The Crow: City of Angels Page #19

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Judah looks back at Sarah.

CUT TO:

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Ashe comes screaming over a hill on his motorcycle, the image

of Judah's face burned into his mind...

A HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE

piloted by a man in a devil mask suddenly looms up in front of

Ashe. The street ahead has been cordoned off with flashing wooden

barricades. There's some kind of street fiesta going on...

Ashe swerves, BRAKING HARD to avoid hitting the carriage. Ashe's

bike slips out from under him and Ashe goes CRASHING into the

barricades. But even as the carriage's skull-faced costumed occupants

rush up to help him...

... Ashe is up and running, leaping over the barricades into

the crowd beyond...

CUT TO:

EXT. JUDAH'S TOWER - JESUS SAVES SIGN - NIGHT

The Crow lands atop the buzzing "JESUS SAVES" sign. It c*cks

its head, as if considering its next move, then flies toward

the campanile.

INT. JUDAH'S TOWER, CAMPANILE - NIGHT

The Crow enters through one of the openings in the grillework,

settling on one of the rafters.

CROW'S POV

Sarah sits within one of the pools of illumination far below,

still bound to the bed by the chain. Judah and Sibyl are nowhere

in sight.

THE CROW:

flies down from the rafters, landing on the floor at Sarah's

feet. It CAWS at her, trying to communicate.

SARAH:

...go...please go...

The Crow tilts its head as if trying to understand...

SARAH:

(shaking her chain)

GO!!!

WHOOSH! A steel cage on a wire and pulley system CLATTERS down

from above, SLAMMING to the floor and trapping the bird within

it. The bird CAWS angrily, flitting from one side of the cage

to another, but its efforts are futile.

CROW'S POV (ANAMORPHIC)

as Judah emerges from the darkness, crouching down on the floor

to study the Crow. He grins.

JUDAH:

Look who's come home to roost.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION - NIGHT

A massive street festival is under way with Dia de los Muertos

CELEBRANTS mobbing the area. Paper "BIENVENIDOS" banners are

strung overhead. CHILDREN light strings of firecrackers. Masked

MUMMERS in garish costumes dance, MUSICIANS stroll. People are

holding giant papier-mache skulls on sticks along with torches

and calavera placards.

There are stalls offering marigolds and cockscomb, black beeswax

tapers, dangling toy skeletons, mountains of calaveras de azucar.

ASHE:

pushes through the throng of revelers, invisible amidst the carnival

atmosphere. In his makeup he's just another face in the crowd.

CUT TO:

INT. JUDAH'S CAMPANILE/CAMERA OBSCURA - NIGHT

Judah, now carrying the cage which contains the Crow, sweeps

aside the curtain of the camera obscura. He reaches up to a lever

which opens the camera's lens. Moonlight shines down on the camera

table. With another lever, Judah adjusts the camera's view.

CAMERA TABLE:

The camera lens is now trained on the night sky. A churning landscape

of night-sky coulds drifts across the table's surface, creating

an eerie effect.

JUDAH:

sets a package wrapped in velvet on the camera table. He peels

back the cloth, revealing a set of ornately decorated, tapered

daggers. He looks back at Sarah.

JUDAH:

Do you know what these are called? Misericords. Wonderful name,

isn't it?

Judah removes one of the blades from its sheath, running the

glinting edge along his finger.

JUDAH In the Dark Ages, these were used to deliver the death

stroke to the mortally wounded. They were considered tools of

mercy.

Judah turns to the steel cage in which the Crow has been trapped.

He pulls on a leather falconer's glove and opens the door to

the cage. The Crow flaps his wings madly, desperately trying

to strike at Judah with its beak and claws...

... but Judah secures his grip around the bird's throat, pulling

it out. He pins the Crow to the focusing table of the camera

obscura with his gloved hand.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION - NIGHT

Ashe fights his way through the crowd. A drunken, MASKED WOMAN

grabs hold of him, spins him around, dancing. Ashe shoves her

aside, making his way to...

EXT. JUDAH'S TOWER, STREET LEVEL - NIGHT

The black sky beyond shimmers with turbulent yellow thunderheads.

The entry way to the tower has been gated and chained. The only

way in is up.

EXT. JUDAH'S TOWER, STREET LEVEL - NIGHT

Ashe grabs a hold of one of the ornamental statues which crowd

th ebuildint's facade. He pulls himself up, starting the daunting

task of scaling the tower.

CUT TO:

INT. JUDAH'S CAMPANILE/CAMERA OBSCURA - NIGHT

Back to Judah and the Crow. The clouds being projected onto the

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