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Hedgewitch
Original Story and Screenplay Genre: HORROR/Thriller
By Robert C.
Powers
Pages: 77
LOGLINE: As a last
resort, a wounded war veteran seeks out an old flame who practiced white
magic back in the day, but he enters an unfamiliar war zone as what’s
seen, and unseen vie for his sanity.
COVERAGE: Fascinating
and very original, taking the form of a dreamlike, drugged-feeling tone
poem with a strong and magical atmosphere.
SYNOPSIS: Oak, a wounded veteran, is warned by the VA; his leg from the knee down has got to go and he doesn’t have a lot of time to decide. He leaves the hospital and seeks help from his old flame Ava, an apprentice to Riona, the Hedgewitch, who was reputed to have the power to heal or curse.
Set in the deep south, Oak finds Ava is
now married. Her husband has gone to meet with lenders as they plan on
converting an old house to a Bed and Breakfast. Keeping his feelings in
check Oak he tells Ava the Hedgewitch is his last shot.
As they catch up, Ava explains Oak can stay a few days to help her with some repairs, and in the meantime, she is going to try to cure the infection in his leg. Ava explains that she’s got to be the one to do it for him because Riona has passed away. She believes she can do this and asks him to give her a chance.
The house itself is far from southern
comfort, and apart from its inherent creepiness, Oak spies a seriously
large raven perched in the hedgerow near the front of the house. Add to
that, one of Oak’s PTSD side effects seems to be horrific, vivid dreams.
Images that plague him center around the ravens that attacked soldiers
in the desert.
The coincidence can’t be ignored.
Later Ava explains to
Oak that Hector, Riona’s husband, died, but no one can find his body.
Oak doesn’t buy it, and while he’s doing work for Ava, he’s watching
her, but he’s also keeping an eye on that bird. And as he starts to hear
and see cracks in her story, he decides to investigate to see exactly
what’s going on. As they say in the south: Something just ain’t right.
It all comes to what’s
real, what isn’t, and who lives to tell.
The story shows how real
PTSD is, and how the diagnosis for some is a moving target. With its Jacob’s
Ladder sort of vibe, this is a low budget shoot, B roll could be
used in some instances, regardless, this spec offers a director an ideal
canvas.
May we send the script?
Barbara Bitela
Silver Bitela Agency
916 412 1387
barbarabitela3@gmail.com
CONTESTS:
QUARTERFINALIST; ALFIE’S CHRISTMAS GIFT,
faith-based drama, FAITH IN FILM International Festival and
Screenwriting Competition.
QUARTERFINALIST; DENIAL, thriller, InkTip
Pro Screenwriting Contest – Limited Location Scripts. QUARTERFINALIST;
EXTREMIS, drama, ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competition.
QUARTERFINALIST; HOT, drama, Miami
Screenplay contest.
SPECS:
OPTIONED: LASERBLADERS; fantasy.
OPTIONED: HOT; drama/thriller.
PITCH DECK (CLICK HERE TO VIEW PITCH DECK)
Hedgewitch
Original Story
and Screenplay
Genre: HORROR Thriller (DIAL HORROR UP OR DOWN)
By Robert C.
Powers
Logline:
On
the verge of losing his leg a Marine with PTSD seeks
out an old flame for help, gets wrangled into helping her fix up her home, and
has trouble differentiating what is real and what isn’t.
Locations (2):
1)
Pomeroy House (90%) 2) Country Store and country roads (10%) Another home:
Bedroom
Tagline:
Sometimes doing good, brings out the worst in people.
Coverage:
Hedgewitch is an original and intriguing screenplay. It reads well, and the
images leap off the page, making the audience care about the protagonist. It has
solid action and natural dialog, set in a powerful and very creepy theme which
takes the form of a dream-like tone poem with a strong, magical atmosphere.
(Screenplay Readers, a professional coverage service)
Synopsis:
Oak’s got two choices; lose his leg now or damn soon. But something about
surviving his tour of duty gives him a sense of being invincible; he can’t
accept that this is something he can’t beat. He decides to return to his old
town and see if maybe … just maybe … his girlfriend, Ava, can heal him. You see,
she’s been known to dabble in white witch territory and the desperate can’t be
choosy.
A lot has
changed. Oak arrives but Ava, his old flame, has since married. Her husband’s
city bound, trying to gather up loans for the two of them to turn her home into
a B&B. The house, she says, was left to her by a powerful witch who’s just died.
Ava can see it’s now or never; she’s got to get the place going if for no other
reason than her sanity. Her husband, she tells Oak, has been hitting her—so it’s
get the house ready, stay focused, maybe she can outrun his demons.
PTSD doesn’t
discriminate and has a keen eye for its targets, as both Ava and Oak suffer but
in very different ways. Oak sticks around just long enough to help her with the
house, but it’s hurting his body. Ava can’t help him; Oak must leave but has a
deep sense of remorse knowing her abusive husband is going to return. And every
time he gets ready to leave, the house has other ideas. Everyone lands nowhere
near where they intended.
A kind of
“Misery” with a hint of “The Birds” (b roll can be used), written by two-time
optioned screenwriter Robert Powers, Hedgewitch is a fast paced, limited
locations, creepy horror story. It holds your attention from beginning to end.
May I send the script?
Babz Bitela
Silver Bitela Agency
916 412 1387
SPECS: ONCE OPTIONED: LASERBLADERS; fantasy.
ONCE OPTIONED: HOT; drama/thriller.
CONTESTS: QUARTERFINALIST; ALFIE’S CHRISTMAS GIFT, faith-based drama, FAITH IN FILM International Festival and Screenwriting Competition. QUARTERFINALIST; DENIAL, thriller, InkTip Pro Screenwriting Contest – Limited Location Scripts. QUARTERFINALIST; EXTREMIS, drama, ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competition. QUARTERFINALIST; HOT, drama, Miami Screenplay contest.
Please see summaries of
all his works at
www.robertcpowers-writer.com