Re-Animator

Happy Tuesday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir-horror action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 1 of FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE, teenage science genius nerd Frankie Stein brings a dead rat to life in his secret basement lab, but when it escapes into the house just as his mother comes home, he has to think fast ...


OVER OPENING TITLES:

EXT. SUBURBAN BACK YARD - FLASHBACK - DAY
Sepia-toned, hand-held,
jittery home video footage of --

A sparse back yard in a subdivision lot.
Tiny, new trees. Wooden fence. Fresh sod.
Brand-new boy’s and girl’s bikes.

A young BOY (10) and girl (10)
look into the camera, smiling.

She’s wearing her best party dress.
He’s in his Sunday best.

He takes her hand,
and they walk over to --

A mock-church altar setup
made with balloons and streamers.

Behind it stands a SKINNY, SMALLER YOUNG BOY (10)
behind a podium.

He starts performing
a mock marriage ceremony.

CAMERA WHOOSHES around
and finds a PRETTY SUBURBAN MOM (30),
dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

She realizes the camera is on her,
then furiously points off-camera
at the kids.

CAMERA FLIES BACK
on the bride and groom,
just as they kiss.

INT. SUBURBAN HOME - BASEMENT - PRESENT DAY - NIGHT
Some cheesy 80’s hair metal ballad
plays on an I-pod stereo.
If I Close My Eyes Forever, indeed.

Your classic wood-panelled rec room.
Now a science lab STUFFED
with a maze of equipment.

Seated at a workbench is FRANKIE STEIN (17).
‘Nerd’ would be compliment.

Think Michael Cera
divided by Jessie Eisenberg.

He’s wearing thick gloves,
sleeves and a big apron.

Frankie looks at a dead RAT
lying on the table, recent roadkill.
Thinking. He nods --

Leans over, starts attaching
a series of electrical cables
connected to suction cups on the rat’s
head, chest, arms and legs.

Nods. Turns to a laptop.
Starts PUNCHING in data.

THE MONITOR
Shows a series of graphs that read
HEART, LUNG and BRAIN.
Each reads 'zero percent' below them.

FRANKIE
Smiles grimly.

FRANKIE
Rat-tastic.

He picks up a syringe.
SQUIRTS it. Looks at the rat --

FRANKIE
You’re going to feel a small pinch.

And INJECTS it.
Frankie then turns to a TRANSFORMER
that the cables are attached to.

He starts flipping a series of switches.
We hear a HUMMING sound.

A NEEDLE
On the transformer starts
moving from left to right.
It approaches the red zone --

FRANKIE
FLIPS DOWN a metal bar, and --

THE RAT
Gets ZAPPED with electricity. BUZZZ.

THE GRAPHS
All JUMP to ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

THE RAT
BOLTS UP in the air.
LEAPS onto Frankie and BITES his arm.

FRANKIE
SHIT --

He GRABS a coffee mug off the table
and WHACKS him in the head with it.

The rat goes FLYING into the air
and lands on the floor.

Starts SCURRYING around,
SMASHING into stuff.

FRANKIE
(looks at his arm)
Kevlar.
The gift that keeps protecting.

He watches the rat RACE
around the room. Then realizes.

FRANKIE
I didn’t close the DOOR --

It goes to the stairs,
starts FLYING up to the first floor.
He CHASES after it.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Total suburbia brought to you
by the color beige,
dimly lit by the light
coming from the various appliances.

The rat RACES through the kitchen,
followed by Frankie.

The rat BANGS around the room,
looking for an escape.

Frankie THROWS OPEN the door
to the back yard,
and the rodent FLIES OUT.

He SLAMS the door.
Exhales. Shakes his head.

FRANKIE
Talk about a rat-race.

FEMALE VOICE (O.C.)
Is everything okay, honey?

The lights FLIP ON.

Frankie’s mother JULIE (40’s)
stands there in her bathrobe.

Once a great beauty,
now a bit washed-out-looking.

But still appealing,
even fresh-scrubbed.

JULIE
I heard the door slam.
Everything okay?

FRANKIE
(nods)
I was coming in from the back yard.
The wind blew the door shut.

JULIE
What were you doing in the backyard
so late at night?

FRANKIE
Uh -- I was --

JULIE
Never mind.
One of your experiments, right?

FRANKIE
Uh, yeah.

JULIE
Have a seat, boy genius.
I’ll fix you a glass of warm milk.

FRANKIE
Could I, uh -- get a beer?