Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are the twenty two original scripts of the Journal of the Plague Year One week challenge. Most of these scripts are easily film-able with minimal sets and characters.

– Don

OUT OF ORDER (7 page short horror script) by Luke Walker

A night at the local multiplexturns into a nightmare for a middle-aged man with a dark past who learns that being sorry doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be forgiven.

After months of social distancing, I really, really miss going to the movies. Sure, it’s nice to curl up on the couch and take in a flick on the tube, but nothing beats the movie theater experience. There’s something about the smell of popcorn in the air, the movie posters hanging on the wall, the red carpeting, the previews and that feeling you get when the movie’s about to start and the curtains in front of the screen open up – it just feels like an event. It feels special.

However, there are some things that I don’t miss. For one, the people. I’m not talking about ALL of them – part of what makes the movie-going experience so fun is the crowd reaction. But, once in a while, there’s that one person in the crowd that disrupts the experience for everybody. You know who I’m talking about. There’s the Chatty Cathy in the crowd giving play-by-play commentary. Then there’s that couple who brings their rambunctious children with them (turn off your baby!). And then, there’s that one guy who falls asleep and snores the whole time…

In Luke Walker’s creepy fever dream, Out of Order, Eddy, an overweight, middle-aged schlub, IS that one guy.

The story takes place at a local cinema, where Eddy comes to see a movie solo. After pigging out on movie theater snacks well before the flick even starts, Eddy falls victim to the comfy stadium seating and dozes off. After spilling soda onto his crotch, he wakes up to realize that he’s the only one there, the movie he paid a ticket for long over.

If you’ve ever been to a movie theater alone with nobody else there, you know just how creepy it can be. Butit isn’t until Eddy heads to the bathroom to clean himself up that things start to get REALLY creepy.

As Eddy has his wet crotch under a hand dryer, he hears something from a nearby stall with a handwritten out-of-order sign hanging up on the door…

After the sign falls off the door on its own, nasty sewer sludge comes flooding out from under the door, hitting Eddy’s feet. Disgusted, Eddy picks up the out-of-order sign and reads something on the back of it that sends chills down his spine…

And that’s when the nightmare officially begins.

Eddy realizes that he’s not alone after the bathroom stall door opens and lanky, ghastly man dressed as a surgeon (mask, rubber gloves, full regalia) reveals himself. With crazed, bloodshot eyes, this demented surgeon doesn’t seem very happy with Eddy. In fact, it’s safe to assume that he wants to hurt the pudgy loner… really, really badly.

I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say things get stranger and more terrifying for Eddy as the night goes on. Imagine “Inception”, but instead of a dream within a dream, it’s a nightmare within a nightmare… within a nightmare. But why is this happening to Eddy? What did he see on the back of that out-of-order sign? You’ll have to read for yourself to find out.

What I loved most about this script was that it had that midnight movie kinda vibe to it. I felt like I was actually at the movies again, I could almost smell the popcorn.

Packed with solid scares and horrifying imagery, Out of Order is a horror tale that will make you feel like you’re at the movies again. Any filmmaker who’s a true movie fan AND horror fan, will appreciate this one.

BUDGET: Relatively low – if you can convince your local cinema to let you use the location, it might save you a few bucks. But it’s all one location, three actors and a few extras.

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

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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.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM (10 page short sci-fi script) by James Austin McCormick

A dead soldier follows the light at the end of the tunnel, but discovers his own personal afterlife is nothing he could have imagined.

Imagine, for a second, a world (or universe) in which democracy has completely collapsed and evil, amoral corporations have seized supreme political control, overtaking government, controlling our economy, military and even us, as people. What’s that? We don’t have to imagine it at all? It’s happening now?

I’ll stay away from any political rants, but it’s no secret just how much corporations influence our government, our economy and us, as people, and our everyday lives. But what if these corporations controlled us… even after we’re dead?

That’s what author, James Austin McCormick, explores in his “Outer Limits”-esque sci-fi tale, Perchance to Dream.

It all takes place in the very distant future, where corporations reign supreme and are at war with each other, duking it out over the solar system’s resources. It’s also a future where DNA replication and gene patenting is regulated by one corporation in particular. Think of the way Monsanto was able to alter crop DNA and then essentially own it in perpetuity, thus monopolizing America’s agricultural market with its genetically modified seeds. Well, the corporation in Perchance to Dream is kinda the same thing, but with human DNA.

The story opens with battered and bloodied soldier, Captain Eli Jaxon, moving towards a light at the end of a tunnel. As he reaches the light, he finds himself in an office where he’s greeted by a nerdy, bespectacled clerk sitting behind a desk.

All Jaxon remembers is being on the battlefield, where an enemy shell exploded, decimating him and his troop. Next thing he knew, he was walking down a dark tunnel, towards a light.

“Am I dead?” Jackson asks.

            CLERK
Well, at this precise moment your
body lays broken and bloodied on
the Martian battlefield, just outside
Olympus Mons. Both heart and respiratory
functions have ceased. Already brain
cells are dying.

He taps his temple.

            CLERK
Your higher cognitive functions have
ceased, but your consciousness has
been saved. That now resides inside
this virtual environment.

            JAXON
Okay, now I’m beginning to catch on.
That damn chip in my head.

It’s actually a crystal embedded in Jaxon’s central cortex, the clerk clarifies.

During this office meeting inside of Jaxon’s subconscious, the clerk then discusses some paperwork that had previously been signed by Jaxon.

            CLERK (CON’T)
Now, it says in your contract that
if you’re to die during active duty
then a substantial payment is to be
made to your family.

Unfortunately for Jaxon and the family that he’s survived by, there’s a sub clause in the contract that threatens payment – leaving his wife and kid, back on Earth, no longer entitled to compensation despite Jaxon being blown to bits over this corporation’s war.

There is, however, a way to make things right – to sign a new contract. By signing it, not only will his family be compensated, but he will be brought back to life to specifically complete his mission so that the corporation he’s fighting for can prevail. But, by signing that contract, he may be signing away much more than he had intended.

In Perchance to Dream, McCormick explores themes of power, lack of it and how individuals can become enslaved through gene patenting while also touching on what it means to be human… and whether or not that human side can truly be replicated.

BUDGET: Low. There aren’t any action set pieces here, really. It’s essentially two main characters and two locations – an office and a larger room that can be made to look like the inside of an army base.

ABOUT THE WRITER: James Austin McCormick is a college lecturer and compulsive writer of speculative fiction with many short stories published in various anthologies along with novellas and novels published with Class Act Books. As a screenwriter, James has consistently placed high in international competitions and, along with a co-author, has had three feature-length horror scripts optioned by K5 films. With a long list of short-length scripts, James also collaborated with talented writer, Annabel Grace, on the produced short, In the Silence. You can find his works on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. James can be reached at: jimbostories (a) hotmail.

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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.

Course Listing Unavailable (14 page short horror in pdf format) by James Barron

An ambitious student signs up for an internship program promising real world, hands-on experience. Who knew bloodthirsty demons would be involved?

For today’s youth, the challenge of getting a good job has never been tougher. Many are determined to do anything that will enhance their resumes in the eyes of employers. Taking “useful” classes, getting internships, and doing extra-curricular activities are just a few examples of what diligent individuals do to spruce up that valuable sheet of paper.

The protagonist in Course Listing Unavailable, 17-year-old Gortat Emmanuel, is just another determined Ivy League freshman with a whiff of intelligent innocence about him. A mix-up in paying the tuition has meant he’s one class short of the minimum semester credit, and so he sees a counselor to get into a subject that appeals to him.

But every time the counselor enters the course he wants, there’s a problem.

Organic Chemistry? Unavailable. Biology? Unavailable. Ecology? Yup… unavailable. As a last resort, the advisor offers Gortat a chance for some real world experience: a month shadowing a service professional. Because the last guy who did it dropped out.

That’s all the information available. Apart from a name: Mr Shephard. Despite this, Gortat accepts, still eager to learn. And so on his first day, he’s dressed up as if he’s the President attending their inauguration.

However, Gortat’s destination isn’t as beautiful as the White House. Unless you’re into dilapidated buildings and tales of wasted lives in needle format littering the ground.

And the professional isn’t some smarmy doctor. Turning up in a classic American muscle with uninviting objects abundantly decorating the interior, Max Shephard invites Gortat in for his “education”. There’s no textbooks. No worksheets either. There’s only one rule, and it ain’t a typical one:

            Max
…no matter what happens
you will not puke in this car.

This may sound easy enough to obey until Max’s profession is revealed…demon hunter. Not quite what our Ivy League kid was expecting. In addition, it transpires that the supposed dropout dropped out of life…unwillingly. Oh, and for his first day on the job, he’s got to complete a practical helping Max eradicate the beast responsible for failing the previous student. Turns out “real world experience” means “other world experience” in this case.

Will Gortat pass his practical? Will he break the one rule? Will he even survive? Only one thing’s assured: direct this one well, and judges at film festivals will be giving you full marks!

Budget: Okay, there’s a bit of FX involved in here. But nothing a skilled director can’t – and won’t want to – tackle!

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: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp (a) gmail. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

TEDDY BEAR (16 page drama short) Written by Anthony Cawood

An elderly immigrant moves to a new home on a quiet, suburban street. Will it be different this time or will he suffer the small minded bigotry that has dogged his entire life?

We teach our children all kinds of important lessons when they’re young. You know the basics; look both ways before crossing the street, do unto others others as you expect they should do unto you, always wash your hands before you eat, etc, etc.

As obvious as these nuggets of wisdom are, they are important lessons to teach the people of tomorrow, as many of these lessons carry over into adulthood. But there are some lessons that seem to strictly apply to children due to their innocence, naivety and vulnerability. The most common being, “don’t talk to strangers”. I’m a firm believer that most people are good-natured at heart and wish no harm on others, especially children. But, unfortunately, there are some sick individuals out there who DO wish harm and DO have ill intentions towards our kids. And it’s very important that, as parents, we monitor them and protect them from the evils of the world.

But, as parents, sometimes we can be a little OVER protective. And we tend to forget some of those basic lessons that we once learned when we were kids, ourselves. One of those being, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. And that seems to be the lesson Anthony Cawood is trying to teach us in his grim morality tale, “Teddy Bear”.

The story opens as a milk man (I’m old enough to remember when they used to be a thing) makes his rounds through a suburban neighborhood when something catches his eye at bungalow #7 – an old, crusty, stuffed teddy bear hanging from the porch.

Cut to a neighborhood meeting of sorts where local residents, Janet, Devon, Holly and Pat, discuss their concerns over their new neighbor at bungalow #7. A few of them have children of their own and are very, very suspicious of their new neighbor – particularly due to that teddy bear he has hanging on his porch, which just screams “pedophile”. But then they raise other, more immature, concerns – some of them put off by the fact that their new neighbor may also be a foreigner.

Pat decides to put all this prejudice to rest and introduces herself to the new, elderly resident. As she’s gone, the others are already worried that something happened to her. But, of course, Pat returns unharmed to report that their new neighbor, Alfred, isn’t anything like they think he is.

            PAT
He’s a lovely old man, polite, well
mannered, speaks better English
than John and moved here for peace
and quiet.

The others still seem a bit skeptical despite Pat’s glowing report. So much so that they warn their children never to go near bungalow #7.

Despite the warning, Janet’s seven-year-old son, Benjamin, retrieves a ball that he lost while playing with Devon’s six-year-old daughter, Ebony. The ball, of course, ending up in Alfred’s yard. And that’s when little Benjamin meets Alfred face to face.

            ALFRED
Oh, hello there and who might you
be?

Alfred tries again, enunciating.

            ALFRED
Who, are, you?

Intimidated at first, Ben seems to warm up to the kind old man. Well, at least he believes he’s kind. And when Alfred offers him a snack, Ben accepts – which seems to go against another lesson we were taught as children – “Don’t take candy from strangers”.

But when Ebony alert’s Janet of her son’s whereabouts, she springs to action and hurries to her son’s rescue. And what happens next is an unfortunate series of misunderstandings that build towards a very grim conclusion.

BUDGET: Shoestring. Pretty much one or two locations and some actors. Oh, and a teddy bear.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Anthony Cawood is an award-winning screenwriter with one feature produced and a further four features optioned or in pre-production. In addition to features, he has over forty short scripts produced/sold/optioned – including ten filmed. Also occasionally pens screenwriting articles, interviews with writers and filmmakers, and even a short story or two. He can be reached on his website AnthonyCawood.co.uk.

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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.

SLEEPOVER (9 page horror short) by Curtis James Coffey

A young girl is terrorized in the middle of the night during her first ever sleepover at a friend’s house.

Ah, to be a kid again. We can only wish, right? Back when our imaginations were pure and full of magic; Santa would bring us presents, a giant bunny would hide eggs and some tooth-obsessed fairy would leave cash under our pillows. We had our whole lives ahead of us. The world was full of endless possibilities. Sure, there was a laundry list of rules, restrictions and responsibilities, mostly bestowed upon us by our parents. But it’s BECAUSE of those rules that the little things were so fun – like sleeping over a friend’s house. Especially when that friend had super cool parents. You got to stay up way past your bedtime, pig out on junk food you weren’t normally allowed to eat and hang out with your buddies without the supervision of your own parents and their stupid rules. But what happens when your friend’s parents are… weird?

That’s the premise behind Curtis James Coffey’s nightmarish horror short, “Sleepover”.

As magical as being a kid can be, it can also be a very scary time. As fun as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy were, this was also a time when there were monsters hiding under the bed and a Bogeyman living in the closet. And, as fun as sleepovers were, there was always that one kid who would freak out because they were scared to be away from home.

Meet 10-year-old Allison, on her way to her best friend, Cassie’s house for her very first sleepover. Though a little nervous, Allison’s mother, Becky, tries to be reassuring.

            BECKY
You’re going to be fine. It’s not different
than sleeping at home in your own bed.
It’s even better, in fact, because you’ll
be with your best friend. You’ll get to
stay up late and watch movies and eat junk food!

Allison doesn’t seem so sure.

            ALLISON
But what if I can’t sleep?
Or what if I snore? What if SHE snores?
She might not have a nightlight. You know
I have a hard time sleeping with a nightlight.

            BECKY
That’s just something you’re going to have to
deal with. I’m sure she’ll protect you. And her
parents are going to be there the whole time. Right?

            ALLISON
What if they’re weird? Or mean?

When Allison arrives at Cassie’s home and meets her parents, Jack and Julie, everything starts off okay… ish. Meeting new people, especially adults, can be awkward for a child. But Allison’s skepticism seems fairly warranted. Though nice, there seems to be something a little off about Cassie’s parents. It’s almost as if they’re TOO nice. Not to mention those creepy “Stepford Wives” smiles that seem to be pasted to their faces.

Cassie seems pretty normal, however, embarrassed by her parents’ lame jokes and overly-gracious hospitality. And, as Allison settles in, she becomes more comfortable, even seeming to warm up to Jack and Julie a little bit.

            ALLISON
Your parents are nice.

            CASSIE
Yeah, they’re okay, I guess.

But it’s not until the “sleepover” part of the sleepover that Allison’s deepest, darkest fears begin to take over and she finds out that Jack and Julie might not be quite as “okay” as Cassie says they are.

Is it just Allison’s imagination? Or is there is something terribly, terribly wrong with Cassie’s parents?

Fully of creepy moments ala M. Night Shayamalan’s “The Visit”, heart-pounding jump-scares and chilling imagery reminiscent of a Marilyn Manson music video, “Sleepover” will make you glad to be an adult.

BUDGET: Low. One location (a house) and 5 actors (2 of them children).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Curtis James Coffey was born on May 28th, 1990 in Binghamton, NY and raised in Sarasota, FL. He self-published a novel titled, A Call Beyond, and did extensive writing for the tabletop RPG Machina Arcana. He currently resides in Saint Petersburg, FL and aside from film, enjoys games, comics, cooking, and all things spooky. He can be reached at de_cafe6914 (a) yahoo.

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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.

HAND AND FOOT DISEASE (14 page short horror script) by Luke Mepham

After an innocent foot massage, a happily married couple’s relationship is tested when they both become infected with a very strange and itchy skin disease…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably well aware of all the craziness happening in the world right now. Actually, come to think about it, “living under a rock” is probably the wrong idiom to use. Because many of us, for the past six weeks or so, have actually been living under rocks. Many of us are are sitting in isolation right now as we speak, quarantining ourselves until this madness blows over (hopefully). Many of us are surviving this lock down alone while many of us are cooped up with our loved ones, doing our best not to get infected.

But what happens when you’re isolated with your significant other and one of you gets infected? What happens when BOTH of you get infected? Do you turn on each other? A little game of who-infected-who?

Writer, Luke Mepham, explores what could happen in his delightfully twisted body-horror short, Hand and Foot Disease.

Before I continue – this is NOT a COVID-19 script. Nor is this making light of all the terrible things happening in the world right now. This was written long before any of this happened, back when the word “corona” was strictly associated with alcohol consumption. This script, in particular, examines how a seemingly-healthy relationship can turn very unhealthy under very adverse and unusual circumstances.

Our story opens with Dennis and Helen – a happily married couple just enjoying each other’s company, sharing some relaxing TV time on the couch. Just another night, right? Well, as Dennis gives his loyal, loving wife a foot massage, his hand begins to itch. Deciding that it’s probably nothing but a slight skin irritation, Dennis decides to just sleep it off.

But, later that night while in bed, that itchy sensation becomes a little painful for poor Dennis. He wakes up to find his mitts covered in nasty, blotchy rashes. To make matters worse, Helen wakes up to find the same itchy rashes covering her feet.

            HELEN
Whatever you had, you passed it onto me.

            DENNIS
What do you mean?

            HELEN
Come and see for yourself.

Dennis gets up and walks around the bed to see the state of Helen’s feet match the same state as his hands. Blistered, boiled, dry flaky skin.

After Helen accuses him of spreading it to her, Dennis then questions the quality of the hand soap Helen had bought – the blame game has officially begun.

But, with their doctor away on holiday, they try to make do. Putting their heads together, they come up with somewhat of a game plan – in an attempt to sweat the infection out and keep it from spreading, Helen tapes off her feet with layers of socks while Dennis tapes oven mitts around his hands. Not the worst plan, considering the circumstances, but now they can’t drive to an ER – Dennis unable to operate the steering wheel with mitts on his hands and Helen unable to work the pedals. So, it’s looking like they’re stuck.

As their condition worsens and the itchiness becomes more difficult to resist, the couple’s need to scratch completely takes over, even resorting to dipping their hands into scalding-hot water. But when that doesn’t work… well… let’s just say a cheese grater comes into play.

You’re probably getting itchy just reading this review, aren’t you? Well, it gets much, much worse for Dennis and Helen, the story reaching levels of body horror gore that would make David Cronenberg blush. But, as a massive Cronenberg fan, I found this to be a very, very entertaining schlock-fest, hearkening memories of the legendary filmmaker’s earlier work. This also reminded me a little bit of Troma’s gruesomely effective, “Cutting Moments” short film.

BUDGET: Low. Three actors and a house. Most of the budget will probably be fake blood, makeup and some cheap prosthesis.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Luke Mepham has loved film since he was very young. His childhood favorites such as “Hook” and “Back To The Future” pushed his interest into the world of screenwriting, hoping to write classic films of his own.Luke has written a few other scripts, both short and feature length, while also having several published short horror stories. Luke can be reached at: lukemepham1988 (a) hotmail.co.uk

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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.

I-commute by Christina Katsiadakis

When it comes to finding love, look up.

Synopsis
In a world where we are becoming our phones or they are becoming us, Eugene is a lot like many of us, always buried in his cell phone. Day in, day out it is the same old routine of Eugene and his phone, no real human interaction or communication, until one day when his battery runs out, he notices the beauty on his commute–a girl. Unfortunately, she does not notice him because she is consumed in her cell phone. Eugene fixes himself up, even does obvious things to make her notice him, but she does not. When he finally gives in and gets sucked back into his phone, the girl’s battery finally dies. We hope she will finally recognize him. And she does look up long enough to take an interest in a guy, but it’s not Eugene.

What’s good.
This is such a relevant topic. It showcases the world we live in and what’s becoming of us. Maybe we are becoming machines. We are surely living in machines i.e., cell phones these days. I think this script is contest material. Not a big enough concept for feature but it works well as a short IMO.

Production Qualities.
– Medium Budget (hardest thing would be the bus)
– Two main characters (Eugene and Girl) with several extras to fill the bus.
– Two locations (house, bus)

The Real.
After reading this, I am going to try to go a day without my cell phone tomorrow. It really made me think about what we are becoming. The fact that we may miss a chance at love. Or a smile. Or life… Hits home. A sad script in a way, but reality.

About the writer: Christina Katsiadakis was born in Athens, Greece and she moved to Montreal in 2012. She holds a BA in History from the Athens University and an MA in Film from Goldsmiths College. She has been working in film and TV since 2004 as a production coordinator and production manager. In the last few years she has started pursuing her personal creative projects. She has written and directed two short films, Marching Muse and Football Days in Hockey Town and is currently working on her first feature film Fumus and Umbra. Christina Katsiadakis can be reached at xkatsiadakis (a) gmail.com

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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.

Just a Load of Baloney (8 page dramedy) by Kirsten James

When a student saves another from a bully they end up having to face their own fears and stereotypes of each other.

Synopsis.
The story starts with Toby taking a beating from the school bully, Jared. Walking by, Hassan, another student, steps in trying to help but gets punched by Jared. Hassan and Jared sit in principal’s office and after some explaining, Principal Taylor, who really enjoys bologna sandwiches sums it up: Jared the bully beat up Toby because of his sexuality and Hassan stepped in to help, and got punched by accident. Once excused, Toby thanks Hassan. But when he caringly checks Hassan’s black eye, Hassan takes it as a homophobic advance and reacts harshly. Later in the locker room, Hassan is attacked over his religion. As students harass Hassan for being a Muslim, Toby watches without helping. Hassan later verbally attacks Toby calling him a faggot. Students watch as the tension between Toby and Hassan escalates, Hassan upset that Toby didn’t step in to help. It’s like deja vu. Principal Taylor, indulging in another bologna sandwich, leaves telling the boys to work it out. This time though, however, they really do. Toby admits he didn’t help because Hassan had gotten all homophobic on him and Hassan admits that he doesn’t have anything against gays, he even has a gay cousin who lives with him after being kicked out. The two agree to be distant until later when they will hang out and become friends. Laughs come at the end when Toby asks Hassan if his cousin is cute, and the boys leave a note for Principal Taylor, warning him he shouldn’t eat so much bologna.

What I love about this story.
I LOVE that so many prejudices are brought forth. We really are like this as people and we shouldn’t be. Very heartfelt, this story and I think it would be superb festival material.

Why I think this story should be produced.
There is not enough material out there to shed light on such a touchy but relevant subject. This one deserves making. It is film-worthy and one that would hit home and touch many hearts. STRONG subject but light-hearted.

Budget: Low
Characters: 4 mains and some extras
Locations: 1-A school… could be done easily I think

About the Writer: Kirsten James is an aspiring screenwriter in her mid 40’s, originally from NZ, living in the USA. She started writing short stories 5 years ago, and after a year learned that she was more geared to writing scripts. Kirsten has a degree in psychology and finds this a great asset to her writing. Kirsten has 1 short in production.

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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.