As we’re always proud to declare, there’s tons of fun stuff on the way…

Anthony Cawood’s romantic elevator short Fairy Tale has been officially optioned by RAMSTAR Studios.  No, we’re not surprised. At all.

If you’re looking for anything else to shoot – here are a few more Cawood scripts on the market – at least for now!

Glitch (SF/Thriller/Horror) – A desperate wife resorts to extreme measures to ensure her husband gets the lifesaving operation he needs. Winner of the Nashville Film Festival Short Script Award!

All My Love (aka Stuffed) (Horror/Drama) – A wronged woman takes a scorched earth approach to her revenge.

I-Robot (SF, Comedy) – It’s Man Vs. Roomba when Octogenarian Roy receives a surprise present from his daughter

Love Locked (Horror) – Two teenagers discover romantically painted padlocks on a bridge. Are they Valentines from a love-struck Romeo… or something more sinister?

About Anthony: 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.

I Robot

It’s Man Vs. Roomba when Octogenarian Roy receives a surprise present from his daughter

The ever widening dangers and potentials of technology. A common theme in both literature and film, the topic spans the gamut of genres. SF/Horror: Hal in 2001. Short Circuit (Comedy). Even Romance – Spike Jonze’s acclaimed SF film Her.

And cantankerous old people? No script writer can go wrong with that! Geezers aways make for colorful characters. Betty White in Lake Placid. The entire cast of Cocoon…

Put those two factors into a short. Add a touch of dark humor, and the result is guaranteed to be memorable.

As iRobot opens, so does old man Roy’s door. Cranky and frail, he harasses the poor teen Postman relentlessly. He asks the kid a million questions. Insists on getting I.D. Eventually, Roy pulls the package from his hands. Slams the door in the kid’s face.

Back in his kitchen, Roy opens the box: it’s a surprise present from daughter Wendy. A fully automated Roomba style vaccuum cleaner; designed to help around the house. Though perpetually unimpressed, Roy turns the device on. He sets it down and gives it a spin.

…but the new-fangled gizmo does more than spin. It whirrs and clicks. And starts to clean. Mesmorized, Roy watches the bot “do its thing.” After conducting an initial patrol across the floor, the robot circles back – and slams into Roy’s ankle. Before you can yell “that tears it!” the war is on. A cat and mouse game ensues between Roy and his mechnanical nemesis. It may not be a Terminator, but this is one Roomba that’s ready to rock and roll. And not necessarily in a good way…

Easy to shoot, iRobot can be played several ways. Horror. Or tongue in cheek satire. But turn it on and give it your spin. It’s a fun tale of Man vs. Machine, with a lighthearted combination of genres.

About Anthony: 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.

Pages: 10

Budget: Very low budget. Three actors and a roomba’s all you need.

Read iRobot

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.

Safe Keeping
The host of a reality show discovers some storage units should never be opened.

TV and film eras are defined by trends. Westerns, crime investigation, and more recently, superheroes have been shoved down the throats of viewers without a care for the potential of oversaturation. Reality TV is no exception. A current craze is storage shows, where overly colorful people bid for the contents of units that house almost anything you could think of in the hope that they can make a tidy profit from whatever lies within. Storage Hunters, Auction Hunters, Storage Wars, and countless other shows have sprung up to cash in on this newest fad.

Mitch Smith’s Safe Keeping adds another show to that ever-growing list. Rico and Jackson are two veterans of the storage circuit, and the hosts of Storage Seeker, a show in which they document their adventures at auctions. At today’s auction, the expertise is shining through. They’re winning bins that look good, pulling tricks to take them from the unsuspecting at the last minute, and avoiding the duds, leaving them to the suckers. To Jackson, it’s just:

JACKSON
(to camera)
Another day, another dollar.

But then they come to the final bin of the day, where they’re thrown off course as both struggle to figure out exactly what is in the most mysterious unit they’ve seen in a while. After the most intense bidding war of the day, our hosts come out on top, and Jackson is jubilant at winning one of those units that has the potential to house something unexpected and valuable.

Unfortunately, the contents can only be described as one of those two words, and as the seekers explore their winnings further, they discover clues and objects that hint to something sick and sinister being hidden at this storage facility. Jackson is skeptical and disinterested; if it’s not worth $, he doesn’t care, but Rico’s curiosity gets the better of Jackson’s doubt and they embark on a hunt that could take Storage Seeker off the air…for good.

Can the duo unlock the secrets that the facility hides behind certain doors and return for another season? Or will this be the dramatic finale that wraps up the show and ties up all loose ends? As a script that hilariously parodies “trash TV” tropes yet has a bitterly frightening and ironic twist, it’s safe to say that Safe Keeping is a great unit for any potential director to win. Get your bids in for this one fast!

Budget: Hey, this is Found Footage! Spend enough to make this a quality production – but keep that wonderful gritty look.

Pages: 13

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: 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 https://twitter.com/MitchScripts.

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.

Will the hits ever stop coming?  Not if your name is Anthony Cawood.

Anthony Cawood’s Glitch (which is currently available for production) has just been announced as WINNER of the Nashville Film Festival in the Short Thriller/Horror category. Wow – that’s one we’d love to see…

And – there’s more news in store!  Recently, Visceral Films optioned Anthony’s feature length horror, “Dr. Psycho’s Terror Night”, with plans to produce in 2017.  A marvelous title (and concept)!

Until Dr. Psycho hits the silver screen, we suggest that readers check out Anthony’s other scripts.  Quick… before directors grab ’em, and they’re gone!

Glitch (SF/Thriller/Horror) – A desperate wife resorts to extreme measures to ensure her husband gets the lifesaving operation he needs.

All My Love (aka Stuffed) (Horror/Drama) – A wronged woman takes a scorched earth approach to her revenge.

I-Robot (SF, Comedy) – It’s Man Vs. Roomba when Octogenarian Roy receives a surprise present from his daughter

Love Locked (Horror) – Two teenagers discover romantically painted padlocks on a bridge. Are they Valentines from a love-struck Romeo… or something more sinister?

About Anthony: 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.

The Buyer

When it comes to empty houses, sometimes buyers should beware….

As Rod Serling used to say each week, “You unlock this door with the key of imagination.” And so it is with the best of scripts. Before you begin reading this one, take a moment, close your eyes, and imagine the theme music from The Twilight Zone. Then (after a short commercial break) start reading, because this story is definitely Serling-esque. In the best possible way.

It all begins in a picture-perfect living room, with dust gently drifting through rays of sunshine. Two women – one a realtor, the other a prospective buyer – move slowly through the space. There’s subtle tension in the air…

…and an eerie dynamic lurking just outside our awareness, involving the two women and the house. Stay alert to pick up details. Why does the cell phone signal fail at certain times? Whose overturned picture lies on the shelf? Most importantly, who (or what) is the mysterious woman seen briefly in the hallways?

Could it be a ghost? We’ll never tell. But we will paint a picture for you. Imagine The Others meets The Uninvited. Weaved together with poetic skill.

If you’re in search of a low-budget spine tingler with a humdinger of a twist, this script could be what you’re looking for. One location – an empty house. All interior. No special effects. And meaty roles for three 30-something actresses. What more could a director ask for?

About the writer: I’ve been writing for about four years now. I always loved it but managed to get constantly side-tracked by silly things like: finding a real job, getting married, having kids, a mortgage… I finally decided to stop making excuses (not completely) and write “for real”. I made it to the quarter-finals of the Nicholls Fellowship last year, the semi-finals of the Screencraft Fellowship earlier this year, and am currently in the finals of the Industry Insider competition featuring Sheldon Turner. I’m still pretty wet behind the ears, but for the first time in a long time, I actually refer to myself as a writer. I can always be reached at kostak “AT” kostak.com

Pages: 7

Budget: Very affordable. One house, three actresses – and you’re set.

About the reviewer: Scott Merrow co-writes screenplays with his wife Paula. Since 2006, they’ve written over 50 short screenplays, several of which have been produced. They tend toward family-friendly scripts, but they’ve written a little bit of everything: horror, fantasy, sci-fi, comedy… the whole nine yards.

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.

Bowel Sounds

A patient experiences malevolent gastric distress…

Ever sit in a quiet classroom or church… and suddenly your stomach makes one of those really loud gurgly sounds? Whoa. How loud was it, you wonder? Did anyone else hear it? Are they staring at you? Grossed out or giggling? And then… it happens again. G-u-R-g-L-e. And again. Sheesh, what are those sounds, anyway? What’s going on inside you that’s making so much ruckus? Could something you ate really cause that much commotion?

Or perhaps something’s eating you!

That’s the premise of the riveting comedy-horror, Bowel Sounds, by Robert G. Newcomer. Sad sack Tucker thinks something’s eating him up – from the inside out. And admittedly, he don’t look good. Even his family physician’s taken aback by his haggard appearance. But after listening with his stethoscope, Dr. Morgan concludes it’s just normal bowel sounds. You know, an undigested bit of beef. Or something Lewis Carroll-ish…

But Tucker ain’t buying it. He can feel something in his innards. Rolling. Squirming. Biting. And when he listens through the stethoscope, he hears an evil voice. Taunting him!

Questioning his patient’s marbles, Dr. Morgan slips from the room to order a sedative. But while he’s gone, Tucker takes matters into his own hands. Literally.

What follows next solves poor Tucker’s problem. But it sure ain’t pretty.

Memo to any doctors who might read this: Don’t leave surgical tools lying around when there’s a crazy person in the room. And one more word of caution: if you see a bloody trail leading to a trash can, and the trash can moves – keep your distance.

Horror directors, take heed. If you remember Reanimator with fondness, Bowel Sounds is the perfect tale for you. Darkly comedic, and bloody fun!

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 scripts by Robert (also horror) reviewed at STS include:

A Mighty Fire

Someplace Nice and Dark

Pages: 5

Budget: Low. Three actors, a “doctor’s room” and buckets of blood!

About the reviewers: Scott & Paula Merrow are a husband and wife screenwriting team. Since 2006, they’ve written over 50 short screenplays, several of which have been produced. They tend toward family-friendly scripts, but they’ve written a little bit of everything: horror, fantasy, sci-fi, comedy,… the whole nine yards. They’re reachable at scott-paula “AT” comcast.net

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.

Not surprisingly, Matias’ pivotal boxing drama short Win/Lose won… a director that’s guaranteed to bring it all the way to the final round! Which is far from shocking, given Mr. Caruso’s battle-tested writing chops.

But as long as we’ve got you on the ropes, STS now directs your attention to a few more Matias gems. Grab one of these in a head-lock quickly: anything you produce from them is bound to be a knock-out!

Oh – and before you take a gander at these?  Here are a few more things to bear in mind:

• Our dearest Mr. Caruso recently signed onto CAA.  Seriously.  CAA!!
• And… his script Carnival made it onto this year’s one and ONLY BLACKLIST!!

Translation – you DO want to grab these. Don’t you?!? 🙂

Sweet Poison (Noir Horror) – A jaded demon hunter sets out to trap the Incubus who killed the woman he loved…

Like a Moth to a Flame (Drama) – A woman attempts to exorcise her lost lover. But is his pull too powerful to wish away?

About the writer: An optioned and award winning screenwriter, Matias Caruso has far too many accolades to name. So we’ll stick with just one: he’s the 2014 Grand Prize Winner of the International Page Awards Contest. Not to mention an all-around terrific guy. Interested in Matias’ work? Email him at matiascaruso32 “AT” gmail

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.

A Taste for Blood

In the midst of the storm of the century, a group of research scientists become stranded at a remote Antarctic base.  With the weather worsening and food supplies getting low, desperate times call for desperate measures.

 A stranded group in an isolated Arctic location. Low on food, high on paranoia… faced with the need to survive against all odds. Over the years, that scenario’s made for several damned good (and surprisingly varied) films. The Grey. Thirty Days of Night, to name just two. The premise is a recipe for success… if handled correctly. Stephen Wells is a writer that does just that, carving a fresh tale from the concept’s icy foundations.

The heroine of this particular story is Sarah – a researcher at the Bellingley Antarctic Research Station. A storm has hit, and food is running low. Sarah’s husband, Cole, plans to travel to a neighboring station to stock up on supplies. He’ll be back in less than a month – plenty of time. Sarah protests, but Cole insists. They have no choice. He takes off on the arduous trek – leaving Sarah and six other members of the team. Did I mention? Sarah’s pregnant, and almost due.

Not suprisingly, things get more dire as time passes. The team loses radio contact with Cole. As food stores dwindle, a member of the team, Doc, proposes a radical solution. I think you can guess what that is. As the team’s numbers decrease, the remaining survivors become more desperate. In a deadly game of eat or be eaten, who will live another day? Can Sarah save her unborn baby? Can she even save herself?

Beautifully and visually written, A Taste for Blood brings to mind aspects of several film classics: from The Shining to The Thing. But the script has a fresh feel of its own – perfect for a horror director with a taste for drama.

About the writer: Born and raised in England, Stephen Wells is a graphic designer who has been writing for 5 years after getting the screenwriting bug in 2009. He had a feature script optioned in 2013 and placed as a Quarter-Finalist in the 2014 Bluecat feature competition.

Pages: 18

Budget: Not shoestring. But don’t let the setting worry your frugal sensibilities too much. With the exception of an establishing shot (which could theoretically be pulled from stock footage), the story takes place inside. So a dingy warehouse and props could suffice, if handled artfully.

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.

Hmmm… quite a double entendre there. Is it not?

For The Love of God: we urge all STS fans to read this post!

It is hereby announced that Tim Westland’s spectacular short For The Love of God has now been optioned. Just imagine – a writer capable of tackling a mix of sensitive subjects: with a splendid blend of style, humor and humanitarian sensibility as well.

That’s what we’d shoot for at STS, when in search of a stand-out script to film.

Sure enough – one lucky director did. We’ll keep you apprised as this one develops. All the way to the silver indie screen.

In the meantime, we highly suggest you look over Tim’s other work. The man writes in a variety of genres – each intelligently nuanced, and available for production as we speak:

Shorts

Better Be Good – (Holiday Fantasy Short) – When a young boy finds Santa’s lost bag of toys in a nearby forest, his first thought is to return it. His big brother has other ideas though, which might prove life changing for both of them. https://simplyscriptsreviews.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/better-be-good-short-script-for-review-available-for-production/ NOTE: CHRISTMAS THEME – grab this before Santa (or Krampus) rips it away!

Balls Out (comedy) – Legendary Surfing Pioneer, Mick “Balls Out” Shelly, hasn’t hit the waves in five decades. But an opportunity to reclaim the spotlight takes Mick and people from his past on a trip down memory lane that none are likely to forget. https://simplyscriptsreviews.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/balls-out/

Careful What You Wish For (comedy/fantasy) – Magic genies and bottles. Such things never end well.  Or DO they? https://simplyscriptsreviews.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/careful-what-you-wish-for-short-script-review-available-for-production/

A Line in the Sand (Hard Political SF/Drama) – Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive. https://simplyscriptsreviews.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/a-line-in-the-sand-short-script-review-available-for-production/

TV Series

Loose Screws (TV Pilot/Drama/Thriller with writer John Robbins) – A successful psychiatrist finds himself losing his grip on reality – and turns to an old patient – a girl with a mysterious mathematical talent, that he used and betrayed years ago. https://simplyscriptsreviews.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/loose-screws-featured-television-pilot-review-available-for-option/

(in) Equality (SF – In development. Treatment available) – A collaboration with writer John Robbins and J.E. Clarke – a hard SF TV series in the speculative vein of Orphan Black.

Features

Hunted/Stitched (Feature Horror with writer Rod Thompson) – After accidentally shooting a girl in the mysterious Ozark mountains, five hunting buddies must battle for their lives and their souls when a backwoods hillbilly taxidermist invokes ancient supernatural powers to bring his monstrous patchwork creations to life to exact his revenge.  Note to Directors who focus on contest winners… Stitched has been wowing the big ones.  Quite well! https://simplyscriptsreviews.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/hunted-feature-length-script-review-available-for-production/

About Tim himself: Tim Westland, co-writer of the acclaimed graphic novel Chasing the Dead, received first place for Balls Out in the NNYM 15 page contest. An outstanding writer with an eye for the details, his IMDB page can be found here. And he can be reached here (when not subsumed in writing throes): timwestland “AT” hotmail