ROCKETS OF THE DEAD, Third Draft, by Gavin
Scott, December 31st, 1997
Continued from Page 1
ACT TWO
25 EXT. FORESTED MOUNTAINS - DAY:
The
Dirigible is gliding over spectacular but forbidding country.
JULES
(OC)
Look
at those forests down there, Fogg: the very breeding ground of myth and legend.
We are nearing the dark centre of Europe.
26 INT. GONDOLA - DAY.
PHILEAS:
It's
not myth and legend I'm worried about, Verne: it's flesh and blood.
PASSEPARTOUT:
Sometimes
mist and ledgers swallow up flesh and blood, Master. I have heard dark tales of
these mountains.
JULES:
You're
not going to tell us about your grandmother's spooks again, are you?
PASSEPARTOUT:
My
grandmother was a very wise woman, Monsieur Verne. She came from Rumania. She
knew of the "Vampyra" - creatures who do not die, who live by night,
who suck the blood of others to feed their undead souls!
PHILEAS:
Passepartout:
I have to confess I'm sick and tired of hearing about your grandmother and her
superstitious -
PASSEPARTOUT:
They
sleep in coffins! Talk to the bats! Hold a mirror up before them - and they are
not there! Only garlic can keep them at bay - and the sign of the cross, of
course. They hate the cross because -
PHILEAS:
Passepartout!
PASSEPARTOUT:
(Quite
carried away)
And
if you see one, sleeping in his coffin, his fangs sticking out of his mouth,
like this - you must thrust a stake right through his heart - for only thus can
he be killed!
PHILEAS:
(Grabbing him)
Will you SHUT UP?
PASSEPARTOUT:
(Instantly
contrite)
I
am sorry Master. I was only trying to keep you amused during a tedious journey.
PHILEAS:
And signally
failing. Go and iron
the Times.
PASSEPARTOUT:
But
you have already read it, Master.
PHILEAS:
That's
why it needs ironing. As there is no new Times, I will have to read it again
tomorrow at breakfast, won't I? And I prefer it - uncrumpled.
PASSEPARTOUT:
(With
dignity)
At
once, Master.
JULES:
Fogg
- come here: I think this might.be Gradowice !
27 EXT. AERIAL VIEW OF A RUINED CASTLE - DAY
A
sinister ruined castle comes into view.
JULES
(OC):
Well,
wherever he is it's clear Duke Rimini doesn't inhabit the local castle.
They
sweep over the castle and see, nestling below it, an attractive, medieval
-looking village: ancient stones, crooked roofs: utter silence.
PHILEAS
(OC):
Pretty
looking place: but not exactly over-populated
JULES
(OC):
Silent
as the grave, in fact.
(Beat)
Sorry.
28 INT. GONDOLA - DAY:
PHILEAS:
Let's take advantage of the fact that nobody
seems to have noticed us.
JULES:
Land
in that valley over there?
PHILEAS:
(Nodding)
Passepartout
- prepare for camouflage deflation.
PASSEPARTOUT:
Will
we be the hill this time, Master?
PHILEAS:
Yes,
the hill will do nicely.
29 EXT. MOUNTAIN MEADOW - DAY
The
Dirigible sweeps in over the forested hills and lands in a meadow out of sight
of the village.
30 INT. GONDOLA - DAY
Tight
on Passepartout hauling down on a series of brass levers.
31 EXT. MOUNTAIN MEADOW - DAY
The
great cylindrical balloon is deflated, entirely covering the gondola.
32 INT. GONDOLA - DAY:
Passepartout
hits another series of gleaming brass controls.
33
EXT. MOUNTAIN MEADOW - DAY
The
collapsed balloon changes colour until it looks like a green hill.
PHILEAS
(OC):
Very
good, Passepartout: let's be on our way.
34 EXT. CEMETERY - MAGIC:
They are trecking down towards the village
through the churchyard: a place full of baroque-looking tombs.
PASSEPARTOUT:
Have you noticed,
Monsieur?
JULES:
What?
PASSEPARTOUT:
There
are no crosses here
...
JULES:
Pure chance,
Passepartout.
A sinister looking bird
squawks in Jules' ear and he leaps about a foot in the air.
35 EXT. MOUNTAIN PEAKS - MAGIC
The sun is slipping in
fiery splendour behind the mountains.
36 EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - MAGIC
They enter the charming
but deserted central square and look up at the silhouette of the ruined castle
up on the hill, lit by the dying sun: and then around the square itself:
shuttered windows, locked doors, smokeless chimneys.
A sudden rattle
startles them: the wind in a loose shutter. Otherwise the silence is absolute.
PHILEAS:
Long
siesta, perhaps.
Let's try the inn....
PHILEAS leads the way
to the darkened inn. They look up at the creaking inn-sign. It features a
hanging man.
37
INT. INN - MAGIC
Empty chairs and
tables. Grey ashes in the fireplace. Otherwise - only silence. Phileas raps
smartly on the bar with his stick.
PHILEAS:
Service!
His
voice echoes through the building - but there is no response.
38 EXT. MOUNTAIN PEAKS -
MAGIC
The
last sliver of sun slips
down behind the
mountains.
39
INT. INN
- NIGHT:
The
three of them look around warily - as the room falls into even deeper shadow.
Suddenly from outside: a
high-pitched chanting.
CHILDREN'S
VOICES:
A
dagger, battle-axe and spear.
A
heart to whom unknown is fear.
A
potent arm which oft has slain
The
Tartar foe in field and plain. ...
They move over to the window and look out.
A group of children are playing skipping-rope. Lights are coming on in
the cottages, and VILLAGERS are moving about. Suddenly, from behind them.
LANDLORD:
Yes,
gentlemen -
how can I serve you?
They
spin around to discover THE LANDLORD, a plump, smiling man, turning up a lamp.
PHILEAS:
(Recovering
from his surprise)
A jug of wine, landlord. Some bread, some cheese,
some ham. Fruit perhaps.
LANDLORD:
(Fetching
these things out)
Oh yes, sir, we have fruit. This is a very fruitful region
(He
pours the wine into goblets)
Come
from far, sir?
PHILEAS:
London.
We've come to visit Duke Rimini.
LANDLORD:
Ah,
friends of the Duke, eh?
JULES:
He told us to look him up if we were ever in the
vicinity, but we're not exactly sure of his address.
LANDLORD:
Well sir, you can
find him up in the
-
He stops. His eyes are
fixed on Jules' goblet - and something about it makes him think twice about
being so informative.
His eyes flick to
Phileas's goblet and the knife with which Passepartout is cutting himself a
slice of cheese. Whatever he sees there confirms his decision to change tack.
LANDLORD:
(CONT'D)
Woods ... in a hunting
lodge ... several miles from here. That is, when he's in residence, which I
don't think he is just now.
PHILEAS:
No matter. We'll take a
hike out to this lodge in the morning, just in case. Can you give us directions?
The landlord looks
flustered.
JULES:
(Bringing it out)
I have a map. Perhaps
you could point the lodge out?
The landlord licks dry
lips and stabs a finger into the map -and is suddenly in urgent attendance on
another customer: the inn is filling up. Phileas peers at the spot on the map
marked by the landlord's wet finger.
PHILEAS:
Rather odd. Duke Rimini seems to have built his
hunting lodge in the middle of the Black Sea.
Jules is looking at his
wine goblet for clues to the landlord's sudden change of attitude: but all he
can see is his own reflection. He picks up the knife Passepartout was using -
wipes it clean and again sees his own face.
Then he glances back at
the now crowded room and grabs Phileas by the sleeve.
JULES:
Fogg: look at my knife.
Fogg peers at it
curiously.
JULES: (CONT'D)
See anything reflected
in it?
PHILEAS:
No ...
JULES:
Nobody?
Fogg
looks over his shoulder and realises that the knife-blade is reflecting an empty
room: he twists the knife round: he can see his own reflection quite clearly.
The
Landlord whispers to one of the villagers and shoves him out the door.
PHILEAS:
Passepartout!
PASSEPARTOUT:
Master?
PHILEAS:
I
owe your grandmother an apology.
They
become aware that the room has fallen silent, and that the villagers are staring
at them: some licking their lips.
JULES:
Well,
I think we'd better be going now.
There's a sort of guttural grunt from around the
room: their prey is getting away. The landlord isn't ready to make his move - he
makes a discreet gesture of silence.
LANDLORD:
But there's no other accommodation round here,
gentlemen. You'd best stay with us. Let me show you to a room.
PHILEAS:
We
were thinking of taking a moonlight
stroll.
LANDLORD:
Oh,
I wouldn't advise that, gentlemen; there's - unwholesome creatures prowling
these valleys at night.
A
bit of heh-heh-hehing from the villagers. The landlord frowns at them.
LANDLORD:
Wolves
and such. Let me show you to a nice comfortable suite.
Phileas
assesses the odds against them, and decides not to try a frontal assault against
fifteen sets of elongated upper canines.
One
of the villagers has a small furry head peeping out of the pocket where more
normal people might keep a handkerchief. On closer inspection it turns out to be
a bat.
PHILEAS:
You're
right, landlord. Perhaps sleep IS what we need.
Some
nodding at this around the room.
PHILEAS:
Lead on.
The landlord's eyes
glitter wickedly, and he lifts a lantern.
LANDLORD:
In my inn, gentlemen, you'll sleep like you've
never slept before. That I promise you.
And
as he leads them up a narrow staircase, the villagers look at each other - and
rub their hands.
40
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT:
Phileas
bolts the door behind them.
PASSEPARTOUT:
They
are vampires, Master, all of them! They will come in the night and suck our
blood! And we too will become vampires, and
sleep in the daytime forever.
PHILEAS:
Shouldn't make much
difference to you then, Passepartout. But don't worry.
(Pushing a cupboard
against the . door)
Nothing's coming through there tonight.
There's a clatter of horses hooves outside.
They dash over to the window and look out in time to see: a black
carriage -thundering past the inn and taking the road out of the village and up
to the castle.
JULES:
See the coat of arms on the
back! That's Rimini's carriage!
PASSEPARTOUT:
And look
- following him!
JULES:
Eurrch! A swarm of
bats!
PHILEAS:
Never
mind the bats: look up at the castle!
They
look up as lights come on all over the ruined castle. Phileas stares at them,
appalled.
PHILEAS:(CONT'D)
No
...
JULES:
Fogg
- what's the matter?
PHILEAS:
It's
suddenly sunk in what this means: my sister is up there with that - creature.
PASSEPARTOUT:
No - Master - I am mistaken, I am sure -it is all
just the stories of old wifes. Take no notice of Passepartout - he talks too
much. He talks nonsense.
PHILEAS:
I
only wish I could believe that, Passepartout.
41
INT. INN NIGHT:
The
door opens and the messenger sent out by the landlord comes back with the answer
to their query. All eyes turn to him. He pauses to give dramatic emphasis to his
reply - and then mimes a knife-slash across the throat. There's a collective
sigh of anticipated relish.
LANDLORD:
Alright
lads - come on: but remember -only one drink each. We don't want to empty them.
And
they all crowd into the narrow stairs up which our heros went.
42
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT:
Phileas
is boosting Passepartout out of the window and up onto the roof as there's a
knock on the door.
LANDLORD:
(OC)
Hello,
sir: I brought you a hot water bottle.
PHILEAS:
(Moving
faster - getting Jules)
No
thank you, landlord: we're very comfortable.
LANDLORD:
(Rattling
the door)
Keep
your feet warm, sir. Lovely hot water bottle.
PHILEAS:
Awfully sweet of you. Feet like toast. Very
sleepy. See you in the morning.
Jules
is out now: Phileas is boosting himself up. The landlord is now pushing at the
door - in vain.
LANDLORD:
It is traditional sir. I wouldn't be able to sleep myself knowing that you didn't
have
a nice hot water bottle.
And
so saying he slices right through the lathe and plaster wall beside the door
with a massive, two bladed axe and leaps into the room - with the rest of the
pub's customers behind him.
PHILEAS:
I
DO NOT WANT A HOT WATER BOTTLE!
And
he boosts himself out of the room and onto the roof. There is a roar of fury
behind him.
43
EXT. ROOFTOPS - NIGHT:
Jules,
Phileas and Passepartout scramble across the rooftops. Even as they run, Phileas
barks out orders.
PHILEAS:
Passepartout:
back to the Dirigible. Do you think you can outrun this lot?
PASSEPARTOUT:
Oh,
Master - with people like this behind me, I could be in the Olympicals. But
where are you going?
Villagers
begin to swing themselves up over the eaves
PHILEAS:
Up to the castle, of course: where else? Meet us
there with the ship as soon as you can.
And
without either looking behind or pausing in his stride he bends down, rips a
tile from the roof, and flings it back at their leading pursuer, knocking him
clean off the roof.
PHILEAS:
(CONT'D)
Alright,
Verne: let's see how much of an athlete you are. Jump!
And
they take a flying leap off the roof.
44
EXT. LANE - NIGHT:
Landing
in a haycart - as the villagers on the roof race after Passepartout. Phileas
looks up at the castle and points.
45
EXT. CASTLE - NIGHT:
Phileas
and Jules come at a crouching run up the bush-covered slope that leads to the
castle, keeping under cover.
They
look at the main door - which is massive and heavily barred. Phileas points
upwards, and Jules nods.
They
start to climb the wall.
46
EXT. CASTLE WALL - NIGHT:
Phileas
and Jules clamber onto a window ledge and peer into the castle.
47
INT. BANQUETING HALL - NIGHT:
There
is a gleaming table set for dinner in front a blazing fire.
And
seated at the head of the table, at Rimini's right hand -is Rebecca - dressed in
magnificent attire and looking perfectly relaxed.
PHILEAS:
(OC)
My
God! There she is!
And
as they stare in horror - RIMINI suddenly leans forward and appears .to sink his
teeth into her, neck
PHILEAS:(OC)
Verne
- Verne, I don't believe it: we're too late!
END
OF ACT TWO.
Continued on Page
3
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