Friday, February 18, 2011

Emails #7: Red Skull. Yeah Baby.






Ben-

I just rewatched a portion of Unbreakable. Bruce Willis is in the house with the killer and the curtains are fluttering so that the characters are obscured. I am thinking along the lines of that.

As for "hero". This is a good touch but soften it.

"You Joes are heroes. No hot food or water, no sleep, under constant attack and still you fight on. I won't let you down...." Steve Rogers as Captain America grabs the standard and plants himself on top of the hill for all to see, even the enemy who begin using him as a target. The American soldiers pop to readiness. They are being lead by someone more than human who fights for the cause of liberty and justice for all. Weariness is forgotten, petty gripes are forgotten, fears are forgotten. There only remains Captain America standing flag in hand as a steady shining example calling them to charge.

Sort of a cross between the opening of Dances with Wolves and Braveheart.

The image dissolves.

"I was there that day. It was the most magnificent thing I had ever seen. The men charged and overwhelmed the German lines with their ferocity, their pride, their courage. Cap had changed the course of battle that day and on many others. We all wanted to believe." We are in the present day and a general is smoking a cigar, telling his tale.

Tie this all up. The flags, music, the wounded soldier...write this scene.

I like this as some kind of opening for Cap. Darker, muted color a la Saving Private Ryan. Browns, greens, mud blacks. Very gritty almost news reel quality.

I saw a video game advert. that was right out of the forties. A beautiful woman, a microphone and a spotlight (later to reveal we were in Germany but by then we were already enticed by the red painted lips.).

Not bad for a Thor movie.

RICKKKKKKK



11-2-08

Ben-

Had a dream. Had a vision. Had an idea.

Red Skull. Yeah baby.

"From the tiniest slivver of this material, my scientists were able to cook up a replica of Captain America's shield."

In the distance the darkness is broken by a spotlight revealing a concrete Captain America statue holding a round shield.

Red Skull draws a pistol from the holster on his hip and quickly caps off six rounds. All go pinging and are deflected. Red Skull motions, a dozen goons step forward and straif the figure with automatic weapons. When the smoke clears, it becomes obvious that the material of the shield has easily withstood the onslaught.

Red Skull smirks. A goon steps forward and presents him with a case and opens it. A rather mean looking pistol is inside. Red Skull snatches it up, feels the weight of it in his hands and pops in a clip.

"This is what I call my Magic Bullet Theory (note: Magic Bullet Theory refers to the JFK assassination which is still twenty years into the future. Need a more timely reference.) This is what I call my Blitzkrieg Bullet. Devastating."

The Red Skull caps off a dozen rounds in a flurry then blows the hot smoke from the end of the gun barrel.

At the other end of the hall, the replica shield is not recognizable. Holes the size of coffee saucers have turned the metal into twisted Swiss cheese. The Cap statue behind the shield is missing most of the top half.

"Right to bear arms in action. Let's go hunting."

*****

all I have for now.

RICK


My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth.
-George Washington

When we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen.
-George Washington

1 comment:

  1. I have always had a soft spot for the Red Skull. Even when I was a kid and didn't really understand all the Nazi stuff, I knew that the Red Skull was evil. I mean, you could just tell. Good guys don't walk around with bright red skeleton heads.

    Doctor Doom was also a favorite as well as Galactus. To be honest I liked them all. The villains always seemed to to trying to pull off more and more grandiose stunts, coldly delivering their invitations for our heroes to just try to stop them. Narrowly defeated, always to return again with something more diabolical. They sought ultimate power and though they continually failed, one day they would win and crush everyone.

    Red Skull always seemed a little confused. His time had passed him by but his hatred of Captain America kept him warm. His goal of ultimate power would never be fully realized and Cap always seemed to thwart his success. How he would love to crush this man, this wretched mongrel and at night it is all he can dream about.

    How did it all start he wonders? But he knows the answer and wishes he had crushed the life out of Captain America when he first had the chance. It wouldn't have taken much at all, a gloved hand tightening on Cap's throat. Maybe a minute, only a single minute. Yet the Red Skull does not let his mind rest there for too long. There is a plan, a simple plan rattling in his head. When he is done thinking, the plan is fully formed and he sneers to himself. This time... this time things are going to be different.

    ReplyDelete