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

READ THIS 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.

Evicted (short, thriller – 6 pages in pdf format) by Dustin Bowcott hosted by Dustin Bowcott

Two drug addled squatters receive an offer they can’t refuse.

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Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are 26 original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

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.

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

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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.

Anthony Cawood has taken his article series You’ve Finished the Damned Script – Now What? and updated it, expanded it and changed the title to How to… Sell your screenplay

Anthony has sold or optioned over forty shorts and one feature in the last three years, so he is probably doing something right.

Not sure you want to drop $2.99 on this, yet? Check out the eight-part article series upon which is book is based – You’ve Finished the Damned Script – Now What? – if you find a few things in there you didn’t know before, you might find his book even more useful.

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

– Don

Khamanna’s screenplay Never Let Go (short, drama) A 13 year old girl goes too far in attempt to cope with a tragedy was selected to be the 2015 Short Wars Production contest script. It was produced a number of times.

This version by Team Wilmington University was chosen by a live audience as the winning version.

The script was also produced by Del Tech who fell ten points short of Wilmington University.

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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!

FOR YET MORE SCRIPTS AVAILABLE FOR PRODUCTION:

PLEASE SEARCH SIMPLYSCRIPTS.COM 

OR THE BLOG VERSION OF STS HERE.

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.

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!!

FOR YET MORE SCRIPTS AVAILABLE FOR PRODUCTION:

PLEASE SEARCH SIMPLYSCRIPTS.COM 

OR THE BLOG VERSION OF STS HERE.

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.