Kent News - Director's zombies make village home of the undead

How to advertise
Contact us
Friday, September 3 2010, 6:28

Search local news and sport:

The latest news, sport, business, entertainment and local information where you live...

Director's zombies make village home of the undead

<< Back to home

One of the zombies on set

A zombie invasion of one of Kent’s smallest villages could help fund an ambitious movie project.

Rookie director Antony Lane hopes to raise £100,000 for his eagerly-anticipated film Invasion of the Not Quite Dead.
And last Sunday he took a big step in attracting potential investors by shooting a one-minute teaser at a farm in Linton, near Maidstone, which has a population of about 500.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ken Russell is one of several Hollywood names to have lent his support to the project, which has already attracted a cult following from horror fans.
Invasion of the Not Quite Dead is a black comedy-horror about a deadly virus that is unleashed upon the residents of a small island off the coast of the UK.
It tells the tale of a group of survivors who band together to overcome the zombies left in the virus’ wake.
Thirty-year-old Lane, who lives in Orpington and is a graduate of the International Film School Wales, told Kent on Sunday he had raised £10,000 in two months.

He said: “I’d been spending between 10 and 15 hours a day attempting to raise funds, but I put a halt to it about three weeks ago because I thought my time would be better spent making a promo-trailer – firstly to thank the fans for believing in the project and secondly because it will make it easier to sell the film to potential financiers.

“The day of the shooting was probably the best of my life because it threw me in at the deep end.

“It was the first time I’d directed something like this before and it really opened my eyes as to how everything works.

“I love the interaction with the fans but it’s very frustrating having to do so much fundraising because I’m a very creative person and I would love to be able to start filming the main feature now.”

The teaser for Invasion of the Not Quite Dead was shot in and around Rankins Farm in Linton, which is situated on the A229 between Staplehurst and Maidstone.

Horror actor Leslie Simpson took part in the filming along with about 14 extras who were invited along as a way to say thank-you to them for investing money in the project.

Lane said he hoped the teaser would be edited and ready for distribution by Halloween.

He added: “I think it will open a lot more doors. I’ve been saying to people ‘here’s my synopsis and my poster and my enthusiasm’ but I have no real proof that I’m not going to walk away with their money.
“This will show I’m a man of my word. I think with the teaser that people and other groups with more money will be able to see that this is going to be a really good horror film and therefore donate a lot quicker.”

Other Hollywood names to have voiced their support for the movie include The Usual Suspects star Kevin Pollack and Night of the Living Dead director Tom Savini, while a number of leading special effects and make-up artists have also signed up to help.

The supposedly-haunted Chislehurst Caves in Bromley are among the locations Lane hopes to shoot the film in, which is scheduled for a Halloween 2010 release.

Lane said: “I live in Kent and I think it’s nice to film scenes nearby as a way of saying thank-you to all the local people who have supported me.

“I also lived in South Wales for a time and I grew up in Grimsby, so I’ll be looking to shoot in those places as well.”

POSTED: 23/08/2009 11:00:00

Got a favourite pub, day out, beauty spot or attraction? Why not tell the world by posting your own video clip on the Your Kent TV service. Simply log on to YourKentTV.co.uk.