The Guard Post (2008)

A grisly yet derivative horror flick set on a border post between North and South Korea. THE GUARD POST turns out to be a very familiar journey in its depictions of the terrors, both real and imagined, that befall a group of soldiers living in an ultra-remote and dangerous locale. The film it most resembles is R-POINT, another Korean movie with a very similar background, and if it isn't quite as good as that film then at least it makes the effort.THE GUARD POST offers a neat blend of psychological fear and in-your-face graphic horror. It opens with a massacre (wisely kept off-screen) and we subsequently follow the fortunes of a group of soldiers sent to investigate what happened. What exactly did happen won't really surprise anyone – the theme is extremely familiar these days in plenty of horror films – but it's handled in an efficient way that maximises the various scare scenes to strong effect. There's physical horror present in the film too, but rather than dwelling on it, it's presented in brief, jarring visions which add to the viewer's disorientation.One flaw prevents THE GUARD POST from being a great film: the disjointed editing. The decision was made to tell both the back-story leading up to the massacre and the present, investigative story at the same time, with rapid-fire editing between the two time frames. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for the viewer to tell whether what's going on is happening at present, or in the past. It doesn't help that only a few of the main characters are given any kind of depth, and trying to distinguish one huddle of soldiers from the next is a difficult process. If it wasn't for this, then THE GUARD POST could have been a truly great viewing experience; as it stands, it's something I enjoyed but wouldn't bother with a second time.

I went in expecting one of these soldiers facing something supernatural that turns them on each other using their hidden secret/fears kind of story. However the South Korean made feature 'G.P. 506 aka The Guard Post' virtually keeps the same get-up, but takes on a refreshing angle using a different kind of threat and for the majority of the time it's an effective gimmick.An army investigator is put in charge of a soldier unit to find out what happened at G.P. 506 (and to possibly cover it up), which saw the original team brutally massacred by one of its own (well that's what it seems?) and what this second team uncovers is something terrifyingly devastating.It's an unusual, but immensely unpredictable military horror/mystery story covering its bases in an interestingly progressive non-linear narrative that constantly moves between present time and flashbacks in a very muddled fashion. At times it was confusing adjusting to which period was which, as they replay scenes over and over again of the lead up to eventful bloody massacre of the original team of G.P. 506 where they would try to reach the correct conclusion. A sense of deja vu really seems to creep in with the actions of the newly appointed team with there investigation. Even then the jadedly slow-grinding and over-long plot leaves you questioning some story devices and knotty developments, but this extremely cold and dread-fill atmospheric tale manages to pull you in as it constructs a threatening environment from its dourly tight bunker quarters, confronting paranoid friction and grippingly suspenseful exchanges that mostly ignited in graphic slabs of twisted violence. There's authentically poignant make-up FX brought across. Su-chang Kong's sleek direction is visually crisp, while maintaining a stark punch and the camera-work fluidly covers many angles. The music is emotionally stirring in its arrangement by adding to the creepy air and the sound effects have that chilling imprint. The starch performances by all are reliably solid and convincing.A fine addition to the growing military/horror fodder.

At a guard post along the DMZ something odd has happened. When a military police officer goes to investigate what he finds is far from pretty, an odd disease seems to be spreading.Military mystery with horror overtones, is an okay film. There is a certain amount of tension generated as the claustrophobic nature of the post and the uncertainty of what is going on really keeps you on pins and needles for a while, but in the end the hows and whys and all don't really warrant the one minute beyond two hour running time. We've been here before and despite a game cast and some novel twists the parts don't equal the whole. For me as the story played out it reached a point somewhere in the last hour where it started to be less engaging (something the directors similar R-Point did as well) and my patience began to lag. I was invested enough to get to the fade out but in the end it just wasn't anything special, despite some great sequences (which I can't describe lest it give too much plot away- thats the problem the novel things are too few that revealing them would take away any reason to see this film). Certainly it wasn't worth the effort it took me to watch it (my DVD player was uncooperative and I had to move a couple of times to a less happy location to see it), but it is worth a peek if you have an easier time of it and you have the spoilers kept to a minimum.

Like many of you who've seen this flick or who are about to see it, you most likely have grown to really appreciate South Korea's brand of film-making. From the Chan Wook Park Revenge Trilogy to whacked out films like Save the Green Planet, S. Korea is certainly a lead runner in countries that are producing some of the best modern movies. So when I had the opportunity to check out G.P. 506, I pretty much jumped at the chance. And like the consistent output of this country's cinema, this is also another entry to add to their ever growing list of accomplished films.G.P. 506 is pretty weird. It's encompasses drama, mystery and horror, and does a pretty good job doing so. Going into the flick I was only aware of it's horror elements, so be fore-warned that this film is not solely horror. It's more so a mystery/drama than anything else, though horror elements are clearly present. Anyways, the story revolves around a G.P. aka Guard Post, that has fallen silent. An investigator and new team go in to investigate and what they find is horrific and completely puzzling. With a theme of infection, the movie eventually becomes a survival-type flick with lots of second-guessing. Which is most definitely a fresh take on this type of genre.Overall, G.P. 506 was a pretty good ride. The film delivers good acting, nice direction and solid atmosphere. But it also leaves you with too many questions when the film ends. And ones that you really can't just think of some philosophical answer for. It's more like: I wish they showed this or showed more of that.... Also, the flashbacks were somewhat hard to read. Only by the end did I begin to grasp them.Nevertheless, the flick was entertaining enough and is easily recommendable for people who enjoy a slow-burn type of flick. Being a fan of South Korean cinema wouldn't hurt either.