Horrific Tales of the Wickedly Macabre is an anthology series that celebrates the ridiculous excess of ’80s horror. Eight separate terrifying stories, each told by horror fans, specifically for horror fans.

First up is:

Lunar Shift (34 pages in pdf format) by Sean Elwood (Wraparound Story Written by Sean Chipman)

When the popular kids at school begin to die in vicious maulings, the average Joe’s set out to find the beast and kill it before they’re next.

Discuss this script on the discussion board

The next bend on the trail to Halloween leads through some …

Brown Water (8 pages in pdf format) by Dena McKinnon

What if the only thing you were scared of was the only thing that could save you?

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Brown Water is a fascinating little tale set in a rural place near a swamp. Something is up with the swamp that gives little Tadpole a sickening fear of water. Her mother used to say the brown water is not cursed, but blessed and it takes the evil away. Day after day Tadpole comes to the swamp and watches the water in attempt to understand what evil her mother was talking about.

Characters – 2 main, 4 episodically, a few extras
Locations – 4 – swamp, church, cabin, road.
Prop – canoe

About the writer: Dena McKinnon is a talented writer with a number of produced shorts under her belt. Check out Dena’s IMDB credits and website at DenaMcKinnon.com.

About the reviewer: Khamanna Iskandarova is a dedicated mother and wife. She was born and raised in Azerbaijan, a small country at the shores of the Caspian Sea, but she has been living in the US for the most part of her life. She has several features completed, as well as a dozen shorts, some of which were produced by independent productions. Khamanna can be reached at khamanna “AT” hotmail. Check out her IMDB Creds

The October 2017 One Week Challenge is a short screenwriting exercise wherein writers are given a week to write a short script on the theme and genre provided. These are quickly done and may be a little rough around the edges considering the short time frame in which they are written.

Note: This audio recording is released under a Creative Commons, attribution, noncommercial, no derivatives 3.0 license. You can share the audio recording in its entirety, but you can’t change it or sell it.

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

The Origin of Fear (12 pages in pdf format) by Mark Renshaw

A university student working on a thesis about fear, stumbles across a technique for identifying dangerous individuals. Her latest experiment takes a lethal twist when it becomes apparent her work is gaining the wrong type of attention.

Leona decides to approach her phobia in a different way. She wants the subject of fear to be her thesis at the university. One by one, she interviews students in an attempt to understand what they are afraid of at a given point of their lives. All goes well until she stumbles upon Imogen.

Production: Characters – 2 main, 2 episodical, 2 extras; Location – 1 café; Effects – make-up and prosthesis.

About the Writer: Mark Renshaw can be reached through his website at Mark-Renshaw.com. An award-winning producer and director, his last project earned ‘Best Sci-Fi’ at the Top Shorts and Festigious film festivals.

This is an October 2017 One Week Challenge is a short. The OWC is a screenwriting exercise wherein writers are given a week to write a short script on the theme and genre provided. These are quickly done and may be a little rough around the edges considering the short time frame in which they are written.

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: Khamanna Iskandarova has several features completed, as well as a dozen shorts, some of which have been independently produced. Khamanna can be reached at khamanna (a) hotmail. Check out her IMDB Creds

Eisoptrophobia (7 pages in pdf format) by Huidong Lu

A man tries to face his greatest fear. His own reflection.

Jack can’t look at his reflection in a mirror as he believes his reflection has the life of its own. Once, his friend Sam leaves Jack alone in a public restroom. Jack has to face his fear as he needs to go past the dreaded mirror.

Production: Characters – 2; Location – 1 – restaurant

Huidong Lu is a talented writer who can be reached at: huidonglu (a) yahoo.ca

This is an October 2017 One Week Challenge is a short. The OWC is a screenwriting exercise wherein writers are given a week to write a short script on the theme and genre provided. These are quickly done and may be a little rough around the edges considering the short time frame in which they are written.

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: Khamanna Iskandarova has several features completed, as well as a dozen shorts, some of which have been independently produced. Khamanna can be reached at khamanna (a) hotmail. Check out her IMDB Creds

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – 1919 german silent film transcript by Hans Janowitz & Carl Mayer – hosted by: Classic Movie Scripts – in html format

A man named Francis relates a story about his best friend Alan and his fiancée Jane. Alan takes him to a fair where they meet Dr. Caligari, who exhibits a somnambulist, Cesare, that can predict the future. When Alan asks how long he has to live, Cesare says he has until dawn. The prophecy comes to pass, as Alan is murdered, and Cesare is a prime suspect. Cesare creeps into Jane’s bedroom and abducts her, running from the townspeople and finally dying of exhaustion. Meanwhile, the police discover a dummy in Cesare’s cabinet, while Caligari flees. Francis tracks Caligari to a mental asylum. He is the director! Or is he?

Information courtesy of imdb.com

Recently, we reviewed Chris Shamburger’s horrific new slasher, Red Light. As readers of Shootin’ the Shorts are aware, our goal at STS is to find new and promising writers, and provide them with the platform they need to get their work seen (then hopefully optioned, and produced!)

One of our not-so-secret weapons in this quest is Danny Manus of No BullScript Consulting. Having worked as a development executive in Hollywood, Danny is an in-demand script consultant, named by Creative Screenwriting Magazine at one of the “Top 15” consultants in their “Cream of the Crop” list.   Partnered with STS, Danny provides wonderfully detailed and helpful notes for the monthly STS feature script.  This coverage is provided free to the writer, and can be posted our site or kept confidential – at the writer’s discretion. But wait – there’s more!  Any script that gets a coveted “recommend” from tough but eminently fair Danny will be featured in his monthly newsletter and may also receive further exposure to his production contacts…

Below – for your Thanksgiving-reading pleasure – please find Danny’s scoresheet for Red Light. (Please note: for this posting, we’ve broken with tradition and redacted the actual coverage notes.) TRUST US: Danny’s notes – as always – were insightful and detailed; an invaluable read.  But we’re allergic to spoilers here at STS. So we’re keeping THAT under our Turkey table today!

But a Strong Consider from No Bullscript?  You better damned well grab this gem while you can! 🙂 Contact writer Chris at cshamburger “AT” live dot com for a copy of the script!

**To submit a script, please visit STS at the page listed HERE. Danny can also be contacted directly via the No BullScript Consulting website at http://www.nobullscript.net/contact/. Or on Twitter @DannyManus.

NO BULLSCRIPT ANALYSIS

 Title: Red Light

Type of Material: Screenplay

Author:  Chris Shamburger

Number of Pages: 102

Circa:  Present

Location:  Arizona

Genre:  Slasher/Horror

Coverage Date:   11/19/15

Budget Range: Low

LOGLINE: When three teens challenge a local ghost story by running a red light, they find themselves the next targets of a seemingly supernatural entity bent on revenge but the truth behind the legend may be even more deadly.

NO BULLSCRIPT 20 POINT GRADING SHEET AND RECOMMENDATION:

PROJECT: STRONG CONSIDER 

About the writer: Chris Shamburger was a finalist (Top 10) in the 2013 Shriekfest Film Festival for his recently-produced script, Hiccups. He has been a semi-finalist twice and has also been published in Twisted Dreams Magazineand Horror in Words. Chris lives in Marietta, GA with his partner and their Chow-mix rescue, Walter. Aside from writing, Chris has been teaching pre-kindergarten for the past six years. You can find him on IMDb here:  Permalink | Comments Off on No BullScript Consulting – Danny Manus Script Review (Red Light)

Heart of Coal

A renowned female psychologist ruminates over serial killer personalities – and the horror they’ve wreaked on her  life…

Narration. Voice-over. For some, it’s a film gimmick that grates on the nerves. But when done right, it can be spectacular. Don’t believe us? Try on a few of these films on for size.

Annie Hall: stand-up comedian Alvy Singer recounts his neurotic, titular love affair. Goodfellas: Henry Hill describes his evolution from small time crook to valued Mobster, and fall from grace to Informant. The Usual Suspects: Roger “Verbal” Kint weaves a tale of five random members from a police line-up, and the evil Keyser Soze. Speaking of Kevin Spacey and voiceovers, what about American Beauty?

All classic films told through the eyes of the narrator. And that’s the power of “V.O”. In the hands of a skilled screen writer, the voice of the narrator can lift a film to new heights. Add complex dimension to a story, and set the proper tone from page One… whether it be comedic, dramatic, or – in the case of Heart of Coal – downright chilling.

Dr. Lianne Berg’s life has had its ups and downs. A child psychologist who works with autistic children, she’s successful, young and gorgeous. A woman driven to succeed by horrors in her own childhood. Only nine when her mother was killed in front of her – stabbed to death sixty-seven times and beheaded. The serial killer never captured. Not surprisingly, the working of such dysfunctional minds became Dr. Berg’s obsession. As the script progresses, her voice drives the narrative; providing a glimpse into her separate worlds. Professional insights on the motives of such monsters, and her own nightmarish memories: how they’ve warped and shaped her life…

Stylishly written and streamlined, Heart of Coal is a deliciously demented script. And an amazing showcase for a thirtyish actress with just the right voice. With the right cast and smart editing, this script is an amazing find. Do this one right, and create a true horror masterpiece!

About the writer: Born and raised in Sweden, Pia Cook has SEVERAL produced features and shorts to her name (full IMDB credits here.) She started writing screenplays in 2006 and has written over sixty short screenplays and ten features. (Yeah… that’s not a typo. Six ZERO.)

Budget: Moderate. There are some locations inside a hospital and a Senator’s office. And a few extras to hire. Not to mention some blood and horror FX. But nothing to lose your head over. (Talk about an unfortunate choice of words!)

About the reviewer: David M Troop resumed writing in 2011 after a twenty-five year hiatus.  Since then, he has written about 50 short scripts, two of which have been produced.   Dave would like to make it three.  He is a regular, award-winning contributor to MoviePoet.com.  Born on the mean streets of Reading, PA, Dave now resides in Schuylkill Haven with his wife Jodi and their two lazy dogs Max and Mattie. He can be reached at dtroop506 “AT” gmail.

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

FOR YET MORE SCRIPTS AVAILABLE FOR PRODUCTION:

PLEASE SEARCH SIMPLYSCRIPTS.COM

OR VIEW OTHER SCRIPTS AT THE STS BLOG 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.

Red Light

One year after a woman is killed by a red light runner, three teens run the same red light in hopes of seeing her ghost, who they believe is responsible for the recent string of bizarre murders.

Okay, horror fans: think quickly. On your grubby, bloody feet! Here’s a question about our much beloved genre… one you can answer instantly:

What sub-genres of horror are so iconic and classic they warrant separate categories in Netflix? Hmmmm, let’s see…. Zombies? That’s an obvious “no-brainer”… once the ghouls have had their feast. Then there are Possession/Exorcism tales. Alien Abductions. Creature Features. Ghost stories of every scary shape and size.

Then there’s the biggest creep show of them all – a category of horror that deserves it’s own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Folks, I’m a Preaching’ to Y’All about Slashers. Ruminate a moment, and you’ll see.

When you think of memorable horror films, what Big Bads come to mind? Come on kiddies – it’s easy! Michael Meyers. Jason Voorhees. And Freddy Krueger (oh dearest Wes, R.I.P.)

Those are the names of true Boogey Men. Sinister celebrities that stand out from the crowd.

And that’s what makes any horror film a box office blast: the creation of monstrous archetypes with mind-blowing visuals. Ones that burn their details into your mind.

And let’s be honest here. That’s a pool of talent which occasionally must be refreshed. Sure, classic creepy crawlies will always sell *some* tickets. But once the sequels reach #8-10, then it’s time for new faces to emerge. The rush of YOUNG BLOOD… as it were.

Ladies and Gents, STS is proud to present to you just such a thing. It’s a horror Slasher that has “Franchise” written all over it. And won’t leave you yawning “cliché!”

We bring to your attention: Red Light. It’s a creepy blood drenched entry to the horror cannon. With a memorable villain that’ll sear itself into your mind.

Here’s the grim scenario: a lonely, miserable dark night. The location: rural “Old Haven Road” – smack dab in the middle of bum-f*ck nowhere. An old woman – Tabitha Hudson – approaches the intersection, clad in a bright yellow raincoat. The light’s safely red – so she crosses.

Just as a car shoots through the light, ignoring the ruby warning sign. Smack! A hit and run – instantly. Tabitha lies in the gutter. Suffers and dies. Yet the driver of the car keeps going: both a crime…and a tragedy. Even more complex than one can understand.

Fast forward. One year.

Another car blows through the light. Again.

Yet another lonely night. But this time, there’s no victim – just a group of careless teens. Some drunk. Others texting. The irresponsible jerks stop at a diner for a bathroom break, only to meet a horrific fate. An avenging shadowy figure kills all but one of them (Matt) in gruesome ways. Who is it? We don’t know. But the killer wears a battered yellow raincoat. And carries a gore-dripping steel pipe.

Within a day, rumors abound. Especially at nearby Augustus State University… attended by the lamented victims. Stories circulate about the yellow-coated specter of death – and the grisly end that awaits anyone who runs that fearsome light.

Among the concerned students are several bosom buddies: roommates Hannah and Nikki. Their fabulous – and muscular – pal Xander and Hannah’s estranged brother, Jimmy. Taunted by snobby sorority queen Rebecca (Jimmy’s catty ex), the crew run through the Old Haven light on a dare. Sure, they’re a bit nervous. But who cares? The curse can’t be really true. After all, Matt survived the massacre.

That night, Matt meets a nasty end…

Which leaves the teens fearing for their lives. Taking the initiative, Hannah and Nikki begin to investigate the true death of Tabitha Hudson. Who drove the car that killed her? And are supernatural forces in play? Or is the rumor just petty gossip – generated by Rebecca and her bitchy entourage?

The mystery quickly deepens. As does the bloody trail. The clock ticks loudly for Nikki and her friends. Each of them – marked for death.

Needless to say, spoilers need not apply. But rest assured – the characters in this Slasher are in Technicolor 3d. The killer and the deaths? Both memorable. As much as Freddy, we’d say…

But the twists and turns are under wraps. So contact writer Chris Shamburger at cshamburger “AT” live dot com for a copy of the script.

Red Light’s a horror classic in the making. Not to mention a future franchise!

Check out Coverage of Red Light by No Bull Script Consulting

About the writer: Chris Shamburger was a finalist (Top 10) in the 2013 Shriekfest Film Festival for his recently-produced script, Hiccups. He has been a semi-finalist twice and has also been published in Twisted Dreams Magazine and Horror in Words. Chris lives in Marietta, GA with his partner and their Chow-mix rescue, Walter. Aside from writing, Chris has been teaching pre-kindergarten for the past six years. You can find him on IMDb.

About the reviewer: Review by STS

Find more scripts available for production.

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

Chris Sparling, writer of Buried, has written and directed a new horror film, The Atticus Institute.

In the fall of 1976, a small psychology lab in Pennsylvania became the unwitting home to the only government-confirmed case of possession. The U.S. military assumed control of the lab under orders of national security and, soon after, implemented measures aimed at weaponizing the entity. The details of the inexplicable events that occurred are being made public after remaining classified for nearly forty years.

Check out the trailer.

The Atticus Institute is available on demand, DVD, and Blu-ray Jan. 20. Deets to follow.