For decades, film fans have watched Alan MacFarlane dodge explosions, take brutal hits, and fill out movie frames. All without ever learning his name. He has stepped into harm’s way as a stunt double for Mel Gibson and subbed in for Robert Redford. In all, he has appeared in over six hundred film and television productions. This makes him an absolute legend.
Now, on the independent horror-comedy Zombie Golf, Hollywood’s most ubiquitous background legend is pulling quadrupled duty as producer, stunt coordinator, armorer, and the movie’s terrifying Pond Monster.
MacFarlane’s official resume includes stunt performances on gritty thrillers like Dragged Across Concrete, and the film Freaks. He made his first feature role in Tim Burton’s Big Eyes. Also, he has coordinated stunts for dozens of features including Funhouse and The Deep Web: Murdershow. He’s also done uncredited appearances in massive franchises and series like “Peacemaker,” “The 100,” “Arrow,” as well as Batwoman, RoboCop, Wanted, and The Man in the High Castle, where he suited up as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
From Maui Beaches to Movie Hazards
The partnership behind Zombie Golf stretches back nearly a decade to a chance encounter on a Maui beach. MacFarlane, then living on the island, struck up a friendship with writer-director Lucas Zarro over a shared obsession with cinema. When Zarro began piecing together his horror-comedy passion project, MacFarlane was the first call he made.
Zarro credits MacFarlane as the essential engine keeping the indie set running smoothly and safely, managing high-stakes armory and stunt choreography before squeezing into a creature suit to play the aquatic beast. For MacFarlane, the collaborative atmosphere on set proved just as rewarding, backed continuously by his wife and manager, Bonnie, who keeps his career moving forward.
Joining MacFarlane in the fairway carnage is professional wrestler Chaz Taylor, who stars as “Brady the Golfer” and helped choreograph the film’s brutal fight sequences. Taylor, a former Global Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Champion and son of legendary Houston wrestling veteran Tugboat Taylor, brought decades of ring psychology and physical storytelling to the movie’s undead brawls.
Teeing Off Against the Undead in Paradise
Zombie Golf follows four lifelong buddies who reunite for a casual round at a scenic Maui course, only to find themselves trapped in the middle of a sudden zombie apocalypse. Unwilling to let a horde of flesh-eating ghouls ruin their scorecard, the group vows to play through all eighteen holes. It’s a mission that gets significantly more complicated when the monstrous occupant of the water hazard wakes up.
Shot on location at the Maui Nui Golf Course, the feature includes a cameo from golf champion Michelle Wie West. Mainstream outlets have covered it, including USA TODAY’s Golfweek and Hawaii News Now. The narrative tagline captures the stubborn spirit of its core survivors: Nothing Stops This Round.
Micro-Budget Mayhem Seeking Distribution
Produced for a razor-thin budget of approximately $20,000, Zombie Golf stands as a testament to resourceful indie filmmaking. The production secured key backing from specialized sponsors, including Grassknuckles, creators of the brass-knuckle-shaped putter featured prominently throughout the film. They also had help from mushroom energy drink brand Melting Forest and golf apparel maker Pins & Aces.
Zombie Golf is currently wrapping up its final sound post-production under Zombie Golf LLC. The creative team is actively pursuing distribution partners, with initial test screenings slated for late October 2026.
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- Stunt man Alan MacFarlane in “Falling Skies”
