Making the Grade

I was at the Element today with john Lawlor (Derelict DOP) to look at the grade. Alan Foley was the man with at the wheel, he did a fantastic job, film looked great and my nots were minor. Over all I was very happy. Looks as I imagined it. So I can't really ask for more... well, just a tiny bit more!


Sound is ready for my to listen to, so looking forward to that. Then we'll be ready to put the two together and finish the job I started two and half years ago! These things always take a lot longer then planned! And I say finished - finished one part, begin another,  that may take up just as much time!


Here's a track from the film's sound track, by Dermot O'Mahony, for your listen pleasure.


Meantime, I've been throwing out a stream of consciousness story on facebook, as you may have seen below. It's been fun. I enjoy writing it. Helps me relax. I have no idea where it's going. I don't even know if it makes sense at the moment, probably not yet. I think it needs to get going and I need to start explaining a few things... I will when I figure those things out! It's been fun just throwing it up there, I would usually write this way, but this would be the draft no one would see, the first draft, that would be rewritten and rewritten. But you know, life's too short. And I don't expect anyone would ever publish this stuff anyway, or fund my films, so I just have to do it for myself, share it, and maybe one or two people read it, see it and enjoy it.


Anyway, here's the next part:


Part 9: Another.

Huddled among the trees. They speak in whispers.


"I'm not doing it."
"Just do as I said, you'll be fine."
"Then you go."
"Alex, trust me, John is a crack shot." 
"Yeah, so you go, I don't need to be going out there."
"I'm here to back him up with the rifle."
"Then use the rifle now."
"We need to be quiet, which you're not being. And maybe we find something out."
"If I die, I'm coming back to haunt you."
"That a boy, we have your back."

John takes an arrow from his quiver and sets it against the string of his bow. He nods in readiness. Joseph holds his rifle up and takes aim. Alex steps out from the cover of the trees and walks toward the creature sat perched atop the old abbey ruins.

As he gets closer he realises the colossal size of it. It's massive wings folded around itself. Offering some shelter from the rain. It's skin has chained colour, from grey to a pale blue. Alex looks at it's hands. The size of Alex's torso. In place of nails - black talons. And his feet, like those of a gorilla and taloned.

"Excuse me? Sir..."

The creature does not move.

"Mr. Monster?"

Nothing.

"I think it's asleep..."

It moves.

Rustles it's wings. A haze of water rises from them. The creature looks up at Alex, standing in the middle of a clearing maybe thirty yards away. Alex sees it's dead black eyes. He notices that its lips too are black. Alex realises that it looks familiar. It's face is that of Father Landy.

"Father Landy?"

If it is him there is no trace of humanity left. The creature cocks it's head to on side and watches Alex.

"Um, me and my friends were just wondering what you were doing here?"

The creature does not answer.

"And... eh... where you come from?"

Still nothing. Alex cocks his head toward the trees.

"Eh, lads, he's not much of a talker... what do I do?"

The creature looks at the trees and then jumps down form his perch. When he lands the ground shakes.

"Um... Lads?"

The creature steps toward Alex.

"Oh shit!"

It unfurls it's wings. Alex head turns as his eyes travel the span.

"Sweet mother of God..."

From deep within the dead black of the creature's eye a glow begins to ignite. The creature screeches. Inside its black mouth a black tongue.

"Not good. Seriously not good. Lads. I don't think it knows English? I also think it's pissed off? Probably shouldn't have woken him up... Sorry mister, look, why don't you go back to sleep and I'll just head back to me mates... yeah!"

The creatures eyes and glowing bright now. It steps forward. Alex cowers. Then. The quick rustle of leaves. A spray of water. And a whistle through the air. The creature stops. Blinks. Tries to. Reaches up with one hand to test the curios stick now attached to it's face. An arrow sticking out of it's eye. It doesn't seem to have effected him. Then. Another. Beside it. The same eye. The light goes out. The creature cocks it's head at Alex. Falls over dead.

Alex throws his hands into the air.

"WooHoo!"

He does a dance and sings.

"Mr. Monster's Dead. Two arrows in the eye. Come to our town. Monsters gonna die..."

Joseph slaps him on the back of the head.

"Shush."
"That was easy!"
"Yeah. It was."

Joseph slowly walks to the creature. He bends down still six feet away. Looks at it closely.

"Certainly seems to be dead."

John swings his bow over his shoulder.

"You're good with that."
"Olympic team."
"Really?"
"Once. Another life. I guess they're like us then. They die."
"Not seem odd to you? It did really do anything."
"Hey, you mean you sent me out there expecting it to do something?"
"I thought it might do more then just look at you, yeah."
"Last time I do what you ask me."
"It looks like Landy..."
"That's what I said."

Joseph looks again.

"Yeah, you're right."
"You think it's him?"
"No. Didn't you say you saw his decapitated?"
"His head was pulled into that ball of smoke."
"Ball of smoke?"
"In the church... where that thing came from."
"Maybe it borrowed his face..."
"For what?"
"A disguise?!"
"Not much of a disguise! Should have borrowed more than his face!"
"I don't know... maybe a way in or something, maybe they need human flesh to get here... I don't even know what I'm saying..."
"Could be. Maybe that's what makes them week. If they need us to get here, maybe they adopt some of our weaknesses?"
"It's skin is different."
"How so?"
"When I saw it earlier it was grey." Joseph steps closer. "It's not as muscular either."
"What are you thinking?"
"It's like it was getting weaker, older. Like it's ripening or something. Dying maybe."
"So what? It came here for an hour? That makes no sense."
"It was calling something earlier too, maybe it just came ahead to make sure the coast is clear. Serve one purpose and then die."

The three men look at the creature. A crow lands nearby. Then another. And another. Joseph stands up and looks up at the abbey ruins. The wall is covered in crows. A large crow lands on the body of the creature. The three men look at each other and take a step back. The crow pecks into the flesh of the creature. Black blood squirt out. Alex recoils in disgust.

"Ah Jesus!"

More crows join the larger one. The begin to tear the flesh from the creature. Joseph looks at the other's.

"You ever seen crows act like this?"
"Let them at it. Sooner that thing is gone the better."

The creature begins to move again.

"It's not dead!"
"No, look."

John points. Something is moving inside the creature. Trying to get out.

"We should get back to the house."
"Yeah, let's go."

The three men turn. Then a thunderous crash. Not in the sky. But in the valley below. The roof of the church has collapsed. From within something is glowing. The same pale green light. Behind the men the crows peck and caw frantically now. Whatever is inside the creature is close. They turn and look in time to see it emerge. The crows fight and clamber.

A new creature. Born from the torn flesh of another. A black crow. The size of a man. A beak light broken slate. Eyes red. Covered in the black blood of the dead one. It shakes itself. Raining them in blood. It opens it's wings. As wide the creature now a pool at it's feet. It bends and cracks its neck and then suddenly snaps at the flustered crows around it. Bitting them. Eating them. A crow bigger than a man. Fierce and terrifying. It steps out of its birth place.

John quickly readies another bow. Lets it lose. I hits the giant crow in the shoulder. The crow barely move. It reaches behind and pulls the arrow out with it beak. The smaller crows clamber to get to the wound and lick it clean. The bird slow turns and looks at the men. It's eye red with burning blood.

Joseph whispers.

"Run."