It mainly consists of five soldiers in a foxhole discussing the strange events which they are encountering while on a secret mission in some war somewhere. It sounds dull but actually I quite enjoyed this and it held my attention until the end. This was mainly due to the sincere acting from the five main guys. The flashbacks were also interesting. There is some action at the beginning but it is mostly talking. Director David A. Prior is more noted (or perhaps notorious) for action films but this is more a philosophical movie with a melancholy feel to it and as I say it is quite interesting. An unusual and commendable attempt at a different kind of film. A far cry from his 'Deadly Prey and 'Jungle Assault' and 'Mutant Species'!
3 Reviews
"McCune, have you got any of that cold beer left?"
hwg1957-102-2657043 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
OK I guess, but ...
kirachloe7 August 2023
Well the concept was actually a good one, and the acting was okay, so its watchable ... kinda.
OK, my first pet peeve about ALL limited budget films. You can get away with sloppiness in other areas that cost real money but the script has to be solid, and this one just wasn't there. It REALLY needed some tightening up.
The acting was OK I guess. It seemed a few actors had a clue, the others not so much.
And a major issue for the people looking for something they can actually watch ... this movie DESPERATELY needed a technical consultant. Theater allows, even depends on the suspension of disbelief, especially for low budget films, but you can only stretch that so far. No one had a brother that did a stint in the army? Although the clothing was appropriate, the acting was stiff at best. And the constant flood of little things, they mount up after a while. Like soldiers firing their weapons IN CLOSEUP and the dang EJECTOR PORT IS CLOSED. So where exactly were your shell casings going?
Like I said, good concept. Try again, but MORE time in the script, and do not forget some subject matter expert(s).
OK, my first pet peeve about ALL limited budget films. You can get away with sloppiness in other areas that cost real money but the script has to be solid, and this one just wasn't there. It REALLY needed some tightening up.
The acting was OK I guess. It seemed a few actors had a clue, the others not so much.
And a major issue for the people looking for something they can actually watch ... this movie DESPERATELY needed a technical consultant. Theater allows, even depends on the suspension of disbelief, especially for low budget films, but you can only stretch that so far. No one had a brother that did a stint in the army? Although the clothing was appropriate, the acting was stiff at best. And the constant flood of little things, they mount up after a while. Like soldiers firing their weapons IN CLOSEUP and the dang EJECTOR PORT IS CLOSED. So where exactly were your shell casings going?
Like I said, good concept. Try again, but MORE time in the script, and do not forget some subject matter expert(s).
The Return of David A. Prior!
Zantara Xenophobe19 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard for me to believe, but, after nearly six years, I am writing another review of a movie from David A. Prior, starring his brother, Ted! Back in 2004, I speculated he had quit making films, but then I found out about Zombie Wars and Lost At War and I just had to see them to complete my Prior viewing (though I still haven't seen Hostile Environment). Eight years after Prior's last film, he came out of nowhere to make these little films. If you are not familiar with the films of the Prior Brothers, they made a lot of direct-to-video films in the late 80's and early 90's during the big VCR boom for a company called AIP (American International Pictures). I wonder if Prior cooled off because the VCR boom had ended and the market was saturated with tons of titles, and now that the same market (that being video rental stores) is crashing, a new market (Internet rental sites like Netflix) are demanding more and more titles, giving Prior a chance to return? There are plenty of reviews on Zombie Wars, and most of them are negative. I assume that this is because those viewing it don't appreciate certain aspects of low budget film-making and are also judging it in an environment that is already saturated by numerous, repetitive zombie movies. I enjoyed Zombie Wars, finding it entertaining and better than some of the cheesy louses I have seen in years past. I wasn't expecting to like it, but I did. Similarly, I didn't get what I was expecting with Lost At War, either.
During a war (presumably one in the Middle East), Captain Briggs (Ted Prior) is in command of four soldiers: Turner (Jack Vogel), Falkner (Jim Marlow), McCune (Adam Stuart), and Smith (James Brinkley). Briggs is assigned one last reconnaissance mission before he is allowed to return home to his family, and he and his men hit the woodlands for their mission. But something strange happens when they pass through a bamboo tunnel. They reach their rendezvous point, another base camp, and find the place deserted. Furthermore, strange beings in black are present, circling the five men but never actually attacking them. Briggs gets orders from his commanding officer that they are to wait at this base camp until help arrives, and the soldiers quickly get into conversation, leading them to start yearning for good food. Then, magically, they start to get whatever it is they are wishing for. It seems too good to be true, and Turner begins speculating the various supernatural possibilities that may be occurring. Eventually, each soldier has a flashback concerning incidents back home. As each flashback happens, we see that they are somehow interrelated. Also, when a soldier has a flashback, a realization comes to him, and he departs into the woods and vanishes.
Prior has mixed unusual elements into his action movies before, and it often works great. I refer to films such as Night Wars and Lock 'n' Load. This film is odd in that it isn't really any genre. I mean, you think it is an action movie, but most of the action is done in the first ten minutes. Then it switches to a Twilight Zone-esquire story which was more cerebral than anything else. For me, I enjoyed what was unfolding and I liked the performances and the dialogue. Marlow and Stuart were in both this and Zombie Wars, and they each have a nice screen presence, as does Brinkley. Of course, Ted Prior and Jack Vogel are old regulars with David A. Prior, and it was great seeing them again. I particularly liked the conversation about destiny and choices that the two actors had later in the movie. And I liked the build up to the ending. The ending itself is another matter. MAJOR SPOILERS COMING!!!!!!! The ending of the movie is either so deep I can't muster the brain power to comprehend it (which I don't think is the case) or is simultaneously clever and flawed. Turner draws the conclusion that they entered some sort of Purgatory and, when they are ready, they will cross over to the other side. Briggs, however, refuses to accept this fate because he is not ready to die. The film's final three seconds seem to indicate that this means the soldiers ALL have to go through the entire ordeal again until each accept his demise. Since they must forget the fact that they have done this over and over, won't Briggs make the same refusal every time? This also calls to my attention the flashbacks, of which I won't delve into. There is no way that it could be a coincidence that all five of these guys with the past link joined the army and got assigned to the same troop two years later. That means either: 1. The flashback is a lie, meant only to serve as a lesson, or 2. The war itself a lie, and some unknown force placed these guys in this strange simulation after they all died for some bizarre reason. Don't bother wasting your time like I did trying to figure it all out because I don't think there is a way to add two and two here. It's as if Prior overshot the mental limits his idea could withstand. You just have to take it all in and accept the ending as a serious misstep in an otherwise entertaining story. END OF MAJOR SPOILERS.
You can't go into this film with expectations. If you expect a war movie like Prior used to make for AIP (and you shouldn't want that since his straight war movies were his worst) you won't get it. If you yearn for a nail-biting suspense movie, you won't get that either. Still, for me it was exciting to see David A. Prior making a nice little film once again.Keep 'em coming, Mr. Prior. I'll keep watching. Zantara's score: 7 out of 10.
During a war (presumably one in the Middle East), Captain Briggs (Ted Prior) is in command of four soldiers: Turner (Jack Vogel), Falkner (Jim Marlow), McCune (Adam Stuart), and Smith (James Brinkley). Briggs is assigned one last reconnaissance mission before he is allowed to return home to his family, and he and his men hit the woodlands for their mission. But something strange happens when they pass through a bamboo tunnel. They reach their rendezvous point, another base camp, and find the place deserted. Furthermore, strange beings in black are present, circling the five men but never actually attacking them. Briggs gets orders from his commanding officer that they are to wait at this base camp until help arrives, and the soldiers quickly get into conversation, leading them to start yearning for good food. Then, magically, they start to get whatever it is they are wishing for. It seems too good to be true, and Turner begins speculating the various supernatural possibilities that may be occurring. Eventually, each soldier has a flashback concerning incidents back home. As each flashback happens, we see that they are somehow interrelated. Also, when a soldier has a flashback, a realization comes to him, and he departs into the woods and vanishes.
Prior has mixed unusual elements into his action movies before, and it often works great. I refer to films such as Night Wars and Lock 'n' Load. This film is odd in that it isn't really any genre. I mean, you think it is an action movie, but most of the action is done in the first ten minutes. Then it switches to a Twilight Zone-esquire story which was more cerebral than anything else. For me, I enjoyed what was unfolding and I liked the performances and the dialogue. Marlow and Stuart were in both this and Zombie Wars, and they each have a nice screen presence, as does Brinkley. Of course, Ted Prior and Jack Vogel are old regulars with David A. Prior, and it was great seeing them again. I particularly liked the conversation about destiny and choices that the two actors had later in the movie. And I liked the build up to the ending. The ending itself is another matter. MAJOR SPOILERS COMING!!!!!!! The ending of the movie is either so deep I can't muster the brain power to comprehend it (which I don't think is the case) or is simultaneously clever and flawed. Turner draws the conclusion that they entered some sort of Purgatory and, when they are ready, they will cross over to the other side. Briggs, however, refuses to accept this fate because he is not ready to die. The film's final three seconds seem to indicate that this means the soldiers ALL have to go through the entire ordeal again until each accept his demise. Since they must forget the fact that they have done this over and over, won't Briggs make the same refusal every time? This also calls to my attention the flashbacks, of which I won't delve into. There is no way that it could be a coincidence that all five of these guys with the past link joined the army and got assigned to the same troop two years later. That means either: 1. The flashback is a lie, meant only to serve as a lesson, or 2. The war itself a lie, and some unknown force placed these guys in this strange simulation after they all died for some bizarre reason. Don't bother wasting your time like I did trying to figure it all out because I don't think there is a way to add two and two here. It's as if Prior overshot the mental limits his idea could withstand. You just have to take it all in and accept the ending as a serious misstep in an otherwise entertaining story. END OF MAJOR SPOILERS.
You can't go into this film with expectations. If you expect a war movie like Prior used to make for AIP (and you shouldn't want that since his straight war movies were his worst) you won't get it. If you yearn for a nail-biting suspense movie, you won't get that either. Still, for me it was exciting to see David A. Prior making a nice little film once again.Keep 'em coming, Mr. Prior. I'll keep watching. Zantara's score: 7 out of 10.
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