Neighbor of the Beast

by Jason Burke and Eric J. McAnallen

Musical

This is a screenplay I co-wrote with Jason for the 2014 Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project. Jason and I also penned the lyrics to the songs.

The film was restricted by length to 5 to 7 minutes so some of our story did not end up in the reel submitted for the contest. A more complete Director's cut was created with the entire story.

Restrictions

The contest required every team to draw a genre at random. Ours was musical.

Everyone had to include the following

• Character - Victor or Victoria Carr who was a living statue or a manequin
• Prop - a ticket
• Line of Dialog - "I'm not at all surprised."

The Whole Story

Gabriel Horne moves into a house numbered 664 and falls in love with Victoria Carr, the beautiful girl next door. They sing "The Love Song" and it is clear that shy Gabriel is smitten with the lovely Victoria.

When he goes to ask her out, Mr. Carr, her father, asks what Gabriel would do for a date with Victoria. When Gabriel, love-struck, says he would give his soul for a date, Mr. Carr agrees and hands Gabriel a ticket.

After Gabriel leaves, Mr. Carr goes down to the basement where he is keeping Victoria. He reveals while singing "Neighbor of the Beast" that he is really the Devil and she is a living statue he uses to lure in unsuspecting men to their doom.

Gabriel and Victoria go on a date where she discovers that he is not like the "others" she had dated previously. He brushes her comments off but as the date ends, the Devil's minions show up to collect on the "Deal" Gabriel has made with the Devil.

Gabriel wants to know what is going on and the Devil tells him that they made a deal - one date with Victoria for his soul. Victoria is also smitten and wants the Devil to let Gabriel go but he reminds her that she is just the bait and turns her back into a statue but not before she tells Gabriel to read the fine print on the ticket.

The fine print has a clause that allows Gabriel to challenge the Devil to a game for his soul and the souls of the others trapped by the ticket deal, including Victoria's. Gabriel challenges the Devil to a game of HORSE. The minions sing about how no one ever reads the fine print and how they want Gabriel to win since it will mean their salvation too in "Go, Go, Go, Gabriel!"

Gabriel makes his last shot and wins the game and the girl. The minions rejoice and the Devil is left alone on the basketball court.

Production History

Produced by Gippos Video Studio for the 48 Hour Film Project.