LUCYPALOOZA

TITLE: PENNY DREADFUL

GENRE: HORROR

PITCH:
A grieving prostitute turns killer in Victorian London. When her trail of blood implicates the Prince of Wales, the establishment sets out to destroy her.

SYNOPSIS:
Revolution ferments in Victorian London. The starving poor are kept in check by fear of the Ripper. PENNY, a young prostitute, grieves for her murdered baby.

Penny kills her pimp when he is released early for the drowning of her child. Then she slaughters an innocent palace maid who gets in her way. She pretends to be the maid and tricks her old client, the PRINCE OF WALES into bed, determined to get pregnant again. Disguised as a gentleman, she infiltrates a brothel, kills her best friend, MARY and implicates the Prince as Jack the Ripper.

As the East End riots, QUEEN VICTORIA acts to save the monarchy. She blackmails Penny to wait out the pregnancy abroad. There, Penny learns that another old client, INSPECTOR CLEMENT has cut off all avenues of escape. Penny must wield her knife one final time and become her own woman…

Comments

Elinor said…
Thanks chuck (again!) x
Andy Phillips said…
Fab. By the way, if you haven't read Patricia Cornwell's Ripper book, do. Forget what it's called, 'Case Closed' or something like that. Very good details on the lives of the 'unfortunates.'

This is a compelling story. I'm giving it my vote on Lucypalooza. We're about due another good Jack the Ripper movie, has there been one since 'from Hell'?
Elinor said…
Why thank you kind sir! I haven't heard of that particular Cornwell book but I shall track it down now you've said. I see from imdb that From Hell only just covered its production costs but i really like it even if Heather Graham's accent makes me wince a bit. I pitched PD to the head of Summit and found myself telling him that 'it would really appeal to the Kerrang demographic'. Oh well, it made him laugh.
Insp.Clement said…
Me and the lads down the station think this is a ripping yarn; ripping, get it?

Looks like this story has plenty of intrigue, but who will Penny slash in the end...?
Team Brindle said…
Excellent twist on the J the R story!

You've got a lot of interesting elements here. I'd see this movie.

Good luck with it. :-)
Elinor said…
My dear Inspector, start praying...

Thank you kindly Lara.
Elinor said…
Apologies, Laura for misspelling your name. I was writing this last night.

Case Closed by P. Cornwell 1p on Amazon. Result!
Lucy V said…
FROM HELL didn't pass the fifteen minute test with me, I actually ran out the cinema, my husband refused to come out so I used his credit card to buy copious amiunts of nachos in the foyer. Revenge!

This however is much better and reckon it'll be WELL GOOD MAN - tho interesting what Robin K says considering our convo re: this very issue on our last editing sesh for Metlab don't you think?! ; )
Elinor said…
Yes indeed, Lucy. Though I think Penny gets more enjoyment from toying with the Prince than killing him--he is a bit of a sad-sack after all. That's just the sort of bitch she is! xx
missread said…
Really like this, especially the logline. The whole thing is evocative and describes the story well.

What I find interesting is the fact that the hero of this story is also the murderer, with real emotions setting her onto her killing spree. As she murders friends, foes and innocents, I'm intrigued to see how the script will make an audience want her to "win" in the end. (Or do you want them to want her to lose?)

Liked it a lot :)
Elinor said…
Thank you kindly Laura, I want her to get away with it. What she does is monstrous but she's still human. Don't you get tired of films where the woman only steps out of line a little bit but she's the first to go? Also the reasons for her killing spree are rooted in decidedly female territory.
Mandy Lee said…
It's about time we had a fully fledged vengeful murder spree from a girl - a sort of cockney Rambo with a petticoat. Loved the pitch, and it suckered me right in - now I want to know how it ends!
Elinor said…
That's very dolly of you to say so mj. I could tell you how it all ends but then I'd have to kill you...
JG said…
elinor -

She is a very strong woman - and that's very, very good indeed!
Tough, too. I like that she gets away with it, but I still want to know how it ends, too...but I won't ask ;-)
Elinor said…
Oh alright then your highness, seeing as it's you who asks, but tell no-one...
Penny fetches up in the South of France where she discovers that she's not pregnant after all. She is pursued there by the newly knighted Inspector Clement who thinks he has a chance of winning her love now that he's elevated to the peerage. Alas not so, for the hapless Inspector reveals to Penny that it was he who released Penny's pimp from jail early. Clement mistakenly believed that this act would drive Penny into his arms seeking protection but what it actually does is inspire Penny's first murder. Obviously he has to go.

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