Sparks

Well, I'm back from a modest hiatus. I got a lot done around the house after several days off but still have to cop the muse to finish up PETER ROTTENTAIL for the Polonia Brothers.

I had a bad migraine Friday night, but one of the good things is that usually the next day I have some insights or some sort of creative spurt; strange, I know. But a lot of my screenplay for ROOK and some other good projects have sprung up in the "day after" a migraine.

When my mind was throwing off sparks, I had a really vivid memory of a time when my dad rode me on the back of his bicycle down by a pond, and I stuck my hand out and got a hangnail from a fencepost. And my son and a friend watched THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR downstairs, and you would think all of that together would percolate into something.

But all that happened this time was that the next afternoon I was inspired to eat a Spam sandwich.

And here's some more from the inspiring conclusion of AMONG US:



CUT TO:
INT. CABIN (KITCHEN) -- MOMENTS LATER
In the kitchen, Billy shucks his safari jacket and rolls up his sleeves, looking around.
Billy and Jennifer yank out drawers and bang open cabinets, looking for utensils. Billy has a paring knife, and Jennifer a long-tined grilling fork.
BILLY
I'm not sure what you're going to do with that.
Jennifer makes a stretching motion with the fork.
JENNIFER
Reach, Billy, reach.
Wayne rather uneasily hefts a rolling pin.
WAYNE
We should take them alive if possible.
Billy and Jennifer whirl on him.
BILLY AND JENNIFER
SHUT UP!!
Wayne steps back, shaking his head. Inadvertently, he backs toward a window, which CAVES IN under the weight of a hairy fist.
Billy shoves Wayne away and starts stabbing at the paw. There is a YELP, and the paw goes back out the window with the little knife buried deep.
Billy flexes his empty hand and looks at Jennifer. She shakes her head.
JENNIFER
I didn't see anything else.
Billy looks queasy for a moment; then his face brightens a bit as he remembers.
BILLY
Shit, I totally forgot. I used to keep a Swiss Army knife in the camera bag. Shit.
Billy starts racing for the staircase and up the stairs. He stops and looks back at the other two.
BILLY (CONT'D)
Come on. Higher ground.
The other two follow.
CUT TO:
INT. CABIN (BILLY AND WAYNE'S ROOM) -- MOMENTS LATER
Billy starts going through the gear to find the pocket knife. Below, the POUNDING gets louder.
Billy snags his little rusty knife and holds it high, a moment of triumph. In the next second he hears the door CAVE IN downstairs in a shower of wood.
Once again the words are unspoken, and they all pitch in to barricade the door with the bed, endtable, and the like.
Downstairs, the SOUNDS of the cabin getting trashed are loud and chaotic.
Jennifer looks at Billy.
JENNIFER
That little knife? That door? They're not going to mean anything in about five minutes.
Billy scans the room, looking for answers. His eyes land on the window.
BILLY
We need to get out of here.
He goes to the window and looks out.
BILLY (CONT'D)
There's nothing out there. Maybe we can get out this window, just roll when we hit the ground.
WAYNE
Two stories?
JENNIFER
Well, take your pick. Twisted ankle...or that.
She thumbs over her shoulder at the bedroom door, and the chaos beyond. Wayne swallows hard.
Billy grabs Jennifer's shoulder.
BILLY
I'll boost you.
Jennifer grabs his arm in return.
JENNIFER
Listen.
It dawns on Billy and Jennifer that the noises from below have stopped.
Billy looks out the window again and really looks hard into the darkness. Then he looks Jennifer full in the face.
BILLY
I think they're gone.
JENNIFER
Remember last time. We don't really know what's going on. We'll have to take it slow.
Suddenly Wayne breaks for the door, pushes the junk aside enough to slam the door open, and bounds down the stairs.
Billy's jaw is hanging open. Then he recovers, and tugs at Jennifer.
BILLY
Come on!


Give me a yell at johnoakdalton@hotmail.com.