King Kong Page #14

HERB:

( screaming)

Speed !

Another CARNOTAUR is scrambling up behind the first ... JACK rushes

forward, scooping up a LARGE BOULDER. He smashes it down on the

CARNOTAUR'S head! It releases HERB'S FOOT and rolls away down the

slope, collecting it's BUDDY on the way!

JACK and another COUPLE OF SAILORS grab HERB and the CAM-ERA GEAR and

scramble to SAFETY through the FISSURE.

EXT. EDGE OF SWAMP - DAY

JACK, DENHAM, PEEK, HERB and the 7 surviving SAILORS are a bedraggled

GROUP ... CUT, BRUISED, COVERED in DUST, SOAKED in SWEAT. PEEK has the

only TOMMY GUN left between them. They collapse into a NARROW CLEARING

on the edge of MISTY SWAMP-LIKE LAKE. Cliffs rise out of the swamp on

both sides ... the only way forward is ACROSS. DEAD TREES jut out of

the water ... some have fallen onto the shore.

JACK is still driven with URGENCY.

JACK:

Let's strap these trees together ... build rafts. Hurry!

The SAILORS set to work.

DENHAM is slumped on the ground ... PEEK approaches him.

PEEK:

Mr Denham, I have some concerns about personal safety ... I'm really

starting to feel that this particular assignment is not for me.

DENHAM looks up a PEEK ... his eyes are glazed - there is a real danger

that DENHAM is starting to lose it.

DENHAM:

(growling)

You walk out on a Carl Denham picture, you walk out of a career. You

will have no money to feed your wife and kids!

PEEK:

I don't have any kids.

DENHAM grabs PEEK by the collar and pulls him close ...

DENHAM:

(threatening)

And I will personally guarantee it stays that way!

CUT TO:

EXT. SWAMP - DAY

TWO MAKESHIFT RAFTS drift silently across the surface of the SWAMPY

LAKE. HERB, PEEK and SAILORS are in the first, JACK, DENHAM and 3

SAILORS in the second.

JACK is punting his raft along using a LONG BRANCH. The SWAMP is creepy

... DEAD TWISTED TREES stick out of the surface ... a thin film of FOG

hangs in the air. SMALL FLYING LIZARD-type things flit about from tree

to tree.

The first raft reaches the SHORE - a narrow SANDY BEACH leading into

GLOOMY DENSE JUNGLE.

JACK and DENHAM'S RAFT is still 20 yards off shore.

DENHAM:

(yelling)

Set up the camera boys! Get a shot of me comin' ashore!

JACK:

Forget it, Denham ... for Godssake

DENHAM suddenly stands up, causing the unstable raft to ROCK in the

water. Me the pole, Driscoll! Seems to be on the verge of a BREAKDOWN

... he steps towards JACK, nearly tipping the raft over! JACK throws

the pole at him and tries to balance himself.

DENHAM:

(yelling)

Roll camera! I said roll camera! I want this on film!

DENHAM thrusts the pole into the SWAMP, and pushes ... the RAFT spins

around. JACK and the SAILORS cling on as it ROCKS VIOLENTLY! DENHAM

pushes on the pole, again and again, growing more FRANTIC. He starts

HYPERVENTILATING ..

JACK sees a ROW OF BUBBLES moving rapidly towards the RAFT!

JACK:

(alarmed)

Denham!

ANGLE Looking down on the RAFT ... THREE HUGE SHAPES glide in the MURK

below the surface of the SWAMP. They RISE beneath the RAFT ...

TIPPING IT OVER!

EXT. BENEATH WATER - DAY

The SWAMP is about 8 ft deep ... The JACK, DENHAM and the THREE SAILORS

fall STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTOM as if weighted.

STRINGY 5 foot WEEDS rise from the bottom like tentacles. JACK looks

around ... the WATER is DARK and MURKY. The SAILORS are trying to kick

back up to the SURFACE, with no luck ... for some reason this water has

zero buoyancy.

SUDDENLY a TERRIFYING CREATURE emerges from the gloom! It is some kind

of PREHISTORIC AXOLOTL-type thing with WIDE TEETH. It is about 25 foot

long - the size of a huge White Shark.

With a frightening grace, the AXOLOTL sweeps a SAILOR up in it's JAWS!

TWO MORE giant AXOLOTL'S glide out of the gloom! ANOTHER SAILOR tries

to run, but is taken by the SECOND AXOLOTL.

The third AXOLOTL comes straight at JACK! He throws himself down, and

the CREATURE glides over the top of him. JACK gets back on his feet -

he does the only thing he can to escape - run for the shore along the

swamp bed. Pushes through the THICK FOREST of WEED, his cheeks bulging

as he struggles to retain his air. Suddenly something GRABS HIS ANKLE!

JACK looks down at DENHAM ... he is desperately clinging onto JACK'S

FOOT! An AXOLOTL suddenly sweeps by, causing JACK to duck. He grabs

DENHAM'S arm and starts dragging him through the WEEDS.

EXT. SWAMP BEACH - DAY

JACK and DENHAM stagger onto the beach. SAILORS pull them other SAILOR

survivor from the clear of the water ... the raft crawls onto the beach

too. HERB has his tripod set up and is filming it all.

JACK is gasping for air ... DENHAM lies moaning.

An AXOLOTL ROCKETS OUT OF THE WATER'. These things have legs and it

scuttles towards the GROUP with incredible speed' Within seconds it has

grabbed the SAILOR survivor in it's JAWS and disappears back into the

swamp !

ANOTHER AXOLOTL charges out of the swamp ! It comes straight at HERB,

who has no choice but to abandon his CAMERA and quickly back away ...

The AXOLOTL lunges at the CAMERA & TRIPOD, SWALLOWING IT with one gulp!

BAM BAM! BAM! PEEK blasts the AXOLOTL with his TOMMY GUN. It slumps to

the ground DEAD . .. it's mouth hanging open.

There is a stony silence as DENHAM lurches to his feet. He GLARES AT

HERB ...

DENHAM:

(yelling)

Jesus, Herbert! How could you be so careless? Do you know how much

those things cost?

TEARS well in HERB'S eyes ... the man is deeply hurt by this criticism.

HERB:

I'll be pleased to cash in my life insurance, Mr Denham. Buy you a new

camera, sir.

Is having a TANTRUM.

DENHAM:

(yelling)

I don't want a new camera! Herb ... I want you to crawl into the fish

and recover my equipment!

HERB:

Right you are, Mr Denham!

HERB removes his jacket and cap ... he takes his glasses off and puts

them in his pocket. He crawls into the mouth of the AXOLOTL ... DENHAM

holds his feet and PUSHES HIM DOWN the CREATURE'S THROAT.

HERB (CONT'D)

( muffled)

Just a bit further, Mr Denham ...

I can see the pan handle!

DENHAM pushes him further in ... only his knees are sticking out of the

AXOLOTL' S MOUTH ... The creature' s TORSO is BULGING GROTESQUELY as

HERB wrestles to free the camera.

HERB (CONT' D) (CONT'D)

( muffled)

Ok! Pull us out' Hard now - the

Magazine's stuck in the pancreas!

AT THAT MOMENT ...

The AXOLOTL'S JAWS CLAMP SHUT! It was ONLY STUNNED!!!

A MUFFLED SCREAM emits from DEEP INSIDE the creature as it REARS UP.

DENHAM:

Holy sh*t!!!

The AXOLOTL PULLS AWAY, and VANISHES INTO THE WATER!

DENHAM turns back to the SHOCKED GROUP ... he is holding HERB'S

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

DENHAM (CONT'D)

I'm gonna dedicate this movie to Herb Cooper - the world's greatest

cameraman!

He thrusts the LEG at a SAILOR.

DENHAM (CONT'D)

Make sure this gets back to his wife and kids.

The SAILOR NODS.

DENHAM (CONT'D)

I'm calling a wrap. We're heading back to the ship.

JACK:

What?

DENHAM:

The girl's dead, Driscoll. There's no point continuing on.

JACK addresses the SAILORS.

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