Truth or Dare (8 pages in pdf format) by P.H. Cook

We all have our secrets.

A night of babysitting can be a trying feat under normal circumstances. But what if the child you are sitting is a mix between Damien from The Omen and that kid from Looper?

As a favor to a coworker, married couple Brynn and Mike Carter are looking after young Jayden for the weekend. It’s nothing they can’t get through with a little pizza and a lot of wine. At first, Jayden seems perfectly content to play his uber-violent video games, until BZZZZ, ZAP, the power goes out. To pass the time without electricity, Brynn suggests a game of truth or dare. Little does she know, truth is sometimes a thing best kept secret.

Things start off normal enough, embarrassing dancing, movie impersonations, etc. But then, Jayden starts to ask some questions that are… difficult. He seems to have a preternatural ability to probe the weak spots of Brynn and Mike’s relationship. Like a young Hannibal Lector, Jayden knows just what to ask in order to manipulate and intimidate. Will Brynn and Mike’s relationship survive the weekend? Will any of them survive the night? From here, it’s a slow burn to an unforgettable finale. Give away the surprise ending? I wouldn’t dare!

The best payoffs in psychological horror scripts arise organically out of well-plotted circumstances. The illustrious, enduring finales of The Exorcist, Psycho, and of course Silence of the Lambs, are all made possible through their impeccably-structured first acts. So it is with Truth or Dare, which, in a few short pages establishes a situation that is at once high-concept and highly relatable. All of this builds to an ending that is both inevitable and completely surprising. It’s a rare feat and an absolute stunner of a screenplay that will unquestionably electrify the festival circuit.

I dare you to make this picture, because truthfully, the script is phenomenal!

Budget: Low. One room, three actors, and a pizza.

About the writer: Born and raised in Sweden, P.H. Cook is the director of the short film Them That’s Dead and writer of produced feature films Finders Keepers: The Root of All Evil and Blackout. She started writing screenplays in 2006 and has written over sixty short screenplays and ten features. She can be reached at gatortales (a) gmail.

About the Reviewer: Dane Whipple has one hand in his pocket, and the other hand is playing a piano. He is currently working on that screenplay everyone keeps talking about: The Wild Age. Contact him at dane.whipple (AT) live.com

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First Kiss – Filmed!

YouTube is a great place to find all sorts of training videos, but not everyone wants to learn news things.

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This just in from Antony:

Just finalising sale of First Kiss to a film maker in Atlanta [Stearns Media Group – Atlanta]… found on SimplyScripts again.

Anthony

You can check out a review of First Kiss

Read more of Anthony’s voluminous body of work.

About the Writer: Anthony Cawood is an award-winning and produced screenwriter. He has sold/optioned four feature screenplays, and sold/optioned over forty short scripts, many of which have been filmed. Outside of his extensive screenwriting career, Anthony is also a published short story writer, interviewer and movie reviewer. Links to his films and details of his scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

My Life for Yours (6 pages in pdf format) by MJ Hermanny

A man makes amends for leading an innocent astray.

Remember those anti-drug commercials in the eighties? Don’t do drugs? Crack is whack? Often more laughable than effective, the intent was to show kids the ugly side of drugs… scare them straight. A well meaning endeavor – even if it did devolve into a punchline.

Well, they ain’t got sh*t on this short gem.

As My Life opens, muscle bound jock Jason drags a drug-addled Mandy towards an abandoned house. A rotted shack in the middle of nowhere, no-one around for miles. There’s a stained bed in the corner, outfitted with chains. And a video camera set up for filming.

Readers will cringe as Jason shackles Mandy’s ankles. Whips out the drugs, and takes some hits. Because everyone knows what’s coming next. Kidnapping. Rape. Maybe worse…

Well, not exactly. Because Jason’s got other plans in mind – and a dark, gritty lesson for his girlfriend that’ll forever change both their lives.

Who is this couple – and why are they in this situation? As Mandy gets ever more frantic, a stoned Jason recalls the “Sid and Nancy” tale: a series of flashbacks about the innocent girl he met years ago… and the way he’s watched both of them change. And it sure ain’t for the better.

Though it wears the trappings of a thriller, My Life is at heart a romance: a clever, tautly written tale of how far someone will go to save the one they love the most.

Think you know where it’s going? Think again…

Budget: Low – 2 primary characters, unnamed partygoers, one vehicle and a dingy house that no-one has a use for, anyway…

About the Writer: Boasting an MA in Scriptwriting for Film, Theatre, TV & Radio, MJ is an award winning writer, with shorts optioned and produced in countries as diverse as Croatia and Norway. Residing in sunny England, she is currently hard at work developing a series with the BBC Writersroom – as well as working on a number of features (including one low-budget horror and a fantasy adventure script.) Her website is available here: redcatwriter.wordpress.com/. MJ herself can be reached via mjhermanny (a) gmail!

About the Reviewer: A writer himself, Leegion’s works can be found on www.simplyscripts.com.

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Writer’s Block (pdf format) by John Hunter – Filmed by Jeff Easley

Billy Wilson would kill for a good story. Will he die for one?

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The Original Review

Words, words, words! For writers, words are life. On a good day, words flow onto the page to create stories that move and inspire us. A well-written story can uplift and…um…hang on, I swear I had something for this. Dang, writing is tough.

Billy Wilson knows all too well the struggle with the blank page. Sitting on a park bench looking for inspiration in a bottle of booze, Billy has a serious case of writer’s block. As Billy ponders just how to come up with a truly unique story, along comes a proverbial spider: Vance Buttons. You see, Vance has a secret to share. He is a serial killer. A well-practiced, calculating, pre-meditated murderer. With half-drunk whimsy, Billy queries for a few specifics. How to choose a victim? Randomly. Geographic preference? Never the same place twice. Just when it seems Billy has found something new to write about, one more problem crops up. He is dealing with a killer after all. Will Vance put Billy out of the misery that is writer’s block, or put him out of his misery altogether? Is Billy writing the story, or is the story writing him?

Feature films dealing with the writing experience pack a potent, powerful punch. Some of film’s truly great screenwriters, from Charlie Kaufman to the Coens, have tackled the subject. Adaptation, Barton Fink, and Wonder Boys have all built reputations as favorites among both filmmakers and audiences. In this grand tradition, Writer’s Block succinctly taps into a subject that consistently garners accolades on the festival circuit and beyond. If you are looking for a film with an intelligent build to an unforgettable finale, I recommend you come down with a case of Writer’s Block.

Quickly, before the killer strikes again!

Pages: 4

Budget: Low. Assuming you can find a park bench, that is.

About the writer, John Hunter: With the completion of (4) boffo features, a litter of riveting shorts, a one hour take-your-breath-away sci-fi TV pilot and first 30 minute episode for that series, I am now officially THAT guy — The one who really needs an Agent or Executive Producer. Contact me at x32792 (AT) yahoo.com

About the Reviewer: Dane Whipple is the man who fixed the 1919 World Series. How did he manage that? Saw the opportunity, I suppose. He is currently working on that screenplay everybody keeps talking about: The Wild Age. Contact him at dane.whipple (AT) live.com

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Pick-Up pdf format by Brian Lewis

Stranded on a desolate country road, Julie is forced to call her recent ex for a late night ride.  However, the couple’s bickering is quickly cut short by an unseen creature who will stop at nothing to get inside.

Run-ins with the Ex can be tough.

Unbearable physical proximity combined with intolerable emotional distance. Memories flooding in –  the smell of her perfume, the stupid fights, the way her smile lit up her face. Your heart pounding in your chest. Palms sweaty.

And to top it all off, an evil monstrosity trying to murder you in the dead of night.

Okay, maybe that last one doesn’t apply to everyone.

But for former lovers Nick and Julie, stuck together on an empty stretch of road, jealousies and petty grievances give way to fear; a fear so intense and immediate it drains away everything else.

Something is hunting them.

Something dark and primal that will shake them to the very core and test every inch of human resolve. They’ll need each other, faults and all, if they’re to have any chance of surviving the night.

Written with a visual style to rival the best Creature Features, Pick-Up offers up believable characters and bone-rattling thrills galore.

Budget: A bit of a challenge. Probably some FX/CGI required. The hardest part will be beating back all the actors chomping at the bit to work with such a great script.

About the writer: A graduate of the Seattle Film Institute, Brian Lewis has been writing screenplays ever since high school. He’s also a musician, editor, video engineer, and DIY filmmaker. Be sure to check out more of Brian’s work on his Vimeo and Youtube channels.

About the reviewer: James Barron is a former law student turned screenwriter who loves to write comedy along with the occasional horror/thriller. Contact James at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

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Ready or Not (pdf format) by Steven Clark

A simple game of hide-n-seek takes a turn for the worst.

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The Original Review

Mom and her son play a fun game of hide-and-go-seek. But, what if what you find is not what you were looking for?

This micro short can be as scary as you want to be. Snap this up now.

It’s a perfect weekend shoot and an excellent calling card short film that, as written, can be a family friendly horror comedy or an very un-family-friendly horror.

Pages: 2

Budget: Shoestring budget, two actors – Mom and son, one interior location.

About the writer: Based in upstate, NY, Steven Clark is the writer of over 30 short scripts, several of which are under option, in pre-production, or have already been made into films. On A Clear Night, a family Christmas feature aimed at a Hallmark Channel-type audience, is currently in the works. Steven can be reached at Steamroller138 (a) gmail.

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Sold

It will be produced and directed by Jeff Easley. Production will begin in early March.

Jeff recently directed John Hunter’s “Writer’s Block” and “The Coffee Maker from Hell” written by Greg Thomson.

Jeff’s IMDb and Vimeo pages.

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Like a Moth to a Flame (11 pages, pdf format) by Matias Caruso

A woman attempts to exorcise her lost lover. But is his pull too powerful to wish away?

Love, they say, is a flame. Passionate. Unstoppable. Consuming everything in its wake. That type of love can drive one to irrational, insane acts. Commit unspeakable crimes in its name.

Nadia’s flame is Jack.

Her love for Jack blots out all else. Reason. Proportion. Even reality.

Alone in her dark apartment, Nadia obsesses over the lost love of her life. Though the holes in her memory blot out certain things, other visions refuse to go away. The miserable existence she’s led since he’s been gone. The drastic measures she’s taken to kill the pain. Shopping. Eating. Cutting her arms with razors.

At her wit’s end, Nadia finally summons “Mr. K.” – a mysterious shaman wearing rings made of bone, a man she believes can make the pain go away.

Is it a hallucination? Or black magic? And does that even matter, if the pain itself is real? But can Mr. K. do anything to end Nadia’s suffering; save her from the misery?

A terrifying psychological fantasy ripped from the imagination of master writer Matias Caruso, Like a Moth to the Flame explores multiple dark themes: rationalization, addiction. The void left behind when one’s cut off from the object of their desire.

It’s a low budget masterpiece with frightening visuals. Give Moth a read – it’ll suck you in, and burn your wings.

Budget: Low budget – a cast of two, in a single apartment – lit by the static of a television set. And leave room for a great costumer designer. Mr. K deserves some fashionable threads!

About the writer: An optioned and award winning screenwriter, Matias Caruso has far too many accolades to name. So we’ll stick with just one: he’s the 2014 Grand Prize Winner of the International Page Awards Contest. Not to mention an all-around terrific guy. Interested in Matias’ work? Email him at matiascaruso32 (a) gmail

About the reviewer: Pete Barry is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, actor, director and musician. His short plays have been published in numerous collections. He’s also a cofounder of the Porch Room, a film and theater production company, website available at http://www.porchroom.com/.  Please feel free to reach out to him with script requests at petebarry27 (a) Hotmail.

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Deal of a Lifetime (12 pages in pdf format) by James Barron

Some old cars are hidden treasures… aren’t they?

In today’s world, the adage “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is” is more relevant than ever. We’ve all received those amusing emails from Nigerian princes and accidentally clicked on those adverts offering us a way to get a beach body in 4 weeks days seconds.

But how many of you have asked for $10,000 for a rusty Corolla worth $400 max… and shockingly find it accepted?

Carl, the proprietor of Carl’s Cars and main character in Deal of a Lifetime, has done just that; successfully offloading the junker to young and apparently street smart Rodrigo.

Carl should be laughing all the way to the bank, right?

Well, he isn’t. You see, before Rodrigo arrived, another man, Gabriel, thought $2,000 was an absolute bargain for that hunk of junk, and left the dealership to get the needed cash.

So when Rodrigo grins with delight at the prospect of forking out $10,000, Carl begins to suspect foul play. Or some sort of scam.

However, he soon learns that his humble Corolla hides a priceless secret within its unappealing exterior. A secret so incredible that the potential buyers are willing to exchange something far more valuable than money for access to the vehicle.

In fact, their very lives…

Featuring a unique concept and amusing – yet thought provoking – dialogue, a Deal of a Lifetime is just what you’ll have on your hands if you scoop this script up, and drive it off the lot!

Budget: Not bad at all. Borrow a junker Corolla, and you’re pretty much set.

About the Writer: James Barron is a former law student turned screenwriter who loves to write comedy along with the occasional horror/thriller. Contact James at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

About the reviewer: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp (a) gmail.com. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

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Dry Days (8 pages in pdf format) by Mitch Smith

In a dystopian society where water has all but vanished, two deserters find a mysterious corpse that appears to have died from drowning.

Manhunt movies. A thrilling genre, to say the least. Heart pounding action at its best.

North by Northwest. The Fugitive. Silence of the Lambs. We keep watching – no matter how far into the nightmare dark they lead us. Why? Well, in part to see the hero win the day. But also because the best of such films contain some sort of mystery, which drives us to never turn our eyes away (at least until the secrets are revealed.)

Following in the footsteps of such cinematic greats is Dry Days. Written by talented scribe Mitch Smith, the script packs a mean action punch. And also asks the thematic question: “Can you have too much of a good thing?” – in a clever and entertaining way.

Set in a future where food and water are in desperately short supply, the story opens with our hero and heroine dragging themselves across the blazing hot desert. Being hunted by someone. Or something.

Exhausted and dehydrated, our fleeing couple are almost at death’s door. They encounter the corpse of a man lying half buried in the sand – a grim reminder to their pending fate. They’re on the verge of giving up… when our heroine – a former nurse – realizes the dead man drowned!

She deduces there must be water nearby. But how could someone drown in the desert?!

Hopes renewed, the two begin searching for water. Their quest is cut short by the arrival of Raze, a bone-thin deserter-hunter – with wild eyes and a loaded gun.

The dry blood around his mouth and ravenous look leaves us little doubt about his intentions.

Will our couple live to see another day? Or will survival of the fittest reign?

If you’re a director looking for the next Mad Max, then give Dry Days a spin. It’s easy to shoot, and action packed – with a fresh twist on the usual dystopian fare!

Budget: Fairly low. A sunny beach for the desert and a hallway made to look like a hospital. Throw in a handful of actors, a dune buggy and that’s pretty much it!

About the writer: Mitch Smith is an award winning screenwriter whose website offers notes, script editing and phone consultations. You can also reach him at Mitch.SmithScripts (a) gmail and follow Mitch on twitter @MitchScripts.

About the reviewer: Gary Rowlands cut his teeth writing sketch comedy and was a commissioned writer on the hugely popular Spitting Image broadcast on national television in the UK. He has since branched out into writing features and is actively seeking representation. He can be contacted at gazrow at hotmail dot com.

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