INDEPENDENCE DAY ON BOOT HILL
Logline: A cowboy ghost named “Rattlesnake Ed” is trapped at his grave site on Boot Hill until he can deliver a divine message to a modern-day music band and to finally receive a romantic kiss from his true love.
Rating: PG-13 Genre: Supernatural / Fantasy Romance / Drama
SYNOPSIS
The date is July 4th, 1884 and its Rattlesnake Ed’s 18th birthday. He’s working his first cattle trail from Texas to Ogallala, Nebraska. Rattlesnake Ed can’t wait to celebrate by hitting the saloon, down some whisky, dance with the girls and gamble his money. Upon arriving to the saloon Rattlesnake Ed locks eyes with a preciously beautiful dance girl named Fiona and immediately falls in love.
After performing a song and dance routine with Fiona he’s too drunk to be rewarded a kiss and afterwards loses his special gold coins while gambling at Tom Sherman’s tricky card table. It’s not long until Rattlesnake Ed causes a ruckus and winds up shot and stumbles out of the saloon and falls in the street. His dying plea is to give a divine message to his cattle gang and to receive a kiss from his true love – he didn’t live long enough to do either.
Flash forward to present day where Justin and his band members “Fractured” are the opening act to a July 4th music concert held at Lake McConaughy campground. “Fractured” is managed by Justin’s father who only wants the best for the young men and continuously offers subtle words of guiding wisdom that occasionally embarrasses his son. The band’s dream is to become a huge musical success but lack the experience and dedication that is easily recognized by Justin’s dad.
The band walks on eggshells trying not to offend the guidance offered from Justin’s father and can’t wait to leave the campground to get drunk, watch the fireworks, and party with some cute girls. The journey leads the boys, and a tag-a-long girl (Kaylee), to Boot Hill where they encounter the eager “Ghost of Rattlesnake Ed” that is desperate to have his spirit released to heaven by accomplishing his two unfulfilled wishes
STORY CREATOR & CO-WRITER
cURTIS eNGLE
Curtis Engle grew up in Waukegan, Illinois. Independence Day is his favorite Holiday. As a kid growing up his family would go down to the shore of Lake Michigan to watch the fireworks show. The show was always preceded with some big celebration on the beach complete music with volleyball.
Flash forward to Independence Day, 2012, he and his wife and son were celebrating Independence Day at a campground on the shore of Lake McConaughey, Nebraska. There was a local young rock band playing and a volleyball net set up where a few kids were playing and laughing. The perfect Independence Day. After the campground festivities they went to the town of Ogallala 20 minutes away to watch the fireworks. After the fireworks show they visited Boot Hill Cemetery in Ogallala. The sign at the cemetery said that one of the residents was an 18-year-old cowboy named Rattlesnake Ed who was killed over nine dollars in a poker game.
On the way back to the campground Curt was obsessively searching for more information on Rattlesnake Ed on his iPhone from the passenger seat of their little red Toyota while his wife drove. His wife said, “Put that phone down and look what we are about to drive into.” Curt looked up just in time to see them drive into a literal wall of rain and hail that shook the car as they entered. Moments later they were pulled over on the side of the road in complete fear. Curt said this life-threatening storm almost felt as if Rattlesnake Ed had something to do with it, since they had just visited his grave site and were searching information about him.
As Curt told this story to family and friends, he noticed that no matter who he told, they were fascinated. Curt is an aspiring screenwriter he felt inspired to write a Western about the ghost of Rattlesnake Ed that runs into a struggling young rock band on Boot Hill on the Fourth of July. A mix of some traditional western culture and up to date music. The result was a fun journey for Curt to write and an adventure for the audience.