19 Nocturne Boulevard - COUNTDOWN - Reissue

My apologies - sick with no voice, so I have to put off the next Lovecraft 5 until I can record the intro. Here's a short one for this week.  Thanks for your patience! ***************************************************************** COUNTDOWN The haunted Ratcatcher Mine is irresistable to tourists and ghost hunters alike. Written by Julie Hoverson, Sound and mastering by Tanja Milojevic (of Lightning Bolt Theater of the Mind) Cast List Steff / Dutch - J. Spyder Isaacson Bobby / Rory - Reynaud LeBoeuf Roj / Jacob - Danar Hoverson Gloria - Tanja Milojevic Old Frank - J. Christopher Dunn Martha - Julie Hoverson Music:  Mary Lou by Country Gold This Land Here for Free by Country Gold Sunshine Revisited by Country Gold The King is Coming by Dom The Bear     All available through Jamendo.com Cover Design:  Brett Coulstock "What kind of a place is it? Why it's a mountain with a mine shaft - can't you tell?" ***************************************************************** COUNTDOWN By Julie Hoverson   Cast: OLD FRANK - local shopkeeper, southern MARTHA - Frank's wife Gloria - modern college girl Steff, Bobby, Roj - modern college guys, wannabe filmmakers Dutch, Jacob, Rory - young miners from a century and a half ago, irish or other immigrant accents [NOTE - the modern guys double as the miners]   SETTING - opens in collapsed mine shaft MUSIC SOUND     PATTER OF GRIT SOUND    Dutch, Jacob, and Rory, heavy breathing.  DUTCH    5, 4, 3, 2, 1. SOUND    FLARE OF OLD LUCIFER MATCH DUTCH    Quick looks, all-- [clears his throat, hawks, spits]  You alright, Jacob? SOUND    MOVEMENTS IN DIRT, SHIFTING GRAVEL JACOB    I can't feel me legs, Dutch. RORY    Hail Mary, full of grace... SOUND    DISTANT RUMBLE OF FALLING ROCKS, MORE GRIT MUSIC AMBIANCE    MA AND PA STORE, MUZAK SOUND    FLAP OF PHOTO GLORIA    Have you seen--? OLD FRANK    Them boys?  Yup.  You almost jest missed 'em.  Come through this morning - maybe 'bout two hours-- MARTHA    --Nearer on to three, it was-- OLD FRANK    Two hours ago.  Asked a bunch of damn fool questions-- MARTHA    They were real curious about the Ratcatcher. OLD FRANK     --got some gas and took off.  Probably went on up to that whore's ass of a hole in the ground. MARTHA    Hush, you old goat!  We make a lot of money on the old Ratcatcher mine, you know. OLD FRANK    Some day that cussed thing's gonna cave all the damn way in and that'll be the end of the matter. GLORIA    The guy in the middle, that's my brother - Steff. OLD FRANK    And what kind of name is that for a young man, anyway? MUSIC SOUND    CLICK WHIRR - SMALL FILM CAMERA COMES ON. [NOTE - the modern guys are on a filter, like a recording being played back, unless otherwise noted] AMBIANCE    IN A CAR STEFF    Aha!  Smile! BOBBY    Dude, Why bother with the antique?  I can take better video than that with my phone. STEFF    It's the only way to make it look real, bro!  Film or nothing! SOUND    RADIO GOES STATICY, TUNING ROJ    Oh hell!  SOUND    RADIO OUT ROJ    Man.  We are so in the boondocks. MUSIC AMBIANCE     Mine DUTCH    Hold your breath. JACOB    Why?  RORY    Just do as he says, boy! SOUND    THEY ALL GASP IN A BREATH, HOLD IT A SECOND RORY    [on an exhale] Damn. DUTCH    [sigh] Aye. SOUND    MATCH SHAKEN OUT JACOB    What? RORY    The flame.  It didna waver at all. JACOB    But... whatever does it mean? DUTCH    [grim] We shant have long to wait. MUSIC AMBIANCE    OUTSIDE, MOUNTAINS SOUND    STEPS CRUNCH ON DIRT STEFF    Just hold it steady.  BOBBIE    Does it even have a built in mike? STEFF    It's not that old.  I don't have to hand crank it, either. BOBBIE    It's not like you're going to fool anyone.  No one believes any of this mockumentary crap any more.  Not since freaking Blair Witch. STEFF    It's all in how it's presented.  [turning away]  He said the mine opening is a half hour hike that way. SOUND    CAR DOOR SLAMS ROJ    [off, calling] I was thinking I might stay with the car.  STEFF    Come on, Roj!  We all agreed-- ROJ    [coming on] I'm just feeling weird about this whole thing. BOBBIE    He just wants to hit his girlfriend up for some naughty hottie talk. STEFF    You get reception out here? ROJ    This is about where I should turn and have a horde of network people standing there... MUSIC AMB    MA AND PA STORE SOUND    CELL PHONE NOISE, NO SERVICE SOUND    PHONE SLAPPED SHUT GLORIA    Dammit.  They were supposed to wait for me! OLD FRANK    You gonna buy something or just stand around and suck up our A-C? MARTHA    Frank!  The girl is concerned. GLORIA    You said they bought a map? OLD FRANK    Five dollars. MUSIC AMBIANCE    Mine JACOB    Have you another lucifer, Dutch? DUTCH    Cannot spare it. JACOB    We're gonna die!  Why must we perish in the dark? RORY    Every flame eats air we could be breathing. JACOB    We're doomed right enough, aren’t we?  Will a few moments of bright comfort end our suffering so much faster? DUTCH    The lad has a point. RORY    No!  I at least want every breath I have left.  MUSIC AMBIANCE    STORE SOUND    DOOR OPENS, BELL DINGS GLORIA    [leaving] Thanks! SOUND    DOOR SHUTS OLD FRANK    Only thing stupider than tourists is film people. MARTHA    This from the old coot who can't miss his Deal or no Deal. OLD FRANK    [dismissive noise] Ahh! SOUND    DOOR OPENS, BELL RINGS GLORIA    [coming back in]  Why is it called the Ratcatcher mine? OLD FRANK    [congenial storytelling mode] Well, there's quite a story there. GLORIA    Is there a quick version? MARTHA    Not from him, there ain't.  GLORIA    Ten bucks? SOUND    MONEY SHELLED OUT, SNATCHED OLD FRANK    Right then.  It was a mother lode of silver, back in the day.  But the hillside was particularly unstable, so there were quite a few cave ins.  [getting spooky] So everyone took to bringing rats in, and feeding 'em, down in the shafts, since you could watch the rats, and when they ran, you knew to run too. MARTHA    [after a moment] Or else it was named after a fella called Ratcatcher Jones. No one's real sure. GLORIA    The map also doesn't say why anyone gives a flying ratcatcher's ass about it? MUSIC AMBIANCE    OUTSIDE SOUND    HIKING ROJ    It's not my GPS that's messed up - that map is just plain wrong! STEFF    It's the official map. BOBBIE    Maybe it's wrong on purpose.  Maybe the mine is still being worked, in secret, and they don't want anyone to actually be able to find it! ROJ    They would just stop selling maps, dumbass. BOBBIE    Or, maybe it's all a cover for a secret underground government installation - they put those into old mines and bomb shelters and stuff all the time, don't they?  STEFF    They'd just fence everything off! BOBBIE    Not if it was secret. STEFF    Nah.  I think it's just a big joke on tourists.  Like if you can actually find the mine, then you're worthy to be there. ROJ    We should go back to the car and wait for Gloria. STEFF    Yeah.  That's what I want to do.  She only wants to be here to piss me off.  ROJ    She has the hots for Bobbie. BOBBIE    She does?  Let's go back! STEFF    Ew.  [gasp of excitement] Hey, does that rock look like this blob - right here - on the map? MUSIC SOUND    FLARE OF LUCIFER STRIKING, BURNING [they're all getting breathless] RORY    We should pray.  God will welcome us home and forgive us our sins. JACOB    I don't have any!  No good ones, anyway! DUTCH    Pray silently.  Spare your breath.  JACOB    They could still find us! RORY    Best turn your mind heavenward, lad.  JACOB    But they could, couldn't they? DUTCH    God may still spare us.  Shh now. MUSIC AMBIANCE     OUTSIDE STEFF    [close to the mike] Hold it steady.  [backing off]  OK?  Is this good? ROJ    I can see you.  That's all you need, right? STEFF    Am I centered? ROJ    You can't fix it in post? STEFF    Just hold it steady.  [clears his throat, up]  This is Steffen Cray, standing in front of the infamous Ratcatcher Mine, supposed to be haunted by the ghosts of numerous miners who died in its inky blackness.  Most notably, it still holds the souls of three men whose bodies were recovered within minutes of their ultimate suffocation.  BOBBIE    Completely sucks, man.  House woulda been able to pump them, stat, and they'd be on Oprah next week, with a fund in their name. STEFF    Yeah, well, it was a hundred and thirty some years ago.  They say the mine will always hold three souls.  BOBBIE    Who's this "THEY" who says these things?  They should be making this crap-ass film. MUSIC AMBIANCE    DRIVING GLORIA    Dumbass idea, anyway, making some dumbass film about some dumbass mine. SOUND    RADIO TURNS TO STATIC GLORIA    Crap. SOUND    RADIO TURNED OFF, DIALING CELLPHONE SOUND    BEEPS, THEN ANSWERED - FAINT AND CRACKLY STEFF    [gasping voice]  Hello? GLORIA    Steff?  Jeez!  Really didn't think there would be coverage out here. STEFF    Gloria? GLORIA    [raising her voice] I can barely hear you!  STEFF    We're... in the mine. GLORIA    Oh, great.  How the hell am I gonna find you? SOUND    STATIC GROWS STEFF    You... won't. SOUND    PHONE CUTS OUT GLORIA    Well, crap.  Didn’t even get a chance to ask where to park. MUSIC AMBIANCE    MINE [NOT ON RECORDING] ROJ    Tell her to go for help! STEFF    It cut out before I could. ROJ    No!! What were you thinking? STEFF    Bobbie's out again. ROJ    You idiot! STEFF    You're using up the air! MUSIC AMBIENCE    OUTSIDE SOUND    WALKING GLORIA    [calling] Steff?  Steff? JACOB    [close] Hello. GLORIA    [startled] Crap!  Jeez, you scared me! RORY    Shouldn’t take the lord's name in vain. GLORIA    It's not vain.  Are you friends of my brother?  He never mentioned-- DUTCH    We're... local. GLORIA    Of course.  The costumes.  You must work here.  Where do I find this Ratcatcher mine thing? DUTCH    The mine?  Tis closed down.  There's been a bit of an incident.  MUSIC SOUND     PATTER OF GRIT SOUND    STEFF, BOBBIE, ROJ, HEAVY BREATHING  STEFF    [fading out] 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... CLOSING MUSIC