GHOST RIDER: ROAD TO REDEMPTION
MARCH 1,2016
(Posted April 2, 2018)
FADE UP ON:
A CLOSE UP of a newspaper stand, the camera panning up the various articles; one reads "FOUR YEARS SINCE THE VEGAS BLAZE, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS HONOR THE 47 VICTIMS"
We hear the various beeps of a cashier's item scanner, CAMERA PANS back and SWEEPS to reveal the interior of a gas station. A SHORT ROUND man, wearing a JOGGING SUIT is standing before the counter, he takes his ENERGY DRINK and thanks the cashier.
He turns to leave, and we get a look at his face as the CAMERA FOLLOWS HIM outside; he's a sweaty, balding older man with beady eyes. He crosses the PARKING LOT towards a dirty old BLACK SUV, and climbs in.
The CAMERA RISES VERTICALLY, LOOKING DOWNWARDS as the SUV drives off into the darkness of the NEVADA DESERT.
JOHNNY BLAZE (V.O)
Last meal of the day.
Then we can go to sleep.
Then I can go to sleep.
We see the same SUV turning off of the main highway, and onto a less traveled side-road.
CUT TO: SUV interior, the sounds of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" is coming from the speakers, and our sweaty driver is belting the notes along with him, albeit poorly and off key…
The music fades out to our somber narrator:
JOHNNY BLAZE (V.O)
I can practically taste the stink coming off of him
It used to nauseate me, but I've acclimated to the smell
His guilt
THE CAMERA PULLS BACK AND PANS AROUND THE SUV, we see a small plateau of a cliff in the distance off the side of the road
Perched on the end of it, a silhouette of a motorcycle, its rider saddled atop her…
JOHNNY BLAZE (V.O)
Last meal of the day…
WE HEAR THE ROAR OF AN ENGINE, but we CUT back to the interior of the SUV, where the unperturbed driver still sings
In SECONDS, a BRIGHT ORANGE LIGHT fills his REARVIEW MIRRORS, casting a bright glare over the driver's eyes, he squints and adjusts his rearview mirror, cursing about high beams…
YET ANOTHER ROAR OF AN ENGINE, almost OTHERWORLDLY IN ITS DESIGN, and the OMINOUS SOUNDS OF BEATING DRUMS FILL THE AIR,
The CAMERA SHIFTS ERRATICALLY, to the outside and rear of the SUV, and it PULLS BACK QUICKLY, but STAYS LOW, suddenly a FLAMING MOTORCYCLE ROARS INTO VIEW; TWO BLAZING TIRES AND A TRAIL OF FLAME AND SMOKE; yet, we still only see the Rider's lower half.
BACK INSIDE THE SUV, the soon to be victim has noticed what is coming after him; and is panicking; THE DRUM BEATS RISE HIGHER
BACK OUTSIDE, and BEHIND THE GHOST RIDER, we can see everything but the back of his flaming head now.
QUICKLY, in one fluid motion, the RIDER raises his right hand, FLAMING CHAIN WHIPPING ABOUT, and he flicks his wrist forwards, as if it were a WHIP, and the chain STRIKES OUTWARD LIKE A CORNERED SNAKE, into the rear left wheel well, and AROUND THE AXLE of the SUV.
The GHOST RIDER pulls on his favored weapon, TEARING THE WHEEL FROM THE VEHICLE, which kicks up, and begins to tumble as the SOUNDTRACK REACHES A HEAD; at the same moment, the CAMERA PULLS BACK SLOWLY, so we can fully watch the SUV tumble and roll to a stop, and view the GHOST RIDER IN FULL; (From behind-still)
CUT TO: CLOSE UP of the DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW, which is CRACKED but not SHATTERED, UPSIDE-DOWN
Ahead, LEFT of CENTER FRAME, we watch the GHOST RIDER slide his HELLCYCLE around, FACING CAMERA FOR THE FIRST TIME
ZOOM ON THE RIDER'S PROFILE; his SKULL is AFLAME and BLACKENED, SCORCHED, but BONE WHITE in some AREAS, as the ASH FLAKES OFF OF HIS SKULL AND BLOWS AWAY ON THE FLAMES/BREEZE. His EYES are nonexistent BLACKENED SOCKETS, but the thing that really grabs our attention is his AUDIBLE BREATHING, which is little more than a PERPETUAL DEATH RATTLE masked by the sound of CRACKLING FLAMES and the IDLING OF THE CYCLE'S ENGINE.
CAMERA circles towards what the RIDER is staring at; the man in the SUV has crawled his way out of his wrecked vehicle-he's bloody, and whimpering at this point.
THE RIDER just sits and stares momentarily…
SUV VICTIM
(Groans in pain)
No…!
GHOST RIDER (VOICE IS AS EXPECTED, ETHEREAL AND RUMBLING)
WAS IT WORTH THIS? THEIR SUFFERING?
THE RIDER SAYS THE WORDS SIMPLY, but they ring out like cymbals struck on a drum set.
SUDDENLY, the RIDER'S BIKE ROARS and with a CLOUD of FLAME and SMOKE, it ROCKETS FORWARD, while the CHAIN WHIPS OUTWARD and AROUND the LEG OF THE SUV DRIVER
THE MAN is SCREAMING as he is DRAGGED down the ASPHALT, through the trail of FLAMES left behind by the GHOST RIDER's MOTORBIKE, his LIMBS flailing as his HEAD repeatedly SMACKS the GROUND
WE WATCH as chunks of burned SKIN and FLESH is RIPPED FROM HIM, and the last thing we see is a close up shot of his JAWLESS FACE SMACK the CONCRETE, ripping his FRONT TOP ROW of TEETH from his MOUTH, after his SCREAMS SUBSIDE…
SMASH CUT TO:
BLACK SCREEN
THE TITLE LOGO SLAMS VIOLENTLY INTO FRAME; "GHOST RIDER: ROAD TO REDEMPTION"
The FONT is straight out of the EIGHTIES COMIC BOOK, and BRISTLING WITH FLAMES
FADE TO:
EARLY MORNING, we OVERLOOK a small TRUCK-STOP DINER; camera pans down and we get a look inside; metallic trimmings, white tiled walls and floor; a building from the seventies
INSIDE: JOHNNY BLAZE SITS QUIETLY IN A BOOTH that is adjacent to a family of three, mother, father and a young boy, age of about 9.
JOHNNY himself is a rather stocky guy, but not overly built; he has short hair and a 5 o'clock shadow; he is intently reading a newspaper. HEADLINES mention the AVENGERS having a battle at a GERMAN AIRPORT. This is our ONLY callout to the OVERARCHING MCU PLOT.
Johnny takes a large bite of his omelet, and returns to the newspaper, turning a page, before he notices the boy in the family booth next to him, staring WIDE-EYED at him. We notice that the boy is wearing a white shirt with a PAINTED-ON BLAZE logo, in the same style of commission shirts from FAIRGROUNDS. A reminder of JOHNNY'S past, and the young boy has clearly recognized him. JOHNNY gives an awkward forced grin at the child, before getting out his wallet and laying money on the table.
HE STANDS AND LEAVES.
A young lady behind the COUNTER watches him go, a twinkle in her EYE.
JOHNNY BLAZE (V.O)
First meal of the day…
EXT./INT. BAG MAKING FACTORY-DAY
JOHNNY is working the turn-press, loading bags on the pads as they rotate, continuously.
WE SEE a SPED UP motion of this, JOHNNY putting bag after bag onto the turn pads, his heart clearly not in it. The rotation goes FASTER and FASTER, as the camera pans AROUND and ZOOMS SLOWLEY into JOHNNY's EYES.
SMASH CUT TO: 13 YEARS AGO
WE SEE: A YOUNG JOHNNY BLAZE riding with his FATHER, no crowds, no chanting, just a boy and his father. They jump bikes and ride fast. Then we see a horrible accident. Johnny kneels over his father. Then we see an Ambulance arriving (time clearly passed). Then we see the hospital. Time slows back to normal, and Johnny has just stepped out of his father's hospital room to find the food court. A man approaches him.
This man is tall, thin, and dressed impeccably well. His appearance draws Johnny in, and inexplicably they are in conversation.
STRANGER
Sorry to hear about your Father.
JOHNNY
You know him?
STRANGER
Oh, I know most. They're not giving you good news, are they, son?
JOHNNY
No.
WE SEE here that JOHNNY is VISIBLY PERTURBED, and wants to get away from this PERSON, but can't bring himself to.
STRANGER
You know, I'm a friend…of some of the doctors here, I could be persuaded to have them give your father better attention. For a price.
JOHNNY
What price?
STRANGER
Let's just say, I do you a favor, and someday when I need your help, I'll call on that favor.
JOHNNY
You can help him?
STRANGER
Absolutely, right hand to God. Shall we shake on it?
THE STRANGER smirks, extends his BONY HAND, and JOHNNY takes it without a second thought, the STRANGER SMILES a WIDE, TOOTHY SMILE, before he nods, and turns away.
JOHNNY's brow FURROWS, having noticed himself feeling a bit emptier, but he decides it was HUNGER, and proceeds to the FOOD COURT.
EXT./INT.- PRESENT DAY, LOCAL SHERRIFS OFFICE
WE SEE: DESK JOCKEYS WORKING THE COMPUTERS, Multiple OFFICERS walking back and forth, some CRIMINALS being brought in.
ENTER DETECTIVE NEWTON's OFFICE
ROOKIE COP JASON TURNER ENTERS, he is young, clean shaven and short haired, and is bright eyed, the quintessential rookie. DET. NEWTON, however is the exact opposite, old, grizzled, and world weary, he looks up from his desk as the rookie enters.
TURNER
Sir, can you take a look at this for me? It's apparently a regular crash, but something is off about it.
The DETECTIVE looks up from his desk, where he had been digging into a right hand drawer; his nightly glass of Jameson.
NEWTON
You know there are three other detectives in this building, right now, don't you, Turner?
The ROOKIE presses his mouth shut, takes a look at the files in his hands, and begins to turn away. Detective Newton recognizes the Rookie's stifled tenacity and stands up.
NEWTON
They're busy, what is it, kid?
JASON turns around, relief clear on his face, as he enters the OFFICE, CLOSING the DOOR after the DETECTIVE beckons him to do so.
Det. NEWTON takes the papers and flips open the manila folder, flipping through the various high quality photos and reports. After a moment, he FROWNS and glances up at the eager newbie cop, CLOSING the folder.
NEWTON
So, we've got a drunk who rolled their SUV. So what?
TURNER
No no, look at the axle where the rear wheel came off; it was melted.
NEWTON
You're thinking homicide? Someone sabotaged his car?
We can see that NEWTON has pieced the puzzle together on his own, but watching the rookie talk his way through it was REWARDING, but the DET. would never admit it.
TURNER
No, no, I-
The young man glances back towards the door, and lowers his voice.
TURNER
I mean, what could do that? I talked with a one of the CSIs', this isn't…an explosion or anything. Something melted through it like it was a…I don't know, a rope or something.
The DET. scoffed, seating himself behind his desk with a grunt.
NEWTON
Listen, kid, you ever heard of thermite? Go see if you can have the labrats check for traces of that on the truck.
Jason's brow furrows, but he doesn't question the authoritative tone in Newton's voice, and he gathers his files and turns to leave, closing the office door behind him.
THROUGHOUT the conversation, the CAMERA shots were statics, and closeups.
NOW, the FRAME is focused on the DOOR, from LEFT of NEWTON'S head, and we pull back as he turns his attention once again towards his DRAWER with the bottle of JAMESON in it. The CAMERA sweeps behind him and upwards, aiming down and into the DRAWER as he opens it, and he pulls out his glass and bottle of alcohol; but he doesn't stop there. The DETECTIVE uses his NAIL to pull up a flat piece of WOOD, which reveals that the DRAWER was deeper than previously believed.
BENEATH the WOOD, are crime scene photos, a personal photo, and papers with notes on them. THE DETECTIVE PULLS THEM out. CLOSE UP of these photos, and as he rifles through them, WE SEE:
THE DETECTIVE IN VEGAS WITH A YOUNG WOMAN, both are wearing LARGE SMILES and CASUAL clothing, the DETECTIVE has HAIR, as opposed to the current BUZZ/BALDING. (PERSONAL PHOTO)
Now we go to CRIME SCENE PHOTOS
A VEGAS street, not the STRIP, but clearly in the same town. WE see multiple buildings, some aflame and some charred.
BODY BAGS lining a street.
Various different streets that look the same as above.
THEN WE SEE a CRIME SCENE PHOTO that isn't as well shot as the above, professional photos; A fairly close shot of a concrete ROAD, with what appears to be a single TIRE TRACK burnt into the ground, causing a small groove in the road, and we can see where the sides of this tire-shaped canal appears MELTED.
CLOSE UP OF: the DETECTIVE squinting at this photo, as if he had a thousand times before this.
He rifles through the photos one last time before placing them back inside the drawer, aside from the photo of his DAUGHTER. He pours himself a shot, and downs it, looking at the photo.
We now know that the DETECTIVE'S DAUGHTER is one of the 47 victims of the VEGAS BLAZE.