Happy Friday, Animals.

Are you in between reading stuff? I refer, of course, to that sliver of space-time in which you’ve just finished one book and are considering checking out a new one. If you’d like something to fill that void this weekend, having perhaps two hours to spare… Well, I wrote a screenplay a while back.

Hotline Miami was released in 2012. Made by two very talented indie game developers, it came close to stealing Game of the Year accolades from the likes of triple-A contenders like Halo 5, Xcom, and more. Yet a simple-minded gamer named gamer named Joe Asphahani never paid it much mind until mid-2015. Once he did, however, it blew his godamn mind, fueled his creativity, and inspired him to write a feature-length screenplay as a form of fan service. (There are more details on my portfolio page if you’re into that kind of thing.)

I started writing this screenplay in May, 2015. After several manic bursts of writing, punctuated by some debilitating stretches of writer’s block, I finally finished it in mid-November the day before I got on a plane to Japan for a family trip. ...and as soon as I landed back home in early December, my friend was like, “Hey! Enter your Animal in Man thingie in this Inkshares Sword and Laser thingie!” Now that the contest is all over and I’m dedicating literally every free moment to writing The Animal in Man, I decided to post my Hotline Miami script-homage up on the internet because… why not. What else am I going to do with it? Let the people enjoy!

So, like I said, give it a read if you have time. Please keep in mind I never got the chance to go back and revise it like I’d intended. (It’s what they call in the professional writing industry a “sh***y first draft.”)

Also, it’s ultra violent. Like the video game from which it derives its title, to which it pays mad respect. If you’re not into human shields, neon and hot pink, bullets, Russian mobsters, drills, the 80s, being set on fire, animal masks [yes, maybe I write about what frightens me], katanas, having your testic….. well, you get the picture, maybe. It’s all in there. If you’re not into that, this might not be for you.

Enjoy! Click HERE to read the script.

And by all means, try the game HERE.

I’m back to work on The Animal in Man now.