An American Werewolf in Paris

He cocks the gun. Andy lets go of Claude's gun. Gaston picks it up and aims one gun at Andy and the other at Serafine, who's wrestling with Claude. Claude throws her off and she lands on her butt next to Andy. Andy looks at Serafine.

andy

What the fuck!? You too!?

serafine

(stammering)

I... I didn't think you would... I'm sorry... I believed that son-of-a-bitch...

Claude gets to his feet, drenched with wine and smarting from Serafine's punches. He walks over to Serafine and kicks her in the face.

claude

Shut up, you foul mouthed little cunt. I don't have time for your histrionics.

gaston

Give me the ADM old man.

Gaston is aiming one of his guns at Claude.

claude

Oh for Christ's sakes Gaston. Can't you rise above the level of common thug just this once?

gaston

Give it to me!

claude

Don't be an idiot. There are certain procedures one must-

gaston

NOW!

Claude sighs. He takes the vial from his pocket and walks over to Gaston.

claude

Very well then...

Gaston grabs the vial, uncaps it and drinks it down greedily. He stands there, waiting. Nothing happens...

andy

Ha. Some wonder drug...

gaston

Why isn't it doing anything!?

claude

I told you. It's not ready.

Claude turns to the noise of footsteps and a walkie-talkie in the hallway. Four uniformed officers plus Rene and Francois storm into the room, guns drawn.

cops

(French/English)

Freeze! Drop your weapons! Hands up!

Andy and Serafine put up their hands. Gaston brandishes his guns at the cops, then sees the six guns aimed at him and drops it. Leduc walks in.

CLAUDE

(French- to Leduc)

Thank God! These hoodlums tried to rob me!

LEDUC

(French- to Claude)

Put up your hands.

claude

(French)

But surely-

Leduc cocks his pistol and aims it at Claude.

LEDUC

(French)

Now!

Claude puts his hands up.

claude

(French)

What's the charge?

LEDUC

(French)

There is no charge.

(English)

Everybody comes in for a few questions. Everything checks out, you will go free. After midnight.

Claude frowns. Gaston swears. Andy looks at Serafine, shocked and confused. She looks back at him, angry and sad.

cut to:

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

The cops are herding the handcuffed "questionees" into the back of a reinforced paddy wagon. Leduc talks to the DRIVER, and another COP in the passenger seat.

LEDUC

(French)

Godard is waiting for you at Rocherout jail. Hurry... And don't stop for anything. Good luck.

The driver nods. It roars off, lights flashing and siren wailing. Leduc and the other cops head for their respective cars. Leduc barks orders to an AID who's at the ready with the car radio.

LEDUC

I want four separate maximum security cells ready. Get video cameras, photographers, and doctors.

The aid nods and gets on the radio. Leduc checks his watch. It's 10:47.

cut to:

INT. PADDY WAGON

Serafine hangs her head sullenly, in a quiet rage. She won't meet Andy's gaze. He looks over at Claude and Gaston. Gaston is restless, edgy. He grabs Claude by the collar and shakes him.

gaston

Nothing's happening!

andy

Looks like he lied to you too.

Claude breaks Gaston's grip and shoves him back in his seat.

claude

(calmly)

Relax my friend. It's still not ready.

Andy looks back at Serafine. He shakes his head in disbelief.

andy

Now I remember why I didn't want to come to Paris. Everyone you meet is a goddam werewolf!

Serafine stares bitterly at her feet.

serafine

I hope they fucking fry us all.

andy

Yeah. French fries...

SLAM! He's interrupted by the sound of Gaston's head snapping back against the wall. His eyes bulge wide. He grins and starts to laugh. First a little. Then a lot.

gaston

Yes! Yes! Ha! Haha hahaha..

He stands up, laughing, power-mad. Suddenly his body is jerked by a spasm and he falls to the floor. He's not laughing anymore. He flails about wildly, croaking out strangled cries, gripped with a terrible seizure.

IN THE FRONT CAB

The TWO GUARDS, the driver and his partner, hear the commotion. The guard looks over to his partner, and chuckles.

partner

Aaooooo!!! Heh heh heh.

They both laugh. The driver takes a sharp turn at high speed.

IN THE BACK COMPARTMENT

Gaston flops around on the floor like a fish, grabbed by a flurry of convulsions. He bites off his tongue, spitting blood everywhere. Finally, he goes rigid with one last seizure, then falls totally limp. Andy studies the very dead corpse.

andy

It killed him... You coulda just used Draino. It's cheaper.

claude

I told him it wasn't ready...

Claude takes a folded PAPER CUP from his jacket pocket. He blows into the cup to bring it back into shape. He then takes a SHARPENED STEEL TUBE from his pocket, plunges it into Gaston's neck, and fills the cup with the blood that pours forth. Andy and Serafine are horrified. Claude puts the cup of blood to his lips and pauses.

claude

Now it's ready.

He swallows the cup of blood down in one gulp, and sits back to wait for the effects, smiling dreamily.

claude

What is the curse of the werewolf? I'll tell you. The curse is to possess such awesome power and yet be completely unconscious of it. It may as well belong to someone else. But it wasn't always that way. A thousand years ago the Gauls had a drug powerful enough to unlock the door to lycanthropic consciousness, to full control. It came from moonsbreath.

(CONTINUED...)

andy (cont'd)

A small white flower once found in the hills of this region, until the thick headed crusade by our famous Saint Severin eradicated it for all eternity. But now, thanks to ADAM, the "curse" is over...

As he says this, he holds up his RIGHT ARM. It begins to mutate and grow, reshaping his arm into the grotesque, powerful forelimb of the beast. PLINK! His swelling wrist pops the handcuff easily.

serafine

(French)

Holy mother of God...

andy

Fuck me...

Claude rises to his feet, triumphant. He advances towards Andy and Serafine, backing them up against the rear doors of the van. He gently traces the outline of Serafine's face with his werewolf hand. She bristles at his touch.

claude

All my life I've worked to unlock the power of the unconscious mind. Well this is it. This is power!

andy

You sure it's not just 'coz you jerk off too much?

Claude cocks his werewolf fist and SLAMS it into the back doors, inches from Andy's head. He leaves a deep dent, and opens the doors just a crack. It's a gesture that seems calculated to frighten them. It works.

Claude holds up his LEFT ARM and transforms it to match his right. It takes some effort and a little pain, but he keeps a smile on his face throughout the process.

claude

Don't you see what this means? I've broken through! I'm in total control! Not the moon! I can do whatever the fuck I want!

SMASH!! Claude drives his left arm into the back doors, making another huge dent, and opening the crack even wider.

IN THE FRONT CAB

The cops exchange worried looks. The one on the passenger side slides open the viewing panel. Claude has his back to him.

cop

(French)

Hey! What's going on in--

He stops short as Claude turns around, revealing his monstrous arms. Mortified, the cop reaches for the SHOT GUN under the dash. Claude races up towards the view window. As the guard pokes the muzzle through the window, Claude grabs hold of it. BLAM! T he guard's shot hits the side wall. Claude rips the gun from the guard angrily, and smashes it to pieces against the wall, grinning like the devil himself.

Meanwhile ANDY throws himself at the doors, kicking them, trying in vain to break them open. He spots the SHOTGUN BARREL on the floor and grabs it.

CLAUDE reaches through the window and grabs the guard by the head. He repeatedly smashes the guard's head against the back wall of the cab.

claude

(as he smashes the guard)

Don't you know... the wolf... is a protected... species!?

The driver freaks out, seeing his partner get his head crushed. THE PADDY WAGON swerves all over the road.

ANDY uses the shotgun barrel to twist open the lock on the van doors. As the vehicle swerves, he drops the barrel out the door, and falls over. He calls to Serafine.

andy

I need your help. Come on.

She joins him and together they take a run at the back doors. The doors open a little, but the lock still holds.

Finished with the guard, Claude turns and sees what Andy and Serafine are up to.

CLAUDE

Wait!

Andy and Serafine take another run- it works. THE DOORS bust open, and Andy and Serafine, still handcuffed, go tumbling out into THE STREET, rolling on the pavement.

SCREECH! HONK! Cars swerve to avoid them, just barely. CRASH! A minivan plows into a parked car. Claude watches from the back of the van. He rears his head to the moon and smiles.

IN THE CAB of the paddy wagon, the driver hears an unearthly howl. It's hellish. Without looking away from the road, he points his pistol through the hole in the compartment. He adjusts THE MIRROR to see into the rear compartment - The back doors are hanging open. He steals a look over his shoulder- Other than Gaston's corpse, it's empty... He breathes a sigh of relief and turns back to the road as-

A HUGE WEREWOLF - Claude fully transformed - bursts through the windshield and rips into him.

THE PADDY WAGON is traveling over the Pont Neuf bridge. A GASOLINE TRUCK approaches from the other direction. The werewolf leaps off of the hood just as the paddy wagon, swerving all over the road, hits the gasoline truck head on.

KA-BOOM!! Both vehicles explode in a fireball, smash through the side wall of the bridge, and plunge into THE RIVER.

INT. SQUAD CAR

Leduc, following at a distance, is trying in vain to get the paddy wagon driver on the radio.

leduc

Allo! Jean-Louis! Respond! Allo!

His partner slows the car. Traffic ahead is snarled. It's chaos. He taps Leduc on the arm and points...

partner

Inspector...

Leduc sees the column of black smoke in the distance.

leduc

Merde... merde, merde, merde.

He slams his fist against the dash angrily.

CUT TO:

EXT. PARIS STREET, NIGHT

Andy lies by the roadside, dazed, bruised, handcuffed, but conscious. He sits up unsteadily, and looks for Serafine.

andy

Serafine?

He sees a small crowd of people a little further up the road, outside a small bistro. He staggers up to them and pushes his way through. Serafine is there on the ground by the curb, eyes closed.

Kneeling beside her, he turns angrily on the onlookers.

andy

Get out of here! Go on! Move it!

He shoos them away. Of course, they just back up a bit, still gawking at the handcuffed couple.