The DIMENSION logo shines on the screen. The music is tensing up already. What's coming? The screen goes to black...
SMASH OPEN:
A MAN SCREAMS above the camera as FLAMES SHOOT UP behind him. The rock soundtrack kicks in, the chorus of "Dragula" by Rob Zombie already rocking on. He's in pure enjoyment, fists clenched in the air and sticking his tongue out. We ZOOM OUT...
EXT. SUNRISE STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD - ENTRANCE - NIGHT
This is CHUCK, bandana around his head, overly ecstatic about being here. He continues to celebrate as we then see his friends behind him, less enthused but still excited. We PAN AROUND to where they're headed - - the Sunrise Studio logo rises from the ground next to them (the now infamous studio logo) and the entry way is a dark and brooding atmosphere. Under the entrance sign for the new, rip roaring theme park is a banner: HALLOWEEN FRIGHT NIGHTS 2016, with the tagline reading under it, "What's your favorite scary movie?" Advertisements and billboards hang everywhere with Ghostface's persona on it.
The group head passed security and make their way for the ticket line. The place is packed; this is a local night life hot spot during the Halloween season for the last two or three years. Mostly college kids and unbelievably, mostly people who don't know a thing or two about horror movies. Chuck doesn't fall into either category - he's a 25 year old, horror movie fanatic who loves rock and roll and partying. Suffice if we're to say, he still acts like he's in college but it's apparant he's passed his prime at times when he tries too hard.
Chuck turns around to the four friends with him: 2 of them are a couple, hispanics who appear to have been in a relationship for quite awhile, KRIS and CARL (his name is really Carlos, but he's trying to break the mold). Also with them is TINA and PHILIP. Tina is Chuck's sister, white as can be and seems a bit panic-y about being here while Philip, Kris's brother, is trying to warm up to her by relaxing her. There is an obvious affection between the two, but not to make things awkward for Chuck, they're not being all lovey dovey like Kris and Carl.
CHUCK
That's right baby, here we are, Halloween
Fright Nights! The premium Halloween event
located in Los Angeles, California with -
(opens up event map)
- 6 spine tingling mazes, scare zones, a
Stab Tram, HELL YEAH ON THAT ONE and shows,
kicking ass from 7 PM all the way to 2 AM
in the morning and we are here JUST in time!
(tries to be official)
Now I'm a HFN veteran so I'll be your guide
so we can get through all the frightening
attractions we possibly can!
KRIS
(smiles)
Chuck, you're a dork.
They reach the front of the line while Chuck picks up the tickets. Tina looks on at all the decorations, her body already tensing up about the very thought of entering this place.
PHILIP
What's wrong, girl? I told you, you ain't
got nothin' to be scared about.
TINA
Nothing, it's just my stupid brother. Chuck
knows I hate being scared, I don't know why
he would even bother to invite me. I can't
even stomach a Children of the Corn movie
and those are the least scary of any scary movies.
PHILIP
Hey, it's cool, Tina. You got me, alright?
I'll protect you from all the ghouls and
goblins.
TINA
Slightly more comforting, Philip.
CARL
Yeah, just remember, the scare-actors can't
touch you. It's against the rules.
CUT TO:
EXT. SUNRISE STUDIOS THEME PARK - MAIN GATE - NIGHT
The five of them enter into the fog, Chuck ready to blow his lid in excitement. A BUTCHER REVVING A CHAINSAW RUNS DIRECTLY IN THEIR PATH, SLIDES ON THEIR KNEES AND STOPS BEFORE THEM, CUTTING THE GROUND CAUSING SPARKS TO FLY EVERYWHERE. Tina jumps back, holding onto Philip. Chuck can only smile and laugh it all. The butcher gets up and runs off, scaring another batch of kids.
CHUCK
Oh God, I love it! This, THIS, is my
Christmas.
KRIS
Okay Chuck, where to first?
CHUCK
I don't know, I'm down for anything, what do
you guys wanna do?
TINA
The bathroom seems appropriate since I just
shit - my - pants.
Chuck frowns and Philip nudges her, slightly chuckling.
PHILIP
But hey, that sounds good, let's hit the
bathrooms first, that traffic out there
took forever.
Philip goes ahead and walks on, Kris and Tina going in together, leaving Carl and Chuck outside. They turn to the rest of the park, watching people jump out of their skin as the screams fill the night air. Carl looks at the map.
CARL
Hell yeah, bro, let's get on the Gliding
Coaster or the Dino Shooter!
CHUCK
No, no, no, Carlos...
CARL
It's Carl.
CHUCK
Listen to me very carefully... we need to
get through all the mazes and other Halloween
oriented attractions first and THEN, if we
still have time, we can get on the rides.
Which all could've been bypassed if you guys
would've saved up money for the Front of the
Line Passes but nobody wanted to listen to me...
CARL
(trying his best to not strangle him)
Well what do you suggest we get on first?
CUT TO:
EXT. STUDIO TOUR QUEUE - NIGHT
The entire studio/theme park is dressed head to toe in Halloween madness. Chuck & Co. make their way through the Studio Tour's queue, the walls aligned with all of the studio's history. In all the places it should be saying "STUDIO TOUR", it instead says "STAB TRAM."
TINA
So what is the Stab Tram anyway?
CHUCK
Well we get on the Studio Tour trams and it
takes us down to the backlot of the studio
where some of their biggest horror movies were
filmed.
PHILIP
And then down there, all the sets, facades,
and the usual cool little things we usually
see during the day have turned into a living
horror movie, courtesy of their top of the
line movie set quality.
CHUCK
That's what seperates Halloween Fright Nights
from any other Halloween event - - it looks
real, feels real, sounds, smells and tastes
all real.
KRIS
Tastes?
CHUCK
Sometimes things go squirting all over the
place. You know, things you're used to, Kris.
But it's just fake blood, so don't get too
excited or anything. Water to be exact. No
protein for you!
KRIS
Pinche pendejo!
PHILIP
But usually the Fright Tram, this year titled
"Stab Tram" based off the movie, is the story
of the event. It explains why all the monsters
are here in the first place. So it's important
to try and do it first.
CHUCK
I'm really digging Philip's know-how of HFN.
You should become a apart of the fansite and
talk on the forums, we do speculation and - -
PHILIP
No fuckin' way, Chuck.
CHUCK
Well okay.
CUT TO:
EXT. STAB TRAM - NIGHT
All the kids get settled in the tram, Chuck with a permanent smile slapped across his face. The TOUR GUIDE appears on the HD screens connected to the ceiling.
TOUR GUIDE
WELCOME my little dears to this year's
special edition of Fright Tram, aptly
titled STAB TRAM. That's right folks,
me and my driver here will be taking you
down to the infamous backlot of Sunrise
Studios where you will than exit the
tram and RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.
The tram starts up and starts driving down the hill.
TOUR GUIDE
Wave goodbye to everyone in line because
this is the last time you'll ever see
any of them while you're alive!
He does an evil laugh and the tram goes nuts. This is clearly something these people are used to but nowhere near love it as much as Chuck does.
TOUR GUIDE
Now let me give you a little history on
our studio: it was built in 1959 and it was
known all around town as "the little studio
that could." It started off producing B
science fiction movies and indie dramas.
It wasn't until the mid 70s though when
Sunrise became known for it's horror films,
produced by than mega producer, John Milton.
A feed comes on the screen: it's John Milton. Archive footage from 1999.
MILTON
The way I see it, horror movies are integral
to our very being. We want to go into a dark
room and jump, laugh and feel that rush in
our bones. We want to be scared but we want
to be safe while it happens so we choose the
movies. But what I want movies to do is to
give you that feeling that you're in the
movie. The feeling that if a masked murderer
is chasing our lead actress that you too are
being chased. My job is to make sure our
films have that impact on their audiences.
Either you're in the movie...
(chuckles)
... or we'll kill you trying.
TOUR GUIDE
(abruptly coming back on screen)
BOO! Haha!
His little "Boo" actually scares Tina. She just can't relax for the life of her.
TOUR GUIDE
(continuous)
And that wish of Milton's inspired us here at
Sunrise Studios and theme parks to do just that.
We want to put YOU in the movies. So now coming
up is our Woodsboro where we have famous movie
sets still up to this day where you can
walk around and be chased by the infamous
GHOSTFACE. It's 20 acres of horrors from
here on out while you get to walk around on
sets where all SEVEN of the Stab films have
been made at one point or another.
The feed starts to break up. Everyone on the tram looks confused, including Chuck.
TOUR GUIDE
Okay, hold on, something is going on here.
Let me see if I can get the feed ba -
GHOSTFACE
Citizens of Woodsboro, may I have your
attention, please?
Ghostface appears on the screen, looking directly in the camera. He has compromised the tram! Tina squrims in her seat, feeling uneasy about the whole situation.
GHOSTFACE
I'll be your host, your - - ghost host. And
I have a proposition for all of you. Hasn't
it been too long that your little town has been
plagued with bad luck? Does it seem that the
teenage population is dwindling before your
very eyes? It almost seems year after year,
another HORRIBLE crime is committed, another
travesty occurs; another funeral, another memorial.
And tonight... it begins... ONCE MORE.
Chuck nearly squeals in excitement. Everyone else in the tram is taking this as dead serious, especially Tina who is nearly crying.
GHOSTFACE
You want it all to stop? You want it all to
be SAFE?
(beat)
BRING ME SIDNEY PRESCOTT and not only will you
have my undying graditude, but you'll be ONE
MILLION dollars richer. Happy hunting.
Ghostface SLICES off the screen in a dash. The Tour Guide reappears, scrambling to make his feed work again.
TOUR GUIDE
(clearly acting)
Okay, uh... we don't know what that was. But um...
looking up ahead, it just looks like pure chaos
has erupted on the Woodsboro sets. I hate to make
you get off folks so we're gonna try to...
(to the driver)
What's that? Who doesn't want us to stop? What
are you talking abou - -
GHOSTFACE WALKS ONTO THE TRAM AND STABS THE TOUR GUIDE IN THE THROAT, BLOOD POURING EVERYWHERE.
TINA
Oh shit!
GHOSTFACE
(grabbing the guide's microphone)
Get the hell off the tram, NOW!
EXT. SUNRISE STUDIOS BACKLOT - CONTINUOUS
The tram stops and the gates open, everyone pouring out and screaming into the set of Woodsboro - - a complete staged riot is taking place. The Tour Guide looks up with a grin as everyone is gone... he looks at Ghostface and gives him a high five then wipes off the blood on his neck off.
TOUR GUIDE
Alright, let's go, let's pick up the next
one! Woo! I am pumped, baby! First night
of Fright Nights is off with a bang!
Back to the Chuck and Co., now running and screaming through the streets of a mock Woodsboro with facades and police cars align the streets with bloody teenagers all around, completely cut open. Ghostfaces run through the streets, attacking numerous victims and plants in the audience that are really apart of the show with blood packets under their shirts.
CHUCK
Run, bitch! Runnnn!
A clocktower is in flames, a dead body hung from it also in flames and squirming. The trees are decorated with teens - literally, skinned from head to toe and upside down, their blood dripping in a pool down below. A Ghostface grabs an audience plant and THROWS them into a fountain, STABBING mercilessly until blood gets into the circulation, causing the fountain to POUR RED.
Tina is completely freaking out, this is too real for her. Philip tries to drag her along but she can't take it anymore; she falls to her knees and covers her head. Philip stays behind while the rest continue on, they don't even notice she's gone in all the madness.
PHILIP
(bending down)
Tina! Tina! Look at me!
TINA
(sobbing)
Can we please leave?
PHILIP
Look, girl... none of this real? Okay?
Look...
He draws her attention to one of the audience plants being stabbed by a retractable blade. They fall to the ground, blood pouring out of them and remain motionless for a moment... then rise back up, running off into the bushes and out of sight.
PHILIP
It's all fake... it's all apart of the show.
TINA
You sure?
PHILIP
Yeah, c'mon baby girl. You got nothin' to
worry about. You rollin' with me.
Tina smiles assured and gets up proudly, linking onto Philip's arm. The environment suddenly changes for her now; it's no longer frightening or all too real - - it's fun and energetic. A patron runs by, screaming their lungs out as Ghostface whizzes by, chasing them into the crowd. Tina laughs; she finally gets it.
