Untitled Zombie Project
Over the last week I have had a persistent image of a zombie movie running through my head. At first it started with a man running through an enormous field full of dandelions with a zombie chasing him. In my head, I always pictured Devotchka's song "How it ends" playing in the background. Last night, I decided to try to put my vision into screenplay format. This is the result, hope you like it:
BLACK SCREEN:
We hear the beginning of Devotchka’s song “How it Ends”. Layered on top of this song is the gasping breath of someone running very hard. This continues for about 20 seconds until the song’s heavier accordian kicks in.
FADE IN: SERIES OF SHOTS
A) A man is running.
B) CLOSE UP of the gun in his hand.
C) Portions of him are covered in droplets of blood.
D) The man is running through a field full of bright yellow dandelions.
E) A ZOMBIE is also running through the field of dandelions, presumably chasing the man.
From this point the lyrics of the song will be intercut with the series of shots.
F) The man’s eyes look exhausted.
LYRICS: Hold your grandmother’s bible to your breast.
G) The zombie’s face looks furious and hungry.
LYRICS: Gonna put it to the test.
H) The ANGLE OPENS TO REVEAL there are actually ten zombies chasing him, all about 50 yards back.
LYRICS: You wanted to be blessed.
I) The man is breathing very hard.
J) The ANGLE OPENS WIDER TO REVEAL at least 300 zombies are chasing him.
LYRICS: And in your heart, you know it to be true.
K) CLOSE UP - THE MAN’S BELT which has two more magazines for his gun and a homemade Pipe-Bomb attached to it.
LYRICS: You know what you gotta do.
L) A zombie falls and gets trampled to... redeath? Beneath the feet of all the other zombies.
LYRICS: They all depend on you.
M) The man looks left and right as he runs. Frustration and Exhaustion are beginning to show.
N) The angle opens wider to reveal at least 1000 zombies are chasing this poor guy.
LYRICS: And you already know. Yeah, you already know how this will end.
O) The man starts to stumble.
P) A random zombie stretches both of it’s arms out straight forward as it runs.
Q) The man almost drops down to a knee but regains his footing.
R) CLOSE UP of an almost infinite number of zombie feet running by. The ANGLE OPENS TO REVEAL The trampled path of mangled dandelions left behind by the herd of zombies.
S) The man arrives at the edge of a cliff with water down far below.
LYRICS: There is no escape.
T) Various zombie faces all greedy for flesh.
LYRICS: From the slave catcher’s songs.
U) The man spins around and waits.
LYRICS: For all the loved ones gone.
V) Zombies running.
W) The man aims, but continues to wait.
LYRICS: Forever’s not so long.
X) The lead zombie is only twenty yards away.
Y) The man closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them.
LYRICS: And in your soul.
Z) A shot is heard as the lead zombies head erupts brain matter out the back.
LYRICS: They poked a million holes.
A2) The zombie next to the lead zombie has it’s head turned into a canoe as well. A third drops, a fourth, a fifth.
LYRICS: But you never let em show.
B2) More and more zombies continue to drop.
C2) The man rapidly drops a spent magazine from his gun and slams in a fresh one. He’s good at this.
LYRICS: Come on, it’s time to go.
D2) More zombies drop one after the other after the other.
E2) The man performs his final magazine exchange.
LYRICS: And you already know.
F2) The horde of zombies is so large though, that despite hearing gunshots we don’t even notice if any of them are dropping or not.
G2) The man drops the gun with the gun’s slide locked back to the rear.
LYRICS: Yeah, you already know how this will end.
H2) The man holds the Pipe-Bomb and lights the fuse.
I2) He kisses the cross he wears around his neck and closes his eyes.
J2) The zombies are closing in fast.
K2) The burning wick on the Pipe-Bomb is getting smaller.
L2) MATCH CUT: The burning wick of a birthday candle is getting smaller.
LYRICS: Now you’ve seen his face.
M2) The man watches as his child in a much happier world stares at the birthday candles.
LYRICS: And you know that there’s a place in the sun.
N2) The child begins to blow out his birthday candles.
LYRICS: For all that you’ve done.
O2) The child struggles with the last few, without him noticing the man blows on them from behind him to help.
LYRICS: For you and your children.
P2) All of the candles are blown out and smoldering.
LYRICS: No longer shall you need.
Q2) The child stares lovingly up at his father, smiling.
LYRICS: You always wanted to believe.
R2) The man hugs his child and tells him to look at all the presents. The child’s eyes go wide.
LYRICS: Just ask and you’ll receive.
S2) BACK ON THE CLIFF the man still has his eyes closed, but he is smiling.
LYRICS: Beyond your wildest dreams.
T2) The camera begins to pan upwards towards the clouds and what could almost be a perfect day if we didn’t know better.
LYRICS: And you already know.
U2) A large explosion shakes the screen and covers the camera with gore and blood.
LYRICS: Yeah, you already know how this will end.
The song plays to completion with the singer repeating the final verse as the clouds drift across the sky above through a filter of bloody red.
BLACK SCREEN:
We hear the beginning of Devotchka’s song “How it Ends”. Layered on top of this song is the gasping breath of someone running very hard. This continues for about 20 seconds until the song’s heavier accordian kicks in.
FADE IN: SERIES OF SHOTS
A) A man is running.
B) CLOSE UP of the gun in his hand.
C) Portions of him are covered in droplets of blood.
D) The man is running through a field full of bright yellow dandelions.
E) A ZOMBIE is also running through the field of dandelions, presumably chasing the man.
From this point the lyrics of the song will be intercut with the series of shots.
F) The man’s eyes look exhausted.
LYRICS: Hold your grandmother’s bible to your breast.
G) The zombie’s face looks furious and hungry.
LYRICS: Gonna put it to the test.
H) The ANGLE OPENS TO REVEAL there are actually ten zombies chasing him, all about 50 yards back.
LYRICS: You wanted to be blessed.
I) The man is breathing very hard.
J) The ANGLE OPENS WIDER TO REVEAL at least 300 zombies are chasing him.
LYRICS: And in your heart, you know it to be true.
K) CLOSE UP - THE MAN’S BELT which has two more magazines for his gun and a homemade Pipe-Bomb attached to it.
LYRICS: You know what you gotta do.
L) A zombie falls and gets trampled to... redeath? Beneath the feet of all the other zombies.
LYRICS: They all depend on you.
M) The man looks left and right as he runs. Frustration and Exhaustion are beginning to show.
N) The angle opens wider to reveal at least 1000 zombies are chasing this poor guy.
LYRICS: And you already know. Yeah, you already know how this will end.
O) The man starts to stumble.
P) A random zombie stretches both of it’s arms out straight forward as it runs.
Q) The man almost drops down to a knee but regains his footing.
R) CLOSE UP of an almost infinite number of zombie feet running by. The ANGLE OPENS TO REVEAL The trampled path of mangled dandelions left behind by the herd of zombies.
S) The man arrives at the edge of a cliff with water down far below.
LYRICS: There is no escape.
T) Various zombie faces all greedy for flesh.
LYRICS: From the slave catcher’s songs.
U) The man spins around and waits.
LYRICS: For all the loved ones gone.
V) Zombies running.
W) The man aims, but continues to wait.
LYRICS: Forever’s not so long.
X) The lead zombie is only twenty yards away.
Y) The man closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them.
LYRICS: And in your soul.
Z) A shot is heard as the lead zombies head erupts brain matter out the back.
LYRICS: They poked a million holes.
A2) The zombie next to the lead zombie has it’s head turned into a canoe as well. A third drops, a fourth, a fifth.
LYRICS: But you never let em show.
B2) More and more zombies continue to drop.
C2) The man rapidly drops a spent magazine from his gun and slams in a fresh one. He’s good at this.
LYRICS: Come on, it’s time to go.
D2) More zombies drop one after the other after the other.
E2) The man performs his final magazine exchange.
LYRICS: And you already know.
F2) The horde of zombies is so large though, that despite hearing gunshots we don’t even notice if any of them are dropping or not.
G2) The man drops the gun with the gun’s slide locked back to the rear.
LYRICS: Yeah, you already know how this will end.
H2) The man holds the Pipe-Bomb and lights the fuse.
I2) He kisses the cross he wears around his neck and closes his eyes.
J2) The zombies are closing in fast.
K2) The burning wick on the Pipe-Bomb is getting smaller.
L2) MATCH CUT: The burning wick of a birthday candle is getting smaller.
LYRICS: Now you’ve seen his face.
M2) The man watches as his child in a much happier world stares at the birthday candles.
LYRICS: And you know that there’s a place in the sun.
N2) The child begins to blow out his birthday candles.
LYRICS: For all that you’ve done.
O2) The child struggles with the last few, without him noticing the man blows on them from behind him to help.
LYRICS: For you and your children.
P2) All of the candles are blown out and smoldering.
LYRICS: No longer shall you need.
Q2) The child stares lovingly up at his father, smiling.
LYRICS: You always wanted to believe.
R2) The man hugs his child and tells him to look at all the presents. The child’s eyes go wide.
LYRICS: Just ask and you’ll receive.
S2) BACK ON THE CLIFF the man still has his eyes closed, but he is smiling.
LYRICS: Beyond your wildest dreams.
T2) The camera begins to pan upwards towards the clouds and what could almost be a perfect day if we didn’t know better.
LYRICS: And you already know.
U2) A large explosion shakes the screen and covers the camera with gore and blood.
LYRICS: Yeah, you already know how this will end.
The song plays to completion with the singer repeating the final verse as the clouds drift across the sky above through a filter of bloody red.