COMPLETED & UPCOMING PROJECTS
"MONKEYBACK"
SHORT FILM (2021)
CHARLEY and TERRY, the middle-aged sons of notorious villain, JACK DONLAN, are forced to confront their father's legacy following his death. They find themselves in an impossible situation that draws them back into Jack's brutal world - a world they thought had died with him.
"The sins of the father are visited upon the children"
"The sins of the father are visited upon the children"
"A KINDNESS"
SHORT FILM - COMING SOON
North Carolina, 1878.
An ageing U.S. Marshal and his two deputies are delivering their prisoner, a dangerous and desperate outlaw, to a nearby town to be hanged.
Deprived of their horses, they’re forced to undertake the arduous journey on foot, which means venturing into Beaufort County Woods – an endless wilderness of trees and shadows, steeped in ancient mysticism and folklore from the Old Country. The night draws in and they’re forced to make camp.
In the dead of night, a mysterious girl staggers out of the darkness. Is she just as she appears to be - a poor soul, lost and alone in the woods? Or is she something else entirely – a malevolent, shape-shifting legend made flesh?
Four men went into the woods. Only one will emerge.
An ageing U.S. Marshal and his two deputies are delivering their prisoner, a dangerous and desperate outlaw, to a nearby town to be hanged.
Deprived of their horses, they’re forced to undertake the arduous journey on foot, which means venturing into Beaufort County Woods – an endless wilderness of trees and shadows, steeped in ancient mysticism and folklore from the Old Country. The night draws in and they’re forced to make camp.
In the dead of night, a mysterious girl staggers out of the darkness. Is she just as she appears to be - a poor soul, lost and alone in the woods? Or is she something else entirely – a malevolent, shape-shifting legend made flesh?
Four men went into the woods. Only one will emerge.
“A KINDNESS” is a fresh and original take on the beloved Western genre. Darkly funny, with a strange and haunting quality, it takes the established ICONOGRAPHY and ARCHETYPES associated with the genre and uses them to tell a different type of story - one which taps into ancient Celtic folklore – and expertly blends the tropes and traditions of the Western with those of a comedy, and those of an unsettling psychological horror film.
IN DEVELOPMENT...
"PRAIRIE HEART"
FEATURE FILM
Written by Steve Varnom
"KISS ME QUICK"
FEATURE FILM
Written by Steve Varnom
Blackpool...
Four years after The Outbreak. A desperate detective hunts a brutal serial killer in a world ravaged by Coronavirus. The global pandemic hasn’t ended. Mutated strains of the virus continue to decimate a cynical, weary world. In a fading seaside town, beneath a rusted iron tower, a serial killer stalks his prey. The death toll rises. The bodies of young women are discovered on the beach. Zachary Block is a broken man, a disgraced detective, shattered by personal tragedy. He takes it upon himself to end this new nightmare, whatever the cost. Kiss Me Quick, Before I Die… |
The Lost Film...
"IT'S BEEN REAL"
Many years ago, I wrote, directed and starred in my first feature film - IT'S BEEN REAL.
On the strength of my enthusiasm, a strong screenplay, the involvement of Eastenders' JOHN ALTMAN as the mob boss, and a rare film role for model SAMANTHA FOX, a small budget was raised (from gangsters, as it turned out) and the film was made. It all happened very quickly. There was only ever one draft of the script - the one we shot! The finished film was very raw, very rough-around-the-edges, but that was part of its charm. It shared DNA with films like Lock Stock and Snatch, and hopes were high. Unfortunately, the expertise of the producers I'd chosen to work with was seriously lacking... and there were complications due to the source of our finance!
Long story short...the film was never released. It broke my heart, but not for long. One of those things, one of those WHAT IF situations. A long-lost little gem, destined never to see the inside of a cinema!
It was a helluva learning experience though. If it doesn't kill you, it just makes you stronger!!
The master print of IT'S BEEN REAL is locked away in a vault somewhere.
Below is the ORIGINAL MOVIE TRAILER. The video quality is awful, but it gives you an idea. Enjoy!
On the strength of my enthusiasm, a strong screenplay, the involvement of Eastenders' JOHN ALTMAN as the mob boss, and a rare film role for model SAMANTHA FOX, a small budget was raised (from gangsters, as it turned out) and the film was made. It all happened very quickly. There was only ever one draft of the script - the one we shot! The finished film was very raw, very rough-around-the-edges, but that was part of its charm. It shared DNA with films like Lock Stock and Snatch, and hopes were high. Unfortunately, the expertise of the producers I'd chosen to work with was seriously lacking... and there were complications due to the source of our finance!
Long story short...the film was never released. It broke my heart, but not for long. One of those things, one of those WHAT IF situations. A long-lost little gem, destined never to see the inside of a cinema!
It was a helluva learning experience though. If it doesn't kill you, it just makes you stronger!!
The master print of IT'S BEEN REAL is locked away in a vault somewhere.
Below is the ORIGINAL MOVIE TRAILER. The video quality is awful, but it gives you an idea. Enjoy!