… FOR DUMMIES (10-page short dark comedy screenplay) Written by BEN CLIFFORD

A couple planning a special evening for their anniversary have exactly one hour until their guest of honor arrives.

Another top entry from September’s OWC comes my personal favorite of the bunch – a witty, surprisingly dark, pitch-black comedy from writer, Ben Clifford, about a middle-aged couple seemingly trying to add a little excitement to their marriage on the night of their anniversary.

With one hour before their “dinner guest” arrives, David and Doreen nervously prepare for the special occasion. Why are they nervous, you ask? Well, this is the first time either of them has done (or is about to do) something like this – a menage e trois, as the French like to call it. At least that’s what it seems like they’re preparing for before their guest – a handsome stud they found on a dating app – arrives.

As the hour winds down, we’re continuously provided a countdown of sorts to remind us how much time is left before their guest arrives. And as the countdown gets closer, the couple grows even more anxious, as do we, the audience. And David begins to have second thoughts.

Full of hilarious banter between the couple as they continue to rehearse their plan, the awkwardness feels like something we’d be experiencing if it were us and our significant other. It just feels genuine … .

And then comes the ending. I won’t reveal the plot-turn here in this review, but let’s just say we’re taken into a completely different, unexpected direction. And I absolutely loved it!

BUDGET: Shoe string. Only two on-screen characters and a house/apartment. This would be super easy to film.

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: … FOR DUMMIES (10-page short dark comedy screenplay)

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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.

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THE MONSTER IN THE WELL (6-page short horror screenplay) by ZACK AKERS

There’s a monster in the well. Don’t believe me? Take a peek…

On the surface, the story’s main character, Doug, might seem normal to friends, neighbors and people close to him, such as his wife. But, as we see him in his car parked outside of a children’s playground, we learn that he is far from normal. In fact, he’s hiding a very, very dark secret. One second, he’s checking in with his wife after a day at the office. Next second, he’s preying on small children.

On this day, his next target is Cherry, an innocent six-year-old girl. An expert at this point at luring in little kids, Doug makes easy work of Cherry in a very unsettling scene – I hadn’t squirmed this much since that “child catcher” scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Doug brings innocent little Cherry to a well, where he says a monster lives at the bottom of.

Though many children are often drawn to campfire tales and spooky stories (Bloody Mary for instance), this frightens Cherry. At this point, all she wants to do is go home. Doug promises her that if she looks down the well just once, he’ll take her home. And, unfortunately for Cherry, like so many other children, she takes the bait and is thrown inside of the well.

Now, as the story progresses, it explores some very, very dark territory and might not be for everyone – it will FOR SURE make you very uncomfortable at parts. But Doug’s visually stunning comeuppance (SPOILER ALERT) might take the edge off.

Dark, edgy and controversial with some really creative horror visuals, THE MONSTER IN THE WELL will make you squirm and shudder long after FADE OUT. Especially if you have children of your own.

BUDGET: Low. Access to a well for establishing shot while creating a set or cheating shots for the scene that takes place inside of the well. Other than that, a park and two main characters.

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

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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.

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HOWARD’S JEWELRY & LOAN (8-page short thriller screenplay) by James Williams

A boxer pays a visit to his loan shark after being told he has exactly one hour to settle his outstanding debt.

Tied for 2nd place (writer’s choice) in September’s OWC was this nifty little short about a 67-year-old loan shark named Howard who’s way past his prime. He’s not quite as good at collecting debts as he used to be back in his heyday. Especially in this instance when a young, spry 20-something boxer named Marcus barges in to set things straight.

In peak physical condition, Marcus easily beats the tar out of Howard’s “muscle” guarding the door. He’s owed Howard 50-large for a while now. But, after getting paid a visit by a pair of Howard’s thumb-breaking cronies – who Marcus easily handled – Marcus is here to tell Howard that he’s just not going to pay him.

In pulpy stories like these, it’s usually the aging boxer who’s out of his prime, which is why I found this throwback-style crime tale so unique. It seems as though Marcus has the upper hand. But with age comes wisdom and Howard is somehow able to cleverly redirect the conversation and overall situation into his favor.

The clever dialogue really elevates the story, effectively building tension through conversation in ways that loud, run-of-the-mill, action crime-thrillers often fail to accomplish. And with one location and only three characters, this would be about as easy to shoot as a film can get, especially with COVID precautions in effect. As far as crime stories go, this one packs a punch.

BUDGET: Low. One-location (an office room at a pawnshop) and three actors.

ABOUT THE WRITER: James Williams was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. His passion for film started at a young age when he spent weekend evenings attending movies with his father. After some life changing events in his thirties, he began to pursue his passion for film by writing screenplays. His second feature, The Blood Loop, was an Academy Nicholl quarter finalist. After a few successful short scripts were produced by other filmmakers, James decided to pick up the camera himself. Self-taught from YouTube tutorials, reading books, and filling any spot he could on local film crews, James finally shot his first film, Cooper’s Monster with his wife and one-year old son. One year later James has four films under his name and is progressing as a filmmaker. He gravitates towards making the type of popcorn horror movies he and his dad so loved at the cinema. James can be reached at: jdaddy6688 (a) sbcglobal.net

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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.

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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.

Next up is:

The Dead Rock by Zack Ackers (Wraparound Story Written by Sean Chipman)

A small-time punk rock band seeking a weekend of kicks encounter an unimaginable evil. Bloody chaos ensues. 45 pages (Short, Horror) pdf format

Episode Four of Horrific Tales of the Wickedly Macabre

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UNSAID (8-page short drama screenplay) by DAVID LAMBERTSON

An unhappily married woman contemplates leaving her husband and finally confronts him about it…

Relationships aren’t easy, especially when it’s a relationship you don’t want to be in. But as difficult as relationships like these can be, sometimes there are factors involved that make leaving even more difficult. Especially when marriage is one of those factors.

In David Lambertson’s dialogue-driven, September OWC winner, “Unsaid”, the story’s protagonist, Jennifer, isn’t happy with her marriage. It’s made pretty clear as she and her husband, Derek, watch TV from separate couches. As she sips a glass of wine, watching him guzzle beer and inhale nachos while watching football, she contemplates the possibility of leaving him. She’s been thinking about this for a long time. And, after a few glasses of wine, she finally musters up the courage to end things then and there.

Turns out that Jennifer didn’t even want to get married to Derek in the first place. So, why go through it? Well, it turns out that the reason they got married is the same reason why Jennifer ends up second-guessing her decision – their daughter, Emma.

I won’t give away too much. But though this may seem like a straight-forward marriage drama at first, the unique structure gives the story an unexpected level of depth that hits even harder. It reminded me somewhat of the bittersweet final sequence in “La La Land”, though much more grounded and with opposite circumstances.

The dialogue and the character work here is about as good as it gets in a story like this. And the subject matter is handled with such realism, it’ll strike a chord with anyone who’s ever been in a relationship. It sure as hell struck a chord with me.

BUDGET: Shoe-string – three actors (one child) and a house.

ABOUT THE WRITER: David Lambertson: I took up writing rather late in life having already been retired before I put pen to paper (okay – finger to computer key) for the first time. My favorite genres to read and write are dramedies and romantic comedies. In addition to this short, I have written four features; “The Last Statesman” (a 2015 PAGE finalist and a Nicholl’s and BlueCat quarter-finalist), “The Beginning of The End and The End” (a PAGE Semi-Finalist). “Taking Stock” (a drama) and a new comedy – “Screw You Tube”. Want to learn more? Reach Dave at dlambertson (at) hotmail! And visit his website.

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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.

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JEREMY’S DATE (5-page short horror screenplay) by BRYCE SMINK

An attractive teenage boy, Jeremy, has a date tonight! But after getting to know him a bit, we find out that the date is going to be a whole lot more sinister.

We open as our high school teen protagonist, Jeremy, rides his bike victoriously, unable to wipe away that proud smile off his face. Once home, his upbeat mood seems to catch the attention of his older brother, Griffin, who, like most older brothers, likes to give his younger sibling a good ribbing. There’s this look in Bryce’s eyes, that unmistakable look many of us had when we’re younger – he’s in love for the very first time. And tonight, he has a date!

Though skeptical, Griffin seems legitimately happy for his little brother.

As Jeremy gets ready for his big date, brushing his teeth, wearing his nicest outfit and spritzing himself with a little cologne, it feels like a typical scene from a classic teen movie. But, once Jeremy arrives to see his “date”, the story gets gleefully dark and twisted and we understand why his older brother was so skeptical.

Wonderfully demented, this pitch black, teen tale will for sure make you squirm in the best way possible. And with social distancing precautions in effect, this would an excellent story to film on the cheap while maintaining proper safety measures.

BUDGET: Low. Three actors (one of them a corpse) and pretty much two locations (a house and an underground drain pipe/tunnel).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Currently a junior in high school, Bryce has been writing scripts and short stories for about five years. He originally had the idea for Jeremy’s Date when he was in middle school, and the idea just stuck with him ever since. Bryce especially loves stories with dark subject matter but enjoys adding a comedic twist on them. Though Bryce lives in Texas, he plans on attending NYC to pursue a career as an English teacher while also pursuing his dream job as a screenwriter. Bryce can be reached at: brycesmink(a)outlook.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.

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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.

Next up is:

Kindhearts by Sean Chipman (Wraparound Story Written by Sean Chipman)
A troubled couple visits a sit-down chain restaurant on their daughter’s 15th birthday, only to find that the restaurant harbors a dark secret.

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HOME (12-page short horror screenplay) Written by SEAN O’DONAGHUE

A man and woman are drawn to an abandoned house minutes apart for unrelated reasons and engage in a game of broken telephone in a house with motives of its own.

It’s always a pleasure to find a good, old-fashioned, creepy horror short to contribute to my lack of sleep at night. And while the horror fan in me was really drawn in to this clever spine-tingler, the filmmaker in me was drawn towards it because it was a one-location, two-character piece. So, any filmmakers out there looking for something easy to film during social distancing, look no further.

The story opens as Raymond tapes “missing” posters onto telephone poles throughout a quiet neighborhood in search of his missing cat, Felix. But as he continues to put up these “missing” posters, he hears a meow coming from a creepy, abandoned house across the street. Almost a 100 percent sure it’s Felix, he makes the mistake of entering the home – never a good idea in the middle of the night, especially in a horror movie.

Meanwhile, a photographer named Natasha arrives at the abandoned home to recover a camera she had left there the previous day – she’s been taking photos of the place. But when she arrives, she realizes that she’s not alone.

Trying to draw out what she thinks may be a homeless person upstairs, she bangs on the ceiling with a broomstick, which makes Raymond realize that he’s not alone either. Though both parties are relatively harmless and are at the house with good intentions, they sort of engage in a game of Marco Polo.

But as this game of cat and mouse continues, they each notice strange children’s drawings and carvings on the walls – the creepy drawings tell the tragic story of the family that once lived there, a sinister story that ended violently. And as Raymond and Natasha eventually find each other, they both realize that they’re not the only ones there…

“Home” combines familiar horror tropes to create an original, cleverly-chilling story that constantly plays with the audience’s expectations throughout.

BUDGET: Low. One-location, two actors.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Sean O’Donoghue is a 22-year-old writer based out of Toronto, Canada. Though he studied Economics and Political Science at McGill University in Montreal, his passion was always in film. Sean gravitated towards other creatives, ending up writing for and working with friends on smaller projects. Now graduated and having left McGill’s film club, Sean made the choice to pursue a career in screenwriting with “HOME” being his first foray into the professional sphere. His influences range from classic adventure films such as the Indiana Jones Trilogy (Emphasis on trilogy), to noir/neo-noir thrillers including Memento and The Maltese Falcon, to stoner action flicks like Pineapple Express. Sean’s interest in multiple genres is something he wishes to emulate in his own work as he looks to tell wide-ranging stories that capture various perspectives of the human condition. Sean can be reached at: sean.od1701 (a) gmail.

Read: HOME (12-page short horror screenplay)

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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.

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GIFT HORSE (5-page short thriller screenplay) by Anthony Cawood

What seems like a chance encounter turns out to be something much more sinister when a muscle-bound gym-rat crosses paths with a bartender who’s grieving the death of his twin sister.

Today’s review was an entry from Week 3 of the annual Writer’s Tournament here at Simply Scripts. Though this one wasn’t the top-rated script that week (based on writer votes), it was right up there. And while it’s probably the easiest to shoot out of all the entries from that week, it was also one of my favorites.

This one-location revenge tale takes a place at a dingy little bar where we meet the bartender, Dominic, who’s grieving the death of his twin sister. It seems like they’re closing up – by the looks of it, it’s been a slow night. Empty. But when a customer named Stevie knocks on the door asking if they’re open, Dominic decides to let him in.

Stevie, a muscle-bound gym-rat, shows up with a coupon he found in his windshield – “Happy Hour: First Five Drinks On Us”. Hell of a deal, right? Maybe TOO good of a deal. Don’t know many bars that give away drinks like that. But business does seem slow, and what better way to bring more patrons in than giving away free booze?

As the two chat alone at the bar, Dominic brings up his late, twin sister, Sinead, who died tragically – oddly, Stevie recognizes the name.

As their conversation continues and we find out more and more about Sinead’s demise, we begin to realize that this encounter at the bar didn’t happen by chance.

Cleverly dark, this taut, tense, one-location revenge thriller would be very easy to film during social distancing and play very well on screen.

BUDGET: Shoe-string. Two actors, one location.

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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*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.

Subscribe to Michael’s YouTube Channel.