Freedom Rock

Feature Film Project

FREEDOM ROCK is a comedic, coming-of-age musical about finding meaning in a world that has devolved into apathy. Our heroine, an iguana named Juana, feels trapped and uninspired until one lonely night when a transistor radio washes ashore, and she hears the music that will change her life.

Set in a world inspired by the Galapagos Islands, the indigenous animals evolved just as Darwin catalogued in his research, with one catch — on each island, the animals created a distinct musical style. Making instruments from the natural materials around them, one island developed a swinging jazz sound, another festive percussion music, another earthy country blues, and on an outlying island, Rock n’ Roll was king.  For eons, iguanas, tortoises and birds coexisted happily together. The sounds they developed were their cultural identity — until rats infested the islands.

It didn’t take long (in evolutionary terms) before these industrious rodents got the old radio towers working (remnants of a human research mission). Rat scientists (lab rats) invented music designed to numb the reptilian brain. They named it “TuneZ,” (think Muzak meets “Alvin and the Chipmunks”) and used this sickly sweet addictive music to take over the islands.  Now, reptiles and birds just lay on the rocks, desensitized, eating SeeWee (processed seaweed) and humming along to the TuneZ blasted out of “The Cans” by DJ “Boca Loca” from the islands only radio station, “KFUN.”

Meanwhile, in unchartered waters on a small rocky island sits a run-down radio station. Inside, a raspy-voiced tortoise named “DJ Torto” broadcasts the show, “Live from Freedom Rock.” He speaks in beatnik-inspired ramblings (think Wolfman Jack meets William Burroughs) and spins dusty records from days long forgotten.

But this old-timey music is outlawed by the Rats, and listening to it is dangerous business. When Juana first hears DJ Torto’s show, a light goes on in her head. She realizes singing is her true passion, but singing anything not TuneZ is paramount to treason! When her parent’s find out, they fear the wrath of Frank, the alpha-male Rat who runs “the Biz” and will do anything to “keep peace and profits rolling.” Frank’s Mall Rats, led by Chief Ratso Rizzo, keep everything in order.

Caught singing at the local mall (by Mall Rats), Juana goes underground (literally, she falls into a subterranean cave system) and meets a group of old tortoises (Torts) who still dance and sing the old music. One of the Torts is Mary Jane, who turns out to be DJ Torto’s lost love. Juana discovers that Freedom Rock really exists! When she returns home, rats are at her door, and Juana has no choice but to head for “The Rock.”  Along the way she is joined by outcasts from other islands (“Darwina” the Finch, “Little Wing” the flightless Cormorant, and “Booby D,” a Booby bird) and saddled with a teen-boy iguana named Romero. Romero lives for the TuneZ….