HDC Idol 2008-09

[_____V_____]

72 Hours have passed, and we have only 1 entry in - from bwind.

None from Roshiq, The Flayed One or ChronoGrl. I am assuming the first two havent been online in two days, and Chrono already asked for more time.

I leave it open for a further 24 hours. After that, the Judges shall have the final word.

[The Flayed One]

I'm going to film Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Randolph Jaffe.

Basic Plot: (From Wikipedia)
In 1969 Randolph Jaffe discovers a mysterious part of society known as "The Art" while working in the dead letter office (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_letter_office) in Nebraska (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska). His search brings him to New Mexico where he encounters the mysterious Kissoon, claiming to be the last of the "Shoal". From Kissoon he learns of the mystical dream sea Quiddity and the islands within it known as the Ephemeris. Jaffe flees when Kissoon tries to bargain for his body. Jaffe teams up with a scientist named Fletcher who is able to create a liquid called the 'Nuncio' which enables a human to evolve to a state that would enable him to reach Quiddity. Fletcher has second thoughts however, thinking that Jaffe will use the Nuncio for evil and destroys his laboratory. Jaffe arrives and both are exposed to the Nuncio. The two battle each other for a year and their spirits arrive in Palomo Grove in California in 1971. There, they rape and impregnate four teenage girls. One of the girls is infertile and fails to give birth while another kills herself and her child after giving birth. The third, Trudi Katz, moves away with her baby Howard while the fourth, Joyce McGuire gives birth to twins, Jo-Beth and Tommy Ray.
Eighteen years pass. Howard returns to Palomo grove after the death of his mother. While Jaffe and Fletcher produced offspring in order to continue their battle, Howard and Jo-Beth instead fall in love after meeting. When a former TV comedian, Buddy Vance passes away at the cave where the lake once was, Fletcher and Jaffe are able to escape. Jaffe is able to amass an army of creatures known as Terata using the minds of vulnerable people and gets his son Tommy Ray on his side as well. Howard encounters Fletcher, who explains his heritage to him. Fletcher explains Quiddity to Howard, telling him that the islands Ephemeris contain the Great and Secret Show. Howard refuses to align with his father however. Meanwhile a reporter, Grillo and his assistant Tesla arrive to Palomo Grove to report on Vance's death. Fletcher is unable to amass his own army of hallucigenia from the mind of dreamers and instead kills himself through immolation, spreading his essence to the people of the town.


DiCaprio has shined his best with his slightly less mainstream, more eccentric roles such as What's Eating Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries. He's also very good in his misunderstood character roles, such as Blood Diamond and The Aviator.

Randolph Jaffe is a character I think Leo will adapt to well. We have a lonely, spindly man in search of the meaning behind the meaning of something in the middle of a dead letter room in Midwestern United States. A man who grows from introverted recluse into a God being to a lost child like creature with a power he cannot stop. I think Leo is a decent actor, well versed enough and liked by the general public and the academy to draw enough from both sides to keep an interest.

Going with a Barker story is a risk. He's a bizarre, niche horror writer whos out of the ordinary plot lines have been an inspiration to me. I think The Great and Secret Show can go over especially well at this time as a play on the state of America. I would intend on making subtle comparisons to the American state (achieving God like powers only to lose control of it and watch it overwhelm) that I feel a lot of the public view us today. I don't wish for political overtones to undermine the story, so the writing subtlety will have to be at it's best. Think of a toned down version of Pleasantville by Gary Ross.

Although Leo has become a big star, I don't think he's lost his passion for niche roles. Clive loves his onscreen, unapologized violence, and Leo doesn't seem to stray from it. With the supporting cast falling in line, I feel like we could produce a powerful horror movie that could win critical acclaim.

Cast: (main players)
Randolph Jaffe - Leonardo DiCaprio
Fletcher - Liam Neeson
Kissoon - David Carradine

[bwind22]

Ick, I got stuck at work late today.

Thanks V for the chance to clarify my entry.

The explanation for the loophole neverending noticed is that Mr. Stat transfers from office to office about once a year mainly to conceal the fact that he never ages, but secondly to hide the fact that each office has several hundreds of gallons of blood stolen from it in his presence. In some cases, it's not caught, in other cases he's never suspected because he's the boss and the mystery just went unsolved.

That's all. Basically, he does this everywhere he goes but this was the first time he's actually been caught doing it.

Sorry for omitting that detail from my original entry but like I mentioned I was rushing to get it written last night, knowing I wouldn't have a chance to do so today.

Thanks again for the chance to clarify.

[Doc Faustus]

I'm going to film Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Randolph Jaffe.

Basic Plot: (From Wikipedia)
In 1969 Randolph Jaffe discovers a mysterious part of society known as "The Art" while working in the dead letter office (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_letter_office) in Nebraska (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska). His search brings him to New Mexico where he encounters the mysterious Kissoon, claiming to be the last of the "Shoal". From Kissoon he learns of the mystical dream sea Quiddity and the islands within it known as the Ephemeris. Jaffe flees when Kissoon tries to bargain for his body. Jaffe teams up with a scientist named Fletcher who is able to create a liquid called the 'Nuncio' which enables a human to evolve to a state that would enable him to reach Quiddity. Fletcher has second thoughts however, thinking that Jaffe will use the Nuncio for evil and destroys his laboratory. Jaffe arrives and both are exposed to the Nuncio. The two battle each other for a year and their spirits arrive in Palomo Grove in California in 1971. There, they rape and impregnate four teenage girls. One of the girls is infertile and fails to give birth while another kills herself and her child after giving birth. The third, Trudi Katz, moves away with her baby Howard while the fourth, Joyce McGuire gives birth to twins, Jo-Beth and Tommy Ray.
Eighteen years pass. Howard returns to Palomo grove after the death of his mother. While Jaffe and Fletcher produced offspring in order to continue their battle, Howard and Jo-Beth instead fall in love after meeting. When a former TV comedian, Buddy Vance passes away at the cave where the lake once was, Fletcher and Jaffe are able to escape. Jaffe is able to amass an army of creatures known as Terata using the minds of vulnerable people and gets his son Tommy Ray on his side as well. Howard encounters Fletcher, who explains his heritage to him. Fletcher explains Quiddity to Howard, telling him that the islands Ephemeris contain the Great and Secret Show. Howard refuses to align with his father however. Meanwhile a reporter, Grillo and his assistant Tesla arrive to Palomo Grove to report on Vance's death. Fletcher is unable to amass his own army of hallucigenia from the mind of dreamers and instead kills himself through immolation, spreading his essence to the people of the town.


DiCaprio has shined his best with his slightly less mainstream, more eccentric roles such as What's Eating Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries. He's also very good in his misunderstood character roles, such as Blood Diamond and The Aviator.

Randolph Jaffe is a character I think Leo will adapt to well. We have a lonely, spindly man in search of the meaning behind the meaning of something in the middle of a dead letter room in Midwestern United States. A man who grows from introverted recluse into a God being to a lost child like creature with a power he cannot stop. I think Leo is a decent actor, well versed enough and liked by the general public and the academy to draw enough from both sides to keep an interest.

Going with a Barker story is a risk. He's a bizarre, niche horror writer whos out of the ordinary plot lines have been an inspiration to me. I think The Great and Secret Show can go over especially well at this time as a play on the state of America. I would intend on making subtle comparisons to the American state (achieving God like powers only to lose control of it and watch it overwhelm) that I feel a lot of the public view us today. I don't wish for political overtones to undermine the story, so the writing subtlety will have to be at it's best. Think of a toned down version of Pleasantville by Gary Ross.

Although Leo has become a big star, I don't think he's lost his passion for niche roles. Clive loves his onscreen, unapologized violence, and Leo doesn't seem to stray from it. With the supporting cast falling in line, I feel like we could produce a powerful horror movie that could win critical acclaim.

Cast: (main players)
Randolph Jaffe - Leonardo DiCaprio
Fletcher - Liam Neeson
Kissoon - David Carradine

Nice concept! One I've been waiting to see. Other than Damnation Game, this is my favorite Barker book. But I would say Tessa's kind of a major character not to cast. And it would be awesomer if Scott Bakula once again took the role of Harry D'Amour. Jaffe also seems more like a Giovanni Ribisi kind of guy.

[ChronoGrl]

Ugh... Here we go...

I am Peter Greenaway and looking to cast Brad Pitt in my latest film, Prometheus Bound. My reason for choosing Pitt: He is the perfect physical specimen to portray the muscled Rubeneque Prometheus, a lower member of the upper class in the city of Sicyon.

Reviewing his resume, I think that he would be a good fit for my films:
In Interview with a Vampire, Pitt launched himself into the tome of horror film by portraying the sympathetic and struggling vampire, Louis, who is questioning his purpose in life (or, eternal life/death). He showed that he can be a true sympathetic character but with also an inner strength and anger to him.

In Se7en, he played Detective David Mills, a competent but short-tempered cop who eventually finds himself in over his head, at the mercy of the films antagonist. That Pitt chose to perform in this film also shows his interest in Biblical-themed horror, Se7en revolves around the Seven Deadly Sins.

In Twelve Monkeys, Pitt played Jeffrey Goines, the insane son of an exceedingly wealthy scientist. In this film he proved that he can move from high-budget Hollywood pretty boy to more experimental cinema, teaming up with the enigmatic Terry Gilliam to create an alternate reality that flirts with temporal distortion. He also showed that he can play the eccentric: The frenetically insane, and still be believable. Also, themes of decadence, greed, gluttony vs. nature ring true to me in this film.

In Sleepers, Pitt showed that he is not afraid of controversial, harsh, and gritty subject matter: child abuse. He put in a strong and believable performance.
In Meet Joe Black, Pitt played the stoic and literal personification of Death, showing that he can hold his own in the midst of existential themes. Since Death is a main theme in my movies, his role in this film particularly sparked my attention.

In Fight Club, Pitt showed a new level of strength in his eccentricity as well the ability to embrace ultra-violence and sexual perversion as a main cinematic theme. He was intriguing yet horrifying at the same time.

In Snatch, Pitt played Mickey, an Irish Boxer who is tough, frenetic, and unpredictable. He played it with fervor and a manic energy that, once again, showed his range.

[ChronoGrl]

The inspiration for my latest film comes from Rubens’ painting Prometheus Bound.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/prometheus.jpg

The depiction of Prometheus in this work shows the classic larger-than-life Rubenesque hero at the mercy of the eagle sent by Zeus to eat his liver out. While Rubens plays with perspective in this painting, it is worth pointing out the contrast between our swollen and struggling hero and the thin and loose chains that seem to bind him there (also placed in the lower right-hand corner of the painting, clearing showing their lack of prominence in the scene). The contrast between the struggle and the fetters is absurd and surely notes that this piece is more about sadistic torture than divine punishment. It also implicates Prometheus as a centerpiece to this torture: Is he truly bound? Or is it his choice to endure this fate? Surely, the stealing of the Fire was what brought him to this place, but he does not seem to want to escape.

My film, Prometheus Bound, will consider this interpretation of the painting and consider the themes: Temptation, Gluttony, Greed, Sadism, and Death.

Prometheus (Pitt) falls becomes obsessed with Persephone, the wife of Aidoneus, the Duke of Sicyon and the hapless township that he finds himself in.

Sicyon is a place outside of time: We will take art and fashion from the modern goth culture and couple it with nods to the Flemish styles of the late 1500s and early 1600s, maintaining a similar feel as The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover.

The narrative structure will be like a series of artistic tableaux:
Prometheus lives in an apartment overlooking a decadent restaurant. One night, while on his way home, he sees Persephone for the first time through the window. He stares at her through the glass, her dainty beauty contrasted by the swollen gluttony of her husband. When they exit the restaurant, Prometheus witnesses Aidoneus throw Persephone onto the ground and kick her face. He watches as he beats her, but does not intervene.

When he turns away, he finds a prostitute and brings her up to his room where he slaps her and asks her to bind him. She binds him fast to the bed, torturing him with a bullwhip. Meanwhile he fantasizes about Persephone with bruises and blood on her face.

The next morning, Persephone is at his door, weeping. He pulls her inside and she implores him to take her away from Aidoneus. She dominates Prometheus, pinning him to the bed while simultaneously imploring him.
Thus begins their flee from Sicyon. But their departure is not easy. As they turn to flee further and further away, their journey becomes an allegory for the seven rings of Hell:

Their first stop is the fields surrounding Sicyon. Here they find students and prophets wandering like madmen. They meet Dante, who warns them to turn back.

The second stop is a brothel, where they intend to stay the night. Here we see various sexual acts of perversion that Prometheus and Persephone give in to.

In the morning, they continue on their path and find an open market. All foods, goods, jewels imaginable line the tables while all of the vendors are wearing animal masks (inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’ creatures). While the food is plentiful, most of it appears rotten and spoiled, yet the patrons of the market continue to shove it into the mouth holes of their masks, leaving oozing rotting meat and juices slipping down their faux visages.

Prometheus and Persephone each buy masks and stay at an inn, surrounding themselves with the food and goods. They dress opulently and make love with their masks on, their bodies covered with rotting fruit and meat.
The following night, Aidoneus catches up with them. He drags the naked Prometheus to the river and binds him to a stone while his men mercilessly torture him by force-feeding him Persephone’s jewelry and slashing his abdomen and removing his liver.

When Aidoneus returns to the inn for Persephone, he finds all of its inhabitants (all women) wearing the same mask that she had worn the day before. He demands that they take off their masks, but they all refuse and eventually descend upon him, beating him mercilessly. Persephone then emerges, no mask and kicks his face repeatedly. Camera pans up to her face as she screams. And fades out.

Casting
Prometheus: Brad Pitt
Persephone: Helena Bonham Carter
Aidoneus: Sid Haig



Why Brad Pitt will be on board with this movie:
It’s clear with the aforementioned movies that Pitt is attracted to pseudo-intellectual and often grotesque films. He clearly likes to challenge himself as an actor and participate in films that challenge his audience. He is not afraid of ultra-violence or controversial imagery. He also seems to enjoy working with artistic and experimental directors (Gilliam, Fincher, Ritchie), and I, Peter Greenaway, would fit into that mix, but push him that much more.

[ChronoGrl]

The Character of Prometheus

Prometheus is handsome and, as aforementioned Rubensesque in stature. He is also very stoic and cold, much like Brad's portrayal of Death in Meet Joe Black. He is a clear sadomasochist, taking odd joy out of watching the pain of others and severe joy in pain inflicted on himself. Pitt's role in Fight Club will match him well to this demand.

Prometheus is also a character who seems to be in a situation beyond his control. While strong, he is helpless and dragged along by the bizarre happenstance of the film. He endures each challenge with quiet stoicism and is always attentive (to the point of obsession) with Persephone.

Pitt fits well because he loves the enigmatic - The tough boy, the pretty boy, the twisted boy. Prometheus is all of these rolled into one: The statuesque Greek God as well as the hidden sadomasochist. Pitt is a fierce sex symbol that will truly bring fire to this film.

[Doc Faustus]

Very artistic. Way outside of the box and appealing to Brad Pitt, too. My question: why not Ken Russell?

[_____V_____]

I ll now ask all Judges to send me their Grades, and take a decision about Roshiq who has been MIA for this Challenge.

[ChronoGrl]

Very artistic. Way outside of the box and appealing to Brad Pitt, too. My question: why not Ken Russell?

Thanks!

A couple of reasons: I was really intrigued with Greenaway for a while. I find it fascinating that he targets Rennaissance and Flemish painters as his muses and that he is able to create these harsh, tragic, yet beautiful images that truly stick with you (in college I was obsessed with Flemish artists, so it was fantastic to find kin in Greenaway). He is truly one of my favorite directors and it was a delight to pitch from his point of view.

Also - The only Russell film that I've ever seen is Tommy which, at the time quickly became my least favorite movie of all time (I was in high school when I saw it and obsessed with the album and the play (which I had seen on Broadway); I found the movie to be far-reaching psychedelic tripe that was too over-the-top and just ridiculous).

[roshiq]

I ll now ask all Judges to send me their Grades, and take a decision about Roshiq who has been MIA for this Challenge.

Sorry everyone, it's really a big disappointment from me. I'm sorry that I couldn't be here earlier & responding the challenge in anyway. For the last few days I was out of the town to attend a wedding program of one of my friends who arranged it at the Chittagong. It was sad for me to getting eliminated in such a way. Moreover, the funny & terrible thing is while there was a break or free time I though & tried to come up with something but frankly saying... I failed! So, I think the competition should proceed in its own way and as I couldn't be able to respond before the deadline or even didn't come up with anything now so it'll be okay for me to face the ultimate consequences for that.

Best of luck to the others, you all are truly genius!

[roshiq]

Thanks to all the judges for their valuable comments & honest suggestions to my responses of the challenges in all the previous rounds. At the very beginning of this competition I couldn't even though of coming this so far. It was also a great honor for me to compete with all such great contestants who are truly talented and have potentials to make worthy contributions in the different fields of entertainment media.

Finally, kudos to __V__ for again organizing another great event at HDC.

[_____V_____]

Judge Hammerfan hasnt been online yet again to turn in her grades, but the other 3 esteemed Judges have turned in their verdicts for Elimination Round 4.


The Winner of Elimination Round 4 is...



CHRONOGRL - with an average Grade of A-!!




Second place, goes to...



THE FLAYED ONE - average Grade B!



Third placed, is...



BWIND22 - average Grade B-!!




And that leaves us with the only Finalist who didnt turn in his entry, and subsequently gets eliminated...


Wonderfully talented, worked really hard into his researches and did his best in every Challenge he faced...but finally eliminated...

Roshiq.

You were really awesome till the end.



The FINAL ROUND, a.k.a. THE GRAND FINALE of HDC Idol, will commence within the next 12 hours.

[bwind22]

Whew! Hangin' in there by the skin of my teeth! Great effort Roshiq!

[The Flayed One]

So it comes down to this. There where once thirty or so contestants and five judges. Now there are three and three.

Chrono and Bwind; I'm extremely proud and humbled to be here with you. Either we're the best of the best or the only three that have enough time to turn in submissions for all challenges. Either way, it doesn't matter. We're here, and this is the final round. Good luck to both of you. I'm confident in saying that you'll need it;)

[neverending]

Sorry to see Roshiq go on such a down note. You did some excellent work in this game.

[_____V_____]

THE GRAND FINALE OF HDC IDOL 2008-09


I welcome all Finalists to the GRAND FINALE of HDC Idol. It has been a long journey so far, but 3 very worthy Finalists find themselves competing for the ultimate prize. The winner of this Grand Finale will be crowned HDC Idol Superstar 2008-09, and will boast of the title for times immemorial.

And who knows, maybe Sean Keller will get you a job in Hollywood.

The Challenge in front of you might seem easy as hell, but it is actually the toughest you have faced in the competition yet. ChronoGrl, The Flayed One & Bwind 22, you three have done remarkably well so far to reach here. Now this is the step which will get you the crown, if you manage to hold on your own and nudge the other two out of the race.

Your ultimate Challenge goes like this...

Make your own horror movie.

Sounds easy as heck, right? But how difficult it actually is, can be gauged by the depth of that simple challenge.

Points to Note :-

- You have to give full details about your movie - from the moment of conception till the final release, involving basic premise idea, script, choice of producer, director, actors, music directors, cinematographers and other film crew. Elaborating on shooting locations, length of time involved in the shooting, marketing (viral or direct) and promotion leading up to the final release. And of course, the suitable title.

- You may use any original idea of your own, or existing ideas from - novels, novellas, short stories, a remake idea of an existing movie, an adaptation of a particular TV episode, anything you like. Remember, it should be good enough to impress the Judges. If not, you stand to lose points. This is the big one, so dont lose it.


Grades will be given out, and the best Grades holder will win the title.

You have 96 Hours to do your research and post your entries (either on here or in a PM to me). AND THIS TIME, THERE WILL NOT BE ANY EXTENSION OF THE DEADLINE!

Best of Luck!!

[neverending]

Good luck finalists!

[bwind22]

Are we only allowed to use existing ideas or could it be an original idea too?

[_____V_____]

If you have an original idea, go for it.

[bwind22]

Cool. Thanks.

[roshiq]

I'm really ashamed & sorry for my disappointing exist from the competition that some of you might waiting with some expectation. But the thing is I'm not that much good with developing new / fresh stories though sometimes some ideas pop in my mind but most of them are unoriginal & couldn't even able to satisfied me as a reader or viewer. :o

Thanks to NE & V for your kind words..believe me..that means a lot to me, definitely this will boost up my confidence level higher and I hope I can do better in future someday. :)

[ChronoGrl]

Roshiq - Sorry to see you go! :( You're incredibly creative, bright, and knowledgeable in terms of the Horror genre - It's been a PLEASURE to read your entries! You were a worthy adversary.



Bwind & Flayed - Kickass entries from both of you. Good GOD this competition is HOT (but so am I :p ) - GOOD LUCK TO YOU BOTH



Re: This last competition... CRAP! I already GAVE my best movie ideas!!! :p

This is a tough one... FREEDOM! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE FREEDOM!

[scouse mac]

That is one stunning challenge :eek:

Sincerely, good luck with it

[Doc Faustus]

You will be missed Roshiq. You can be proud that in spite of life getting in the way of your final round, you didn't let your quality of work dwindle. To the rest of you, make me vomit with joy. I'm serious, don't be afraid of your creativity. Great risk yields great rewards. Try it for real, too. Write the script, work on the story, do the creative calisthenics. All three of you proved you want to be creative and all three of you proved you can be. My heart and my inbox are open and my humble artistic and publishing experience are yours to borrow if you need them. To quote Lady Macbeth: "put thy courage into its sticking place and ye shall not fail. " Have fun and eviscerate each other.

[ChronoGrl]

Try it for real, too. Write the script, work on the story, do the creative calisthenics.

In 96 hours? During a work week? :confused: :eek: LOL

Good GOD - I'll be lucky to come up with a plot outline.

[Doc Faustus]

I don't mean right this second. I mean eventually and in general. I'm saying I have faith in your abilities if you tried.

[ChronoGrl]

I don't mean right this second. I mean eventually and in general. I'm saying I have faith in your abilities if you tried.

LOL - I am sensitive today.

Oh thank God - I read that and was like, "Well, if THAT'S the expectation then I have to bow out right now because there is no way."

In the positive light, though (to be completely honest), the last two challenges have inspired me to do just that... It's time to focus on what makes me happy - WRITING.

So that means that I AM going to be harassing you, Mr. Cook, sometime in the near future to do just that... I think that I need to make the effort to actually do what I want in life - And that's be a writer. I just need to DO it.

[Doc Faustus]

That's how it goes. Do the hell out of it and don't be shy. You have my email. I've been helping with submissions for ENE for the past few weeks, so believe when I say I don't mind reading a few pages a day.

[bwind22]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Doc! I've been entering a 5 page script contest once per month for about the last year and a half, honing my craft.


Chrono & Flayed - I feel destined for third going up against the two of you, but that's cool with me since I've been the underdog in this thing since my blundered first entry and feel like I've caught a few lucky breaks just to have made it this far. Best of luck to you both in the grand finale.

[The Flayed One]

Pitter-patter


Basic plot outline
Sasha, Selina and Sofia are triplets born to a single mother named Eugenia. Eugenia is deeply into black magic. Born into poverty, she covets power and wealth, and has learned a spell to let her rip through the fabric of time into the womb of her choice throughout history. She needs a Yaga child, a blind girl with chicken feet who will dance her pitter-patter dance and beat her pretty drum to open up the fabric of history. The Yaga girl will not dance unless she has pretty feet to play with. So Eugenia must turn one of her girls into a Yaga, and keep one of the others feet to keep her happy.


As we open, We see Eugenia hovering over a wooden table in a small cottage with an hearth blazing. A baby her back is turned to the camera and we see two children on an animal skin rug, crying. There is pounding on the door as we here people demanding that she open. The door is broken down and three men rush into the room to halt in horror. Eugenia turns around, blood spattered on her face. The men garrote her and stab her repeatedly with a knife as children wail. On the table, we see the horror of her crimes. There lies Sofia, her second a fourth toes and fingers severed in a bowl, her eyes gouged out. The other babies continue to scream as the camera pans into the fire and men shout in the background.


“The chicken toed girl, she lies in the corner, unmoving. The ghastly ghoul waits for her set of pretty feet to dance the pitter-patter beat upon the floor unto which the fabric of history itself will sway and moan.”


The movie takes place in a small village in the wilderness of Russia in the 1920's. I'd like to film on location during the autumn if possible. I want there to be some snow around, but not entrenching blizzards.


As we move on in the story, we see a poor family in the village has raised Sasha and Selina as peasant daughters. The family is close to their wits end with the two. They do not get along as twins; they constantly injure each other with what seems to be malicious intent. When the father, Gavril, starts hitting Sasha for stabbing Selina in the thigh with a pitchfork, Selina takes the opportunity and stabs him in the back with a scythe. As the mother, Agnes, holds Gavril, she tells the girls that they are horrible, evil incarnates just like their mother. Upon this discovery, the girls torture their foster mother by dunking her head in the icy stream as their adopted father lay dying until she confesses the truth. They have another sister. As far as she knows, she could not be burnt nor slain. She sits in the corner of a cottage in the woods, infested with lice and filth. She does not move, just slumps in the corner awaiting to fulfill her ungodly purpose. Once the girls learn this, they beat Agnes on the head with a rock until she ceases to move and set out to find the cabin.


One of the things I want to convey in this movie is the sickly poverty. The actors/actresses might be beautiful, but their hair should be matted and their persons dirty. Lice and flies should be abundant to convey the desperation of the despicable deeds.


When Sasha and Selina find the cabin, it's charred and covered with dust. Large spiders roam the floors. They see their sister, Sofia, slumped in the corner unmoving. She is a disgusting sight to behold. Her hair is infested, her eye sockets are hollow and she is mangled from animal claws. The two discover their mothers spell in an old chest. As the two come to realize what needs to be done, the face off immediately begins. One of the two must sever the feet of her sister to be able to harness the dance of Sofia and be reborn in better times.


I'm not pulling back on any violence here. I want the air to reek of what two people who don't like each other could do to one another if they had a chance at a new beginning.


As the finale draws near, Selina rams Sasha's head into a mirror, and then violently stabs at her with a shard. Defending herself, Sasha reaches out to grab an old cast iron poker and hits Selina with it. She continually clubs her until Selina is unconcious. She then grabs a nearby axe and severs Selina's feet. She gives them to Sofia, which animates the seemingly dead corpse to life. Sofia starts to stomp around and beat her little drum, and the template of reality goes fuzzy. Sasha, bleeding profusely, reaches out into nothing and grasps the fabric of history. As the ghosts of the past crawl up her arm, she feels every single birth that has ever been, and ever will be. Sofia continues to dance wildly; as Sasha is absorbed into nothingness. Sofia's mechanical dance halts. She sits in the corner again, fondling Selina's feet. Beautiful feet which she never had. As she caresses her sisters feet, the credits begin to roll as we hear the faint beat of her little drum in the background. Fade to black.


Director – Marc Evans
Writer – Michael Hirst


Cast:
Selina - Maiwenn Le Besco
Sasha – Alex Reid
Gavril – James Coburn
Agnes – Helen Mirren
Eugenia – Holly Hunter


After the credits roll, we get to see closure.


Cut to glorious ancient Egypt. Beautiful twin daughters are born as magi and Pharaoh look on. It is a glorious time. There is a celebration, as the daughters are presented to all. Once the night is over, the Pharaoh and his queen lay down to sleep. The old wet nurse creeps into the nursery. As one child squirms, she hovers over her bed, grasps her foot and brings the knife ever close.


This movie should take about two years to film. We need the right before winter feel, which could also be accommodated in late winter/early spring.


For marketing, I'll start by seeing if I can get Mike Mignola to produce a Hellboy ashcan with the history of the Yaga girl attached. He already uses Baba Yaga heavily in his work, so I don't see it being a big stretch.


I'd also like to get together with Chris Cunningham (of Rubber Johnny fame) and see if he would produce a viral video of the pitter-patter dance for YouTube.


Last, we'll embark on a campaign that every twin who registers on the website gets a chicken foot necklace to ward away evil powers. (There is a program where twins get a two dollar bill on every birthday. It's a slight mirror of that)


This concludes my presentation. I hope I have lived up to the standards that brought me this far in this competition.

[bwind22]

Make your own horror movie.

- You have to give full details about your movie - from the moment of conception till the final release, involving basic premise idea, script, choice of producer, director, actors, music directors, cinematographers and other film crew. Elaborating on shooting locations, length of time involved in the shooting, marketing (viral or direct) and promotion leading up to the final release. And of course, the suitable title.

Well, I wasn’t exactly sure if the judges would be looking for originality, marketability or franchise potential so I went with a combination of all of the above. This is an original story by Brian Wind. It follows the fairly standard recipe for horror success in that we have a secluded group of good looking teens in a perilous situation with minimal help from the outside world where they’ll be killed off one by one. The villain I am using is one that, quite frankly, I’m surprised hasn’t been done before (or at least hasn’t been done well.) Basically, my goal with this was to come up with an idea that could easily be the next big summer horror movie without feeling like something stale that we’ve already seen a hundred times before. I hope you enjoy it….


SPRING BREAK

RURAL MEXICO, YUCATAN PENINSULA – ONE WEEK AGO

An old man & his granddaughter are just finishing up a day of fishing. It's dusk and they are on their way home. The girl is playful and skips ahead. Grandpa warns her to stay close. She stops. As he closes the distance between them, he notices a glowing red pair of eyes. He gasps as an ominous dark figure darts across the path and snatches his granddaughter and disappears with her in to the blackness of the jungle. She screams as grandpa races to the scene and shines a flashlight in to the jungle, but sees nothing. The screams fade in to the distance and then silence. Grandpa falls to his knees, weeping.

CANCUN MEXICO – PRESENT DAY

Spring Break is in full swing at a fancy Oceanside resort. Hundreds of bronzed college-aged coeds drink, dance and party in the most hedonistic of ways. One girl, Kristen, sticks out like a sore thumb as she sits quietly at poolside sipping a margarita as she flips through the pages of a book about Mexican history and mythology. Also at her table are Heather and Laura, both drinking heavily and grading every guy that walks past based solely on appearance. Amanda approaches holding another round of drinks. She sets them on the table and rolls her eyes ar Kristen before asking when she's going to put down the book and loosen up. Kristen responds that she's fine, but then Laura and Heather take Amanda's side and attempt goading Kristen in to loosening up too. They mention that they've already been in Mexico for two full days and Kristen has yet to make out with anyone, unlike Nicole who has already made out with everyone and gotten laid four times. To emphasize this point, they nod towards Nicole, who is busy sucking some guy's face with her hand down his pants in plain view of everyone. Kristen groans and tells them she'll never get drunk enough to act like that. This prompts Amanda to offer a deal. Amanda tells Kristen that if she parties hard enough and gets drunk enough to leave her virginity in Mexico tonight, then tomorrow they will all go do something nerdy with her... Whatever she wants. Upon hearing the offer, Kristen softens her stance a bit. Heather and Laura both agree to go along with whatever she wants to do. Kristen is close to agreeing, but objects saying Nicole would never go for it. Amanda promptly retrieves Nicole, who arrives, dragging the guy she's with behind her by the johnson. Nicole introduces her guy as Bach, the Asian DJ party man. Amanda recaps the deal to her and Nicole is reluctant. Nicole says she isn't interested in sightseeing and doubts Kristen will get laid. Bach pulls her aside and whispers in her ear that he'll go with on whatever nerdy endeavor Kristen picks and also that he might be able to help get her laid. As Nicole returns to the girls, she announces she's in. Kristen reluctantly agrees to party hard tonight in exchange for choice of activities tomorrow. The girls cheer and then insist that Kristen has some catching up to do as Amanda heads back to the bar for shots.

HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

The sun has gone down but the party is still raging. Heather is passed out on a couch. Kristen, Amanda and Laura are around a table playing drinking games with CC, a skinny pale guy, Deuce, a tough dude, and Noel, a handsome and charming guy. Nicole stands up and leads Bach towards a bedroom. Sufficiently intoxicated, Kristen stands up and announces that she needs to go to lay down but first she has to fulfill her end of the bargain and asks who wants to get laid. The guy's all look at each other, silently determining which of them will get to capitalize on this opportunity. Deuce and Noel both agree that CC needs it most. CC, looking timid, rises from his seat and follows Kristen in to a bedroom.

TOUR BUS - NEXT DAY

The open air tour bus zips along a dirt path carved through the middle of the jungle. Roberto, jovial and portly, drives as Fernando stands beside him facing the passengers and describing local landmarks in to a megaphone. In the front seat, an elderly couple, Mr. & Mrs. Nyberg listen intently. A seat behind them, Perry, a 30-something photographer snaps pictures of the foliage as they go. In the back several seats are Kristen, Amanda, Laura, Heather, CC, Noel, Deuce, Bach and Nicole, with the exception of Kristen who seems pretty chipper, they all seem incredibly hungover. Heather asks how much further but before she gets an answer she leans out of the bus and begins puking. Kristen excitedly tells CC about the tour. She's clearly thrilled to be on her way to visit the Mayan Ruins.

Thud! The bus screeches to a halt. Roberto and Fernando bicker back and forth in Spanish. The passengers are mainly concerned. Deuce questions what they just hit. Fernando grabs the rifle that hangs above the driver’s seat and steps off the bus to investigate. Upon seeing a carcass beneath the bus, he calls to Roberto, who also gets off the bus. The two men stand in front of the bus examining the road kill of a small creature that looks something like a hybrid between a man and dog. Everyone else looks on curiously as Fernando and Roberto drag the small carcass out from under the bus and to the side of the road. None of them have ever seen anything like it. Perry furiously snaps pictures.

As Roberto and Fernando discard the road kill and start heading back towards the bus, the jungle nearby rustles. Both men freeze in their tracks. Fernando raises the rifle. A massive beast, similar to the one they hit but five times as large leaps from the undergrowth and pounces on Roberto. In an instant, it savagely snaps his neck then plunges it's teeth in before dragging Roberto's lifeless form towards the jungle. Fernando fires the rifle twice, but the shots both miss due to the speed that the creature is moving.

Fernando returns to a bus full of shocked and hysterical passengers. Deuce asks "What the fuck was that?" Fernando babbles to himself in Spanish for a moment. His sentence ends with a word they all recognize..."Chupacabra." The word sends a wave of panic and skepticism across the passengers. Amanda urges him to get to get them the Hell out of there. Fernando seems to snap out of it and takes the driver's seat, but his face sinks. Roberto had the keys. Deuce makes his way to the front of the bus and begins trying to hotwire it. A few minutes later, the engine roars to life which leads to a brief celebration, but it's cut short as just as quickly the engine sputters out, dead. Once again, panic sets in on the passengers. The trees begin to rustle again and Fernando raises the rifle. The Chupacabra emerges in a blur, leaping from the undergrowth and landing on top of the bus's rollbar. Fernando fires. The shot hits the beast in the midsection but has minimal effect. With great speed, the Chupacabra reaches a clawed hand through the open aired roof of the bus and swipes at Fernando. Fernando falls backwards, avoiding the claw as he fires another shot. The shot misses. Mrs. Nyberg begins to scream hysterically as she and everyone else realize in unison that the swipe meant for Fernando ended up decapitating Mr. Nyberg instead. The Chupacabra disappears in to the jungle with the severed head as quickly as it appeared.

Hysterical, Laura freaks out, climbs out the back of the bus and begins running down the path they came in on. Bach yells for her to come back but she ignores him. Bach and Nicole decide, against the urging of the rest of the group and against their better judgment, to go after her. The three are soon out of sight.

In the bus, the group weighs their options. Fernando advises they wait with the bus because there are no towns for dozens of miles in either direction, plus another tour could be coming along at any time. Noel asks if there is a radio on the bus and Fernando informs him there is but it doesn't work. Amanda asks how far to the ruins and Fernando informs her they are about four miles ahead. The group scours the bus for any supplies that may be of use but only come up with one flare gun with three flares and a couple bottles of water, in addition to Fernando's rifle, which is only has a total of 8 rounds left. Fernando shoots the flare gun in to the sky then sets it aside.

[bwind22]

Deuce and Fernando decide to try to fix the bus while they wait. As they work on it, the rest of the group stands in a cluster nearby. After a bit, Perry has to take a leak and wanders a short distance in to the trees to take care of it. As he pees, his eyes wander the trees. Suddenly, he sees a flash of movement nearby. His eyes widen as the Chupacabra appears in front of him. His scream is cut short as the beast's razor sharp claws slash his throat.

The group hears Perry scream. Noel and CC go to investigate and find a camera lying in a pool of blood and urine.

As Noel and CC return to the group to report their findings, morale drops even lower than it was. A piece of the engine snaps off in Deuce's hand and is chucked against the hood in frustration. "We're fucked." Deuce reports.

Fernando decides it may be best to try to make it to the ruins since there may be another tour group there that will take a different route back to civilization. They all agree and decide to remain close together as they make the four mile trek. CC takes the flare gun.

JUNGLE - LATER

The bus is miles back now and the group is in the middle of the jungle without any protection. Fernando is leading the pack, rifle at the ready. Mrs. Nyberg is having trouble keeping up, despite CC trying to help her along. Mrs. Nyberg stumbles to the ground. CC tries to help her up but she tells him to go on without her. She can't make it and she's slowing them down. CC refuses and tries to help her up again. Meanwhile, the group is getting further and further ahead of them. The bushes rustle. CC freezes in his tracks. Mrs. Nyberg urges him to leave her. He doesn't know what to do. The Chupacabra appears in a blur, bats CC aside, knocking him to his ass then makes off with Mrs. Nyberg, who is too worn out to even muster a scream. Shocked, CC backpedals on his butt and then gets to his feet and sprints to catch up. He informs the group that the beast got Mrs. Nyberg. The group stops as Fernando aims the rifle in the general direction of where she was taken. There is nothing but the eerie stillness of the jungle. Fernando tells them they need to keep moving and they resume their journey.

At that moment, the trees ahead of them begin to rustle. Fernando raises the rifle just as the Chupacabra appears about ten yards in front of the group. Screams and panic. Fernando stays calm, fires two shots right in to the chest of the beast before it reaches. The shots don't seem to slow it down at all as it pounces on Fernando and eviscerates him. The group scatters into the jungle. Kristen, Amanda, and CC go one way while Heather and Noel retreat down the path in the same direction they just came from. Deuce stands his ground and grabs a thick branch from the ground nearby. He brings it down across the Chupacabra's head as it feasts on Fernando. The force actually knocks the beast to the ground. Deuce clubs it again as it tries to get up, and again, and again. Deuce shouts for assistance, but no one is around to hear him as he pummels the beast continually, but it won't stay down. Deuce sees the rifle lying near Fernando's body and grabs it. He puts it to the Chupacabra's head point blank and pulls the trigger. Click. No ammo. Deuce quickly dashes to Fernando and begins looking for the rest of the ammo. The Chupacabra gets back to its feet and lunges for Deuce as he fumbles through Fernando's pockets for the few remaining shells. Deuce braces with the gun as the beast lands on him. He struggles to keep the Chupacabra’s teeth away from his face but the weight of the creature is slowly draining his strength and the beast inches closer. Deuce begins to yell for help, but there's still no one around. Snap! The beast's teeth gnash at his face, peeling skin from bone. Deuce screams as his elbows buckle and the beast begins to devour him alive.

JUNGLE – A SHORT TIME LATER

Noel and Heather stop running down the path to catch their breath. They listen closely but all is quiet. Noel questions whether or not she thinks the others are okay. She says she’s not concerned about the others, only herself. Just then, branches start cracking as something big moves rapidly through the jungle in their direction. They sprint down the path. Noel gets ahead of her and she yells for him to wait. He slows down and turns around just in time to see the Chupacabra bolt from the trees and snatch her in mid stride, disappearing into the trees on the other side of the trail. Noel resumes running.

JUNGLE – A SHORT TIME LATER
Kristen, Amanda and CC arrive at the Mayan Ruins only to find there are no other tours present. Despair sets in. CC tries to keep a level head as they scan the area for any ideas, then he remembers the flare gun. He shoots it straight up. This flare actually works, sending a distress signal high in to the sky.

JUNGLE – AT THAT MOMENT

As he passes the broken down bus, Noel looks up in the sky to see the flare several miles in the distance. He knows someone is still alive, but there are too many miles of jungle between them so he continues in the direction he was heading.

JUNGLE – A SHORT TIME LATER

Dusk is approaching as CC, Amanda and Kristen sit at the base of one of the Mayan pyramids trying to build a fire.

JUNGLE – AT THAT MOMENT

Noel rounds a bend and finds total carnage. Blood everywhere, Bach’s tattooed arm rests in the middle of the road, tatters from Laura’s shirt are a short distance in front of Bach’s arm and beyond the tatters Nicole’s once beautiful head lies in the center of the road. Noel drops to his knees and pukes. As he finishes heaving, a shadow falls over him. He slowly turns around as his face pales. The Chupacabra pounces on him.

JUNGLE – A SHORT TIME LATER

It is night time now. Kristen, Amanda and CC sit in silence around a small fire in the midst of a pitch black jungle. Kristen breaks the silence with an apology. Amanda questions why she’s apologizing and Kristen says it was her idea to come out here. Amanda tries to console her telling her they all agreed on the deal to which Kristen breaks down. Through tears, she tells Amanda that she didn’t even live up to her end of the bargain and that she and CC didn’t have sex the night before. CC’s ego is dented by this admission but he can not deny it. He just says “You promised you wouldn’t tell.” Kristen explains that they both agreed to lie about it once they got in the bedroom so they wouldn’t disappoint their friends. Amanda doesn’t know what to say. Eventually Amanda says it’s her that should apologize because they shouldn’t have tried to pressure her into doing anything she didn’t want to do in the first place and they should have been willing to allow her to select an activity once and while without stipulations attached. Just then, there is a rustling in the trees nearby. Amanda and Kristen clutch each other in fear as CC stands to face the intruder and act as a skinny, pale shield to the girls. Two glowing red eyes appear in the darkness. CC draws the only weapon he has, the flare gun which is on the last flare and aims it at the eyes. Before he can shoot, the eyes vanish and a large black mass passes through the moonlight as the creature lunges for them. CC fires the flare gun, but the shot misses, sending a bright red flare high in to the air. The Chupacabra lands on CC as it’s claws tear into his flesh. Kristen and Amanda retreat up the steps of the ancient pyramid as CC is devoured at the base. Once it’ has feasted, the Chupacabra begins to ascend the pyramid as well, almost toying with its prey as it moves slowly and deliberately. As it nears the top, the two girls split up and each runs down a different side. The creature crests the top, the leaps halfway down, pouncing on to Amanda’s back from behind. She screams as she falls, her spine cracks as she is bent in half before the Chupacabra tears in to her jugular and feasts on her blood. Hearing the sounds of her friend being killed and realizing the futility of her situation, Kristen stops and turns to face her fate. A second later, the Chupacabra reappears at the top of the pyramid. It eyes her curiously from afar and then leaps in to the air. BANG! A loud gunshot shatters the silence of the jungle and sends the Chupacabra sprawling backwards with a gaping hole in its chest. It lands with a lifeless thud on the pyramid steps. Kristen turns around to spot an elderly Mexican man carrying an elephant hunting gun. It is the same man who had his granddaughter snatched at the start of the film. She runs to him and thanks him. He tells her in Spanish that he doesn’t speak English and then he makes a hand gesture that lets her know he saw the flare and came to help. Just then, a bright white spotlight is shined on the two from above. A helicopter search party has found them. The pilot speaks through a megaphone and says there is nowhere to land so they will need to climb up a rope ladder. As the ladder descends, there is another rustling in the trees. The old Mexican man reloads his elephant gun and helps Kristen to the top of the pyramid while he keeps a watchful eye on the trees. She begins climbing the ladder. As she gets half way up, she hears another thunderous shot. She turns to see another splattered Chupacabra on the pyramid steps. As the man reloads the gun again, he is pounced on. Seeing this, the pilot begins to ascend as Kristen crests the ladder and is helped in to the chopper by the co-pilot. As the spotlight moves away from the pyramid, dozens of glowing red eyes are visible in the dense jungle nearby.

THE END.

[bwind22]

Specs
SHOOTING LOCATION: Cancun, Mexico and surrounding areas
LENGTH OF SHOOT: 10 Weeks

Crew
PRODUCERS: Francis Ford Coppola, Wes Craven
DIRECTOR: Wes Craven
WRITER: Wes Craven
MUSIC DIRECTOR: Pilar McCurry
SPECIAL FX SUPERVISOR: Brock Jolliffe
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hyung-ku Kim
EDITOR: Ed Marx

Cast
KRISTEN: Anna Paquin
AMANDA: Eliza Dushku
NICOLE: Shenae Grimes
LAURA: Erica Leerhsen
HEATHER: Christa Flanagan
CC: Bryan Greenburg
BACH: Doua Moua
NOEL: Jared Padalecki
DEUCE: Nick Steele
FERNANDO: Luis Guzman
ROBERTO: Otto Sanchez
MEXICAN GRANDPA: Danny Trejo
MR. NYBERG: J.K. Simmons
MRS. NYBERG: Shirley Jones
PERRY: Jeremy Sisto

The roles of the Mexican Granddaughter and helicopter pilots are very small and could go to unknowns.

Marketing/Promotion

There would be 3 distinctly different poster campaigns. One featuring the hot young cast, one featuring the exotic locale and one with the red glowing Chupacabra eyes staring out from a dense, dark jungle.

The trailer would be very rapid cuts, basically just getting the general point across that there are a bunch of good looking people being hunted and killed in the jungle but not giving away any of the plot.

Because a lot of the cast are lesser known actors, it shouldn’t be much trouble (in terms of their schedules) to get them in to heavy rotation on all the late night talk shows promoting the film. Also, many appearances on channels like MTV, Spike, Cartoon Networks Adult Swim, etc… would be a good idea to make certain that every member of the target demographic knows about the film.

Another promotion idea could be to give away 1 round trip for 2 to Spring Break at each theatre showing the film on opening night. This would get people out in droves right away and as long as the film is made well, the positive word of mouth will bring in more than enough extra viewers to offset the cost of the promotion.

It’d also be a smart idea to promote the film heavily at the actual Spring Break locations like Cancun, Acapulco, Mazatlan, etc.., even sponsoring parties and bar nights and having cast members making appearances.

I guess that concludes my entry as well as my stint here on HDC Idol. I just want to say to Chrono & Flayed that no matter how this ends up, I had a blast competing with you and reading through your incredibly creative entries each round. Roshiq, Ferret, BloodRayne, alky and everyone else who spent time posting high quality work… Great job. These sorts of things don’t work very well without good participation so thanks for making this contest an excellent and memorable one.

I’d also like to take a few seconds to thank V for putting on a fun and incredibly challenging contest as well as thank all the judges, Neverending, Doc, Austin, Hammerfan and Roderick Usher for taking the time to critique and grade the entries. Well done and I can’t say I disagree with anything that’s been said by any of you thus far. You’ve all been superb, fair and impartial in your grading and judging.

It’s been a blast. Thanks again V.

This is bwind22, signing off.

[ChronoGrl]

This was a really tough one. As Bwind articulated, there’s a definite dichotomy between what I consider makes good cinema and what is the stereotypical “recipe for success” that will top the box offices.

In mulling this challenge over, I had to go with the former; while I can understand the merit of marketing to the masses, when it comes down to it, there are directors whom I respect greatly and whom I personally want to see advance in their careers.

One of my favorite modern horror film directors does not focus on some of the classic horror themes as seen in slashers, monster movies, etc. Instead, he focuses on pure unadulterated human struggle and examines the horror of humanity; what one can do to themselves and what that person can and will do to others when faced with the desperation of the extremities. In a way, this person speaks to me personally as I find one of the most poignant everyday “horrors” that I face is the “horror” of freewill – What I, or anyone could do without the trappings of moral, ethical, or other guidelines.

The director that I’m speaking of is Chan-wook Park. I feel that, with his Vengeance Trilogy, he has explored varying degrees of horror, from the horror of human behavior to the horror of destiny (if one is “destined,” then their free will is stripped entirely). He explores the concept of Vengeance as being both an active choice and also all-encompassing fetters. He creates characters that are both horrifying and pathetic and I think that he creates true stories of gothic horror and elevates them to an eloquent Dickensian level, but tempers them with the grace, beauty, and playfulness of his direction.

I find Chan-wook Park a true inspiration and look at his films as modern icons of horror and the human condition.

And that is why, for this proposal, I will be collaborating with Director Chan-wook Park for the fourth installment of his Vengeance Saga, entitled…


Daughter of Vengeance (a.k.a. Sympathy for Daughter Vengeance)

Please note: This film following takes place in South Korea and is performed and acted in their native tongue.



Opening Scene:

The movie begins. The credits roll.

Interior: Luxurious hotel room, Night

We are encompassed within the charm of sultry music while panning slowly within a luxurious hotel room. The camera moves and we see glimpses of a scantily clad woman – Her shoulder where a bra strap is sliding off, her hips as she sways to the music. The camera cuts between the dance of her body and the man before her, watching her. He is an older man, in a business suite. As the credits continue to roll, we hear her whispering sweet nothings, “Do you like this?” … “How do you like this?” … “Tell me what you want me to do…” as the man sighs, watching her. She pours him a stiff drink and we see a close-up of her hands passing it to him. We are captivated by the sway of the camera and the sound of the music when it stops suddenly and pans out:

She is only fifteen.

She looks directly at the camera and says, “Now tell me. Where is Dae-Jung Lee?”

He looks at her and laughs, “What are you talking about? I haven’t seen him in years –“

In a flash, she takes the hotel room’s letter opener and stabs him in the throat. He gasps as the blood pours out. She looks at him, indifferently and starts to get dressed. He slumps onto the floor as she puts on her clothes, goes through his things, finds his wallet, pulls out all of the money inside and tosses it onto him as he breathes her last breath. She opens the hotel room to exit and when the door slams, cut to black and the title displays in white:

Daughter of Vengeance




(cont.)

[ChronoGrl]

Plot and story summary:

Our movie focuses around our 15-year old heroine, Hye-Su Oh, who is working as a child prostitute in the impoverished section of Seoul’s Itaewon District. Here we see a collection of Korean business men amongst a population of American soldiers creating an eclectic atmosphere of Korean corrupt rich and equally corrupt American presence.

Hye-Su Oh clearly has a purpose. Along with the John we see her kill in the opening credits, she kills a second John, a masochist, by binding him to a hotel bed and piercing him with fishhooks (at least 50), all of them attached to a strand of fishing line. She grasps all of the fishing lines together and tugs them, asking him the same question, Where is Dae-Jung Lee? And when he doesn’t answer, she forcefully pulls thme out of his chest as he screams. She gags him and leaves him bound to the bed.

Amidst her bloody trail of murders, we learn slowly of Hye-Su Oh’s back story through staggered flashbacks and voice-overs:

It’s her sixth Birthday party. There are banners and streamers and she is celebrating with her mother, father, and little brother (about 3-years-old). Suddenly a man and his henchmen (the two Johns we saw Hye-Su Oh kill earlier) break into their house: Dae-Jung Lee, a Seoul mob boss and loan shark has come to collect his money from her father. Upon entry into the house he immediately shoots her mother, who collapses like a ton of bricks. She screams and hides in the closet of her parent’s room with her brother. The henchmen come after her and one of the henchmen grabs her brother and slits his throat. She stands there, petrified, as they torture and humiliate her father, tying him to his own bed, naked and threatening to rape his only daughter. They cut off his fingers and one of his eyes. Finally, Dae-Jung Lee kills him by shooting him in the face.

After the grueling flashback and tales are over, it is revealed that Dae-Jung Lee had sold the 6-year-old Hye-Su Oh to the brothel where we find her at present. She explains that for most of her life, she was not cognizant of what had put her there. It wasn’t until she reached puberty that she began to have flashbacks about what happened, though they are only snippets. It was the presence of the two Johns that pushed her over the edge to remember what happened.

We learn that Hye-Su Oh is lonely and has never known the love of a mother or father, or the bonding between siblings. She longs for that familial bond.

She then states her mission statement: She is tracking down Dae-Jung Lee and plans on killing him and destroying his family, just as he had done hers, on her 16th Birthday, which is in a month.

Realizing that her Birthday is in a month, the movie begins to adapt a “countdown” metaphor (i.e., scene cuts to black displaying: 30 days remaining).

Finding that two of his best clients are dead, Jung-Hwa Kim, her pimp and owner of the brothel, confronts her and beats her mercilessly, her face bloody and swollen. This is a long and drawn-out fight scene. Jung-Hwa Kim throws her into his mirror and she is cut by the shards of glass. In a final standoff, he attempts to rape her but she bites his penis off, knocking him off balance and then sinks her teeth into his neck, tearing into his jugular. Hye-Su Oh then tears through Jung-Hwa Kim’s possessions and finds an address book with an entry for Dae-Jung Lee.

Now knowing where Dae-Jung Lee lives, Hye-Su Oh purchases a maid uniform and visits his home, offering her house-keeping services for a job. She ties her hair back neatly and calls herself Soon-Bok Ham.

To her surprise, Dae-Jung Lee is not the tyrant she pictured him to be; he is older, pudgier, and has three sons: One 9-year-old and two 5-year-olds, both twins. He hires her to the position, stating that his work requires him to do a lot of traveling and with his wife in the final stages of her third pregnancy, he needs help around the house.

Over the next couple of weeks, Hye-Su Oh rarely sees Dae-Jung Lee’s wife, only in passing, and begins to bond with the three boys. Here, Chan-Wook Park will strike up an odd tone of aloofness between the two women, the wife passing as a beautiful ghost occasionally from room to room, but never seen with her husband or sons.

Hye-Su Oh serves as maid and surrogate mother, bathing them, playing with them, and tucking them into bed at night. Even Dae-Jung Lee, though flitting in and out of the scenes seems nothing but tender and loving to his sons.

But then her 16th Birthday approaches. Dae-Jung Lee goes on a business trip and she is left to take care of his three boys. On the evening of her 16th Birthday, Hye-Su Oh is giving the twins their nightly bath and she is caught between the fresh bond that she feels for them and the vengeance that she has been building up for the past 10 years. In a sudden flashback and fit, she pushes both of their heads beneath the water and drowns them as they struggle. She is weeping by the time is done and then turns to the bathroom doorway, where she sees the 9-year-old standing there. He immediately turns to run to his room and climbs onto his bed where she winds up strangling him to death while weeping. Hye-Su Oh is caught within herself, crying in the dark of his bedroom until the silence is broken by the voice of the Wife, calling her sons’ names.

Hye-Su Oh straightens out abruptly and grabs an arrow from the quiver of the 9-year-old’s archery set and heads toward the wife’s bedroom. She opens the door and the wife is standing there, back to her. She comes up behind her, arm poised with the arrow when the wife turns suddenly and the two women’s eyes lock.

“Hye-Su Oh?”

…

“Mamma?”


We take a moment to take in the shock while Hye-Su Oh realizes that she has just slaughtered her only living siblings.
Hye-Su Oh’s mother reveals that after that night, she was revived by Dae-Jung Lee. He kept her alive and told her that he would keep her daughter safe if she agreed to be his wife and bear him a family. In those 10 years, Hye-Su Oh’s mother endured his abuse and his advances – his children – being his kept woman - with the sole dream of seeing her baby daughter again.

Now united, Hye-Su Oh asks her mother what they should do about Dae-Jung Lee, knowing that he should be returning from his business trip the following evening. Hye-Su Oh’s mother says that she has been waiting 10 years teach to her daughter what all mothers pass down to their baby girls: How to cook. She decides that they would cook for Dae-Jung Lee together.

The next day they spend the entire day making dumplings: Rolling the dough and filling it with meat. We see a stark contrast from the violence of the movie to the tender bonding moment of mother and daughter over cooking.

When Dae-Jung Lee arrives home, Hye-Su Oh serves him his meal on a silver platter. He sits alone in their grandiose dining room and we close-up on his gluttony as he slurps and eats the dumplings. Once he’s done, Hye-Su Oh reveals her true identity and tells him that she has slaughtered his sons. Dae-Jung Lee retorts by telling her they were her brothers, and that she is a brother-killer and no better than he is.

And then she reveals what she put in the dumplings.

Out of the shock and horror of eating his own children, Dae-Jung Lee crumples to the floor as Hye-Su Oh’s mother emerges and stands beside her. The two women stare down at the man, who is gagging in the grand dining room, lamenting, and holding his chest. Finally, he pulls out his gun and shoots himself in the head.

Fade out.

Our final scene is an idyllic scene of Hye-Su Oh and her mother in a farm in the countryside. Her mother is no longer pregnant and with them is a baby girl. The three women stand strong as the movie fads to black. Roll credits.


(cont.)

[ChronoGrl]

Cast and Crew
Hye-Su Oh: Ok-bin Kim (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1982607/)
Dae-Jung Lee: Min-sik Choi (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158856/)
Hye-Su Oh’s Mother: Yeong-ae Lee (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498472/)
Director: Chan-wook Park (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661791/)
Writer: Chan-wook Park (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661791/)
Cinematographer: Chung-hoon Chung (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0161200/)
Music: Seung-hyun Choi (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1960520/)
Producer: Quentin Tarentino (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000233/) (like him or hate him, he has a clear appreciation for Asian Cinema and he will be able to assist in Park’s film penetrating the American indie film market)
Shot on Location: Itaewon and Seoul for most of the film. New Zealand for the final scene at the end.
Length of Shoot: Six months


Marketing
Since I have decided to make a foreign film and go with a director who is primarily known for his Korean movies, we will have to focus on its penetration in the Korean and Asian Market prior to American releases. We will have a series of film posters with Ok-bin Kim dressed purposefully as “youthful” (example: skirt, button-up shirt and ponytails) with blood dripping off of her and a knife in her hand.

The first sets of trailers would focus on the character of Hye-Su Oh. A voiceover asks, “What would you do if your family was stolen from you? How far would you go?” We see a desperate Hye-Su Oh with flashes of her scantily clad and then weapon-wielding.

The second set of trailers would focus on the star-power of Min-sik Choi as villain with Ok-bin Kim plotting her revenge. We would not portray Yeong-ae Lee in any of the commercials and keep her involvement from the posters and ads so as to keep the final reveal of her relationship to Hye-Su Oh a secret.

We’ll create a fake site for Hye-Su Oh that contains a widget where you could create your own vengeance plan, Mad Libs style and print it out. There will also be a flash game where your ultimate goal is to reach Dae-Jung Lee and kill as many henchmen in the way as humanly possible. A running score will be kept on the site with the incentive to win four tickets to a private screening of the film and to meet the cast.

Once released in the Asian Market, we will target mostly independent cinemas in America. Chan-Wook Park will do the interview circuit, including returning to CNN as well as NPR to capture the intellectual movie-going crowd. We will also pair up with horror magazines like Fangoria and Rue Morgue to sponsor free screenings in big cities like New York and L.A. in some of the smaller theaters (must have name on guest list to enter). We will also make sure that Asian Cult Cinema magazine gives a feature article to Chan-Wook Park and this film.

[ChronoGrl]

Pfew!

Well, I would like to make a FEW thanks...

To V for moderating and organizing this competition... To the judges for taking the time to read, assess, critique, and delve into all of our entries. Thank you NE, Doc, Austin, Hammerfan, and Rod for taking the time out for this competition.

To Bwind and Flayed - You guys are both creative, brilliant, and full of film knowledge; it's been fantastic to compete beside you and read what you have to contribute - It's honestly refreshing to read the creativity of your peers, especially when most of the people around you all day do NOT appreciate horror (ahem - MY WORKPLACE :p ).

And to everyone else who started out in this competition - It was fantastic to see what your creative juices had to offer.

Also, on a personal note, I have found this competition to be truly inspiring; I have written more here the past couple of months than I have in a long, long time. It's awakened a part of me that I stifled (GOD knows why! Lack of time? Lack of confidence?) and now I am once again inspired to pursue writing... The next step is to actually take the time and DO it.

Thank you all for the opportunity to flex my writing muscles while simultaneously being exposed to new and creative talent and ideas.

This whole competition has been an utter blast.

Thank you all.

And to Bwind and Flayed - Good luck.

[neverending]

All three of these contestants have shown great skill & creativity throughout this contest. It has been an honor to critique your efforts, and the efforts of other contestants, particularly Roshiq.

That said, I have seen better work from each of these contestants at other times during the battle.

Though Baba Yaga was a favorite tale of mine as a child, I found Flayed's proposal lacking in focus. There were no characters for me to grab onto. There were plenty of striking images but the storyline was not well delineated and was hard for me to follow at times.

Bwind's offering was certainly commercial. The use of Chupacabra was not enough to raise it above the basic mendacity if the plot. I have seen it before. On the sci-fi channel. That said, your proposal was quite detailed and well told. I'm sure somebody somewhere would make this film.

Chrono, your story offers the most fleshed out characters, but they're not as original as I would expect from you- I see heavy doses of Old One-Eye here, and that episode of Three Extremes where they make dumplings out of babies. Was that by Park? The ending seems somewhat of a let-down as well. I'm not sure I believe he would kill himself.

This was an extremely tough challenge. If I seem harsh in my criticism, I say it must be so- the stakes are great here. We'll see how the judging goes...

[_____V_____]

The deadline is up.

I ll now request all Judges to send me their grades for the Grand Finale entries.

Best of luck to Bwind, Chrono & Flayed.

[ChronoGrl]

Chrono, your story offers the most fleshed out characters, but they're not as original as I would expect from you- I see heavy doses of Old One-Eye here, and that episode of Three Extremes where they make dumplings out of babies. Was that by Park? The ending seems somewhat of a let-down as well. I'm not sure I believe he would kill himself.

Who's "Old One-Eye"? :o

Re: Three... Extremes - No, Park did the second movie, "Cut." I thought that the Hong Kong short "Dumplings" was actually the weakest of the three films and when invoking the cannibalism in Daughter Vengeance, I was alluding more of the "last supper" scene in Titus Andronicus, which was fueled by Titus' vengeance upon Tamara by serving her her own sons (as opposed to the more subtle serving of "Dumplings" that is more an allegory for the extremes of female vanity). I probably could have chosen a different food for them to prepare together, though (galbi, samgyeopsal, meat stew, etc.). For me, it was absolutely integral that we have the mother/daughter baking scene (such a gothic horror twist on classic maternal bonding) and the first thing I thought of was dumplings (thinking about how dumplings, in particular play a role in Oldboy, so it was as much a purposeful nod to Oldboy as it was to Titus Andronicus).

Re: The ending of Daughter of Vengeance: I can see that. I skimmed over Dae-Jung Lee's relationship with his sons in the piece. The intention was that he was not only tender and loving (as I mentioned), but full of pride in his lineage (part of forcing Hye-Su Oh’s Mother to marry him was the impetus and desire to have a family and boys to carry on his name). It was all up here (*points to Chrono's forehead*), but I guess I didn't capture it here (*points to HDC*). :D

Thanks for the feedback! Sorry it was a bit of a disappointment. :(


And again, thanks for taking the time to read all entries from start to finish and providing the feedback that you do. This HAS been a challenge and I'm glad that we have judges who are willing to put in as much time that we have.

[ferretchucker]

This is gonna be tough for the judges. Real tough.

[Doc Faustus]

Flayed- I'm impressed by the risk you took and the true originality of the dark fairy tale storyline. I think this might be more of an After Dark Horrorfest entry than a feature film, but in that context, it would shine.
Bwind-The cryptozoological element prevents this from being business as usual and I commend you for that. Play with and or/kill more cliches though. You've grown throughout this competition and you deserve your place.
Chronogrl- I was not certain what to expect from you, and that speaks volumes about your potential. An interesting retread of Ms.45 and Park's work with a healthy dose of pure revenge tragedy. At first I was a bit disappointed, but then you sold me. Excellent work. If you decide to go for the dream, you could be one of those rare few who get what they put into it back. So my advice to you echoes that of Shakespearean schemer: "put money in thy purse". You'll get what you give and the same goes for Bwind and Flayed.

[neverending]

Who's "Old One-Eye"? :o .

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072285/

[_____V_____]

I have received the grades from all 3 present Judges.

Since it is the Grand Finale and there is every chance of Judge Hammerfan popping up, I ll keep it open for a further 12 hours.

Regardless of me receiving any Grades from our 4th absent Judge or not, the results of the Grand Finale will be up within the next 24 hours.

I ll say tomorrow morning, most likely, we will find our WINNER...


...the one who will be crowned...


HDC IDOL SUPERSTAR 2008-09!!








Till then, have a break.

[roshiq]

Wheeeee........!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best of Luck everyone!

:)

[_____V_____]

Before I proceed to announce the results of the Grand Finale of HDC Idol 2008-09, I must say a few words first...

To each and every participant in HDC Idol - Thank you. You have shown the world that each of you has immense potential hidden within yourselves, and when the moment comes, each one of you is good enough to carve your own niche in the talented line of film-making, whichever branch you choose.

And all of you are damn good story writers. Many kudos and a big round of applause for each HDC Idol participant.


To the Judges - The most difficult task of the project was made very simple and easy, thanks to the creative inputs of all the wonderful Judges - Roderick Usher in the preliminary stages, Hammerfan till she went offline, and the three remaining esteemed ones Neverending, Austin & Doc Faustus.

A deep heartfelt thanks for taking so much time out of your busy schedules and daily life to log into HDC day in and day out, read through and evaluate each entry in Idol, put forth your criticisms and praise for each and decide on the Grades. A job which is as difficult as it gets, and so a huge round of applause to our Judges!


And now we move on to...the final results...


...and to find out our...


HDC IDOL SUPERSTAR 2008-09

[_____V_____]

The Grand Finale posed the biggest and toughest Challenge of all. And why not? It was to crown one of the Finalists HDC IDOL SUPERSTAR, no less!

All 3 of you put in remarkable and splendid efforts, in spite of putting forth your best through the initial Challenges to make it into the Grand Finale. And even though the entries in the Grand Finale wasnt EXACTLY your best of HDC Idol, you did your best and for that all 3 of you deserve a big pat on the back.

Wonderful work Bwind, Chrono & Flayed.

And now we move on to the Grades...

[_____V_____]

FIRST JUDGE :- BWIND22 - C
CHRONOGRL - A
THE FLAYED ONE - B




SECOND JUDGE :- BWIND22 - C+
CHRONOGRL - B+
THE FLAYED ONE - B+




THIRD JUDGE :- BWIND22 - B-
CHRONOGRL - A
THE FLAYED ONE - A-



Which means...



With an overall Grade of C+, and placed THIRD in HDC IDOL 2008-09...


BWIND22!!



and,



With an overall Grade of B+, and placed SECOND in HDC IDOL 2008-09...


THE FLAYED ONE!!!



Which leads us to...



THE WINNER, WITH AN OVERALL GRADE OF A-, AND PLACED FIRST IN HDC IDOL 2008-09...




CHRONOGRL!!!!!


http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g12/ravenavi/mybannerglitter.gif



CONGRATULATIONS!!



http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x26/PinkLadyM/DAILY%20PICTURES/hands19.gif


http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hydrozone/applause.gif


http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/tugger29/Animated%20Gifs/jokerapplause.gif


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/SuperwormJim/gif/Misc-Applause.gif

[_____V_____]

Many, many congratulations to Chrono for winning the esteemed HDC Idol Superstar title.

Congratulations to Flayed and Bwind for placing 2nd and 3rd, and for giving her a real hard run for her title too.

Thank you, all who participated and all the esteemed Judges, for making this project another hugely successful one here at HDC. It wouldnt be anything without the solid support of all of you, and for that I ll always be deeply indebted to all.

Thanks for the final time. This is ___V___, calling down the curtains...




********************************HDC IDOL 2008-09 IS CLOSED********************************

[The Flayed One]

Congratulations, Chrono. Well deserved.

I'll have to say, this competition was extremely difficult for me due to time constraints. There was more than once when I almost bowed out instead of pounding out an answer for the challenge.

Thanks for putting it together, __V__. I wonderful production, as always.

[ChronoGrl]

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :cool:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/grr.gif


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/thdancing.gif


First of all, I would like to thank all of the judges for taking the time to read all entries and grade them. I would also like to thank all of the contestants for all of the smart, interesting, and creative entries that I have had the pleasure to read over the past four months.

To Bwind and Flayed - You two have been worthy adversaries and tough competition. I was sweating this last challenge out particularly. Thank you for your answers and your submissions - You have kept me sharp, particularly for the latter half of this competition.

Thank you for all other competitors - Ferret and Roshiq in particular, who hung on so close to the end... Without you and your entries, we wouldn't have had a contest at all.

And, thanks, of course, to V - The moderator and emcee who put this all together.

This was an absolute blast - Thank you all.

And now I have to say...



YOU LIKE ME! YOU REALLY LIKE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ferretchucker]

It was fixed from the begining! I demand a recount! :mad:



Well done Chrono! :D:p

[bwind22]

Congrats Chrono! Very well done!

[neverending]

Congrats to our very first HDC Idol!

Thanks to V for another wonderful HDC event! We couldn't do it without you!

There were several ovies detailed herein that I would love to see- let's get to it Chrono, Flayed, Bwind & Roshiq! You're all very creative, talented individuals, let's see more from all of you!

[roshiq]

From the very first (a movie idea for the hard-headed audiences of the world) to the last (make your own horror movie)...Chrono have been faced some really tough & awesome challenges and all the time the way she answered them all were truly & highly creative, intelligent and brave! She always maintained a standard quality to her works & never disappointed her fans;). So it's great to see that she has finally won the crown of such a great & amazing competition (Kudos to V & the judges for that..you are simply awesome!).

Now, let's wait for the next one...I hope there will be more participants who somehow missed this one but I believe they hold great potentials & talents to make the judge's work more tougher till next time.

Btw, how about to declare some special Jury/Critique or Fan Award for some memorable performances?:)
We all have come across some fantastic challenges with some excellent answers that we'd love to see in big screen anytime, specially like Flayed's Garrote, Bwind's At Sundown, Bloodrayne's The Deal with Davy Jones, FC's Ashes to Ashes and none other than Chrono's Prometheus Bound...These are my recommendations.

[_____V_____]

This thread has witnessed some of the finest examples of amazing literary creativity by HDC members.

It would be a shame to let it get buried under other threads, so it stays here.

[The Flayed One]

I'll be converting Pitter-patter, along with another of my original stories, into graphic novel format. My cousin has a lot of ins in the comic industry now, so I'll be working diligently over the next few weeks to have something to pitch at the Emerald City Comicon.

[BudMan]

Just buzzing around some old threads.....damn this place was really hopping and a fun time many years ago.

[hammerfan]

Just buzzing around some old threads.....damn this place was really hopping and a fun time many years ago.

Yes, it was

[The Villain]

You can always come join in my Movie Fights game. Trying to liven the place up. Need more competitors though