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I was wondering if I could get some feedback on an idea I have for a feature film titled, 'MURPHY', taken from the axiom of engineers and scientists, 'Murphy's Law': "If anything can go wrong, it will."

This is the story about a young man in his early twenties, Murphy, who is the latest offspring of a family condemned by a bad luck curse. The townsfolk of Alooma, Oklahoma have finally had it with the bad luck that surrounds them do to the legendary curse. At a town hall meeting, they unanimously vote that Murphy is to leave Alooma and never return until he finds a cure for his bad luck. A short while after the alienated Murphy has left, the townsfolk realize that their entire economy depends on his bad luck. Therefore, they must send a small posse of mismatched volunteers to set out on a cross country journey to follow Murphy's path of destruction and find him before he finds a cure for his bad luck curse!

So, what do you think?

it could be good

I would go see it if I was invited to the premiere, and treated like royalty

Sounds kool, Thins...

A little bit like "Pure Luck", but I'm sure you'd put that "Hiker stank" on it.

...and I mean that in a good way.

i would go to the premier if i could get there.

You and me babe, and the red carpet!




Damn, I've never seen that movie and I already wrote the 140 page screenplay three years ago!

I understand. It must be tough getting anywhere when you live beneath the Antarctic.

It was a while ago.....and yours sounds more interesting.

....with the economy and all.

Does that movie have earthquakes and tornados? Are there alien abductions and flash floods? Car accidents? Collapsing buildings? Voo Doo? Packs of wild dogs that creat havoc? Fires of chaos? Mine does!

i would watch it if it was the last film with tickets.

Speaking as a big shot producer of blockbuster movies and the head of a major publishing house I'd say that although your pitch has promise - the first question I have to ask is: how does the fact that an entire towns economy hinges on one mans bad luck work exactly?

Its a foundation, now you could either make it REALLY good, of f*ck it up, I think it could be awesome.

yep

Um....car accident and mild fires of chaos.......

....On the rest of the stuff.....pfft...you got'em beat, hands down!

go for it TH

Thats wwhhat it really hinges on, he could make it in to a kickass exadurated comedy, or he could screw it up reall well. Its delicate.

It is quite simple really, and the simplicity took me months to fathom. The town of Alooma is a very small town. It consists of a hardware store, a small construction company, an auto-body shop, a window repair company, a fire station, a police station; all businesses and stations that depend on 'accidents' for their profit which, unknowingly to them until they rid of Murphy, are only caused by Murphy alone!

Dude. Genius. Thats a great pitch.

Speaking as a big shot producer of blockbuster movies and the head of a major publishing house I'd say that you need to decide who the "heroes" of the piece are... since it's mostly going to be about the townsfolk trying to find murphy, we have to be rooting for them. And if you have them having a meeting and callously running him out of town, we already dont like them: poor Murphy... aw.

Have his heart broken by the local school teacher who gently rejects dating him because of peer pressure from the locals. Makes his leaving more believable (he wants to go anyway..oh the pathos...) She realises that he's her too love - regrets it, the townsfolk are then still the same old shits trying to find him BUT WE CARE knowing that if he comes back the school teacher will bend him over and..sorry.. will love him forever.

Or something. You gots to get love in there if its going to sell.

Man I love to brainstorm. Dont thank me - send me a cheque when your huge.

Zerz, I hear ya, man. But remember, I already wrote it in 140 pages. The thing is, Murphy is in love with a girl named Melissa. She finds him exciting because of his bad luck. The hottest girl in town, Melissa, rejects Burt McKlinsky, the quarterback football guy, and goes with Murphy to the Senior Prom during the highschool years! It is Burt, and his mom, Abigail McKlinsky, who track the posse and try to foil Murphy's return! One of Melissa's friends, who doesn't agree with the relationship, lies to Murphy and tells him Melissa is not into him anymore. It's Melissa's letter, that somehow gets to Murphy while on his journey, that let's him know Melissa is really still in love with him, hence, he becomes even more adament in finding the bad luck cure, only to realize from another intervention that Melissa and the rest of the town need him the way his is! Also, Abigail and Burt McKlinsky are direct decendants of the man who hung Murphy's Great Great Great Great gREAT Great Great Great Grandmother, Victoria Alooma, who was tried and hung for practising witchery. As she was dragged from her home in Oklahoma Territory in 1694, her last words to her husband were, "Curse you James P. Alooma! Curse you!!" And it was James P. Alooma, Murphy's Great Great Great Great gREAT Great Great Great Grandfather, who actually turned her in! Hence, the bad luck curse!

I was almost too excites at getting a new nickname to read that.. but somehow i managed..

I should not have doubted you would have the lurve angle covered. Groovy story!! Dont spill any more of your creative seed into the Kleenex that is KMC: You never know who's listening...

I look forward to the movie, and the happy meal tie in.

PS: Anyone thinking of writing for the screen should be a frequent visitor at http://www.wordplayer.com/ the website of Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio.

I've already registered this idea with SAG. Anyone who rips me off will have to pay me money. And believe me, this money will go toward another film I have written and don't dare disclose the nature of it's story!

Also, the happy meal will consist of hidden Voudun messages that will change the modern cheeseburger as we know it!

smoke

Dahling, it sounds simply divine

Sounds Terrible....Sorry to be so brutal, but it just sounds not good at all..... it sounds like that show on fox about the people that had bad luck and one became a warewolf, worst show ever so i would expect the same about the movie, sorry bro its just some constructful criticism (SP?)

Wow thats got to be a heart breaker.. I mean constructful criticism like that from someone who names "Quinton Terrintino" and "Airplain (1&2)" amongst their faves must know whats going down.

I like those because they are good movies, i dont go and see oscar worthy movies, but i am a writer and i have written many scripts and sent them in and i have had no success and when they tell me what was wrong i learn from that and when others may have the same errors, i like to tell them what might be wrong

Fair enough!

What do you mean by that?

What I mean by that is, I don't see any constructive criticism in your post, only a negative opinion of my idea that compares it to some tv show!