Dark Sentinel
Superhero
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this is the script i wrote for my directorial debut, a short film. its a VERY VERY ROUGH first draft, we've already made a ton of additions and changes since we started filming. i just wanted your guys' opinion.
By Jeff Shanley
FADE IN FROM BLACK:
EXT. BUILDING ROOFTOP NIGHT
Rain comes down in TORRENTS. Lightning FLASHES, thunder CRACKLES. Briefly, we glimpse a LONE HOODED FIGURE standing tall atop a building. His long overcoat wafts hauntingly with every gust of wind.
CLOSE ON: Lightning flashes again and we see a FACE underneath the hood. We can't make it out very well. This is our hero, the DARK GUARDIAN.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
No one expected the Good Samaritan to stop and help. And no one would expect the same from someone like me.
Lightning flashes once again; the Dark Guardian LEAPS from his high place. His coat BILLOWS like a cape behind him as he lands on a
STREET
A COUPLE walks down the sidewalk, laughing and smiling under an UMBRELLA despite the dismal weather. As they walk past, we see a SUSPICIOUS MAN in a zipped up jacket and a skull-cap.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O. CONTD)
The very people who would run at the sight of me couldnt possibly understand how much they need me.
Skull-Cap walks faster and
CLOSE ON: He pulls a KNIFE from his pocket!
REVERSE ANGLE: Skull-Cap pulls the woman away and holds her at knife-point against the wall.
MAN
You hurt her and I'll--
SKULL-CAP
Money and jewelry, now. That or I take this pretty little thing home with me.
CLOSE ON: Skull-Cap smiles and leans in closer, grazing the girls cheek with the knife. She cringes.
Suddenly, Skull-Cap is PULLED AWAY! He is SLAMMED against the side of the building and flung back out into the street. He lands with a SPLASH and a THUD into a gutter. Sputtering water, Skull-Cap looks up.
ANGLE UP (P.O.V.): DARK GUARDIAN stands tall in the rain, looking down at the scum at his feet. His face is still shadowed by his hood.
DARK GUARDIAN
Hands off the girl.
Dark Guardian turns and picks the girl up. She looks, SCREAMS in terror, and runs. Her boyfriend runs after her. Dark Guardian stands alone in the rain.
POV- Other people cringe in terror at the sight of Dark Guardians face.
He turns and walks into an
ALLEY CONTINUOUS
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
You shunned me. You cast me out, afraid to look at me let alone reach out and help me in my despair.
A FEW PEOPLE walk past the alleyway as Dark Guardian enters. One stops and LINGERS.
Dark Guardian walks past a HOMELESS MAN sleeping on a bed of newspapers. Lightning flashes.
DARK GUARDIAN (CONTD)
I didnt ask for this. But I answered nonetheless. You allowed yourselves to sink deeper and deeper into your own despair until you didnt know who you could trust.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
It took someone like me to reach out to you when you never did the same for me. It took someone like me, a demon in your eyes, to save you from your own demons.
EXT. BANK NIGHT
An ALARM WAILS and two ROBBERS run out of the bank, carrying two BAGS. They split up and run opposite directions.
SIDESTREET CONTINUOUS
Robber 1 runs down the street, but is suddenly FLOORED by Dark Guardian.
ANGLE DOWN: Dark Guardian yanks the robber up so he can see his face.
DARK GUARDIAN
Stay there!!
He takes off after the other Robber.
INTERCUT: Dark Guardian races down the street. The other robber runs faster.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
Why do I do this? Night after night, I fight a losing battle...a task that, to me, seems like nothing more than a long defeat...
Dark Guardian reaches the other robber and grabs his shoulder. As he spins the robber around, BANG!!!
Dark Guardian falls back, and his hood FLIES OFF. The right side of his face is COVERED BY A BURN SCAR. His skin is shiny, dry and cracked. Part of his hair is burned away. UNSETTLING to say the least. He lies on the ground, motionless. Robber 2 stares at him and pulls a small HANDGUN from his coat pocket.
Robber 2 crawls over, aims the gun at Dark Guardians chest. Suddenly, Dark Guardian GRABS his wrist and twists it.
Robber 2 stares wide-eyed, unbelievingly, AFRAID. Dark Guardian and Robber 2 STRUGGLE for possession of the gun. More SHOTS FIRE during the fight.
Finally, Dark Guardian KICKS Robber 2 away. Robber 2 stands, gun IN HAND, but he is suddenly FLOORED by an ELBOW to the side of his head.
CLOSE ON: The gun CLATTERS on the ground.
Dark Guardian, breathing raggedly, picks the gun up from the ground. He stares at it, and then pulls his jacket away from his body...
And pokes his finger through a hole in his T-shirt. Underneath, however, THERE IS NO BLOOD, BULLET HOLE, OR WOUND OF ANY KIND.
Lightning flashes again and it begins to rain.
ANGLE UP: Dark Guardian looks up to see ANOTHER LONE FIGURE standing atop a building, as if watching over the scene. We hear POLICE SIRENS in the distance.
Dark Guardian nods and throws the gun on the ground. He flips his hood back up and walks down the street.
CUT TO:
TOP OF BUILDING CONTINUOUS
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
I do this because I know that no one can walk in this world alone. This world is filled with danger, with plenty of opportunities to fall...
The CAMERA swings around a MAN looking down as Dark Guardian walks into the distance.
CLOSE ON: He holds up a closed fist. Each finger opens one by one to reveal a BULLET lying in the palm of his hand.
The GUARDIAN ANGEL looks back to Dark Guardian walking down the street, watching over him.
CUT BACK to the bullet in his hand.
DARK GUARDIAN (CONTD)
And everyone needs a guardian angel to watch over and protect them...even someone like me.
The Guardian Angel looks up, and watches Dark Guardian run between two buildings.
EXT. ALLEY - CONTINUOUS
Dark Guardian runs down to the end of an alley. He stops, REMOVES HIS HOOD, and looks back towards the red and blue flashers.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
You watch over them...and I watch over you.
The Guardian Angel closes his hand.
END.
comments, critiques are appreciated. remember, i'm an amateur so go easy
GUARDIAN ANGEL
By Jeff Shanley
FADE IN FROM BLACK:
EXT. BUILDING ROOFTOP NIGHT
Rain comes down in TORRENTS. Lightning FLASHES, thunder CRACKLES. Briefly, we glimpse a LONE HOODED FIGURE standing tall atop a building. His long overcoat wafts hauntingly with every gust of wind.
CLOSE ON: Lightning flashes again and we see a FACE underneath the hood. We can't make it out very well. This is our hero, the DARK GUARDIAN.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
No one expected the Good Samaritan to stop and help. And no one would expect the same from someone like me.
Lightning flashes once again; the Dark Guardian LEAPS from his high place. His coat BILLOWS like a cape behind him as he lands on a
STREET
A COUPLE walks down the sidewalk, laughing and smiling under an UMBRELLA despite the dismal weather. As they walk past, we see a SUSPICIOUS MAN in a zipped up jacket and a skull-cap.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O. CONTD)
The very people who would run at the sight of me couldnt possibly understand how much they need me.
Skull-Cap walks faster and
CLOSE ON: He pulls a KNIFE from his pocket!
REVERSE ANGLE: Skull-Cap pulls the woman away and holds her at knife-point against the wall.
MAN
You hurt her and I'll--
SKULL-CAP
Money and jewelry, now. That or I take this pretty little thing home with me.
CLOSE ON: Skull-Cap smiles and leans in closer, grazing the girls cheek with the knife. She cringes.
Suddenly, Skull-Cap is PULLED AWAY! He is SLAMMED against the side of the building and flung back out into the street. He lands with a SPLASH and a THUD into a gutter. Sputtering water, Skull-Cap looks up.
ANGLE UP (P.O.V.): DARK GUARDIAN stands tall in the rain, looking down at the scum at his feet. His face is still shadowed by his hood.
DARK GUARDIAN
Hands off the girl.
Dark Guardian turns and picks the girl up. She looks, SCREAMS in terror, and runs. Her boyfriend runs after her. Dark Guardian stands alone in the rain.
POV- Other people cringe in terror at the sight of Dark Guardians face.
He turns and walks into an
ALLEY CONTINUOUS
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
You shunned me. You cast me out, afraid to look at me let alone reach out and help me in my despair.
A FEW PEOPLE walk past the alleyway as Dark Guardian enters. One stops and LINGERS.
Dark Guardian walks past a HOMELESS MAN sleeping on a bed of newspapers. Lightning flashes.
DARK GUARDIAN (CONTD)
I didnt ask for this. But I answered nonetheless. You allowed yourselves to sink deeper and deeper into your own despair until you didnt know who you could trust.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
It took someone like me to reach out to you when you never did the same for me. It took someone like me, a demon in your eyes, to save you from your own demons.
EXT. BANK NIGHT
An ALARM WAILS and two ROBBERS run out of the bank, carrying two BAGS. They split up and run opposite directions.
SIDESTREET CONTINUOUS
Robber 1 runs down the street, but is suddenly FLOORED by Dark Guardian.
ANGLE DOWN: Dark Guardian yanks the robber up so he can see his face.
DARK GUARDIAN
Stay there!!
He takes off after the other Robber.
INTERCUT: Dark Guardian races down the street. The other robber runs faster.
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
Why do I do this? Night after night, I fight a losing battle...a task that, to me, seems like nothing more than a long defeat...
Dark Guardian reaches the other robber and grabs his shoulder. As he spins the robber around, BANG!!!
Dark Guardian falls back, and his hood FLIES OFF. The right side of his face is COVERED BY A BURN SCAR. His skin is shiny, dry and cracked. Part of his hair is burned away. UNSETTLING to say the least. He lies on the ground, motionless. Robber 2 stares at him and pulls a small HANDGUN from his coat pocket.
Robber 2 crawls over, aims the gun at Dark Guardians chest. Suddenly, Dark Guardian GRABS his wrist and twists it.
Robber 2 stares wide-eyed, unbelievingly, AFRAID. Dark Guardian and Robber 2 STRUGGLE for possession of the gun. More SHOTS FIRE during the fight.
Finally, Dark Guardian KICKS Robber 2 away. Robber 2 stands, gun IN HAND, but he is suddenly FLOORED by an ELBOW to the side of his head.
CLOSE ON: The gun CLATTERS on the ground.
Dark Guardian, breathing raggedly, picks the gun up from the ground. He stares at it, and then pulls his jacket away from his body...
And pokes his finger through a hole in his T-shirt. Underneath, however, THERE IS NO BLOOD, BULLET HOLE, OR WOUND OF ANY KIND.
Lightning flashes again and it begins to rain.
ANGLE UP: Dark Guardian looks up to see ANOTHER LONE FIGURE standing atop a building, as if watching over the scene. We hear POLICE SIRENS in the distance.
Dark Guardian nods and throws the gun on the ground. He flips his hood back up and walks down the street.
CUT TO:
TOP OF BUILDING CONTINUOUS
DARK GUARDIAN (V.O.)
I do this because I know that no one can walk in this world alone. This world is filled with danger, with plenty of opportunities to fall...
The CAMERA swings around a MAN looking down as Dark Guardian walks into the distance.
CLOSE ON: He holds up a closed fist. Each finger opens one by one to reveal a BULLET lying in the palm of his hand.
The GUARDIAN ANGEL looks back to Dark Guardian walking down the street, watching over him.
CUT BACK to the bullet in his hand.
DARK GUARDIAN (CONTD)
And everyone needs a guardian angel to watch over and protect them...even someone like me.
The Guardian Angel looks up, and watches Dark Guardian run between two buildings.
EXT. ALLEY - CONTINUOUS
Dark Guardian runs down to the end of an alley. He stops, REMOVES HIS HOOD, and looks back towards the red and blue flashers.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
You watch over them...and I watch over you.
The Guardian Angel closes his hand.
END.
comments, critiques are appreciated. remember, i'm an amateur so go easy
