JUDGE DREDD: GENERATION KILLER
JOHN WAGNER SAMPLE SCRIPT – NOT A COMMISISON!
PAGE 1
1. Small external, KEVIN KEEGAN BLOCK, day. Balloon comes from a mid-level apartment.
FROM BLOCK: DARLING, WONDERFUL NEWS! I’M PREGNANT!
2. In the neat apartment of PARMELA and PEART Klugman, both about 30. Parmela - holding up her test result/kit, doesn’t expect the reaction she gets from Peart.
PEART: Y-YOU CAN’T BE!
PARMELA: I AM. IT’S CONFIRMED! WHAT’S THE MATTER, AREN’T YOU HAPPY?
PEART: NO, OH GRUD, NO! ARE YOU SURE IT’S MINE? IT CAN’T BE MINE!
3. Parmela naturally a little hurt by this. Peart slumps into a chair, despairing.
PARMELA: THAT’S A TERRIBLE THING TO SAY! OF COURSE IT’S YOURS! THERE’S NO ONE BUT YOU, PEART.
PEART: IT MUST HAVE BEEN THAT NIGHT I FORGOT TO TAKE MY PILL! OH GRUD, OH GRUD! I’M FINISHED!
4. Sudden hope. He looks up at her pleadingly.
PEART: TH-THERE’S ONLY ONE HOPE FOR ME - YOU’VE GOT TO GET RID OF IT!
PARMELA: B-BUT WHY -?
PEART: BECAUSE IT’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME! I…I’VE NEVER TOLD YOU BEFORE, PARMELA, THERE’S A CURSE ON US - ON MY LINE.
5. Peart’s scared to death. She tries to be reasonable.
PEART: MY DAD DIED HORRIBLY RIGHT AFTER I WAS BORN - AND HIS FATHER BEFORE HIM, AND MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER, AND HER FATHER - ALL RIGHT AFTER THE BIRTH OF THEIR FIRST CHILD.
LINK: RIGHT BACK AS FAR AS WE CAN REMEMBER, IT’S ALWAYS HAPPENED! IF YOU HAVE THIS BABY, I’LL DIE TOO!
PARMELA: DON’T BE SILLY. WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU, PEART? I CAN’T GIVE MY BABY UP! I’VE WANTED IT TOO LONG.
6. He falls to his knees, gripping her clothes, white-knuckled. She’s getting a little irritated.
PEART: PLEASE, PARMELA, PLEASE!
PARMELA: NOW, STOP IT. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A CURSE. IT’S JUST SILLY SUPERSTITION. EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE, YOU’LL SEE.
PAGE 2
1. In the block stairwell Peart has pushed heavily-pregnant Parmela, who is hanging onto the railing which she’s caught to stop herself falling, and looks aghast at Peart.
CAPTION: BUT EVERYTHING WAS FAR FROM FINE. PEART KLUGMAN’S BEHAVIOUR GREW INCREASINGLY IRRATIONAL, UNTIL PARMELA BEGAN TO FEAR FOR HER LIFE…
PARMELA: YOU-YOU PUSHED ME!
PEART: NO! NO I DIDN’T!
2. Robot medics push heavily pregnant PARMELA KLUGMAN towards a delivery room on a hover gurney. She’s in distress, pleads with them.
CAPTION: IN THE END SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO MOVE BACK IN WITH HER MOTHER. SHE WOULD HAVE HER CHILD IN THE SAFETY OF CINDY BEALE BLOCK CLINIC -
PARMELA: MY HUSBAND - YOU-YOU MUSTN’T LET HIM ANYWHERE NEAR ME! HE THINKS THE BABY’S CURSED! HE’S CAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING TO STOP ME HAVING IT!
ROBOT: DON’T WORRY, MRS KLUGMAN, YOU’LL BE QUITE SAFE IN OUR HANDS.
3. In a Cindy Beale block corridor the crazed, distraught Peart hammers on an apartment door.
PEART: PARMELA! OPEN UP! IT’S ME, PEART! I HAVE TO SPEAK TO YOU! PARMELA!
FX: Thud Thudda Thudda
4. Parmela’s mother opens the door - an old battleaxe. She sneers, triumphal. She holds some weapon - like a hammer.
MA: OH, IT’S YOU AGAIN! WELL YOU’RE TOO LATE! SHE’S GONE INTO LABOUR! THEY’VE TAKEN HER TO THE CLINIC!
PEART: OH NO - !
MA: AND DON’T THINK THERE’S ANY POINT TURNING UP THERE, EITHER, BECAUSE THEY KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU! I’M CALLING THE JUDGES RIGHT NOW!
5. NIGHT. Dredd’s on his bike cruising past CINDY BEALE block (used in ‘Slow Crime Day’) when he sees a figure materialising on the approach to the block, a long concourse. Passers by also see it, recoil in apprehension.
CAPTION: MEANWHILE…
DREDD: TELEPORTER!
6. Dredd turns toward the figure (see next pic), now fully formed within a shimmering forcefield.
DREDD: CONTROL, WE GOT ANY TELEPORTATION PERMITS CURRENTLY IN FORCE?
JAG: THAT’S A NEGATIVE.
DREDD: WE GOT ONE, CINDY BEALE APPROACH. INVESTIGATING.
PAGE 3
1. A big, front-on shot of the teleporter as Dredd rides up from behind, gun out, covering him. The man, IMAL, has fully materialised, only a faint shimmer round him now as the FX dissipate. He’s an EXECUTIONER from the FAR FUTURE. He wears a Darth Vader style cloak (for instance) and an interesting, sinister face mask - not a replica of Dredd’s. Perhaps over the eyes he has black curtains which he closes (by a cord) when he’s about to deliver a verdict - or a faceplate like venetian blinds, which he can open - to reveal beady, slightly glowing eyes - and close. Sounds a bit daft, but you get the idea. Imal has a TIME MACHINE strapped to his chest, weapon emitters on the fingers of his gauntlets. If you prefer - if you can get a better-looking character out of it - you can make Imal female. TOM: WEIRD (WAVY?) LETTERING FOR IMAL, PLEASE.
DREDD: WHAT WE GOT HERE - FANCY DRESS? YOU COULDN’T JUST TAKE A CAB TO THE PARTY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?
LINK: KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM YOUR BODY. RAISE ‘EM SLOW - NO SUDDEN MOVES.
IMAL: I AM IMAL, SLAYER OF GENERATIONS. I HAVE JOURNEYED FROM THE FAR FUTURE TO CARRY OUT SENTENCE UPON AN INHABITANT OF THIS CITY.
2. On the sinister Imal, a partial view of his face in fg as he raises his hands slowly. Beyond, Dredd glides his bike round in front of him, keeping him covered.
IMAL: YOU, PRIMITIVE, WOULD DO WELL NOT TO MOCK ME - OR TO ATTEMPT TO IMPEDE ME IN MY MISSION. I AM MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE.
DREDD: THAT A FACT?
LINK: ASSUMING YOU’RE TELLING THE TRUTH - WHICH I DOUBT - JUST WHAT HAS THIS CITIZEN DONE TO WARRANT YOUR ATTENTIONS?
3. Close on Imal’s sinister eyes.
IMAL: HE HAS DONE NOTHING.
IMAL: THE CRIMES ARE THE CRIMES OF HIS DESCENDANT, THE THOUGHT CRIMINAL GLAX PETROSIAN. THANKFULLY ONE OF OUR MIND READERS DETECTED HIS TREACHERY.
LINK: THE SEVEREST PUNISHMENT WAS IMPOSED - THE ANNIHILATION OF HIS LINE BACK UNTO THE 700TH GENERATION.
4. Dredd climbs off his bike, stopped about five metres away. He’s still pretty sceptical.
DREDD: AND I THOUGHT WE WERE TOUGH.
IMAL: I HAVE DESTROYED PETROSIAN’S LINE THROUGH 433 GENERATIONS.
DREDD: THINK WE BETTER RUN YOU DOWN TO THE PSYCHO CUBES, PAL, LET ‘EM LOOK YOU OVER
5. From behind Imal, looking towards Cindy Beale Block. Beyond Imal Dredd is closing in.
IMAL: THE LAST EXECUTION WAS NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE SUBJECT HAD BEEN FOREWARNED. SHE HAD ALTERED HER NAME AND SOUGHT TO HIDE FROM ME, BUT I FOUND HER.
LINK: BEFORE I ADMINISTERED PUNISHMENT SHE TOLD ME WHERE I WOULD FIND HER FATHER, ON THE DAY OF HER BIRTH - AND SHE TOLD ME HOW HE WOULD DIE.
LINK: BE ASSURED, NOTHING YOU ATTEMPT CAN CHANGE THAT.
6. Roughly the same angle, except Imal is no longer there. He’s teleported out (actually, he uses the time machine to do this). All we see in fg are a last few electrons. Dredd’s head is turned to look towards the entrance to the block, about 100 metres away, in front of which Imal has reappeared. Imal’s voice hangs in the air -
IMAL (NO TAIL): I GO NOW TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.
DREDD: DROKK!
PAGE 4
1. A small inset of a justice dept controller speaking into mike, over a shot of Dredd gunning his bike towards the block entrance.
CONTROL JAG: CONTROL TO DREDD! WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED WITH THAT TELEPORT CASE, GO TO CINDY BEALE MATERNITY UNIT. POSSIBLE SPOUSE TROUBLE --
LINK: SUBJECT KLUGMAN, PEART, BELIEVES EXPECTED CHILD OF WIFE PARMELA TO BE CURSED. HE MAY TRY TO HARM IT OR MOTHER. IF SEEN, DETAIN AND QUESTION.
DREDD: I’M BEGINNING TO THINK THIS CREEP MIGHT BE FOR REAL -
2. Dredd rides through the block toward the elevators. There’s no sign of Imal.
DREDD: NO SIGN OF HIM!
LINK: CONTROL! TELEPORT SUSPECT MAY BE EXECUTIONER FROM THE FUTURE! POSSIBLE CONNECTION WITH THAT LAST CALL! PROCEEDING TO BEALE BLOCK MATERNITY UNIT!
JAG: REPEAT THAT, DREDD. SOUNDED LIKE YOU SAID-
DREDD: YOU HEARD RIGHT!
3. Longish. Distraught, dishevelled Peart at reception desk of Block Clinic. Robot receptionist beckons forward two uniformed security men.
PEART: MY WIFE - KLUGMAN - PARMELA - SHE’S HAVING A BABY! I’VE GOT TO SPEAK TO HER! THERE’S STILL TIME!
RECEP: WE WERE TOLD YOU MIGHT BE COMING, MR KLUGMAN. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO OUR SECURITY CONSULTANTS?
4. Klugman dives under the legs of the security men, heading for the MATERNITY UNIT corridor, IN WHICH (in bg) IMAL is materialising.
PEART: GET OUT OF MY WAY! YOU DON’T REALISE HOW SERIOUS THIS IS FOR ME!
5. Peart comes to an abrupt stop in front of Imal.
IMAL: I HAVE COME FOR YOU, PEART KLUGMAN!
PEART: HU-UH - ?
6. Imal puts a hand on Peart’s shoulder, there’s a little electric discharge and Peart jerks as if stunned. In bg Dredd comes running into Maternity unit, gun drawn. Halfway between the two the two security men have stopped, in a quandary about what to do.
PEART: uHHhH!
DREDD: LET GO THAT CITIZEN, CREEP!
7. Dredd opens fire. A forcefield swells around Imal and the bullets bounce off. At the same time Imal stretches out his free hand and a bolt of power lances from it, through his forcefield.
FX: BDAM BDAM kzanggg
DREDD: NOBODY GETS AWAY WITH MURDER IN THIS CITY!
IMAL: YOU HAVE FAILED TO UNDERSTAND! NOT MURDER - JUSTICE!
PAGE 5
1. The powerbolt hits Dredd as he reaches the security men - and lifts him off his feet and carries him backwards with the force of a piledriver. The security men, needless to say, are not going to take Imal on.
IMAL: AND THE OUTCOME IS A MATTER OF RECORD!
FX: FZAMMMMMMMMMM
DREDD: UNGGG!
2. The beam carries him round a bend (who understands future technology?) and all the way to the reception desk, or to a drinks machine, which he breaks in half or buckles as he hits it.
FX: WHIZZZZ ZUNK!
3. Peart, who has recovered his senses - though he’s shaky - looks fearfully at Imal.
PEART: WHO-WHO ARE YOU - ?
IMAL: YOUR EXECUTIONER.
LINK: YOU ARE TO WITNESS THE BIRTH BEFORE YOU DIE. COME, LET US PROCEED.
4. Still with a grip of Peart, Imal heads on through the doors of the MATERNITY UNIT. Stay close on them.
PEART: WHY? WHY? WH-WHAT HAVE I DONE? I-I DON’T UNDERSTAND!
IMAL: YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS NOT REQUIRED.
LINK: I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOU REGARDING YOUR FOREBEARS. IT IS NOT VITAL THAT YOU ANSWER, BUT IF YOU DO IT COULD GREATLY ASSIST ME IN THE ANNIHILATION OF YOUR LINE.
5. Dredd picks himself out of the wreckage, intending to hurry after Imal.
DREDD: CREEP’S GOT WEAPONS LIKE WE’VE NEVER DREAMED ABOUT!
6. The birthing room, where the baby’s just been born. Rather than on a table Parmela is held in an airbed, jets of air from underneath supporting her in mid-air. Robot midwives/Docs around her, assisting, one holding the newborn girl.
ROBOT: IT’S A LITTLE GIRL, PARMELA!
7. As Parmela takes hold of the baby - wrapped in a shawl now - she sees, up in a glassed in viewers’ gallery, Peart and Imal.
PARMELA: UP THERE - IT’S HIM! MY HUSBAND!
PAGE 6
1. In close fg Imal takes Peart’s head in his hands. The electrical charge running through Peart’s head is now fierce, and his head catches fire. Looking past this we see horrified Parmela below.
PARMELA: MY GRUD, WHAT’S THAT MAN DOING? P-PEART! SOMEBODY STOP HIM!
PEART: UH - UHH - UHHHHHHHHHH
FX: vzzztttttt
IMAL: IT IS NECESSARY THAT YOUR END BE SUITABLY HORRIFIC, AS A LESSON TO ALL WHO WOULD DISOBEY OUR LAWS.
2. Dredd bursts into the gallery, opens fire, just as Imal drops Peart, his head aflame, and starts to dematerialise. Dredd’s bullets are deflected.
DREDD: DROKK - TOO LATE! TELEPORTING OUT - !
FX: BDAM BDAM!
3. Dredd looks down on dead Peart, flames dying on his smouldering head. He’s well dead.
CAPTION: THEN THERE WAS ONLY THE LIFELESS BODY OF PEART KLUGMAN - AND THE SCREAMS OF HIS WIFE AND CHILD…
4. Later, a distraught Parmela sits in a hoverchair holding her newborn baby and dabbing her own tears away with a hankie. Dredd discusses the case with her as a body bag is pushed by in a hovergurney by forensic judges.
CAPTION: LATER -
PARMELA: SO HE WAS RIGHT ALL THE TIME - THERE WAS A CURSE. POOR PEART! I FEEL SO GUILTY -
LINK: YOU’VE GOT TO CATCH THAT CREATURE, JUDGE DREDD! YOU’VE GOT TO STOP HIM!
5. Headshot, grim Dredd.
DREDD: I WISH I KNEW HOW.
LINK: WE CHECKED ON PEART’S FAMILY HISTORY. HIS FATHER WAS FOUND DECAPITATED TWO DAYS AFTER PEART’S BIRTH. THEY PULLED HIS GRANDFATHER OUT OF A SEWAGE PIT -- IT GOES ON…
LINK: THE GENERATION KILLER HAS GONE ON INTO THE PAST, AND WHATEVER EVIL HE’S DONE HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
BELOW: REST ASSURED, ONCE OUR TECHNOLOGY IS ADVANCED ENOUGH WE’LL TRACK HIM DOWN AND MAKE HIM PAY FOR HIS CRIMES. UNTIL THEN…
6. Parmela fearful, Dredd is looking at her baby.
PARMELA: B-BUT THE FUTURE - WE CAN STOP IT HAPPENING THERE, CAN’T WE?
DREDD: I…DON’T KNOW, CITIZEN. IF WHAT THE CREEP SAID WAS TRUE, IT’S ALREADY HAPPENED THERE TOO. HE COULD BE THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME FOR THIS CITY.
7. Just aghast Parmela clutching her baby. Dredd rests a comforting hand on her shoulder.
DREDD: I GUESS SOME CREEPS DO GET AWAY WITH MURDER!
THE END
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