Starman

FADE IN:

EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT

The wail of a siren grows out of the distance and very faintly

through the fog we see the headlights and flashing blue rack

lights of a police car coming toward us. It drops into a

dip, reappears almost immediately, hurtling down the center

of the deserted highway. It gets closer and closer until the

lights and siren fill our senses then zooms past us.

INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT

A frightened SECURITY GUARD is tensed forward off the back

seat, his hands clutched into the fabric between the two

regular POLICE OFFICERS in front.

GUARD:

(an edge of fear in

his voice)

It's coming up... Slow down...

(he points out between

them)

There, right there...

Through the windshield we can see the headlights pick up a

billboard announcing a 'new' housing development.

EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT

The squad car skids off the asphalt in front of the sign and

starts up a rutted dirt road. The sign tells us we are headed

for 'Pinewood Estates,' a housing development financed by

the Farmers Bank of Wisconsin.

INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT

The Security Guard is becoming more agitated. He wipes a

cold sweat off his brow. The blue flashers reflect off the

fog onto the faces of the men. Suddenly the Security Guard

lunges forward and slaps off the rack lights and siren.

OFFICER:

(startled)

Benny, God, take it easy...

BENNY (GUARD)

I don't want to scare them away.

The two Police Officers exchange an indulgent look.

EXT. HOUSING TRACT - NIGHT

Using only its parking lights, the police car creeps up the

dirt road between skeletons of unfinished houses.

INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT

The windows are rolled down. Periodically one of the men

leans out for a better look at the terrain around them.

SECOND OFFICER:

Smells smoke...

BENNY:

I told you.

EXT. HOUSING TRACT - NIGHT

The police car comes around a curve on the hillside and stops.

Above them on the next hill, a necklace of embers from a

grass fire and a burning tree flicker through the fog. The

men get out of the car.

BENNY:

(loud whisper)

There!! Up on the hill!!

The officer steps forward for a better look. Benny hangs on

his shoulder.

BENNY:

Right in line with that burning tree.

OFFICER:

I don't see anything.

BENNY:

It's there. The fog's thicker now,

but it's there. What do you think

started those fires?

The officer strains to see through the fog.

OFFICER:

Benny, there's nothing there.

BENNY:

There is. They came out of the belly

of the ship and then went to the

first terrace and flew down into the

houses.

OFFICER:

Flew?! Oh, come on Benny...

The second officer is peering intently at something down

among the houses.

OFFICER:

You hear that, Mike? Now he's telling

us...

MIKE (SECOND OFFICER)

What's that?

Benny and the officer look to where Mike is pointing. What

appears to be the beam of a powerful headlight bobs among

the houses below them. Further into the track another beam

of light moves slightly from right to left but seems otherwise

stationary.

BENNY:

What did I tell you?

OFFICER:

Probably kids.

One of the lights rises over a house and settles on the other

side.

MIKE:

(not convinced)

Probably...

EXT. HOUSING TRACT - NIGHT

A light shines directly into our eyes. As it swings away

from us we realize that it was the searchlight on the police

car which is idling along the dirt road with its running

lights off. The fire on the hill gives the fog down here a

red tint.

INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT

The police officers are beginning to feel anxious. Benny's

nervous fidgeting in the back seat doesn't help them any.

BENNY:

Don't you think you should call a

backup?

OFFICER:

No, we can handle this.

EXT. HOUSING TRACT - NIGHT

The police car passes a road perpendicular to the one it is

on. A couple of houses down that road a faint glow spills

over the sides of an industrial dumpster. As we watch we

hear an eerie high pitched whistle, a shaft of light slowly

rises out of the metal box and seems to fly off between the

houses.

INT. FINISHED HOUSE - NIGHT

As a humanoid silhouette passes in front of the picture

window, a shaft of light floats by in the fog outside. The

silhouette continues around to look at the kitchen. It raises

a hand to eye level. There is a sharp "SNAP" and a hard-edged

cone of light shoots out of the darkness to capture the inside

of the kitchen and pulls back a three-dimensional image of

stove, sink, cupboards, electrical fixtures and walls to the

silhouette.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes