SCREENPLAY

Them Old Ways

After writing the scripts for Trouble in Paradise and Hello Darkness (both of which resulted in productions with budgets exceeding what studios are willing to spend given the nature of modern studio budgets), my writing partner, Justin Tuan Smith, and I decided to take another crack at writing a film studios could be willing to produce, and Them Old Ways was born.

Having lived in Eastern Europe for several years, I was exposed to a much darker take on the Christmas myth (namely Krampusnacht, which I urge you to Google if you’re unfamiliar). Having spent over a decade writing Appalachian Gothics, I was inspired to combine these two worlds, imagining what a Christmas movie might look like if set in an isolated region of West Virginia and centered on a cult-like family practicing pagan-style sacrifices for the holidays.  

Them Old Ways is technically still in various stages of story development. However, I felt it was worth mentioning here because it’s currently one of those concepts I am still enamored with and intend to see the light of day, whether in film, comics, or on stage.  

About the story: Needing a change from city life, a family relocates to rural Appalachia. As their picturesque mountain setting approaches the holiday season, things turn not-so-jolly when a neighboring off-grid community’s festivities reveal a darkly twisted pagan origin.

created by: JC Lacek

words: JC Lacek, Justin Tuan Smith

Read the Them Old Ways pitch deck below