meddlecore In a sort of 28 Days Later meets Rabid fashion, Rammbock is a film about a zombie outbreak that randomly occurs in Berlin. Just as a man named Michael has returned to give a set of keys back to his old girlfriend.Now, he is holed up in her apartment, with another young man named Harper.There are a few other people in the complex as well, and they can speak to one another from their balconies.Turns out, that if you are bitten, you can ward off the illness, if you can refrain from getting an adrenaline rush. Though, that might be easier said than done under the circumstances.Either way, the two men must hatch a plan to escape the room they are trapped in- because they have no food to eat.So they fashion together a makeshift battering ram, and go right through one of the walls.During this ordeal, they get separated- with one ending up on the roof, and the other stuck in the neighbour's kitchen.Though, this does allow Harper to discover that a flash of bright light (like from a camera flash) temporarily blinds the zombies.Thus, they hatch a plan to escape once and for all...but...will all of them be able to make it? The ending is clearly inspired by Cronenberg's Rabid- though, in a slightly different way. This isn't a bad little zombie flick. It's relatively short at approximately an hour. And it did, seemingly, go on to inspire a spin off television series. So, there's that. But it was still pretty simple overall...and left me a bit unfulfilled.Nice effort though. 4.5 out of 10.

bowmanblue It's widely regarded that most people loved 28 Days Later. Then it spawned an official sequel (28 Weeks Later) and then other countries got in on the 'new-look running zombie' action.The remake of Dawn of the Dead was 28 Days Later in America. La Horde was 28 Days Later in France and now we have Siege of the Dead, which is basically 28 Days Later in Germany.Now, if we English can just get past the, 'Oh, so Germany's overrun by zombies, huh? Well, never mind,' attitude, the film's actually pretty good.Lovefilm's blurb on Siege of the Dead says it's laced with 'humour.' I like to think I have a sense of humour, but I couldn't see any in this. I found it a straight horror - through and through.It's claustrophobic, tense, good (normal) characters we can relate to, nobody does anything totally crazy and, although it has a small budget, it was put to good use. There's not that much gore, but that's also probably down to the budget.If you like the 28 Days Later style of zombie movie (and don't mind subtitles and films that are under an hour in length) give this one a go and, if nothing else, you may learn of an interesting new weapon to fight zombies/the infected - click click click.http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

theothermartintaylor-fac Imagine Rear Window meets 28 Days Later, in German and only 1hr and 1minute long ... I know it sound surreal and I know it sounds like wouldn't work but it does. The most thoughtful Zombie movie I've seen. Our protagonist is everyman Michael, an everyday character you only find in European movies. The production is missing that mainstream glamor and is better for it: the actors don't look like actors with dirt rubbed in their clothes and on their faces, they look and behave like real people in extraordinary circumstances. They make stupid mistakes but they aren't in a rush to die. The story is similarly small in scope although you are aware of the bigger situation without being shown much more than broad landscapes. Beyond the realism the film explores love in a non-hokey way: new, established and broken relationships and what normal people will do for the people they love. Hollywood would screw it up so I hope it doesn't get re-made - just muscle through the subtitles and see it as it's just about perfect as it is.

amesmonde An everyday man Michael is forced to take refuge with a teenage a boy in a room of a flat in Germany after a viral infection spreads rapidly turning the citizens into crazed zombie-like people.The title Rammbock probably refers to the battering ram that features briefly in one scene. Spain had REC, France Le Horde and UK 28 Days Later - this is a German take on a virus epidemic in which we see the population of Berlin turn rabid. There's a crazy old woman that goes nuts within a similar setting as REC. Just as everything seems all to familiar director Marvin Kren throws in a little curve ball, a suicide, a new character or adds a little relationship drama amongst the mayhem to keep things on track.However, even with it's very short running time there's a too much shaky camera work, this aside the performances and gritty look of the characters feel authentic. Actor Michael Fuith gives a first rate anti- gloss performance which complements the on location shoot. The flats looking down onto one courtyard take a leaf from Hitchcock's very own Rear Window.The music has a dream like melodic quality reminiscent of 28 Days Later and is used sparingly.When Benjamin Hessler screenplay moves from the one room to another there is some fine suspense created. Although how they repel the infected in closing act is a little anticlimactic - yet it's quickly redeemed by an effective a poignant closing.Overall, it's grim grey and efficiently made but with the virus angle already feeling worn you may find yourself wanting to see a film with some shambling dead instead.