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Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Ashes by Paul Knauer – Short Script Review – Available for Production* - post author L. Chambers

ASHES
by Paul Knauer

In a desperate bid to escape her abusive boyfriend, a woman rents a house in the country only to find it inhabited by the dangerous, manipulative spirit of a murderer with an ominous request: Stop me from killing.

Horror/Thriller – Feature Length Script – 96 pages

Script Review by K. Cranford

“I see dead people” from 1999’s “The Sixth Sense” is one of the most iconic lines spoken in cinematic history. Ghost stories in cinema hold significance as they explore universal themes of loss, immortality and the mystery of the unknown. Incorporating all these themes, screenwriter, Paul Knauer’s latest offering, “Ashes” is poised to rise to the top of ghost story annals with its theme of a ghost, “Percy G. Jones”, whose opening character description depicts him as an eerie dichotomy of “an oddly charming, intellectual wannabe…holding a smoking shotgun”. As we soon learn, Percy is a cursed spectre that inhabits a house where he is trapped in a time loop, doomed to repeat both the murders he committed as well as his own death at the hands of the townspeople throughout the sixty years since the commission of the original crime.

Weaving the time hops from 1965 to present day, Knauer expertly takes us back to the original scene of the crime, where an unbalanced Percy, deep in the throes of a psychotic obsessive-compulsive disorder becomes fixated on the number “five”. This obsession serves to draw him to a farm house inhabited by a normal mid-western family to satisfy both his blood lust and his fixation. The action begins in earnest as Percy brutally dispatches the father, mother and young son and then turns his attention to the two young daughters innocently sleeping upstairs. To complete his twisted head count, he ominously counts down the exact number of shotgun shells required, “five, four, three…”. Ultimately, and to his dismay, Percy finds that only one child occupies the bedroom. The ensuing scene in which he confronts the lone young girl with alternating charm and murderous intent sets the chilling premise for what is to come.

As the second scene opens, in a time hop back to modern day, our female protagonist, Anne, is introduced as a victim of ongoing abuse by her boyfriend, aptly named “Brax”. Not a common name, the choice denotes the writer’s purpose of creating a mental picture of a brute, while the name itself, upon pronouncing tends to leave a metallic distaste – undoubtedly with intent. The threatening nature of their interactions will undoubtedly give rise to chills in those who know the pattern all too well and picture themselves in the shoes of the long-suffering Anne. In continuance of the story and after yet another violent confrontation with Brax, Anne plans her escape by blindly pointing to a dot on a map: Scott City, Kansas, as if it is all very random. We will soon learn it is not. As the story unfolds, every word, every action is skillfully laid leading to a climactic reveal that shows that not only were Anne’s actions not random, they were pre-ordained…sixty years ago.

“Who are you? Why are you here? ”
The eerily repeated disembodied voice of a young boy.

As Anne arrives in the “random” town of Scott City, Kansas, the string of assumed coincidences continues with the introduction of several townsfolk, including an older woman who eerily seems to recognize her and becomes intent on assisting her to achieve her eventual purpose, including leading her to the farm house under guise of free accommodation in return for caretaking. Almost immediately, Anne learns she is not alone as disembodied voices speak and apparitions abound.

“Percy will show you who you are.”
A. J, the hapless farm hand, an unwitting accomplice to the murders, now caught in the middle and unable to escape the predicament which unfolded long ago but in which he too is now a victim, warns Anne of Percy’s ominous presence. As Anne’s suspicions and fear escalate, she is befriended by a lone farmhand who interjects himself as her protector.

After interceding and scaring away teen pranksters, A. J. proceeds to warn Anne of a more dangerous and looming presence. Percy.

“I am both the watcher and the watched”.
Percy’s take on his own predicament.

There are two sides to every coin (or in this case, ghost): The intellectual quoter of poetry vs. the murderous entity. The one with certain remorse for his actions, seeking the one who can save both those he murdered and himself from… himself, seamlessly played alongside the fractured mind that calmly explains his rationale for unthinkable deeds.
As Anne and Percy’s relationship develops and for a bit of respite amid the level of suspense, the writer weaves in skillfully placed bits of familiarity and near comic banter between Percy and Anne:

Anne
You killed people in this house.

Percy
That shouldn’t define me.

In addition, after her initial meeting with Percy, Anne returns to the house with a “motel Bible and a Crucifix”.

Percy
I’m not a vampire.

Anne
I thought about garlic cloves.

Percy
…only helpful if you were serving Italian tonight”.

The back and forth between Anne and Percy harkens back to yet another classic, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” and is a welcome distraction from the fact that we are immersed in a tale of horror.

Quid pro “quote”
Percy’s misspoken offer to Anne in return for stopping his murderous spree.

Percy, in intellectual mode, oddly serves as a mentor to Anne’s predicament and involvement in the twisted psychology of a narcissist when Anne, who when confronted with a new danger, returns to the deeply imbedded dysfunction by contacting her abuser, Brax.

Percy
Guys like him will punch you in the nose
and then blame you for bleeding.

But not one to miss an opportunity, Percy proposes to dispose of Brax and rid her of the nightmarish relationship, in trade for her assistance in preventing him from the killings by actually intervening before they occur. This “deal with the devil” scenario echoes the recurring theme of the script: Which monstrous presence is worse and of whom is Anne more afraid?

Make all this worth something. Give it purpose.
Advice from the only survivor of Percy’s killing spree, knowing that Anne is their only hope to stop the repeating cycle.

As Anne finds the courage to go forward with a plan with help from her new acquaintances, will she manage not only to free herself from the brutal Brax, but devise an unexpected resolution and bring about Percy’s long awaited freedom? The answer lies in the final climatic moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the closing curtain.

SUMMARY:
“Ashes” is a complex and well thought out feat of screenwriting. A haunting tale of remorse set ironically to quips of the classic poets. In the writer’s hands we are transported into a realm where ghosts, even the murderous, are more nearly human, purveying loss, regret and desire for redemption and bridging the gap between the ethereal and the physical world to obtain it.

PRODUCTION CONSIDERATIONS:
With few locations and limited cast, along with minimal SFX, production could be accomplished on a very moderate budget.

About the Writer: Paul Knauer is a produced screenwriter with two features in early development. His main focus is thrillers and slightly absurdist comedy with heart. But, Paul believes becoming a better writer requires pushing personal boundaries, so you’ll notice a thorough mix of genres in his portfolio. Much of his work has universal appeal, evidenced by successful productions in the UK, UAE, and US–and options in Australia, Russia, India, Canada, and Thailand. A recent feature of his was named a 2022 Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist.

About the reviewer: K. Cranford: I am a published author with articles featured in nationally circulated magazines. I specialize in family friendly stories with an uplifting message and currently have five completed screenplays, three of which are Christmas themed, as well as several shorts that I am actively marketing. By education I am a Registered Nurse. My husband, a physician and I make our home in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Read the Ashes script here:

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

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

An Excellent Judge of Character by James O. Williams - post author Don

AN EXCELLENT JUDGE OF CHARACTER (10-page erotic-thriller screenplay) Written by JAMES O. WILLIAMS

A desperate woman trying to escape her violent past brings a stranger back to her hotel room.

The whole concept behind a one-stand is that you go to a bar, meet someone you never met before… and then you go with them. It’s a rash decision by both parties involved and it amazes me that people still do that, especially with how popular true crime is these days. What doesn’t amaze is that alcohol is usually the deciding factor behind such a decision.

In James O. Williams’s ironically titled, February erotic-thriller themed OWC winner, we meet two lonely, troubled souls at a motel bar: Gary is a shy and lonely 42-year-old truck-driver who can’t seem to take his eyes off 33-year-old Cassie, who seems to be way out of Gary’s league. The ratio of men to women at this bar seems to favor the men by a wide margin, so Cassie is especially popular tonight. But she notices Gary and the two really hit it off.

            CASSIE
Gary, I’m going to get a six pack and
head back to my room. Care to join me?
Or at least escort me back?

            GARY
I’d caution you to invite strange men back
to your room. There’s a lot of psychos and
perverts in this world.

Gary sure does have a point. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t follow his own advice.

Cassie is going through a nasty divorce and her violent ex seems to be having a hard time letting her go. And she’s willing to do anything to get him out of the picture… even if it means using the unsuspecting Gary as a pawn.

Full of double-crosses, twists, and smart dialogue, “An Excellent Judge of Character” is an erotic thriller with classic film noir elements that packs a lot into its 10 pages. And given its low-budget, I won’t be surprised if this one gets picked up very soon. I recommend filmmakers jump on it before it gets picked up by someone else!

BUDGET: Low. Two locations (a bar and a motel room) and four speaking roles.

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 @ sbcglobal.net

Read: AN EXCELLENT JUDGE OF CHARACTER (10-page erotic-thriller 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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Monday, March 15, 2021

Zoom by Anthony Cawood – short script review – available for production* - post author Michael Kospiah

ZOOM (10-page short erotic thriller screenplay) by Anthony Cawood

A couple’s illicit affair is forced to go virtual due to a pesky global pandemic, and if that wasn’t bad enough someone else wants in.

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that being on lockdown makes it extremely difficult to cheat on your spouse. At least for unfaithful husbands such as Adam in Anthony Cawood’s uniquely clever found-footage/erotic thriller hybrid, “Zoom”.

But even during a lockdown, Adam has found a way to adapt and overcome the obstacles standing in the way of his infidelities… the same way many people have adapted to their jobs and socializing during these strange times: via Zoom.

While his wife, Sandra, is out of town, Adam connects on Zoom with a young woman named Domino who he’s had extramarital affairs with before the lockdown. But now, the only way he can “have fun” with her is over his computer.

Domino looks like she’s way out of his league. But she seems to be into him for some reason. And before we know it, things get a little steamy and their Zoom meeting becomes a game of “you show me yours and I’ll show you mine”. Just when Adam is about to see a whole lot more of Domino… he realizes that his bank account is frozen.

            DOMINO
So, don’t you want it?

            ADAM
I do, but my account is frozen.

            DOMINO
What?

            ADAM
It shouldn’t be.

            DOMINO
You have another, right?

            ADAM
Not one Sandra doesn’t know about.

It turns out that Domino is an escort. And this sexy little Zoom soiree can’t go any further unless Adam finds a way to pay for his time. Talk about a buzzkill!

Well, it gets much worse when a message appears on the screen – Sandra has joined their Zoom meeting.

            DOMINO
Hey, who are you?

            SANDRA
I know you don’t need brains in
your line of work but I’m sure you can
figure it out.

            ADAM
     (resigned and guilty)
Domino, meet Sandra, my wife.

What ensues is a game of cat and mouse between Sandra, her husband Adam and Domino – with Sandra being the cat. And boy, does she have some serious dirt on both of them. The kind of dirt that could ruin their lives.

To reveal anymore would spoil the wicked fun, but let’s just say it gets pretty personal. A clever spin on the erotic thriller genre – I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a found-footage version – “Zoom” is a very budget-friendly script that I highly recommend to any filmmakers and producers looking to shoot a fiendishly clever revenge tale.

BUDGET: Shoe-string. This is essentially a “found-footage” film over Zoom with three actors.

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.

Read: ZOOM (10-page short erotic thriller 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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Monday, February 15, 2021

The Perfect Cover Up by Marnie Mitchell – short screenplay review (available for production*) - post author Michael Kospiah

THE PERFECT COVER UP (5-page short thriller screenplay) Written by MARNIE MITCHELL

When a troubled man visits a tattoo shop to cover a bad tattoo, he ends up getting one that suits him perfectly.

“Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” – Jack London, American Novelist.

Author, Jack London’s quote couldn’t apply more to Jerry, the deranged antagonist in writer, Marnie Mitchell’s cleverly original morality thriller, “The Perfect Cover Up”.

The story opens at a tattoo parlor called “Max Tats”, run by a cocaine-sniffing, heavily inked tattoo artist named – you guessed it – Max. It’s a slow night as he watches television while noshing on some Chinese food… until there’s a knock on the shop’s locked front door.

Enter Jerry. Jerry has a problem that he needs fixed. And that problem seems to be tattooed to the side of his face – a massive snake tattoo that he wants covered up.

We soon learn the origin of the snake tattoo:

            JERRY
My father gave me this tattoo as a
punishment…for stealing a pack of
his cigarettes! I was thirteen! Did time
for marking me up! And for other
fucked up shit he did to me and my
sister. Just want it gone!

But this doesn’t seem to be the only reason Jerry so desperately wants to get this tattoo covered up. He seems to be very concerned with whether or not anyone else is there or if anyone knows Jerry is there. He even asks Max if he recognizes him from TV.

            MAX
No. Don’t watch TV. Oh man…you
some kind of reality star? You the
next bachelor or something?

Max soon realizes that this is something serious when Jerry makes him cover up the tattoo at gunpoint – yeah, probably not a reality TV star.

As a very nervous Max covers up the tattoo under immense pressure, we learn a bit more about both characters, especially about Jerry’s tragic childhood and checkered past, being in and out of jail for most of his adult life. And, especially on this night, it seems that Jerry has recently gotten himself in a bit of trouble with the law. And he’s willing to do anything not to get caught, including covering up any distinct, identifying tattoos.

But we also learn that Max isn’t quite as feeble as he made himself out to be…

This is morality tale of a different kind with an incredibly satisfying ending that just goes to show – you can never hide from your past. Endlessly entertaining with an exclamation point of an ending, this is one story that will be hard to remove from your memory.

BUDGET: Low. One location, two actors and a few props.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Marnie is an award-winning screenwriter and 5-page contest junkie. Due to her addiction, she’s written over 80 shorts, 15 having been produced. Currently she’s working on her 8th feature, an adaptation of a horror short she wrote 10 years ago. Some of her work can be found on her site, http://www.brainfluffs.com

Read: THE PERFECT COVER UP (5-page short thriller 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.

Subscribe to Michael’s YouTube Channel.

Monday, January 18, 2021

To The Moon and Back by L. Chambers – short script review (available for production*) - post author Michael Kospiah

TO THE MOON & BACK (7-page short romance/thriller screenplay ) Written by L.Chambers

A widowed mother and her young daughter receive an unexpected and potentially deadly visit on Christmas Eve when her past comes back to haunt them.

Do you like your Christmas stories to have a little romance in them? How about some thrills? Well, this December OWC 2nd-place winner has all that and then some, including a little Christmas magic to give you a spiritual pick-me-up to kick off 2021.

We open the story on Christmas Eve in the mean streets of Dublin, Ireland. Or, as we see in the story’s opening on-screen text: “Otherwise known as the arse-end of nowhere”.

It’s here where a single mother named Claire lives in a crumbling inner-city flat with her five-year-old daughter Molly. A sad-looking Christmas tree with no decorations pretty much encapsulates Claire and Molly’s situation. But as a dispirited Claire looks closer, she sees one, single Christmas ornament hanging from the tree, hung there by Molly. Unfortunately, this ornament brings back some painful memories for Claire.

Through flashback, we learn the origins of the Christmas bauble as Claire spends a romantic afternoon picnicking with her former love, Sean six years ago. They talk about their promising future together, running off to Australia and raising a family… once Sean gets enough money together.

            SEAN
I got a great job comin’ up, darlin’
and then… everything you ever
dreamed of is yours.

            CLAIRE
‘Things’ don’t matter to me, Sean.

            SEAN
Can’t live on cuddles alone, love.

Sean gives her the special Christmas bauble with the inscription: “All my love, to the moon and back.”

            SEAN
I ask just two things of you, my
love: don’t break my heart, and
promise you won’t die before me.

That haunting request has resonated with Claire all these years – not too long after that afternoon, Sean was shot and killed during a bank robbery where 2 million dollars was taken during the caper… and never found.

Unfortunately for Claire, Sean’s partner in the crime, Michael “Spike” Flanagan, has just been released from prison six years after the botched heist. And she knows that Michael will stop at nothing to find that money…

This is, indeed, a different kind of Christmas story. And that’s why I highly recommend this to any filmmakers who want to create a holiday film that will surely stand-out and make an impact on the film festival circuit. This is one that will be in high demand, so pick it up before it’s too late!

BUDGET: Low. Two primary locations (a flat and a park) and four actors.

ABOUT THE WRITER: L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia. L. Chambers can be reached at: libbych (a) hotmail.

Read: TO THE MOON & BACK(7-page short romance/thriller 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.

Subscribe to Michael’s YouTube Channel.

Monday, December 14, 2020

Last Day by Ariel Yang – short script review available for production* - post author Michael Kospiah

LAST DAY (6-page short thriller script) by Ariel Yang

A man is discharged from the hospital on the last day of his recovery.

In this 3rd place winner from October’s Twilight Zone themed OWC, writer, Ariel Yang, actually uses two TZ episodes as inspiration for her “Groundhog Day” esque, mind-bending thriller: “Twenty-Two” (S2, E17) and “Stopover in a Quiet Town” (S5, E30).

This TZ-inspired hybrid follows Herb Crawley, who wakes up in a room to the sound of birds chirping, not sure where he is or why he’s there. He looks out his window to see a mother playing with her toddler, a couple having a picnic and finally, a sign that reads “Tranquil Pines Mental Hospital”. He immediately screams for his nurse, who quickly comes to her patient’s aid.

            HERB
There must be a mistake. I’m not crazy!

According to the nurse, he’s been there a while. But he’s made progress. In fact, he’s made so much progress that he’s been cleared to be discharged today.

            NURSE
There are some forms that you need
to sign downstairs and you can be
on your way. Follow me.

He follows the nurse down a narrow hallway to an elevator. But, as they get in the elevator and descend, Herb experiences a mind-screeching pain migraine and, when the elevator doors open and he leaves, he finds himself back in the same hospital room – birds chirping, couple outside having a picnic, nurse saying the same exact thing she said moments ago. And, once again, on their way down the elevator so that he can fill out his discharge papers, he ends up right back in that hospital bed.

Much like “Groundhog Day” and “Happy Death Day”, Herb keeps reliving the same moment over and over again, only to get sent back to his hospital room every time he’s about to leave. But why is this happening? And how does he break this cycle? Or is this just a symptom of the condition that sent him here in the first place? The answer WILL surprise you.

Wildly clever with a very unexpected twist, “Last Day” is an excellent, low-budget thriller that could be a film festival contender if it ends up in the right hands. So, to all you filmmakers out there, don’t pass this one up!

BUDGET: Low.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Ariel is a Canadian Producer-Writer and native Torontonian. She likes to write stories about characters in unfortunate literal or social circumstances. Currently she is developing an original grounded comedy series based on her experiences as an expatriate. Ariel has a background in television production and most recently has worked for a major television broadcaster as a content development executive. Ariel can be reached at arieljyang (a) gmail.

Read: LAST DAY (6-page short thriller script)

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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.

Monday, November 9, 2020

An Occurrence on Owl Street by John Staats (short script review, available for production*) - post author Michael Kospiah

AN OCCURRENCE ON OWL STREET (5-page short thriller) Written by John Staats

A man runs for his life in an attempt to get back home to his family after a case of mistaken identity.

One of the top entries from October’s Twilight Zone-themed OWC was a personal favorite of mine. If you recognize the title of this entry, the inspiration for it was a memorable Twilight Zone episode called “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (Season 5, Episode 22). If you haven’t seen the episode, I recommend watching it AFTER you read this script.

The writer makes the episode his own – the object of the OWC was to take a premise from a Twilight Zone episode and create an original, stand-alone story that exists outside of the TZ universe (no Rod Serling intro). But, while this is a great stand-alone short, it also captures the spirit of the legendary television show by updating it to current times and adding some very powerful social commentary.

Our story opens in an urban neighborhood where our hero, Jack, a middle-aged black man, is leaving a store. After noticing that his keys are locked in his car, he tries to break in. Some cops take notice and immediately jump to the wrong conclusion, restraining the innocent family man with excessive force in a difficult-to-watch scene that reminds us of current, tragic injustices by police in today’s climate.

But Jack somehow breaks free and makes a run for it, drawing cheers from the neighborhood spectators rooting for him. Determined to get back home to his wife and child, the duration of the story is an intense, heart-pumping foot chase as Jack runs for his life, refusing to become another unfortunate statistic.

Now, some may read this and think “Too soon!”. Yes, this is very much ripped from today’s headlines. But it’s handled with delicate care and sensitivity. And, unfortunately, this story would have been relevant 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago and beyond. Hopefully, 10 years from now, we’ll look back on the subject matter and deem it archaic and dated… but we still have a long way to go, as this story reminds us.

BUDGET: Low. All exterior locations – outside a store, a playground. Minimal cast.

ABOUT THE WRITER: As a fly-fishing fanatic and skier living in the Arizona desert, John Staats finds plenty of time for writing. His feature Impasse was a 2019 Filmmatic Season 4 Drama Screenplay Finalist and has been published as an e-book on Amazon. In addition to features and shorts for the screen, John has found a niche writing for the illustrated page (comics!). John can be contacted at jestaats (a) hotmail.

Read: AN OCCURRENCE ON OWL STREET (5-page short thriller)

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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.

Monday, October 19, 2020

Howard’s Jewelry & Loan by James Williams – short script review – available for production* - post author Michael Kospiah

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.

            MARCUS
Loan sharking is a dying business,
Howie. Can’t make people pay if they
ain’t scared. Shit, can’t kill anyone
these days and get away with it. You
watch that Forensic Files? They bust
everyone now. Consider this a life
lesson. It might be time to look for
a new profession.

            HOWARD
I’m 67 years old. I don’t know how to
do anything else.

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

Read HOWARD’S JEWELRY & LOAN (8-page short thriller 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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Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Gift Horse by Anthony Cawood – short script review – available for production* - post author Michael Kospiah

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.

            STEVIE
There was a Sinead… at my gym.

            DOMINIC
Yeah?

            STEVIE
Ahuh, not seen her recently.

            DOMINIC
No, because she died.

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.

Read GIFT HORSE (5-page short thriller 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.

Find more scripts available for production.


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.

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