Car Accident: The Script

Screenplay by Brian Kobashikawa

Based on the short story by Jerry Chavez

NIGHT - a dark, desolate highway somewhere in the desert. Quiet. Slow, laborious pan across the sparse landscape.

SFX: Approaching CAR. The roar of the car fills the space -

A quick burst of light fills the screen as the CAR passes by. Quick fade to black. The letters, CAR ACCIDENT fade gradually onto the screen, brief instances of the Car Accident theme come up.

Follows:

ANIMATION, MUSIC, ADAPTATION BY BRIAN KOBASHIKAWA

BASED ON THE SHORT STORY, "CAR ACCIDENT," BY JERRY CHAVEZ

Camera rests on NATALIE, a beautiful woman in late 30ís, for a beat. Her face is that of disgust. She wears a bright jade dress, her hair is slightly tousled. She holds a cigarette impatiently. We can hear off-screen DICK, her escort, chugging and belching away. She turns away.

To DICK, a late 40ís, slightly handsome man whoís seen better days. Gray hair is matted to his forehead. Slight smile on face. Heís slumped back on the bar, downing a screwdriver. We see half of Natalieís face as she looks off in the distance (directly at the camera.) Rests for a beat.

Natalie turns back, hands raised in diplomatic manner.

As Dick gets up:

Dick slumps against a nearby wall and starts straightening his cuff links.

Over Dickís shoulder - Natalie leans in, hissing into his ear as he continues his practice.

Profile of both heads as Dick deliberates. Silhouettes still in background. Suddenly Dick lunges forward, cupping Natalieís chin in his hands and Georgia, Times New Roman, Timesg a kiss on her lips.

Frontal shot of Dick as Natalieís shadow backs off. Natalie sputters. Dick laughs easily.

Dick cocks his head to his right.

Camera rests on Natalie for a beat as she darts her eyes in the direction of the speaker system, trying to identify the music. Dick grabs her arm, pulling her offscreen.

Camera pulls into Dick and Natalie fairly close (chest up, side profiles, they face each other). The swaying and bobbing up and down implies that they are waltzing. (Perhaps people in bkgd can be shifting directions, etc., light source changing, etc.)

CU of Natalie: pensive

She shrugs, visibly.

Right around then, the music finishes for a beat, and Dick and Natalie do a nice little finishing move. Dick bows slightly, courtly, as though to kiss her gloved hand. Instead, he vomits on her dress (offscreen? - sound effects may be sufficient)

VOICES suddenly die away to hushed whispers.

Quiet for a beat as camera pulls out to the entire ballroom. Frozen stares from all around.

Back to the side-by-side profiles of Dick and Natalie. Natalie glares at him. Dick leans in to her ear.

CU of Dickís mouth, Natalieís ear.

Over Natalieís shoulder: Dick pulls back, straightens tie. Music resumes.

Exit Dick. Slow zoom into Natalie, staring blankly.

Dark, nothing presently visible. Music suddenly becomes muffled; we are in a different wing of the mansion.

DOOR opens, forming an oblong rectangle of light (weíre viewing from the floor). Light casts itself onto bathroom objects (toilet plunger, wastebasket, etc. frame the shot - also lit from below by reflection of bathroom tiles.)

Silhouette of Dick fills the doorway. Arm raises, glimmer of light from object in his hand.

As he approaches, he trips. Silhouette of object flies out of his hand.

Camera follows object as it strikes the floor. Itís a blurred, whirling disc that shimmers as it spins on the bathroom tiles. It hits the wall on the opposite end, stops. We recognize it as a pentagram. Dark, ominous music begins.

Dickís body is barely visible; he is on all fours.

Dickís face lights up when he holds up the pentagram in his hand. It rotates, somewhat hypnotically. His face slowly distorts into a diabolical grin.

Side view of Dick as he places the pentagram on his forehead. It sticks.

Over Dickís shoulder (silhouetted): Dick examines himself in the mirror. Smug smile. Music hits first crescendo. Fade to black.

Fade up on Dick kneeling, with his back to the camera. Zoom in slightly. Candles are lit all over the place. Music continues.

CU of Dickís eyes; he appears wrapped in prayer. After a beat, they open. Weird drone/chant begins to rise.

Deep, booming gutteral sounds. Dickís hair shifts a little.

Dickís eyes light up. He squints a little.

Rest on Dick for a beat. The pentagram is starting to peel off from his forehead.

KA-BAM! The room fills with light. Freeze on Dick as his head is thrown back in a mixture of pain and ecstasy. Flashes of numerous subliminal messages (scenes to come, i.e. big 666-DIEEís, YOU ARE CURSED, triangles, smoke, bus stop signs, car crashes, bloody piles of entrails, etc., etc.)

Entire screen turns white.

Overhead shot of party, framed at bottom with the stair banister. Dickís shadow momentarily passes by.

Natalie, now wearing a different dress (perhaps a white, puffy, slightly dated little number) is talking with some of the other party guests. Sheís smiling as she discusses how she is currently dating a drunken Satan-worshipper.

She stops as she looks up (in the direction of the staircase)

Switch to her over the shoulder: Dick slowly descending (floating) down the stairs. Jump cut to a close-up of his grin.

Natalie smirks haughtily as Dick approaches her. The party guest looks on, somewhat alarmed.

Switch to CU of Dick as he smiles easily.

Natalieís lips purse (if possible).

Her eyes begin to brim with tears. Finally she breaks, running off.

Dick gives a silent laugh, looks off. His head turns, somewhat alarmed, when the voice of XAVIER, the host, bellows from above. The music dies again.

Cut to Xavier at the top of the balcony. Heís a little fat man with a goatee and pony-tail.

Switch to top view of balcony: Xavier looking down. The spot (highlighted) where Dick was at is now empty - the front DOOR (at top of frame) closes. Audible sound effect of DOOR SLAMMING. Fade out.

Sergio enters Poloís office from right. The door closes. Overhead shot from a security-camera-like vantage point. Polo is sitting at a large oak desk littered with papers. Polo is an older, somewhat gaunt man with glasses - piercing blue eyes cut through them. He has jet black hair with streaks of silver. He makes a broad gesture with his arms, beckoning Sergio in. There are two chairs directly in front of his desk, at the bottom of the frame is a psychiatristís chair.

Lower angle of Poloís desk. Polo examines some papers as Sergio makes himself comfortable in one of the chairs.

CU of Sergio. He looks off into the distance.

Sudden intercut of a flash from Sergioís nightmare.

Camera rests on Sergio for a beat. He then looks at Polo directly.

Switch to Polo, his head is down, as though he had just nodded off to sleep. But then he looks up from his notebook.

Back to Sergio, his eyes watering.

Back to Polo. He exhales deeply, and drops his pen in the notebook.

Polo waves his hand, dismissing Sergioís further comments. He starts rummaging through his desk.

Sergio, somewhat incredulous:

Polo produces a small pocket watch.

Rest on Polo for a beat, his face motionless.

Fade out.