NIGHT STEAK (3-page short horror script) by Yuvraj Rajwanshi

With food hard to come by, a homeless man is willing to sacrifice everything to make sure his little girl doesn’t starve.

During the earlier days of the recent COVID crisis, just when mandated quarantines, curfews and lock-downs came into effect throughout the world, there was a lot of panic and hysteria in regards to the possibility of food shortages – we all saw what happened when people were freaking out about running out of toilet paper. For a few weeks, every day at the grocery store was like Black Friday. It was like an End-of-the-World, Going-Out-of-Business sale. I personally couldn’t find any meat other than chicken at my local grocery. It was crazy!

This got many people thinking about what they would do if there was a food shortage. Controversial conspiracy theorist, radio personality, human sound-byte and all-around kook, Alex Jones, described in great detail what he would do to his neighbor if such a scenario were to take place if it meant not starving to death.

But what if you had other mouths to feed outside of your own? What if you had children? I don’t have kids myself, but I’d like to think that if I did, I would do anything possible to make sure they didn’t starve to death. At least that’s what I hope my parents would’ve done. But, if there were a food shortage, HOW would you keep them from starving?

That’s the scenario one man is left with in Yuvraj Rajwanshi’s bleak, atmospheric and effectively creepy horror short, “Night Steak”.

The story opens in the middle of the night on a dark street, the sound of wolves howling in the distance as an elderly gentleman walks with a 10-year-old girl. Neither of them looks like they’ve showered in years. Both are gaunt, most likely from malnutrition. And though we don’t know exactly what their relation is, we can guess that he’s probably her guardian when she cuts her foot on a pebble. He picks her up and carries her the rest of the way to a house just up the street. But as we get closer, this place looks more and more like a crack house.

After knocking on the door, the elderly man is greeted by an equally as disheveled man, but with blood smeared across his forehead and palms – a pretty jarring site, even at a crack house. But we soon find out that this isn’t a crack house at all. In fact, with its creepy occupants, we might even WISH it was a crack house.

The elderly man, flesh hanging loosely off his bones, is led into the house as the little girl is left waiting outside. Alone with her foot bleeding and the sounds of wolves howling getting closer and closer.

He’s taken to a room that looks the Sawyer Family’s basement in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It’s actually a makeshift, underground butcher shop where four men are hacking and chopping up large chunks of meat. But what kind of meat exactly? Regardless, desperate times call for desperate measures and there’s a hungry little girl waiting outside. Though we know the elderly gentleman is there for some sort of transaction to attain food to keep his little girl from starving, we’re not quite sure what he intends to trade for that food… though we find out. And when we do, it’s both terrifying and actually pretty heartbreaking.

Bleak and full of despair, this isn’t one that’s going to cheer you up after a bad day. But with strikingly frightening visuals and creepy, atmospheric tone, Night Steak is a great way to kill three minutes. Though you might not want to watch it before dinner.

BUDGET: Shoe-string. One location (a rickety house) and 3 main roles, 4 non-speaking roles.

ABOUT THE WRITER: While pursuing a career in engineering at the age of 19, Yuvraj Rajwanshi is also a talented, aspiring writer who loves to read novels and screenplays. He has read over 50 novels and numerous short stories and scripts. His love for reading stories inspired him to write down his own ideas and turn them into his own stories. Yuvraj loves to write in the suspense, thriller and horror genres, but continues to expand his repertoire while exploring writing in other genres. Yuvraj can be reached at: yuvrajwanshi2000(a) gmail.

Read: NIGHT STEAK (3-page short horror script)

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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.

Marked written by Zack Aker

An artist is haunted by his art.

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THE FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF
(6 page short comedy in pdf format)

A suburban family goes through the five stages of grief during the pandemic.

Imagine if you will, some of film’s famous comedic families – The Griswolds, The Fockers, and The Simpsons holed up in isolation. Scary thought… but also ripe for comedy gold.

Now we can add to that list with Dave Lambertson’s fictional family in The Five Stages Of Grief as he takes us on a comedic journey of a family in lockdown. Cleverly utilizing a series of emotions – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance he chronicles one family’s time in isolation to terrific comedic effect.

The story opens on a typical nuclear family – Dad – John, Mom – Jane, and their cute as
can be kids, Annabelle and Tommy.

Jane and the kids are huddled in front of the TV squabbling over what movie to watch when a news flash interrupts family time –

And so begins…

DAY ONE – DENIAL

And the hilarity that ensues from each day forward…

As the family battles the perils of too much togetherness and negotiates the division of chores, shopping, cooking, homeschooling, and a house that rapidly starts to look like a bomb’s hit it, we discover lockdown is not for the faint of heart.

John’s a head-in-the-clouds kind of guy, while Jane has her feet firmly planted on the ground. While John sees lockdown as an opportunity to try his hand at inventing the next big thing (a see-through toaster), he also dreams of finishing (starting would be nice) his screenplay opus. Jane just wants some order through all the chaos. The kids are running wild, Dad’s battling to flatten a curve of a different kind (too much home-baking will do that to you) and there’s all manner of heckling from all sides. It’s not long before all four members of this household start climbing the walls.

The Five Stages Of Grief is a hilarious slice of life comedy about the ups and downs of family-fun in quarantine, or more aptly a cautionary tale that asks the question: how much togetherness is too much? With its clever comedic one-liners, acerbic wit, and touching observations of family life The Five Stages Of Grief will have you laughing out loud.

FILMMAKERS: Don’t deny yourself me-time. With lockdown soon to be a distant memory you’re going to want to re-emerge from self-isolation with a sure-fire crowd pleaser on your hands. Snap this one up and your acceptance speech may well be on the cards.

* The Five Stages of Grief placed firm favourite: Writer’s Choice, Simply Scripts May, 2020 challenge – The Journal Of the Plague Year – stories real and imagined/inspired by the current pandemic.

About the Writer, Dave Lambertson: I took up writing rather late in life having already been retired before I put pen to paper (okay – finger to computer key) for the first time. My favorite genres to read and write are dramedies and romantic comedies. In addition to this short, I have written four features; The Last Statesman (a 2015 PAGE finalist and a Nicholl’s and BlueCat quarterfinalist), The Beginning of The End and The End (a PAGE Semi-Finalist). Taking Stock (a drama) and a new comedy – Screw You Tube. Contact Dave via his website.

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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: L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia.

SHORT FUSE (6-page short dramedy screenplay) by L.Chambers

A young man believing himself to be on the brink of greatness has his dreams crushed when Covid-19 strikes.

All right, after almost five months of the “COVID Blues”, I’m calling it, I’m sure we can all use a little bit of a pick-me-up. Now, you wouldn’t think you’d find that in a COVID-themed script. And I’m sure a lot of people are just sick (no pun intended) of being reminded of everything that’s going on in the world, specifically the goddamned corona virus.

But then, when things seem bleakest, along comes a beacon of light in the form of writer, L. Chambers’ May, One-Week-Challenge Short Fuse tied for First Place, Writer’s Choice, Simply Scripts May, 2020 challenge – The Journal Of the Plague Year – stories real and imagined/inspired by the current pandemic.

We open our story in a 5th floor walk-up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan – I live on the 5th floor of a 6th floor walk-up, so right away, not only can I relate to her main character, but I can feel his pain. We meet a twenty-something named Toby who, like many of us during lockdown, is struggling with his mental health due to the mandated solitary confinement. Disheveled and probably in need of a shower, he sadly scours the internet for a solution…

Twitchy fingers, nails bitten to the quick guide a mouse over internet search results –

The mouse stops on –

Desperate for a pick-me-up himself, and in need of someone to talk to, he gives this online pandemic counseling a shot.

This is when we meet the sassy, cigarette-smoking, Long Island-accented psychotherapist, Judy Goldberg. Think Theresa Caputo from The Long Island Medium, but a therapist instead of a ghost-whisperer.

Judy cuts right to the chase.

We soon find out that, because of the lockdown, Toby has lost a “job” of sorts and no longer feels like he has purpose because of it. He was “number one in his field” as he states later during their conversation.

Though Judy’s assumptions are pretty innocent, through a series of cutaways, we find out that Toby’s failed aspirations were much, much darker than Judy is aware of when we see shots of him tinkering with electronic wires, a battery pack, various chemicals and flammable paraphernalia.

We soon discover exactly what he’s talking about as more visual details emerge, discovering just how dark his aspirations were.

But, Michael, I thought you said this was uplifting?

It actually really is. I won’t give away too much of the ending, but throughout Toby’s depression due to self-quarantining, he grows and becomes a better person once the quarantine is lifted because of it. This also due in large part to Judy’s positive reinforcement, delivered through funny, witty dialogue. Her quirky and fun personality keeps the script from going too dark. She’d be an excellent character for an actor to take on. And the Toby character’s arc is pretty amazing as well, considering this was only a six-page script. This is a testament to some great writing.

Easy to film with great characters, I highly recommend this to any filmmakers looking for a new project during social distancing.

BUDGET: Low. Two actors, speaking through Face Time on a computer. And about 98% of this takes place in Toby’s bedroom, in front of that computer. So this would be pretty easy to film, especially with social distancing precautions.

ABOUT THE WRITER: L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia. L. Chambers can be reached at: libbych (a) hotmail.

Read: SHORT FUSE (6-page short dramedy 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.

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page there are seventeen original scripts for your reading pleasure.

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THE LOST CAMP (14-page short horror screenplay) by Connor Etter

Three boys at a sleep-away Summer camp discover an abandoned, Old West town that is home to dark spirits intent on vengeance.

Summer camp is a great way for kids of all ages to get away from Mom and Dad for a few months while embracing nature, enjoying new life experiences, meeting new friends and embarking on adventures that they’ll fondly remember for years to come…

Unless they’re in a horror movie. If you’re familiar with the genre, you probably know that summer camps get a pretty bad rap in horror films – Thanks a lot, Jason. Unfortunately for the three adventurous teens in Connor Etter’s immensely fun supernatural slasher, The Lost Camp, they don’t know that they’re in one.

The story opens with Jack, the thirty-something year-old camp counselor, taking a group snapshot of all the kids on the last day of camp. This photo does come back later in the script in a very cool way that will make you think of The Shining. Meanwhile, the only campers not smiling for the photo are Christian, Luke and Dustin – our story’s heroes.

With everyone asleep, Christian (17) and best bud, Luke (15) decide to sneak out with the McLovin of the trio, Dustin (14) tagging along. Clearly the nerdy one in the group, Dustin isn’t quite as thrilled to sneak out and wander about in the woods. But peer pressure’s a bitch when you’re the youngest member of the squad.

Christian leads the way through the dark woods until they stumble upon an old, abandoned town straight out of the Old West. As they explore the ghost town, they find what appears to be a “Wanted” sign – a sepia-toned photo of a grizzled, bearded outlaw on it.

Nerd that he is, Dustin immediately recognizes the photo, laying out the mythology of this tale’s potential Bogie Man character.

Nobody knows whatever came of Ruck Jones, Dustin explains. Some people say he just vanished off the face of the Earth, without a trace. But, according to Dustin, nobody really knows.

Not the least bit spooked by the story, Christian and Luke continue to explore – until they see someone lurking in the near distance. Sensing danger, the kids make a bail for it and head back to their bunks.

It’s not until the next day that Christian realizes that he left his precious curb chain back at the ghost town – his late mother, who was killed in a car crash, gave it to him as a child. Much like Butch in Pulp Fiction, Christian has no choice but to head back to the spooky, old abandoned town to retrieve his beloved curb chain. Though Luke and Dustin don’t think it’s a great idea, Christian has a way of persuading them to come with him.

Weaving in familiar horror tropes and funny dialogue, what happens next is a pretty unique twist on the supernatural slasher. Obviously, I won’t completely give away the ending, but the conclusion will have you scratching your head… in the most awesome way possible.

I had high expectations going into this one, learning that the script got some love from the competition circuit – Inroads Fellowship (Finalist) [2019]; New York International (Finalist) [2020]; Los Angeles International (Finalist) [2018].

And I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t disappointed.

BUDGET: Low to medium. There are a good amount of non-speaking roles/extras, maybe about a dozen. Two locations, a camp ground and the abandoned Old West town – securing the location for the latter may depend on the geographical location of the filmmakers.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Connor Etter graduated from Southern Connecticut State University where he studied Communications and concentrated on video production. He was a founding member of the SCSU Digital Production Club, which was designed for students who wanted to make short films and write scripts for future projects. After graduating, Connor managed to land on set-gigs for television shows, along with his own independent projects. With a unique writing style and distinctive voice, Connor often portrays human emotion through his characters, giving them personalities and traits that readers can identify with. Connor can be reached at connoretter1 (a) gmail.

Read: THE LOST CAMP (14-page short horror 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.

I’LL BE SEEING YOU
(five page short drama)

A man vows to bring his wife home from a nursing home in the midst of a deadly pandemic.

After reading Gary Howell’s script, I’ll Be Seeing You I was instantly reminded of this unforgettable line from a very well known and loved film…

I am nothing special… There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who’s ever lived. I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me this has always been enough. — Duke/Noah Calhoun – The Notebook (2004)

The same beautiful sentiment shines through Gary Howell’s I’ll Be Seeing You, an unforgettable tale of love in the time of lock-down.

We open on a grizzled Henry, recently separated from his one true love, Annie.

At first glance we don’t know the reason for the couple’s separation but then we quickly discover Annie is gravely ill and in a nursing home.

One thing’s for sure though. Henry’s devotion to Annie is dogged. He’s certainly not going to let something like a virus come between him and the woman he loves.

His shoulders droop and he shuffles back to the car. He contemplates driving away, but then gets out and opens the trunk.

So, what’s Henry going to do?

First lock-down and now locked out from the love of his life?

What I will tell you is that this is a beautiful timeless love story. With its clever narrative running parallel to Henry serenading Annie with: I’ll Be Seeing You (a song made famous by Frank Sinatra, Billie Holliday, and the indomitable Jimmie Durante) writer Gary Howell knows exactly how to pull at an audience’s heartstrings, combining the perfect blend of sentimentality with realism in a tear-jerker that will stay with you long after reading.

Following in the tradition of such classics as: The Notebook, An Affair To Remember, Up, and The Fault In Our Stars, and for anyone who has ever fallen deeply in love, I’ll Be Seeing You tells a tale of the indefatigable power of enduring love.

Filmmakers: You’re going to swoon over this one. Just don’t let it be the one that got away.

I’ll Be Seeing You tied for First Place, Writer’s Choice, Simply Scripts May, 2020 challenge – The Journal Of the Plague Year – stories real and imagined/inspired by the current pandemic.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Gary Howell is an attorney by trade, but a writer at heart. He has written several shorts, three of which have been produced, Country Road 12 that stars Dee Wallace (“E.T.”, “Poltergeist”), “Skip,” and “Study Date,” and was executive producer on another short film, “Clean Slate.” He has also co-written with Rick Hansberry a dramedy, “According to Plan”, that was optioned with Josh Monkarsh of Traffic City Productions, and is in development. He has had a manager reach out regarding representation after a drama pilot, “Bounty,” has performed well in several competitions.

Gary enjoys writing both comedy and drama, and leans towards indie-themed pieces that are character driven. He enjoys reviewing scripts and providing advice and constructive criticism to other writers, and would welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with any producers/directors looking to work with him on any type of project. Gary can be reached at: GaryMHowell (a) gmail.

Read I’LL BE SEEING YOU (five page short drama in pdf format)

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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: L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia.

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM (6 page short script) by ANTHONY RUSSO

A man encounters turns of fate during an excursion into a virus-ravaged world.

Not sure if you’ve seen the news, but there’s this COVID pandemic thing going on right now. Many of us, including myself, have been under lockdown for the past three months or so. And for those not under mandated lockdown or curfew, I’m sure we’ve all practiced some pretty strict social distancing and self-quarantining during that time.

All joking aside, I’m sure you’re all pretty tired of being locked indoors for the most part. I bet we’re all just chomping at the bit for some sort of normalcy. I, myself, can’t wait to live my life again and enjoy the small things that I took for granted. For instance, the first thing I’m going to do when businesses open back up is enjoy a nice scoop of ice cream – several scoops, in fact. In a huge, dunce-cap sized waffle cone. Yes, I hear the ice cream trucks outside, playing “The Entertainer” tune that come around my neighborhood often. But I want REAL ice cream. I’m talking like some Cold Stone Creamery. Or even a Baskin Robbins. I want that gourmet s**t.

But what if things get worse? What if that day never comes? Sure, that’s a very pessimistic scenario to consider… but who would’ve expected any of this to happen? You never know…

In Anthony Russo’s COVID-themed May – One Week Challenge entry, “I Scream, You Scream”, that’s exactly the kind of world we live in.

Set not too far into the future, the world has been ravaged by the effects of the COVID crisis; Businesses have been decimated, families have been destroyed and the world we once knew has become a post-apocalyptic ghost town, essentially.

We follow an unnamed survivor’s journey through his everyday routine that he was forced to adapt to as he drives through the barren streets wearing a Tyvek suit with a backpack respirator. We get a little context through an old news taping, revealing just how bad things have gotten via voice-over during this unnamed survivor’s journey as he gathers food and necessities…

Not only have people become infected with the COVID virus… but so has the plant life. Yes, you read that correctly – the God damn TREES have become affected by the virus!

A very grim glimpse into the future, indeed. Tis a very lonely existence for our unnamed protagonist, who has somehow found a way to adapt to this way of life – the sole purpose of his existence now is to survive.

But is surviving the same as living?

He reaches an existential epiphany after he happens upon an abandoned ice cream shop. And he makes a decision based on two choices– to “live” or to continue surviving.

Very well written, Anthony Russo’s entry almost feels like a stream of consciousness in its poetic execution. Though dark, “I Scream, You Scream” isn’t all gloom and doom. Yes, the journey is grim. But its cathartic, bitter “sweet” finale is very satisfying.

BUDGET: Low. With some creativity. It would be easy to shoot exterior shots of junkyards and abandoned houses to give that post-apocalyptic feel.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Anthony J. Russo is an aspiring screenwriter who graduated Summa Cum Laude from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia with a degree in Liberal and Professional Studies and minors in Philosophy and Political Science. His feature-length screenplay JOHN LENNON’S HEAVEN, available for production, explores religion, physics and philosophy in a way never before attempted on screen. His feature project GRAND AVENUE, culled from Anthony’s experiences growing up in the town of Maspeth, Queens, a blue-collar town known for its mob influence, is making the rounds in Hollywood. Anthony has also written several short scripts and has freelanced for Generocity, a Philadelphia based philanthropic organization which highlights charitable endeavors in the region. Anthony can be reached at ajrscreenworks (a) verizon.net.

Read: I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM (6 page short, drama, sci-fi script)

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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.