Recent Interviews: Bitches of Hell WIHM Highlight: Lucy Cruell, Against the Tropes/ Five Black Women in Horror Discuss
Racism, Sexism, and More, Empowering Women in Film Summit, Horror Addicts - An Interview with L.C. Cruell, Black Girl Nerds Halloween Horror Movie Podcast, Graveyard Shift Sisters: 5 Questions with Filmmaker
L.C. Cruell, Interview with L.C. Cruell, Writer/Director of 31, Dolls of Despair, Dark River Press Interview with filmmaker L.C. Cruell, 31: Interview with Director L. C. Cruell, FearCast Network: Guest L.C. Cruell, Fright Bytes: Women in Horror, LiveParanormal: Shriekfest Radio.
BIO:
LC Cruell (Lucy) is a writer/director of award/festival winning short films and critically-acclaimed
web series, with her first feature, Cemetery Tales, currently on the festival circuit. She is also a writer
of numerous multiple-award/festival-winning feature screenplays, pilots and
shorts. An Honors graduate of both Duke University and Harvard Law School, Cruell is/was an Author of 25 published short
stories, Film Critic at multiple publications, attorney, freelance writer/editor,
entrepreneur and member of Women in Film and Television, Science Fiction Writers of America, Mensa, Triple 9, The Organization
of Black Screenwriters and an American Association of University Women Professional Fellow, a James Clyburn Fellow and a NATPE Diversity Fellow. Most recently, her script Crimson was chosen for a National Endowment of the Arts program, her film
Flesh for fiscal
sponsorship by non-profit From The Heart Productions, her film Sacrifice for a MAC grant, and she was named a winner of the SHUDDER/AMC NETWORKS SHUDDER LABS FELLOWSHIP for her project Un-Seen. She is currently represented
by Sherry Robb of The Robb Company. IMDB. CURRENT PROJECTS:
Sacrifice
(Supernatural Horror) The most terrible power in the world... is love. This project
received a MAC grant and is being co-produced by Zipang Global (Japan). Shooting wrapped. L.C. Cruell directed. Project is
now in Post!
7 Magpies
The 1st all Black Female written & directed horror movie anthology. Created
by L.C. Cruell. Writers: Tananarive Due, Sumiko Saulson, Eden Royce, Crystal Connor, L.C.
Cruell, Linda D. Addison, Paula Ashe! Directors - L.C. Cruell, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nicole Renee, Robin Shanea, Lary Love Dolley,
Meosha Bean, and Rae Dawn Chong!
Flesh
(Vengeance Thriller) "If that annoying stack of papers on your desk represents the lives of flesh and blood people,
remember that. If you don't, someone may remind you." Written/Directed by L.C. Cruell. Chosen for Fiscal Sponsorship
by From the Heart Productions, a 24 year old non-profit that
supports filmmakers and films that they believe will "make a positive impact on society and the film industry." Selected for over a half dozen festivals and awards. Released in 2018. This doubles as a fully realized short and a proof of
concept for the feature version, as it tells the story of the first 15 minutes of the feature.
31
Popular, critically-acclaimed,
and groundbreaking webseries "31" written and directed by L. C. Cruell successfully launched its first run on 3/31. 31 is a supernatural thriller told
in 31, 31-second-long, cliffhanger episodes.
As perhaps the First True Daily Internet
Horror Serial it has amassed over 60,000 views on YT alone and branded the concept of the 31 second cliffhanger micro-series
(perfect for mobile platforms). With literally dozens of RAVE REVIEWS: (i.e. TVOvermind, tubefilter, IMDB News, IMDB Horror News, FanGirlTastic, Dread Central, boxofficeBuzz, Hypnogoria, Planet Macabre, Brutal as Hell, Hexed, Sidereel,
Web Series Network, Web Series Today, Horror Movie Matters, Planet Etheria, Spectacular Optical, Chuck Norris Ate My Baby,
I Like Horror Movies, Newsodrome, Hellnotes, TheRichest.com, etc.) 31's success has lead to YT partnership and 9 non-exclusive DISTRIBUTION DEALS with iThentic, Veedax, GoIndieTV, MyPodStudios, TwistFuture, Iflix, QuakQuak.UK, 555nm, and EMN.
The entire series was shot on a budget of $390 with the script and concept alone pulling in incredible talent and
support. Press, articles, comments, reviews, and other info for 31 can be found at- youtube.com/user/31webseries, twitter.com/31theseries, facebook.com/31theseries, and 31theseries.com.
Dragon Con: The 31 cast and crew was invited to and appeared at DragonCon
in Atlanta, GA.
Festivals: World/Festival Premiere on the big screen as an official
selection of Shriekfest Film Festival in LA, which it later WON! European Festival Premiere on the big screen as an official Selection of Campiflegrei Webfest in Italy!
Invited to join Dark Cabaret México to be a part of their project to bring great horror to Mexico. Youtube and video versions
will soon be posted/rendered with an accurate Spanish translation for posting, festivals, and screenings, such as the Siniestro
Film Festival and gatherings at the Scary Witches Café.
Current Status: Television Series Pilot in development.
Mistresses of HorrorTM
Created by L.C. Cruell.
Initial award-winning feature/pilot script written by
L.C. Cruell, Linda S. Scott, and Diana Kemp. A multi-media franchise/brand dedicated to producing "Great
Horror, By Women, For Everyone." 10 Top Genre Directors already Attached: Jennifer Lynch, Mary Lambert, Katt Shea, Rachel Talalay, Karen Lam, Devi Snively, Maude Michaud, Barbara Stepansky, Tammi Sutton, and Mae Catt. Produced by L.C. Cruell and Heidi Honeycutt.
Cemetery Tales: Tales From Morningview Cemetery: (Horror) Anthology Feature by 5 rising Southern directors. Cemetery Tales (2018) is available
now on Amazon Prime. Cruell co-produced, co-wrote "Into the Woods... with You," and wrote & directed, "I Need You" (Trailer.) (Sometimes it is the parents who should listen to their children, and heed
their warnings.)
Why I Am A Dogperson: A dark comedy short written and directed by L.C. that has received such
strong feedback and interest from online distribution channels that it may become the first part of a series.
SCREENPLAYS:
The Sitters
(Horror/Suspense Thriller Feature Script) You let her through your door. You
leave her in your home. You leave her alone with your children. You think she is harmless. But what if you are wrong? So
very, very wrong. [The Strangers meets Home Alone with a touch of Scream.]
The Burning aka Samarra
(Sci-Fi/Horror) They used to say beware the dark, but now beware the light. This could happen tomorrow,
and if it does the world will BURN. Post-Solar-Storm apocalyptic disaster feature with director Jacob Cooney attached. [Melting Zombies.]
Crimson
(Horror/Coming
of Age) When small town, country boy Will Cross gets into
the best Ivy League college in the country, he was prepared to face off against snobs. He was not prepared for Vampires.
[Vampires in the Ivy League.] [The Skulls meets The Lost Boys.] [Also works as an Episodic Series Pilot]
(Formerly known as "Blue Bloods," based in part on the writer's experiences at Harvard Law.) Selected
Winner, National Endowment of the Arts Program Cultiv8. Finalist, Shriekfest, Horror Screenplay Contest, 20/20 Screenwriting Contest
Lizzie
(Horror/Mystery Thriller) When Lizzie Borden's axe
arrives in town, people start dying, and it is somehow all tied to the darkest night in the childhood of one quiet, young
woman, Beth.
Last Call for Angels
(Supernatural/Dark Fantasy) Dangerously dysfunctional humans and angels gather
at a bar on a night, which, depending on how things go there, could be the end of the world. Top 10% Nicholls Fellowships
in Screenwriting; Finalist, Roy W. Dean Writer’s Grant and Indiefest
Chicago Film Festival/Cyclone Screenwriters Project.
The Guardians
(Sci-Fi/Action/Conspiracy Thriller) THEY are everywhere. THEY have manipulated mankind from behind the scenes for a hundred years, are now ready to emerge,
and have only thing standing in their way… her. [The X-Files meets The X-Men.] [Also works as the
entire first season of an Episodic Series] Winner, Breakthrough with a Scream Contest. Finalist, Shriekfest and Cynosure Screenwriting
Awards
Armageddon at Coffeeheaven
(Comedy/Action/Thriller) Sharp-tongued gen-X workers
put snobby patrons and people from their past in their place while piecing together their own as-of-yet unfulfilled lives
and dreams in the midst of a cataclysmically chaotic coffeehouse. Grand Prize Winner, Expose It! Screenplay Competition. Winner, Screenplay Festival
ORIGINAL SERIES CONCEPTS: The
Four
(Original Pilot/Full Series Bible) (Supernatural/Thriller/Dark
Comedy) Four losers discover they may be destined to be the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse.
NEPH
(Supernatural/Fantasy) The tale of
the last 6 Nephilim, young offspring of Fallen Angels and Humans, as they fight to survive in a world where both the forces of good and evil consider them abominations.
31
(Supernatural/Sci-Fi/Horror) The war between the living and the dead takes a new turn.
And, it needs a hero... her. Even though she has no idea who she is beyond the number"31" branded into her hand.
Based on the critically acclaimed, festival winning web series 31.
Pallas (aka MELD)
(Sci-Fi/Horror) What if the next evolutionary
leap is technological? Expensive implances now allow direct BCI interface between computers and the brain, dividing the human
race, the rich and poor, into virtually different species. Until, The Vine: a viral code that wipes the higher brain functions
of all with implants while maintaining the brain stem, creating, in essence, cyber zombies. The battle to reclaim humanity
and the world begins. But where did The Vine come from?
Atty
To The Stars
(Sci-Fi/Satire) In the future the
frontier of space is much like the Old West of Earth's past, where The Lawmen are often judge, jury, and enforcer, and young
Atkins Peak, Space Attorney, soon learns that it's a wild, wild galaxy out there, and, where trouble calls, she's often the
only law there is. (In Progress)
REALITY SHOWS:
The Travel Girls
A Travel Show where you get to follow the up and down adventures of two young women
exploring the world on their own for the first time. In collaboration with Claudia Bennett.
Panther Chase
A Dating Show for Cougars of
Color. In collaboration with producer Krystal J. Thomas.
SHORT
SCRIPTS:
A Toast!
(Sci-Fi/Horror/A Dying Earth story, 8 min)
There
is no point, except that there is.
Afghan of Doom
(Dark Comedy/Horror)
With the best gifts, it really is the thought that counts.
(7 pages, 2 locations). Finalist, Shriekfest and Gimme A Break Contest
Brother-Man
(New,
Vengeance Thriller)
No bond is thicker than blood. A tale of vengeance. (6 pages, 1 Int location, 2 characters,
no FX)
The Chickens Are on Fire
(Dark Comedy)
The chickens are on fire?! What the hell does that mean? (7 pages, multiple locations). Finalist, Broad
Humor Film Festival and Movie
Script Short Contest
Devil's Den
(New, Horror)
The Devil's Den is a real legend of
a real place located in the forests at the base of the Appalachian Mountains in upstate South Carolina. It is the place
where hellhounds are born, and the only thing that matters is how fast you can run. (11 pages, 2 locations)
End User Agreement
(New,
Dark Comedy/Horror)
Read the small print people! There is always an end user. (6 pages, 1 location)
From the Inside Out
(Horror)
The deadliest demons
are those that come from within. (2 pages, 2 locations, FX)
Gotta Be Perfect
(Sci-Fi/Horror, 13 min)
The cost of perfection.
In
Nomine
(Supernatural; 4 minute short)
A meeting in a church between two very old friends.
Killer Hindsight
(New,
Dark Comedy)
The most notorious killers find out the hard way that the sweet taste of revenge, can be even sweeter from beyond the
grave. (3 pages, 1 Ext location, large number of extras)
The Last Chapter Of Our Story
(Horror, Dark)
The end of the world is also a new beginning.
It just depends on your perspective. Winner at Stranger With My Face Film Festival, Australia. (10 pages, 1 location,
FX)
Relief
(New, Dark Comedy)
The end of the world can have its upsides too. (1 page, 1 Ext location,
FX)
Seekers
(Vampire/Pschological Horror; 20 min short)
What happens when you finally find what you seek? Winner, Shriekfest.
The Sixth
Wall
(New, Horror)
If this was real, you'd still watch wouldn't
you? (2 pages, 1 location, FX)
Through a Glass House Darkly
(Southern Gothic Ghost Story; 20 min short )
If the secrets
a house holds are strong enough, they will find a way out. Finalist, Shriekfest.
Working on the I-1
(Fantasy)
Two tollbooth workers make their way through the workday, or the two halves of the
human soul help each other survive life… whichever way you want to look at it. (9 pages, 2 locations) Finalist, Annual Screenwriter’s Challenge
World's Shortest Horror Movies
(Horror Spoof; 11 min short)
What they should have done.
TELEVISION SPECS:
Seven the Hard Way, Spec Script
For family, we will do anything.
The Devil
Inside, Spec Script, "Supernatural"
What secret
in this quiet mountain town is powerful enough to make a demon die… laughing?
2009 NAPTE Fellowship Winner
Sweet
Dee Pimps Out the Boys, Spec Script, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
Sweet Dee pimps out the boys, Charlie becomes a cyber-porn star, and Mac gets litigious on everyone's
ass.
Finalist, Broad Humor Film Festival
And That Was the Night that the Cable Went Out in Springfield, Spec Script, "The Simpsons"
It's the end of the world as we know it, and the only one who can save
us is Homer Simpson.
Finalist, ATalent Scout TV Competition
Previous Television Specs: Winners of Scriptapalooza TV and the Organization of Black Screenwriters Television Script Competition and finalists in American Accolades TV and Austin Film Festival Prime Time.
PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS:
"Zoe"
with director Attila Szasz and production company Extreme Film.
"Have Me For Dinner." Horror/dark comedy co-written by L.C., screened at Atlanta Horror Festival.
"The Horror, The Horror." Horror spoof written for director Jackie Schklar. It went to #1 on www.funnyordie.com and was Video of the Week on
Internet Video Magazine.
Also, custom-designed jewelry dedicated to me (so cool) in the new Women in Horror
Line: Earrings
And a recipe
of mine (Southern Gothic Salmon Cakes) in Have A Heart for Horror, a new cookbook with recipes by Women in Horror, proceeds
going to charity: Have a Heart For Horror
