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Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Ashes - 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.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Introducing Simply Scripts Screenplay Coverage A.M.! - post author Don

I’m pleased to announce that SimplyScripts is finally offering screenplay coverage with our new product:

Simply Scripts Screenplay Coverage A.M.


Questions? After you’ve viewed the video, you can leave questions on the Discussion Board.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Original Script Sunday for March 30th - post author Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are fifteen original scripts for your reading pleasure.

And for you gamers out there, I’ll be at AwesomeCon here in DC this Friday, only. I’ll be in the Indie Game Parlor – Indie Hall West Salon. I’ll be the only old guy in there.

– Don

Saturday, March 29, 2025

AI Illusion by P.H. Cook – Filmed - post author Don

AI Illusion by P.H. Cook

After the loss of her husband, a lonely writer orders an AI device as company, but she becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the AI’s invasive abilities, and must takes drastic action to regain her privacy.

10 page short drama pdf format

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board
++++
Don’s note: I have a hard time posting this. One the one hand, I want to celebrate P.H.’s success on having one of their scripts produced (again!). On the other hand, the producers did not honor the wishes of the writer and the writer isn’t correctly attributed in this film.

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Original Script Sunday - post author Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are thirty original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

Friday, March 21, 2025

Bookworm by Toby Harvard - post author Don

Over on the Produced Movie Scripts page is:

Bookworm – (undated, unspecified draft) pdf format by Toby Harvard hosted with permission by SimplyScripts

11-year-old Mildred’s world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise, comes to look after her and agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.

Out now! Rent or Buy on Amazon Prime

Information courtesy of IMDb | Wikipedia | Rotten Tomatoes

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

What Did You Do? by Jefferson Baugh – Filmed - post author Don

What Did You Do? (It’s Not A Dream, It’s A Memory – One) (8 page short horror in pdf format) by Jefferson Baugh

A man rushes home to his panicked, suicidal wife – and walks into a nightmare.

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board

Monday, March 17, 2025

Monumental Favour - post author L. Chambers

MONUMENTAL FAVOUR
With time running out, a frantic businessman relies on a cab driver to reach the airport before his flight takes off.

A trip to the airport is always good grist for the story mill. Everything must be organized to military precision, from waking up to your alarm on time to organizing forgotten – or God forbid, lost passports – to making sure your baggage won’t tip the scales, to ticket confirmation and check-in. The crucial and all-important thing above all else however, is – getting to the airport on time. One false move, one hiccup or delay in proceedings could leave you stranded on the tarmac with nowhere to go and a hole burning in your pocket.

Colin Sharp’s, Monumental Favour opens on veteran taxi driver, Samir, waiting patiently for his delayed fare, Jim Denton, a Boston businessman desperate to make his interstate flight on time.

We get the feeling things usually run smoothly for Jim, but this morning is a whole different story. What is it with printers jamming just when you need them to spit out that all important document? – In this case Jim’s itinerary and ticket details.

After bundling his bags into the boot Jim relays his sorry start to the day to Samir and they finally set off – the problem is that printer malfunction has added a crucial fifteen minutes to the journey and Jim’s justifiably freaking out.

JIM
I’ve got a very important meeting.
A very important opportunity…

Sounds like it could be the opportunity of a lifetime…

Samir, ever the consummate driver offers Jim just the right amount of soothing consolation and vows that he will do everything in his power to get Jim to the airport on time.

The taxi weaves through steady traffic, that is until they hit the inevitable roadblock of early-morning commuters and one very pesky revolving red light.

In an effort to calm his passenger Samir regales Jim with a story about how he and his wife visited a tarot card reader over the weekend –

Jim’s expression tightens, signaling he’s not in the mood for the story – his focus fixed on the traffic ahead.

Samir admits he finds it all a bit fake too, but he continues with the tale regardless.

SAMIR
… Interestingly, this Tarot reader declared I would
do somebody a monumental favour in the coming week.

Jim suddenly sits up and takes notice.

 JIM
Get me to the airport in fifteen minutes and my God,
you’ll be doing me a monumental favour.

Famous last words unfortunately because things are about to go from bad to worse. As they barrel through the next amber light the car’s mechanical warning indicator comes on – monumental failure seems to be the more operative phrase at this point. The car’s gearbox has given up the ghost leaving Samir and Jim stranded. With a backup ride twenty minutes away, it doesn’t look like Jim will be going anywhere other than back home again.

Seems like even with the best laid plans, fate has intervened.

And that’s that.

End of story.

Except this isn’t the end of the story.

And we’re about to find out this is no ordinary day.

Colin Sharp has created a very clever narrative with Monumental Favour. At first it might appear that there’s not a lot happening in this slice of life story, dare I say some readers might find it a little pedestrian, but buckle your seatbelts and settle in for the ride, cause you’re about to discover this story has a twist in its tale guaranteed to touch even the most hardened of hearts. It hit me hard. As I’m sure it will you.

Do you want to kick-start your filmmaking career? Monumental Favour could be the perfect vehicle to get you off the starting blocks.

Read: Monumental Favour.

About the Writer: Colin Sharp  is an aspiring screenwriter whose lifelong love of film led him on to the road to writing his own stories. Whilst a fan of all genres of film, Colin primarily enjoys writing comedic tales but is also a sucker for romance and anything that will scare the bejesus out of him.

About the ReviewerL. 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.

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Original Script Sunday - post author Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are seventeen original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

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April 2, 2025

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