Roach Buddy, produced by Doug Waltonbaugh, currently sits on The Black List with three reviews: two of them 7s, and one of them a low-ball 3. Here are the review links:
MAY 1 - https://millerworks.weebly.com/blog/roach-buddy-review-the-black-list
ROACH BUDDY REVIEW - THE BLACK LIST
Era: Contemporary
Locations: Various Apartments, Bar, Office
Budgets: Low
Genre: Comedy, Dark Comedy, Horror, Horror Comedy
Logline: A man's relationship with his roach friend is threatened when he forms an unexpected romance with an enigmatic woman.
Strengths: ROACH BUDDY is destined to be a thoroughly divisive script, but those readers who are willing to get on the project's level will find a captivating, bizarre, and oddly poignant character study within the narrative's twisted surreality. ROACH BUDDY offers a striking central concept, and the implications and minutiae of the titular character have been thoroughly well-explored by this author. The script's grotesquerie is deeply disturbing as the storyline veers ever closer to outright body horror, and the thematic focus on masculinity, identity, sexuality, intimacy, and - ultimately - sanity will doubtlessly disturb and resonate with an open-minded audience. The project's less-pointed ideas such as the use of antiquated pop culture and the battle between old and new technology still prove quite fecund, and when the final act offers its one-two punch of "no Hope" and the "Mort means death" realization, the anti-narrative, subtext-laden approach crystallizes into a truly powerful portrait of a deeply troubled individual. Again, ROACH BUDDY is almost guaranteed to be a "love it or hate it" affair, but once the script is refined, those in the former camp will love it quite deeply indeed.
Weaknesses: ROACH BUDDY requires additional clarity in its initial acts as it is quite difficult to discern what, exactly, we are supposed to be visualizing. While this ambiguity may be compelling in a literary sense, it does not function in terms of the screenwriting form, and the question of what the titular character literally, explicitly looks like must be addressed earlier and with greater precision. The initial question that must be answered is where exactly on the abstraction vs. naturalism scale does the project's visual sensibility fall? Additionally, formal issues such as the inconsistent/improper sluglines warrant polishing if only to avoid inadvertently alienating a draconian reader. In terms of characterization, Hope stands out as a bit one-dimensional in her archness, and while the broadness of her persona is certainly not without intention, she nonetheless warrants greater depth, specificity, and subversion if she is to avoid the level of plot device. Finally, ROACH BUDDY is supremely dialogue-heavy at present, and judicious editing in the interest of a leaner execution wouldn’t come amiss in future drafts.
Prospects: ROACH BUDDY will likely be deemed too obtuse for a broad/mainstream treatment, but the project's defiant sensibility will make it a strong fit for the art house world. This particular path to production will not be an easy one, but there is certainly an ardent, hungry audience that has been waiting for a modern piece of weird such as this. Regardless of production, the script itself could function well as a writing showcase for its author once polished, and these pages alone showcase a truly original and compellingly bizarre voice. Ultimately, ROACH BUDDY's success is far from a guarantee given its deeply avant-garde nature, but there is always the chance that it will fall into the hands of a like-minded champion, and this possibility should be enough justification for the author's additional efforts.
Pages104
JUNE 27 - https://millerworks.weebly.com/blog/the-black-list-roach-buddy-review-3
Strengths
Mort and Roach’s bickering comes off like a modernist play; like a seedy-apartment-version of “Waiting for Godot.” There’s a fascinating mystery laid out in the first scenes of who exactly is Roach Buddy. His relationship with Mort is endlessly interesting. Their mundane arguments have some great rapid-fire dialogue that makes them quite the comedic pair. Mort is built up well from his crippling anxiety/agoraphobia. Hope is a bizarre, eccentric, dark character who feels like a Bukowski-meets-John Waters nightmare. The entire screenplay takes on a surrealist quality that isn’t typically seen in most scripts. The comedy elements that come with the surrealist humor land very well, such as Gibby’s demonstration of using a newspaper on pg.48. The nightmare/dream sequences are both insane but hilarious in their surrealistic execution. The bartender even gets his own moment and monologue that is one of the best parts of the script. Twists aside, the last five pages picks things back up well to end on a thought-provoking final shot.
Weaknesses
It doesn’t make much sense when Mort’s established as an anti-social, terrified of going outside, but then becomes a smooth operator with Hope. Would make more sense if Hope was more apparently desperate for a date; or having Mort be more visibly nervous and uncomfortable around her at first as she slowly lures him out of his shell. Gibby and Maria become a bit too stereotypical in their dialogue/language. They could be quirky without it being defined by race/heritage. The bar is a great hub for Mort and Hope to meet up in, but it would work even more with some barfly type of characters thrown into the mix. The bartender who appears near the end of the second act could work more if he spoke a little earlier on. Mort’s monologue on pgs.83-84 feels totally unnecessary. Actual scenes instead of the voice over would be much better in sticking with the otherwise consistent tone. The ending is a bit of a let-down. The over-explanation for why everything is the way it is feels extraordinarily clunky for a script that had been near pitch-perfect in its subtlety and surrealism up until the final twenty pages.
Prospects
“Roach Buddy” would be a Kafka-esque nightmare if it wasn’t so sarcastically funny in its surrealist delivery. The primary leads of Mort, Roach, and Hope could all make for indie awards potential. Each brings their own wide array of quirks and motivations you hope to see in any great character. On one hand, the quirky parts of the script could be a turn-off for a casual viewer, but the ending seems to under-cut the surrealist fans who prefer the complex imagery. The final twenty pages would benefit ending things more ambiguously instead of all the talky explanation from the psychiatrist. With little demands though, the film is very doable on a low budget, and could attract an instant cult status via word-of-mouth.
-------------------------------------
And this is the 3-rating. Obviously not a fan of Meta-Absurdism.
Era: Present Day
Locations: New York City
Budget: Low
Genre: Comedy,Dark Comedy,Dramatic Comedy,Horror,Horror Comedy
Logline:
When MORT, an agoraphobic and socially anxious loner, meets HOPE, a rich woman with a fetish for damaged men, he begins to clean himself up and better his life - to the detriment and dismay of his best friend, a cockroach.
Pages: 104
Strengths:
The writer has a very strong thematic vision for the script. The loneliness and hopelessness is palpable and terrifying, and the psychological horror of feeling worthless is terrifying - and the writer does a good job expressing those emotions through the symbolic nature of the story. ROACH BUDDY is a unique metaphor for MORT'S inner life and self-hatred. HOPE is successfully frightening in her aggressive nature to change MORT. At its best, the script successfully makes the reader feel pity and sadness for MORT'S plight, and brings up uncomfortable existential questions about human nature and the purpose of life.
Weaknesses:
The script is incredibly absurd in its horror and is very meta - focusing on the larger themes of hopelessness and depression, without really creating a true emotional connection between the reader and the characters. MORT, ROACH BUDDY, and HOPE are interesting metaphors for mental states, but they aren't fully fleshed out characters with backgrounds, lives, desires, and emotional arcs, which makes it hard to invest in the story. The dialogue sounds dated and unnatural. The story of MORT'S self-hatred and despair is palpable, which may be the point, but a script with no growth in the characters and no hope in the story, is a narrative that drags, repeats beats, and is difficult for the viewer to invest in.
Prospects:
Because this script is very metaphorical and absurdist it would have a hard time finding an audience. The script would have to drastically change its tone in order to serve a commercial audience. It would have to update its language and portrayal of women and people of color to find a space in the indie world as well.
MAY 1 - https://millerworks.weebly.com/blog/roach-buddy-review-the-black-list
ROACH BUDDY REVIEW - THE BLACK LIST
Era: Contemporary
Locations: Various Apartments, Bar, Office
Budgets: Low
Genre: Comedy, Dark Comedy, Horror, Horror Comedy
Logline: A man's relationship with his roach friend is threatened when he forms an unexpected romance with an enigmatic woman.
Strengths: ROACH BUDDY is destined to be a thoroughly divisive script, but those readers who are willing to get on the project's level will find a captivating, bizarre, and oddly poignant character study within the narrative's twisted surreality. ROACH BUDDY offers a striking central concept, and the implications and minutiae of the titular character have been thoroughly well-explored by this author. The script's grotesquerie is deeply disturbing as the storyline veers ever closer to outright body horror, and the thematic focus on masculinity, identity, sexuality, intimacy, and - ultimately - sanity will doubtlessly disturb and resonate with an open-minded audience. The project's less-pointed ideas such as the use of antiquated pop culture and the battle between old and new technology still prove quite fecund, and when the final act offers its one-two punch of "no Hope" and the "Mort means death" realization, the anti-narrative, subtext-laden approach crystallizes into a truly powerful portrait of a deeply troubled individual. Again, ROACH BUDDY is almost guaranteed to be a "love it or hate it" affair, but once the script is refined, those in the former camp will love it quite deeply indeed.
Weaknesses: ROACH BUDDY requires additional clarity in its initial acts as it is quite difficult to discern what, exactly, we are supposed to be visualizing. While this ambiguity may be compelling in a literary sense, it does not function in terms of the screenwriting form, and the question of what the titular character literally, explicitly looks like must be addressed earlier and with greater precision. The initial question that must be answered is where exactly on the abstraction vs. naturalism scale does the project's visual sensibility fall? Additionally, formal issues such as the inconsistent/improper sluglines warrant polishing if only to avoid inadvertently alienating a draconian reader. In terms of characterization, Hope stands out as a bit one-dimensional in her archness, and while the broadness of her persona is certainly not without intention, she nonetheless warrants greater depth, specificity, and subversion if she is to avoid the level of plot device. Finally, ROACH BUDDY is supremely dialogue-heavy at present, and judicious editing in the interest of a leaner execution wouldn’t come amiss in future drafts.
Prospects: ROACH BUDDY will likely be deemed too obtuse for a broad/mainstream treatment, but the project's defiant sensibility will make it a strong fit for the art house world. This particular path to production will not be an easy one, but there is certainly an ardent, hungry audience that has been waiting for a modern piece of weird such as this. Regardless of production, the script itself could function well as a writing showcase for its author once polished, and these pages alone showcase a truly original and compellingly bizarre voice. Ultimately, ROACH BUDDY's success is far from a guarantee given its deeply avant-garde nature, but there is always the chance that it will fall into the hands of a like-minded champion, and this possibility should be enough justification for the author's additional efforts.
Pages104
JUNE 27 - https://millerworks.weebly.com/blog/the-black-list-roach-buddy-review-3
Strengths
Mort and Roach’s bickering comes off like a modernist play; like a seedy-apartment-version of “Waiting for Godot.” There’s a fascinating mystery laid out in the first scenes of who exactly is Roach Buddy. His relationship with Mort is endlessly interesting. Their mundane arguments have some great rapid-fire dialogue that makes them quite the comedic pair. Mort is built up well from his crippling anxiety/agoraphobia. Hope is a bizarre, eccentric, dark character who feels like a Bukowski-meets-John Waters nightmare. The entire screenplay takes on a surrealist quality that isn’t typically seen in most scripts. The comedy elements that come with the surrealist humor land very well, such as Gibby’s demonstration of using a newspaper on pg.48. The nightmare/dream sequences are both insane but hilarious in their surrealistic execution. The bartender even gets his own moment and monologue that is one of the best parts of the script. Twists aside, the last five pages picks things back up well to end on a thought-provoking final shot.
Weaknesses
It doesn’t make much sense when Mort’s established as an anti-social, terrified of going outside, but then becomes a smooth operator with Hope. Would make more sense if Hope was more apparently desperate for a date; or having Mort be more visibly nervous and uncomfortable around her at first as she slowly lures him out of his shell. Gibby and Maria become a bit too stereotypical in their dialogue/language. They could be quirky without it being defined by race/heritage. The bar is a great hub for Mort and Hope to meet up in, but it would work even more with some barfly type of characters thrown into the mix. The bartender who appears near the end of the second act could work more if he spoke a little earlier on. Mort’s monologue on pgs.83-84 feels totally unnecessary. Actual scenes instead of the voice over would be much better in sticking with the otherwise consistent tone. The ending is a bit of a let-down. The over-explanation for why everything is the way it is feels extraordinarily clunky for a script that had been near pitch-perfect in its subtlety and surrealism up until the final twenty pages.
Prospects
“Roach Buddy” would be a Kafka-esque nightmare if it wasn’t so sarcastically funny in its surrealist delivery. The primary leads of Mort, Roach, and Hope could all make for indie awards potential. Each brings their own wide array of quirks and motivations you hope to see in any great character. On one hand, the quirky parts of the script could be a turn-off for a casual viewer, but the ending seems to under-cut the surrealist fans who prefer the complex imagery. The final twenty pages would benefit ending things more ambiguously instead of all the talky explanation from the psychiatrist. With little demands though, the film is very doable on a low budget, and could attract an instant cult status via word-of-mouth.
-------------------------------------
And this is the 3-rating. Obviously not a fan of Meta-Absurdism.
Era: Present Day
Locations: New York City
Budget: Low
Genre: Comedy,Dark Comedy,Dramatic Comedy,Horror,Horror Comedy
Logline:
When MORT, an agoraphobic and socially anxious loner, meets HOPE, a rich woman with a fetish for damaged men, he begins to clean himself up and better his life - to the detriment and dismay of his best friend, a cockroach.
Pages: 104
Strengths:
The writer has a very strong thematic vision for the script. The loneliness and hopelessness is palpable and terrifying, and the psychological horror of feeling worthless is terrifying - and the writer does a good job expressing those emotions through the symbolic nature of the story. ROACH BUDDY is a unique metaphor for MORT'S inner life and self-hatred. HOPE is successfully frightening in her aggressive nature to change MORT. At its best, the script successfully makes the reader feel pity and sadness for MORT'S plight, and brings up uncomfortable existential questions about human nature and the purpose of life.
Weaknesses:
The script is incredibly absurd in its horror and is very meta - focusing on the larger themes of hopelessness and depression, without really creating a true emotional connection between the reader and the characters. MORT, ROACH BUDDY, and HOPE are interesting metaphors for mental states, but they aren't fully fleshed out characters with backgrounds, lives, desires, and emotional arcs, which makes it hard to invest in the story. The dialogue sounds dated and unnatural. The story of MORT'S self-hatred and despair is palpable, which may be the point, but a script with no growth in the characters and no hope in the story, is a narrative that drags, repeats beats, and is difficult for the viewer to invest in.
Prospects:
Because this script is very metaphorical and absurdist it would have a hard time finding an audience. The script would have to drastically change its tone in order to serve a commercial audience. It would have to update its language and portrayal of women and people of color to find a space in the indie world as well.
 Image Designed by Don Traub |  Image Designed by Don Traub |
The logline and synopsis has been viewed at
InkTip dot com by the following entities:
Viewed By Viewed Item Title Date
DuMatt Entertainment Logline Roach Buddy 6/27/19 5:49pm
Velocity Pictures Logline Roach Buddy 6/27/19 12:15pm
Envoi Entertainment Logline Roach Buddy 6/25/19 3:08pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 6/24/19 10:58am
The Next Shot LLC Logline Roach Buddy 6/23/19 9:58am
The Next Shot LLC Logline Roach Buddy 6/23/19 9:52am
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 6/22/19 11:37am
Aja Entertainment Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 6/21/19 10:51am
Henry Films Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 6/21/19 8:24am
SpookyDan Productions Logline Roach Buddy 6/17/19 3:07am
SpookyDan Productions Logline Roach Buddy 6/17/19 3:05am
SpookyDan Productions Logline Roach Buddy 6/17/19 2:55am
Chapman Filmed Ent Logline Roach Buddy 6/3/19 3:12pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/29/19 8:25pm
Invisible Pictures Logline Roach Buddy 5/24/19 12:45pm
DisruptiveLA Logline Roach Buddy 5/21/19 12:00pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/17/19 12:18pm
RSF ProductionsRichard Friedman Resume Roach Buddy 5/16/19 7:33pm
RSF ProductionsRichard Friedman Synopsis Roach Buddy 5/16/19 7:31pm
RSF Productions Logline Roach Buddy 5/16/19 7:28pm
Mahal Empire Logline Roach Buddy 5/16/19 10:29am
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/15/19 12:54pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/15/19 11:21am
kweber Logline Roach Buddy 5/14/19 7:18pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/14/19 10:34am
Silver Line Films, Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 12:54pm
Silver Line Films, Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:41am
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:30am
Jon Tierney Productions Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:17am
Jon Tierney Productions Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:12am
And Finally...on Sellascript dot com, we've had quite a number of industry hits.
Title: Roach Buddy
Logline:
A man's relationship with his roach friend is threatened when he forms an unexpected romance with an enigmatic woman.
Genre: Horror, Dark Comedy, Psychological Thriller
Comments: I322128 WGA East Registration.
Lead Role(s):One or more male & female leads
Writer Bio:Tom Miller is a nationally recognized writer, filmmaker, and performance artist living and working in Gainesville, Florida.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Miller_(performance_artist)
He is the host of the longest running open mike continuous live variety show in America.
Tom is a non-traditional age current student in the David Lynch Screenwriter's MFA program at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.
Tom's Media articles can be found here: https://millerworks.weebly.com/press.html
Number of Times Your Listing Has Been Viewed: 35
Synopsis:
Title:
Roach Buddy
By:
Tom Miller
Mort and his friend, Roach Buddy live in a squalid studio apartment in Chelsea. They enjoy darkness, 60s television, food and sleep. Mort (agoraphobic) ventures outside on a food quest, but lacks the ability to make it down the street. He finds himself in a dark bar for some liquid courage and there, meets an attractive rich older woman who takes a strange keen interest in his well-being.
She's a "fixer-upper" - meaning she likes to fix up broken men with her riches, but she also has a secret ulterior motive. And she absolutely hates roaches.
Roach Buddy has got to go, but it's hard to get rid of roaches. When she finally succeeds, and upgrades both Mort and his Apartment, her work is done. She dumps Mort.
Lonely and dejected, Mort goes on a search to find Roach Buddy and repair the damage. Mort convinces Roach Buddy to return to the apartment, and then things get weird.
InkTip dot com by the following entities:
Viewed By Viewed Item Title Date
DuMatt Entertainment Logline Roach Buddy 6/27/19 5:49pm
Velocity Pictures Logline Roach Buddy 6/27/19 12:15pm
Envoi Entertainment Logline Roach Buddy 6/25/19 3:08pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 6/24/19 10:58am
The Next Shot LLC Logline Roach Buddy 6/23/19 9:58am
The Next Shot LLC Logline Roach Buddy 6/23/19 9:52am
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 6/22/19 11:37am
Aja Entertainment Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 6/21/19 10:51am
Henry Films Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 6/21/19 8:24am
SpookyDan Productions Logline Roach Buddy 6/17/19 3:07am
SpookyDan Productions Logline Roach Buddy 6/17/19 3:05am
SpookyDan Productions Logline Roach Buddy 6/17/19 2:55am
Chapman Filmed Ent Logline Roach Buddy 6/3/19 3:12pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/29/19 8:25pm
Invisible Pictures Logline Roach Buddy 5/24/19 12:45pm
DisruptiveLA Logline Roach Buddy 5/21/19 12:00pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/17/19 12:18pm
RSF ProductionsRichard Friedman Resume Roach Buddy 5/16/19 7:33pm
RSF ProductionsRichard Friedman Synopsis Roach Buddy 5/16/19 7:31pm
RSF Productions Logline Roach Buddy 5/16/19 7:28pm
Mahal Empire Logline Roach Buddy 5/16/19 10:29am
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/15/19 12:54pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/15/19 11:21am
kweber Logline Roach Buddy 5/14/19 7:18pm
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/14/19 10:34am
Silver Line Films, Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 12:54pm
Silver Line Films, Inc. Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:41am
Hollywood Asylum Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:30am
Jon Tierney Productions Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:17am
Jon Tierney Productions Logline Roach Buddy 5/13/19 10:12am
And Finally...on Sellascript dot com, we've had quite a number of industry hits.
Title: Roach Buddy
Logline:
A man's relationship with his roach friend is threatened when he forms an unexpected romance with an enigmatic woman.
Genre: Horror, Dark Comedy, Psychological Thriller
Comments: I322128 WGA East Registration.
Lead Role(s):One or more male & female leads
Writer Bio:Tom Miller is a nationally recognized writer, filmmaker, and performance artist living and working in Gainesville, Florida.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Miller_(performance_artist)
He is the host of the longest running open mike continuous live variety show in America.
Tom is a non-traditional age current student in the David Lynch Screenwriter's MFA program at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.
Tom's Media articles can be found here: https://millerworks.weebly.com/press.html
Number of Times Your Listing Has Been Viewed: 35
Synopsis:
Title:
Roach Buddy
By:
Tom Miller
Mort and his friend, Roach Buddy live in a squalid studio apartment in Chelsea. They enjoy darkness, 60s television, food and sleep. Mort (agoraphobic) ventures outside on a food quest, but lacks the ability to make it down the street. He finds himself in a dark bar for some liquid courage and there, meets an attractive rich older woman who takes a strange keen interest in his well-being.
She's a "fixer-upper" - meaning she likes to fix up broken men with her riches, but she also has a secret ulterior motive. And she absolutely hates roaches.
Roach Buddy has got to go, but it's hard to get rid of roaches. When she finally succeeds, and upgrades both Mort and his Apartment, her work is done. She dumps Mort.
Lonely and dejected, Mort goes on a search to find Roach Buddy and repair the damage. Mort convinces Roach Buddy to return to the apartment, and then things get weird.
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