FOOD FIGHT (3 page short comedy screenplay) by Christopher Stewart

A young couple takes a unique approach in deciding who will choose where they eat for their lunch date.

I’m sure we can all use a good laugh right now while cooped up in isolation during these very, very strange times. And I’m sure once society kinda/sorta gets back to normalcy, we’ll still be in need of some laughter to keep our spirits bright as we continue to adjust.

When the time comes and we’re all allowed to leave the house again, I’m sure one thing we’re all going to be looking forward to is being able to dine out again – I, myself, am growing tired of ordering take-out. And my cooking is just deplorable. But one topic of discussion that I’m sure will pop up, whether we’re with friends or with our significant other, will be choosing where to have our first post-quarantine meal.

In Christopher Stewart’s hilariously absurd comedy short, Food Fight, Lori and Adam, your modern, every-day, twenty-something couple, have run into this all-too-familiar pickle – deciding where to go for dinner. Yes, it seems like such a ludicrously mundane thing to debate over. But it can feel like a life or death decision once those tummies start growling at us.

Clouded with indecisiveness, Lori and Adam go back and forth, putting pressure on the other to decide. Trust me, I’ve been there before, myself. This type of debate can go on and on for hours. It’s actually ruined relationships.

But Lori and Adam’s relationship is a strong and healthy one. And, instead of continuing this potentially endless game of hot potato, they decide to settle this conundrum using a conflict resolution technique that they read about online; a technique that you’d probably only see in a WWE story line – an extreme rules, last-man-standing brawl.

Absurd? Yes. Hilarious? Insanely.

In one of Christopher’s perfectly timed sight gags, we then cut to a display of weapons laid along their coffee table: A taser. Baseball bat. Pepper spray. Baton. Steel pipe. Heavy chain.

            LORI
No hard feelings, right?

If that doesn’t crack you up enough, the next perfectly-timed sight gag will have you in stitches.

As preposterous as this farce of a comedy short is, the premise is so simple and relatable that it just works. Part of the reason it works so well, outside of the sight gags, is because of Lori and Adam’s chemistry. Their dialogue is so nonchalant and casual throughout all of this, it’s actually kind of sweet and endearing – giving this Seinfeld meets Key & Peele-style sketch another unexpected dimension.

BUDGET: Cheap. Some props, a little bit of makeup. Three actors. Two locations – a restaurant and somebody’s apartment/home. I’m sure an extra room can be doubled to look like a restaurant with some clever editing and if the shot is tight enough.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Christopher Stewart is a licensed paramedic with a lifelong love of movies, helping others and relentless sarcasm. One random night a few years back, while stuffing his face with pizza, Christopher started reading screenplays just for fun and eventually starting writing scripts as a hobby – once he realized collecting stamps would never get him anywhere. In addition to writing and swearing, Christopher also enjoys helping other writers getting their screenplays in tip-top condition. Christopher can be reached at stewieville (a) me.com

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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.

Hearty congratulations to:

Dena McKinnon

Stowe Story Labs 2020 Development Grant Winner with:

THE BEE BOY — Drama Horror Feature

Logline: A crippled boy left for dead by his own dad is transformed into a walking bee hive bent on revenge.

Thanks Jake for the heads up on these drafts of Apollo 13.
Apollo 13 – August 6, 1994 revised 4th draft (9/23/94 revision) script by John Sayles (rewite of a script by William Broyles, Jr. & Al Reinert (based on the book ‘Lost Moon’ by Jim Lovel & Jeffrey Kluger))
Apollo 13 – August 6, 1994 revised 4th draft (11/17/94 revision) script by John Sayles (rewite of a script by William Broyles, Jr. & Al Reinert (based on the book ‘Lost Moon’ by Jim Lovel & Jeffrey Kluger)) – hosted by: Google Drive – in pdf format

Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert were scheduled to fly Apollo 14, but are moved up to 13. It’s 1970, and America have already achieved their lunar landing goal, so there’s little interest in this “routine” flight.. until that is, things go very wrong, and prospects of a safe return fade.

Information courtesy of imdb.com

THE OTHER SIDE (12 page short horror screenplay) Written By Kirsten James

A young woman and her boyfriend make the innocent mistake of playing on a Ouija Board and find out the hard way that the other side is not to be messed with.

Being home alone, especially at night, can be a little scary sometimes. It’s something we can all relate to, especially now, in our current climate. Even just the slightest noise can make us stop and conjure up the possibility, just for a moment, that maybe we aren’t the only ones there. Is it our minds playing tricks on us? Probably – which is what most of us tell ourselves in order to find comfort. But there’s always the possibility of a home intruder. Or, depending on personal beliefs, maybe something paranormal.

In Kirsten James’s spooky, supernatural horror short, The Other Side, it’s something much, much worse.

After having her boyfriend, Josh, over two nights in a row, Samantha finally has a night to herself. And she’s using her free time wisely – we’re introduced to her as she’s getting in a nice Stair Master workout while rocking out to music. Not a worry in the world…

We then see a messy coffee table, a mess she hasn’t yet cleaned up from the previous night – an empty wine bottle, some candy wrappers, an opened Ouija board, half a bottle of Jack Daniels …

Wait… a Ouija board? Oh, that can’t be good. In fact, specifically in horror films, the presence of a Ouija board is NEVER good. But Samantha doesn’t know she’s in a horror film. Just like in real life, people like to be scared for fun. And, often times, this “fun” comes in the form of a Ouija board – I am DEFINITELY not one of those people.

Right from the jump, unbeknownst to Samantha, there’s a dark, creepy figure just lingering in the shadows. Is it a person? Something worse? We don’t know yet. It could be anything. But it isn’t until a loud grinding noise from the kitchen grabs Samantha’s attention.

She inspects, discovering a planchette stuck in the sink’s garbage disposal. Immediately, perhaps to convince herself nothing is wrong, she suspects her boyfriend, Josh, is messing with her. As she looks around the apartment for Josh, she discovers more things that make her suspect that her hubby is playing a prank on her.

Fed up, she gives him a call – but we see that Josh is clearly at his own place (living with his mother), working on a college assignment. As things continue to go bump in the night, we come to find out that Josh and Samantha, under the influence of alcohol and munchies, may have conjured something up while messing around with that Ouija the previous night.

But there’s a problem – Josh says he wasn’t there the previous night. But… if he wasn’t there last night… who did Samantha have sex with? Did the Ouija board somehow conjure up some demonic doppelganger?

All those questions are answered in what plays out like a chillingly clever mash-up of Paranormal Activity meets Jordan Peele’s Us. Packed with all the things you look for in a horror story, The Other Side is a mind-bending, frightening read and that would translate even better on screen. I highly recommend it to any filmmaker looking to make some noise in the horror film festival circuit.

BUDGET: Shoestring. Two locations (an apartment and then a room). And two on-screen actors.

ABOUT THE WRITER: In 2014 Kirsten was inspired by a friend to start writing short stories. After a year she realized she wanted to see her stories on screen and turned one of her shorts into a screenplay. She has never forgotten the rush of excitement she felt the moment she typed her first ever ‘FADE IN’. It was as if something clicked. Since then, Kirsten has written several shorts, mostly in the horror genre, with a couple of comedies and dramas thrown in. She’s had a few picked up for production. A short mystery has been produced based on characters she created and she has one horror short in pre-production as part of a horror anthology. Kirsten has a degree in psychology and finds this a great asset to her writing. Kirsten can be reached at niketa0000 (a) hotmail.

Read The Other Side (12 page short horror screenplay)

^*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.

FLEE THIS ROOM (13 page short horror script) by Rob Herzog

Are you ready for this? – The story’s opening line of dialogue almost feels like the author is preparing us for the insanity that lies ahead in Flee This Room, a trippy, David Lynch-esque horror tale from writer, Rob Herzog.

The opening line of dialogue is what Amelia asks her hopelessly love-struck new boyfriend, Jay, before introducing him to a very odd group of friends. Ready for what, exactly? Jay isn’t quite sure, though Amelia describes it as an “experience”. An experience indeed, as Jay finds out soon enough.

Jay and Amelia are greeted at the door by the host of the party, Jericho – a spiritual guru of sorts. He leads the new couple into his apartment where we meet Ferd and Sissy, who we come to know as Jericho’s “followers”, I guess you can say. High as kites, the two hippies look like they belong on Spahn Ranch with the rest of the Manson Family.

            JERICHO
Jay, today’s experience will combine
elements of improvisation, spirituality,
self-realization, group dynamics, kinesiology
and pseudo sorcery. Are you ready?

Sipping on glogg (a Scandinavian alcoholic beverage), Jay still hasn’t the slightest clue of what’s about to happen. But he’s willing to roll with the punches – for Amelia.

Jericho kicks things off with what seems like some kind of acid-induced improv exercise.

            JERICHO
Okay. Let’s start out by being flamingos.

He, Amelia, Ferd, and Sissy immediately lope like flamingos, flapping their arms. Sissy stands on one leg and squawks. An exercise straight out of an acting class.

Strange, yes. But nothing out of the ordinary if you’ve taken an improv class before.

The flamingo parade continues until Jericho calls out–

            JERICHO
Boy band.

They whirl in unison/lock step – all except Jay.

Uh … okay. A little stranger. But nothing crazy. That is until the exercise quickly takes on a darker tone…

            JERICHO
And now – human sacrifice.

Instantly, the group jumps up, gathers around Jay, and starts to stab him with imaginary knives. They chant–

            SISSY
Accept this sacrifice!

            FERD
Accept this sacrifice!

Amelia takes her imaginary knife and slits Jay’s throat. She does not smile at all. Complete seriousness.

And, if that wasn’t disturbing enough, a homemade, life-sized dummy named Bertram is brought into the picture as part of the odd ritual.

Everyone in the room except Jay bows down before Bertram.

WT-actual-F?

After Jay finds out that his glogg has been spiked with hallucinogens, the ritualistic exercise continues to get stranger and stranger – reaching nightmarish levels of weirdness.

If my description of the story hasn’t given you enough anxiety, I haven’t even scratched the surface of just how delightfully bizarre Rob Herzog’s script actually is.

Outside of his surprise short film on Netflix, “What Did Jack Do”, David Lynch hasn’t released anything new in a very long time. But, if you’re a Lynch-starved movie fanboy like me, “Flee This Room” should be enough to satisfy your appetite. It’s an acid-trip gone totally right and would be a fantastic pick-up for any filmmaker looking to create something truly unique — something audiences will remember and talk about long after the closing credits.

BUDGET: Shoe-string. Six actors and a room.

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. He has a master’s degree in English composition from Northeastern Illinois University.

Read: FLEE THIS ROOM (13 page short horror script)

^*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.

Happy Easter!

Over on the Original Scripts page there are eighteen original scripts for your reading pleasure.

We are a week away from when scripts for the March 2020 Challenge which are due April 20th.

Stop by and make your contribution to the Journal of the Plague Year.

– Don

HERE COMES THE BOGEYMAN (23 page short horror script) By Zack Akers

He said he’s coming tonight.

Kids say the darnedest thing, don’t they? It’s always unsettling when that darndest thing happens to be something super creepy. Yes, it’s a very familiar horror trope. But it’s a horror trope that never fails to weird me right-the-F-out every time I see it in a film. It just works… if done effectively. And in, Here Comes the Boogeyman, it most certainly works – to very, very creepy effect.

But that’s merely the set-up to writer, Zack Akers’ atmospheric bone-chiller, which centers around another familiar trope in horror films and campfire tales alike – the Bogeyman.

The story opens with single mom, Mary, tucking in her six and eight year-old sons, Tyler and Devin, respectively, to bed. But, for some reason, Tyler and his older brother choose to sleep in the same bed. When asked why, Devin falls to tears, afraid to tell his mother.

“The Bogeyman,” Tyler tells her, speaking up for his older brother.

Like most children have at some point of their adolescence, Devin has been having nightmares about the Bogeyman. Mary comforts the boys, telling them it was just a dream and the Bogeyman isn’t real. Because of course it’s not. But that’s when Devin says that “darndest thing” – “He said he’s coming tonight.”

The comment seems to bother Mary as she talks about it over the phone with her boyfriend, Luke. He tells her there’s nothing to worry about, to which Mary reluctantly agrees – “Yeah, you’re right. I’m probably just overreacting.”

But later in the night, as Mary makes her way to bed, her doorbell rings… followed by four slow knocks at the door. This, indeed, turns out to be the Bogeyman – at least he knocked, right?

In what plays out like a cat-and-mouse home-invasion film, the Bogeyman has one unsettling request – “Give me one… or I’ll take them both.” Refusing to accept the “Sophie’s Choice”-option given to her, she decides to try and fend off the Bogeyman. But she makes some very bad decisions in the process, those moments that make audience members yell, “What the F are you doing?!” at the screen. This ends up resulting in the gruesome demise of the whole family.

Although it sounds like I just spoiled the ending for everyone, I assure you, it’s only just the beginning. And to see exactly what I mean, you’ll have to check it out for yourself. But I will say that it’s at this point that the story takes all these familiar horror tropes and uses them to create something truly unique and original. I especially came away impressed with how our protagonist, Mary, learns from her earlier mistakes (that so many horror characters tend to make). And, yes, I know I said she met her demise. But, again, read it for yourself. It’s soooo worth checking out.

This is the type of film I can see raking in some serious views on Youtube, Vimeo and maybe even Shudder, who I know lists short films from time to time. Atmospheric and suspenseful with some truly terrifying visuals and a gut-punch of an ending, “Here Comes the Bogeyman” is what nightmares are made of.

BUDGET: Low. One location (a house) and a cast of five (two child actors). This will require some blood, makeup and practical effects (or special effects, depending on how the filmmaker sees it).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Zack Akers has been writing screenplays since 2005, accumulating over 25 horror shorts with a handful of them having been produced. A true fan of the horror genre, Zack’s goal is simple – to scare the audience. Right now, Zack is collaborating with several talented filmmakers on some very exciting projects. So be on the lookout for some of his work! He can be reached at: zack.akers.89 (a) gmail

Read: Here Comes The Bogeyman (23 page short horror script 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: 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.

Check out his site – Rian-Johnson.com

Knives Out – undated, unspecified ‘screen script’ draft script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death. 

Information courtesy of imdb.com
Brick – undated shooting script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

Brendon is a loner investigating the death of his ex girlfriend Emily. The police are making no progress, so he enlists The Brain to catch the killer. Uncovering Emily’s dubious friends they meet femme fa-tale Nora Zehetner.

Information courtesy of imdb.com
The Brothers Bloom – undated, original shooting script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they’ve decided to take on one last job – showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

Rian wrote, It was originaly called “Penelope,” a name I still prefer, but we had to change the title when another film beat us to it. This is the original shooting script, and bears some differences from the finished film. The most obvious of these are in the final act, although tonally I think the script in general is a bit darker and more melancholy than what came out on the screen.

Information courtesy of imdb.com
Looper – undated, unspecified 3.2 draft script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ by transporting back Joe’s future self.

Information courtesy of imdb
You can find more scripts on the Movie Scripts page and the Scripts Studios are posting for Award Consideration page.

RELIVE (7 page short horror script) by Luke Anthony Walker

While rushing to the hospital, Ben and his pregnant wife, Anna, accidentally injure a mysterious woman with their car. When they try to help her, the night takes a very bizarre turn for the worst.

“Be careful who you help…”

We’ve all been there – whether in a rush or running late for an appointment, we’ve all, at some point, exceeded the speed limit to get somewhere quicker. But there are consequences to driving too fast sometimes: speeding tickets, traffic violations, minor fender-benders… and sometimes, much, much worse.

Driving past the speed limit is rarely warranted but, for Ben and Anna, it’s necessary, in Luke Anthony Walker’s twisty mind-bender, “Relive”.

We’re taken to a dark, desolate road in the middle of the night as Ben drives his very pregnant wife, Anna, to the hospital. With time of the essence and no other cars in sight, Ben keeps the pedal to the metal as they get closer to their destination.

Playing soothing classical music to calm Anna’s nerves, they’re not too far now. But that’s when the proverbial poop hits the fan…

A WOMAN caked in mud, with long, sodden hair covering her face and wearing nothing but a dressing gown, suddenly appears in the middle of the road with her hand held out, gesturing for the car to stop.

Ben slams on the brakes, jolting the couple forward. The car comes to a screeching halt, but still hits the woman, knocking her to the ground and out of sight.

Who is this woman? And what was she doing in the middle of the road… in the middle of the night… in the middle of nowhere?

Ben isn’t sure what to do – Call the cops? Wait for help? But, with his wife’s contractions getting stronger and more painful, Ben doesn’t have much time to act. So, he does what any good person would do – he helps the injured woman.

Already in a hurry to the hospital anyway, Ben loads the mysterious, unconscious stranger into their car – two birds, one stone, right?

But, as if having a baby wasn’t nerve-racking enough, they now face some pretty grim circumstances, unsure if the injured woman is even alive. Already at wits end, things seem like they couldn’t get any worse…

But they do.

Ben attempts to comfort Anna, his attention switching between her and the road ahead.

Unseen by them both, the woman sits up straight, her long hair dangling across her face.

She raises her hand and points toward the road ahead.

            WOMAN
     (shrieking)
Stop!

The car careens off the road and crashes straight into a tree at the bottom of a ditch.

And this is when things start to get really bizarre.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I will say that the way Luke’s story unravels is one hell a trip. It draws comparisons to films such as the criminally underrated Mexican film, “The Incident”, and the also very-underrated cruise-ship horror flick, “Triangle”.

“Relive” is a creative, mind-bending read that would be a terrific notch on any filmmaker’s belt. And it would be one hell of a ride (pun intended) for its viewing audience.

BUDGET: Moderate. The car accident scenes can be executed well on a low-budget with some clever editing – no need to total a car. As for the stag in the story, that can easily be replaced with another, cheaper obstacle (the injured woman can just yank on the wheel).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Luke Walker, a part-time stay at home Dad to two young Padawans, is a self taught, award-winning horror screenwriter from Bristol, England. He’s best knownfor his short film ‘Paralysis’, screened at Macabro: Mexico City International Horror Film Festival. And for short script ‘Rose’, winner of ‘Lets Make It! Screenwriting Contest / Antic Horror – International Short Screenplay Contest / 13 Horror.com Film and Screenplay Contest. Luke can be reached at luke.ewoods (a) googlemail.com

Read:RELIVE (7 page short horror script)

^*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.