Brief

Shopping center developer Beauregard Henry has a secret buried under the fountain at his South
Square Mall. Will manager Justin Nix and his crew of misfits unravel the mystery?

What We Liked

The South Square Mall manager, Justin Nix, has enough on his plate trying to wrangle in the colorful
cast of characters he employs, but when a mall vendor has had enough with the deteriorating
conditions of the mall, he makes a ruckus. Such a loud ruckus that the owner of the mall, Mr
Beauregard Henry himself, listens. Unfortunately, said vendor knows more about the mall and Mr.
Henry then he would like to - and it’s up to Justin to figure out what it is and why it involves the mall's
fountain. Most of the story takes place exclusively inside the mall, and the mystery of what is under
the fountain will bring in the viewers. The cast and unfolding craziness will keep them there - and
coming back. This comedy has enough wacky characters to be an ensemble film or a weekly series
on a major network. Think Mallrats and Superstore. There can be enough hijinks in one location that
will keep viewers coming back for more laughs. Pop culture remarks come pouring in.
Key points: This has the potential to become a cult classic like Kevin Smith’s Mallrats; the story has
enough turns to keep viewers guessing what is really under the fountain; Justin is the “everyman”
most viewers can identify with; the characters are quirky larger than life, almost like a cartoon - which
should translate to the screen well; most of the film/TV show takes place in one location.

Synopsis

Justin Nix is your everyday man; the manager of the South Square Mall. This is your "everytown"
establishment. Here, Justin has the daily tasks of ranging in his quirky staff and managing the day to
day. The mall has seen better days; ceiling tiles are missing, pipes are broken, and vendors are leaving
left and right. That's not good - no patrons are coming. That's where the vendor of the “Leaves and
Vines” kiosk, Lawrence Clifton, draws the line. He loves this mall and wants nothing more than to see
it return to its old days of thriving glory. He stages a couple of demonstrations which catches the eye
of the owner of this mall (and many other places), Mr Beauregard Henry. Justin puts on his detective
hat when Lawrence receives no punishment from Mr. Henry for the lewd and ruckus demonstrations
he puts on. Justin believes there is something more to their relationship and he is going to get to the
bottom of it.
Little does Justin know that "IT" is the bottom of the South Square fountain. Lawrence hints that,
legend has it, something is buried underneath there, and Mr. Henry won’t stop at anything to make
sure it's buried there. Lawrence's continued demonstrations and Justin's snooping around have
forced Mr. Henry's hand, he has to act now before he is caught.
With the help of his right hand man, Bruce, Mr. Henry agree to renovate and upgrade the mall. This is
the perfect plan to dig up the box buried under the fountain. Too bad Justin and Lawrence are wise to
Mr. Henry and, one late night, chaos ensues. When the dust settles, Mr. Henry, Lawrence, and Justin
have lost the box. Mr Henry loses his mind trying to find the box, only for it to show up at the rival
mall's fountain - someone had their backs. The other mall’s owner is hauled off to jail for killing the
zoning director - whose remains lie within the mysterious box.

About The Author

Maury Levine lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with his family. A call center manager by day, Maury plays drums for musical theater productions at night. Some people have said that he is obsessed with malls. A statement he can't understand at all. Just because he snuck into a mall that was under construction and one that was being demolished? Who amongst us hasn't done that? Shopping Bagged is Maury's first novel.