Novels and Screenplays

SCREENPLAY

Menu (Click below)

 PITCH DECK (CLICK HERE TO VIEW PITCH DECK)

HORRIBLE SANITY                                 Feature Script (74 pages)

By Robert C. Powers                         Genre: Drama/Horror

LOGLINE:  He was quite insane and enjoyed it until a mysterious girl lured a young man to hunt for treasure in the old swamp house where he hid and brought him to a world of unwelcome sanity.

SYNOPSIS: In the rural south in the 1930s, CADE (17), abandoned by his mother, comes to his grandfather’s farm where he’s not overly welcome. He meets an alluring girl, JULIE MAY (17), who tells him of treasure hidden in an old house in a nearby swamp. She tempts him to go there, though GRANDPA, (62), forbids it.

Cade’s Uncle Efram was like a father to Cade. But, Efram turned to crime, killed a bank guard and was blasted by a police shotgun. He got away with the help of his girlfriend, ALICIA, but was reported drowned in the swamp. Rumor says that before he died, he hid a fortune in the swamp house. Cade is fascinated with Julie May who uses her sexual wiles to persuade him to go to the swamp house. There, they encounter Cade’s Uncle Efram. Cade is shocked, and in spite of Efram’s terrible disfigurement, he finds he still loves his uncle. Efram seems sane but tells Cade he is really insane, dangerous and terribly hurt when periods of sanity return. Seeing Cade brings back his sanity…and his pain.

Julie May asks Efram where the money is. Her presence seems to inflame Efram’s anger and his insanity returns. He chases them out of the house and disappears. A sudden, violent storm strikes and Julie May disappears. Cade searches for her and has a confrontation with Efram. He finds Julie May and they escape as the old house is torn apart by the storm.  They think Efram died in the storm. Cade and Julie May find a treasure box uncovered by the storm. Efram approaches them, alive and sane. He gives Cade a revolver and asks him to put him out of his misery. Cade can’t do it. Efram becomes a monster and charges Cade. Cade shoots Efram dead and discovers that Julie May is really the ghost of ALICIA, Uncle Efram’s girlfriend who Efram killed in an argument over the treasure.  

Cade escapes Alicia, takes the treasure, buys a new car and drives away.  Suddenly, there’s a presence beside him. It’s Alicia! She wants the treasure…and him. He wrecks the car. Alicia is trapped in the flaming wreckage. He ignores her and saves the money, but…he’s followed by the flaming image of Alicia!

The gripping story of Cade and Julie May leads to a shocking twist in the finale.  It has few locations and characters and would be inexpensive to film.

THEME: Be careful of hidden treasure...it might find you, or the dangers of finding a treasure may be exceeded by the pleasures of having it.

COVERAGE: A very strong piece of writing with exceptionally good use of screenplay formatting. The story employs an incredible, powerful and interesting concept, very well-executed and fast paced. From the first pages, the story of Cade grabs the reader. (Screenplay Readers, a professional coverage organization, rating; “CONSIDER”)

LOCATIONS: 1) Farm House 2) Swamp 3) Swamp House 4) Car  

CHARACTERS: Six

May I send the script?

Robert C Powers