LAND OF THE LOST
"Crystals Are a
Sleestak's Best Friend"
Written
by
Clayton
Barr
FIRST DRAFT
LAND
OF THE LOST
"Crystals Are a
Sleestak's Best Friend"
TEASER
FADE IN:
EXT. JUNGLEDAY
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.
SHUNG
Search well, Sleestaks! Most
of the powerful crystals are gone, mined by the ancient Sleestak
civilization that existed here, on the surface, long ago. We cannot
afford to allow any crystals to pass by unnoticed.
(clenches his fists)
Blast the humans! They destroyed
my crystal, my most coveted possession! When I have a new one,
the Longhair and Porters shall feel my wrath!
While Shung grumbles, he walks right
past a cave entrance set into the rock.
NIM
(pointing)
Look, Shung! A cave.
KEEG
We have never been here before.
Maybe there are crystals inside.
Shung walks over to the entrance and
peers in.
SHUNG
There are Sleestak engravings
within. Perhaps well find some useful artifacts. Come!
Shung enters. Nim and Keeg follow.
INT. CAVE TUNNELDAY
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 CHAMBERDAY
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.
SHUNGS POVCEILING
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.
CLOSEUPSHUNG
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 crystals 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 SHOTSHUNG
SHUNG
Perhaps I should thank the
humans for compelling me to search for this...
(clenches a fist in
the air)
...my new crystal!
FADE OUT.
END TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. TREEHOUSEDAY
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.
ANNIE
(exasperated)
Kevin, will you call Tasha
over there?
KEVIN
(sarcastic)
Yeah, right. Like I really
want her over here bothering me.
ANNIE
Youre such a dweeb, Kevin!
Shes going to ruin the garden and itll take me forever
to finish picking these melons.
KEVIN
Forget it, sister. Uh-uh. No
way. Strike out.
SHOT OF LOG
as Tom slams the ax into it angrily.
BACK TO SCENE
TOM
(shouts)
Kevin, why do you have to be
such a pain-in-the...
(pause)
Youre worse than Tasha!
Cant you and Annie get along and help each other just once-in-a-while?
Looks to me like youre just about done with the truck anyway,
so keep Tasha occupied for a while! Will you please?
Kevin is taken aback by his fathers
outburst. But, he has indeed finished his chore, so he tosses the rag
to the ground.
KEVIN
(clapping)
Come here, Tasha.
Tasha runs to Kevin. He begins to shoot
baskets at the homemade basketball hoop, teasing Tasha with the ball.
FADE TO:
EXT. TREEHOUSELATER THAT MORNING
Tasha has the basketball and will not
give it up. Kevin, sweaty and breathing heavily, plops into a chair.
KEVIN
Fine. Keep the stupid ball,
you dumb dino.
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.
KEVIN
Oh, great going, Tasha! Now
look what you did!
Annie, still in the garden, looks on.
ANNIE
(sarcastically)
Thank heaven no one was killed!
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.
ANNIE
(pleading)
Kevin, please help me carry
this upstairs, will you?
KEVIN
(assumes a put upon
expression)
What? Now Im supposed
to do your chores, too?
Tom looks up from the work of stacking
the wood he has chopped.
TOM
(warningly)
Kevin..!
KEVIN
Is she going to help me clean
the spark plugs this afternoon?
From the distance we hear STINKS
voice.
STINK (O.S.)
Stink help!
Stink the Pakuni suddenly bounds into
view. He looks around.
STINK
What "bark plugs"?
Not waiting for an answer, Stink goes
to Annie, whom he sees struggling with the basket of melons.
ANNIE
Hi, Stink.
STINK
Acuba ne. Stink help Annie
Porter for very small price!
(takes a melon from
the basket)
One fruit!
ANNIE
Deal!
STINK
Good deal!
They begin to carry the basket together
towards the ladder.
Kevin gazes toward the horizon with
an odd expression. Tom approaches.
TOM
Whats the matter, Kev?
KEVIN
Ive been watching those
clouds. Theyre kind of funny...
TOM
You mean funny "strange"
or funny "hoo-ha"?
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.
TOM
Is everyone okay?
Everyone nods.
ANNIE
That was the biggest one yet!
TOM
Yeah, and the fourth one this
morning!
STINK
(nodding)
Malu!
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 Kevins portable television.
The televisions snowy screen
is distorted by strange interference and a high-pitched SQUEAL emits from
the speaker.
TOM
(excited)
Kevin, Annie. look! I think
another portal is opening. All the indications are just like last
time!
ANNIE
Youre right! The quakes
and the wind, the T.V. interference; just like when we homed in
on that one portal!
KEVIN
(looks back up at sky)
But what about these weird
storm clouds, dad?
Tom pats Kevin on the back, laughing.
TOM
You just washed the car, Kev!
Of course its going to rain!
(rattles keys in hand)
Ive got the keys right
here. Lets go right now before we lose our chance again!
Excited, the Porters and Tasha run
to the truck. Stink is left standing in the clearing.
KEVIN
Come on, Stinkmeister!
ANNIE
Yeah, even if you cant
come home with us, you can see us off.
STINK
Stink no go! Porters always
find trouble!
KEVIN
No way!
STINK
(nodding vigorously)
Way!
(pause)
Also, Christa say good-bye,
too! Stink find, then Christa and Stink follow tracks.
Tom starts engine.
TOM
Okay, Stink. I hope we dont
miss you,
(MORE)
TOM (CONT'D)
but well have to take
the first chance we
get to go home.
STINK
(saddened)
Okay, Porters.
(pause)
Stink hurry! Find Christa!
AD LIB as the Porters say good-bye,
wondering if they will ever see Stink and Christa again. They drive off.
STINK
(sadly)
Acuba ne, Porters.
Then Stink dashes off to find Christa.
EXT. JUNGLEDAY
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.
KEEG
Finally, the rain stopped!
Tell Shung to stop messing around with the weather!
NIM
You tell him!
KEEG
Why do we have to move into
this new cave anyway? I liked the old one!
NIM
Because that is what Shung
decided.
KEEG
Why does Shung get to make
all the decisions while we get to do all the work?
NIM
Because were stupid lizards!
KEEG
If Shung would stop and help
us, we would be done by now!
NIM
Hes too busy playing
with his new crystal!
The rain starts again.
NIM and KEEG
(simultaneously)
I hate Shung!
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. JUNGLEDAY
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.
KEVIN
Dad! The T.V. is still picking
up something.
TOM
It must be homing in on another
source of electromagnetic interference.
Kevin moves the television around
to find the direction.
ANNIE
(looking at a compass)
North-east, dad.
They speed onward until Tom suddenly
slams on the brakes.
CUT TO:
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.
ANNIE
(yelling)
Dad! Scarface is going to run
through the portal!
FADE OUT.
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
We cant let a T. Rex
get through to run rampant on our world!
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.
TOM
The engines conked out,
just like that other time we tried to drive through a portal.
It wont start.
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.
KEVIN
(sweating)
Well, at least we saved Earth...
CUT TO:
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.
ANNIE
Boy, this freaky weather actually
worked to our advantage!
KEVIN
The portals gone now,
though.
TOM
What about the T.V?
KEVIN
Its still going crazy!
Kevin moves the televison around and
gets a new heading.
KEVIN
(pointing)
That way.
Tom continues to turn the key, but
the truck still refuses to start.
TOM
Well have to go on foot.
They climb out of the truck and head
off.
EXT. CAVE ENTRANCEDAY
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 TUNNELDAY
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
(whispering)
We better get out of here!
Tom begins to back them all down the
passage, but Shungs voice freezes them in their tracks.
SHUNG (O.S.)
Not so fast, Porters!
The Porters and Tasha begin moving
forward, but it is clear that their muscles are moving involuntarily.
INT. CRYSTAL CHAMBERDAY
Shungs will, exerted through
the crystal, forces the Porters against the wall farthest from him, the
crystal standing between them.
KEVIN
(astonished)
Dad! Thats the same type
of crystal
TOM
(interrupting)
I know!
SHUNG
You know nothing, Porter. Unless
its that you are weak and I am all-powerful!
Just then, Nim and Keeg enter, each
with a wooden cage containing a small animal.
NIM
We caught food, Shung, like
you commanded.
SHUNG
(throws back his head)
Bah!
(indicates Porters)
I have plenty of food right
here! I captured them easily where you two lizards always failed!
MED. SHOTNIM AND KEEG
as Keeg mutters under his breath to
Nim.
KEEG
We did catch them, and Shung
always let them escape!
BACK TO SCENE
SHUNG
(to Keeg, angrily)
What was that, wart-picker?
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.
KEEG
(groveling)
I meant nothing, Shung! I serve
faithfully!
SHOT OF PORTERS
still held against the wall.
TOM
(whispering)
Try to resist...use the crystal
against him...
But it is no use. Shungs experience
with crystals makes him too powerful.
BACK TO SCENE
Shung returns his attention to the
Porters.
SHUNG
What has brought you here,
Porters?
TOM
We were just exploring and
saw the cave entrance. We decided to check it out.
SHUNG
(approaching)
Is that so?
(grabs T.V. from Kevin)
And what is this device?
KEVIN
Nothing.
SHUNG
Nothing? You lie!
(grips Kevins
jaw)
Tell me why you have come here,
Quickmouth!
Kevin clearly tries to resist, but
Shungs mental power forces the words from him.
KEVIN
(stuttering in strain)
Were searching for a
portal...a gateway...to take us back to our world. The T.V. leads
us to them...but it led us here...
Shung moves away and sets the television
down.
SHUNG
(laughing)
You bring new meaning to your
name, Quickmouth!
CLOSE SHOTSHUNG
rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
SHUNG
A gateway, you say? Hmmm...perhaps
I can open my own gateway, to bring a certain two individuals
here, to complete my revenge...
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
NIM
Dont bring the Longhair,
Shung! Shell ruin your plans!
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 Christas hands to shake uncontrollably until
she drops the weapon.
Christa and Stink are rooted to the
spot by Shungs power as he approaches. Christas face twists
in dertermination to break free.
Shung raises his club above his head.
SHUNG
You will be the first to die,
Longhair, my great foe!
Suddenly, Kevin breaks free of the
mental shackles.
KEVIN
(shouting)
No!
Shung whirls, grabbing his head in
pain.
KEVIN
You wont hurt Christa...or
any of us!
The distraction allows all of the prisoners
to break free.
TOM
Now! Everyone! Focus your will
through the crystaltowards Shung!
Shung fights to regain mental control.
The crystal glows intensely, emitting a shrill HUM. Nim and Keeg cower
in fear.
SHUNG
(staggering)
Help me, lizards!
But the two run from the cave.
SHUNG
Come back here, Sleestaks!
Youll pay for your betrayal!
EXT. CAVE ENTRANCEDAY
Nim and Keeg exit the cave, running.
Dust and debris begin to fall from the shaking walls and ceiling.
NIM
Shung brings his own downfall.
Were not to blame for his foolishness. He deserves his fate.
KEEG
Let us go, before the humans
decide to kill us, too!
They rush off.
INT. CRYSTAL CHAMBERDAY
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. JUNGLEDAY
The truck sits where the Porters left
it. Tom hops in and finds that it will now start.
TOM
That crystal must have been
causing the interference that prevented it from starting before.
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.
FADE TO:
INT. OLD SLEESTAK LAIRNIGHT
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.
SHUNG
Bring me food. And why do you
limp, Keeg?
KEEG
Dont you remember
Nim shoves Keeg.
NIM
(whispering to Keeg)
Shut up, Keeg! Hes lost
his memory of our "betrayal."
SHUNG
(growing sleepy)
It is fortunate you missed
the battle; you two wart-lickers would have been slain instantly
by the Longhair.
(pause)
But the humans only think they
have defeated me. The Quickmouth will pay dearly for the destruction
of the crystal. One day he and his precious Longhair will beg
me for mercy! And they will get none!
INT. TREEHOUSENIGHT
The Porters, Christa, and Stink all
sit at the table
discussing the events of the day.
TOM
All those portals must have
been opened by Shung, unintentionally, when he was messing with
the crystal. If we can find another one someday, it could be our
ticket out of here!
ANNIE
If Shung survived that explosion,
he might find one first!
KEVIN
Maybe we should have gone back
and made sure Shung was dead.
TOM
No. Were not like Shung.
Were not killers. Its enough that we prevented him
from using that crystal ever again.
(pause)
And we defeated him with teamwork,
thanks to Kevins lead! Good work, Kev!
Embarrassed, Kevin looks down at his
hands, wringing them.
CHRISTA
(smiling brightly)
Yes. You save Christas
life...all our lives. Daiyay. Thank you, Kevin Porter...
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.
STINK
Thank you, Kevin Porter!
FADE OUT.
THE END
|