Poltergeist

FADE IN:

1 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 1

EXTREME CLOSE-UP - TELEVISION SCREEN

The National Anthem resounds over the precision maneuvers of

the Navy’s Blue Angels. When Old Glory fills the frame the

.

local announcer identifies the station, signifies the

megahertz and signs off for the morning. Transmission ends

and a BLAST of disturbing static rules the airwaves. It is

2:
30am on a Sunday morning.

CAMERA SLOWLY WITHDRAWS

.

The TV set appears. A fireplace is off to the right, trophies

of outstanding achievement in annual home sales on the

mantel; STEVEN FREELING asleep in his convertible chair, an

open briefcase on his lap, real estate maps and lease

contracts spread out on the floor by his stocking feet.

CAMERA CONTINUES TO WITHDRAW until we are moving out of the

living room of this suburban two-story home and up the

stairs.

2 INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 2

.

CAMERA MOVES along the hallway, past the guest bath and over

to a partially open door. We explore this room, if only for

an instant, to catch DIANE FREELING, 32, tossing in her

sleep, a tangle of hair covering her face.

3 INT. DANA’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 3

CAMERA moves away and slithers into another bedroom. DIANA

FREELING is sixteen, very beautiful, and snoring unevenly.

She is surrounded by potato chips and homework.

.

.

4 INT. CHILDREN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 4

The SOUND OF TELEVISION STATIC leaks as the CAMERA moves into

the last bedroom. ROBBIE FREELING is just a seven-year-old

.

lump under the covers. With the sheets tucked around him, he

looks like a ghost and where his head should be there is a

Dodgers baseball cap. The closet light is on and the closet

opened only a crack to let in the safe night light as we pass

beyond Robbie to CAROL ANNE FREELING. The STATIC SOUNDS from

the O.S. TV seem to arouse this pert six-years-old from a

sound and regular sleep. Her eyes snap open. She listens, .

flicks some sleep from her eyes, and rises out of bed.

.

2.

CAMERA TRACKS AHEAD OF HER as if drawing her OUTSIDE the

safety of her bedroom and roommate brother.

5 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 5

The STATIC crackles louder and a BLUE GLOW dawns across Carol

Anne. She could be sleepwalking. Her eyes are riveted and her

breathing quickens. The STATIC BOOMS now and Carol Anne stops

at the TV set in front of her sleeping dad. She stares into

the white snow, trying to see beyond the color dots. Carol

Anne opens her mouth until we are certain she is going to

SCREAM. Then

CAROL ANNE:

Hello! Hell-ooo! What do you want!

Hello! Who are you! Hell-ooooo!

ANGLE - STEVEN FREELING

His eyes open.

6 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 6

Diane starts and sits up quickly.

CAROL ANNE (O.S.)

Who are you!! Hey!

7 INT. DANA’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 7

She is already swinging her legs out of bed and moving into

the hallway.

CAROL ANNE (O.S.)

I can’t hear you!!

8 INT. CHILDREN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 8

Robbie looks over to see Carol Anne’s bed empty.

9 INT. LIVING ROOM - HIGH ANGLE - NIGHT 9

The entire family gathers and watches their youngest child

yelling through the static at 2:35 in the morning.

CAROL ANNE:

What do you look like! Hello! Can I

see you?

3.

10 EXT. CUESTA VERDE ESTATES OVERLOOK - DAY 10

Anyone outside of Manhattan is familiar with this setting.

Sunday in suburbia. A neighbor mows his lawn, another washes

his car, and a group of kids play soccer in the street. The

middle America World War II bought and paid for.

10-A EXT. FREELING FRONT YARD 10-A

Then; an irregular glitch to this setting. A man, JEFF SHAW,

is running as furiously as his jelly-bowl paunch will allow.

In his arms, a large brown shopping bag. Barely avoiding a

collision with the paper boy, he cuts across the lawn,

jiggling the lettering. He crashes into the front door,

finding it locked. He turns and runs around back, just as

Steve opens the front door.

.

11 INT. FREELING KITCHEN - DAY 11

Shaw blasts past Dana, dressed in a terrycloth robe. She is

eating potato salad right out of the bowl in front of the

refrigerator.

DANA:

Jesus H. Christ!

12 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 12

Shaw almost loses his footing turning into this room. His

breath exploding in wheezing puffs. He falls into a chair

next to Steve Freeling and FIVE OTHER MALE NEIGHBORS who tear

into the brown shopping bag, surfacing with Michelob Lites.

SHAW:

What’d I miss!?

STEVEN:

Haden fumbled!

ARNIE:

Sacked!!

SAM:

Oakland’s bringing out Bahr.

SHAW:

Three more! Jesus! I was ahead on

points, now I’m pushing.

4.

STEVEN:

Shhhhhhhh!!

13 INT. CHILDREN’S BEDROOM - DAY 13

Diane is straightening things in here when she notices

something that causes her to sadly catch her breath. She

walks forward to the bird cage slowly letting it out. Carol

Anne’s yellow canary is feet up on the bottom of the cage.

DIANE:

Oh Tweety, couldn’t you wait for a

school day?

14 EXT. FREELING’S BACK YARD - DAY 14

Robbie is next to a tall, misshapen oak tree that has grown

bent forward, a little too close to the house. Robbie is

marching in circles around the tree, acting brave. He starts

to climb.

15 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 15

The Sunday FOOTBALL CROWD is on its feet. Haden has the ball

again and the pass is a “bomb”.

STEVEN:

Look at that f***in’ Dennard run.

SHAW:

Lester Hayes. F***in’ Hayes is

there!! He’s there! He’s...

The channel changes all by itself to Mister Rogers.

STEVEN:

(yelling at the wall)

Tuthill--! You a**hole!

ARNIE:

Turn it back! Christ!

STEVEN:

Sorry guys. When my neighbor uses

his remote... he’s on my same

frequency.

Steve turns it back to football. A second later, “Mr.

Rodgers” is singing. Steve walks over to the wall, and points

his remote control and fires!

5.

From the other side of the wall comes a muffled ROAR.. The

voice of BEN TUTHILL.

TUTHILL (O.S.)

Don’t start, Freeling!

16 EXT. SLIDING DOOR/FREELING HOUSE - DAY 16

Steve opens the sliding glass door and yells over the fence.

Tuthill, a robust man in a tank top and sunglasses, yells out

his window, the remote control brandished in Steve’s

direction.

STEVEN:

We got a game going on over here!

TUTHILL:

The kids wanna watch Mr. Rodgers!

STEVEN:

I don’t care what you’re watching,

as long as you show a little mercy

with that thing!

TUTHILL:

(closing his window hard)

Move your set!

STEVEN:

Move yours!

Tuthill clicks at Steve through his window.

17 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 17

Steve’s channels change and the gathering SCREAMS again.

18 EXT. SLIDING DOOR - DAY 18

Steve fires his remote at the Tuthills and a muffled

“goddammit!” is heard.

19 INT. HALLWAY TO BATHROOM - DAY 19

Diane has Tweety by his little claw feet at arms length. With

a sour grimace she moves into the bathroom and raises the

toilet seat, aims Tweety and... Carol Anne steps into the

doorway catching her Mom red-handed.

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