Stephen Metcalfe - Writer & Director

THE LAST GUARDIANS

FADE IN ON -
Stars cluster in a vast, incredibly clear night sky.
The tidy farmland of mid-west America is bathed in the full moon’s eerie, almost magical glow. Three farms are nestled side by side. The lights of the farmhouses twinkle, separated by fields.
Something fast and bright flickers across our line of vision and then is gone. From far away we hear a faint voice call out in excitement.
VOICE (O.C.)
There it is again.
ANOTHER VOICE (O.C.)
What. I don’t see nothin’.
We continue moving down to the farm in the middle.
EXT. SNYDER’S FARM - NIGHT
FLOYD and PETE SNYDER stand in the front yard looking up at the stars. Floyd and Pete are middle aged, redneck, bachelor brothers. Except for DAISY, Floyd doesn’t like anything or anyone very much. Daisy is the cute little dog sitting at his feet. Daisy is also looking up at the night sky. She growls, suspiciously.
FLOYD
Dangit, Pete, you know I hate bein’ interrupted during prime time.
PETE
I saw somethin’, Floyd, I swear it.
FLOYD
Sure you did. Come on, Daisy.
He turns to go back in the house. There is the sudden distant sound of a dog baying. Daisy whimpers with excitement. Floyd stops in his tracks, glowering.
PETE
Now, Pete...
Floyd growls ominously. Daisy wags her tail.
ABOVE THE FARMHOUSE -
Something again flashes across the night sky. In the distance, the dog bays again as we move, the farmland below us... until we’re looking down at the first farm. It’s neat, tidy, prosperous looking.
A VOICE (O.C.)
Cuth!? Cuthburt! Here, Cuth, here, boy!
EXT. THE CARTER FARM - NIGHT
NADINE CARTER comes down off her porch looking anxiously out into the well tended corn fields. Nadine is 12 years old and a precocious, sharp tongued tomboy. She is wearing baggy jeans with lots of pockets, sneakers and a St. Louis Cardinal’s jersey and baseball cap.
NADINE
Cuth!?
Something flails, crashing about out in the lush corn fields.
NADINE (cont’d)
What is it? Whatcha got, boy?
The biggest, ugliest, wrinkliest, droolingest dog imaginable abruptly raises it’s head out of the corn.
NADINE (cont’d)
Ghenghis, Cuth! Gonna go see Ghenghis!
Cuthburt comes running out of the field. He leaps joyfully at Nadine. They kiss, best friends.
NADINE (cont’d)
Yeah! Good ol’ Dog! You are.
(calling back)
Mom? Cuth and me are goin’ over to Mr. Kelly’s!
MRS. CARTER (O.C.)
It’s a little late, dear!
NADINE
But Mom! I promised him!
Mrs. Carter comes to the door; a nice looking Mom.
MRS. CARTER
All right. But not too long. And take a flashlight.
NADINE
Got it!
Nadine and Cuthburt turn towards the drive.
MRS. CARTER
And Nadine?
Nadine stops, turn back. Mrs. Carter holds up a leash. Sighing, Nadine comes back and takes it. She hurries back, puts the leash on Cuthburt’s collar and they hurry away down the drive towards the road. Mrs. Carter smiles. Looks up at the sky.
MRS. CARTER (cont’d)
I’ve never seen so many stars.
She turns to go back in. And misses the something that flits across the sky, moving almost too fast to see it...
INT. SNYDER FARMHOUSE - NIGHT
A fat girl in a mini-skirted wedding dress jumps up and down in excitement. Her skinny groom of a husband has just won fifty dollars on the big wheel.
PULLING BACK FROM THE TV - Floyd is sitting in his easy chair, Daisy beside him. Suddenly Daisy’s ears perk up and she jumps up and runs towards the door. She disappears out her little doggy-door.
FLOYD
Daisy? Daisy!
Floyd rises.
EXT. ROAD - NIGHT
Nadine is walking down the road. Actually she’s being dragged. By Cuthburt who strains at his leash, as excited to see Daisy as she is to see him.
NADINE
Heel! Heel, Cuth! Heel!
Cuth snuffles like a bloodhound on the scent.
EXT. SNYDER FARM * NIGHT
Pete is standing out in front of the porch, staring up at the sky. Daisy runs down off the porch and runs out between his legs, wagging her little tail in excitement.
OUT ON THE ROAD -
Nadine sees Pete standing on the yard. She grins with real pleasure. She likes Pete. She waves.
NADINE
Hey, Pete! Hi, Daisy!
Daisy yips excitedly at Cuthburt. Cuthburt moans and strains at his leash.
PETE
Heya, Nadine! Now don’t let Floyd see that dog! He ain’t hardly gotten over last time!
NADINE
Don’t worry, I got him!
As if on cue, Cuthburt vaults forward and Nadine is pulled off her feet. She’s dragged a dozen yards before she looses the leash. Cuthburt scurries under the fence and runs for the house. Nadine leaps up. Climbing over the fence, she breaks into a run.
NADINE (cont’d)
Cuth!
EXT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Floyd comes out of the house just in time to see Cuthburt galloping towards them, barking with excitement. He bellows in horror and hurries down off the porch.
Floyd bends and lifts Daisy high. He looks up. Just in time to see -
Cuthburt leaps and Floyd goes down.
Nadine runs into the yard. She stops, wide eyed. Pete is wringing his hands. Floyd is on the ground. Cuthburt and Daisy are all over him.
FLOYD
Ah! Damn fool dog! Help! Git away! Get my shotgun, Pete!
Daisy is definitely the more vindictive of the two dogs. She sinks teeth into his rear end.
FLOYD (cont’d)
Ah! Pete!!
Nadine runs up, grabs Cuthburt by the collar and pulls him back.
NADINE
Cuth! No! Bad dog!
Floyd leaps up. Daisy is still attached, growling fiercely, to the back of hiss pants. Pete grabs her.
PETE
Daisy! For shame!
FLOYD
That mutt is a menace to society! It jumps on anything that moves and urinates on anything that don’t!
PETE
(at “urinates”)
Floyd, the child.
Nadine is holding Cuthburt back by the collar.
NADINE
Cuth and Daisy are in love, Mr. Snyder. Even you should know that.
FLOYD
They dogs. They ain’t capable of it!
NADINE
Ghenghis says everything in the universe has got feelings, just like you and me.
FLOYD
That’s your trouble, girlie. You spend too much time with idiots. I’m gonna speak to your parents. Something will be done!
PETE
Aw, now, Floyd.
FLOYD
Next time that beast comes on property, I’ll shoot’m dead!
Cuthburt barks as Nadine drags him up the driveway. Daisy whimper mournfully.
FLOYD (O.C.) (cont’d)
Daisy, come inside! Daisy!
Again, high above, something streaks across the heavens. Rising again, we follow it towards -
EXT. THE THIRD FARM - NIGHT
The third farm shimmers silver in the moonlight. The lights of the old, unpainted farmhouse twinkle.
DOWN ON THE ROAD
There is a mail box at the end of the drive - a name on it - G. KELLY - and underneath: INVENTOR.
And now Nadine and Cuthburt run past and up the drive. The corn on either side of the drive is over head high - it grows untended and wild.
EXT. THE FARM YARD - NIGHT
The farmhouse and barn are in need of repair. Nadine doesn’t seem to notice. She also pays no attention to the very beautiful, oddly functional, contraptions that are scattered everywhere. They are made of pieces of scrap metal and bits of junk and old farm machinery and look like abstract sculpture. Nadine stops and ties Cuthburt’s leash to a fence post Cuthburt is whimpering.
NADINE
Sorry, boy, but we have to give ol’ Floyd some time to simmer down.
Off she goes towards the barn. Cuthburt immediately begins to chew on his leash.
EXT. THE BARN - NIGHT
The night sky seems more huge than ever. It is filled with stars beyond number. A telescope is silhouetted against the heavens.
GHENGHIS (O.C.)
Mmmm.... oh, yes... remarkable...
A shooting star streaks across the sky. The telescope follows it’s path. Too quickly. The telescope comes free of it’s mounting and falls off the tripod.
GHENGHIS KELLY scrambles to catch it. He does, barely. Ghenghis is tall and if untidy, not unhandsome. He is studious looking in his wire rimmed glasses. There is a sense of preoccupation about him as if his mind is always working on some curious puzzle. He peers back through the telescope. And sees:
NADINE
(rearing into the lens)
Booo!!
Ghenghis starts in surprise. The telescope again falls off it’s mounting and falls to the ground. He pushes his glasses up his nose.
GHENGHIS
(puzzled)
Nadine. When did you get here?
NADINE
Hours ago.
GHENGHIS
Oh. Well, could you just...?
He waves her to the side. Nadine moves. Ghenghis goes back to his telescope. He remounts it, adjusts the focus.
NADINE
Whatcha lookin’ at anyway?
GHENGHIS
Not at. For. U.F.O.’s. Unidentified flying objects.
NADINE
(right)
Uh-huh.
GHENGHIS
I really need a high-speed, telescopic, digital camera. They move so fast, it’s hard to see them.
Ghenghis peers through the telescope. Nadine moves next to him, looks over his shoulder.
NADINE
Hey, Ghenghis?
GHENGHIS
Hmmm?
NADINE
Is it something you ate or are you totally bonkers?
Ghenghis looks at her, a puzzled expression on his face. He often thinks Nadine is the one that’s bonkers.
IN THE FRONT YARD
Cuthburt strains and pulls and suddenly with a lunge and a squirm he manages to break his leash. In a flash, he’s off and running across the corn field for Floyd Snyder’s.
IN THE BACK
Nadine sits down on... something. She looks frustrated.
NADINE
Tsk. What’s it coming to, Ghenghis, that’s what I want to know.
Ghenghis is peering through the scope again.
NADINE (cont’d)
You don’t farm, you don’t go anywhere, you just hang out, inventing things that don’t work.
GHENGHIS
Someday they’ll work.
NADINE
Oh, yeah?
She kicks the contraption she’s sitting on.
NADINE (cont’d)
What’s this?
It looks sort of like a small windmill.
GHENGHIS
That’s a perpetual motion machine. When I have it perfected, it will run on gravity.
NADINE
Uh-huh. And this?
On the barn wall a small, flat piece of oddly toned metal is hanging by a nail - it looks sort of like an old church key.
GHENGHIS
I told you. I found that in the cornfield, Nadine. In the remains of a meteor. It fell from the sky.
Nadine grabs it and shakes it at Ghenghis.
NADINE
Wanna know what’s wrong with this picture, Ghenghis? It’s bonkers!
A phone begins to ring inside the farmhouse.
GHENGHIS
(startled; looking up)
What’s that?
NADINE
Phone?
GHENGHIS
Oh. Right.
He starts for the house. Bringing the oddly shaped piece of metal with her, Nadine follows.
INT. THE KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
Ghenghis and Nadine enter. The kitchen looks more like a work shop than a kitchen. Gadgets, tools, rolled blueprints and more of the odd looking machinery are piled everywhere.
GHENGHIS
Now where’s that phone?
Ghenghis searches for the phone. It could be anywhere.
NADINE
You sure could use a woman around here.
Nadine moves to the fridge. She takes out a bottle of home made Rootbeer and uses the odd piece of metal to open it.
NADINE (cont’d)
Suzy? That check-out girl down at the hardware with the red nails and the really, big -
GHENGHIS
Nadine -
NADINE
- hair? She has her eyes on you, Ghenghis.
GHENGHIS
(puzzled)
She does? Why?
Nadine rolls her eyes.
NADINE
Good question.
She slips the piece of metal into her pocket and drinks. Genghis is still searching. Nadine now picks the phone cord and follows it to the phone.
NADINE (cont’d)
Not that I’m saying you should ask a floozy like her out. No way. You need someone... sorta like me. Someone with polish and style.
(politely answering)
Genghis Kelly’s residence, Miss Nadine Carter speaking.
A voice buzzes frantically over the phone. Polish and style go out the window:
NADINE (cont’d)
Shhhh-ugar!! I’m on my way!
Nadine drops the phone and the soda and runs out the door. Ghenghis, looking puzzled, picks up the hanging telephone.
GHENGHIS
Hello?
INTERCUT: INT. SNYDER’S FARM - NIGHT
Pete holds the phone in a white knuckled grasps.
PETE
It’s that dog! Floyd’s got his shotgun and says he’s gonna kill’m!
GHENGHIS
Aw, Pete, Floyd’s just talking.
Boom! The sound of a shotgun! Pete almost drops the phone. Ghenghis does - and runs for the door.
EXT. THE CORN FIELDS - NIGHT
Nadine is in the corn fields, heading for Snyder’s when yet another shotgun gun blast splits the night.
NADINE
Cuth!!!
ABOVE -
The cornfield seems to part like water as Nadine runs towards the Snyder farmhouse. Behind her, Ghenghis brings up the rear.
GHENGHIS
Nadine! Wait! Nadine!
EXT. SNYDER FARM - NIGHT
Pete, Daisy and Cuthburt are all in a tangled mess on the ground. Pete keeps trying to both get up and grab Cuthburt. The dogs bark with excitement and keep knocking him down. Floyd, shotgun in hand, is running around the pile, trying to get a clear shot.
FLOYD
Get’m apart, Pete! Separate’m!
PETE
Now, Floyd , hold on -
Pete and the dogs roll towards Floyd and knock him over. He flails, and catches Pete a glancing blow with the butt of the shotgun. Daisy and Cuth run around the barn as Floyd holds his head.
PETE (cont’d)
They’re tough to hold onto, Floyd.
FLOYD
Don’t just sit there! Help me get’m!
They run around the side of the barn.
EXT. SNYDER FARM - NIGHT
Nadine comes running out of the cornfield. She suddenly trips and falls hard. Ghenghis runs up from behind, picks her up. There is the sound of another shot. They run on!
EXT. THE BARNYARD - NIGHT
Boom! Wood explodes. Floyd is shooting, hitting nothing but his own barn.
FLOYD
Grab’m, Pete, while I reload!
Daisy peeks out from under a discarded chicken coop. Pete approaches Cuthburt. Cuth wags his tail. Pete leaps, Cuth dodges, Pete lands with a thud and a squoosh in a pig wallow.
Cuthburt comes over and licks Pete’s face.
FLOYD (cont’d)
Now I got you...
Floyd raises his gun.
PETE
Floyd!
Daisy leaps out of hiding, runs forward and bites Floyd on the leg.
FLOYD
Ahh!
Floyd fires, missing everything but the barn. Pete crawls deeper into the mud for cover. Daisy growls, holding tight to Floyd’s pant-leg.
FLOYD (cont’d)
It’s for your own good, Daisy.
He aims. Cuthburt stands there, defenseless. Floyd’s finger tightens on the trigger. At the last moment, the gun is knocked high - by Ghenghis. He pulls the shotgun away from Floyd. Nadine, limping, comes around the barn.
NADINE
Cuth, heel!
Cuthburt runs to her.
NADINE (cont’d)
Good boy, good dog.
GHENGHIS
Going to an extreme here, aren’t you, Floyd?
FLOYD
That beast has attacked me for the last time! I’m callin’ the county sheriff’s and havin’ it put away once and for all!
Nadine glares at Floyd.
NADINE
You’re the beast, you old fart! I oughta take you apart!
FLOYD
You and what army, you little pissant!
Nadine raises her fists and growls.
GHENGHIS
Nadine -
FLOYD
(raising his fists)
Let her loose! I’ll show her who’s a boogerbrain!
GHENGHIS
Floyd -
Nadine and Floyd circle Genghis, waving their fists and yelling insults and threats. Pete looks slowly up from up where he’s been cowering in the mud. Not at the combatants but at the sky. The dogs do the same.
PETE
Floyd...?
A light hits his awestruck face.
PETE (cont’d)
Nadine...?
The light changes colors.
PETE (cont’d)
Ghenghis...?
The colors revolve. Cuth and Daisy perk up their ears.
PETE (cont’d)
Somebody look!
They do. A gleaming sphere, as effervescent as a bubble, hovers over the farmyard. It seems not so much made of metal as it does of mercury. Colors swirl and shift on its surface like gasoline on water. As men and dogs watch in awe, it crosses the sky and descends in a far corner of the field.
PETE (cont’d)
(a whisper)
It’s an invasion.
Ghenghis begins walking towards the field.
FLOYD
Where you think you’re going? Kelly!? We should call the National Guard or the Army. You’re a fool, is what!
Ghenghis is swallowed up by the corn field.
NADINE
Ghenghis!
She follows at a run. Cuthburt runs after her. Daisy starts to follow - Floyd grabs her. She whimpers.
EXT. CORNFIELD - NIGHT
The flying sphere sits quietly in a clearing. Mist seems to rise off it. Suddenly a dot appears in it’s gleaming surface and then hatch slowly opens. A runway comes down to touch the earth. Huge, horny feet move forward. Stop. And now we see that above the menacing feet, the “spaceman” is small, plump and furry. Its features resemble those of a large guinea pig, pointy nose, warm eyes, little paws. It looks carefully around. It speaks - it’s voice is trilling, soft and melodious. (Note: the dialogue is sub-titled.)
ALIEN 1
The coast is clear, my love.
Another guinea pig, a female, appears in the hatchway of the ship.
ALIEN 2
The night is sweet with romance. This has been the perfect planet for a honeymoon.
They make their way down the run way and into the field. In the immediate distance is a large hay stack.
ALIEN 1
Look, my heart. A lover’s motel.
ALIEN 2
You are insatiable.
ALIEN 1
For you.
They trundle off towards the haystack.
AT THE EDGE OF THE FIELD
The corn parts. Two faces peer out.
NADINE
Whoa...
GHENGHIS
It’s magnificent.
NADINE
Sure it is. Okay, now we’ve seen it, let’s go.
GHENGHIS
In a minute.
NADINE
Ghenghis, the door’s open. Whatever’s inside’s probably -
She realizes what she’s saying.
NADINE (cont’d)
- out here. Wanderin’ around!
She looks around as if expecting an ambush. And suddenly Cuthburt comes running past her.
NADINE (cont’d)
Cuth!
He sniffs. He snuffles. Puzzled, he does it some more. He sniffs his way right up the spaceship.
NADINE (cont’d)
No, bad dog, no!
And Cuthburt bounds up the runway and into the ship.
NADINE (cont’d)
Cuth!
Nadine starts forward. Genghis quickly grabs her.
GHENGHIS
Stay here. I’ll get him.
Ghenghis moves towards the ship. Nadine watches as he carefully enters. She looks around nervously. Somehow what might be outside seems more frightening now that’s she’s alone. She moves towards the ship.
AT THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY
She inches forward, peers inside.
NADINE
Ghenghis? You okay? Cuth?
She cautiously makes her way up the runway and enters.
INT. THE SHIP - OUTER BAY - NIGHT
Nadine creeps forward. The inside of the ship is dimly lit. Tunnels go off in all directions - and as she lifts a hand towards one the sphere seems to shift so that the tunnel moves down to level for her. She takes her hand away and the sphere Shifts back. She backs away. And suddenly a door slides open behind her, startling her. She peers in.
ON THE BRIDGE OF THE SPHERE -
Lights and screens gentle pulse and oscillate. Nadine moves forward one step at a time. She turns to look back and then she walks into something.... she yelps -
NADINE
Ahhhh....
It’s Genghis.
GHENGHIS
I told you to stay outside.
NADINE
I’m not staying anywhere alone.
GHENGHIS
There’s nothing to be afraid of.
(looking around in wonder)
Listen.
NADINE
I don’t hear anything.
GHENGHIS
Exactly. It’s quiet. The ship must run on some kind of electromagnetic energy. Possibly fusion based.
NADINE
It’s comments like that, Ghenghis, that make girls go out with football players.
(turning)
Cuth? Where are you, boy?
They move around the cabin. Ghenghis mesmerized by the panels and controls and screens. Nadine peering down the adjacent corridors.
NADINE (cont’d)
Cuth? Cuthburt. Oh, Lord, I hope nothing ate him.
And suddenly Cuthburt rushes into the room, tail wagging. He leaps up and licks Nadine.
NADINE (cont’d)
There you are! You dumb dog, scaring me so.
GHENGHIS
Nadine.
She turns to see Ghenghis staring at an oscillating hologram of the solar system.
GHENGHIS (cont’d)
Look. Jupiter, Venus, Mars, the sun... Earth. And look here.
Next to the Earth, right over the continental United States, is a small glowing disk.
GHENGHIS (cont’d)
It’s a map of some kind.
He reaches out to touch - and his fingers go right through -
NADINE
Ghenghis!
GHENGHIS
You right, better not touch anything. We should go.
NADINE
That’s the first smart thing I’ve heard tonight.
Cuthburt has moved to the fore of the cabin. In front of three cushioned seats are viewing screens.
NADINE (cont’d)
Come on, Cuth, we’re leavin’.
OUTSIDE -
A couple of rabbits romp at the edge of the field.
INSIDE -
Cuthburt leaps up on the console, barking madly. His paw hits a glowing plate on the elaborate control panel. With a sudden low hum, the ship powers up. All around, lights pulse and oscillate. Ghenghis turns, startled.
NADINE
I didn’t do it, I didn’t!
The door to the outer bay closes. Ghenghis runs to it - too late. Cuthburt barks in excitement. His paws hit another switch. The ship trembles. And begins to rise.
NADINE (cont’d)
Ghenghis...!?
OUTSIDE -
The hatchway closes and disappears. The sphere slowly rises up off the ground.
IN THE FIELD -
Two furry heads poke up out of a haystack in surprise.
IN THE SPHERE -
Ghenghis and Nadine both run to the pilot console.
GHENGHIS
Get him away from the panel.
NADINE
Heel, Cuth, heel!
Nadine pulls Cuthburt into her arms. Ghenghis studies the control panel; all shifting geometric lights.
NADINE (cont’d)
I think he hit this one right here.
She reaches forward.
GHENGHIS
No -
Too late. Nadine hits a plate. The ship stops.
NADINE
Told ya.
And they are both knocked back into the soft embrace of the seats as - BOOM! - the ship blasts forward as if blown from a gun.