Alec Cuddeback

Favorite Genres:
Action-Adventure
Sci-Fi
Comedy

Alec started writing his own comic strips at the age of seven. He has been a performer since the second grade, where he played the part of Captain Hook in a musical version of "Peter Pan". During high school, Alec was in varsity chorus for two years, with various solo parts, and was chosen as All-County and All-State, as well as leader of the tenor section. He portrayed Lieutenant Shrank in "West Side Story" and Tom Keeney in "Funny Girl" in two summer productions at the old Playhouse Theatre in Canandaigua, New York. While majoring in broadcasting at Indiana University, Alec was in the chorus for the operas "Il Trovatore" and "Andre Chenier" performed by the Indiana University Opera Theater, which also toured the state, giving performances in five cities. At the same time, he was a member of Indiana's School of Music choral group "The Singing Hoosiers". Alec also appeared in the chorus for a summer production of "Camelot", and in his senior year at Indiana, he won the annual award for Radio Broadcast Performance, appearing in many radio plays during his time at the university. A recipient of the S.I. Newhouse Fellowship while at Syracuse University, he directed the 90-minute teleplay “Dylan”, based on the life of Dylan Thomas. To this day, it is still shown as a teaching tool in the Master’s Program at the Newhouse School. He also directed a Christmas choral special at WCNY-TV, which was re-broadcast at five PBS stations in New York State. While in graduate school at Syracuse, Alec sang scenes from "La Boheme" and "Carmen" as part of an opera performance. He also hosted a weekly opera radio program on station WAER-FM during one summer. He did local television production work as writer, producer, and director at General Electric Cablevision, in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he originated a series entitled "Encore!", which featured scenes from local theater productions. Then, Alec returned to upstate New York and worked as an on-air performer, writer, producer, and director at WXXI-TV in Rochester. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in screenwriting, he performed opera arias and popular songs in various local showcases, including the famous La Scala restaurant. Alec also wrote for the tv show "Grizzly Adams", had a screenplay optioned twice, did some ghost writing, and developed a screenplay project for a co-producer of the film "The Neverending Story". At the same time, he furnished the libretto for an original opera, "Cold Genius", based on the last days of the pop-cult figure Klaus Nomi, composed by Eberhard Schoener, which was recorded on Ariola Records, featuring operatic bass Kurt Moll. He also worked on parts of the libretto for another Schoener opera, "Palazzo dell' Amore", which starred tenor Andrea Bocelli and was recorded along with "Cold Genius", the two works appearing as the cd "Short Operas". During this same period, Alec divided his time between Los Angeles and the Finger Lakes area. He began writing rock songs, and ultimately released a cd, "Glass onions - Original Songs, 60s Style", where he performed vocals to ten of his original tunes. Alec and Patricia Larson have been in a committed relationship for many years.

Stock Character
Ranking
Reviewer Rating
5
Scripts
5
Reviews

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Recent Activity

Alec Cuddeback uploaded a script.
2 years ago
Going For Broke feature
Genre: Comedy,Action/Adventure
Logline: Two zany songwriters join a tipsy Englishman, his daughter, and a goofy helicopter pilot, rob some con men, run into trouble, and wind up in a horse-drawn wagon chase through Mexico.
Alec Cuddeback completed a review for
2 years ago
Have a Laugh (First Draft) feature
Genre: Horror,Thriller
Review Rating:

The beginning kind of grabs you. A mass killing at a diner. It stops just as the ax comes down again on another would-be victim. Then, everything becomes quite mundane. A loser at a loser job. Bitter. Bitching. Not really trying to be pleasant, though it's not easy with rotten parents, nasty customers and lazy coworkers. But, the reader must ask: Is Harold the main character? Is he destined to become like Jason or Michael Myers? Or Freddie? Is there a hero somewhere in the story? We don't know. The story is only 16 pages. It's barely set up, with another 75 pages or so yet to be written. Script readers scream about WHITE SPACE. At least, there aren't gigantic paragraphs with 6-8 lines each. For the most part, paragraphs are kept at three lines or less. Several screenwriting "rules" are broken. Most notable: Too much of the description (the non-dialogue portion) written in passive voice, not active voice. Which means too many ING words used. Instead of "ROGER (mid 20s), wearing the same uniform as Harold", it needs to read "ROGER (mid-20s) WEARS the same uniform as Harold. Everything has to be kept in SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE. Delete all the "ING" from all such verbs. It should be an easy fix. Use of adverbs should be avoided. Along with a search for "ING", do a second search for "LY" and edit or delete the adverbs. Script experts call adverbs an indication of lazy writing. How can you convey VISUALLY a sarcastic smile? SHOW DON'T TELL. A screenplay is NOT A NOVEL. How do you SHOW an “"Aw shit, here we go again” look? Describe it, don't state it. Does he rolls his eyes, scoff, look up at the ceiling, purse his lips...? Harold is IN his room? But, the scene heading never changes from HOUSE. Lazy. Several times the dialogue is too long, too many complete sentences. Most people speak in phrases, it sounds more natural, less stilted, and flows better for actors. WAY TOO MANY writer asides and comments, related to the SHOW, DON'T TELL. Biggest problem is Harold. Even if he becomes the central character, sort of a weird anti-hero like Jason, he should have a GRAIN OF SYMPATHY. He had a rough childhood, but he's portrayed as bitter, surly, disenchanted, and a crybaby. Not someone you could pull for, understand, or even half-justify snapping and becoming a murderer. Since the screenplay stops, and we already know how it sort of goes on from there, (actually we've known since the fourth page) we don't know exactly how the mayhem starts. Was it a prank gone wrong? Someone finally push Harold's buttons one too many times? Or did he just slip on the costume and grab an axe? I'd have to give an “INCOMPLETE” grade on this. Finally, there are several typos and probably others I missed. PROOFREAD YOUR WORK. And finish the script.

Alec Cuddeback just claimed a review for a script.
2 years ago
Have a Laugh (First Draft) feature
Genre: Horror,Thriller
Logline: The torment was too much for him to handle, and now he's gonna make sure everyone has a jolly good time!
Alec Cuddeback just claimed a review for a script.
2 years ago
Varkazana Ascension feature
Genre: Horror
Logline: They were once sentinels to protect humanity. That era is over. The werewolf apocalypse has begun.
Alec Cuddeback completed a review for
2 years ago
Shadow Vile Figure (First Draft) feature
Genre: Action/Adventure,Animation,Thriller
Review Rating:

Sorry, but I must be honest. This screenplay isn't very good. Lots of format errors, lazy writing, and almost entirely too much ON THE NOSE, with no nuances. It contains a huge amount of telegraphing and at times reads like a bible study class. There's practically zero character development. Just Johnny being converted to a "Christian", if you care to call that character development or growth. A tremendous amount of the plot has characters EXPLAINING what's going on and why it was happening. I've never been a fan of critics saying dialogue was "too much on the nose", but in this case, I am in agreement. Overly-long fight scene descriptions, in extremely long paragraphs. One reached twelve lines. Those fight action scenes are crowded and nearly impossible to read. Better to break up those long paragraphs. Think of when each different camera shot would change, then skip a line and begin another paragraph every time Try to keep each paragraph three lines or fewer. Characters seem too talky. Too many complete sentences, not enough realistic, natural-sounding phrases, like people actually speak. Too much telegraphing by Johnny's classmates. Again, "on the nose'. Far too much obvious exposition by them. Yak, yak, yak. Dialogue needs to be a lot more subtle. It sounds sophomoric. Sorry, but this really looks amateurish the way the dialogue and story runs. It reads as though you are MANSPLAINING the entire plot. Much too much back-and-forth dialogue that doesn't advance the story, just discussing and debating good and evil, Satan and God, Johnny's and Veronica's feelings, blah blah blah. Very very preachy. LOGIC GAP. Satan is the one who sent Johnny back to earth, with God's permission? To kill Christians? God agreed to that? Anyway, it makes sense that Satan can bring him back, correct? So, why the conflict? I read it through three times, but the very ending still makes absolutely no sense. I almost NEVER say this, and I've written a LOT of screenplay critiques. My recommendation: Stick it in your drawer for a few years. Or, just forget about it, chalk it up to a learning experience. STUDY about screenwriting. A lot. And write something else.

Alec Cuddeback just claimed a review for a script.
2 years ago
We'll Be Safe Up There feature
Genre: Horror,Thriller
Logline: During the pandemic, a writer flees the city with his wife and brother to a cabin Upstate - and encounters a murderous cult.
Alec Cuddeback just purchased a review. Claim it here
2 years ago
The Klingsor Initiates feature
Genre: Action/Adventure
Logline: When a madman tries to overthrow the U.S. with the supernatural power of a Crucifixion relic, an athletic TV newsman uses his unusual talents to battle him, in action-packed confrontations and chases.
Alec Cuddeback just claimed a review for a script.
2 years ago
Shadow Vile Figure (First Draft) feature
Genre: Action/Adventure,Animation,Thriller
Logline: After dying in a car accident, Johnny Seth is about to face judgment, that is until Satan gets God's permission to bring Johnny back to life, only for his plan to go south.
Alec Cuddeback just purchased a review. Claim it here
2 years ago
The Klingsor Initiates feature
Genre: Action/Adventure
Logline: When a madman tries to overthrow the U.S. with the supernatural power of a Crucifixion relic, an athletic TV newsman uses his unusual talents to battle him, in action-packed confrontations and chases.
Alec Cuddeback just purchased a review. Claim it here
2 years ago
Asteroid feature
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Logline: A young woman hopes a treasure bails out her failing spaceport. She joins space pirates bound for an asteroid and encounters danger and romance from a young scoundrel. “Treasure Island” in space.

Scripts

Asteroid
Draft #2
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
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A young woman hopes a treasure bails out her failing spaceport. She joins space pirates bound for an asteroid and encounters danger and romance from a young scoundrel. “Treasure Island” in space.

The Klingsor Initiates
Draft #1
Genre: Action/Adventure
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When a madman tries to overthrow the U.S. with the supernatural power of a Crucifixion relic, an athletic TV newsman uses his unusual talents to battle him, in action-packed confrontations and chases.

Going For Broke
Draft #2
Genre: Comedy,Action/Adventure
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Two zany songwriters join a tipsy Englishman, his daughter, and a goofy helicopter pilot, rob some con men, run into trouble, and wind up in a horse-drawn wagon chase through Mexico.

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