MARK WALLACE (30s) and CARSON HAYES (30s) are away for a “guys’ week” at Wendigo, a remote summer cabin on a beautiful lake. They are quickly joined by Mark’s brother DAN WALLACE (20) and, to Mark’s dismay, Dan’s girlfriend SHAY LANDERS (20) along with her friend LAURIE PETERS (19). Stepping out of the car, they notice trail cameras tied to various trees. Able to download the photos via USB and Bluetooth to their phones, they view a greenish-white image of the trees, and the thin blur of a man—his glowing eyes looking at the camera as it flashed. It is AL TRAVIS (70), the caretaker who later welcomes them, but with a warning not to be out in the woods after dark.
Late that night, Mark is awakened by the flashing of trail cameras. The photos he retrieves reveal startling images of human figures from another era—white, phosphorescent, weed-covered bodies rising from the lake. The next morning, all four walk in search of more cameras. Between unexplained bloodcurdling screams from across the lake to an image of a huge demon creature—furry, bulky, with a ghostly white glow—the nightmare is about to begin.
Mark and Laurie make their way to Al Travis’ cabin to get some answers, but find instead GRADY TRAVIS (18), his grandson, bloodied and bruised, crying that “they” came for them and killed his grandfather. Intending to get Grady to a hospital, they return to their cabin to find the cars have been rolled into the lake. Dialing 911 proves futile, as does the idea of hiking back to civilization.
Across the lake a large bonfire captures their attention. Drums start to echo. Bells, rattles, chanting, singing—an Algonquian War dance. Mark and Grady take a rowboat across the lake toward the fire, but upon arrival the fire and drums vanish. War cries are heard in the woods, and Shay is lured in by a spirit disguised as Laurie. The others try to find her but cannot amid the confusion of shouts and camera flashes. Eventually all are lured to the woods and vanish—except for Mark who is hell-bent on uncovering this mystery. Through infrared photography, Mark discovers to his horror, that the others have all been the demon in disguise.
At last, Grady appears at the cabin porch to reveal himself to Mark as an Algonquian demon, who, upon eating his victims, can assume their identities. At lightning speed Grady rushes forward. Mark fires his rifle as Grady crashes into him, knocking him over -- the chair splitting apart -- Mark screams –
Epilogue: It’s a beautiful sunny day as Al Travis emerges from the cabin to greet the Clarks; a new family of renters.
From Screenplay Gurus: "With humor, chills and smarts, THE LEGEND OF LAKE HOLLOW is a total winner. The story builds to great intensity as one-by-one a hapless group of city-folk are snacks for a hungry, ancient Algonquin demon who’s also the landlord of the isolated cabin they rent. This script is about as good as they get. It has been honed to a fine point with nary a bit of bloat or extraneous material. The dialogue is sharp and funny, and the characters feel real. This script is well positioned to be an effective chiller for horror audiences."
Script Coverage: Double Recommend