Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are twenty one original scripts for our reading pleasure.

Also, discover “Who Wrote What” from the June, 2020 One Week Challenge.

– Don

VIRUS-99 (6 page horror short) by Rob Herzog

The quarantine for a deadly virus is over, but the trouble has just started for a man keeping his bizarre family on permanent lockdown.

There was some serious talent on display here on Simply Scripts during its May One Week Challenge. For those visiting and checking out this review, the theme of the One Week Challenge was a pretty relevant topic in today’s world – the COVID crisis. The participating writers had one week to write a 2-6 page screenplay centered around this theme that could realistically be shot during these strange times of social distancing. The results of the challenge saw some very impressive entries across various genres, reflecting our own personal experiences as well as many topics and stories we’ve all seen on the news.

When the writers of the entries were revealed, it was no surprise that Rob Herzog, who has a panache for exploring the deepest, darkest depths of human nature, was the author of one of my personal favorites, the very dark and twisted, VIRUS-99.

What I found really unique about this story in particular was that it didn’t take place DURING the quarantine, but rather POST quarantine, exploring the lingering psychological effects that months of isolation can have on a person.

This twisted tale opens with protective father and husband, William Butler, talking to his sister Erica over the phone. Disheveled and haggard, he looks like a guy who hasn’t left the house in a very, very long time. Though the quarantine has been lifted, William isn’t quite convinced that all is safe, keeping himself and his family on lockdown. Ever the conspiracy theorist (like many during this lockdown), not only does he believe that it’s not safe out there – but he truly believes that there’s something rotten going on. But his sister, Erica, tries to convince him otherwise…

            ERICA (VO)
Go check your window. You’ll see people
outside. The quarantine’s been lifted.

You can’t really blame the guy for being a little paranoid and overprotective. This quarantine is pretty unprecedented, at least in our lifetime. And it can be very difficult to make the distinction between what to believe and what not to believe based on the information we’re given through the news media.

But as we spend more time with William, we find that his paranoia is a little more disturbing than we’re initially made to believe… bordering crazy.

            WILLIAM
Erica, I know that it’s not really you
I’m talking to. You’re a computer-generated
deep fake. You sound like my sister, but
you’re not.

Convinced that his REAL sister is dead, William hangs up on his concerned sister (or sister’s doppelganger), who is determined to come over and talk some sense into her nutso brother.

As if William couldn’t seem any crazier, we really see just how off-the-reservation he might beas he’s cooking up some grilled cheese sandwiches for his wife, Wendy, and his three children. But, rather than actual people sitting at the dinner table, there’s stuffed dummies dressed as his family with facial expressions drawn on pillow cases. Which makes us wonder what happened to his REAL family?

Speaking to them as if they weren’t inanimate, stuffed objects, William prepares them for his “fake” sister’s arrival with a very strange and memorable pep-talk/monologue about the movie, “Apollo 13” – William is 100% certain that an ambush is about to go down.

I won’t reveal TOO much, but just to give you a clue as to how this story may or may not play out, allow me to go back a few sentences in this review where I mentioned – we really see just how off-the-reservation he might be… emphasis on might be.

Very unique and very dark, Rob Herzog’s “VIRUS-99” explores the depths of our paranoia during these strange times, suggesting that some of that paranoia might not sound as insane as others may think.

BUDGET: Shoe string. This would be about as easy as it can get to film with only one location and one on-screen actor.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Rob Herzog is a Chicago screenwriter. He has sold two short scripts and won prize money in two small screenwriting contests. His short horror script Creak and Shriek was produced in 2019 by Mad Dreamer Entertainment and can be viewed on various platforms like Amazon Prime, YouTube and Vimeo. He has a master’s degree in English composition from Northeastern Illinois University. Rob can be reached at: robherzogr (a) hotmail.

Read: VIRUS-99 (6 page horror short)

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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.

INITIATION (14 page suspense short) by P.H. Cook

A young black man, ready to celebrate his promotion and proposal to his girlfriend, runs into a young white girl with sinister intentions.

Though the COVID crisis continues to dominate today’s headlines, there’s one unfortunate news story that came to mind as I was reading Pia Cook’s hard-hitting, racially-charged, white-knuckler, “Initiation”.

Recently in New York City, in an area of Central Park popular amongst birdwatchers called, “The Brambles”, a white woman named Amy Cooper called in a false report to police, claiming she was being assaulted by Christian Cooper (no relation), an avid birdwatcher and member of the board of directors for the New York City chapter of the Audubon Society – he also happens to be African American.

In this area of Central Park, it’s mandatory that dogs must be leashed to preserve the safety of the bird population. This was a rule that Ms. Cooper was neglecting with her own dog despite signs being posted. As I’ve mentioned, Christian is an avid birdwatcher who was merely reminding her of this rule. She, however, decided to escalate matters, threatening to call the police on the “African American man”, as she made it a point to repeat several times. Luckily, Christian, calm as can be, was able to record the whole altercation as Ms. Cooper called the police and, while sounding as distressed as possible, falsely accused this “African American man” of assaulting her and her dog (which she proceeded to choke while on the phone).

Again, luckily, Christian recorded the whole incident and no arrests were made – many would argue that the young woman SHOULD have been arrested for calling in a false report. And luckily, Christian was also a well-known and well-respected pillar of the community. But what would have happened if he hadn’t recorded everything? What if he wasn’t a known figure? Far too often throughout history we’ve seen these false, racially-charged accusations result in innocent black men senselessly being thrown behind bars. And, unfortunately, many times these false accusations have escalated into incidents that have ended in tragedy.

In “Initiation”, Cook’s protagonist, a successful young African American man named Nico is unfortunately faced with the reality that many young black men, such as Christian Cooper, face everyday.

What starts off as a day of celebration, Nico has just been named the new national marketing director of his company. Financially stable enough to afford that wedding ring for his girlfriend and soon-to-be-wife, he plans on finally proposing to her later that night. Getting ready for a night of romance, he stops by the store to pick up some flowers, wine and other necessities that might come in handy on a night like this.

But, as he leaves the store and gets into his car, he’s surprised by a 14-year old white girl named Amara, who invites herself into his vehicle, sitting in the passenger’s seat. What does she want, exactly?

“Just drive,” she tells him. Baffled, Nico does what any ordinary person would do and tells her to get the hell out. Unfortunately for him, he’s a 34-year old black man in a car with a 14-year old white girl. And she uses this as leverage.

            AMARA
You throw me out of your car, I’m
gonna point at you and yell rape.
As loud as I can.

            AMARA
Who do you think they will believe?
Me or you?

Trapped in what seems to be a lose-lose scenario, Nico has no choice but to do as she says. But what exactly does she want? And why is she doing this?

The tension throughout this story is very difficult to bear at times. Part of the reason is because it’s sadly, all too real, reflecting issues that are unfortunately still relevant in society today. And though we, as a society, have come a long way in regards to racial equality, this story accurately shows that we still have a very long way to go.

BUDGET: Low. Two main actors and mainly a car (with a few other easily accessible locations).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Born and raised in Sweden, P.H. Cook started writing in 2006. She now has written over 100 shorts scripts and 15 features. Many of those have been produced. She also directs some of her own shorts and hopes to be able to direct a feature some day. She can be reached at gatortales – “AT” – gmail.

Read: INITIATION

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board

*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.

On the Unproduced Scripts page are the twenty two scripts of the June One Week Challenge.

Theme: Future Shock
Genre: Horror SciFi
Challenge: Stories inspired by a scary future. Micro-horror shorts with a view to being budget-friendly.

Visit the Discussion Board for the details.

– Don

Over on the Original Scripts page are twenty two unproduced scripts for your reading pleasure. One, pique your interest? Reach out to the writer.

– Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are the twenty two original short scripts on the theme of the Journal of the Plague Year One Week challenge. Most of these scripts are easily film-able with minimal sets and characters.

Directors and aspiring film makers if you are looking for a quick film, please check out the scripts and reach out to the writers.

– Don

Trust Me by P.H. Cook

Without parents to protect her, a little girl trusts a police officer for help.

Children are such vulnerable creatures. In a perfect world, it’s the parent’s, and/or their extended family’s job to protect and nurture them. But as we well know, the world isn’t a perfect place. Occasionally a child is left alone, their safety dependent on the kindness of strangers.

Five-year-old, Emma is one of those children. We first see her walking down the street, hand in hand with Joe (30), both in tattered clothes. She tells him she’s hungry. As they head toward a burger joint, Joe tells her not to speak to anyone. Keeping to themselves, neither realizes they’re being followed.

Obviously, something isn’t right here. Naturally we’re nervous for Emma. She asks Joe, “Am I gonna go home soon?”. Through binoculars, Warren watches their every move. When Emma gets up to go to the restroom, Warren grabs his badge and gun and enters the restaurant. We’re relieved. Warren must be there to save Emma, right?

“Trust Me”, is a suspenseful short story that will keep you wondering who is good, and who is bad. You’ll be invested in the outcome, just wanting Emma to be okay… but sometimes the world isn’t a perfect place.

This short is very low budget and would make a great project for first time filmmakers. I don’t think this gem will be available for long, so act quickly!

About the writer: Born and raised in Sweden, P.H. Cook is 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 – “AT” – gmail.

Read Trust Me (6 pages 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.

About the Reviewer: Marnie Mitchell-Lister has creative A.D.D. Some of her writing can be read here: BrainFluffs.com. Some of her photography can be seen here: marnzart.wordpress.com.

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are the twenty two original scripts of the Journal of the Plague Year One week challenge. Most of these scripts are easily film-able with minimal sets and characters.

– Don

PERCHANCE TO DREAM (10 page short sci-fi script) by James Austin McCormick

A dead soldier follows the light at the end of the tunnel, but discovers his own personal afterlife is nothing he could have imagined.

Imagine, for a second, a world (or universe) in which democracy has completely collapsed and evil, amoral corporations have seized supreme political control, overtaking government, controlling our economy, military and even us, as people. What’s that? We don’t have to imagine it at all? It’s happening now?

I’ll stay away from any political rants, but it’s no secret just how much corporations influence our government, our economy and us, as people, and our everyday lives. But what if these corporations controlled us… even after we’re dead?

That’s what author, James Austin McCormick, explores in his “Outer Limits”-esque sci-fi tale, Perchance to Dream.

It all takes place in the very distant future, where corporations reign supreme and are at war with each other, duking it out over the solar system’s resources. It’s also a future where DNA replication and gene patenting is regulated by one corporation in particular. Think of the way Monsanto was able to alter crop DNA and then essentially own it in perpetuity, thus monopolizing America’s agricultural market with its genetically modified seeds. Well, the corporation in Perchance to Dream is kinda the same thing, but with human DNA.

The story opens with battered and bloodied soldier, Captain Eli Jaxon, moving towards a light at the end of a tunnel. As he reaches the light, he finds himself in an office where he’s greeted by a nerdy, bespectacled clerk sitting behind a desk.

All Jaxon remembers is being on the battlefield, where an enemy shell exploded, decimating him and his troop. Next thing he knew, he was walking down a dark tunnel, towards a light.

“Am I dead?” Jackson asks.

            CLERK
Well, at this precise moment your
body lays broken and bloodied on
the Martian battlefield, just outside
Olympus Mons. Both heart and respiratory
functions have ceased. Already brain
cells are dying.

He taps his temple.

            CLERK
Your higher cognitive functions have
ceased, but your consciousness has
been saved. That now resides inside
this virtual environment.

            JAXON
Okay, now I’m beginning to catch on.
That damn chip in my head.

It’s actually a crystal embedded in Jaxon’s central cortex, the clerk clarifies.

During this office meeting inside of Jaxon’s subconscious, the clerk then discusses some paperwork that had previously been signed by Jaxon.

            CLERK (CON’T)
Now, it says in your contract that
if you’re to die during active duty
then a substantial payment is to be
made to your family.

Unfortunately for Jaxon and the family that he’s survived by, there’s a sub clause in the contract that threatens payment – leaving his wife and kid, back on Earth, no longer entitled to compensation despite Jaxon being blown to bits over this corporation’s war.

There is, however, a way to make things right – to sign a new contract. By signing it, not only will his family be compensated, but he will be brought back to life to specifically complete his mission so that the corporation he’s fighting for can prevail. But, by signing that contract, he may be signing away much more than he had intended.

In Perchance to Dream, McCormick explores themes of power, lack of it and how individuals can become enslaved through gene patenting while also touching on what it means to be human… and whether or not that human side can truly be replicated.

BUDGET: Low. There aren’t any action set pieces here, really. It’s essentially two main characters and two locations – an office and a larger room that can be made to look like the inside of an army base.

ABOUT THE WRITER: James Austin McCormick is a college lecturer and compulsive writer of speculative fiction with many short stories published in various anthologies along with novellas and novels published with Class Act Books. As a screenwriter, James has consistently placed high in international competitions and, along with a co-author, has had three feature-length horror scripts optioned by K5 films. With a long list of short-length scripts, James also collaborated with talented writer, Annabel Grace, on the produced short, In the Silence. You can find his works on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. James can be reached at: jimbostories (a) hotmail.

Read: PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board

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

Find more scripts available for production.

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.