Stuart Brennan's Gritty Scottish Zombie Flick, Plan Z Reviewed!

A refreshingly gritty, beautifully bleak look at Scotland after a zombie apocalypse.  

I have always been a fan of zombie films.  From everything from I Eat Your Skin to I Sell the Dead....with all your Raimi, Romero and Zombie Flesh Eaters in between.  They can be overly brutal and bloody to downright quirky fun and I truly believe that in spite of the blood and gore...they can be exceptional character pieces in their own right.  Hell, I think The Walking Dead alone has proved the latter point repeatedly!

(Stuart Brennan as Craig)

Plan Z is the latest effort from writer, director, actor and producer Stuart Brennan and his incredible frequent collaborators David Izatt, Mark Paul Wake and Eugene Horan.  The film follows photographer Craig and his friend Bill through their plan to survive the zombie apocalypse, leading them to leave their hometown of Dunfermline and head up to the remote, yet utterly stunning Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland.  (Right from the get go, I am onboard with this plan....Skye would totally be my number one choice to flee to as well.)  

(Mark Paul Wake as Bill)

With a small, yet exceptional cast (and lots of zombies), Plan Z feels a lot more personable than many other zombie films, something which I feel adds to its humanity and in that respect, the believability as well.  Coupled with Brennan's direction and Izatt's wonderful cinematography, the situation seems like it could actually happen!  It's a shite state of affairs to be in at the end of the day...as cool as we'd all like to think it would be, haha.    

What I love about this film, and what is incredibly refreshing to see in a zombie film, is that despite the fact we all love to think we'd totally be Daryl Dixon or Tom Savini...ya know...a total bad ass, just splitting heads, left, right and centre, it just doesn't happen that way!  The reality...especially in the early times...is that we are human.  This level of brutality doesn't come easy to most, and let's face it, survival of the fittest more often than not comes down to being smart in dangerous and volatile situations.  This makes the kills so much more believable and realistic, at the same time retaining our human connection with the characters.  

In so many ways, the film totally reminded me of recent personal favourites such as Stake Land and The Day in how utterly bleak and beautifully depressing it is.  I adore these kinds of films and it is always refreshing to find shit like this done so well. We totally need more films like this dammit!  

Also starring Victoria Morrison, Brooke Burfitt and Terry Deary, the whole cast are excellent and genuinely likeable as well.  David Izatt even sneaks in as a zombie!  Stuart Brennan took home the Best Actor award at the Horrorhound Film Festival for his portrayal of Craig and was also nominated for Best Director as well as the film being nominated for Best Film as well.  The film also picked up Best International Film at the Canada International Film Festival.  

You can check out the trailer HERE!

Random facts - 

*When the guys were filming, they freaked people out and the cops got called out....and they got THIS reaction from a Beagle....a photo that has always cracked me up, haha.  You know there was a big ARRROOOOO there!  Mwahahaha.  :)

*Stuart Brennan, also co-wrote, starred in and produced frequent Scorsese collaborator Martha Pinson’s new film Tomorrow, which was also produced by Scorsese.  Eugene Horan also starred in the film, Mark Paul Wake was an assistant editor and David Izatt the photographer on the film.  Pretty freakin' cool right!? :)

*Actor Eugene Horan won this year's  Budweiser Ireland's Dream Big competition for a chance to head to the States to pursue his acting dream! (Pictured below with Dream Big Ambassador Rosario Dawson) 

 *If we WERE actually in a zombie apocalypse, I would soooo want these guys on my side! They're not just actors....they can actually fight!  David and Mark are trained sword fighters as well!  Yup....trained by Seoras Wallace, the very man who trained Mel Gibson for Braveheart and Russell Crow for Gladiator.  He also trained that boy Craig McGinlay who I kinda like!  He's a'ight!  The three of them are SO good! :)

Check the film out for yourself when it comes out later this month, and to keep up with all the Plan Z goodness, be sure to LIKE the Official Facebook page.

EXCLUSIVE - The Fairy Flag's Chris Capaldi Getting All Dark and Brooding in New Scottish Feature Safe Haven.

I can exclusive reveal a brand spanking new image of The Fairy Flag's Chris Capaldi, star of new Scottish feature Safe Haven.  To learn ALL about the Capaldi, check out some of my previous blogs on the lovely man.  He even gets the Beagle~toes seal of approval, and was the first of my series of Manflesh Monday's posts.  

Andy Stewart, my Boy from Bonnie Scotland, Bringing you Beautifully Brilliant, and Completely Fucked Up Body Horror!!

 One of my favourite directors on the planet, Andy Stewart - director of the grotesque, beautiful, and powerful Dysmorphia - is at it again with a piece that had me disgusted, disturbed, and deeply touched.  - Sylvia Soska

I always love it when I discover a Scottish director through my friends in Canada or the States.  I mean, I should know my own people right!?!  Well....I totally didn't know Glasgow based director Andy Stewart until those pesky Twisted Twinling's of mine introduced me to him, describing Dysmorphia as "quite possibly the greatest short film we have ever seen"...which is a pretty big fucking compliment, so obviously I was most intrigued!

I have however made up for this oversight of awesome on my part however, and have been becoming rather good buds with Mr Stewart, a man after my very own heart and entrails!  

(Pictured above - My, my, my....pasty a la Morley from INK!!)

So just who is this fabulous tattoo'ed Glasweigan boy you ask?  Well, Andy has just finished shooting on his third short INK, which is part of a trilogy of body horror which started with Dysmorphia, and was followed by Split.  Split is doing the festival circuits right now, however you can view Dysmorphia below.  Shot on a mere budget of £160, it's pretty fucking impressive.  And such a wonderfully warped and beautiful story! 

 After the international success and critical acclaim for Dysmorphia, Andy shot Split, and on little more than the budget of Dysmorphia.  He was however lucky enough to enlist the help of SFX designer Grant Mason, who did Bride of Mother Fucking Chucky, amongst other things such as The Wolfman, Nightbreed and Sleepy Hollow.  Not bad I'd say!!  Oh yeah, and did I mention, he did BRIDE OF CHUCKY!?!!!!  Grant, I cannot wait to meet you and give you a Morley sized High Five!!  MWAH!  Grant wouldn't get on board any old horse poop though, which is a wonderful testament to just how awesome, and demented he believes Andy's kooktastic mind to be!  ;)

Andy is proof that you don't need to go to film school, or spend lots of money on a film to have it successful around the world.  Talent is talent.  End of.  Hollywood should be paying more attention to that, and less of the bullshit that goes around, and perhaps we'd not have to put up with so much shite!!  With a fucked up imagination, comes great creativity I'd say!  Muaaahahahaha. :)

Now, rather than me blether on, why not just have a wee gander for yourself.  You can view the full short of Dysmorphia, and then the trailers for Split and INK.  And hopefully you'll get a chance to check them out at a festival in the very near future....and hopefully as with Dysmorphia, people will run out in disgust/a fit of puketasticness!!  Heehee.  And I hope to be the one hosting that event.  *inserts fits of evil laughter* ;)

So yes, check these out, and drop the pages a LIKE on good old Facebook and share, share, share with like minded folks! xo

Facebook page for Andy's Shining Example Films

Facebook page for Dysmorphia, Split and INK

Official Website for Shining Example Films