DEVELOPMENT

The Pig Path

It’s the Summer of 1990. Two teenage boys on the cusp of high school, spend a night in rural Virginia trying to get to a party, get girls, and get through the night alive.

EXT. RURAL VIRGINIA – JAY’S TRAILER – LATE AFTERNOON

The hot, oppressive heat of a Virginia Summer beats down on the dented sheathing of a family trailer. Stagnant, dirty water fills the bottom two inches of a kiddie pool. Old timey, country music plays in the distance. JAY COOK (White, 14) wearing a Vanilla Ice t-shirt and his best friend BRIAN JACKSON, A.K.A. BEE (Black, 14) wearing a Public Enemy t-shirt, huddle in the shade of a tree. There’s a boom-box strapped to the front of Bee’s bike as their trusty steeds are always within reach. Summer break is underway. Bee cuddles a rabbit as JAY whips dandelions with a stick. Hip hop culture has just started to take hold in 1990 rural America and white boy JAY sounds more “Straight Outta Compton” than Bee does. In fact, Bee, true to his roots, has a slight Southern draw.

POST-PRODUCTION

Manhammer

In 1994, Jack Michaels, AKA the Darkhorse, ruled the airwaves with his hit “Dr. Dreamy”. Twenty-five years later, and with a bad case of the “has-beens”, he’s juggling waning fame, a seedy choice of side hustles and the trials of being a single dad.

INT – BACKSTAGE DIVE BAR – NIGHT

JACK MICHAELS (40s), clad in studs and black leather leans into his reflection in a dark and dingy backstage. He’s the perfect intersection of over-the-hill new-wave and a metal rocker from the 80s. His greasy hair and his forehead glisten with sweat. His eyes blackened, JACK is deep in pre-show prep. He breathes in deeply. His eyes pop open. He’s ready.

ROLL INTRO

“MANHAMMER. Rebirth of the Darkhorse”

I’ve never been one to wait for opportunity. When I realized that the roles that appealed to me were going to be far and few between in Richmond, I began writing stories that pushed the envelope for even me. Being a fan of black comedy and the macabre led me down the path to write my first two films. Luckily, I was helped out by some great friends that were hungry to do something more as well. Doing so has taught us all to be better story tellers. The mistakes that won’t be repeated are priceless reminders that we’ll always be learning. The uniqueness of telling a story in a particular way simply because we know no other way, was one of the greatest lessons of them all.

In addition to writing and directing, I’ve fallen in love with the editing process. Deciding what moment best lends itself to the intensity of a scene, or how to best cut to someone’s offhand eye roll is like putting together an intricate puzzle. How something is edited together can completely change how the story is told.