Untitled Slasher Movie
Topic: The Script
Yep, that's what we're doing ... a slasher film. Boy, if there was any genre or sub-genre that I never thought I would write, it's slasher. I really have no interest in writing a slasher film, but that's what we've chosen. And since I'm getting some money upfront for the script (well, once we get financed, i.e. two weeks after the script is done), who am I to argue?

I pitched an idea to Rob called The Portrait, part of which I got from my cousin Stacy's husband Saint, but it wasn't the direction that Rob wanted to take.

Rob gave me some ideas of where he wanted to go, a take on the Halloween movies. Basically, it starts with kids in a car. Going to a Halloween party. One tells a legend about a killer from thirty years ago. Car breaks down. They walk to a motel. Creepy old woman as the manager. They decide to have their own Halloween party. 30th anniversary of the killings. The killer's son continues this father's reign of terror. I noted that there were some cliches there, which are almost impossible to avoid in any horror film, especially a slasher, and he agreed ... but I don't have any better ideas.

Rob had some really good ideas for the killer, the characters, and the film itself.

The killer: No masks. Big knives. Killings will be witnessed by other people. He called this Halloween meets Friday the 13th meets Psycho meets-Identity.

The characters: Not cartoonish. Like characters from a Cameron Crowe film. Regular people trying to survive the most horrific night of their lives.

The film: No movie references. Nothing self-aware. No winks or nods to the audience. Play it straight. The idea of a twist ending was briefly discussed, but Rob nixed his own idea right away.

It's shaping up. I just haven't gotten very excited about it yet. Wonder if that will ever happen. But hey, at least I'm getting paid.