Sight and Sound vol.12 no.10 [October 2002] p.37 [UK]
illustrated credits, synopsis, review [by Richard Falcon]

Starburst no.273 [May 2001] p.60 [UK]
illustrated credits, review [by Alan Jones]

KEYWORDS

world war 2; nazis; war; bunkers; ghosts; tunnels; insanity; military; plague pits; woods