Skip (3 pages in pdf format) by Gary Howell

A woman finds it difficult to communicate with her mother, but will that change when her great-granddaughter comes for a visit?

Jane drops her daughter, Sophie, off with Anna, her mother, Sophie’s grandmother. Sophia sings an old but memorable jump rope song. Anna recognizes this old song and chimes in. They sing together as Sophie jumps.

And the generations don’t stop there! Anna takes Sophia along to the retirement home to visit Gloria, Anna’s mother, Sophie’s great grandmother. Anna wheels Gloria out into the garden. She tries to talk with Gloria, but we learn Gloria has lost her memory. However, as Gloria takes interest in young Sophia, a smile comes to her face and for that moment, her memory is reawakened by the chant of the old jump rope rhyme, Cinderella dressed in yellow… and just when we think her memory is back, Anna asks Gloria if she recognizes her. But it is a very sad moment when Gloria doesn’t respond.

This is a sad but sweet story that would be super low budget and easy to produce. It’s a strong piece that everyone can relate to. No matter our age, we all know time is something we cannot stop or even turn back without a time machine but it’s part of life.

Things I love about Skip:

I love the way the writer scans over four generations weaving the jump rope rhyme throughout. We see youth in Sophie, the middle aged always-on-the-go in Jane, the gracefully aging Anna and then Gloria who is in a state of waiting for death to come. I super love the way the writer touches our heart at the end when we see that Sophie has left her jump rope in Gloria’s lap. This story makes a reader appreciate each stage of life. It is also chock full of female cast which is hot right now, and it’s a story I think could wow a lot of festivals!

Production: Budget – low; Actors – four and one extra; Locations – 2

About the Writer: Gary Howell is an attorney by trade, but a writer at heart. He has written several shorts, one of which was recently produced, “Country Road 12” that stars Dee Wallace (“E.T.”, “Poltergeist”). He has also co-written with Rick Hansberry a dramedy, “According to Plan”, that was optioned with Josh Monkarsh of Traffic City Productions, and is in development. He has had a manager reach out regarding representation after a drama pilot, “Bounty,” has performed well in a couple of competitions.

Recently Gary and Rick started working on a new script together (“Lake Regret”) and they’re blogging about the process from beginning to end, including the marketing and hopefully eventual sale and production of the script. You can read about their efforts at www.lakeregretmovie.com.

Gary enjoys writing both comedy and drama, and leans towards indie-themed pieces that are character driven. He enjoys reviewing scripts and providing advice and constructive criticism to other writers, and would welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with any producers/directors looking to work with him on any type of project. Gary can be reached at: GaryMHowell (a) gmail.

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About the reviewer: Dena McKinnon is an optioned and produced screenwriter who also writes on assignment. Her IMDb credits. She can be reached at: girlbytheshore (a) hotmail.

MOTH (10 page short drama script) by Ben Clifford

A young single mother, struggling to deal with her baby’s incessant crying, leaves her apartment for a moment of peace and quiet only to realize that she locked herself out with her baby still inside.

Happy belated Mother’s Day, everybody!

Being a mother is a very difficult job, maybe the hardest job in the world. It’s only right that we show our appreciation to the women in our lives who brought us into this world, nurtured us and helped mold us into the responsible, productive, well-manneredadults that most of us are today. Though, like most “holidays” reserved for specific people, our mothers deserve more than one day of appreciation.

As great as our mothers have been to us and, as much as we love them, they aren’t perfect. They’ve all made mistakes that they’ve hopefully learned from. Read all the “Motherhood for Dummies” books you want, there isn’t a book out there that truly prepares someone for motherhood. Being a mom can be a learn-on-the-go, trial and error process. Especially when you carry the difficult burden of being a SINGLE mother.

In Ben Clifford’s dramedy, “Moth”, Jen isn’t just a single mother living on her own – she’s a 19-year-old single mother living on her own. Most people her age are still living with mommy and daddy, raiding their refrigerator for late-night snacks after a taking one too many bong hits with their friends. But Jen has the responsibility of raising a child on her own. Life hasn’t been easy for her. Struggling to get by, a moment of peace and quiet has been hard to come by. Especially on this day when her baby can’t seem to stop crying. Sleep deprivation taking its toll, Jen doesn’t know what to do. So she calls her pediatrician for some advice.

            DR. MATTHEWS (V.O)
Is he fed? Changed? Et cetera.

Jen realizes how silly her question was and allows Dr. Matthews to tend to his other patients. But, as her baby continues to cry, all she wants is just one moment of peace and quiet. Just. One. Damn. Moment.

Her brain screeching, Jen steps out of the apartment to give her ear drums a break. Taking a deep, soothing breath, she savors the moment of peace. Maybe a little too much. Her infant’s cries still audible from inside the apartment, she steps outside to breathe in some fresh air and soak up some much-needed vitamin D provided by the warm sun.

Perhaps caught up in the “moment”, Jen loses complete track of time, finding herself on a nearby park bench, people-watching and enjoying the ambient sounds of city traffic and construction. Yes, even the sound of a power-drill smashing through concrete is more peaceful than the sound of a baby crying. But, suddenly, Jen snaps out of her trance and remembers that she’s a mother with responsibilities – and her baby is inside unattended!

Jen hurries back into her apartment building, hearing her baby STILL crying from inside. But as she tries getting back in, panic hits her like a bucket of water – she locked her keys inside!

Afraid to call the cops due to what many may consider negligence, she seeks help from the building’s superintendent, eventually being forced to call a locksmith after business hours. And things continue to snowball from there.

As I mentioned, motherhood isn’t easy and I’m sure we can all point out a moment in time when our moms screwed up royally. For Jen, this is one of those moments. And though we can all agree what she did wasn’t the best decision, she realizes the error in her ways and will do ANYTHING to get back to her baby. And that’s something we can all root for.

BUDGET: Low. Two locations – the inside and outside of an apartment. Three actors and a baby.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Ben Clifford is an Australian screenwriter interested in writing drama and comedy. He’s greatly inspired by the works of Peter Weir, Harmony Korine, the Marx Brothers, Todd Solondz, Andrea Arnold, and Cate Shortland. Ben can be reached at: cliffordben502(a)gmail.

Read: MOTH

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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.

What A Good Boy Does pdf format by Ben Clifford

A young boy feels like he needs to tell his parents about a horrifying thing that happened to him — only to find out that they might not want to know. Trigger warning.

Picture that classic 1950’s image of the perfect American family:

Mother in her apron, steam rising from a fresh batch of brownies.
Father with his dinner jacket and pipe, smiling like he just told a joke.
Son at the table, their pride and joy, what a good little boy.

Now take a match and light it on fire.

This is a story of the cracks and holes and twisted, burnt corners of the nuclear family dream. Mother is a strung-out mess, desperate to keep up appearances. Father is the buttoned-up breadwinner whose well-being trumps all else. And their son, Bobby, has a secret. Something that makes his mother very worried. Something that might just send the whole façade crumbling down. How far will mother go to plaster over the cracks? How deep can one family bury their skeletons?

If you want a safe, happy family drama, check the Hallmark channel. If you’re looking for a psychologically complex tale with the courage and conviction to face those very dark places, you owe it to yourself to check out Ben Clifford’s What A Good Boy Does.

Production: This ten page short is an actor’s film. Suburban neighborhood. Suburban house. Two couples and a child.

About the writer: Ben Clifford is an Australian screenwriter

About the reviewer: James Barron is a former law student turned screenwriter who loves to write comedy along with the occasional horror/thriller. Contact James at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

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Inspiration pdf format by Richard Russell

An Air Force pilot hunts down the person who sent her a Christmas greeting many years before.

A soldier’s mail is precious. There’s notes from friends always good for a laugh. Letters from family making you ache for home. Messages from a lover, hidden from prying eyes.

But for Lori Wells, a young air force pilot, no such mail arrived.

Only a card from a young student (Billy) she’s never met, thanking her for her service. And a kid’s cherubic smile beaming out from a photograph. A testament to a families love. A sense of belonging Lori can’t shake and can’t bring herself to throw away.

So, she carries the good luck charm with her through an entire career. Now Lori’s on her way to finally meet her seraph in the flesh.

Only problem is, grown Billy’s not quite the same happy boy. There are no loving parents. And Lori can’t shake a feeling of ineluctable dread. As the lies and doubts pile up, she’ll have to confront a brutal truth before it’s too late.

If you’re looking for inspired drama, be sure to check out this tale of shattered perceptions and false idols by the talented Richard Russell.

Production: One adult male and female role along with a few extras. A house, a backyard, and a couple other interior locations.

About the writer: Richard Russell A writer should never pen his own bio. What seems important to a writer will no doubt bore most readers. Yet, writers do create their own bios, to the chagrin of everyone. My bio must be short and to the point as I have few literary successes to boast of. It seems I have been writing all my life, and indeed, if pages of print equal success, then I am as successful as anyone. Pages alone, though, doesn’t connote fame or success, just pages. I live in North Carolina, and I write whenever and however I can. The mere act of writing produces a joy that I find in no other endeavor. Whether or not my writing becomes known to many means little to me. Oh, I would love to be a household name, but that is not my goal. My goal is to write stories that compel the reader to finish. My goal is to create tales that will not let me quit them in mid-sentence. I am a dreamer and a procrastinator, and those traits are not ingredients for success. I also suffer from reverse paranoia. I think people are plotting to make me happy.

About the reviewer: James Barron is a former law student turned screenwriter who loves to write comedy along with the occasional horror/thriller. Contact James at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

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Hair 18 pages in PDF format by James Barron

A family man struggling to keep his life from falling apart becomes obsessed with impending baldness.

Have you ever had one of those days? The job is stabbing you in the eyeballs, your child wants to stab you in the eyeballs and your spouse, who is so severely/constantly let down by you, can barely look you in the, um, eyeballs? These types of days have turned into years for salesman Ted Donovan.

But meaningless career and a challenging home life are nothing compared to his REAL problem: male pattern baldness.

James Barron’s “Hair” is a witty romp through a day in a suburban man’s life; a life beginning to fall apart – and fall out.

The story starts with confirmation from his physician – Ted’s hair or, unhair, doctor.

            DR. GREEN
Mr. Donovan, have you been under
any undue stress lately? At work
perhaps?

The problems mount at work, where Ted used to be an Amway selling “machine.” But now he’s locked in cold-call hell, unable to engage potential customers for more than greetings followed by dismal dial tones.

His much-younger boss – who happens to be his old boss’s son – doesn’t help matters, reminding Ted of better day’s gone by.

            TED
It’s been a little slow this month.

Ted is not fine. In fact, this is a decisive turning point in his life. And he literally meets it head-on in the form of a nearly-fatal accident behind the wheel as he checks his hair in the mirror. Knocked unconscious, he dreams of his boss Neal, who tells him “you must make a statement…. a statement shall set you free.”

This free advice amounts to Ted’s moment of clarity, leading him to do the unthinkable. And so his journey to happiness begins anew, with wife and daughter in tow. And Amway and the old Ted in his rear-view mirror – for good.

Ted’s big adventure is a warm, charming “Office Space” meets “Horrible Bosses” meets Paul Giamatti. It’s an extremely low-budget film requiring just a few locations and handful of actors – one of which may need to be willing to shave a little off his ego to make the film a “growing” success.

Budget: Just a few locations and a handful of actors. We’re happy to say that’s all you need.

About the writer: James loves to write comedy and action along with the occasional horror short. You can reach him at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

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About the reviewer: Zack Zupke is a writer in Los Angeles. Zack was a latch-key kid whose best friend was a 19-inch color television. His early education (1st grade on) included watching countless hours of shows like “M*A*S*H,” “Star Trek” and “The Odd Couple” and movies like “The Godfather,” “Rocky” and “Annie Hall.” Flash forward to present day and his short “The Confession” was recently produced by Trident Technical College in Charleston, SC. He’s currently working on a futuristic hitman thriller with a partner and refining a dramedy pilot perfect for the likes of FX. You can reach Zack at zzupke (a) yahoo.

Trust Me by P.H. Cook

Without parents to protect her, a little girl trusts a police officer for help.

Children are such vulnerable creatures. In a perfect world, it’s the parent’s, and/or their extended family’s job to protect and nurture them. But as we well know, the world isn’t a perfect place. Occasionally a child is left alone, their safety dependent on the kindness of strangers.

Five-year-old, Emma is one of those children. We first see her walking down the street, hand in hand with Joe (30), both in tattered clothes. She tells him she’s hungry. As they head toward a burger joint, Joe tells her not to speak to anyone. Keeping to themselves, neither realizes they’re being followed.

Obviously, something isn’t right here. Naturally we’re nervous for Emma. She asks Joe, “Am I gonna go home soon?”. Through binoculars, Warren watches their every move. When Emma gets up to go to the restroom, Warren grabs his badge and gun and enters the restaurant. We’re relieved. Warren must be there to save Emma, right?

“Trust Me”, is a suspenseful short story that will keep you wondering who is good, and who is bad. You’ll be invested in the outcome, just wanting Emma to be okay… but sometimes the world isn’t a perfect place.

This short is very low budget and would make a great project for first time filmmakers. I don’t think this gem will be available for long, so act quickly!

About the writer: Born and raised in Sweden, P.H. Cook is director of the short film Them That’s Dead and writer of produced feature films Finders Keepers: The Root of All Evil and Blackout. She started writing screenplays in 2006 and has written over sixty short screenplays and ten features. She can be reached at gatortales – “AT” – gmail.

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About the Reviewer: Marnie Mitchell-Lister has creative A.D.D. Some of her writing can be read here: BrainFluffs.com. Some of her photography can be seen here: marnzart.wordpress.com.

GERIATRICKS (13 page comedy script) by Mark Renshaw

On a whim and in need of healthcare, a group of geriatrics attempt a bank heist. With no experience, no clue and no bowel control, their chances are slim, especially when they encounter an off-duty cop.

Hey, all you young whippersnappers out there! I’m sure you’ve all heard this before – always respect your elders. They’ve seen it all and done it all, collecting years of wisdom and experience we can only be so lucky to accrue if we’re fortunate to live that long. They’ve helped shape the world, molding us into the responsible, respectful adults that we are today. And as the cruel aging process takes its toll, we feel it’s only right that we help them with the everyday things that they’re no longer able to do on their own – helping them cross the street, open jars, lift heavy things, etc.

But it’s because of this that we sometimes tend to underestimate them a bit. And that’s exactly what the small town folks at a local bank find out in Mark Renshaw’s hilarious ode to the elderly, “Geriatricks”, about a gang of geriatric bank robbers pulling off one, final job.

The story opens with cute, old Mister Jay as he shuffles over to the bank teller, Daisy, to make a withdrawal.

Mister J passes her a slip of paper. She reads it, raises an eyebrow

            DAISY
Are you for real?

Mister J nods.

            DAISY
Fifties and hundreds?

Mister J nods again, he places a backpack on the counter.

            DAISY
How old are you?

She thinks its a joke – until the sweet old man reveals a micro 9mm handgun.

But Mister Jay has a slight issue – he has trouble remembering things, often forgetting where he is and why he has a gun. Luckily, he’s not alone – meet Miss B, the foul-mouthed, shotgun-toting enforcer of the group with bowel control problems; Casanova, the ladies man guarding the door; and then there’s the lookout guy, Eagle Eye, who, ironically, happens to be going blind.

All members of this ragtag group have one thing in common (outside of being 80+ years old) – they need money. And boy, do they mean business.

But, despite the guns, their manners haven’t escaped them, making the bank robbery somewhat of a cute and pleasant experience for everybody in the bank, including an off-duty police officer, who tries to talk some sense into the elderly bandits.

            COP
What are you doing robbing a
bank at your age?

She hobbles over to Mister J who’s completely lost and pats his arm.

            MISS B
Exactly. Our age. We’re broken
and don’t have the cash for
repairs. He needs drugs for his
Alzheimer’s, I need back surgery,
Eagle Eye needs to pay off the
loan he took out for his guide dog.

As their plan breaks down, Miss B and her gang of senior citizens capture the hearts of everybody witnessing the robbery, including the off-duty cop and bank teller, Daisy.

            DAISY
Who here thinks we should pretend
none of this happened?

Everyone raises their hand.

            COP
Gosh darn it! Okay!

But as the title suggests, these senior citizens might have an ace or two up their sleeves…

A cross of “Grumpy Old Men” meets “Ocean’s 11”, Mark Renshaw’s “Geriatricks” is a cleverly written knee-slapper full of hilarious dialogue, lovable characters and, something that too many films are missing these days… heart. This deserves to be on the screen!

BUDGET: Low. One location.

ABOUT THE WRITER: by Mark Renshaw is an award-winning screenwriter and producer, his sci-fi TV pilot script “Nearscape” reaching the semifinals of the prestigious Page Awards and 2nd round of the Austin Film Festival. His short script, “Cyborn” was the inaugural winner of the Inroads Screenwriting Competition. Reaching the top 4% of the BBC’s Open Drama Submission, Mark has also been added to their list of promising writers. As a producer, his first two short films, “No More Tomorrows” and “Surrender” have enjoyed successful runs on the independent circuit, garnering several awards. His latest sci-fi short, “The Survivor: A Tale From the Nearscape”, which he wrote and produced, currently has a worldwide distribution deal with Meridian Releasing, also serving as a proof of concept for a TV series. Mark has also had several short stories published, including “Ragnarok” by Cohesion Press in the horror anthology, “SNAFU: Resurrection”. You can watch check out Mark’s produced films and scripts on his website at www.mark-renshaw.com.

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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.

Not My Son by Glenn Doyle

After the death of her husband, a mother is convinced her son has been replaced after an accident leaves him paralyzed.

Nothing tests the human spirit like the loss of a loved one.

Martha’s just lost her husband. But life doesn’t wait for gaping hearts to heal. There’s bills to pay, a house to clean. And, thankfully, her son Sean. Her stalwart against the storm.

Then tragedy strikes again — Sean sprawled out, motionless, beneath his favorite climbing tree.

Everything happening in a blur.

Martha pacing hospital corridors, Doctors offering condolences, her only son slumped in a wheelchair.

How could this be? Her son, lifeless, unrecognizable. Her Sean could run and smile and light up a room. Her Sean didn’t need food shoveled in his mouth. No, this thing is not her son.

But the Doctors won’t listen. They tell her she’s not thinking clearly. She needs rest, and pills.

If only she could stop the squirming thoughts in her brain. Then a solution arrives. In the form of a mysterious woman, dressed in all black, with a very important message:

            THE DARK LADY
     (loud whisper)
It is not your child. Kill it.

Is this a case of a fragile mind broken? Or are there forces at work beyond our comprehension? Time is running out for Martha to make a decision. One that could have devastating consequences for everyone involved.

Production: One adult female, one male child, and a few extras. A house, a front/back yard, a sidewalk, maybe one other interior location.

About the writer: Glenn Doyle is a 27 year old from Dublin, Ireland. He grew up writing short stories and studied film at Dublin Business School. To date, he’s written close to twenty shorts and one feature. You can check out his IMDB page here.

About the reviewer: James Barron is a former law student turned screenwriter who loves to write comedy along with the occasional horror/thriller. Contact James at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

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Damned Yankee (26 pages in pdf format) by Cindy L. Keller

George just arrived in Songless.  And he’s got a tune to wake the dead…

Any scriptwriter worth their salt knows that the last ten years or so has seen a massive resurgence in the undead and all things zombie. Huge blockbusters like the recent World War Z have taken the box office by storm proving that there is still plenty of life in the ravenous flesh-eaters.

A point given further credence when considering the phenomenal success of TV’s The Walking Dead. The show is an international smash with millions of viewers tuning in each week to see Rick and his cohorts trying to survive a terrifying zombie outbreak where the only thing on the menu is them.

Given the rising popularity of these brain-hungry creatures it’s hardly surprising that there are probably as many scripts floating around as there are dead bodies in a zombie apocalypse.

Invariably, the inflicted end up as cannibalistic corpses due to a mysterious virus or lab experiment gone wrong.

So it’s particularly refreshing to see talented writer Cindy L. Keller breathe new life into the undead with her own unique take on the genre with her script Damned Yankee.

Our story begins when New Yorker, George Davidson’s rental car breaks down on the outskirts of Songless, a deathly quiet town in the Deep South. We think little of it until we discover that George is a country singer en route to Nashville – talk about irony!

George and his guitar take shelter from the sweltering heat under a tree where he encounters a mysterious dancing girl who likes to dance to the sound of silence! George attempts to make conversation, but the terrified girl runs off into the woods.

Fortunately, help soon arrives by way of wiry old hillbilly Phil Basher. Phil is the town’s chief peacemaker who not only has a strong dislike for “Yankees” like George, he also takes his job seriously… very seriously! So much so, that he refuses to allow George to play a single note on his beloved guitar and growls “You’ll raise the dead with that racket!”

They head off into town together and tensions soon rise between them. Phil eventually confides in George that the town is cursed, hence the reason why all types of music including singing are strictly prohibited. A statement borne out by the grizzly sight of hundreds of dead birds culled to prevent them from making so much as a peep.

But it’s too late! Modern technology intervenes and thanks to George’s ringtone all hell is about to break loose! Worse still, Phil has a much darker side to him as George is about to discover to his dismay.

Will George survive Phil and the undead hordes or are he and his musical career truly dead and buried?

Budget: low to moderate. A handful of characters (mostly non-speaking). A couple of vehicles. A few locations: Woods/House/Service Station/Cemetery and that’s pretty much it!

About the writer: Cindy L. Keller When asked where her inspiration comes from, Cindy will tell you that she was brought up in a small town. A town whose movie theater played Double Features on Saturday afternoons. Many of those being Horror double features. She loves the old horror classics. Movies like Dracula, Creature, The Mummy, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Horror without all the blood and guts, and she strives to incorporate that notion within her own writing.

Cindy is an award-winning screenwriter. She’s been a finalist at Page, finalist at Gimme Credit, Sixth place winner at American Gem, and the winner of Hellfire’s Short Horror Contest.

She has had two shorts produced, and has more shorts and features available for production. Cindy can be reached at skyburg “AT” hotmail

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About the reviewer: Gary “Rolo” Rowlands cut his teeth writing sketch comedy for the hugely popular Spitting Image – a show broadcast on national television in the UK. He has since gone on to write several high-concept features and can be contacted at gazrow at Hotmail dot com.