“ACID
DEATH”
FADE
IN:
EXT.
AFRICAN VILLAGE - NIGHT
1973
THE BELGIAN CONGO
A
helicopter lands in the center of the small African village. The village
consists of a few grass huts and not much more. The helicopter door swings
open, and LT. DOBBS, a husky military man, exits.
He
is greeted by HICKS, a female scientist, and LA POINT, an African field doctor.
DOBBS
(To
Hicks)
Who made the call?
HICKS
I did.
DOBBS
I’m lieutenant Dobbs. 82nd Airborne.
Dobbs
shakes Hicks hand.
HICKS
Judy Hicks. CDC. And this is La Point with the World
Health Organization.
Dobbs
shakes La Point’s hand.
DOBBS
What’s the situation?
Hicks
flashes a look of concern at La Point, then looks at Dobbs.
HICKS
It would be easier to show you.
Hicks
and La Point walk towards a grass hut. Dobbs follows.
INT.
GRASS HUT #1 - NIGHT
Dobbs,
Hicks, and La Point stand in the entrance of the grass hut. In the hut are SIX
VILLAGERS, in the advanced stages of a hemorrhagic fever.
The
villagers moan and writhe as blood and puss oozes from every pore in their
bodies. Dobbs is absolutely horrified.
DOBBS
Jesus, Mary and Joseph. What happened here?
LA
POINT
They are suffering from Congolese Fever. The insides
of their bodies liquefy and they slowly, and painfully, bleed to death.
DOBBS
Is there a cure? Can’t you do something for these
people?
LA
POINT
Unfortunately, no. The patients have not responded
to any treatment, and so far, we have a 100 percent fatality rate.
VILLAGER
#1 looks up at Dobbs and launches thick black vomit that engulfs his face.
Dobbs becomes hysterical. He draws his service revolver and begins firing at
the villagers.
The
villagers squirm as they are hit by bullet after bullet. La Point tackles Dobbs
and drags him out of the hut.
EXT.
AFRICAN VILLAGE - NIGHT
La
Point wrestles with Dobbs in front of the grass hut. Hicks stands in the
doorway, observing the melee.
DOBBS
I’m going to die. I’m going to fucking die. Oh God
why me?
LA
POINT
Calm down man. The virus is only lethal to this
particular tribe. It can’t be transmitted to outsiders.
Dobbs
stops struggling.
DOBBS
Are you sure?
LA
POINT
Absolutely. You have nothing to fear.
La
Point gets off of Dobbs. Both men rise, and dust themselves off. Dobbs wipes
the black vomit from his face.
DOBBS
I’m getting the fuck out of here. Where’s Evan?
LA
POINT
Forget about him. You are supposed to be bringing us
medical supplies.
DOBBS
I’m getting my soldier, and leaving this hell-hole.
If you were smart, you’d come with me.
La
Point looks disappointed.
LA
POINT
You’re just another chicken-shit in a big bad
uniform. So you got a little black vomit on your face, there are people dying,
who need supplies.
DOBBS
You said it yourself, they’re all going to die. Now
would you kindly tell me where the fuck Evan is?
La Point
gestures to another grass hut. Dobbs turns and walks towards it.
LA
POINT
(To
Dobbs)
Don’t you care about the suffering?
Without
turning around, Dobbs answers.
DOBBS
It’s your country and your disease. Why should I
give a fuck?
Dobbs
enters the second grass hut.
INT.
GRASS HUT #2 - NIGHT
EVAN,
a young American soldier, and the village WITCH DOCTOR are sitting around a
fire. The Witch Doctor is decked out in traditional costume. Evan has tribal
paint on his face.
Evan
and the Witch Doctor are eating odd looking roots and berries. Dobbs stands at
the door.
DOBBS
Private. What the hell do you think you are doing?
Evan
looks up at Dobbs with a goofy smile.
EVAN
Hey, man. How’s it going?
DOBBS
Pack up your gear, soldier. We are evacuating.
Evan
points over to the Witch Doctor.
EVAN
You got to check this guy out. His name’s Umbuto, or
something like that. He’s been giving me some shit that would blow your fucking
mind.
Dobbs
looks at the Witch Doctor, who flashes a “peace” sign. Angered, Dobbs grabs
Evan and brings him to his feet.
DOBBS
The chopper leaves in thirty seconds. If you are not
on it, I will personally tear your ass in half and feed it to a water buffalo.
EVAN
Groovy.
Dobbs
turns and storms out. The Witch Doctor stands and approaches Evan. He gives
Evan a woven bag full of “medicine”. The two men do an elaborate jive hand
shake. Evan smiles and exits.
INT.
HELICOPTER - NIGHT
Evan
and Dobbs sit in the back of the helicopter, as it flies over the darkened
jungle. Evan is loopy and Dobbs is stoic.
EVAN
Hey Sarge?
DOBBS
That’s lieutenant.
EVAN
Did you know that I am the Walrus?
DOBBS
When we get back to base, I’m going to see to it,
that you get transferred to ‘Nam.
EVAN
No, wait. I’m the lizard king, and you are the
Walrus.
Dobbs
tries to ignore the intoxicated Evan.
EVAN
But, then who is the egg man?
The
helicopter PILOT turns around and adds to the conversation.
PILOT
I think John is the egg man, isn’t he.
Dobbs
erupts in anger.
DOBBS
Will you two shut the fuck up?
Evan
stands up and starts dancing around the chopper. He sings.
EVAN
I am the walrus. I am the walrus. I am the egg man.
Coo coo ka choo.
Dobbs
realizes that the situation is futile. He buries his head in his hands. Evan
drops to the floor and frantically brushes imaginary serpents, from his legs.
EVAN
Snakes. Snakes. Get them off of me, man.
Evan
clings to Dobbs' leg. He curls up, around Dobbs' feet. Dobbs kicks Evan away.
DISSOLVE TO:
ROLL
CREDITS:
MONTAGE:
The
credits roll over a montage of news footage from the late Sixties and early
Seventies. The footage includes Vietnam, Woodstock, Kent State, and other
counter culture related footage. The montage is SCORED by some trippy ACID
ROCK.
END
CREDITS:
DISSOLVE TO:
INT.
SCHOOL/HALLWAY - DAY
NOWHERESVILLE,
U.S.A. - PRESENT DAY
CRAIG
and HOWARD, a couple of athletic seniors, stroll down the busy high school
hallway. Craig is white and Howard is black. Craig is chewing gum.
CRAIG
The thing is, you can’t just use regular gum. That’s
why I chew Mint-A -Goo. It has the perfect consistency, as well as a special
breath-freshening agent.
HOWARD
I never thought about it like that. I feel as if I’m
in the presence of true genius.
Craig
and Howard are walking towards THEL, a nerdy sixteen-year-old young man, and
PAM his equally nerdy female friend. Thel looks as if his mother picked his
clothes out, and Pam is part vagrant and part Gothic Rocker, in her all black
thrift store clothing.
CRAIG
Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.
Craig
takes the gum out of his mouth. As he passes Thel, he mashes the gum into
Thel’s hair. Craig and Howard laugh hysterically, as they continue down the
hall. Pam looks in disbelief at Thel, who is thoroughly defeated.
PAM
Doesn’t that bother you?
THEL
Those jerks have been picking on me since the second
grade. I’m so used to it, I don’t even notice anymore.
PAM
I think you should go tell Principal James.
THEL
Why? So I can get beaten up for ratting on them. No
thanks.
Pam
looks sympathetically into Thel’s eyes.
PAM
Are we still on for tonight?
THEL
I guess.
PAM
Great. Justin and I will be over around eight.
Pam
smiles and walks away.
INT.
SCHOOL/CLASSROOM - DAY
Thel
is sitting in the front row. The teacher isn’t in the room yet, so the students
are acting rowdy. KELLY, a beautiful blonde girl, is sitting behind Thel. She
taps him on the shoulder.
KELLY
Excuse me. Did you know you have gum in your hair?
Thel
turns around. He is surprised that Kelly would even speak to him.
THEL
Huh?
KELLY
You know, if you put some ice on it, the gum will
come out a lot easier.
The
teacher, MR. RYAN, enters the room. He is new-age bleeding-heart type man in
his mid-forties.
THEL
Thanks.
Kelly
smiles at Thel. He turns back towards the front of the class. He has a
goofy/happy look on his face. The students settle down, as Mr. Ryan sits on the
front of his desk.
MR.
RYAN
Okay class, when I mention the Sixties, what do you
think about?
STUDENT
#1
Drugs.
The
class laughs.
MR.
RYAN
Yes, drugs were a part of it, but what else?
STUDENT
#2
More drugs.
The
class laughs again.
MR.
RYAN
What I’m trying to get at is that the Sixties were a
turbulent and wonderful decade. My generation stopped the war in Vietnam. We
fought for civil rights and brought about social equality. We changed the
world.
STUDENT
#3
Put it back the way it was, right now. The world
sucks.
Once
again, the class laughs.
MR.
RYAN
That’s up to you guys. If you don’t like the way
things are, you have to change them.
KELLY
Mr. Ryan. I thought this was supposed to be English,
not Ancient History.
MR.
RYAN
I’m getting to that, Kelly. You’re assignment, for
the weekend, is to write a protest song. You don’t have to score the music.
Just compose a poem. Something you feel strongly about. You can point out an
injustice, or just write about something that makes you angry.
Mr.
Ryan looks around the room.
MR.
RYAN
Are there any questions?
Everyone
but Thel raises his or her hand.
INT.
SCHOOL/HALLWAY - DAY
The
bell rings, and Mr. Ryan’s class empties into the hallway. As Thel is leaving
the classroom, Mr. Ryan catches up to him.
MR.
RYAN
Thel. I’m really looking forward to reading your
protest song.
THEL
Really?
MR.
RYAN
Sure. You are one of my best students. I always
enjoy your writing.
THEL
Thank you.
Mr.
Ryan pats Thel on the shoulder.
MR.
RYAN
Have a great weekend, buddy.
Mr.
Ryan disappears into the mass of students in the hallway. Thel seems to have a
little confidence.
EXT.
SCHOOL/COURTYARD - DAY
School
has let out, and the students are heading for their busses. Thel walks alone.
He is approached by LUCKY, an ornery looking skinhead.
LUCKY
Hey. I heard what that nigger Howard did to you.
THEL
What do you mean?
LUCKY
How he put the gum in your hair.
THEL
Actually, it was Craig.
LUCKY
He’s even worse. He’s a race trading nigger lover.
If you want to get even with those fuckers, you should hook up with me and my
crew.
THEL
I’ll certainly think about it.
Lucky
starts to walk away.
LUCKY
Don’t think about it too long. The survival of the
white race depends upon it.
Thel
feels the wad of gum that is still in his hair.
