Synopsis/Details
August 1969. Jerry and his buddy Roger have both been drafted into the war in Vietnam. Traveling with Jerry's girlfriend Holly, the friends begin the drive from Maryland to White Lake, NY for a final weekend of fun at Woodstock before the guys must report for military service.
This same weekend New Jersey's oldest and deadliest resident has awoken from a long hibernation and begun feeding in the remote south Jersey pinelands.
When Holly's plucky little brother Wesley is discovered hidden in the trunk of the car, the group must divert from the highway to the back roads of south Jersey in search of a phone.
They soon find the U.S. Army has closed all roads around Fort Dix. The military has been tracking the Jersey Devil for decades and is mounting a top-secret strike against the demonic killer in an attempt to capture its DNA in the form of a blood sample for genetic experimentation. The young travelers become trapped and are terrorized by the Jersey Devil as it hunts for human hearts to satiate its blood lust.
An ambitious female soldier, Lt. Virginia Davies, tracks down the kids. But Davies is being blackmailed into giving up the creature's blood sample to a sinister government representative who will sell it to the Russians to breed their own demon army in an escalating Cold War arms race.
When confronted by the beast, Lt. Davies sacrifices a comrade in arms to acquire the blood sample. The kids discover Lt. Davies' devious intentions but are forced to trust her to lead them to safety. Under constant super-natural assault, Davies and the kids must make it back to the safety of the military installation.
When the Jersey Devil lays siege on all parties, the survival of those involved and the fate of the experimental blood sample may be determined by one person's unique lineage to the beast.
This new twist on a classic horror legend combines suspense, espionage and humor to prove: NEW JERSEY CAN BE HELL.
All Accolades & Coverage
Comments from Script Savvy:
"The narrative flows very well. Following the teens on a road trip as they approach an inevitable confrontation with the Jersey Devil builds a natural tension and sense of foreboding…the pacing is quick and snappy."
"The Jersey Devil is an underused cryptid/monster. What’s more, setting the movie in 1969 makes the story even more memorable and unique."
"A horror movie involving real folklore, the military, and some wayward teens is a winning combination."
Story & Logistics
Story Type:
Escape
Story Situation:
Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune
Story Conclusion:
Bitter-sweet
Linear Structure:
Linear
Moral Affections:
Bad Man, Dereliction of Duty, Good Man, Respect
Cast Size:
Few
Locations:
Few
Special Effects:
Blood, Bullet time, Minor pyrotechnics, Significant cgi
Characters
Lead Role Ages:
Female Adult, Female Young Adult, Male Young Adult
Hero Type:
Ordinary
Villian Type:
Beast/Monster
Stock Character Types:
Bad boy, Femme fatale, Gentleman thief, Ingenue
Advanced
Subgenre:
Action Suspense-Thriller, Creature Feature, Escape, Girls With Guns, In Peril, Military, Survival, Teen Terror
Subculture:
Science fiction fandom
Action Elements:
Hand to Hand Combat, Physical Stunts, Pyrotechnics, Vehicular Stunts, Weaponry
Equality & Diversity:
Female Centric
Time Period:
The Sixties (1960–1969)
Country:
United States of America (USA)
Time of Year:
Summer
Writer Style:
Robert Rodriguez
