The Trench by Chris Beadnell

In war, it’s important to retain one’s humanity.

Unless that leads to a mistake…

The Somme offensive of 1916 was planned as a swift and incisive battle that would lead to total Allied victory in World War I. Unfortunately, it was anything but: both sides incessantly shelled one another for four months, resulting in over a million fatalities.

In Chris Beadnell’s Trench, we’re taken to the mop-up phase after a successful British advance, aided by said shelling.

Looking for survivors in the German trenches, our two cleaners have one motto:

            EASON
…Remember, no prisoners.

Yet this unwritten rule is challenged when in the last dugout they come across one moribund survivor. His leg deformed by shrapnel, he’s immobilized.

With neither bullet nor bayonet on them, the victors leave it to nature to finish the last German dying off.

With hindsight, there’s only one word needed to describe this decision: mistake.

Partially based on historical truth, a micro-script with a gigantic premise like this one deserves to have a great general directing the action.

So pick this one up and earn your film stripes!

Budget: Minimum. Yes, you’ll need some costumes. But the rest should be easy.

About the writer, Chris Beadnell: With a 30+ year paramedic career, bearing witness to the complete spectrum of human emotion, I would use the creativity of writing as an escape from the reality of such a high pressure occupation. Most of my writing was never seen by anyone except a very select group of family and friends, and sometimes not even them. However, a serious eye injury in 2015 had me off work for months and the boredom of not working gave me the time and desire to learn the craft of script writing, and the stories locked in my mind finally had an avenue to flow. Chris can be reached out Cbeadnell (a) ymail.com or ChrisBeadnell.wordpress.com. Check out his other works.

Read The Trench (1 page in pdf format)

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: 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. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

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

– Don

Thanks to John for the heads up on this Independent Spirit Award nominated screenplay.

Little Men – July 27, 2015 shooting draft script by Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias – hosted by: Indie Wire – in pdf format

13-year-old Jake befriends Tony, raised by his mother Leonor . A feud ignites between the parents, Brian and Kathy and Leonor – the boys remain silent against their parents in protest.

Information courtesy of imdb.com

Find more movie scripts on the Movie Scripts page.

Silence Eventually by Steven Clark

Two young men suffer an eventful first date at a night club, but that’s neither the beginning, or the end, of their personal struggles.

On June 12th, 2016, 49 people – mostly young gay men – were killed in a mass shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse. 53 more were wounded. And countless lives traumatized.

The deadliest mass shooting by a single attacker in the history of the United States, Orlando symbolized even more – an act of pure hatred against a community built on freedom of expression and love.

You know what they say about “silver linings”. In the face of such tragedy, such clichés may ring trite, but still true.

Because through all the pain and sorrow of that day came a tidal wave of solidarity for LGBT pride that no madman’s bullet could stop.

Steven Clark’s Silence, Eventually turns this horrific tragedy on its head, using it effectively and gently tell a tale of innocent souls who suffer persecution – for the “crime” of who they are.

Beginning in a back alleyway, we’re introduced to two young survivors – Sam and Kyle. While both are physically intact, Kyle’s shirt is soaked in blood.

Needless to say, he just wants to go home. Which is the safest place to be, right?

Wrong. Kyle hasn’t come out to his parents yet. And they definitely don’t know he’s been on a date with Sam to the club.

Traumatized, but determined to “keep moving”, Sam and Kyle walk together along a suburban sidewalk – the sun preparing its entrance on a brand new day.

And Kyle admits to worries about his “secret” being discovered:

            KYLE
My parents are old school proud.
If I came out…

The rest is easily implied.

Fortunately, Sam offers to help Kyle clean up before returning home, and cheer him up a little – if he can.

But does survival always ensure a happy ending? Will Kyle’s family discover his recent whereabouts and still accept him with open, relieved arms?

Budget: Minor – two main characters, and easy settings. (Easy to find – but emotionally difficult to shoot.)

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. Check out his website BadRepScript.weebly.com and his other screenplays.

Read Silence Eventually (11 pages in PDF format)

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: 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. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

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

– Don

Watch The Ephesian by Mark Lyons on Amazon Prime!

When a long-grieving father lobbies to visit a killer on death row, he walks into the chance of a lifetime to come face-to-face with the man who murdered his infant son.

The Ephesian (16 pages in pdf format) by Mark Lyons (rc1107)

A mourning father lobbies to visit a gangster on the eve of his execution.

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Outcall by Chris Beadnell

An elderly man gets a visit from a new home health aide – one with added benefits!

First impressions count. Especially at the start of a new job. It’s a chance to let your professionalism shine, and prove why you were hired in the first place – while demonstrating your top notch skill-set first hand.

This is the situation young Bambi finds herself in at the beginning of Chris Beadnell’s comedy short, Outcall.

A new girl at her agency, Bambi’s got to impress her boss, and satisfy her clients – totally. As we join her in her new venture, she’s preparing to meet a new customer. Is the girl dressed properly? Check. Does she know what her task entails? Double check.

But when she arrives at the address, confusion rears it’s ugly head. Because this locale isn’t your usual meet for Bambi’s line of work. And not a typical client either.

It’s not often you get an 82-year-old man named John requesting the following from a 20-something girl:

            BAMBI
So I have a shave, a back wash
and a massage. That’s what we’re
doing?

Then Bambi realises something else: the senile senior… stinks on ice! So she adds a quick shower to the list of on –the-job services, and gives the octogenarian a wet scrubbing. In the shower. Buck naked. An experience John relishes. Ah, customer service at its best!

But halfway through the shaving routine, two major twists run this train right off its tracks:

   Bambi’s phone rings.
   There’s a hurried knock at the door.

Maybe that’s coincidence. Or these events are connected. But if so – how? Only one person knows for sure, and that won’t be you…until you read the script!

This certainly ain’t a family friendly short, but it’s audience-friendly all the way. That ridiculous shower scene is a total gem: providing a mix of amusing/mature entertainment… with clever plot revelations along the way. It’s not often you see those two adjectives in the same sentence, but Outcall weds them instantly. Now, all it needs is the perfect Minister (um, “Director”) to finish the job… even if Bambi can’t.

Pick this one up, and you’ll be called in to many award ceremonies! With satisfied “clients” all the way!

Budget: Pretty low. Your primary priority: two great actors… with great comedic timing and chemistry!

About the writer, Chris Beadnell: With a 30+ year paramedic career, bearing witness to the complete spectrum of human emotion, I would use the creativity of writing as an escape from the reality of such a high pressure occupation. Most of my writing was never seen by anyone except a very select group of family and friends, and sometimes not even them. However, a serious eye injury in 2015 had me off work for months and the boredom of not working gave me the time and desire to learn the craft of script writing, and the stories locked in my mind finally had an avenue to flow. Chris can be reached out Cbeadnell (a) ymail.com or ChrisBeadnell.wordpress.com. Check out his other works.

Read Outcall (7 pages in pdf format)

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: 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. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

Chef Musto by Steven Clark

What’s for dinner? That’s always the question when guests arrive…

Dinner parties: a chance to impress friends in more ways than one. While the overall vibe of the occasion is important, it’s the food that will be most remembered by patrons when all’s said and down – especially if a speciality dish is served…

In Steve Clark’s Chef Musto, the kitchen is just one of many rooms contained within an eloquent British mansion. This lavishness is particularly flaunted in the dining room, where a grand table is prepared to welcome soon-to-be-arriving dinner guests.

Unfortunately, the kitchen staff are anything but prepared. The Sous Chef is late, and exasperated Musto blames diminutive butler Radford for the mess. Musto’s assistant Hispanic Mi-Mi speaks no English, and stays out of the argument as it threatens to boil over the top. Steam is avoided when missing maestro Chris finally turns up, at the precise time he was instructed to arrive.

Fortunately, the wait proves worth it. If Chris was a soldier, he’d be covered in medals. Though new to the gig, his culinary experience shines through as the team speed their way through preparing the main dish’s sides.

And soon after Radford turns up the heat:

            RADFORD
The Davenport’s phoned.
Estimated time of arrival in five minutes.

While Davenport is only the party host, Musto knows all-too-well they’re behind schedule. As is common in Kitchen Nightmares, some shortcuts must inevitably be taken for the main course. Some rookie mistakes will surely be made – ones that lead to the hosts seeing the entrée before it should be unveiled…

Take a pinch of flavorsome dialogue, a drop of juicy plot twist, and sprinkle some spicy characters on top. Whip that all together ‘til it foams, and you’ve got a concoction of comedic incongruence called Chef Musto: Bon Appetite!

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned director, this culinary classic is sure to have guests heaping praise upon the chef. So cook this tantalizing script until it’s well done, and your audience will be demanding seconds – we guarantee!

Budget: Pretty low: give this just a little green, you’ll be cooking fine!

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. Check out his website BadRepScript.weebly.com and his other screenplays.

Read Chef Musto (8 pages in PDF format)

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: 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. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

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

– Don