Jessica’s Window
What secrets lie in the attic?

From a dusty and barren attic, thirteen-year-old Jessica Campell watches as her father packs their belongings into a U-Haul van. Tears stream down her face.

Her father, Mark Campell, is obviously no stranger to heartache himself. The dark circles under his eyes reveal he has spent many a night awake, nursing a hidden pain.

As Mark and his wife Laura make final preparations to depart, Jessica pounds relentlessly on the attic window, calling desperately to her parents. But no matter how hard she pounds or loud she cries, her parents can’t or won’t listen. Slowly, they drive away.

But despite being imprisoned, Jessica soon discovers she’s not alone. In the shadows of the attic, she’s met by eleven-year-old Sarah Meyers, a waif of a girl who assures Jessica things will get better. The two of them – she claims – will be good friends. But Sarah’s words are less than reassuring. As police cars and a news crew gather outside, Jessica’s concerns continue to grow.

What could have made Jessica’s parents leave her behind? Soon after the two meet, an eerie presence starts to stir… Just what is happening? Are these children even alone?

A surreal emotion-driven supernatural narrative in the vein of The Others and The Lovely Bones, Jessica’s Window is a suspenseful, masterfully-written drama. The script manages to land an array of emotional punches, each one landing harder than the first. All of which culminates in a surprise final twist that will leave audiences speechless.

Audiences and critics will be hooked from the get-go. It’s exactly the kind of impassioned, poignant, character-driven drama that reaps gold on the festival circuit.

So directors – act fast. This one won’t be gathering dust in the attic for long.

Pages: 5

Budget: Medium. Suburban setting, police cars, and a news crew.

About the Reviewer: Dane Whipple something, something Danger Zone. He is currently working on that screenplay everybody keeps talking about: The Wild Age. Contact him at dane.whipple (AT) live.com

About the writer, Marnie Mitchell Lister: An award winning writer AND photographer, Marnie Mitchell Lister’s website is available at brainfluffs.com. Marnie’s had multiple shorts produced and placed Semi-final with her features in BlueCat.

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Saved My Bacon

It’s 1913 and a big city reporter travels out to the country to meet The World’s Greatest Pig.

 There will always be a place in storytelling for rural tall tales. Big Fish did it quite successfully. And it’s easy to see why.  There’s something about combining the honest simplicity of “down-home rural folk” with fanciful humorous stories that simply works.   (And really beats Deliverance when it comes to telling country stories by the campfire…)

Saved My Bacon comes straight from that pedigree (Big Fish… not Deliverance.)  Featuring only two main protags, it follows the story of Milo the Reporter who’s come to interview Farmer Davis… a simple man with an extraordinary pig.  The result is pure Mark Twain – a sweet narrative, with a very effective ending.

Running only 5 pages long, this is a perfect script for anyone interested in telling a solid, amusing tale.  As long as you have access to Wilbur for the shoot…

About the writer: Tim Westland, co-writer of the acclaimed graphic novel Chasing the Dead, received first place for Balls Out in the NNYM 15 page contest. A moderator at Moviepoet, he’s an outstanding writer with an eye for the details. His IMDB page can be found here.

Pages: 5

Budget: The vast majority of this script is low budget.  Two protags, one room and a single rural exterior shot. The one – er – stumbling point is that you have to get a pig – and do a little FX for its legs.  But when you get that, this one’s golden!

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Who Killed Rosa Maria Morales?

The man who knows the truth about a mysterious murder lies in an ambulance after a heart attack. Detective Sanchez needs to question him before it is too late.

If you’re old enough, you probably remember the phrase “Who Shot J.R.?” It was an American obsession during the summer of 1980, after the season finale of Dallas. An unknown assailant had shot the show’s conniving protagonist, J.R. Ewing. With eight months before the next episode, the entire nation was thrown into a tailspin…

Who Killed Rosa Maria Rosales channels the same sort of obsession. But this time it’s all focused on one man – gritty homicide Detective Sanchez. A heart attack victim lies prone on the floor, teetering on the precipice of death. As a frantic paramedic scrambles to resuscitate his patient, Detective Sanchez looms over the barely-conscious man – grilling him mercilessly.

You see, Rosa Maria Morales has been horribly murdered. And Detective Sanchez’s determined to find out who did the monstrous deed – before the secret’s taken to the grave.

As paddles shock and monitors beep, Detective Sanchez yells out a string of suspect names. The cheating lover? Rosa’s sister? The Taco Mogul? Sanchez mercilessly batters the stricken man with questions. This is one lawman not to be denied.

It’s down to the wire – with everything at stake. Will Detective Sanchez solve the case before his witness flat-lines? A better question perhaps might be… why does he want to know?

A sweet who-dunnit with a fun twist, the read for Rosa’s an absolute hoot. And perfect for mystery loving directors – tongue planted firmly in mid-cheek.

About the writer: Relatively new in screenwriting, Manolis Froudarakis has won two awards in short screenplay competitions. His main focus is comedy – preferably, comedy with a little edge. You can contact him at: mfroudarakis@yahoo.gr

Pages: 5

Budget: Low (once you get your hands on some ambulance stock footage, and miscellaneous EMS equipment)

About the reviewer: Scott Merrow co-writes screenplays with his wife Paula. Since 2006, they’ve written over 50 short screenplays, several of which have been produced. They tend toward family-friendly scripts, but they’ve written a little bit of everything: horror, fantasy, sci-fi, comedy… the whole nine yards. Wanna give them a shout out? They’re available at scott-paula “AT” comcast.net

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Someplace Nice and Dark

A young delivery boy calls on a strange old man harboring a shadowy secret.

Finding a good horror short with something fresh to say can be difficult, to say the least.  Everyone’s seen the proliferation of vampire, slasher, exorcism and zombie scripts ad nauseum.  Is there anything left in this field to explore?

Well, here’s a short that does have something new, creepy and gothic.  Set in a trailer, “Someplace Nice and Dark” revolves around only two characters – Pinto, the urban delivery boy… and a old man who seems to have a strange aversion to the light.  (No, kiddies, this isn’t what you’re thinking.)  Done with the right actors and atmosphere, this is one script that could win some lucky director a horror festival.

About the writer:  Robert Newcomer recently received his first IMDB credit for another short, Them That’s Dead.  An intelligent writer, he has several other shorts and a horror feature length available for consideration. (IMDB credits listed here.)

Budget: Low

Primary Genre: Horror

Page Length: 9 pages

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It’s A…

Life Goes On – Even When the World’s Reached Its End

Man, the apocalypse is rough. For the X-Men – and everyone.

Especially if you’re pregnant. Never getting to see your child run, play, live… that’s hard news to swallow with little notice. Let alone fully accept.

This is the exact dilemma Anne and Sarah face in Anthony Cawood’s wrenching drama, It’s A…

Anne’s pregnant and about to pop. Sarah’s expecting too – though not so far along.

The news breaks while they’re in a hospital: the meteor is on its way, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. Needless to say, Sarah and Anne find themselves powerless. And alone.
What do they say? What do they do?

How to accept that everything’s ending… demolishing their cherished plans…

Whiling away the time, Anne asks Sarah questions about the future they both know won’t come.

Things like: Did you want your baby to be a boy? A girl? A dancer? A singer? At first, Sarah is reluctant to answer. She never thought about the gender – she just wanted her child to be healthy. A dream that’s now turned into a nightmare.

Refusing to lay down and die, Anne promises Sarah they can find out the sex of the baby together – one last moment of joy before the end.

A rare contained apocalypse story, It’s A... is brimming with emotions; perfect for two up-and-coming actresses and a director looking to show what talent and drama they have inside.

Remember, the world doesn’t have to end with a whimper. Maybe just a lie.

Pages: 4

Budget: Low. Two actresses, one setting and few props. You might need some old news footage, but a clever director could stage that him/herself.

About the reviewer: Mitch Smith is an award winning screenwriter whose website http://mitchsmithscripts.wix.com/scripts offers notes, script editing and phone consultations. You can also reach him at Mitch.SmithScripts “AT” gmail and follow Mitch at twitter.com/MitchScripts.

About the writer: I’m an award winning screenwriter from the UK with over 15 scripts produced, optioned and/or purchased. Outside of my screenwriting career, I’m also a published short story writer and movie reviewer. Links to my films and details of my scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

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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.

Private Property

A young man ends up on the run when he tries to protect his mother from a crazed land owner.

In the 1800s American author Horace Greeley proclaimed, “Go West, young man.” And so they did. Young men and old men, good men and, in particular, bad men. Women and children followed. The old west in the drama “Private Property” is raw, and lawless. The rough — and the tough — are on a collison course here, proving that blood, sweat, and tears doesn’t just refer to the work ethic.

Bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound, 17 year-old Levi is on the run from notorious all-around bad guy, Cash Carson. Levi takes refuge in a barn, where he’s discovered by 16 year-old Maddie. It’s a tense stand-off. At first Levi’s got the upper hand, and his gun trained on Maddie. But in a daring move, she grabs the gun and turns the tables. Maddie’s freedom is short-lived, however, when Cash arrives and corners the two teens.

The tears? Likely a bucket-load have been shed by both Maddie and Levi, for they each share a dark secret with the despicable Cash. There’s a powerful twist at the end. Not surprising, since this is the wild west where resolution isn’t always a ride off into the sunset.

A professionally written script, “Private Property” earns raves for its blood, sweat, and tears depiction of two young people whose “good” lives collide with the “bad and ugly” of a cruel west Horace Greeley never could have imagined.

Westerns as a genre are making a fast comeback; Seth MacFarlane’s “A Million Ways to Die in the West”, and Tommy Lee Jones’ “The Homesman” to name just two. So grab this script now… and get in on the coming goldrush!

About the writer: An award winning writer AND photographer, Marnie Mitchell Lister’s website is available at http://www.marnzart.com. Marnie’s had 5 shorts produced (so far) and placed Semi-final with her features in Bluecat.

Page Count: 5.5

Budget: Mid-range. Head for the hills for the outdoor locations. A boarding facility could sub as a barn, and maybe provide the requisite equine or two who’ll work for hay.

About the guest reviewer for “Private Property”: California uber reader/reviewer KP Mackie is working hard on another animated feature. Now, if only she knew when John Lasseter was going to be in that elevator so she could pitch her winning story… KP’s work can be viewed at www.moviepoet.com!

READ THE SCRIPT HERE – AND DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT!

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The Last Few Minutes of Sunlight

A terminally ill young woman escapes from a hospital to witness a solar eclipse – one of the last few items on her “To Do” list.

Death – it’s unavoidable. Tragic. So many classic films have been made about how death impacts our lives: movies running the gamut from Dying Young, to Beaches. The Notebook and All that Jazz. Death tears apart families. Relationships. And everyone must come to terms with it… in their own time, and their own way.

So picture this scene: a beautiful, yet terminally ill young woman lies in her hospital bed, waiting to die. (Cue the violins and the obligatory sobbing relatives as the writer squeezes every last drop of melodrama out of the scenario.)

Well, not exactly…

Sneaking into the hospital, Robert snatches his wife Jenny out of bed and into a wheelchair. Together, they slip through hospital corridors undetected and hot-wheel across the parking lot to a getaway car… With not a single tear in sight.

Their destination: a nearby park. Treasuring their stolen moment, the couple lie down on a hill and stare up at the sky, wearing special shades. You see, there’s a solar eclipse on the way. And Jenny wouldn’t miss it for the world. Or her precious time with Robert.

The couple talk frankly as they watch the display – a great mix of heart-wrenching and witty dialogue. About the situation they face. What they want for their families… and most of all, each other.

Poignantly written, The Last Few Minutes of Sunlight deals with the horrors of terminal illness in an honest, yet refreshing way. And despite its inevitable conclusion, this uplifting script avoids wallowing in sorrow – capturing the human spirit in all its magnificence.

The recent success of The Fault in Our Stars proves this genre of story to be a true winner… both financially and critically. Pick Sunlight for your next production, and there won’t be a dry eye in the house when the credits roll!

About the writer: Steven was a finalist in the coWrite competition, an innovative community-sourced screenplay developed in association with respected production company Benderspink (A History of Violence, The Butterfly Effect). He also took 1st Place honors in the March 2009 MoviePoet short script competition.

Steven is a member of Writer’s Boot Camp, was a finalist in the 2008 The Movie Deal screenplay competition and has twice been a finalist in the NYC Midnight Screenwriting Competition (2007 & 2008). He holds a Bachelors degree in Theater and an Associate degree in Film/Video Production. More of Steven’s work may be found at his website: www.StevenDexheimer.com (email: Steven “AT” 8mdFilms.com)

Pages: 6

Budget: Cheap as chips. Two locations – a hospital room and a park. A couple of quick shots of a parking lot and a moving car. Minimal SFX of a solar eclipse. And a tiny cast of three.

About guest reviewer Gary “Rolo” Rowlands: Born and raised in North Wales, Gary started out writing comedy sketches and his work was featured on SPITTING IMAGE a hugely popular sketch show in the UK that regularly attracted upwards of ten million viewers.

After a fifteen year hiatus, he took up writing once more and recently sold his short script Death of an Icon to an Emmy nominated director. He has also penned several features and has just finished a high concept zombie comedy that promises to bring something new to the genre. Aside from writing, his biggest passion is the English soccer team Everton F.C. – he can be contacted at: gazrow “AT” hotmail.com

READ THE SCRIPT HERE – AND DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT!!

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The Elevator Most Belonging to Alice
Short Finalist for the 2016 Nashville Film Festival!
Where will life take you?

“The Sole Property of Miss Alice” So reads the small plaque hanging in the large, luxurious elevator in which we open. We observe ten-year-old Alice, and her butler, Jerome. At first, Alice is unsure of just why she is here, or even where here is. But after a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, Jerome tenderly explains the rules: this is Alice’s space, and this elevator will take her anywhere.

From here we are whisked away on a grand tour. Rather than falling with Alice down a rabbit hole, we fly high with her through the clouds and over snow-capped mountains. Alice is enthralled and delighted to be lifted up out of her seemingly dreary life. The spectacle outside is nearly as engaging as the conversation that Alice and Jerome are having inside the elevator. You see, as they soar through the sky, the two ruminate on Alice’s situation. It seems she is having some difficulty back home, and Jerome is here to help her through it all. He will stand by her side and help her take strength in her hour of need, which will come soon.

As the journey’s end draws near, Alice learns that you don’t always have to move to change where you are. The emotional hammer drops as we find out just what Alice has been flying away from, and what she still faces ahead. This is one ending that will stick with your audience long after the final frame.

The Elevator Most Belonging to Alice offers a surreal fantasy escape in the tradition of Lynch and Fellini. The script packs a potent, powerful punch, while delicately examining a difficult subject matter without ever devolving into exploitation. A metaphorical, metaphysical, meditation on life, akin to Radio Flyer, the message is one of courage, endurance, and above all, hope. All of which are themes that continually reap benefits on the awards circuit.

So hop on board before the doors close, this script will take you anywhere you want to go.

Pages: 17

Budget: Medium. One central location, the elevator, may need a production designer. Limited SFX.

About the Reviewer: Dane Whipple is talking with Davey, who’s still in the Navy, and probably will be for life. He is currently working on that screenplay everybody keeps talking about: The Wild Age. Contact him at dane.whipple (at) live.com.

About the Writer: An award winning writer, Bill Sarre has had scripts place both finalist and quarter finalist with Page and Bluecat. Another short of his, The Grieving Spell, was recently grand prize winner of the London Film Awards. Bill can be reached at Bill.sarre “AT” gmail.com

READ THE SCRIPT HERE – AND DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT!!

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All screenplays are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. The screenplays may not be used without the expressed written permission of the author.

Based on a True Story

A fictional film about non-fictional events that are entirely fictional.

Senses of humor vary radically. Some people think Porky’s is the height of hilarity. Remember that one, folks? Others prefer Woody Allen’s neurotic wit and TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm. One thing’s for sure… humor’s changed a hell of a lot over the years; with the focus veering towards over-the-top gross outs. This is the End anyone? Whatever happened to smart, character based comedy? Is there anyone out there still writing intelligent humor?

Yep. His name is Matt Dressel. The script in question is Based on a True Story. (That’s the title, folks. Not the description. The script itself is completely fictional.)

Smart, funny and low budget, BTS revolves around protagonist Bill, a screenwriter that can’t seem to get his big break. (Gee, I wonder how often that happens in real life?) Demoralized, Bill pays the bills working at a 911 crisis center, and most of his nights hanging out with incompetent actor pals Tim and Sam. (Okay, Sam’s not exactly a friend, more of an unfortunate acquaintance.) They live in Quigley Quagmire’s hotel… a depressing little 80’s reject hovel that’s only one step removed from the Roach Motel. In other words, life ain’t going well.

That is, until Bill has his brilliant idea. Hollywood likes reboots and movies based on True Stories, right? Why not stage a bank robbery themselves….and then cash in on the press with a best selling screenplay? Between Bill and his crew, they’ve got creativity, actors and props on their side. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

How often has that question been asked? With the logical answer. Everything.

What follows is a highly intelligent – and yet goofy – romp through an escalating comedy of errors: from “Auditioning” the other bank robbers (and other theoretically important stuff, like how to handle guns and bank vaults) to the actual caper. And the inevitable complications that ensue. A master of understated comedy, Matt Dressel populates the script with colorful characters… not just the protagonists, but walk-on supporting bits as well. Not to mention rioting Nazis, pizza delivery men, and David Bowie groupies. (Don’t even try to ask. Just read the script and see.) Sound over the top? In Dressel’s hands, this script actually maintains comedy balance … peppering the script with wonderful lines like that of Crusty Detective Vic Cardigan: “I’ve been chasing (these robbers’) sorry asses for nearly 25 years of my life – ever since I was a rookie on the force.” Police officer: “They appear to be about 30 years of age, sir.” Cardigan: “Damn, they’re good.”

You know what’s really good? This script. It’s an indie breath of fresh air in a world populated by dick jokes and vomit gags. (Not that there’s anything wrong with those… in moderation.) But if you’re an up and coming director looking for a comedy with intelligence and staying power, check this one out. Fast. Before it gets away like a bank robber with the loot…

About the writer: Matthew Dressel recently wrote/produced/acted in his own web series Let’s Kill John Stamos! One of his feature films, Killing Daniel, has been optioned by Darius Films. You can catch more of Matt’s work at http://www.matthewdressel.com.

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All screenplays are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. The screenplays may not be used without the expressed written permission of the author.