Name of screenplay? And were there other names you considered that you would like to share with us? It’s currently called Mischief Night Slasher 13: The Final Final Chapter. It had so many different names, really just playing with what number it was. I always knew I wanted it to be called something like “Mischief Night Slasher” because I wanted it to be like a Friday the 13th type name.
What is the date you began writing this screenplay and the date when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I started in May and finished in October.
Where did you do most of your writing? And please describe in detail. I do it mostly in the office I have downstairs. My girlfriend and I got a 2 bedroom just so that I could have a place to write. It’s extremely hard for me to get anything done with people walking around my periphery, and with covid, she works from home. It’s a beautiful, quiet space.
What were your writing habits while writing this screenplay – did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? I tend to write in the morning. No music, yes marijuana and lots and LOTS of pacing. I do a lot of anxious pacing as I think about how the next scene I’m going to write will go. Then I sit down and type as fast as I can. Then back up to pace. I do this probably 20 or 30 times in an average day of writing. I also take whole days to do it and take whole days off. I’m not a very good intermitent writer. It’s kind of all or nothing for me. On the all days, I get a LOT of work done.
What is the summary of your screenplay? It’s about a Jason Voorhes type killer from hell, who comes up every Mischief Night to kill teens. His kills are given an “entertainment point value” by the devil and if he reaches a certain level, he’ll be accepted into heaven. But the problem is, he isn’t very creative. When he finds out one of the teenagers he’s stalking is a creative writer, he enlists her help to murder her friends in exchange for sparing her life. It’s a comedy, haha.
Please include just one excerpt. This one excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer. This happens at the end of the movie. Basically, Teddy just lost out on his final kill to get to heaven. The only life left to give him the points he needs is Sarah, the girl who has been helping him throughout the movie. It takes place on the side of a cliff.
Teddy’s heavy breathing.
Sarah’s focused eye contact.
The sky brightens as the sun starts to rise.
Teddy walks toward her.
Tears start to trickle down Sarah’s cheek.
Teddy reaches out to her. He puts her hands on her head.
Sarah closes her eyes.
Teddy’s thumbs wipe the tears from her cheeks.
Sarah opens her eyes and looks up.
SARAH
No, Teddy…
Teddy sighs.
SARAH (CONT’D)
No, Teddy! You gotta do it! I’ll be fine down there, I’ll figure it out. This is your only shot, you gotta–
Teddy steps back.
A fiery hole starts to open behind Teddy.
They look at each other. Two friends saying goodbye.
Sarah points at him. And then gives him a thumbs up.
Teddy smiles as the hole widens beneath his feet–
And he falls back down to the underworld.
The hole closes up as Sarah falls to her knees. She begins to sob. Sad for her friend.
Why is this excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write? And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? *and humor is one of many emotions. So, Teddy doesn’t talk. But he understands Sarah and has since the beginning of the movie. She’s a loner, a loser, just like he was when he was alive. This entire time, he’s been trying to tell her that she’s worth something. Something he wish people had done for him when he was alive. He does it by point at her and giving a thumbs up. Basically saying “You’re good.” Sarah has obviously struggled the entire time getting close to Teddy at all. He’s a murderer, after all. But at the end, when he decides to give up his salvation, the whole thing he’s been working toward the entire movie, she finally sees it and understands. And she tells him he’s good. It’s something we all need to hear from time to time, I think.
Were there any deletions from this excerpt that you can share with us? And can you please include a photo of your marked up rough drafts of this excerpt. I have no marked up rough drafts. When I rewrite, it goes away.
Has this screenplay been made into a film? And if NOT which actors would you like to portray your characters in this screenplay? It has not. I don’t tend to think of cast while I write. The characters are the characters in my head. Although, for Sarah, I do think Geraldine Viswanthan would be great and, for Teddy, I’d want a big comedian. Maybe Dave Bautista?
Right: Dave Bautista
How many pages? What does that equate to how long the film would be? It’s currently 91 pages and I think it might end up being longer than 91 minutes. But close to that.
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