Demolition Man

An Original Screenplay

by

Peter M. Lenkov

SILVER PICTURES

PROPERTY OF:REVISED SECOND DRAFT

WARNER BROS. INC.August 1989 4000 Warner Boulevardc 1989 Burbank, CA91522

*define STORcl auto [2=9976] DATA FILE X12 CA=bbd 115 ENTERED FALL 1995 Code Clearance 2976-PPX:::::

1a-c/ A BACKLOG OF COURT HEARINGS, AN ON-GOING DEBATE OVER CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, AND OVERCROWDING IN MAXIMUM SECURITY DETENTION CENTERS HAVE ESTABLISHED CRYO-PRISONS, NICKNAMED 'THE ICE HOUSE'.CONVICTS ARE PRESERVED IN LIQUID NITROGEN AT -320 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT SERVING LENGTHY SENTENCES OR AWAITING PAROLE.THEY ARE NO THREAT TO SOCIETY, OR EACH OTHER...UNTIL NOW.

DEMOLITION MAN

FADE IN:

A stream of mist rises, breaking off in all directions, as if inside a deep freezer.It is hazy and DISTORTS all IMAGES.An eerie HEARTBEAT BUILDS until reaching a crescendo and DIES...

INT.CRYO-PRISON FACILITY X23-55 - LOS ANGELES

The mist clears, REVEALING behind it the frozen, expres- sionless face of a man, cocooned in a glass pod.Standing upright, held in suspended animation, in a freezer-like coffin.Electrodes spread across his bare chest.

A TITLE appears in the lower portion of the screen:

CRYO-PRISON X23/55 LOS ANGELES 2018

Identical pods behind and to either side house hard-core criminals.A small data bank surrounds each pod.Monitors display digital read-outs corresponding to each individual prisoner.

INT.CRYO-PRISON - CORRIDOR

The WARDEN and a SALT & PEPPER ESCORT TEAM named SANCHEZ and DOEBLER ride a mobile Cryo-Pickup cart.Driven by a Cryo-Prison guard named PUCKETT.Down a narrow hi-tech corridor.Each man wears the requisition sub-zero suit. They carry their helmets.

The cart approaches CELL BLOCK 60.The monitor on the wall reads: -320 F.The cart slows to a stop.

The four put on their headgear and fasten the safety seals. Thumbs up.Puckett depresses the auto door opener and the chamber opens.The cart drives in.

INT.CELL BLOCK 60

Rows and rows of stiffs, no pun intended.Sanchez and Doebler look on in awe.

The cart slows to a stop in front of POD 79-SECTOR G5. Guess who?

A DATA BANK reads:

REHAB TRAINING:TELEPHONE REPAIRMAN

The four men stare at frozen Doucet hoping he'll somehow disappear.UP ON...

INT.CRYO-PRISON - POST-OP LABORATORY

A team of DOCTORS and SCIENTISTS work mechanically reviving Doucet.Sanchez and Doebler stand along the back wall watching.Machines jam.Spit out information.

SCIENTIST #1 (monitoring) BP... thirty... thirty-five...

DOCTOR #1 Blood transfusion complete.

SCIENTIST #2 I'm shutting down the diathermic unit.

DOCTOR #2 Slowly.

SCIENTIST #1 ...forty-five...

DOCTOR #2 Seventy-two percent cerebral activity, climbing.Should level off somewhere in the eighties.

SCIENTIST #2 How's the WEDGE pressure?

SCIENTIST #1 Below ten centimeters.

DOCTOR #1 M.A.P.seventy and moving.

SCIENTIST #1 Pulse contour looks good and well- defined.Steady rhythm.

Doucet convulses on the slab.

DOCTOR #2 He's going into convulsion shock.

SCIENTIST #2 Normal post-op reaction.

SCIENTIST #1 He's up to fifty...

DOCTOR #1 Strap him.

Doucet is strapped to the table with restraints.

DOCTOR #2 Digit movement.

Doucet's hand opens and closes.His body moves slowly. His eyes struggle with the light.He is like a baby being born.

SCIENTIST #1 BP normal.

DOCTOR #2 You can shut down.

Re-animation is a long process.For Doucet it's short. His eyes open.He's alive.It is not a dream.Doctor #1 checks his eyes with an ophthalmoscope.Dulcet regains control of his body.The Scientists and Doctors stand back.Sanchez steps forward and flashes his holograph cop badge.Complete with computer bar I.D.code.

INT.CRYO-PRISON - CORRIDOR

Sanchez and Doebler ride the mobile Cryo-Pickup cart. Doucet in back.Manacled from head to tow.Worn by the ice.He cracks his neck.Makes fists.Stretches as best he can.

INT.CRYO-PRISON - PAROLE BOARD HEARING ROOM

Doucet is ushered over to a chair in the middle of the room.Three console screens face him.Three stone-faced Parole Judges on line.They are: MR. RYANS, Mr. Edgars, and Ms. Walleck, who at this very moment is fighting a bad cold.Doucet is uneasy as he slides into his seat.Mr. Ryans glances down at Doucet's file and begins.

Doucet's not surprised.

Doucet clears his throat.His first words are mumbled. He tries again.

Doebler steps forward.

He checks his pockets.Searching for something.

Sanchez leaves the room.Probably saying something like "This job sucks" under his breath.Doucet is very un- comfortable.Doebler crosses the room.Taps the big guy on the shoulder.

Without warning, Doucet's right hand grabs Doebler.Like a vise.The Cop gasps.That's all he has time to do. Doucet's left hand rips itself from the restrainers and pulls Doebler down.Doucet hand-butts the Cop.A quick jab to the throat and Doucet destroys any hopes Doebler had for becoming Chief of Police.

The action which follows appears as if in slow motion. That's because capturing Doucet at normal speed is virtually impossible.All hell breaks loose.Doucet rips himself from the shackles.

INT.SANCHEZ AND DOEBLER'S CRUISER

Sanchez whistles a tune.Rifles through a sack of docu- ments.

INT.PAROLE BOARD HEARING ROOM

Doucet snatches the dead Cop's standard-issue laser auto- mag.

Doucet BLOWS away the CONSOLES.One by one.Puckett storms into the room.

Doucet takes a step.Growls.

Doucet TRIGGERS.Blows Puckett all over the place. Silence.Well, almost.The CONSOLES FIZZLE.Doucet hurtles Doebler's body through a window creating an escape route and climbs out.

After a brief moment, Sanchez casually walks into the room.He stops dead in his tracks.The room's a mess. His partner's been waxed.His reaction is chock full o' horror.

FADE TO BLACK.

UP ON

High energy techno-pop version of "HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD." OVER:

CREDITS ROLL:DEMOLITION MAN

EXT.HOLLYWOOD SIGN (HOLLYWOOD HILLS)

Once the symbol of dreams of desires, the defaced sign is in sorry shape as it looms over an equally-decaying city.

EXT.HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

One look at the boulevard makes us want to head for the hills.A tourist couple photograph the burnt-out shell of what was once Mann's Chinese Theatre.A holograph-talking billboard promises hope.It features Ray Gallagher, a smiling grey-haired politician with the slogan:

"THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE... POLICE COMMISSIONER RAY GALLAGHER FOR MAYOR"

"I WAS THERE FOR YOU"

Gallagher's rhetoric bores 24 hours a day...

A stretch limo cruises by.

INT.STRETCH LIMO

A futuristic ride.Loaded with luxury gizmos.A suitcase stuffed with dead presidents sits on a man's lap.The kind of cash you don't declare to the IRS.The man sits in the shadows, so it's hard to make out his identity.His hands flip through a stack of twenties.Seated in front of him are a Yuppie-like entourage.PEEBLES, an ivy-Leaguer in his late twenties.REBECCA, all teeth, all body.Finally, ROSHKO, a high-priced attorney.

CELLULAR RINGS.Peebles snaps it up.

He hands it to the man.

COMMISSIONER GALLAGHER leans out of the shadows.Same smiling politician running for mayor.He grabs the horn and speaks.

GALLAGHER/MAN (into phone) Yeah.

His eyes go wide.Great reaction on his face.Kinda like Sanchez's.

Gallagher glances at his cellular and sighs...

INT.ALLEYWAY (HOLLYWOOD) - TRASH CONTAINER

COMING DOWN IN A SPIRAL.The naked body of a man lies amongst knee-deep garbage.Technothug haircut.Flaming skull tattoo on the back of his right hand.This man is dead.

EXT.ALLEYWAY

A dark and dingy side street catering to the rats and vermin.Shafts of sunlight break through creating an eerie prison bar effect on the brick walls.It's no surprise that Doucet is standing beside the large trash container.He is wearing torn Army pants, combat boots, a Heavy Metal Band T-shirt, and a long overcoat.All the wrong size, but the price was right.

He walks.

EXT.DEAD-END

An old Lincoln, circa 1995, sits idle.Dented bumpers, broken windows, torn upholstery, obviously not a pimp's car.It pulls alongside Doucet.MANNY, the gun runner, shows off his wares to a TECHNOTHUG.He's a fast talking shmoozer with the right connections.His trunk popped open.Inside is a selection of weaponry able to ignite a small war.Including knives and ammo.

Technothug nods.Doucet walks up.Manny can't help but smile.

Manny gets back to business with the Technothug.Doucet's hands begin to tremble.He coughs uncontrollably and drops to his knees.Manny steps backwards.

Doucet pulls himself up.He doesn't look so good.He reaches into Manny's trunk.Manny pulls him out.

Doucet pushes Manny aside.

Doucet removes a compact Stinger missile launcher.Techno- thug panics and runs.

Doucet slings the launcher over his shoulder and pulls out a dual-barrel handgun.He snaps in a clip.

Doucet pivots and hammer-punches Manny to the kidneys with pile-driver force.Manny falls like an unmanned puppet. He gasps for air and shivers in pain.He's a salesman to the end...

Manny looks up into the business end of a double barrel handgun.Doucet FIRES.

SERIES OF SHOTS

Doucet shoves a Buck 9 assault knife into a leather waist sheath.Tapes a small pistol to his ankle.Opens his overcoat and loads the pockets with weaponry.The double barrel handgun.The Stinger missile launcher.A mean- looking weapon called the AK 2000 (Armageddon 2000).A cross between a bazooka and an M57.

BACK TO SCENE

Doucet zips up.Loaded to the gills with hardware.He grins.

EXT.BEL AIR COUNTRY CLUB

Judge Baker hits his drive.He's in his mid-seventies. His partner checks wind temperature against the fairway distance.Using a portable golf computer.It chooses his club for him.Judge Baker shakes his head.He's impatient.

Judger Baker climbs into his golf cart and speeds off. Halfway down the fairway a commotion catches his attention. He turns, as Manny's Lincoln tears up the green.Doucet drives.The car makes a beeline towards Judge Baker.

Judge Baker's eyes go wide.Doucet is a man hard to forget.The golf cart peels out, but the Lincoln blind- sides it.Sending the vehicle and Judge Baker into the water.Both hit the bottom hard and fast.I guess the Judge's partner won this round.

INT.CENTURY CITY HI-RISE - PARKING GARAGE

Hot shot private attorney TIM DULEY heads for his Porsche. He's in his early sixties.You just know he watches "L.A.Law" reruns.Manny's LINCOLN SCREECHES 'round a corner.Pins Duley to the wall.His legs crack.Doucet steps out of the car.Duley pleads.