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Chris, I didn't understand the Jaws meets The Wolfman meets 12 Angry Men. I mean how do these all meet at all? Rhetoric, you don't have to answer. But the last one - The Odd Couple about two killers - this really made me excited. This could be super good. But you've got to make it a bit funny though, no?
I'm not sure about snakes now. I want something very low-budget. Snakes woudn't be perhaps.
@Dena, if I submit mine and one of us writes something that doesn't fit the challenge exactly I'd still read his script. But that person has to be one of us - we know we start from scratch and that means the same time and effort goes into your script as it does in mine. Outsiders perhaps might misunderstand and submit what they already have - and for that reason I wouldn't be sure if I'd read their script if it doesn't fit the challenge. Curious to see what Sean says to that. He makes mistakes lately.
Kham, I think the snake fable sounds really interesting and potentially horrific and scary. I like country of origin scary myths come true.
Most people are scared of snakes, or have a healthy fear of them, so that's always good fodder for horror.
Btw, we have regular visits from Diamond Pythons in our back yard that are freakishly huge - but pretty harmless, and Water Dragons swimming in our pool. Boring looking Brown snakes and Red-Belly blacks are the lethal ones in our neck of the woods.
Anyway, your idea sounds like a 'trilogy of terror' - three tales surrounding the same subject matter as opposed to separate but linking horror tales. Nothing wrong with that, in my book.
Just finished watching the Night Gallery story called: Eyes. A rich blind woman gets a new pair of eyes that allow her to see for only one brief ironic moment.
Starred Joan Crawford, and directed by Steven Spielberg.
Most people are scared of snakes, or have a healthy fear of them, so that's always good fodder for horror.
Seems that things with a very different body plan (snakes, spiders, tentacle monsters, etc.) or things that attack unseen (sharks, microbes, telekinetics, etc.) make for good horror fodder.
You'd think these guys have no character or personality then bam - Zombieland is out followed by Warm Bodies, and both are so great. Time for another one.
There's a sort of snake in Azerbaijan, cold gurza. They say they are born in 7 and if you ever kill one of them, its brothers and sisters will revenge.
This sounds great! You could almost do 7 shorts, one for each snake. Or just change the myth a little to 5 snakes and go from there.
You should stay as close to the myth as possible though, as that will bring an air or authenticity to the stories.
Whether I'm in or out, I feel like I have to comment here, as it seems to me peeps are completely missing Sean's concept.
Night Gallery is completely based on pictures/paintings/sculptures of creepy things in "The Night Gallery" and then shorts based around those pieces of art.
So, for Chris' idea, are you seriously going to start with a picture of a shark or sharkman? Really?
Kham's idea, are you going to have a picture of a Gurza snake...or 7 Gurzas?
I understand peeps are trying to come up with stories first, but to me, this is actually backasswards. Come up with a picture...give it a title, and then formulate your story.
I have definitely been keeping the artworks in mind for my vignettes. For the one that I have written out, it wasn't too hard to come up with nearly parallel images to start and end the story.
Quoted Text
FAVOR: The painting “A Moment of Reflection” depicts a young Caucasian woman in an 1890s high-collared, puffy-shouldered dress applying lip color with a brush. She peers into a mirror with a frame of elaborately sculpted frosted glass.
Her reflection is splattered in blood and holds a curved blade of some sort, also bloodied, in the same position as the lip brush.
DISSOLVE TO:
Not sure I'm going to be able to keep that up through all of the vignettes, though.
I understand peeps are trying to come up with stories first, but to me, this is actually backasswards. Come up with a picture...give it a title, and then formulate your story.
Cart - Horse. Horse - Cart.
I guess it depends on which way you're going. Either way will work, but I see what you're saying, Jeff.
Thinking along those lines, here's a website that creates random images:
I'm pretty sure I won't have time for this. Dena and I are shooting two films in a couple of weeks then I'm off for a few days to DW for the Food & Wine Festival and MNSSH party. I know. I'm childish.
If I do write something, it will be based on Dante's Inferno. Most likely using Gustave Dore's pictures.
PS: Since this is a horror challenge, I would suggest Googling horror art or macabre art for inspiration.
Jeff, I've been coming up with the basic story ideas first and then a strong image before I write a single word. I've even gone one further by evoking a specific artist or style for each painting.
As for the sharkman thing, it was the first vignette idea that popped into my head. It's a B idea, but it has good potential for practical effects and makeup. I'm a sucker for B movies anyway. I might either move it to later in the script and be filler
OR
branch it off and make it it's own script, then replace it with a better story for my Morgue Museum. I'll just see what happens.
Oh, so it's about paintings. I just read the requirements closely - Sean wants a Curator and all.
Well, it's too little time left anyway. I guess I'm out. Too bad, or Jordan came up with something good regarding the snakes and I started thinking of using it... when I had to read the rest of you, guys. I'd better stay in oblivion and write something.
I don't think it matters which round about way you come up with your story - painting first to inspire, story, then painting - linking with a theme. It doesn't have to be a famous artwork either. You could get a friend to do the artwork. As long as it's creepy.
I just watched a couple of EPs of Night Gallery and the important thing is the story be strong in horror. Serling uses the painting as Intro and stepping off point, that's all. Just a way of evoking a sinister mood while he does a little opening spiel much like he did in Twilight Zone.
In fact, if you look at that episode there's a painting of a creepy old house, then Stirling moves to a different canvas, throws a red cloth to reveal what's underneath as a way of cutting to the film, an aerial of New York and drifting down to cars travelling along a Fifth Avenue street.