Film Synopsis
The Achilles Heal
(in pre-production)
(comedy)
Rayne’s favorite customer at the bar where she works is Sheriff BRADY SHAW, a crossdresser with a flair for accessorizing and a heart as big as his size 16 pumps. Without reading the journal Rayne turns it over to the Sheriff - as he sips on his drink of choice – a Shady Dame from Seville.
(comedy)
THIS IS AN ENSEMBLE CAST OF PLAYERS
Through a pair of binoculars we see Alice, Sarah and Thelma are planting flowers around the town sign of Achilles, Wyoming. Feeling a pair of EYES, Alice knows it’s Blanche Brodie spying on them. Blanche keeps a journal of all things happening in Achilles. However, everyone knows Blanche’s true mission is to document local stoner, Howie “Maui” De Rosa’s every move.
Howie has been growing pot in a shed behind the home of LEON SMYTH, who is in the early stages of dementia. All Leon knows is Howie has been taking care of his ten acres. When Leon’s granddaughter RAYNE arrives to stay and care for Leon, Howie and his buddy JOHNNY do everything they can to keep Rayne at a distance from the shed.
Meanwhile, Howie’s MA receives a phone call from her Oncologists with devastating news: all they can do now is try to keep her comfortable. This is crippling news to Howie. While talking with Johnny, Howie recalls an article he read in a marijuana magazine about a guy, Rick Simpson, who rediscovered the healing properties of cannabis, making a Hemp oil (RSO) that has been known to help with cancer and other illnesses. The downside: the DEA classifies RSO (high -THC oil) as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. With caution, Howie and Johnny secretly turn Leon’s shed into producing RSO in hopes of giving MA some quality of life.
When MA experiences miraculous results from ingesting the oil, she shares this illegal cure with a few close friends, and soon most of the town is wanting the miracle oil. Even the MAYOR read up on it and wants it for his wife who suffers with psoriasis. So, MA sets up a meeting between the Mayor and Howie. This infuriates Howie due to the attention MA has now put on Howie’s illegal venture. But he cannot say “no” to the pleading town. A group of women volunteer to work with Howie in making and distributing the oil for their neighbors, looking for relief from their ailments. As the town pulls together, Howie becomes their hero.
Through a pair of binoculars we see Alice, Sarah and Thelma are planting flowers around the town sign of Achilles, Wyoming. Feeling a pair of EYES, Alice knows it’s Blanche Brodie spying on them. Blanche keeps a journal of all things happening in Achilles. However, everyone knows Blanche’s true mission is to document local stoner, Howie “Maui” De Rosa’s every move.
Howie has been growing pot in a shed behind the home of LEON SMYTH, who is in the early stages of dementia. All Leon knows is Howie has been taking care of his ten acres. When Leon’s granddaughter RAYNE arrives to stay and care for Leon, Howie and his buddy JOHNNY do everything they can to keep Rayne at a distance from the shed.
Meanwhile, Howie’s MA receives a phone call from her Oncologists with devastating news: all they can do now is try to keep her comfortable. This is crippling news to Howie. While talking with Johnny, Howie recalls an article he read in a marijuana magazine about a guy, Rick Simpson, who rediscovered the healing properties of cannabis, making a Hemp oil (RSO) that has been known to help with cancer and other illnesses. The downside: the DEA classifies RSO (high -THC oil) as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. With caution, Howie and Johnny secretly turn Leon’s shed into producing RSO in hopes of giving MA some quality of life.
When MA experiences miraculous results from ingesting the oil, she shares this illegal cure with a few close friends, and soon most of the town is wanting the miracle oil. Even the MAYOR read up on it and wants it for his wife who suffers with psoriasis. So, MA sets up a meeting between the Mayor and Howie. This infuriates Howie due to the attention MA has now put on Howie’s illegal venture. But he cannot say “no” to the pleading town. A group of women volunteer to work with Howie in making and distributing the oil for their neighbors, looking for relief from their ailments. As the town pulls together, Howie becomes their hero.
When Blanche discovers what Howie is NOW up to, she threatens to call in the DEA.
Howie, with so much to lose – especially in helping his MA, knows he could go to prison for making the illegal substance. So. He decides to sneak into Blanche’s house late at night and steal her journal of secrets (not one of his better ideas).
As Howie runs from Blanche’s house with the damning journal clutched under his arm, he collides into Rayne, who is out trying to find her wandering grandfather, Leon. Dropping the journal, Howie madly searches for it in the darkness. As Rayne closes in on him, he runs away without the journal so not to be recognized. Rayne soon finds the journal. A few minutes later, she locates Leon near Blanche’s house and takes him home.
Rayne’s favorite customer at the bar where she works is Sheriff BRADY SHAW, a crossdresser with a flair for accessorizing and a heart as big as his size 16 pumps. Without reading the journal Rayne turns it over to the Sheriff - as he sips on his drink of choice – a Shady Dame from Seville.
When the Sheriff goes to question Blanche about the entries in her journal concerning Howie and the oil, he finds her dead in her bed. The coroner’s report reveals she was murdered - six different ways over six nights.
Sheriff Brady breaks into the shed behind Leon’s house and finds the hemp oil operation. Being a stickler for the law, he is honor bound to bring in the authorities, but being a soft-hearted and unusually-evolved human, he wants to discover whether the oil does have healing properties. He gives Rayne a bottle of the oil – and tells her to try using it on Leon for his dementia. When Leon quickly shows improvement, Rayne begs Brady not to shut down the healing hemp business.
Soon after, as Leon’s memory starts to clear, he confesses to Rayne that he killed Blanche. Rayne panics. Though so many people are being helped and healed, there is little Brady can do.
As the authorities arrive at Leon’s house to close down the shed and arrest Howie for his distribution of the oil, Leon ties a bedroll to an old Indian motorcycle and escapes down the back alley. As the town waves goodbye to Howie (and Leon), Brady pulls up in his squad car and announces that Leon did not murder Blanche - she was already dead from… something else. With Blanche dead, the town decides to secretly continue making the RSO for their needs in honor of Howie and Leon.
Six months later, the Wyoming Governor pardons Howie, partly because it is his first offense, but mostly because of his mysterious past with MA. Howie, MA, and the residents of Achilles assemble on the front steps of the federal building to support Howie as he begins his fight to make the hemp oil RSO legal for all who need it. After all, it IS the obvious cure!
THE MIDDLE OF 8
(Crime/Mystery/Drama)
Detective KRISTEN BARRETT, mid 30s, is recuperating from injuries inflicted by a serial killer (LEO COOK, 60’s) who has chosen her to play a deadly game of ‘cat and mouse’. After a newspaper article stating that Kristen and the homicide division, for the first time, is applying the use of trained K-9 to help “outwit killers”, Leo comes up with an intricate game to prove her wrong.
So far things have not been going as Kristen had hoped: Her first K-9 partner QUINCY was killed in that confrontation in which she was injured, and, in her personal life, her mother was killed enroute to see Kristen in the hospital.
Dealing with these losses, and her own reason to live, Kristen turns down her Sergeant's request to return to work and continue with the investigation, though the department psychiatrist has released her “fit for duty.” Yet with every move she makes, she still feels Leo is watching her.
One day while sitting with a cup of coffee at a park near by, she again feels Leo’s eyes upon her. Soon Kristen is approached by a young girl carrying a small package addressed to her. Upon opening the package she finds Quincy’s bloody collar and dog tags. Now her emptiness turns to anger and determination to seek Leo out.
Picking up the investigation where she left off, Kristen, with K-9 HUSTON by her side, tries to unravel the strange murders. With no DNA at any of the crime scenes, the only clues she has is the strange poses he leaves each victim in, each with a different body part removed and buried acres away -- for Huston to track. After each kill Leo sends her a letter- with numbers to finish the sentences. But when Leo causes a commotion on the streets to keep Kristen from finding him, she ends up arresting a man guilty of too many parking tickets. Both her sergeant and psychiatrist believe she has become paranoid with the case and force Kristen to take a two week leave. Furious with their decision Kristen turns in her badge and sidearm and leaves.
Once again feeling lost and useless Kristen and Huston take refuge in their home. But Leo needs to finish his game. He taunts Kristen till she decides to go it alone.
With the help of Huston, Kristen is able to put all the pieces together thus leading her once again to confront Leo - only this time, killing him and saving his intended victims.
Scarlett’s Heart
(Dramedy/Sci-fy fantasy)
Professor Cartwright is a renown scientist, and a guest lecturer at a College in Kentucky. Twenty-two years ago, while working for the government, his experiments with decaying field regions almost proved the probability of time travel. Now he continues lecturing on Einstein’s concept of Special Relativity, and the parallel universe. Due to a terminal illness, Cartwright’s passion to prove his twenty-two year old theory before he dies is his main mission. For Scarlett Chandler, 22, this is just another class she needs to pass to graduate college.
Ever since she can remember, Scarlett has dreamy of a brave Cherokee Indian living in a time long ago. She dreams of him hunting for game for his tribe, walking through the forest with his true love, or just there with a smile on his face.
Hunter
Bronston, her fiancé, listens with unfailing love and support for his
soon to be bride as the dreams start to take over her sense of reality.
But as the days go by, Hunter senses he is losing touch with Scarlett,
his reason for living.
While filling in for her mother, where her mother frequently volunteers, Scarlett meets a mysterious new resident, Ms. Nako. Scarlett instantly feels a bond with this wise old woman and a deep friendship begins. They talk about true love -- and dreams, but three weeks before Scarlett’s wedding day things begin to change. As the stress of college finals, dress fittings and catering plans for her wedding begin to build, Scarlett’s dreams turn nightmarish.
Afraid to sleep at night, Scarlett goes to her father, Ethan, and confides in him. She explains how the dreams have changed, revealing some horrible event that traumatically separates this Brave from his new bride, and now the dreams have become visions through out the day. Scarlett tells her father she fears she is losing her mind. Ethan assures his daughter that it is just a dream and normal wedding day jitters that will soon disappear.
As Scarlett’s fight for her identity heightens, she unknowingly pushes away those she loves. Hunter feeling lost, battles with uncertainties of his own. Her parents, feeling helpless, struggle to keep their daughter close, fearing that maybe Scarlett is lost between her dream world and what is real.
Through yet another dream it is revealed to Scarlett that she is the bride, and the curse that separated her and the brave is finally explained. Nako now knows Scarlett is ready for the truth. She tells Scarlett and her family that she is the grandmother of Running Wolf, the young brave, and has mystical powers. She has come to help Scarlett return to Running Wolf. Working through Dr. Cartwright and his knowledge with parallel dimensions and the family’s unconditional love, Nako leads them to a bond between spirit and mind, the discovery of family courage, and the willingness to believe in true love…and a dream.
A Single Trepidation
(Political/Adventure)
The GOP is interviewing potential Presidential candidates to run in the coming election. One of the hot topics is the ongoing controversy over oil drilling vs. alternative energy resources. Republican Senator William Laski has been a forerunner and effective candidate until he reveals an opposing party opinion at a general debate that drilling, nor America’s dependence for crude oil, could ever be fixed without an alternative energy plan in place.
At the same time, PAL (Protect Arctic Life) and animal activist, Marsha Cooper, is organizing a march on Washington to preserve ANWR and give it a Monument Preservation status. They believe if the Republicans win the election that ANWR may be opened for commercial exploitation and it will be the end of the Refuge and its prestigious beauty and eco system. However, before their supporters can rally, the devious Codwell brothers, MIKE and NICK, hired by a political figure (via an oil company that wants to control Laski) sets out to block PAL’s demonstration.
After Mike and Nick pay an unfriendly visit to Marsha’s home, terrorizing her innocent children, Jennifer and Hanna, the family realizes the potentially devastating personal impact of Marsha’s political quest.
Presently separated from her husband DAN, they decide he should return to the house for the safety of the children.
Now constantly looking over their shoulders, the Coopers are unable to function normally, fearing for Jenny and Hanna’s lives. Seeking the help and protection of the police they plan a dangerous but necessary sting, thus trapping the brothers in their own malevolent scheme – killing Mike and capturing Nick.
Feeling the horrible chapter of previous events closed, Marsha and the PAL organization are able to see the fruition of the ANWR’s campaign on Washington, and await the President’s decision.
A few days later Marsha and her girls (and Jenny’s boyfriend DAVID), leave to vacation at their cabin, miles from the noise of the city and the comforts of technology.
Out on bail Nick is determined to find Marsha and revenge his brothers death. He convinces three of his friends to tag along. When Nick returns to Marsha’s home, he and his buddies find Dan “house sitting.” After hours of assaulting Dan for information, Dan decides to take Nick to the cabin.
Once again, Marsha becomes the hunted.
What lies ahead is the discovery of family courage and hidden strength between husband and wife, mother and daughters, and a boy that becomes a man.
THOSE WHO DARE
(Political/Action/Family)
Despite all responsible precautions to safeguard their family, scientists Louis and Elizabeth Bentley find their young daughter, Alison, kidnapped by Middle-Eastern terrorists. The terrorists are challenging the United States government's policy of promoting Israeli democracy. The Bentley's sophisticated plans for a ground breaking World Leader Search System is "requested" as ransom.
Louis and Elizabeth embark on a desperate search for their daughter with the help of Elizabeth's sister, F.B.I. agent, Jamie Parks. But during the attempt to get Alison back, Louis is severely wounded, the disk is destroyed and Alison remains hostage. Jamie soon discovers that the situation was botched by the interference of yet another extremist organization.
With Louis on life-support, Jamie and Elizabeth set out together to save Alison. They are joined by a third woman, Lauren Miles, an assimilated Jewish investigative reporter searching for the story of a lifetime. As the women travel from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in suburban Ohio toward their unknown destination somewhere in Canada, they quickly learn to put aside their extreme differences and concentrate on their common goal: saving Alison.
The women combine their unique skills and risk everything in order to discover the identity of the "unknown" second group -- militant Americans lead by a two-faced government insider.
The women rally to pit the two groups against one another, protect the plans and, most important, bring Alison home.
