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LAND OF THE LOST
"Crystals Are a Sleestak's Best Friend"
FIRST DRAFT "Crystals Are a Sleestak's Best Friend" TEASER
FADE IN: EXT. JUNGLE—DAY SHUNG and his lackeys, NIM and KEEG, stalk through the jungle. Nim and Keeg are scanning a stony escarpment that runs alongside their path as they walk.
While Shung grumbles, he walks right past a cave entrance set into the rock.
Shung walks over to the entrance and peers in.
Shung enters. Nim and Keeg follow. INT. CAVE TUNNEL—DAY Shung, Nim, and Keeg travel through a narrow stone passage, dimly lit by sunlight from the entrance. A few Sleestak engravings adorn the walls. INT. CRYSTAL CHAMBER—DAY Shung, Nim, and Keeg enter a stone chamber which contains a giant, 6-faceted crystal set upon a stone base. Diffuse sunlight enters from above. Shung looks up at the source. SHUNG’S POV—CEILING Sunlight filters through vegetation partially covering a hole in the ceiling. BACK TO SCENE Sensing a turn-of-fortune, Shung reaches out and touches the crystal. It begins to glow a weak blue. We HEAR a soft hum. CLOSEUP—SHUNG as he closes his eyes in concentration. BACK TO SCENE Shung focuses his will through the crystal until a bolt of energy surges out of it, upward, clearing the opening above and allowing the sunlight to strike the crystal. The crystal’s glow increases to a bright blue. Nim and Keeg cover their ears from the loud HUM which now permeates the chamber. Shung ends the display with a thought and a sweep of his arm. CLOSE SHOT—SHUNG
FADE OUT. END TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN: EXT. TREEHOUSE—DAY TOM, KEVIN, and ANNIE PORTER work at individual tasks outside their treehouse home, finishing morning chores. Tom is chopping wood. Kevin is drying the truck, which he just washed. A bucket and wet rag sit nearby. Annie picks some large melons from the garden, searching for the ripe ones and placing them in a basket. TASHA follows her along. AD LIB as Annie finds herself continuously scolding Tasha for trying to eat the leaves off the garden plants. She tells Tasha to go away, but the puerile dinosaur refuses.
SHOT OF LOG as Tom slams the ax into it angrily. BACK TO SCENE
Kevin is taken aback by his father’s outburst. But, he has indeed finished his chore, so he tosses the rag to the ground.
Tasha runs to Kevin. He begins to shoot baskets at the homemade basketball hoop, teasing Tasha with the ball.
EXT. TREEHOUSE—LATER THAT MORNING Tasha has the basketball and will not give it up. Kevin, sweaty and breathing heavily, plops into a chair.
Kevin looks away nonchalantly. It is clear that Tasha is not interested in the ball unless Kevin is too. She begins to walk dejectedly away with it. Suddenly, Kevin jumps up and tries to grab the ball away from her. Tasha holds on and they wrestle with it until she loses her grip and tumbles into the chair, knocking it over.
Annie, still in the garden, looks on.
Kevin opens his mouth and shakes his head in mock amusement. He sets the chair upright again. Annie places the final melon in the large basket. She lifts the basket, but finds it too heavy to carry easily.
Tom looks up from the work of stacking the wood he has chopped.
From the distance we hear STINK’S voice.
Stink the Pakuni suddenly bounds into view. He looks around.
Not waiting for an answer, Stink goes to Annie, whom he sees struggling with the basket of melons.
They begin to carry the basket together towards the ladder. Kevin gazes toward the horizon with an odd expression. Tom approaches.
Before Kevin can answer SERIES OF SHOTS as the Porter family and Stink are caught by a quake. They stumble around for several seconds. Annie and Stink spill the melons to the ground. BACK TO SCENE The quake ends.
Everyone nods.
Suddenly, the ground shakes again, accompanied by strong winds. SHOT OF SKY as dark clouds roll in. BACK TO SCENE Tom suddenly races up the ladder, into the treehose, leaving the others behind, bewildered. He returns quickly with Kevin’s portable television. The television’s snowy screen is distorted by strange interference and a high-pitched SQUEAL emits from the speaker.
Tom pats Kevin on the back, laughing.
Excited, the Porters and Tasha run to the truck. Stink is left standing in the clearing.
Tom starts engine.
AD LIB as the Porters say good-bye, wondering if they will ever see Stink and Christa again. They drive off.
Then Stink dashes off to find Christa. EXT. JUNGLE—DAY Nim and Keeg walk through the jungle, each carrying a pair of animal-skin sacks stuffed with items from their old lair. They are both wet and they stumble during the occasional quake. THUNDER and the agitated ROARS of dinosaurs can be heard.
The rain starts again.
SERIES OF SHOTS as the Porters drive through the jungle, searching for the epicenter of the quakes, using the television as a homing device. Rain pelts the truck in bizarre fits and starts. EXT. JUNGLE—DAY The Porters see a portal in the distance and race toward it, but it is already fading and is gone when they reach the spot. Inside the truck, Kevin holds the television in his lap and it continues to behave strangely.
They speed onward until Tom suddenly slams on the brakes.
SHOT OF DINOSAURS stampeding in front of the truck. They are terrified by the seismic disturbances and unusual weather. Finally, they pass to reveal SHOT OF SCARFACE as he runs straight towards a portal which has materialized in the jungle beyond. SHOT OF PORTERS sitting in the truck, startled.
END ACT ONE
ACT TWO
FADE IN: SHOT OF SCARFACE running toward the portal. SHOT OF PORTERS inside the truck, watching with apprehensive looks on their faces.
Tom hits the accelerator and guns the vehicle forward, leaning on the HORN. SHOT OF SCARFACE as he turns at the sound and ROARS. SHOT OF TRUCK as the engine suddenly dies and it rolls to a stop. SHOT OF PORTERS inside the truck as Tom turns the key frantically.
SHOT OF TRUCK AND SCARFACE as Scarface comes upon them and digs at the hood of the truck with one foot. SHOT OF PORTAL as it fades away. SHOT OF PORTERS in the truck.
SHOT OF TRUCK AND SCARFACE as he lunges at the cab. Suddenly, lightning strikes a nearby tree. Intimidated by the blast, Scarface backs off in confusion, then bolts into the jungle. SHOT OF PORTERS in the truck, as they all breath a sigh of relief.
Kevin moves the televison around and gets a new heading.
Tom continues to turn the key, but the truck still refuses to start.
They climb out of the truck and head off. EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE—DAY The Porters approach, just as another downpour is ending. They enter the cave, following the signal of the television which Kevin still holds. INT. CAVE TUNNEL—DAY As the Porters pass through the tunnel they HEAR Shung singing his own praises to himself. Kevin quickly shuts off the television and Annie quiets the murmurings of Tasha.
Tom begins to back them all down the passage, but Shung’s voice freezes them in their tracks.
The Porters and Tasha begin moving forward, but it is clear that their muscles are moving involuntarily. INT. CRYSTAL CHAMBER—DAY Shung’s will, exerted through the crystal, forces the Porters against the wall farthest from him, the crystal standing between them.
MED. SHOT—NIM AND KEEG as Keeg mutters under his breath to Nim.
BACK TO SCENE
Thrusting an arm out towards Keeg, Shung sends an invisible force plowing into him, slamming Keeg against the wall. Keeg bounces off and stumbles around with a limp.
SHOT OF PORTERS still held against the wall.
But it is no use. Shung’s experience with crystals makes him too powerful. BACK TO SCENE Shung returns his attention to the Porters.
Kevin clearly tries to resist, but Shung’s mental power forces the words from him.
Shung moves away and sets the television down.
CLOSE SHOT—SHUNG rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
BACK TO SCENE Shung concentrates on the crystal. SHOT OF CRYSTAL as an image begins to appear on each facet of the crystal; an image of CHRISTA and Stink as they follow the tire tracks through the jungle. SHOT OF CAVE WALL A smaller version of a portal begins to form in front of the wall, accompanied by quaking. BACK TO SCENE
Shung replies by shoving the two Sleestaks back with an unseen hand. SHOT OF CRYSTAL which shows an image of Christa and Stink as they are enveloped by the fog. SHOT OF PORTAL as Christa and Stink appear in the chamber, the mists fading away. BACK TO SCENE with Christa and Stink now present. Christa immediately takes in all around her and raises her staff to swing at Shung. Shung exerts his will through the crystal, causing Christa’s hands to shake uncontrollably until she drops the weapon. Christa and Stink are rooted to the spot by Shung’s power as he approaches. Christa’s face twists in dertermination to break free. Shung raises his club above his head.
Suddenly, Kevin breaks free of the mental shackles.
Shung whirls, grabbing his head in pain.
The distraction allows all of the prisoners to break free.
Shung fights to regain mental control. The crystal glows intensely, emitting a shrill HUM. Nim and Keeg cower in fear.
But the two run from the cave.
EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE—DAY Nim and Keeg exit the cave, running. Dust and debris begin to fall from the shaking walls and ceiling.
They rush off. INT. CRYSTAL CHAMBER—DAY as the battle continues. Shung is brought to the ground by the mental attack. Kevin grabs his television and, as the cave starts to collapse around them, all but Shung run from the cave. The crystal glows fiercely and then disintegrates in a fierce blast. EXT. JUNGLE—DAY The truck sits where the Porters left it. Tom hops in and finds that it will now start.
They load Tasha into the back end. Annie and Stink climb into the front with Tom, while Christa sits in the backseat with Kevin. They drive back to the treehouse.
INT. OLD SLEESTAK LAIR—NIGHT Nim and Keeg gnaw the last bites off of a couple of bones. Shung staggers in, exhausted and in pain. Seeing him, Nim and Keeg scurry back, Keeg limping. Shung settles upon his throne.
Nim shoves Keeg.
INT. TREEHOUSE—NIGHT The Porters, Christa, and Stink all sit at the table discussing the events of the day.
Embarrassed, Kevin looks down at his hands, wringing them.
Christa gives Kevin a peck on the cheek, while Annie scowls as if Christa has lost her mind. Then, Stink also gives Kevin a kiss.
THE END
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