A Nightmare on Elm Street Page #2

FADE TO BLACK:

BURN ON:

5. THE FIRST DAY 5.

CHILDREN (OS)

(singing)

One two, Freddie's coming for you...

Three four better lock your door

Five six grab your crucifix...

6. EXT. HIGH SCHOOL. DAY. 6.

FADE UP ON SHOT OF this large highschool and its crowds of

STUDENTS. FOREGROUND, TINA climbs out of a cherry-red 1959

Cadillac convertible with two other students, best friend NANCY

WILSON, and Nancy's boyfriend and owner of the car, GLEN LANTZ.

FOREGROUND several GRADESCHOOLERS are playing jump-rope, and the

old ditty they sing continues unbroken from TINA's bedroom.

ROPE JUMPERS:

Seven eight, gonna stay up late!

Nine ten -- never sleep again!

7. MOVING ANGLE FAVORING NANCY. She's a pretty girl in a letter 7.

sweater, with an easy, athletic stride and the look of a natural

leader. GLEN, holding her hand, wears one of the school's

football jerseys; a good-natured, bright kid. Tina's in

mid-conversation.

TINA:

(referring to kids' song)

That's what it reminded me of --

that old jump rope song.

(shudders)

Worst nightmare I ever had.

You wouldn't believe it.

Nancy nods.

NANCY:

Matter of fact I had a bad dream

last night myself...

TINA turns to NANCY, but before either can say more, ROD LANE, a

lean, Richard Gere sort in black leather and New Wave studs joins

up with them and interupts.

ROD:

(to Tina)

Had a hardon this morning when

I woke up, Tina. Had your name

written all over it.

Tina cracks her gum with a look of withering indifference.

TINA:

There's four letters in my name,

Rod. How could there be room

on your joint for four letters?

The guy's stopped in his tracks.

ROD:

Hey, up yours with a twirling lawn

mower!

He cuts off across the lawn.

TINA:

Rod says the sweetest things.

NANCY:

He's nuts about you.

TINA:

Yeah, nuts.

TINA makes a face and rakes her fingernails across a tree as she

passes.

TINA (CONTD)

(yawns)

Anyway, I'm too tired to worry

about the creep. Couldn't get

back to sleep at all.

(beat)

So what you dream?

NANCY:

Forget it, the point is, every-

body has nightmares once in a while.

No biggy.

GLEN:

Next time you have one, just

tell yourself that's just all

it is, right while you're having

it, y'know? That's the trick.

Once you do that, you wake right

up. At least it works for me.

TINA looks at GLEN sharply. He kisses NANCY and darts off for

class.

TINA:

Hey! You have a nightmare too?

But GLEN's gone.

TINA (CONTD)

Maybe we're gonna have the Big

Earthquake. They say things get

weird just before that...

BELLS ARE RINGING, and STUDENTS crowding; TINA and NANCY are

drawn into the crush.

FADE TO BLACK:

8. EXT. A VALLEY STREET. NIGHT. 8.

ANGLE ON A MODEST HOME; no car, just a couple of BIKES in the

drive. Every light in the house and yard is turned on. We HEAR

the rock group MADNESS played at a 'No adults home' volume.

9. INT. TINA'S LIVING ROOM. NIGHT. 9.

ON GLEN, dialing. Nancy and TINA are watching, giggling.

TINA:

I can't believe his mother let him

come over here.

NANCY:

Right. Well, she didn't, exactly...

GLEN shoves a cassette into TINA's Ghetto Blaster.

GLEN:

(to TINA)

See, I got this cousin who lives

near the airport, that it's okay

for me to stay with, right? So I

found this sound effects tape at

Licorice Pizza, and...

The phone is answered. GLEN jerks the tone arm off the record

with a SCRUUPT!!

GLEN (CONTD)

Hello, Mom?

(pushes the 'play' button)

Yeah, out here at Barry's.

A JET PLANE begins to make itself heard on the tape. GLEN moves

the machine closer to the phone. It's a big plane -- sounds like

a 747 coming in for a landing.

GLEN (CONT)

Huh? Yeah, noisy as usual. Glad

we don't live here -- huh? Yeah,

Aunt Eunice says hello.

The Jet is SCREAMING IN now, full flaps and howling like a

monstrous banshee. NANCY and TINA dissolve into muffled

giggles.

GLEN (CONT)

(shouting over the din)

Right, right -- I'll call you in the

morning! Right! Huh? Yeah, sure,

I, huh?...

Suddenly the tape goes silent. GLEN blanches. Next moment

another ENGINE is heard, but this one is a FORD LOTUS screaming

by at 180 mph.

GLEN (CONT)

(reacting to his mother's

reaction)

Uh... some kid's drag racing

outside, I think...

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