House on Haunted Hill Page #2

CUT TO (B&W)

ECU -- a formal PHOTOGRAPH of the man himself, mustache

waxed, eyes intense as a mesmerist's, seeming to stare a hole

right through us --

VOICE OF PATHE:

-- Richard Benjamin Vannacutt --

and --

INT. LIMBO SET -

-- suddenly, stepping right through VANNACUTT'S FACE and

strolling solemnly towards us in bright video-taped color is:

CHRISTOPHER LEE. He addresses the CAMERA:

CHRISTOPHER LEE:

-- murdered by his own patients before

every one of them perished in the

blaze. Ironically, the only humans

to escape the conflagration --

-- behind him, we see SILENT NEWSREEL FOOTAGE of five

people.

EXT. THE HOUSE - MORNING (CHYRON INERT)

-- three ORDERLIES, two NURSES -- clothes and faces sooty

and singed, each coughing up a storm as they're treated at

the scene --

CHRISTOPHER LEE:

-- were five of Vannacutt's equally

sadistic Staff, all of whom, until the

day they died, insisting that they were

only following "Doctor's Orders."

BACK TO SCENE:

The SCREEN behind him goes black.

CHRISTOPHER LEE:

But our story doesn't end there. For,

some years later, the gutted interior

of the Institute was refurbished as a

private residence. It has yet to be

inhabited. Many say because the spirits

of the vile Vannacutt and his Victims

still walk the long corridors inside

this place now known, simply, as: "The

House On Haunted Hill."

A sudden SMASH of shrill, discordant HORNS scares us out of

our skin -- and behind Mr. Lee, an IMAGE is seen again:

EXT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT (TO BE SHOT AS PART OF A LATER SCENE)

...high atop a bluff, swaddled in shadows cast by a full moon

that seems to have one of Vannacutt's eyes piercing down on

it.

WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

Charming.

INT. ROLLS ROYCE LIMOUSINE - TRAVELING - DAY

CAMERA PULLS BACK FROM A SMALL WALNUT SHROUDED TELEVISION

SET... revealing a savagely beautiful young woman, EVELYN

STOCKARD-PRICE, sitting like the queen of f***ing-England in

the back of her limousine. She's been watching all this on

the 12" TV set inside the limousine, a look of perverse

amusement on her face.

ON THE TV:
Mr. Lee smiles for the CAMERA.

CHRISTOPHER LEE:

I'm Christopher Lee. More of

"Terrifying, But True" in just a

moment --

EVELYN:

No need, baby.

She zaps the TV dead with a button on the armrest.

EVELYN:

You just gave me exactly what I needed.

She reaches for the phone.

EXT. AMUSEMENT PARK - DAY

A beeping CELL PHONE is retrieved from a coat pocket, punched

to life, and brought up to the lips of

STEVEN PRICE - a 30ish bespectacled man.

While not handsome in the classical sense, he still exudes an

incredible appeal -- the kind that comes from incredible self-

confidence, more money than God, and the most maniacal

imagination in recorded history.

PRICE:

(into phone)

Price.

(listens; sarcastic)

Evelyn, how nice...

(beat, listens)

Well, that is fascinating -- but I'm

gonna have to get back to you -- they're

trying to shoot me here.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL - Price buttoning the phone dead as a

NEWS CREW of two videotapes him: an ENG Cameraman named

BENNY and a 20-something Katie Couric wannabe with a

microphone in Price's face -- KIRSTEN SAVAGE.

They're all standing amidst a sprawling landscape of

futuristic-looking buildings and rides: a spanking new theme

park. We see the great steel arch that bears the place's

name:

TERROR-INCOGNITA

A New Adventure From Steven Price

KIRSTEN:

Business or pleasure, Mr. Price?

PRICE:

My wife. Where were we?

KIRSTEN:

Your roller coaster that is, quote:

"unlike any that has ever come before

it."

PRICE:

Absolutely. No cheap thrills. A genuine

Journey To The Brink Of Madness.

He gestures grandly towards the huge and extremely tall

expanse of steel girders and tracks in front of them.

KIRSTEN:

Sorry, but it just looks like a generic

roller coaster to me. What's the

gimmick?

Price beckons them to an elevator at the base of the ride.

PRICE:

Ever seen one that starts at the

top? 20 stories worth of top?

KIRSTEN:

And then what happens?

PRICE:

(smiles)

I think it's something better

experienced then described.

The Elevator door whooshes open. He bids them enter.

PRICE:

After you.

INT. ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

The DOORS CLOSE and the elevator starts up. Through small

ports in the sides they see the beams of the roller coaster's

superstructure dropping down past them as the cabin rises.

KIRSTEN:

Sources have told this reporter that the

real reason your Park's opening has been

delayed was a near-fatal accident on one

of the rides here. Comment?

PRICE:

I wouldn't be opening this place

tomorrow if every single thing down to

the beheaded Beanie Babies hadn't tested

100% safe.

-- he's cut off by a loud GROANING sound like metal under

stress.

BENNY:

What the hell was that?

PRICE:

(all confidence)

Growing pains:
new steel's gotta bend

and stretch a little before finally

settling in.

Another GROAN. A yelp escapes from Kirsten's mouth.

PRICE:

Don't worry. In the fifteen year history

of Price Amusements we've yet to lose a

single customer.

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