Inspired by the classic movie "The Shining & Power of the Dog," this chilling true story horror drama unfolds as two homeowners befriend a resident who unveils the dark history of their newly acquired land. This gripping narrative has the potential to become an LGBT cult classic, capturing audiences with its eerie narrative, classic soundtrack by the Diva Morrissey, and its haunting true ending.
Meet DARRELL MORRIS, a timid 18-year-old boy who finds solace in listening to Morrissey's music to escape his grim reality. Subjected to relentless abuse both at home and school, Darrell decides to flee his horrifying life on the streets of Houston. Outside an LGBTQ bar, he encounters FRED LEE, a 38-year-old eccentric and narcissistic millionaire who prowls gay bars, seeking vulnerable victims. Fred lures Darrell to his sprawling 34,000 sq. ft mansion, featuring a grand pool atrium area connected by catwalks.
Once inside the house, Darrell quickly realizes his grave mistake, finding himself trapped in a house of horrors.
On his first night, he becomes a victim of a violent rape, and as he becomes desperate for companionship, he clumsily attempts to befriend the three other captive boys. He connects with one of the victims, TOMMY, age 18; however, RICHARD, age 21, the oldest among the captives, is alienated as he no longer fits Fred's preferences. Meanwhile, LARRY, age 18, is confined in a dog cage due to his biting Fred. Unbeknownst to the boys, JAMES, age 34, an unpaid contractor, arrives at the compound to speak with Fred. A skeletal Larry tries to reach out for help, as James receives a distress message from the abused Larry, prompting him to report his concerns to local authorities.
A new, true-to-the-story narrative develops as the estranged daughter of Fred, FELICIA, age 24, calls Fred for help as she tries to leave an abusive marriage. In typical narcissistic fashion, Fred ignores her pleas for help. This infuriates her as she flees her house for a local honky tonk bar to blow off steam. There she meets PAUL, age 32, who is ready to party and take advantage of the situation. They ride his vintage motorcycle back to his apartment, where they enjoy some cocaine and have wild sex just as there is a knock at the door.
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, a climax ensues as tensions escalate among the boys during a twisted, perverted swimming pool game, where Richard attempts to kill his younger rival, Darrell. In a surprising twist, Fred saves Darrell, causing Richard to believe he must escape the compound to survive. Back at Paul's apartment, he answers the door only to find a couple asking to view the motorcycle he has for sale. Unbeknownst to Paul, the couple, PAM, age 32, and STEVE, age 35 are there to rob Paul of the motorcycle. Steve attacks Paul with a pickaxe as he falls to the ground. Felicia watches on in horror from under the bed, trying to hold back fear. Steve grabs the keys to the motorcycle as he instructs Pam to leave in the car. She ponders leaving, but instead, gets aroused by the bloody mess. Paul continues to breathe heavily, interrupting her enjoyment, so she decides to finish him with the pickaxe. This frightens Felicia as she makes a noise as she watches on in horror.
Pam hears her as she looks under the bed; she decides that Felicia must die as she swings the pickaxe, killing her in a bloody rage that further sexually arouses her. She masturbates on the bed before deciding to take a shower to clean off as the police arrive and arrest her. This would become known as the Texas Pickaxe Murders, and Pam (alias Karla Faye Tucker) would be sentenced to death for killing Felicia. While on death row, Pam converts to Christianity as she works to convert fellow inmates, making her death a very controversial and nationally recognized event. Consequently, Karla Faye Tucker (alias Pam) was the last female to be put to death in Texas. Her religious conversion exemplifies the underlying Good Vs. The Evil theme of the narrative.
Back at the mansion, Richard executes his escape plan as he manages to flee while Fred is distracted. He makes his way onto the road, attempting to hitch a ride. However, fate turns against him when a truck approaches with blinding headlights. To Richard's misfortune, the truck belongs to Fred, and a chase ensues with Fred using his headlights to track Richard in a field. Armed with a shotgun and wearing his grotesque mask, Fred shoots and kills Richard, burying him in the infamous Houston killing fields.
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, the captive boys believe they are in a kill-or-be-killed situation of self-defense as they set their defensive plan into motion. Wreaking havoc on the mansion, they set a trap for Fred. In the second climax, Fred returns to the mansion, donning his deviant mask and armed with a shotgun. The boys' trap works as Tommy strikes Fred in the knee with a baseball bat, causing him to drop the shotgun. In a desperate bid for survival, Darrell seizes the opportunity and grabs the weapon.
Darrell writes the chilling words "Fred is a sick animal, and he must die" on the wall, just as Fred returns from his truck, wielding a pickaxe. Injured but relentless, Fred limps menacingly up the catwalk stairs of the atrium towards Darrell. Darrell waits for the perfect moment to reveal the gun. Tension fills the air as he tries to fire but discovers the safety is engaged, granting Fred precious time to swing the pickaxe at him. A fierce live-or-die struggle ensues as Darrell desperately attempts to figure out the gun’s safety button. Suddenly, the gun discharges, striking Fred between the eyes, and he plummets down the stairs, lifeless.
The local newspaper continued to follow the story, publishing an article detailing the demolition of the mansion, its dark history, and the groundbreaking of a new housing development on the property.
In the final scene, the film cuts to the new homeowners from the opening scene, peacefully sitting poolside. The ghost of Richard suddenly appears as he struts across their pool deck. His ghost is quickly followed by the mask-wearing, pickaxe-toting Fred as his evil spirit pauses, emitting a sinister hiss. True to the story, the terrified couple promptly fled, vowing never to return to their newly acquired home.
This bone-chilling tale, combined with its Morrissey-driven soundtrack, has the potential to become the next “Rocky Horror Picture Show," as it will captivate audiences with its haunting narrative and uplifting soundtrack. Lastly:
"As a multi-award-winning screenwriter, I usually do not recommend soundtrack suggestions; however in this case I have made an exception as it was so inspirational to the narrative (hence Morriss-he). I recommend you play the soundtrack song suggestions associated with each scene as they will come to life. Cheers and enjoy."
Spotify Link Below:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6rFDUU1DzcXpPbmWg4PFNT?si=7483eaa8124041ca
Quote from Horror Bowl Coverage:
"Given the gravity of the subject matter and the commitment to presenting a true story, "Morriss-He" has the potential to captivate audiences while shedding light on important social issues. With careful execution, focusing on authenticity, empathy, and the exploration of human resilience, the screenplay can contribute to raising awareness and fostering dialogue surrounding the experiences of marginalized communities."
