If the thought of ‘Emmerdale’ with zombies appeals, you might want to check out this micro-budget DIY horror effort directed by one of the long-running Yorkshire soap’s stalwart stars, Dominic Brunt (you might also want to seek professional help, but that’s incidental). Brunt plays Alex, an unemployed husband and father who thinks a weekend in the Dales will be just the think to repair marital relations with wife Meg (TV bit-player Joanne Mitchell, who also co-wrote). But it’s not long before their rustic bolthole is besieged by hordes of the undead! Well, one manky zombie straight from central casting.
It’s this lack of ambition that frustrates most about ‘Before Dawn’. Surely Brunt could’ve talked a few of the Dingles into slapping on the fake blood for a day or two, to give at least the illusion of a budget? That said, it’s not an entirely excruciating experience: the script and performances are functional but fair and the decent digital photography results in the odd eye-catching composition. If only they’d put a bit more effort in.