Existential Hell

Press release:

It seems Hollywood is perpetually searching for action-packed scripts, set in the heart of gritty urban jungles, that bring to life all the shady characters an audience could ever want to know. Lawrence J. Corneck packs all that and more into his new screenplay trilogy, Existential Hell (now available through AuthorHouse).

The first entry in Existential Hell is “Game of Life,” an edgy, cat and mouse drama the author dubs, “High Noon in High Heels.” In it, Lenny, an attorney, is sent by his dominatrix mistress to purchase an instant camera. With his nails still painted and nylons tucked into his loafers, he manages to get the camera without drawing too much attention to himself. It is not until the instamatic is stolen that things get more than a little uncomfortable for Lenny. He fears that the pictures will be used to pressure him to discontinue an attempt to disbar a powerful gaming lawyer. In a final twist, it is revealed that the writer of the script is Lenny’s alter ego, Lonny.

Corneck next takes readers back in time as he presents “Suffer the Child,” the prequel to “Game of Life.” In this second installment, a mother’s choice to become a dominatrix to support her daughter’s drug habit instead of enduring a painful temporary withdrawal fails miserably. Jade, the dominatrix from “Game of Life,” seeks Lonny’s help through the promise of sexual favors to assist her in a bitter custody dispute with her husband, Rick. Their daughter, Carrie, is denied a normal teenage life. Rick is an investment banker and addict whose income is derived largely from drug deals. When Carrie follows him into the abysmal world of drug addiction, Jade turns a blind eye until Carrie meets an untimely demise. Depression and suicide visit the remaining characters as Jade tries one last time to correct the balance of nature and save a soul.

Corneck rounds out this trilogy with “Beware the Dancing Elephants,” the nail-biting sequel to “Game of Life,” in which a blood debt must be repaid. The Mafia has ordered a hit on Lonny. He is also coerced into wearing a wire for the FBI in order to gather information on a reputed mobster. To add to his troubles, he must also aid the FBI in arresting an international financial fugitive. Throughout a bungled kidnapping attempt and his attempts to stay one step ahead of his enemies, Lonny finds his greatest challenge in trying to save the life of an old school chum.