C. W. Johnson, Jr.

American Civil War

That Should Be A Movie: The Gettysburg Rebels

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Monday, July 3, 2023

Short Pitch

It is called Gettysburg Rebels

It’s a War Drama.

In the vein of Gettysburg

It is like Gone With The Wind meets Titanic

It follows adventurous young soldier Wes Culp

And love-struck young woman Jennie Wade

As they choose sides during a colossal national conflict.

Problems arrive when the Confederate army that Wes is in invades his and Jennie’s hometown of Gettysburg.

Together they will make sacrifices for the causes of their own choosing.

The idea came to me when I was studying the Battle of Gettysburg and found out that there was connection between the two human interest stories of Jennie Wade and Wes Culp.

My unique approach is a massive, history changing battle told through the story of common soldiers and civilians on different parts of the field.

A set piece would be when Wes Culp receives a pass from a Confederate staff officer that knows he has family in Gettysburg. He slowly walks down an empty street, no citizens to recognize him and welcome him home since they are hiding from the invading army of which he is a part. He gently knocks on a door, careful not to raise his voice less the neighbors recognize that of a traitor. The door is slowly unlatched and opened. “Why, Wes!” declares his sister Ann. “You have come!” He embraces his sisters, a sister-in-law, and a nephew. It is a family reunion three years in the making but delayed by war.

Target Audiences would be men and women, teenagers, history and military buffs, war movie fans, and readers of historical romances.

Audiences would want to see it for its meta narrative of private individuals against the backdrop of an important historical evet, its themes of courage, bravery, friendship and romance.

African American History Christmas

That Should Be A Movie: An Invisible Thread

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Friday, December 16, 2022

A set piece would be when Laura takes Maurice to visit her sister Annette’s family in the suburbs on Christmas Eve. Her niece comes home crying from a friend’s house. When she had mentioned Santa Claus, her friends had laughed at her, saying Santa Clause was not real. She asked her brother and sister if that was true, and they said yes. She began wailing. Later that evening she was dressed in wings and a halo to play an angel in the church pageant, but was still inconsolable, making the family run later. Maurice watches her throw a tantrum expecting that at any moment she would be shouted at or hit by someone. He thought, “She better quiet down before she gets a whipping.” He sees her father, Bruce, approach and just knows she’s going to have a whipping. Instead, Bruce sits next to her, picks her up, puts his arms around her and strokes her hair. Instead of punishing her, he was loving her. Maurice could not believe what he had just seen. He vows to be a father like that someday.

African American History Korean War

Movie Review: Devotion

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Go see Devotion in theaters! You will consider it time well spent and will not regret the $7-$15 price of a ticket. I do not usually do movie reviews, but since I have written a blogpost about Adam Makos’ book, I have decided to give my thoughts on J. D. Dillard’s adaption. Who knows, I …

Christmas Korean War

That Should Be A Movie: A Christmas Far From Home by Stanley Weintraub

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Saturday, December 10, 2022

A set piece would be when the 5th and 7th Marines, including 600 wounded walking with the help of ice-glazed tree limbs, march into Hagaru. They had fought their way there over fourteen miles for four days and three sleepless nights. Their comrades gather on the surrounding hills to greet the arrival of their comrades who were covered with ice and stubble. At 600 yards from the perimeter, the column stops. The wounded and frost bitten who could walk, crawled out of their trucks and fell in line with their comrades, their boots stomping the snow in perfect cadence. In the snow. As the column enters the perimeter, some grunts join them, marching along side the column “From the Halls of Montezuma…”They began singing “…To the shores of Tripoli…” It is the Marines Hymn. “…We will fight our nation’s battles…” Rugged veterans were brought to tears. “Look at those bastards,” they say. “Those magnificent bastards.”

Korean War

That Should Be A Movie: Single Handed: The Story of Tibor Rubin

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Wednesday, November 16, 2022

It is called Single Handed
It is a Prison Camp Drama
In the vein of Unbroken.
It is like Son of Saul meets Hacksaw Ridge.
It follows courageous Holocaust survivor Tibor Rubin
And compassionate World War II veteran Randall Briere
As they fight North Korean and Chinese Communists and American antisemites.
Problems arise when Tibor and Randall are captured by the communists and Tibor is denied his medals by a bigoted officer.
Now together Tibor’s death camp experience and Randall’s determination will help them survive a POW camp and get Tibor his Medal of Honor.
My unique approach would be a movie in five acts. Tibor the Holocaust Survivor. Tibor the Immigrant. Tibor the Soldier. Tibor the Prisoner of War. Tibor the American Hero.
A set piece would be when North Korean guards call the American prisoners out of their huts and line them up, execution style. Some prisoners cry out for mercy. Others wet themselves. Some fall on their hands and knees. Tibor pulls them back up. He tells the group to pray and begins chanting in Hebrew. His fellow POWs join him. The guards raise their weapons to firing position. Then the Chinese officers show up and stop the North Koreans just in time.
Target audiences would be men and women (20 to 80), Jewish people, South Koreans, Hungarians, history buffs, military veterans, and teachers.
Audiences would want to watch Tibor’s story due to the themes of bravery, determination, excitement of battle, suspense of surviving in a POW camp, courage in the face of adversity and antisemitism, and the human-interest story of the only Holocaust survivor to receive the Medal of Honor.

South America. Strong Women

That Should Be A Movie: The Journey of Isabela Godin

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Tuesday, November 1, 2022

It’s called The Journey of Isabela Godin.
It is a romantic drama.
In the vein of Adrift.
It is like The Revenant meets Wings of Hope.
It follows an upper-class gentlewoman with an iron will Isabela Godin
And an awkward French scientist Jean Godin
As they struggle to make their way from colonial South American to Europe.
Problems arise when diplomatic issues strand Jean on the east coast of South America and he is unable to reach Isabela on the west coast. For twenty years. Then Isabela becomes lost in the jungle.
Together their love, faithfulness, and devotion to each over will overcome the distance and the greatest life-and-death situations.
The idea came to me when I read The Mapmaker’s Wife by Robert Whitaker from beginning to end during one shift when I was a nightguard.
My unique approach would be the fish-out-of-water experiences of French Jean Godin in Spanish Peru and of upper-class Isabela in the Amazonian wilderness.
A set piece is when Isabela is lying on the jungle floor, surrounded by the bodies of family members. Starvation and dehydration have taken a toll on her body. She is being assailed by insects. Then she sees a figure. It is a hallucination of her husband. Then she hears his voice. “Get up,” Jean tells her. She struggles to stand up from the jungle floor. Then she cuts the shoes off the feet of her dead brothers and makes a pair of sandals for herself. Then she throws a scarf over her body and, with machete in hand, plunges into the jungle.
Target audiences would be men and women (20 to 80), Latin Americans, students of history, nature lovers, and environmentalists with a concern for the Amazon basin.
People would want to see the movie due to the themes of romantic love, faithfulness, devotion, adventure, endurance, inspiration, and the epic, exotic settings of the Andes mountains and the Amazon rainforest.

Islam Muslim East Vs. Christian West

That Should Be A Movie: The Battle of Poitiers

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Thursday, October 13, 2022

French and German leaders set aside their animosities to defeat Arabian invaders of Europe in one of the most decisive battles in world history.
Now that should be a movie.
It Is called The Battle of Poitiers
It is a War Epic.
In the vein of Red Cliff.
It is like The Northman meets 300: Rise of an Empire.
It follows a battle-hardened illegitimate son who had united his father’s kingdom Charles Martel
And a French self-proclaimed prince Eudes
As they defend Christian Europe from Islamic invaders and raiders who seek to rape, pillage, and conquer the world.
Problems arise when Eudes shelters enemies of Charles and a new Muslim leader with a strong army attacks France.
Together they will put aside their differences to defeat the invaders at the Battle of Poitiers.
The idea came to me when I read historical accounts that called Poitiers one of the most decisive battles in world history.
My unique approach would be a Game of Throne-style conflict that is interrupted by an invasion matching that of the Orc armies in Lord of the Rings.
A set piece would be when Charles Martel lines up his Frankish infantry to form a wall of shields. The Arab horsemen throw spears at the wall, but they cannot break it. Then the Franks begin to advance, slicing at the legs of the Arab riders and the flanks of their horses. One horse collapses and begins thrashing in pain. The ranks briefly break as the Franks shift to walk around the horse. One Frank kills the horse with a blow from his sword. A Moorish horseman sees the break in the line. He calls it out to his fellow horsemen and gallops toward the break. He throws a spear, killing a Frank. The line wavers as the man falls. Several horsemen are now charging the gap. Then the Franks, their discipline showing, close ranks. The charging horsemen meet an unbreakable wall of shields and are slain by the sword wielding infantry behind it.
Audiences would want to see the film due to the epic struggle of good vs. evil, the excitement of medieval fighting, the intrigue and suspense of Middle Ages politics, and the world changing event that is the battle of Poitiers.
Target audiences would be men, teens through forty, fans of Game of Thrones, El Cid, Vikings, The Last Kingdom, The Witcher, and Lord of the Rings, players of the games Rise of Kingdoms and Ages of Empires Middle Ages enthusiasts, history buffs and military historians.

African American History Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: Last Bus Out

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Thursday, August 25, 2022

It is called Last Bus Out
It is a Rescue Drama.
In the vein of The Blindside.
It is like Hotel Rwanda meets The Pursuit of Happyiness.
It follows determined basketball player Courtney Miles
And streetwise drug dealer Jabbar Gibson
As they seek to help their friends and family escape the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina.
Problems arise when police block the highways.
Together they will trust in God and refuse to be stopped as they rescue over 300 people.
The idea came to me when I read Last Bus Out by Beck McDowell and thought it would make a great movie portraying the victims of Hurricane Katrina positively .
My unique approach would be showing the people of the New Orleans as their own saviors instead of helpless victims just standing around as portrayed by the media.
A set piece would be when Courtney is driving down an empty stretch of Highway 90, heading northwest away from New Orleans. Suddenly a Crown Vic, the car of a police officer, appears. Courtney slows down. He has no driver’s license, so if the police pull him over, he will be charged with a crime. There will go his clean record, along with his academic and sports future. The police officer looks up, does a double take, glances over his shoulder at the empty highway. Then he looks up at the jampacked bus and scans the faces of the passengers looking out of the windows at him. Then he makes eye contact with Courtney. He smiles, nods his head, and lets the bus continue.
Target audiences would be teenagers, educators, basketball fans, faith-based audiences and the people of the Gulf Coast region.
People would want to see the movie due to its universal themes of faith, determination, community, personal responsibility and making the right choice.

Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: No Ordinary Heroes

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Eight doctors and thirty nurses seek to serve and survive seven thousand prisoners when riots break out in a prison that the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has trapped them.
Now That Should Be A Movie
It is called No Ordinary Heroes.
It is a disaster drama
In the vein of The Perfect Storm.
It’s like Shawshank Redemption meets Downfall.
It follows Air Force veteran and Medical Director of the New Orleans Jail Dr. Demaree Inglese
And a stickler for rules but dog loving deputy named Mike Higgins.
As they provide medical care and security at the New Orleans Community Correctional Center.
Problems arise when the power goes out and the prisoners begin rioting.
Together they will remain calm and professional as they carry out their duties until evacuated.
The idea came to me when I was doing research for a possible action film set in post-Katrina New Orleans and gave Dr. Inglese’s book read.
My unique approach would be the tense setting of being trapped between lawless, flooded streets and the cinderblock walls of a prison filled with hungry, rioting inmates.
A set piece would be when cells on the lower floor begin flooding. Inmates begin screaming and stand on the toilets. Because the power is out, the doors have to be opened manually. In their impatience, some inmates kick the doors off their runners. Prison guards have to use crowbars or sledgehammers to open the doors. The water is rising, so the deputies have to dive under the surface to position the crowbars. While the deputies are submerged, the inmates have to work with the guards as they push the door open. The water is up to inmates’ chests when the deputies resurface, and the prisoners swim out of the cells. Together, officers and prisoners make their way to dry ground.
Target audiences would be men and women (20-50), law enforcement, and fans of thrillers, action, suspense and disaster films.
Audiences would want to see the film because of the story of law enforcement, first responders, and medical personnel doing their job in the face of insurmountable obstacles, and for the themes of suspense, thrills, rising tenson, disaster, action, and devotion to duty.

African American History Louisiana Saints

That Should Be A Movie: Patron Saints

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Sunday, August 14, 2022

It is called Patron Saints
It is a Sports Drama
In the vein of The Blindside.
It is basically American Underdog meets Invictus.
It follows a determined football franchise with an abysmal track record called the New Orleans Saints
And their downtrodden storm victimized fans The Who Dats
As they rebuild the team and the Golf Coast area after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
Problems arise when the team loses games and the longsuffering Who Dats began to wonder if the franchise has really improved.
Now they must feed off each other’s determination and faith as they show the world that the Gulf Coast is coming back.
This idea came to me when The Saints won XLIV 44.
My unique approach is the symbiotic relationship of a city and a football franchise as they recover from disaster and build a team of champions.
A set piece would be when the team is playing one of their first games. A dejected fan sits in his FEMA trailer looking at his damaged house that contractors have still not shown up to clean out. The team scores two field goals and a touchdown in the first quarter. The fan sits up. Then the team scores two more touchdowns in the second quarter. The fan stands up and starts pacing back and forth in his trailer. In the third quarter the team scores two field goals. The game is close. The fan leaves the radio blaring as he runs into his house and begins cleaning it out. By the time the team has won, 34-27, the fan has completely cleaned out his house.
Target audience would be football and sports fans, men and women 30-65 years, the faith-based market, and residents of the Gulf Coast region.
People would turn out to watch the film in theaters because of the universal themes of recovery, healing, and overcoming adversity and the indomitability of the human spirit.