Wide O

Lock your doors.

Anticipation is vital to horror stories. Remember how you felt watching Marion step into the shower in Psycho, Brody toss chum off the boat in Jaws, or bag boy Norm walk outside the supermarket in The Mist? That little niggle inside telling you that something doesn’t feel quite right. Something’s about to happen. Like a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike!

In the short script Wide O, that uneasy feeling is present as well – from the moment Ms. All American Mom shuts off a news program, being watched by her two pajama-clad youngsters. It’s a story about a brutal suburban massacre. Definitely unfit for innocent eyes.

The kids protest the action. They can’t sleep – it’s too cold. Mom realizes the house is drafty, and promises to make them hot chocolate. She heads to the kitchen, and discovers the source of that chill…

In most horrors these days, the violence slaps audiences in the face. Wide O is bloodless. But supremely effective: a little one page gem that nurses that itch of terror inside you – making the hairs stand up on the back of your neck…

Horror directors take note: Wide O’s not likely to be on the market long. No blood, no mess. One location. Just an intelligent script with a strong ending. Best to snap it up before it’s gone.

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.) Other shorts of Robert’s (both horror) reviewed at STS include:

A Mighty Fire

Someplace Nice and Dark

Pages: 1

Budget: Extremely low. A living room and kitchen’s all you need. And a handful of actors (including extras for the “news” broadcast.)

About the Reviewer: California über reader/reviewer KP Mackie is working hard on her animated feature. KP’s work is available at 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.

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

– Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page.

– Don

Phil and the Kettle (11 pages in PDF format) by Greg Thomson filmed as The Coffee Maker from Hell

A man is terrorized by his sadistic kettle (Short, Comedy)

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board

Wherein writers, on very short notice, were told they had one week to write a ten page screenplay based upon the theme of Trapped in a Cab (could be a car for hire, e.g., Lyft, Uber, Limo, or Tuk-tuck.

Check them out!

Warmer
A curious toy designer picks a poor time to put his latest creation to the test

Dolls. Made as innocent friends to play with imaginary children, the typical fictional doll trope subverts this by adding a sinister, often fatal side to them. From Child’s Play to the evil Krusty in The Simpsons, dolls in fiction invariably are associated with horror.

However, there’s no “horror” in Steve Miles’ Warmer, at least from the audience’s perspective. There are no rogue dolls – just Heidi and Abby, twin blonde and brunette Barbiesque inventions by high-flying toy developer Chuck Dunker. Optimistic about his latest prototype(s), he’s ready to pitch them to the CEO of Morton’s Toys.

But just before the crucial dinner/demonstration, disaster strikes. An “accident” leads to Heidi’s head disappearing. Even worse, Heidi and Abby are an interactive hide and seek playing duo – without one, both are useless!

So the dinner/demonstration turns into dinner/description, without Heidi’s presence. Even so, when the daughter of Morton’s CEO brings out an Abby prototype and turns it on, Chuck starts acting awkwardly. Why?

Because Abby’s quest to find Heidi appears to be focused on Chuck – she won’t take her eyes off him!

Worse still, when Abby gets closer to Chuck, Heidi’s silence is broken, very much to Chuck’s discomfort…

HEIDI DOLL (O.S.)
(muffled)
You’re getting warmer!

Where’s Heidi hiding? And why is Chuck so anxious? Read the script and find out – the reveal of Heidi’s hiding place will warm up even the coldest of hearts in amusement!

Pages: 9

Budget: Moderate. Though you know – getting attractive dolls is key!

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 “AT” gmail.com. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

About the writer: Steve Miles decided to get serious about writing around three years ago. Since then he’s concentrated on putting together a collection of shorts with a goal of finishing up a feature or two by year-end. Oh, and giving George RR Martin a run for his money! Email him at stevemiles80 “AT” yahoo.co.uk

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.

Dog Years
The barrier guards at the Large Hadron Collider make a strange discovery that makes them stop and wonder… just for a moment.

I never understood the whole “take your dog shopping with you” thing. Especially since most stores and restaurants don’t allow pets inside. (What’s wrong with places like that, anyway? The presence of dogs makes everything better, you ask me.)

“Hey, Sparky, let me take you from the comfy air conditioned house and lock you inside the sweltering Ford death box. That way, you can watch me eat a foot long tuna sub through the window at Subway. Doesn’t that sound like lotsa fun?”

In fact, whenever I see a dog alone in a parked car, I prefer to imagine he had an argument with his owner, stole the keys, and drove himself there. Maybe he gnawed on a bone until it calmed him down, then drove back home to wag his tail and apologize.

Highly doubtful, I realize, but it makes me feel better than the alternative.

By now, you’re probably wondering how this all ties in with the new short script Dog Years, by super scribe Anthony Cawood.

It does. Trust me. Because maybe there are MORE explanations for such things than meets the eye.

Pascal and Antoine are two security guards at the Hadron Collider, who stumble upon a dog locked inside a car. Pascal thinks it’s weird the car’s been there all day, but Antoine dismisses it as “just someone’s pet.”

Pascal just might let it go at that, if it weren’t for “the sign.” Attached to the dog’s collar, it actually reads FROM THE FUTURE. Explain that one, smart guy.

Still, Antoine blows it off as a practical joke. Or maybe it’s one of those hidden camera reality shows. Still – ultimately – it’s just a dog.

So a defeated Pascal mopes back to the guard’s station.

I won’t expose the ending, but what happens next is a bit – extreme.

A fun quirky script, Dog Years will make you chuckle (and think twice) the next time you see a poodle sitting behind the wheel of that rusty mini van in the Walmart parking lot.

Comedy directors – especially those with a fondness of dogs (and security guards) – should scoot across the lawn, and lap this script up. Quickly!

Pages: 4

Budget: Low. A small cast of only three, and one of them will literally work for kibble. As for the Hadron Collider?  Stock footage can be subbed in. Or just another sign!

Disclaimer: The reviewer wishes to express that no animals were harmed during the writing of this review.

About the Reviewer: David M Troop has been writing since he could hold a No. 2 pencil. His short scripts have been featured on MoviePoet.com, Simplyscripts, and this here one. Currently, Dave is writing this review, but plans to write feature films in the near future and take Hollywood by storm. Well, not really storm – more like a sprinkle. He lives in the comatose town of Schuylkill Haven, PA where he is a proud grandfather, a father of two, and a husband of one.

About the Writer, Anthony Cawood: 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 Dog Years

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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.

Every once in a while I post something unrelated to screenwriting, but yet still related to story telling and thus posting it to the site. Sometimes its graphic novels (comic books) and sometimes it gaming. This is one of those gaming times. And, I introduce to you:

I had the opportunity to meet Alex Lau, Lead Programmer and CEO of Robtic Potato an indie game studio, and Rachel Lewis, Animation Director of the SpaceCats in Space! project. SpaceCats in Space! intriqued me. I love cats and I have dropped many thousands of American dollars, one quarter at a time, into hundreds of top down shooters beginning with one of the original top down shooters Atari’s Asteroids. I was utterly captivated by SpaceCats in Space! It’s a top down shooter with an engaging story line.

SpaceCats in Space! is an animated twin-stick shooter feline epic that takes place among the stars. The Kingdom of Meowfyre is under attack, and it needs your help right meow! Play as Princess Angelina Contessa III, and blast your way to meowgical glory in no-holds-barred space warfare against the canine Grolich Empire!

It has engaging gameplay and a good story line. However, what impressed me even more is how well this little indie game studio is run and how well the game and launch has been planned out.

If you have a little coin to throw their way, please do. If you don’t, still check out the SpaceCats in Space! Kickstarter page for a blueprint on how to put together and market a unique indie game.

– Don

Submit your script to the one week challenge/excercise/thing…

Welcome to the August (Where’d that come from?) 2016 One Week Challenge:

This is a ‘real world’ One Week Challenge. You’ve received no warning and you have one week to write a script based upon the requirements given.

Topic: Trapped in a Taxi Cab^*
Genre: Open
Budget: Low

^*Can be a car for hire, e.g., Lyft or Uber or Limo

You have seven days to write a screenplay of up to ten (10) pages. The screenplay must be properly formatted and in PDF format. The scripts are due on Friday, August 12th at 11:59PM EST and must be submitted to: SimplyScripts.com/owc

There will be a Writer’s Choice wherein the participants (and only the participants) will be asked to select the three scripts he or she likes the best.

Timeline:

August 5th at 10:00PM EST – Theme and Genre announced.
August 12th at 11:59PM EST – Scripts are due.
August 26th at 5:00PM EST – Names and writer’s choice revealed.

The Gist:

Up to 10 pages max. Properly formatted & saved as a PDF file. This isn’t a contest. There are no prizes. Free to submit. One entry per person (if you can sneak a second one by me, you are more than welcome to try).

You can revise your script as many times as you wish up until 11:59PM EST on August 12th, however try not to submit until you’re absolutely sure you’re submitting something you’re proud to submit.

This Exercise is limited to members of the Discussion Board. Participants are strongly encouraged to read and comment/review on the scripts submitted.

Do not put your real name on your script. However, please use your real name when submitting your script. (After the challenge closes you can either have your script removed or resubmit with your script with your name on it.

Please put © 2016. This work may not be used for any purpose without the expressed written permission of the author on the bottom of your title page.