Beetlejuice Page #21

EXT:
RAPTURE -- NIGHT

Rapture is the newest and trendiest New York club, located in a

deconsecrated church.

Four hundred Death Rockers are milling around on the sidewalk,

waiting for entrance.

Over the door is a banner reading: TONIGHT ONLY / DANNY DEATH.

INT:
RAPTURE -- NIGHT

The interior of Rapture has been decorated as the Halls of Hell,

in stylish black and red. The crowd is equal to its

surroundings.

We find LYDIA standing very near the stage area, surrounded by

half a dozen of her old friends from New York.

They are watching one of the evening Talent Acts, which is a

MAGICIAN performing the coffin and swords trick to the thrashing

pre-recorded music of Motorhead. A YOUNG WOMAN enters an upright

coffin and the door is shut, in a way that leaves her face

exposed. The MAGICIAN plunges, one after the other, five swords

through slits in the coffin. He holds up the sixth and final

sword, and then plunges it straight through the young woman's

breast.

The YOUNG WOMAN screams, and a LONG ARC OF SPURTING BLOOD spews

out into the audience, spraying LYDIA's friends. On stage, the

MAGICIAN withdraws the six swords, and opens the coffin. The

YOUNG WOMAN, with a bloody gash in her breast spills out onto the

stage.

The crowd applauds madly as the stage goes completely black. In

the audience, LYDIA wipes the stage blood from her face.

LYDIA:

This stuff is so lame.

None of it's real.

FRIEND #1 turns to FRIEND #2.

FRIEND #1

If she mentions those

goddamn ghosts of hers

one more time I'm going

to puke in her cleavage.

LYDIA:

I have touched the other

side, you people. And if

you don't believe me just

wait till next Saturday

night.

Suddenly, there is the very loud and very eerie violin obliggato

coming from everywhere.

Then, on the blackened appear TWO YELLOW SNAKE'S EYES. Then, a

moment later, we see shape of a violin outlined in white neon.

The lights come up gradually and luridly, to reveal BEETLE JUICE

/ DANNY DEATH, alone on the stage with his electric neon violin.

He has been transformed into the ultimate DEATH ROCKER. For a

few moments, the eerie solo violin continues to play, bringing a

surprising hush over the audience. Then, in a hugely amplified

version of his own voice, we hear him recite the following poem,

to the accompaniment of his violin.

BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH

Young soul, put off your flesh and come

With me into the quiet tomb.

Our bed is lovely, dark and sweet

The earth will swing us as she goes

Beneath our coverlid of snows

And the warm leaden sheet.

By this time he is at the front of the stage, before an

enthralled audience. No one however is more enthralled than

LYDIA, for it becomes apparent that BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH is

directing his words solely to her.

BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH

Dear and dear is their poisoned note

The little snakes of silver throat

In mossy skulls that nest and lie

Ever singing, "Die, Oh die!"

FRIEND #3

He wants your body.

LYDIA:

Shhh!

Like a demonic Bruce Sprinsteen, BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH pulls

LYDIA up onto the stage, and in his own voice, repeats the final

chorus directly to her.

BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH

Sweet and sweet is their poisoned note

The little snakes of silver throat

In mossy skulls that nest and lie

Ever singing "Die, Oh die!"

When BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH finishes, there's a moment of

awed silence. Then as the applause begins, BEETLE JUICE / DANNY

DEATH walks off stage, leading LYDIA away.

In the audience, LYDIA's friends watch with astonishment.

FRIEND #1

Wait'll he finds out she

lives in Connecticut.

FRIEND #2 takes out his lighter in order to light his cigarette.

When he flicks the light, an enormous jet of BRIGHT BLUE FLAME

bursts out. Everyone draws back.

FRIEND #3

Blue flame. That means

there's an evil spirit

present.

All their eyes drift in the direction of BEETLE JUICE / DANNY

DEATH and LYDIA, who have made their way to the bar.

AT THE BAR --

BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH has bought LYDIA and himself a Coke.

BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH

What are you doing next Saturday

night?

LYDIA:

I'm giving a party. (Beat)

Would you like to come?

BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH hesitates.

LYDIA:

(Sounding like the

sixteen-year-old she is)

We're gonna have real

ghosts.

BEETLE JUICE / DANNY DEATH

Wouldn't miss it.

EXT:
MAIN STREET, WINTER RIVER -- DAY

It is a billiant fall day, as the DEETZ's silver BMW turns onto

Main Street.

Main Street is showing evidence of the first incursions of

Manhattan. While it is still charming and unpretentious for the

most part, BEVERLY'S GELOTTO, with its arrogant, high-tech

exterior, bodes ill for the future of this small town Main

Street.

INT:
DEETZ'S BMW -- DAY

DELIA driving, LYDIA in the front seat, CATHY in the back,

looking out of the window.

LYDIA:

Delia, he was great. I

mean, the audience was

totally silent, and he

had this neon violin,

and he pulled me up on

stage, and we talked

all night long, and he

promised he'd come to

the party, and I have

him directions and

everything, and he said

he might even sing.

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