etched in stone

throughout Middle School and High school I wrote a script. it was a Black Comedy Slasher based on the concept of yandere and was basically a bridge between Anime and Horror Films. (I was really into Slashers and the game DDLC back then) it went through various titles. It was a mix of 2010's meme Culture, 1990's Slashers and 2010's anime

few notable ones are

"[Me] and the Yandere" (because at this point it was a self-insert)

"Love Sick" (which was mocked by a teacher for whatever reason)

"Twisted Obsession" (which I liked but didn't have that ring to it)

and finally

"Slice Of Life" which was the last and title that stuck. (because of some reasons:

It's a anime reference given the Slice Of Life Genre

Slice Of Life as in Slicing someone to death

and it's a pun.

so it fits what i was trying to do)

The structure in my middle school to early high school rewrites were so bad. and was very repetitive and lacked conclusion. it wasn't until late high school where i figured out structure and how to end it in a concise way.

it was only 20 pages long on the last draft with three acts plus a eclipse (which was just the wrap up segment)

there were 4 main characters, three kills and one Major character

(Main Characters) Frank Davis, Johanna Lee, Officer Mark and Officer Jack

Frank Davis was the protagionst being the subject of Johanna's Obession and the average everyman

Johanna was the Antagionst a crazed psycho eqquiped with multiple weapons (A Axe, Knife and Bat) who was involved in a cult

Officer Mark and Jack Two Police characters, didn't really give them much personalities honestly sorta regret that. shouldn't made it a duo cop like Mark is the serious one while Jack is the dumber one. never did that though. infact a good chunk of drafts the only cop to appear is Mark and only in one scene

(Kills) Yuki Ito, Taro Satio, and Aina Abe

Yuki Ito was a anime geek who Befriends Frank. his name comes from Yuki Amano and he was a mix of Natsuki and Randy Meeks

Taro Satio is a bully nothing much else honestly characterization was one of my biggest flaws

Ania Abe was meant to be a Tsundere

(Major Character) Chief Felix

Chief Fliex was the Police Chief and boss of Mark and Jack,

(Scrapped Character) There used to be a narrator that would pop in every so often in earlier drafts to sput out "Philosophical Speeches" (heavy air quotes) but i scrapped the character. though he was a dribute to my favorite movie of all time "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" through if I would've added him back in I'd give him the Name Rod. even in the drafts he was nameless because the character from RHPS was also nameless.

There were two plot lines that all come together in the end.

It's a new year at Frank Davis's School, his parents are out of town for a business trip for the week leaving him alone. while this going on a strange string of murders start to emerge. The murders are Caused by Johanna Lee who are killing to get closer to Frank.

after a accident involving beating a person who sped. officer Mark has one week to solve the murders before he gets the sack.

The comedy mostly came from an endless stream of puns spouted by Johanna. I wanted to make her a cross of Yuno Gasai and Freddy but she is not the only one to quip, the police characters as well. also it's not just quips. that's the majority but there's also visible comedy as well.

I don't have this any longer as i'm outta school. I had it on a thumbdrive but that thing is lost and don't have the same computer anymore.

I'm gonna list some memerble scenes within the 20 page script [Opening] The Script opened with Frank being late to school. so he rides his bike to school with a slice of leftover pizza in his mouth. a clear Homage to the Toast in the mouth anime trope.

[Kills] Three are three deaths Yuki, while helpping clean up. Yuki feels like he's being watched. he ruffles a bush to jump at a cat jumping out of it. he sighs turns around when Johanna is just there with a axe. she cuts his hand off with the axe Johanna: Talk About Being Al-Right (though I wish i made this the line: "well you weren't using that hand anyways")

Taro: The Bully was just hanging outside smoking a ciggerite. when Johanna sneaks but behind him and slits his throat with a knife. Johanna: He always was on the cutting edge

Aina: Aina was in the gym because she had track. Johanna sneaks up behind her with a bat. Johanna: "Batter up" after running Aina Trips over a ball and falls to the ground. after a back and forth Johanna hits her with the bat 3 times. Johanna; Strike Three

[Failed Kidnapping] There was a darkly comedic scene in which Johanna is trying to inject Frank with a syringe. but he keeps dropping notebooks, among other things until he just leaves.

there's a scene where Frank is watching t.v and the news was on. talking about anina's death. her mother shows up for a interview and she quotes a (admittedly very old meme even at the time. at the time i was so into very very very old memes)

"well obivously we have a killer in Watervile High, they're climbing in your windows snatching your people up. trying to kill them so ya need to hide your kids and hide your wife, and hide your husband cause they're killing everybody out there."

When the horror film part is generic, but passable. You have to wade through crappy folk song montages and emotional melodrama to get to it.

(And then there is the damn bird…)

This thing has been floating around Hollywood for over 40 years, apparently.

It could have kept waiting.

I can remember seeing the trailer for the first time and thinking, at first, it was an adaptation of his book Intensity. I even took a friend who is not a big horror fan but a big reader to watch it with me when it first came out and during the first couple minutes she thought it was an adaptation of Intensity as well. Has this ever been addressed or commented on by either Dean Koontz or Alexandre Aja?