Tag Archives: New Orleans.
Hurricane Katrina Louisiana Saints

That Should Be A Movie: Saints in the Broken City

By on Monday, February 12, 2024

It is called Saints in the Broken City

It is a sports drama

In the vein of Remember the Titans

It is like The Blindside meets Invictus

It follows the long-suffering but passionate Who Dat fanbase

And the powerful national corporation the National Football League

As they seek to rebuild New Orleans after a disaster using the New Orleans Saints and the Superdome as symbols of hope.

Problems arise when the Saints lose games and the NFL seeks to exert its power over the local economy

Together the power of the local community will win over corporate commoditization and inspire the nation

The idea came to me when the Saints won the Super Bowl, and it inspired me that anything was possible as I headed to college.

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American Civil War Texas

That Should Be A Movie: The Battle of Sabine Pass

By on Sunday, September 10, 2023

Logline: When 46 hard-fighting Irish-Texan cannoneers face off against an invasion of 15,000, it will result in the only medals issued by the southern Confederacy.

Short Pitch

It is called The Battle of Sabine Pass

It is a war action movie.

In the vein of 300.

It is like Fury meets Glory.         

It follows ambitious, jovial Irish officer Dick Dowling

And young runaway drummer boy John Drummond

As they fight to free the Texas coast from Yankee invaders and prejudice against Irish and Catholic immigrants.

Problems arise when most of the Texas army is pulled from the coast and Dowling and his forty-six men find themselves the only ones to stop an invasion of 15,000.

Together their skill, training, dedication to each other and Gaelic love of fighting will result in one of the most lopsided victories of the war.

The idea came to me when I read a paragraph about the battle in The Civil War: Strange & Fascinating Facts by Burke Davis and it grabbed hold of my Irish and Texan descendent soul. 

My unique approach is focusing on one unit of artillerymen called The Davis Guard and their struggles with military life, war and bigotry against Catholic Irish.

A set piece would be when Dick Dowling is standing on top of the mud pile called Fort Griffin. He has told the Davis Guard that their officers want them to retreat. “What say you,” says Dowling in a thick Gaelic accent. “No, no!,” reply his men. “Shall we fight,” he ask them. Fight, fight, fight,” they reply in unison. “It’s too hot to walk back to Sabine City,” one jokes. Just then a courier rides up. He carries a small Confederate flag. Dowling grabs the flag, crawling higher on the parapet and waves it toward the approaching gunboats. “Dick Dowling is a dead man before that flag shall come down!”

Target audiences would be men and women 20-70, teenagers, military buffs, action movie fans, history buffs, Civil War reenactors, naval buffs, Navy veterans, service members and their families, Catholics, Irish Americans, Irish people, and of course, Texans.

Audiences would want to see it for its epic stand of fighting Irish against overwhelming odds, its action, adventure, and themes of courage, brotherhood, honor and devotion to duty.

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Hurricane Katrina Louisiana Saints

That Should Be A Movie: The Brees Way By Mike Nabors

By on Sunday, August 20, 2023

Short Pitch

It’s called The Brees Way

It is a Sports Drama

In the vein of American Underdog

It is like Invictus meets We Are Marshell

It follows short free agent quarterback Drew Brees

And practice squad member Lance Moore

As they build the cohesion and chemistry a team needs to have to win the Super Bowl.

Problems arise as Drew’s shoulder injury slowly heals, his elbow is dislocated, and he gets up set when he loses competitions.

Now together the team will learn to respect Drew’s competitive nature rubs off on the other players and drivers them to be the best Saints on and off the field.

The idea came to me when reading Bree’s Coming Back Stronger and I wanted to do more research on his career for a movie about Super Bowl XLIV.

My unique approach would be a football player challenging himself to excel at excellence not to win career accolades but uplift a devastated city and region whose hopes and dreams were riding on his shoulders.

A set piece would be when Lance Moore has just received word that he has been loaned out to play for a football team in Germany for the 2006 season. He is sitting in the neglected corner of the locker room meant for the practice squad. Suddenly Drew Brees, the star quarterback is tapping him on his shoulder “Hi, I’m Drew Brees, nice to meet you. Let me know if you need anything?” “Thank you,” replies Lance. “I’m Lance Moore.” “Lance Romance,” ask Drew, probing. “Yeah,” replies Lance. “You can call me back.”

The target audiences would be football fans, sports fans, athletes, fans of the great outdoors, men and women 20-80, Germans (because Lance played for the Berlin Thunders), Louisianas, the people of the Gulf Coast and the Who Dat Nation.

Audiences would want to see it for its themes of hope, resilience, determination, personal sacrifice and responsibility for a higher goal, community and overcoming devastation and adversity.

Who Dat!

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Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: Last Bus Out

By 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.

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Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: No Ordinary Heroes

By 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.

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Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: An Airboat on the Streets of New Orleans

By on Wednesday, August 3, 2022

A couple in their fifties with a troubled past find redemption on the flooded streets of New Orleans when they rescue forgotten people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Now That Should Be A Movie
It’s called An Airboat On The Streets of New Orleans
It’s a rescue drama
In the vein of Dunkirk.
It is like Hard Rain meets Only The Brave.
It follows a criminal with a violent reputation Doug Bienvenu
And his adventurous common-law-wife with kidney failure Drue LeBlanc
As they seek to rescue people trapped in New Orleans by the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina.
Problems arise when police and the National Guard interfere with their rescue operations.
Together they will work on Doug’s attitude toward authority and push through Drue’s pain as they rescue 800 people.
The idea came to me when I found the book at the library and read it in search of Louisiana stories that should be filmed in Louisiana.
My unique approach would be to show an act of humanity that is challenged by both a natural disaster and a bungled response by authorities.
A set piece would be when Doug and Drue return to an island in the flooded city where they have been leaving the refugees they rescued. They are shocked to see that most of the people are still there. Then four police officers arrive. They are checking on rescue teams to keep them safe from sniper fire. Doug insists that the snipers are people just firing into the air to attract attention to their plight. Then he points out that the people on the island have still not been rescued due to bungled response at every government level to the disaster. Many of the people on the island have been there for two days in the heat of the sun while being bitten by fire ants. They’ve had little food and water. They start to take out their frustration on the police officers. Doug realizes the confrontation might turn violent. In a change of his negative attitude toward authority, Doug gets on his boat, maneuvers it between the officers and the people and revs his engine, drowning out the shouting. Then he tells the refugees that he had brought them to dry ground and the only thing he asked of them was to let the officers go in peace. Crisis averted.
Target audiences would be men and women 30-70, outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, fans of adventure and rescue dramas, and Louisianians.
Audiences would like to see it due to its themes of redemption, challenging authority, romance, sacrifice and an exciting act of humanitarianism.

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Saints

That Should Be A Movie: From Bags to Riches, Part 2

By on Sunday, February 13, 2022

There is so much potential for a movie about the Saints’ Super Bowl Victory. It is a Cinderella story of underdogs. It is the comeback story of a great American city. It is a story of healing. It is a triumphant story of overcoming divisions. It is a story of the power of faith, belief, hope and community. Universal themes that transcend cultural and national barriers.

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Saints

That Should Be A Movie: From Bags to Riches, Part 1

By on Saturday, February 12, 2022

The excitement was so palpable that when the crowd erupted in cheers after Curtis Deloatch scooped up the ball for a touchdown, that he made a beeline for the goal post. Spiking the ball over the bar with a one-handed reverse dunk, he nearly hit his helmet on the cross bar, 10 feet from the ground. “I was going crazy,” he later told reporters. “You could feel the dome just rocking. We must have celebrated for 20 minutes” The referees did not throw any flags. Strangers hugged each other. Fans tumbled over seats and spilled out into the aisles. The celebration continued out into the street and through the night. 

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Curt Iles Louisiana Uncategorized

That Should Be A Movie: The Wayfaring Stranger by Curt Iles

By on Friday, January 11, 2019

It is called The Wayfaring Stranger.
It is a Western Romance
In the vein of When Calls The Heart.
It is like Hatfields and McCoys meets 1883.
It follows Irish Immigrant searching for peace Joseph Moore
Abd Redbone teenager full of joy Eliza Clark
As they search for peace and freedom in the Outlaw Strip of western Louisiana.
Problems arise when outlaws don’t take kindly to outsider Joseph and timber companies try to drive the Redbone people off their land.
Now together Joe and Eliza will through the love of God and the power of community overcome hardships and sustain a relationship.
The idea came to me when I read The Wayfaring Stranger while traveling through western Louisiana.
My unique approach is a Western set in the forests, hills, and swamps of Louisiana.
A set piece would be when the timber companies set fire to the forest to drive off the Redbone people. The people gather at a creek crossing for safety. Someone shouts that a widow is missing. Joseph jumps on his horse and rides through the smoke. “Who is that fool,” some wonder. He rides to a creek, soaks his horse and saddle in the water, climbs up the bank and takes off into the firestorm. The widow is sitting on her porch, praying as the flames approach her cabin. Suddenly Joseph comes galloping out of the billowing smoke. He takes the widow and places her on his horse. Then with her in his arms he takes off into the flaming forest as the cabin burns. The smoke clouds choke him and stings his eyes. His hair is being singed but he gallops on. Then he burst out of the firestorm and is at the creek crossing! The Redbone people cheer!
The target audience would be men and women (30-80), fans of westerns and period pieces, nature lover and Louisianans.
People would want to watch the miniseries because of the themes of love, freedom, forgiveness, finding peace, the power of community and the romance, adventure and excitement frontier Louisiana in the 1840s.

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