"THEY LIVE" (1988)

THEY LIVE

a screenplay by

Frank Armitage

,

Based upon the short stor y

"Eight O'Clock in the Morning"

nc. S!loot1.ricScriot

And within the ~epths o.£ - thevalley

- ------ -

Where light reaches not Move forms not meant to be beheld ...

H.P. Lovecraft

REVISED 2/10/88

BEGIN MAIN TITLES OVER a wall of graffitti.

CAMERA MOVES OFF the wall as a massive train CLANJCSpast beyond -- its last car RUMBLING out of the way to reveal .. .

JOHN NADA. )O's. Rugged. Strong. An old sleeping bag and a pack of toolson his back. He's been riding the ______ r_a_i.;_· _1_s_.__Bome_J.~._They__ca..llthe,m_t.he_lU)~_ ___ _

Re strides across the tracks. A big man. Proud. His eyes squinting at the sun . . .

CONTINUE MAIN TITLES. Nada walks along a street paat the trainyard -- toward the skyscrapers of downtovn Los Angeles in the b.g.

CLOSE ON Nada, as a THUMPING SOUND in the sky grab ■hi ■ attention ...

HIS POV: a police helicopter drifts past downtown buildings .. .

LONG LENS SHOT: as Nada walks over a hill, down toward the canyons of skyscrapers below -- like a man descending down into hell ...

MAIN TITLES CONTINUE. Nada enters the massive .. Unemployment office. He checks the board for job listings. Finds none. Then he looks over ...

HIS POV: a packed house. The mass of UNEMPLOYED sit waiting for job interviews, filling out endless forms. Some FAMILIES. Faces of ever y color .

· ·wed fora job. The

TIME CUT: Nada is being interv ~e her · ob-- she's FEMALE INTERVIEWER s~eepwalks thro~g~many)times today ... conducted this sa.me interview one o

• FEMALE INTERVIEWER Last place of emp loyment?

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5 CONTINUED:

NADA • Denver, Colorado. I worked there for 10 ye ars. Then things just seemed to dry up. They lost 14 banks in one week.

The Female Interviewer shoots him a sleepy glance . . . *

The Female Interviewer writes offhandedly. Nada can tell * he's eating it -- bad.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER • There's nothing available for your right now. . .

NADA • We ll at least it'swarmer out here. (beat) Thank you very much .

7 OMIT

•

8 OMIT

REVISED 1/27/88

Nada strolls into a city park. CONTINUE MAIN TITLES.

HIS POV: HOMELESS MAN sleeps on a park bench.

HIS POV: YUPPIE SECRETARIES on their lunch break sit on the grass eating take-out sushi. Nearby lies a HOMELESS * MAN sprawled as if dead. The Secretaries pay no attention. •

- ·----- --·--~-- -- - ,..=::,,.;;::;:~ -~.:-:----

FOCUS to f.g. A BLACK VIET NAM VET sits dazedly, staring 0 ff. ..

HIS POV: 2 EXPENSIVELY-DRESSED YUPPIE LAWYERS walk briskly along, chatting, oblivious to a BUM lying in the street * at their feet ... *

HIS POV: a STREET PREACHER holds court. A small CROWD has gathered around him...

Nada moves closer now, up to the rear of the small crowd ...

HIS POV: the Street Preacher is black. And blind. It looks as if his eyelids have been sewn shut over empty sockets. He is impassioned ...

A SKINHEAD, 20's, shaved head, olive drab army fatigues, swastica pins and combat boots, seethes nearby ...

REVISED 2 / 10 / 88

4 •

9 CONTINUED:

A BLACK MAN yells at the Skinhead ...

Hey, pigl Get outa here!

The Skinhead and the Black Man begin a scuffle. A few punches are thrown, but nothing serious.

The crowd's loving it, as Nada glances over ...

HIS POV: the police car has stopped. TWO COPS get out, come this way...

Now the crowd around Nada begins moving away fast ...

As the cops pull their nightsticks ...

Nada moves away too, along with the flow, glancing back over his shoulder ...

HIS POV: as the Cops break up the scuffle, rousting the antagonists. A WOMAN leads the Street Preacher away to safety ...

10 OMIT

RE VISED2 /2 4 / 88

s.

11 OMIT

CONTINUE MAIN TITLES. A BLACK STREET KID, 18, stands staring at TV sets on the other side of a display window. All the sets are tuned to the same station: Cable 54. See the Cable 54 loqo . Images of happy * Americans reJoicing, jumping up in the air and slapping hands in SLOW MOTION. Hear pulsing, ELECTRONIC MUSIC...

Nada walks past, acr o ssadark intersection . . .

13 OMIT

Nada is tucked away against a retaining wall on a v a cant lot. Other HOMELESS sleep around him. His sleeping bag spread out, he stares int othe darkness ...

14 CONTINUED:

HIS POV: through the window o fa nearby brownstone, see AN ELDERLY WOMAN sitti ngmotionless watching TV. On the screen a pretty INGENUE isemot1.ng dreamily, a ccompanied by melodramatic MUSIC. We can Just hear he rdialogue ...

Nada looks away, glances up...

HIS POV: a police helicopter moving by overhead...

ENDMAIN TITLES.

A b:g construct1.onsite. A condo or a?artment building is going up. MEN at work. Some heavy machinery. Hard sunlight .

~ada walks across the site, up to the FORE~N, a grim sur.burnedman in h1s S0's ...

A beat, as the Foreman looks Nada over ...

FOREMA~ Maybe ...

l'iA:JA I got my own tools.

Naca glances over.

HIS POV: several CHICANO WORKERS nearby.

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15 CONTINUED:

The Foreman just looks at him...

NADA

----- ,::;;;;;;;:___·......- --Sir?....-_ TIME CUT: Now Nada is working . ..

SERIES OF SHOTS. He carries heavy stuff.

Digs.

Sweats in the sun.

FRANK, 30's, black, big, works nearby. Re looks up and over at Nada ...

Nada looks back. They exchange glances ...

T!ME CUT: end of the day. Workers leaving. Sun getting lower in the sky.

The Fo reman stopsas Nada loads his t ools into hisbag ...

The Foreman turns to walk away.

The Foreman turns back to Nada .. .

Although he doesn't like it much, Nada Jus twatches as the Foreman strolls off ... Now Frank comes up...

REVISED 2/1 / 88

15 CONTINUED:

Nada doesn't reply. He continues packing up his tools.

--======-·_..;;;::.=====~S.tte~ .~~~- ~::fcod= ----==~=:..=...;::..::.=_;..,,;-=-----a- ,.... and showers.

Beat. No reply.

• FRANK I'm goin' that way if you want me to show you.

Nada gives no answer. Frank shrugs, moves on .

Frank walks along the street. A block behind him comes Nada, following. Frank turns, notices him, but keeps walking ...

Now Nada is JUSL 30 or so :eet behind Frank. Finally Frank stops. Waits forNada to catch up . ..

They stare at each other :or a beat.

Then Frank grins ...

Transient outpost.

A makeshift shower building.

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

18 CONTINUED:

Porto-potties .

A food line stretches from the back of the truck. FAMILIES mostly. A few DRIFTERS. BUMS. All colors.

Some very All-American looking FAMILIES are living out of their cars•..

Another area of the field: tents are set up. Lean-tos. Sleeping bags spread around ...

Nada takes it all in, as he followsFrank up to GILBERT, ft 40's, Justiceville's main cop and handy man. He's working • unloading old furniture from the back of a truck ... •

FRANK • This is Gilbert. Anything you need, he knows how to find it.

GILBERT " (toNada l Hi. Whaddya got in the pack? Tools?

TIME CUT: Nada and Frank in the food line, filling their " plates. A BROWN-HAIRED WOMAN serves them... *

TIME CUT: Nada and Frank carry their food across the :ield , looking for a spot to eat ...

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9A.

18 CONTINUED:

TIME CUT: Nada and Frank sit eating their dinner •..

-..:...;..;;,;;,;,,;.,...:::,;;.--=,-----=="""=--=---=---u:::nder.

Frank takes amouthful of food ...

Now Frank stares out across the field ...

REVISED 2/1/ 88

18 CONTINUED:

TIME CUT: Nada and Frank walk off the ir dinners,through the field of tents, sleeping bags and makeshift shelters ...

It's deep in the race. Snake brain. Everybody's got one . Hidden way down -- under all that love and peace.

REVISED 2/l/88

l 2.

19 CONTINUED:

Then we hear his voice,JUDDERING, DISTORTED, coming out • of a vave of INTERFERENCE.••

BEARDED-MAN • ... our impulsesare being redirected. We are living in an artificallyinduced uStau of rn_p~_M~ ,.._tait.aa•t.------- ----, · resem5le·ssleep... (INTER.FERENCE)

Now Nada, the Drifterand the Family Ma nall wince slightly, as if they hadbeen suddenly awakened out of a deep sleep.

BZZZT! Andthe AUDIO comes out of SIGNAL NOISE again... *

Nada, the Drifterand the Family Kan rub their heads, • suddenly developingpowerful headaches ...

But somethingcatches Nada's eye. Re turns ...

HIS POV;a few yards away stands the blind Street Preacher from thecity park. His head tipped back slightly,he seems tohave a strange, giddy smile on his face.. ,

TIME CUT: Nada sits alone. On the perimeter of Justiceville. Surreptitiously drinking a can of bee r .

Campfires, flash-lights, the glow of mercury-vapor street- lights all around him.

Nada glances over ...

HIS POV: afew feet away Frank is asleep on top of an old mattress. He's wrapped in layers of blankets . SNORES .

Nada takes a last gulp of beer . Chucks the can in a paper sack. He glances up at the night sky ...

HIS POV: the Goodyear blimp Columbia glides majestically above the city, blinking and crawling with computerized lights .. .

TIME CUT: Nada wa lksacross the Justiceville field. He can't sleep. Wired and tired.

TIME CUT: the REC AREA. At the rear of the main shower building is a TV hooked up and plopped on top of an old clot~es cryer.

A f~~iLY MAN and a DRIFTER sit on kitchen chairs watching a co~~e=cial for ?ress-on nails.

Nada stops here for a moment, all three men Just staring blankly at the screen ...

~V: a BEAUTIFUL U?SCALE GIRL plays tennis, jogs in an expensive outfit, rushes to work in a nifty, trendy dress.

BUZZZT ...

Suddenly the commercial disappears into STATIC. Then another image pops on. We're looking at a BEARDED-MAN talking directly to CAMERA. He stands against a blank clapboard wall. The scene is amateurishly lit. There's no sound at first, JUSt the BUZZING ...

REVISED 2 / 1/88

19 CONTINUED:

Thenwe hear his voice, JUDDERING, DISTORTED, coming out • of awave of INTERFERENCE ...

BEARDED-MAN • .. .our impulses are being redirected. We are living in an artifically induced 2.!.ate0~ CO.£)sw~_ m;·1:~J\M-A'1'=t=-------

(INTERFERENCE)

Now Nada, the Drifter and the Family Man all wince slightly, as if they had been suddenly awakened out of a deep sleep.

BZZZT! And the AUDIO comes out of SIGNAL NOISE again .. . •

Nada, the Drifter and the Family Man rub their heads, * suddenly developing powerful headaches ...

But something catches Nada's eye. He turns ...

HIS POV: a few yards away stands the blind Street Preacher from the city park. His head tipped back slightly, he seems to have a strange, giddy smile on his face ...

REVIS ED2 / 1 / 8 8

1 2A. *

19 CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED )

REVISED 2 / 1 / 88

19 CONTINUED:

INTERFERENCE washes out the Bearded-Man's dialogue. * Nada's looking over, staring ..•

CLOSER: on the blind Street Preacher ...

Now we see that he is actually mouthing the words in synch with the Bearded-Man, as if he'smemorized them!

_..,_-·-- _.;,_ --------=--- ---------

... Their intention to rule * rests with the annihilation of consciousness. We have * been lulled into a trance. They've made us indifferent, • to ourselves, to others. We * are focused only on our own gain . .. ( INTERFERENCE)

EXTREME CLOSE: blind Street Preacher ...

His lips form the words along with the Bearded-Man, as if he's preaching a sermon on Sunday morning . . .

Now the Drifter's on his feet, shuffling over to the TV, his hand on the channel changer ...

CLICK . He changes over to another station showing an old movie ...and imrnediatelvthe headaches disappear.

REVISED l/27/88

1 4 .

19 CONTINUED:

The Family Man and the Drifter return to their previous positions -- staring at the TV as if in some kind of trance.

Nada looks over again . ..

HIS POV: the blind Street Preacher is walking away from ~ ~ Rec Area..,.to~d.+be JJJi.in:ent:--rence- dk?~J.~n~aan,a up t ohim. They talk intensely as Gilbert leads the * Street Prea cher along . .. •

TIME CUT: the Justiceville field, as Nada ENTERS FRAME...

CAM.ERAMOVES WITH him across the field, slowly now, up to the main entrance .. .

He looks ...

HIS POV: Gilbert leads the Street Preache rto an old clapboard church directly across the street: •

'AFRICAN METHODIST

EPISCOPAL FREE CHURCH'

Nada watches . ..

HIS POV: closer on the church ...

See the Street Preacher and Gilbert enter a basement door at t heside.

Nada stares fora moment .

Curious .

Then slowly turns b a ckinto Justiceville ...

Swollen sun creeps up slowly past the horizon.

Silhouetting the city ...

REVISED 1/27/88

At the main entrance. Nada comes up. He carries a lunch sack and his pack of tools.

Gilbert walks wearily across the street from the church into the main entrance, nodding a hello at Nada. He's been there all night ...

Gilbert stops, smiles .. .

Gilbert walks off, as Nada stares after him. Now Frank comes up , Joins Nada, and they start for work ...

Nada and Frank walk on their way to work...

CAMERA FOLLOWS Nada and Frank as they enter the site ...

REVISED 2 / 10 / 88

22 CONTIIIUED:

Other WORKERS tirckle in for the day's work...

They begin unpacking their tools ...

Frank stares at him.

TIME CUT: Nada and Frank ,working together, carrying • cinderblocks from a huge pile over to a partially completedwall ...

REVISED 2/10/88

1 7 .

•

Nov Nada and Frank walk home from work...

Nada and Frank have stopped off for a beer in a seedy little bar ...

I go downstairs one morning beforemy wife gets up. The Eng li sh muffinswould not go down.

REVISED 2 / 1 / 88

24 CONTINUED:

A serene smile comes over Nada ...

-::;;===-=;;;;;::::;==::;;;;;:;;;:;;:;:;:-::::~;;;;::::.:;;;;;;:=.;;;;:-~t~\iingj,;_ _aipi.oyt!=pe_wa11

anymore. I was just home from the hospital a week, man -- there were pieces of toaster everywhere. My wife never says a word. She just looks at me - I said, "The English ~uffins wouldn't go down, honey -- y'lcnow?"

Nada and Frank sit by their bedrolls. Another night in homeless America .. .

No reply.

Nada. Another private smile. There's a resignation to him, but not bitterness ...

REVISED 2 / 1 / 88

l 9 .

25 CONTINUED:

There's nothin' to be done about it. Like the turnin' of the earth.

REVISED 2/10/88

Sunday morning. *

A FEW ~IDS play near a retaining wall on the perimeter. A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY looks thru an old, battered pair of * binoculars ...

HIS POV TBRU BINOCULARS: LONG LENS VIEW sweeps Justiceville. Moving from PERSON to PERSON,-tent to lean-to. STOP FOR A BEAT on Gilbert having a conversation with the Brown- Haired Lady who serves food, then the VIEW moves on. Suddenly the VIEW STOPS again on a CLOSE-UP of Nada, smiling INTOCAMERA, coming this way...

The 16-Year-Old Boy lowers his binoculars, looks up ...

as Nada walks by and smiles at hi.JD•••

REC AREA: the TV is on. The Drifter, Family Man and his 14-YEAR-OLD SON stare at the screen, again as if hypnotized. Gilbert walks up, begins work nearby on some sort of storage cabinet. A beer commercial in on TV••• *

•

Now STATIC starts again. The commercial goes in and out -- until the Bearded-Man suddenly pops on again. The hacker.

It's the same location for the hacker -- a blank wall behind him, amateur lighting and sound quality ...

The •ievers in the Rec Area wince -- again as if they have been painfully awakened from somekind of trance ...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

21. - 22.

26 CONTINUED:

More STATIC, as the Drifter's on his feet, moving over to change the channel . . .

Don't change it.

The Drifter stops, looks...

Nada's walked up ...

14-YEAR-OLD SON Daddy, Ihave a headache .

Nada looks over ...

HIS POV: as Gilbert stares intently at the screen ...

7 heDrifter's hand is hovering by the channel changer ...

Sudden l y theimage disappear sin t oHARSHSTATIC,replaced b ya card: 'PLEASE STAND BY ' . ..Thena car commercial c omeso n . ..

" (CONTIN UED)

RE VIS ED1 / 27 / 88

2 3 .

26 CONTINUED:

Everyone suddenly comes out of their pain. He a daches • gone. •

But Nada's watching .. .

HIS POV: as Gilbert hurries away from the Rec Area, toward • themain entrance . .. •

MAIN ENTRANCE: as Nada walks up, HEARS •Rock of Ages" as sungby a black choir and congregation, SOARING and SWELLING, coming from ...

HIS POV: theAME Free Church across the street. Sunday morning services seem to be underway. And there's Gilbert * entering the main doors into the sanctuary.

CLOSER ANGLE: the church, as Nada moves up to the curb, • down the sidewalk,around to the side of the church. •

Nada stops. Looks ...

HIS POV: that side door to the basement is open slightly.

Nada stands there. Looking at it. He moves his gaze ...

HIS POV: the windows of the church. "Rock of Ages" continues fromthe unseen congregation and choir inside .

•

Nada. Thinks about it. Do I or don't I? Glances around . No one nearby. I do. Hestarts toward the door .

HIS POV: MOVING TOWARD the basement door ...

•

The door slowly opens. Nada peeks in. Looks around. No one here. He quietly steps in.

REVISED 1/27/88

27 CONTINUED:

A FULL SHOT reveals stacks of cardboard boxes piled around every....here.And allthe windows have been boarded-up from the inside.

Nada silently explores. Just past the stacks and stacks or cardboard boxes is a small area in the middle of the basement. What looks like a weird college chemistry lab ------~h~ a~-s--:-b~s_tl_J..ip00a.lon.cJ-t.ael-e-,_Ml-SOLts ofser-a--nge - ~quipment. Glasses frames. Stacks of optical glass. Cutting tools.

Nada looks it over, glances up ..•

HIS POV: past the lab set-up, more cardboard boxes, and written across one wall of the basement in shaky, painted letters:

'They live.

We sleep.'

Nada moves toward the wall, then spots an old reel-to-reel tape deck sitting on a chair. Wires run from the tape deck up to the ceiling, through a hole, into the sanctuary above. Nada's eyes follow the wires up ...

CLOSE ON the wires coming up through a hole in the floor. CAM.ERAFOLLOWS the wires to a set of speakers. "Rock of Ages" is playing VERY LOUDLY . ..

NOWCAMERA MOVES TO REVEAL a video camera and a coucle of lights. There's the blank wall -- the set for that video hacker.

CAM.ERAMOVES TO REVEAL the sanctuary. There's no church service going on. Nobody sitting in the pews. Just a small microwave transmitter oointed out one of the windows!

8 PEOPLE sit at a table near the front. Mostly Black and Latino. A couple Asians. And the Bearded-Man! And, of course, Gilbert. There's an urgent meeting going on here. *

REVISED 1/27 / 88

24A. *

28 CONTINUED:

GILBERT • We have to face facts. Only a few seconds got on the air. It's time to forget about breaking in on top of their signal -- they're going to jam us out again and again ...

BEARDED-MAN * Then we have to move the shipment out on the street.

GILBERT * No, no. It won't work that way. We've been all through this ...

BEARDED-MAN * We don't have any other choice.

Now Nada's listening, trying to hear the faint VOICES from above. He leans back, straining to hear, touching the wall behind him...

REVISED 1/27/88

29 CONTINUED:

WHAMI A panel in the wall suddenly falls open! Revealing more cardboard boxes tucked away in a little cubbyhole!

Nada. Frozen. Listening. •Rock of Ages• continues from the tape deck, ECHOING LOUDLY from above. Maybe no one heard him...

No one did ...

GILBERT • We can keep robbing banks and manufacturing Hoffman lenses till we're blue in the face, but we're Just not gonna get the spread ...

Quickly Nada moves the wall panel back into place. Jams it in hard, so it won't fall again. He tries it a couple t1mes.~e fucker won't move ...

~ow he steps back quietly, moves for the door...

WHAM!

The blind Street Preacher is standing right behind him, reaching out to grab his arm!

It scares the shit out of Nada! He jumps back, out of the Street Preacher's grip...

Nada continues to back away...

REVISED 1 / 27/88

25A.

31 CONTINUED:

The Street Preacher moves slowly toward Nada ...

And now the Street Preacher's coming up to Nada, putting his hands on Nada's face, running the end of his fingers ___________ a_c_rossNada'&-Cheek& - -- - --- - --- - -- ---

STREET PREACHER * Good ... Your hands ...

He takes Nada's hands and feels the calluses . . .

STREET PREACHER * You're a working man.

(CONTINUED )

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

2 6.

31 CONTINUED:

Nada backs away, as the Street Preacher reaches in his * coat, fumbling around for something ...

NADA * Maybe some other time, I really gotta be goin' .. .

And Nada quickly steps to the door .. .

Nada emerges from the basement, as a WHOPPING sweeps over- head ...

HIS POV: a police helicopter THUMPS BY right over the church, only about 100 feet in the air...

Nada moves away from the church, back to the street.. .

HIS POV: now, through the main doors, Gilbert and a Black • Man step out, look up. They both wear sunglasses. Now Gilbert looks over at Nada ...

Nada, keeps walking, looking at Gilbert... *

Nada moves back to the main entrance. Stops. Looks back. *

HIS POV: the main doors. Gilbert and the Black Man duc k • back inside . ..

As that WHOPPING SOUND draws Nada's gaze upward again ...

HIS POV :the police helicopter makes a second low-level pass over the church ...

RE'✓ ISE::>2 / 1 / 88

2 7.

In f.g., a bull session is going down.

Frank sits with the Family Man and the Drifter. *

In b.g . ,asthe dialogue plays, see Nada walking from themain entrance toward the field - -where those kids are playing . Frank notices him go by . . . - - - - --- - --.

FAfULY MAN * W ho's saying?

DRIFTER * Mostly guys driftin' through from out of town. I was talkin' with this one old boy from San Anselmo. Says the~~•s some kinda cult u~ there. End of the world sort of thing. Most lyin small towns up north. Not in the big cities yet ...

FAMILY MAN " What are they doing?

THE FIELD: where the 16-Year-Old wit hthe binoculars palys, as Nada comes up to h i m...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

34 CONTINUED:

BACK TO THE BULL SESSION: •

• DRIFTER You wanta know the truth, this kinda shit h a ppens at the end of every century. Just people scared of the future ,that' &a llit _ ~s~

During this, Frank looks over ...

FRANK'S POV: RETAINING WALL at the perimeter. Nada is half - crouched behind thewall,looking through those binoculars . . .

R.EATININGWALL: CLOSE on Nada, as he watches . ..

HIS POV: THRU BINOCULARS -- the side of the church .

Another station wagon is parked by the basement door. Gilbert and the Black Man each carry several of the • cardboard boxes from the basement to the open trunk. They are hurrying along. "Christ the Lord Has Risen Today" comes from inside the church ...

Nada, as Frank comes up ...

NADA'S POV :THRU BINOCULARS, as Gilbert closes the * trunk and begins a hurried conversation with the Black Ma n...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

34 CONTINUED:

NADA'S POV: TRRU BINOCULARS, as the Black Man Jwnps in the station wagon and pulls away from the church, into the street, rushing away. PAN BACK as Gilbert disappears * back 1nto the basement ...

NADA * (keeps looking thru binoculars) Our boy Gilbert's over there helpin' 'em .

But Frank's made up his mine ...

He turns, walks away, and we HOLD on Nada JUStwatching ...

[Note:for budgeting and scheduling purposes, consider the descriptions on pages 30 through 37 as being 1 full page each.]

Frank sits by his bedroll. Glances over . ..

FRANK'S POV: Nada, still by that retaining wall at the μer~met~r! _stilllookj.I}g_thro.ug.h-thos ebi.neeulars.•..·

Frank. He looks away . No way he's getting involved...

RETAINING WALL: Nada's been here all day. He's watching ...

HIS POV: THRU BINOCULARS. That basement door.

Now the THUMPING of another damn helicopter . ..

CAM.ERAWHIP PANS UPWARD as Nada's BINOCULAR VIEW SWINGS UP ...

.. . ANDSTOPS ona police helicopter. Moving by slowly . 50 feet above the church. The binoculars have brought the h e licopte rINTOCLOSE-UP ...

rear compartment, staring down ...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

35 CONTINUED:

Nada lowers the binoculars. Stunned. Stares up at the helicopter. Then back down at the church. Binoculars up again...

HIS POV: THRU BINOCULARS. The basement door swings open.

5 MEN come racing out! * - Rauling ass around to the parking lot...

And now the blind Street Preacher is led out by the Bearded- Man and Gilbert. They move quickly away from the church. * Across the street toward Justiceville1

Nada, lowering the binoculars, looking ...

HIS POV: main entrance , as the Street Preacher, Bearded- Man and Gilbert enter Justiceville... *

(CONTIN UED)

35 CONTINUED:

Nada puts the binoculars to his eyes again, looks over .. .

HIS POV: THRU BINOCULARS. The street down from the church.

A POLICE SWAT TEAM, black uniforms, automatic weapons, moves toward the church!

CAMERA WHIP PANS ~CROSS_as_!-h.ea~QC:UJt.AR~ SWI.N.G.SBACK TO ...

The church.

3 cars ROAR out of the parking lot. Down the street, away from the police ...

A couple Men run into the neighborhood, down alleys ...

Frank. By his bedroll . He looks up .. .

FRANK'S POV: the circling helicopter above Justiceville . ..

Now Frank gets up, as several PEOPLE around him stir ...

REVISED 1 /27/ 88

J3.

35 CONTINUED:

Nada. Looking through binoculars ...

HIS POV: the church.

The Swat Team arrives! Storms the church! In f.g., police cruisers SCREECH IN, bubble lights flashing!

Nada. On his feet. Moving now. Seeing ...

HIS POV: the Street Preacher beihg ledby Gilbert and the * Bearded - Man acrossthe field,moving further into the interior of Just1ceville. See PEOPLE waking up, Jumping to their feet ...

The Family Man and his Son ... On the move. Confused . Scared ...

The Drifter. Staring. Something near the main entrance has his attention.

Nada. Moving. Looks over ...

HIS POV: main entrance ...

Police cruisers pull up. Flashing l~ghts...

A SQUAD OF R:OT COPS arrive at the ent~ance. Helmets. Riot shot~uns. Storm troopers. They move through the entrance...

Nada. Moves out int othe :1eld now. People are starting t.orun ...

frank. Looking up ...

FRANK'S POV: the police helicopter is coming down...

(CONT INUED)

JS CONTINUED:

Frank. Moves quickly to gather up his bedroll and too 1 s ...

Nada. Looking up at the helicopter. Following it down .. .

HIS POV: the field, as the helicopter lands ...

Nada. Movin~ now . Wind and dust swirli..ng.Blown---b-y- ,:tierotor blades ...

HIS POV: main entrance. Now a bulldozer comes RUMBLING IN, its shovel lowering ...

Nada. Moving ...

Frank. Moving. Looks over, sees . ..

Nada. And he sees Frank ...

But Frank quickly turns the other way -- and moves off!

Nada. Tries to follow after him. The dust and smoke obscure his vision. People run in terror around him!

The Squad of Riot Cops. Moving in a line. Rousting every one ...

The bulldozer. Moving through Justiceville. The shovel wi?ing everything out. Levelling the place. Grinding throug hthe transient outpost -- crunching tents, lean-tos, the whole 9 yards ...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

35 CONTINUED:

Nada. Moving . Smoke now ... Wild panic all around him. He looks ...

HIS POV: through the smoke, Gilbert yells something to the * Street Preacher and Bearded-Man, then takes off in another direction. The Bearded-Man helps the Street Preacher over * a retaining wall .. .

Nada. Moving off . . .

The Drifter. Running from Cops, now seems to be trapped * by them at the shower area ...

The helicopter takes off again . ..

Riot Cops marching through Justiceville ...

Nada, running now...

HIS POV: MOVING TOWARD the reta1n1ng wall ...

Now up to the wall, over it ...

PEOPLE running! Drifting smoke. Nada enters. Looks.

HIS POV: the Street Preacher and the Bearded-Man hurry toward one end of the alley ...

SUDDENLY they are surrounded by Riot Police!

_ Nada,watching ... ---=- HIS POV: through the smoke, see the Riot Police move in fast, begin CLUBBING the Street Preacher and the Bearded- Mani The beating is blunt -- violent -- fast! Now the Street Preacher and Bearded-Man fall to the pavement, surrounded by the ring of Riot Cops pummelling them, bludgeoning them to death!

Nada, as he is splashed with a powerful light from above ...

HIS POV: that police helicopter moves over the alley, its Night Sun searchlight flickering down...

Nada. Ducks out of the searchlight. Runs down the other direction . ..

HIS POV: other end of the alley. A line of Swat Police start moving in on the Homeless rushing to get out ... The alley is blocked from both sides. SCREAMS! Pan demon1u:n!

(CONTINUE:> )

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

3 7 .

36 CONTINUED:

Nada. He's trapped. Re ducks into a small cul de sac.

No way out. He looks around frantically ...

Suddenly flattens himself against the wall . .•

...as that Night Sun searchlight sweeps through the cul de sac, miss.in.cJ-him.........~--- -- ----

Now Nada moves behind some boxes . ..

and there's the 16- Year-OldBoy with the binoculars

cowering in fear against awall.

NADA

Come on!

Nada grabs him, carries him to a half open window, climbs * through ...

REVISED 1/27/88

Nada enters a dark, crumbling hallway carrying the boy. *

Place looks deserted. Doors hanging open. Wallpaper ripped. Nada and the boy move on down the hall, stop • at an open door, enter •..

- ""Nolights.The room is completely trashed. Floor strewn with garbage. But there are others hiding in here .. .

The Family Man and his Son, terrified, clinging to each other in the corner ...

A JUNKIE, eyelids fluttering, a cigarette with a long • ash hanging from his lips, lying against a wall. He's higher than a kite ...

Nada looks around. Takes the 16-Year-Old Boy and gives him to the Family Man. Moves to a wall. Hunkers down...

They all look at him. At each other.

As the SCREAMING, RUNNING SOUNDS of panic from outside continue, mixed in with the ROARING WHIRR of those police rotors ...

HOLD.

Morning.

39 CONTINUED:

Quiet.

Utter, complete desolation. Justiceville has been razed.

No buildings sta nd. The place is a ruin. Smoke drifts. A few HOMELESS pick around, looking for their stuff. Others stand dazed, broken ...

REC AREA: torn apart, except the TV has been spared. It's still on. A fashion show .. .

Nada walks along. Taking it all in ...

Now Nada stops by the spot where his bedroll once lay . It's ripped apart, half buried under dirt. His tool bundle is split open, tools gone ...

He stares a moment. Then looks up.

His face is a mask. Eyes star~ng.

The A.MEFree Church. Quiet. Front doors t orn off. Smoke drifts out of the sanctuary. Windows shattered. The place has been gutted.

Nada drifts across the street. Cars drive past. RUBBER- NSCKERS slow to check things out. But life goes on, and they drive away...

Nada moves around the side of the church.

The basement door has been ripped off its hinges. It lies on the ground ...

A FEW BLACK NEIGHBORS stand in the parking lot, staring mutely at all the damage .. .

Now Nada moves for the basement door ...

He steps inside.

The boards have been stripped off the windows.

All the boxes are gone.

Nada moves through . ..

Lab set-up. Gone. Broken gla s son the floor .

Tape recorder. Gone.

The graffitti on the wall has been painted over wit h white paint.

Nada. Thinking. Moving for . ..

That panel in the wall. It's still in place!

Nada bends down . Bangs on the panel. He did a good Job before. It won't budge.

Nada stands up, glances out a window. No one nearby.

Back to the panel. Nada puts his whole body into 1t. Straining...

CA- CR.ACK!The panel :alls open ...

that little cubbyhole!

Nada peers out. He has one cardboard box tucked under his arm .

Now he ducks back inside ...

then moving on again...

A beat, and then Nada comes out of the basement . . .

He runs to the rear of the church. The Black Neighbors watch nim move through the parking lot, duck dowr.a S?ace between houses, away 1n~o the neighborhood .. .

4 l .

Nada moves across the bridge . He's on the edge of the Central City. Factories, vacant lots, freight yards, warehouses stretch in the distance. He moves on toward the downtown LA skyscrapers ...

Nada walks down the dirty Skid Row s-tre-et,pasta couple WlNOS asleep on the sidewalk . ..

A better section of town now, as Nada ducks intoa long, wide alley connecting two busy city streets.

Nada stops. Spots a little niche -- a cul de sac off the main alley. He steps in.

A trash dumpster and several large metal trash cans provide a barrier from the alley. It's a prime spot -- secret and private .

Nada hunkers down behind the dumpster.

Stares at that cardboard box.

A beat, and then he rips it open ...

INSERT: as the lid of the box flips open -- revealing 20 or so oairs of sunglasses -- all the same style -- simple frames ...

Nada . He Just stares at the sunglasses.

Is this what this is all about?

He takes a pair out of the box . Looks at them. Then Just flop sback against the wall, exhausted, con fused.

He sits for several beat s. Looks at the glasses again.

Then he gets up.

Takes the cardboard box of sunglasses, goes to one of the metal trash cans, buries the box down deep among the rubbish.

Nada comes out of the alley, starts walking down the street. He carries the sunglasses in his hands ...

Now he puts on the sunglasses .. .

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (blackand white), the sidewalk. Everything looks weird. Everything's black and white. Flickering. Grainy. And &ome kind -~fweird interference moves across the lenses of the sunglasses ...

Nada. Suddenly he gets a headache. He takes off the glasses . Now the headache's gone. He looks at them. Examines them again. Puts them back on ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a billboard across the street. The flickering effect again ...

except for bold, black printing:

'WORK 8 HOURS SLEEP 8 HOURS PLAY 8 HOURS'

Nada. A headach eagain . He takes off the glasses ...

HIS POV: the billboard . Normal. Color. And now the billboard shows an advertisement for a home computer. We see a stylish, high -techcomputer, its screen showing vibrant business data. Bright lettering:

'ZEUS ...

Nada. Stunned. What the ... ?

He puts the sunglasses on again...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white). That weird effect again. And printed on the billboard, somehow underneath the home computer ad, like some subliminal message:

'WORK 8 HOURS SLEEP 8 HOURS PLAY 8 HOURS'

(CONTIN UED)

4 3.

46 CONTINUED:

Nada rips off the sunglasses, looks over ...

HIS POV: another billboard. Normal. An ad showing a Handsome Bronzed Man and an Incredibly Sexy Woman in a bikini cavorting in a fancy hotel swimming pool. Printed in glitzy letters:

'LAS VEGAS

THE GOOD LIFE'

Nada, as he raises the sunglasses again ...

HIS POV: the second billboard. Normal. UP INTO FRAME come the sunglasses -- and WHAM! (Black and white) The billboard changes to:

IMARRY AND

REPRODUCE'

Now the sunglasses SLIDE DOWN OUT OF FRAME, and everything becomes normal again. Color . And there's the Las Vegas ad ver tisement ...

~ada Just stands there a moment.

Dazed.

He doesn't know what he's seeing. He starts walking -- stops at a men's clothing store. A sign above the doo r reads:

'ARMISI'S

MENS APPAREL'

Nada puts on the sunglasses ...

HIS POV: THRO SUNGLASSES (black and white ),the Mens Apparel sign now reads in bold black letters:

'NO

INDEPENDENT

THOUGHT'

46 CONTINUED:

Nada looks down. . .

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a sign in the window reads:

'CONSUME'

Off come the sunglasses~ and (i1+-color)now the sign reads:

'CLOSE-OUT SALE'

Now Nada starts looking all around. He's stunned by what he sees ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a stop sign. Blank. White. Reads:

'SLEEP'

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a pedestrian crossing sign now reads:

'NO THOUGHT'

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a stop light . All 3lights are pulsing hypnotically in unison. Mounted on top of the stop light 1s a small surveillance device l~ke a radar dish, slowly rotating . . .

Nada moves raggedly down the street, to a newspaper stand. He stares . . .

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (blackand white), the newsstand. On all newspapers and magazines, pictures and text have disapoeared! Only white pages with:

'CONFORM'

' OBEY'

Nada takes a magazine out of the rack. He flips through the pages ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (blackand white) . We see that all the pages inside are blank too, except for:

ICONFOR~I

'WATCH TV'

{CONTINUED)

4 6 CONTINUED:

' OBEY'

'BUY'

'DO NOT

QUESTION

AUTHORITY'

Nada lowers the sunglasses .. .

HIS POV : (color),the magazine returns tonormal, filled with a d art ,print,pictures ...

Nada slides the sunglasses back on, as the shoulder of aWELL-DRESSED CUSTOMER moves INTO FRAME. He's a business -man,reaching for a copy of the Wall Street Journal ...

Nada looks at him . And his reaction is a.mazing! It's either God or the Devil he sees ...

HIS POV:THRU SUNGLASSES (black ar.dwhite), the Well- Dressed Customer is a hideous ghoul! An alien! He's still dressed in the nice suit and tie, b~: his skin is rotted, disintegrating, flesh corruot, black - rimmedeyes --like the livingdead, a horror! And as he S?eaks, his Jaw moves a~d vou can s eethrough to the back of his head!

Nada whips off the sunglasses ...

HIS POV: (normal, color) now the Well - D~essedCustomer is simply a well-to-do middle-agec man look1~g at Nada stonily -- a brilliant d1s~uise!

WE~L-DRESSED CUSTOMER I said what's your problem?

Nada just stares at him ...

REVISED 1/27/88

46 •

46 CONTINUED:

The Well-Dressed Customer turns away, goes over to pay a disheveled-looking VENDOR, as Nada raises the sunglasses again •..

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white) as the Well- Dressed Customer Ghoul shoots him a suspicious glance and pays the human-looking Vendor, then moves off .. .

HIS POV: (normal,color) as the Vendor doesn't change. He's human -- with or without the glasses. He moves toward Nada now ...

Nada puts on the sunglasses ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black andwhite), the Vendor is still human, but the dollar bills in his hand are blank, except for:

'THISIS YOUR GOD'

Down come the sunglasses, and the money returns to normal.

Nada looks over ...

HIS POV :( normal,color) as the Well-Dressed Customer walks .. to his Mercedes. He drops a full paper on the sidewalk, .. keeps the business section, gets into the car . Sunglasses * come up OVER FRAME (black and white} and now it's a Well- Dressed Hideous Ghoul who shoots Nada a final glance ...

Nada numbly puts back the magazine. He's moving on auto pilot now, staggering past the Vendor who looks at him curiously. Moving on down the street ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a BUSINESSMAN GHOUL, same awful face, stands at a pay phone ... ..

BUSINESSMAN GHOUL .. Don't worry, the insurance company will take care of it.

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

4 7 •

46 CONTINUED:

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (blackand white), a bus stop. Instead of the familiar a dvertising,there are slogans :

'STAY ASLEEP'

'WATCH TV'

An ELDERLY MAN aod ao AS I ANWO¥ ANwa i tforthebws . The¥ seem dazed, asleep but ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN GHOUL is • a creature who hits a vending machine and gets a free U.S.A. Today . ..

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a fancy Cadillac waiting for the light to change. A GHOUL WOMAN talks to a HUMAN ELDERLY WOMAN in the passenger seat .

GHOUL WOMAN • Can you believe? She didn't even go to La Mas class. I told her, for yourself and for the baby, go.

Off come the sunglasses -- (normal, color) revealing a now-human-looking RICH WOMAN in the place of the ghoul . She throws trash through the car window into the street. Back on with the sunglasses (black and white), yep, she's a ghoul, but the passenger isn't...

Nada glances into a beauty salon window...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and whtie) a WOMAN GHOUL sits under a hair dryer . HUMAN WOMEN sit next to her, oblivious ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a CHICANA HAIRDRESSER, human, combs out the long tresses of a DARK- HAIRED GHOUL LADY...

Nada moves along the street now, comes to the entrance of a large convenience market. He stares at all the signs and advertising, then wanders inside ...

Nada enters, moves past the ARAB CLERK behind the main counter -- staring at the store.

REVISED 2/1/88

47A.

47 CONTINUED:

A portable TV is on the counter. Nada looks over at

it ...

HIS POV: THRO SUNGLASSES (black and white), aPRESIDENTIAL * CANDIDATE GHOUL j abbersaway, inhuman jaw flexing, half- finished skin over skull flexing, witch-like fingers moving ...

- - ----- PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE GHOUL * (shouldsound like Pat Robertson) The feeling is definitely there. It's a new morning in America. Fresh. Vital . The old cynicism is gone.

(CONT IN UED)

REVISED 1/27 /88

4 8.

47 CONTINUED:

As he talks, there is a constant, pulsing SIGNAL being broadcast through the TV!

CLOSE on Nada. During the Candidate Ghoul's dialogue, we intercut a SERIES OF SHOTS of the convenience market as it looks through the sunglasses ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white) -- all the products, packaging, signs -- everything in the store that once had a label or a picture or a brand name is now Just blankwith slogans:

'CONFORM'

'BUY'

'OBEY'

'CONSUME'

'SUBMIT'

CLOSE DETAIL SHOTS ...

POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (blackand white) 2HUMAN SHOPPERS, * working class women, move somnambulistically through the aisles. A GHOUL SHOPPER dressed in an expensive jogging * suit gets himself some Yogurt ...

POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (blackand white) 2 GHOUL LADY * SHOPPERS chat at the wine section ...

1ST GHOUL LADY SHOPPER * I was shocked she served blue corn tortillas -- that's so dated ...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

4 8 A. *

POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white) a DEPRESSED * HUMAN SHOPPER, a man in his 30's, and a PERKY GHOUL SHOPPER, male, stand by the frozen food section .. .

POV: THRO SUNGLASSES (black and white) a LADY GHOUL * breaks in line in front of a LATINO LADY (human) .. .

(CONT IN UED)

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

47 CONTINUED:

Nada. Standing there. Sunglasses on. Taking it al l in ...

Something happens to Nada . He changes. This big "Oh, now-I-get-it" grin ...

He's liberated, somehow. Crazy. He's been transformed --------~i ~n~tao-~a~d~a~r~k~-~ro~i~~~b~iue.v~a~u~s~l~i~t~tJJ~e~b~c~y-~ w-h~e~n~~~~t~a~l~k~•~.-i~t-•,_____ 7ike someone listening to earphones -- they can't tell that they're talking louder than usual ...

The Arab Clerk looks at him ...

Other Shoppers, including the now-human-looking JOGGING SUITED MAN, stare .. .

A RICH LADY in a fur coat comes around a corner, pushing

,.

her cart ...

And the bottom of her cart SMACKS into Nada's shin!

,.

The Rich Lad y glancesup at him, annoyed that he's in the way...

NADA'S POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), the Rich Lady 1.sreally a RICH LADY GHOUL...

Nada turns to a CUBAN LADY looking fear:ully at him...

He points directly at the Rich Lady ...

47 CONTINUED:

Shoppers begin moving away from Nada. He's obviously crazy .

See, when I take these off, you look just like a person. (he lowers sunglasses) But when I whip 'em back on ... (flips them up) ... formaldehydeface.

NADA'S POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), the Rich Ghoul Lady holds up her wrist watch to her lips and seems to be talking into it ...

f~IP - FLOP--down come the sunglasses, and the world goes back to unfiltered non-reality (color),and the Rich Lady is Just holding up her wrist watch to her lips ...

Nada backs away toward the exit ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (blackand white), the Jogging Suited Ghoul talks into his wrist watch. ..

REVISED 2/1/88

47 CONTINUED:

Nada comes out of the convenience market .. .

------- -

Suddenly grabs his head in pain! A wave shoots through his skull. The glasses are affecting him...

He staggers slightly. Dazed. A little dizzy.

Then he takes off the sunglasses . ..

Now, slowly, the headache seems to be subsiding. He leans against the side of a building, trying to recover. The sunglasses have caused a strong physical reaction. He's sweating profusely...

An ASIAN MAN, 30's, comes up ...

NADA'S POV: up come the sunglasses. (Black and white) The Asian Man is human ...

Al lNada can do right now is stare. The Asian Man moves on ...

Now Nada's on his feet again, still breathless, trying to get going, looking around ...

HIS POV: THRO SUNGLASSES, a LADY GHOUL EXECUTIVE checks * out her appearance in a reflected window (black and white)

Nada, as the high from the sunglasses hits him . ..He stares crazily at the now-normal-looking LADY EXECUTIVE. *

The Lady Executive shoots him a glance, moves away quickly ...

48 CONTINUED:

WHAM! Something dressed in black grabs Nada and pushes him into ...

a small alley. Nada staggers back.

The figur~ in black turns out to be a BLOND-HAIRED COP.

Nada moves back into the alley, away from him...

NADA'S POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black andwhite) -- he's a BLOND-HAIRED GHOUL COP.

Back to no-glasses reality, as a police cruiser pulls up into the alley entrance. A PARTNER COP gets out, comes around the cruiser into the alley . ..

NADA'S POV; THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), the Part~er Cop is really a PARTNER GHOUL COP talking into his wrist watch...

Nada's half-crazed, half-excited grin gets bigger ...

SJ.

49 CONTINUED:

The Blond-Haired Cop pulls a pair of h a ndcuffsfrom his belt, and Nada takes another step b a ck,take s off his sunglasses and puts them away .. .

The Blond- HairedCop puts his hand on the gun in his holster, as his Partner Cop comes forward ...

Nada doesn't move. The 2 Cops stand together now. No way out for Nada . . .

As the Partner Cop watches, the Blond- HairedCop moves for Nada, opening those handcuffs, reaching out for Nada's hand ...

Suddenly Nada grabs the Blond-Haired Cop, jerks him fo~ward, clotheslines him!

The Blond - HairedCop goes horizontalfrom the impact!

Falls to the pavement, his head shitting with a SHARP CRACK!

The Partner Cop goes for his gun .. .

But Nada lunges -- with 2 fingers . . .

Pokes the Partner Coo i~ the eves - -hard!

49 CONTINUED :

The Partner Cop is momentarily blinded, in pain .. .

And Nada delivers 4 fast, vicious PUNCHES to his face ...

The Partner Cop goes down ...

Nada quickly leans over him, takes his gun out of its holster -- then suddenly spins aro und -- revealing ...

The Blond-Haired Cop! Getting up, wobbling, his gun comi ng out!

Nada FIRES!

The Blond-Haired Cop flops to the pavement -- dead!

The Partner Cop sits up behind Nada! Pulling out his nightstick. Swings! WHACK ! Hits Nada's shoulder ...

Kada turns and BLASTS HIM!

The Partner Cop rolls over -- dead.

Nada gets up . Rubs his shoulder. Goes over to the Blond - Haired Cop. Takes his gun.

Then moves to the police cruiser. Opens the passenger door. Reaches in .. .

INSIDE THE CRUISER: as Nada unclips the riot shotgun from under the dash ...

A small CROWD is starting to approach the police cruiser. They've heard the gunshots and tentatively want to see ...

BOOM! Out steps Nada. Sunglasses back on! Into the street. Cautiously scans the area. 2 . 38revolvers stuck in his belt. He cocks the shotgun -- looking like your wars: fucking nightmare!

5 5.

SO CONTINUED :

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES. FAST CUTS. (All bl a ckandwhite)

Another stop sign:

' CO NFORM'

2 HUMANS back away fearfully. Behind them is a billboa r d r e ading:

' OBEY AUTHORITY'

A pulsing stop light . . .

A RICH GHOUL LAWYER, st a ring atNada . . .

KABLA.M.MO!Nada opens up with the shotgun ...

The RICH LAWYER (in no-glasses-reality) goes flying ...

Absolute PANIC! SCREAMS! The crowd goes crazy! Running forcover! SHRIEKING!

Nada starts moving up the street . ..

As another police cruiser suddenly comes around a corner ...

Nada ducks into a doorway ...

The cruiser SCREAMS BY down the street -- gumballs flashing!

Nada backs in the doors from the panic in the street. He turns, looks ...

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES, a small stock exchange. Upscale. FAST CUTS: (All black and white).

Computerized ticker ...

A GHOUL behind the main desk...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

51 CONTINUED:

A STOCK BROKER GHOUL in a suit ...

A RETIRED INVESTOR, human, standing next to a BROKER GHOUL ...

A SMALL CROWD of humans backing away . ..

Nada -- .b..i,s_eyesinvisiblebebiodtbosesnogJassas

NADA'S POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), as a GHOUL * SECURITY GUARD springs forward, gun drawn, FIRING!

The shot hits on the wall next to Nadal He OPENS FIRE! *

KABLAM!

Human-looking SECURITY GUARD (in no-glasses reality) is * airborne from the impact of Nada's shotgun!

FAST CUTS: (all normal, in color) Customers dive for cover ...

Computerized ticker, as it DISINTEGRATES with a BLAST!

Security camera on the wall, as it BLOWS APART!

Customers run out the front doors ...

Out the back way ...

As Nada KEEPS BLASTING AWAY! He turns around ... *

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a GHOUL STOCK BROKER tucked away in the corner talks into his expensive gold wrist watch .. .

REVISED 2/10 / 88

51 CONTINUED:

And as Nada takes aim...

No-glasses reality (color). The human-looking STOCK BROKER turns a dial around the edge of his wrist watch face ...

FLASHI The Stock Broker has simply and suddenly vanished into thin air I ___ __

Nada's stunned ...

Then POLICE SIRENS SCREAMI

Flashing bubble lights pull up right outside ...

And Nada takes off through the rear ...

Nada emerges into another alley ...

Pushes a huge trash dumpster. Rolls it up against the doors, blocking them!

Starts moving. Looks up...

HIS POV: TBRU SUNGLASSES (black and white -- animated), a small robot spider probe, another surveillance device a medicine-ball-sixed metallic globe with sensors and video lenses all over it -- comes crawling down the side of the alley on long, arachnid-like metal bug legs.

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white -- animated) , CLOSER ON the spider probe as it comes to a stop. The * camera lenses begin focusing, sensors WHIRRING...

REVISED 2/l / 88

52 CONTINUED:

SPIDER PROBE POV: (color) scan lines, numbers, and Nada down there in the alley, as seen from the spider probe ...

Nada grins ...

Nada OPENS FIRE with the shotgun!

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white -- animated) as the spider probe EXPLODES!

In unfiltered reality, we hear the fragments SHOWERING down -- but they're invisible...

As a LONE COP comes running into the alley, gun drawn!

Nada spins around, shotgun pointed ...

NADA * Drop it!

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (~lack and white) as the still- * human LoneCop slowly dro?S his gun...

And the LoneCop runs away, back down where he came from, * asa THUMPING SOUND goes overhead!

NADA'S POV:THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white) as a police * helicopter moves by overhead .. .

And Nada takes off. Fast ...

53 OMIT 54 OM.IT 55 OMIT

REVISED 2 / 1/88

SSA. •

Nada comes around the corner, moving fast . PANAGLIDE SHOT.

Down another alley.

He checks the shotgun. Empty. Tosses it. Pulls out a

___ And_thaj:_pain~dde.nly_hits~gai.nL

Nada tries to shake it off. He ducks off the alley ...

57 , OMIT 58 OMIT

FULL SHOT.

Parked cars . Nobody around. The distant WAIL OF SIRENS -- getting LOUDER, CLOSER...

HOLLY THOMPSON enters FRAME.

She tak.esnotice of the distant sirens.- Fumbles in her purse for her keys. Walking to her car. Holly is late 20s, early 30s . Intelligent . Upwardly mobile. Equal doses of warmth, ambition, sensuality.

She arrives at her car. Unlocks the door.

The sounds of MORE SIRENS ECHOING get her attention for a second .. .

WHAMMO! Nada's arm springs out, grabs Holly from behind, jerks her down. ..

Nada holds her against the side of the car. He's hurting fromthe effects of the sunglasses ...

NADA'S POV:THRU SUNGLASSES (blnck ana whit~) Holly.

Kada holds one of the .38 revolvers up. Doesn't poin~ it at her, but le~s her know he has it ...

INSIDE THE CAR: as the door opens, and Nada crawls in first, across the seat to the passenger s1.de,dragging Holly in a:ter him.

She closes it. She's fear-rigid. Terrified.

He rips off the sunglasses, his head throbbing.

59 CONTINUED:

Holly doesn't look at him. She starts the engine.

As Holly's car pulls out of the parking garage on to the street ...

Police cars are ZOOMING BY...

Holly's car pulls down the street, past 4RIOT POLICEMEN on foot running the other way...

Holly drives. Expression of stone.

Nada's head is on fire. This time ~he headache stays wi~ h him...

(CONTIN UED)

61 CONTINUED:

No repl y,but it's clear that she does ...

The Hollywood Hills. Above Sunset Boulevard.

Peaceful.

Mediterranean houses.

Stilt houses.

Trees.

Holly's car pulls into the driveway of her spacious home.

The place is rigged for security. Bars on the front windows. Home security sign in the carport . . .

63 CONTINUED:

INSIDE HOLLY'S CAR: as Holly turns off the engine. Nada loolcsover ...

HIS POV: Holly's NEIGHBOR, 40's, middle-class, is watering the flowers in front of his house. He looks over at Holly's car ...

_llJldaJ_p:uttingon thosesui+glas-ses~a-in,- wi11ci11g-inpain as the ferocious headache hits him .. .

HIS POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), the Neighbor ishuman.

CLOSE: Holly. She's checking out the distance between herself ...

HOLLY'S POV: ... and the Neighbor, who waves at her ...

CLOSE: Holly. She doesn't wave back...

CLOSE: Holly's hand creeps slowly toward the door handle ...

CLOSE :Holly. Not looking at Nada. She's breathing in long, slow, measured breaths ...

CLOSE: Holly's hand, as she grabs the door handle to open it and make a break, only thedoor opens for her . ..

OUTSIDE THE CAR: and Nada is there, holding thedoor for her, his hand encircling her upper arm, still in enormous pain...

Holly gets out. Closes the door. She and Nada walk slowl y toher front door.

63 CONTINUED:

Holly unlocks the front door. She and Nada enter.

The Neighbor stares curiously ...

Nada closes the front door. Locks it.

He looks around. Expensive digs. The trappings of a monied life.

It's a cantilevered house. A deck off the front room. Spectacular view of the L.A. basin.

Nada puts on the sunglasses again -- headache and all -- looks around for surveillance devices.

He finds a CAT sunning itself in a window.

He checks the kitchen.

Bathroom.

Bed:-oom.

Then returns to the front room. Takes o:f his sunglasses. Sl~~?S in a chair. Exhausted.

HO:..LY Look. I don't know what you want.

He leans back in his chair. Hands to forehead. Sta=:s to slowly rub his temples. Seems to ignore Holly .

Silence.

She goes over to a chair and sits.

finally Nada looks at her.

64 CONTINUED:

He's tired ,rambling -- unsure how to explain it all ...

Nada looks at her for a beat ...

Holly is very scared rig h tnow .We shoot the following in ...

HOLLY'S POV: Nada, sitting across the room. Sunglasses and guns. Psycho-city.

He holds up the sunglasses .. .

(CONTINUED )

REVISED 2/1/88

64 CONTINUED:

Now Holly's sure she has a very, very serious crazy on her h a nds ...

- - -- - --------

64 CONTINUED:

Nada withdraws the sunglasses ...

Nada's starting to pass out now . His eyelids flicker . ..

Rol:y sinks back in her c hair. Situation: ve r yg rim.

Nada's eyes close ...

Holly sits. Watches him.

Nada appears to have falle nas leep .

Holly. A long beat.

Nada. Asleep.

Now Holl yslowly starts to get up out of her chair...

She sits back down. . .

REVISE D 2 / 24 / 88

64 CONTINUED:

He opens his eyes, watches her get up, walk into the kitchen ...

Then he leansback in his chair again.

Tired. Blasted.

Now Nada looks back over, as Holly comes out of the kitchen pouring herself a glass of wine from a bottle.

She goes over to a large picture window...

No response.

Wear:l y ,Nada gets up o ut of the chair,comes over to her ...

Nada's still fighting off the vest i ges of thatheadache ...

Now this gets his attention ...

(CONTINUED )

64 CONTINUED :

Nada spots the remote control for the TV set by the picture window ...

He leans over to grab it .. .

With all her might Holly swings thewine bottle and SLAMS it over Nada's head!

It connects with a LOUD THWACK!

The sunglasses go flying out of Nada's hand, across the room ...

And one of his guns hits the floor ...

Be:ore Nada can even react ...

Holly shoves him!

Right out through the picture window!

CA-CRASH!

As Nada falls downward!

Some 40 feet. ..

To the shrubs and trees on the hillside below! His fall is broken by leaves and branches ...

Glass shard rain down all around him...

6 9.

As Holly picks up the telephone . ..

Nada rolls on the ground ...

Glass all around ...

He ' sbeen cut ...

He finally manages to get up on his knees ...

Nada gets to his feet -- slowly...

Looks up.. .

P.ISPOV: Holly's house, 40 feet above him...

Now he reaches down for his other gun ...

Gone!

Mus~ have lost it during the fall . ..

He starts frantically looking around the hillside :or the gun .. .

And slips . . .

Tumbles down the hillside!

Sliding. Falling.

Trying to grab on to something -- stop himself . . .

... a nd fallsdown the rest of the hillside to the bottom -- on to a nice, quiet, deserted Hollywood Hills Street . ..

(CONT IN UED)

71 CONTINUED:

As she looks over ...

HER POV: Nada's sunglasses on the floor ...

Nada stagger sacross the street . ..

-'"'="'-~-=-

The distant SOUND OF POLICE SIRENS ...

He clambers down some steps beside another fancy, cantilevered house -- down another hillside ...

As Holly bends down, picks up those sunglasses off the floor, stares at them curiously.. .

The secluded, wooded area under a Hollywood Hills stilt house -- the part you never see.

Junk piled around. Pipes. Boards. Trash.

Nada moves over to a spot by some bushes. Collapses.

He looks out ...

HIS POV: the street below, as several police cruisers wind their way up into the hills ...

Their SIRENS get Nada to move ... He crawls away through the bushes ...

DISSOLVE:

Twinkling lights of downtown L.A., as seen from the Hollywood Hills.

And then flashing strobe lights. THUMPING. Dark shape of a police helicopter moving across the sky. ..

REVISED 2/2 4/88

7 2.

Nada moves along the dark, lonely street. He staggers. Glances around for cops . Moves on ...

Swings. Concrete buildings: restrooms. Huge concrete structure: tunnels, bridges, ramps -- a place for children to play ...

Nada comes up, finds a spot to hide inside a concrete tunnel .. .

CLOSE: Nada. Hidden. And the distant sound of POLICE SIRENS doesn't stop him from finally passing out ...

LONG LENS. Big red sun over the freeway. Cars are already starting to jam the lanes ...

CLOSE on Nada in the concrete tunnel.

He opens his eyes. Looks like shit . Blood caked on his face.

He moves his head. Ouch!

Looks over . ..

HIS POV: 2TEENAGE RUNAWAYS are huddled in another tunnel a fewfeet away. They both stare at Nada ...

The same appliance store we saw in the beginning, with TV sets on the other side of the glass wind owall tuned to Cable 54.

This time the sound is turned down, but Nada's picture flashes on all the screens during a news broadcast. It's an older photo. He has short hair.

R£VISED 1 / 27 / 88

7 3.

80 CONTINUED:

Here comes Nada. Out of an alley. Moving past the appliance store. Not seeing himself on TV.

He checks the intersection for signs of police . Crosses the street ...

- ____.-- -

Frank . Working. Wiping his brow . Putting down his tools and disappearing behind a half-completed wall...

BEHIND THE HALF-COMPLETED WALL. Frank stops for a drink of water . . .

And Nada emerges from behind a pile of cinderblocks . ..

Frank drops his cup of water .. .

Now Frank backs away from him ...

Nada stares at him ...

7 4.

81 CONTINUED:

And Frank moves off ...

Nada watches him for a beat, then slowly creeps away behind the cinderblock wall...

81 CONTINUED:

Frank walks back over to where he was working. Picks up his tools. Then looks back over where Nada was. His face softens for a moment. Then tightens back into anger ...

That...l.o.ng,wide alleyconnec...t..illgtwoci.tystreets, - --- Nada enters from the street. Looking around for cops ...

Moves to the cul de sac .•.

Past the trash dumpster, up to the trash can where he left those boxes of sunglasses ...

and the can is empty!

No! Nada turns, comes out of the cul de sac ...

HIS POV: at the other end of the alley is a trash truck. A SANITATION WORKER dumps trash into the compacter in the rear ...

Nada goes for the trash truck...

Down the alley ...

HIS POV: the Sanitation Worker hasn't seen him. He puts the cans back, circles around to the cab...

Nada moves faster .. .

Reaches the truck .. .

Leans in the rear .. .

Mountains of trash inside. Nada grabs on to the truck. Pulls himself up. Crawls in the compacter ...

As the truck starts up, moving forward .. .

INSIDETHE COMPACTER: Nada searches through garbage, digging down ...

KACH UNK! The compacter starts up! Now the garbage is moving, pushed by the giant shovel ...

(CONTINUED )

7 6.

82 CONTINUED:

Desperately Nada digs ...

... and finds thatbox of sunglasses! The rea reo nly four glasses left inside .. .

And Nada half-stumbles, half - jumps out of theback of the truck, just as the compacter crushes the garbage inside ...

·- - - ---·-- ·--

--------~Nr.a~a~a::-m::-:;o~v~es - againstthewall-ofthea lley,asthe trash truck pulls out into the street beyond . . .

Now Nada starts back down the alley in the other direction, taking out a pair of sunglasses ...

As Frank steps out from behind a trash dumpster ...

Nada stops. Looks at him ...

Frank stares . Hard. Then pulls a folded stack of bills from his pocket and tosses it toward Nada ...

The money plops on the pavement ...

Frank turns away to leave .. .

Nada puts on the sunglasses .. .

HIS POV:THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white) that interference again . But there's Frank -- human.

Frank turns back to Nada ...

FRA."rn Find yourself some place to hide. Keep prayin' no one ever finds you .

Nada moves toward Frank, taking out a second pair of sunglasses from the box ...

82 CONTINUED:

Nada moves for Frank .. .

But Nada grabs ahold of Frank and pushes him up against the wall ...

I'm tellin' you, you dumb son of a bitch -- try 'emon!

... and Frank responds. He hauls off and delivers a HARD RIGHT to Nada's chin!

Nada's knocked back a foot or two. His sunglasses fly off... He Just looks at Frank.

Nada strikes! SMASHES a fast right into Frank ...

Sending Frank to the pavement ...

Frank sits up, looks at Nada.

7 8 .

82 CONTINUED:

Slowly Frank gets to his feet ...

And we begin the fight in the alley, as Nada and Frank go at each other ...

82 CONTINUED:

The fight. Continued.

8 0 .

82 CONTINUED:

The fight. Continued.

8l.

82 CONTINUED:

The fight. Still continued.

REVISED 1/27/88

82 CONTINUED:

The fight. Continued.

Finally, after Nada and Frank have beaten each other all over the alley ...

Nada barely manages to get the best of Frank ...

;: Finished off with a side suplex ,as Nada lifts Frank up and SLAMS him down hard on the pavement .•.

Both men are exhausted. Beaten .

But Nada keeps Frank pinned, puts those sunglasses on him!

Then he picks Frank up, drags him to the end of the alley.

Frank looks around. Goes nuts! Sees the world as it * really is. Sees everything.

Nada pulls Frank back into the alley. Holds him against the wall...

FRANK'S POV: THRU SUNGLASSES (black and white), a LAWYER GHOUL walks past on the street ...

Frank starts to bolt. Nada holds on to him ...

82 CONTINUED:

But now Frank's looking up...

Nada grabs a pair of sunglasses, puts them on...

THEIR POV: (blackand whiltl __(anjmated.,l-ano.t..h..e..rap-i.de-r ---------- r-obotsurveillance probe crawls across the roof of one building to another . It's too far away to have seen them.

Nada pulls Frank out of the alley, into the shelter of the cul de sac. He grabs Frank's wad of bills on the way...

Frank takes off the sunglasses, fights theheadache, stares at Nada in complete dwnbfoundment ...

Nada and Frank come down the street. Both wearing sung l asses. 2 desperate figures. Bruised. Cut. Watching for police , for surveillance probes. They step over 2 SLEEPING DRUNKS a~d enter the lobby of a transient hotel .. .

A post-Victorian dump. Dilapidated. A few DRUNKS and HOMELESS cluster around an old flickering black-and-white TV set ...

The DESK CLERK is nodding off. He comes to as Frank approaches. Nada stays off to the side, trying to keep his face hidden . . .

Nada and Frank make their way along the run-down hallway.

An old ratty room. Stained walls. A bed. A window looking out on the RUMBLING street below ...

REVISED 1 / 27 / 88

86 CONTINUED:

Frank closes the door. Locks it.

The 2 men look at each other. They've just beaten each other to shit . Both are fugitives.

- TIME CUT: Nada's by the sink. He has his shirt off. He splashes water on the glass cuts on his back and shoulders. He looks around.

Frank. standsby the window. Stares out at the skyline. Puts on the sunglasses. Winces from the pain. Looks at the world outside...

Frank takes them off. He looks dazed now. Stunned.

FRANK * What are they? Where do they come from?

NADA * They ain't from Cleveland, I can tell you that.

REVISED 2/1/88

TIME CUT: Night. A day or so later. Frank sits by the window. Staring out.

Nada's sitting in an old chair. Still exhausted. Burned out . He's bandaged. But his eyes glow...

Frank looks at him .. .

As Frank enters, carrying a sack of groceries, wearing his sunglasses . . .

He moves across the lobby to the stairs ...

And CAMERA MOVES OVER to reveal Gilbert, the transient from Justiceville ,wearing an identical pair of sunglasses, si~ting in.a chair. Gilbe rtrecogni:uu; Fx:-a~....-- ---

As Frank moves up to the door .. .

Frank turns.

Gilbert stands there a moment, the~ comes down the hall toward him.

Nada and Frank sit listening to Gilbert ...

He sc =ibblesdown the address on a piece o fpaper ...

He hands the paper to Frank ...

REVISED 2/1/88

89 CONTINUED:

Nada and frank "{alkdawn._adark, locely-&u.eet.-- - - - -- - -

Up to an old, crumbling brick warehouse.

Frank knocks on the door.

It opens. A HELL'S ANGEL steps out. Looks over Frank and Nada . But he's not wearing sunglasses.

Nada and Frank look at him suspiciously . . .

Nada and Frank enter the warehouse. There are GUARDS at the windows. With GUNS. Uzis . Shotguns. Some scan with binoculars. But nobody wears sunglasses .

About 30 or so PEOPLE, clustered in groups, are spread around. Some stand in front of a TV set showing a videotape. Others just talk intensely. They are WORKING WOMEN, VIET NAM VETS, ASIANS, LATINOS, BLACKS, HANDICAPPED (i ncludinga MAN in a wheelchair), GANG KIDS, EX-CONS, BIKERS, HOMOSEXUALS, COLLEGE PROFESSORS, an assortment of YOUNG CHILDREN.

Nada and Frank stop at a table. The Brown-Haired Ladv who * served food at Justiceville hands them each a small packet.

BROWN-HAIRED LADY * Glad you made it. Take off your sunglasses. We're all human in here.

REVISED 2/10/88

8 8.

91 CONTINUED:

They take off their sunglasses. Wince from the resulting pain. A scruffy.blonde ma.nwalks by in b.g. handing ou~ • xeroxed sheets . ..

Memorize these safe houses. Safe houses . ..

Nada opens the small packet.

Inside are contact lenses.

Nada and Frank put the contact lenses in their eyes.

Now Nada and Frank begin walking through the warehouse, taking it all in . ..

TV set. The Bearded-Man from the church sits against that blank background ...

REVISED 2/10/88

91 COll'l'INUED:

SCRUFFY BLONDE MAN * (moves by behind them) Memorize the safe houses. Safe houses.

Nada and Frank, moving on now...

TV set:

Nada and Frank, as Gilbert comes up to them...

REVISED 2 / 10/88

91 CONTINUE.D:

Now they're dra\offito theTV set again...

BEARDED-MAN * We humans use the forests and the land -- they use us. We're like a natural resource to them. Deplete one planet, move on to another. They want benign indifference. They want us drugged. We could be pets, we could be food -- but all we really are is livestock ...

A table filled with weapons. All kinds . Rifles, pistols, machineguns, grenades -- as Nada, Frank and Gilbert come * up.

Now Gilbert moves off, as ... *

REVISED 2/ 1 / 88

9 0 A. *

91 CONTINUED:

Nada and Frank begin loading up with weapons, as the Black * Man from the AME Church examines an expensive gold Rolex wrist watch nearby ...

9 l.

91 CONTINUED:

He offers it to [ra~ __YihQ..takestbewatchand ex.am~ - --- ---- -~ir::t...

NowNada's looking off ...

A large group has gathered around Gilbert. He seems to be the leader ...

Someone at the rear of the crowd moves, revealing the family Man from Justiceville ...

A wave of energy goes thr o ughthe crowd. They're up for it ...

92•

91 CONTINUED:

The crowd settles down ...

And there, across the room, stepping forward, is Holly. She still carries Nada's original sunglasses in her hands.

Nada sees her ...

And now she sees him. She looks shaken, vulnerable. As the meeting continues o.s. she takes a couple steps toward him . Stops.

Nada stares at her, then leans over to Frank ...

REVISED 2/ 1 / 88

9).

91 CONTINUED:

Nada moves away, as Frank examines that wrist watch. . .

Nada moves through the crowd ...

__ Aru:Lstops._The.re's .stillquite.--4-i.stancebetwee-nhe-4nd Holly. They Just stand there looking at each other ...

She takes a tentative step toward him ...

K.ABLA.MMO!

The wall EXPLODES!

Debris flies through the air!

Holly is knocked backwards!

Nada is hit with debris. Falls.

All hell breaks loose in the warehouse!

{CONTINUED)

REVISED 2 / 1 / 88

9 4 .

91 CONTINUED:

A Guard a tthe window is riddled with bullets!

The front door EXPLODES!

Pe.op.lerunning I

Holly. Dazed. Being swept off in a crowd of frenzied people .. .

Nada gets t o his feet. Sees her. Moves for her ... *

Holly, reaching for Nada, being carried off by the flow * of the crowd, through the smoke ...

Frank comes up to Nada, as the Family Man is hit! He goes * down ...

Frank drags Nada alo ng ...

REVISED 2/10/88

NIGHT

Nada and Frank exit.

The small alley between the warehouse and another building • is right in the middle of a huge firefight!

Drifting smoke.

Broken water pipes spew water! •

RIOT POLICE surround the alley on fire escapes and brick • walls above,r'IRING DOWN!

People are running!

FIRING BACK at the Riot Police! *

Blazing GUNS!

Nada and Frank, BLASTING AWAY, moving back down the tiny * little alley ...

ANOTHER PART OF THE ALLEY: smoke, fire. And there's * Holly. Looking for Nada. She can't find him. Ducks the GUNFIRE I

BACK TO: Nada and Frank. SHOOTING wildly. There's Gilbert * with an Uzi, BLASTING!

Gilbert is hit! Falls

Nada and Frank round a corner .. .

ANOTHER PART OF THE ALLEY: Holly. Running from the drifting smoke, away from the firefight ...

REVISED 2/10/88

92 CONTINUED:

BAC~ TO: Nada and Frank, backing into the end of the * alley, trapped nowt They FIRE!

Riot Police fall from the walls and fire escapes! *

Nada and Frank. Only the 2 of them left. Trapped behind * a barricade of Junk and debris •.. --- A ferocious FIREFIGHT! *

REVISED 2/10/88

92 CONTINUED:

Now the FIRING STOPS ... *

Quiet. Drifting smoke.

Nada and Frank -- staring out -- hearing the DISTANT SOUNDS of SCREAMING, GUNFIRE ...

NADA • I've gotta find her ...

Nada starts forward, but Frank holds him back ... *

But Frank pulls Nada back into their little barricade ... •

FRANK * Just stay here. There's nothin' you can do out there . ..

No wFrank fumbles that fancy wrist watch out of his pocket ...

NADA * Get set to sweat.

POV: DOWN THE ALLEY. Here comes another SQUAD OF RIOT * POLICE. . .

THEY OPEN FIREI *

Nada and Frank duck!

(CONTINUED )

REVISED 2 / 10/88

92 CONTINUED:

INSERT: as the wrist watch falls to the pavement and • flashesl

But their barricade is RIDDLED WITH GUNFIRE! *

They RETURN FIRE!

--

CLOSE: (effect) the wrist watch on the pavement . It's * actually glowing, pulsating -- then flashing! The SCREEN * GOES WHITE! And there, suddenly, in the alley floor, ...

is a weird tunnel! It glows with blue light!

And it goes right down through the ground, six, seven feet! *

Down below, through the tunnel, is a concrete floor! *

A strange, filtered FEMALE VOICE echoes weirdly from * inside the tunnel ...

FEMALE VOICE * Attention. This entryway is temporary and will disappear in 20 seconds ...

NADA * Get in there!

FRANK * Say what?

NADA * Movel

THEIR POV: coming down the alley toward them, the RIO * COPS are a line of FIRING soldiers moving inexorably toward them!

FEMALE VOICE * You have 12 seconds. 11 seconds, 10 seconds ...(etc.)

REVISED 2/10 / 88

99. - 100.

92 CONTINUED:

FRANK * We don't know what's down there.. .

_ _,l;ilGH.ANGLE,-LOOK.IliG....OOlG~&a-~~kjμmpa.-st:..E-a.iJJhtdown* Tnto the tunnel, falling out of sight!

Nada. Lets FIRE with another couple BLASTS! *

And drops down into the tunnel ... *

FEMALE VOICE * ... 4 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds ••.

93- OMIT

Nada falls to the concrete floor ... and WHAM!

A flash of light from above ...

Silence.

Nada and Frank find themselves standing in what seems to be a funky underground passageway. Concrete. Overhead * lights. Pipes and wires running along the ceiling. High- * tech it isn't. The passageway looks like it goes on • forever ...

The voice comes from an old speaker in the ceiling. Now the Female Voice repeats the instructions in a strange, alien language - -Ghoulese.

REVISED 2/10/88

102 CONTINUED:

FRANK • What language is that? And where the hell are we?

NADA • Under the city. Like some

_ ____ .Ju.~ un~rg_r_ou.ndb~ae.--

Nada's on the move, Frank following ... •

FRANK • There's gotta be a way out...

NADA * I'm just hopin' they didn't see us drop in . . .

And they move off down the hall ... *

TIME CUT: another section of the alien passageway, where * one corridor intersects with another. Nada and Frank * approach a corner . Slow. Stop. They listen -- as * CAMERA MOVES TO REVEAL a GUARD STATION just a few feet down another passageway . 2 GUARDS (both human-looking • in no-contact-lenses-reality) dressed like Green Berets . Fatigues. Sidearms. Berets. One of them talks into a * futuristic-looking walkie-talkie ...

PASSAGEWAY GUARD * Right . Okay ... (he hangs up the walkie-talkie, turns to the other Guard) We got 'em. Wiped 'em out.

Now the 2 Guards give each other a 'high 5', turn and * walk &WAy... as CAMERA MOVES BACK OVER to see Nada and Frank listening. Now they quickly slip across the corridor intersection, unseen, and move off down another passageway ...

TIME CUT: as Nada and Frank come up to another intersection. * This time Nada stops and glances o.s. down one corridor... *

REVISED 2 / 10 / 88

102 CONTIIIOEO :

They cautiously enter the corridor .•. *

CHEERS APPLAUSE.

103 OMIT 104 OMIT 105 OMIT

END OF THE CORRIDOR: beyond is a huge ballroom, as in * an expensive hotel.

Slowly, Nada and Frank step in. *

They are in the back of the ballroom, unseen by over 100 PEOPLE seated at tables. Humans. In tuxedos. They APPLAUD a MANAGER who addresses them from behind a lecturn. The crowd is mostly white. Male. A couple Women . It's * like a convention of Yuppies or a small version of the Academy Awards ...

CHEEBS. APPLAUSE.

Nada and Frank move cuatiously along the rear wall of * the ballroom, watching .. .

(CONTI NUED)

REVISED 2/10/88

l O6 CON"?IBUED:

THEIR POV: THRU CONTACT LENSES (black and white). * SEVERAL SHOTS OF ...

A FEW GHOULS mixed in among the Ru.mans,listening to... *

A GHOUL MANAGER in his tuxedo... •

You have given us entre to the resources we need in our ongoing quest for multidimensional expansion. And in return, the per capita income of you here tonight has grown, in this year alone, by an average 39%1

BIG CHEERS. APPLAUSE .

• GHOUL MANAGER Our projections show that by the year 2025, not just America but the entire planet will be under the protection and dominion of this power alliance. Earth is our stepping stone for a greater galactic purpose!

CHEERS. APPLAUSE.

Nada a..ndFrankwatching, as a hand suddenly ENTERS FRAME * and touches Nada's shoulder!

They turn, startled -- and it's the Drifter from Justice- * villel He's dressed in a tuxedo too .

REVISED 2/10 / 88

l O6 CON'?IHUEO:

Nada and Frank are speechless . ..

DRIFTER

:.....:=-----=-----"===-=-==..,.,-===....,-----~W~e=,l~.&~rd,,:-Ja.,y..-.;(Qll.__..:--*--,.

boys shoulda dressed for the party -- now that you can afford it. (glances at the

gathering) I'm just proud to be here. Have you seen the whole place?

And the Drifer leads them over to another concrete passage-

way leading off the ballroom...

They move along ...

FRANK

Excuse me, but where the hell are we?

DRIFTER • Backstage at the show, boys. I know it's a little funky but it serves the purpose. (beat) How'd you get here? Use one of these portable jobs?

The Drifter admires his expensive gold wrist watch ...

REVISED 2/10/88

107 CONTIITIJ'BO:

He leads them to ano ther corridor junction, enteringa * side passageway ..•

DRIFTER * Not if you think that's neat , take a look at this.

They take a few steps down the corridor, stop...

THEIR POV: END OF THE HALLWAY (ma tte painting). The walls, * the floor and ceiling end in a massive loading dock. And beyond the loading dock is blackness. And millions of stars!

Nada and Frank are frozen, staring in speechless wonder. *

DRIFTER * Go on, take a closer look .

Nadamoves forward a couple steps cautiously ... *

HIS POV: LOADING DOCK (matte painting). Outer space! * Two glowing suns in the distance, side by side ...

DRIFTER • That's where they came from.

Now Nada moves back to Frank and the Drifter ... •

And they're off again, down the passageway .. . *

DRIFTER * Boys, let me tell ya ... They've got their act together, believe you me .. .

REVISED 2 /24/ 88

Now Nada, Frank and the Drifter come to the end of the passageway, which is a low-lit, complex control room of a TV station. A sign identifies it as Cable 54. *

The Drifter leads them in, and CAMERA FOLLOWS THROUGH several rooms of equipment and monitors... Bustling PEOPLE (human-looking)go about their jobs ...

They turn a corner, and there are 2 MORE GUARDS (both human-looking) dressed like Green Berets who stand in front of a window looking into the Cable 54 set! 2 * NEWS ANCHORS are reporting the nightly news ...

The Drifter looks at him. Even Frank's not sure what's up...

The Drifter walks up to the First Guard ...

REVISED 2/10/88

106A.

108 CONTIKUED:

Nada a.ndFrank tense slightly as the Guards look their * way...

NADA•s POV: THRU CONTACT LENSES (blackand white) the

FIRST GHOUL GUARD and the Drifter ...

1ST GHOUL GUARD Be serious. (to Nada) You have your authorization cards?

And Nada pulls out his 9mm.••.

He and Frank OPEN FIRE!

Both Guards, now human-looking again in no-lenses reality, are hit! Fall!

The Drifter looks stunned -- as Frank shoves the barrel of his gun right in the Drifter's face.

Nada moves to the window. No one in the set heard the * gunshots . ..

REVISED 2/24/88

108 CONTINUED:

The Drif..terison the move now, making a desperate pitch ...

WHAM! As a GREEN BERET GUARD (human looking) steps through * thedoorway behind them, aims a pistol ...

Nada's on the move, spinning around -- BLAMMO! *

The Guard is hit! Falls back ... *

(CONTINUED )

REVISED 2/24 / 88

108 CONTINUED:

As the Drifter lifts his gold wrist watch, his hand around • the dial, a grin on his face ...

FLASH! And the Drifter's gone! Disappeared! * --·- ---- - Now Nada- pullsthe pin on a grenade ...

Throws it down a stairwell...

KABLOOM!

INSIDE THE SET: suddenly the door EXPLODES!

The News Anchors react!

CAMERAMEN SCREAM!

Jump for cover!

And out of the doorway step Nada and Frank.

Guns drawn.

NADA'S POV: THRU CONTACT LENSES (black and white) 2 GHOUL NEWS ANCHORS ...

THRU CONTACT LENSES: (black and white) HUMAN CAMERAWOMAN and PROGRAM DIRECTOR GHOUL ducking behind a desk .. .

THRU CONTACT LENSES: (black and white) another GHOUL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR by a water cooler ...

Nada and Frank OPEN FIRE!

SLAM!

BLASTING the News Anchors, Program Director...

REVISED 2 / 24 / 88

108 CONTINUED:

The Advertising Director is hit! Goes into the water cooler ...

Others race for the doors!

Dash off down hallways!

__ArL_ALA.RMBELL sound.sJ·-

Now Nada and Frank are on the move ...

NADA * Let's go!

l l O.

Frank and Nada.

Moving down a hallway.

2 Green Beret GUARDS (human-looking) appear out of a doorway!

Nada and Frank BLAST THEM!

Behind, 4MORE GUARDS (human-looking) come running!

A wild GUNFIGHT!

People SCREAMING!

Running!

Nada and Frank keep moving ...

Around a corner!

Faster and faster!

More GUARDS!

GUNFIRE!

Up ahead of them GUARDS appear!

Nada and Frank BLAST theirway through ...

Turn a corner ...

REVISED 2/24/ 88

Nada and Frank running!

FIRING at Guards behind them!

CAM.ERAPANAGLIDES ALONG WITH them! Racing along.

NADA'S POV: UP AHEAD, down the hall, Holly steps out of a do.Qrway. ____ _

She stares at them as they approach ...

Nada grabs her on the run ...

And now she's running with them!

They come to the end of the hall.

2 GUARDS at the top of the stairway. The yOPEN FIRE!

Frank grabs Holly to protect her!

Nada BLASTS the Guards!

And charges up the stairs .. .

Frank starts to follow ...

temple, and...

BLAM!

Nada emerges from the stairwell door.

Moves a cross ther oo fto ...

(CONTINUED )

REVISED 2/1/88

114 CONTINUED:

... ahuge satellite dish!

Nada comes up to it ...

NADA'S POV: THRU CONTACT LENSES (black and white), there, * at the base of the dish, is the glowing, throbbing master signal panel, a huge HUMMING console that can only be seen ________ ____,th::,c.:r=Q-\19Lthaglassesorlenses.,.••

Assuming Frank and Holly are right behind him, Nada takes aim at the panell

Nada turns ...

And there's Holly in the stairwell door -- holding a gun on him ...

Nada is de vastated. Slowly he turns to her. He can on l y * stare.

Now, across the roof, rising up from below the edge, comes * a police helicopter!

The helicopter Just hangs there, hovering -- and another police chopper rises up right next to it!

Nada.

Standing there.

He looks back over at the master signal console.

REVISED 2 / 24 / 88

112A.

114 CONTINUED:

The nlooks over at Holly again .

It's over.

He drops his gun. *

Looks down. --~w-- ~------ - --=-=~ ~---- 'fnensuddenfy pulls a hidden snub nose . 38 l

And FIRES! "

Holly is hit!

She gets off a SHOT as she's blown backward through the door, down the stairwell!

But she missed Nada. *

He turns ...

Pull the pin on a grenade! *

And holds it over the satellite dish! *

One of the helicopters moves abruptly .. .

POLICE VOICE " (v . o. ) Move away from the transmitter or we will open fire!

Nada smiles. He knows he has them... *

POLICE VOICE * (v.o.) If you are not away from the dish in 10 seconds, we will open fire!

NADA " Like hell you wil.

Now he takes the snub-nose .38, aims it down at the master * signal. ..

KABLAM.MOI *

(CONTINUED )

REVISED 2 / 24 / 88

114 CONTINUED:

HIS POV: THRU CONTACT LENSES (black and white) as the master signal EXPLODES!

It SHATTERS!

FIZZES!

- ----..._-

FLASHES!

As a fountain of sparks and smoke spew up into the night sky...

FASTCUTS: (all in color)

TV SET: a GHOUL is now visible! It's a NEWS ANCHOR GHOUL giving a report . ..

Now there are PEOPLE running by CAMERA, YELLING ... •

INSIDE A BAR: a BARTENDER looks at a TV set that shows 2 GHOUL MOVIE CRITICS like "At the Movies" with Roger Ebbert and Gene Siskel.

REVISED 2 / 24 / 88

115 CONTINUED:

AT THE BAR: a GHOUL DRINKER is now visible among all the HUMAN DRINKERS who react to himl They can now s e ehim!

WORKING CLASS HOME: WIFE, 30' s ,watches in amazement... *

TV SET: the Cable 54 logo, except now a Happy American Human is jumpin,;up and sla pping handsin SLOW MOTION __._tlth_.a.HAPPYGHOUL..•_ ._

Wife looks over...

Yep! She has a GHOUL HUSBAND who slowly turns to her... •

MIDDLE CLASS HOME: 3 TEENAGE GIRLS (human) watch ...

TV SET:MTV, except a GHOUL ROCK STAR performs in a video . . .

APARTMENT: dark. TV in b.g. Showing a GHOUL in a commercial fora new car ...

In f.g. is a WOMAN. 20's . Naked. Obviously in the throes of passion. On top of an unseen partner below. She looks over. Sees the Ghoul on TV. Then looks down at her partner in horror.

Her partner is a GHOUL LOVER. They've been making love and now he isvisible! He looks up at her ...

BLACK SCREEN.

SUPERIMPOSE:

THE WAR FOR THE WORLD BEGAN THAT NIGHT.

IT WAS LED BY A HOMELESS MAN CALLED JOHN NADA.

ROLL END TITLES.