Monsters Inc. – November 2001 final draft script by Andrew Staunton and Daniel Gerson – hosted by: Rain Dance – in pdf format

A city of monsters with no humans called Monstropolis centers around the city’s power company, Monsters, Inc. The lovable, confident, tough, furry blue behemoth-like giant monster named James P. Sullivan (better known as Sulley) and his wisecracking best friend, short, green cyclops monster Mike Wazowski, discover what happens when the real world interacts with theirs in the form of a 2-year-old baby girl dubbed “Boo,” who accidentally sneaks into the monster world with Sulley one night. And now it’s up to Sulley and Mike to send Boo back in her door before anybody finds out, especially two evil villains such as Sulley’s main rival as a scarer, chameleon-like Randall (a monster that Boo is very afraid of), who possesses the ability to change the color of his skin, and Mike and Sulley’s boss Mr. Waternoose, the chairman and chief executive officer of Monsters, Inc.

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… FOR DUMMIES (10-page short dark comedy screenplay) Written by BEN CLIFFORD

A couple planning a special evening for their anniversary have exactly one hour until their guest of honor arrives.

Another top entry from September’s OWC comes my personal favorite of the bunch – a witty, surprisingly dark, pitch-black comedy from writer, Ben Clifford, about a middle-aged couple seemingly trying to add a little excitement to their marriage on the night of their anniversary.

With one hour before their “dinner guest” arrives, David and Doreen nervously prepare for the special occasion. Why are they nervous, you ask? Well, this is the first time either of them has done (or is about to do) something like this – a menage e trois, as the French like to call it. At least that’s what it seems like they’re preparing for before their guest – a handsome stud they found on a dating app – arrives.

As the hour winds down, we’re continuously provided a countdown of sorts to remind us how much time is left before their guest arrives. And as the countdown gets closer, the couple grows even more anxious, as do we, the audience. And David begins to have second thoughts.

Full of hilarious banter between the couple as they continue to rehearse their plan, the awkwardness feels like something we’d be experiencing if it were us and our significant other. It just feels genuine … .

And then comes the ending. I won’t reveal the plot-turn here in this review, but let’s just say we’re taken into a completely different, unexpected direction. And I absolutely loved it!

BUDGET: Shoe string. Only two on-screen characters and a house/apartment. This would be super easy to film.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Ben Clifford is an Australian screenwriter interested in writing drama and comedy. He’s greatly inspired by the works of Peter Weir, Harmony Korine, the Marx Brothers, Todd Solondz, Andrea Arnold, and Cate Shortland. Ben can be reached at: cliffordben502(a)gmail.

Read: … FOR DUMMIES (10-page short dark comedy screenplay)

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About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

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Overlord – July 23, 2013 unspecified draft script by Billy Ray – hosted by: Script Slug – in pdf format

D-Day, 6 June 1944. A platoon of US paratroopers enters a village to discover that there is a German laboratory nearby. The Germans are developing a serum that turns their troops into indestructible super-soldiers. The paratroopers set out to destroy the laboratory.

Information courtesy of IMDB

THE MONSTER IN THE WELL (6-page short horror screenplay) by ZACK AKERS

There’s a monster in the well. Don’t believe me? Take a peek…

On the surface, the story’s main character, Doug, might seem normal to friends, neighbors and people close to him, such as his wife. But, as we see him in his car parked outside of a children’s playground, we learn that he is far from normal. In fact, he’s hiding a very, very dark secret. One second, he’s checking in with his wife after a day at the office. Next second, he’s preying on small children.

On this day, his next target is Cherry, an innocent six-year-old girl. An expert at this point at luring in little kids, Doug makes easy work of Cherry in a very unsettling scene – I hadn’t squirmed this much since that “child catcher” scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Doug brings innocent little Cherry to a well, where he says a monster lives at the bottom of.

Though many children are often drawn to campfire tales and spooky stories (Bloody Mary for instance), this frightens Cherry. At this point, all she wants to do is go home. Doug promises her that if she looks down the well just once, he’ll take her home. And, unfortunately for Cherry, like so many other children, she takes the bait and is thrown inside of the well.

Now, as the story progresses, it explores some very, very dark territory and might not be for everyone – it will FOR SURE make you very uncomfortable at parts. But Doug’s visually stunning comeuppance (SPOILER ALERT) might take the edge off.

Dark, edgy and controversial with some really creative horror visuals, THE MONSTER IN THE WELL will make you squirm and shudder long after FADE OUT. Especially if you have children of your own.

BUDGET: Low. Access to a well for establishing shot while creating a set or cheating shots for the scene that takes place inside of the well. Other than that, a park and two main characters.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Zack Akers has been writing screenplays since 2005, accumulating over 25 horror shorts with a handful of them having been produced. A true fan of the horror genre, Zack’s goal is simple – to scare the audience. Right now, Zack is collaborating with several talented filmmakers on some very exciting projects. So be on the lookout for some of his work!

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*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

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About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

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Check out the Twilight Zone inspired scripts of the October One Week Challenge. These are six-ish page scripts that are easily filmed.

– Don

21 Jump Street – May 24, 2009 unspecified draft script by Michael Bacall (story by Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall) – hosted by: Rain Dance – in pdf format

In 2005, Schmidt and Jenko are high school students, one an honor roll geek, the other a cool, athletic underachiever. By 2012, they are rookie cops, paired together, on bike patrol yearning to make arrests. After a screw up, they’re sent undercover back to high school to find the source of a dangerous synthetic drug. They mix up their names, and Schmidt gets the no-brainer classes where he auditions for Peter Pan and falls in love with Wendy; Jenko gets AP classes where he falls in with high-achieving dweebs. This second chance at high school gives Schmidt delusions of grandeur, which threaten the operation. Can they sort out their relationship as they stumble onto the bad guys?

Information courtesy of IMDb

Zathura – multiple draft script by David Keopp – hosted by: David Koepp – in pdf format

Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.

Information courtesy of IMDb

Children of a Lesser God – Undated, unspecified draft script by Hesper Anderson & Mark Medoff (based on the stage play by Mark Medoff) – hosted by: UCLA Extension Writers’ Program – in pdf format

James is a new speech teacher at a school for the deaf. He falls for Sarah, a pupil who decided to stay on at the school rather than venture into the big bad world. She shuns him at first, refusing to read his lips and only using signs. Will her feelings change over time?

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HOWARD’S JEWELRY & LOAN (8-page short thriller screenplay) by James Williams

A boxer pays a visit to his loan shark after being told he has exactly one hour to settle his outstanding debt.

Tied for 2nd place (writer’s choice) in September’s OWC was this nifty little short about a 67-year-old loan shark named Howard who’s way past his prime. He’s not quite as good at collecting debts as he used to be back in his heyday. Especially in this instance when a young, spry 20-something boxer named Marcus barges in to set things straight.

In peak physical condition, Marcus easily beats the tar out of Howard’s “muscle” guarding the door. He’s owed Howard 50-large for a while now. But, after getting paid a visit by a pair of Howard’s thumb-breaking cronies – who Marcus easily handled – Marcus is here to tell Howard that he’s just not going to pay him.

In pulpy stories like these, it’s usually the aging boxer who’s out of his prime, which is why I found this throwback-style crime tale so unique. It seems as though Marcus has the upper hand. But with age comes wisdom and Howard is somehow able to cleverly redirect the conversation and overall situation into his favor.

The clever dialogue really elevates the story, effectively building tension through conversation in ways that loud, run-of-the-mill, action crime-thrillers often fail to accomplish. And with one location and only three characters, this would be about as easy to shoot as a film can get, especially with COVID precautions in effect. As far as crime stories go, this one packs a punch.

BUDGET: Low. One-location (an office room at a pawnshop) and three actors.

ABOUT THE WRITER: James Williams was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. His passion for film started at a young age when he spent weekend evenings attending movies with his father. After some life changing events in his thirties, he began to pursue his passion for film by writing screenplays. His second feature, The Blood Loop, was an Academy Nicholl quarter finalist. After a few successful short scripts were produced by other filmmakers, James decided to pick up the camera himself. Self-taught from YouTube tutorials, reading books, and filling any spot he could on local film crews, James finally shot his first film, Cooper’s Monster with his wife and one-year old son. One year later James has four films under his name and is progressing as a filmmaker. He gravitates towards making the type of popcorn horror movies he and his dad so loved at the cinema. James can be reached at: jdaddy6688 (a) sbcglobal.net

Read HOWARD’S JEWELRY & LOAN (8-page short thriller screenplay)

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*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

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About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

Subscribe to Michael’s YouTube Channel.