Halloween release for chilling zombie film

HORROR: Courier Country locations feature prominently in new movie

A zombie film which transformed locations across Courier Country into blood-soaked scenes of horror is to be released at the end of the month.

Not only will the audiences spot places they know in Plan Z, they may well see familiar faces as actors and extras in the production were also recruited locally.

Key locations include Perth, Dunfermline, Kinross-shire and Tullibole Castle.

A feature film from BAFTA winner Stuart Brennan, the release is the culmination of three years’ work and a dream come true for Dunfermline man Mark Paul Wake, 29, who not only starred in the film, but produced it as well.

“I was born and raised in Scotland, I live in Scotland and I want to work in Scotland but there are so few opportunities to work in film up here,” said the former Dunfermline High pupil who won the British Independent Film Festival’s best actor award in 2010.

“When I heard Stuart was planning his next feature film, I quickly told him he needed to set it in Scotland and come up here to film it.

“It wasn’t easy, we have so little infrastructure, we have less actors than London and we have fewer crew. But we have passion, we have amazing locations and we have some real talent.

“It was a really fun shoot, with a completely Scottish crew (other than Brennan) and a number of local actors involved.”

The film was co-produced by Zoghogg Studios, David Izatt’s company based in Dunfermline and the film’s setting was changed to Scotland.

Stuart Brennan, who won his BAFTA Wales for his portrayal of boxer Howard Winstone in Risen, couldn’t have been happier with his decision.

“The moment I came to Scotland, met the people, met the crew, saw the locations, I was hooked,” he said.

Plan Z is released exclusively on DVD in ASDA, as well as digitally on iTunes and SkyStore, on October 31 and Mr Wake is hoping that it strikes a chord with audiences.

“If we want to continue making films here and creating opportunities for people, we need the Scottish people to get behind the movie and buy it, rent it, talk about it,” he said of the film which has a Facebook page, Plan Z Movie.

It has a soundtrack by composer Alexis Ffrench and features a cameo by Terry Deary, best-selling author of the Horrible Histories, who features in a couple of scenes with Crook of Devon post office standing in for his shop. rburdge@thecourier.co.uk

The cast of Plan Z with Stuart Brennan, centre, wearing tammy.

A scene from the movie.