Army of Darkness

ASH

GIDDYPU!

THE FIRST HORSEMAN

Rides up alongside Ash and swings his Broadsword.

WHOOSH!!!

ASH

Ducks the blade.

THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Rides up alongside Ash's other flank. He swings and lands the flat part of his blade along Ash's back.

THUNK!

ASH

Ducks as the first horseman swings his blade again.

WHOOSH!

ASH looks left...

THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Winds up for another blow.

ASH

Yanks back upon his horse's reigns.

THE THREE HORSES

Running side by side. Ash's horse drops back suddenly.

THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Swings.

HIS BROADSWORD

Slams the First Horseman across the face.

THE FIRST HORSEMAN

Is knocked from his steed.

TRUCKING SHOT – THE FIRST HORSEMAN

Is moving fast when he hits the ground. His armored form tumbles end over end in the dust, clanging to a halt against a rock.

THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Turns around and gallops back toward Ash.

WIDE SHOT – ASH AND THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Ride at one another.

TRUCKING SHOT – THE SECOND SWORDMAN AS HE RIDES

Swinging his Broadsword.

TRUCKING SHOT – ASH AS HE RIDES

He inserts the stump of his right arm into the female end of his chainsaw arm bracket.

FOOMP! He twists his stump and the chainsaw bracket locks into place. CLINK!

He thrusts his chainsaw arm outward, pulling on the starter cord; PUTT-PUTT-PUTT... The engine won't turn over. He curses and yanks again.

THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Draws close. He leans from his horse and swings his Broadsword mightily. The flat portion of the blade connects.

THUNK!

ASH

Is knocked from his steed. He tumbles to the dust, narrowly escaping his own horse's hooves.

ASH

Rolls to his feet and spins to the sound of approaching hooves!

THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Charges and swings his broadsword.

ASH

Raises his chainsaw. CLINK! He deflects the blow. Ash swings the chainsaw in a roundhouse motion, clipping the Second Horseman as he rides past.

TRUCKING SHOT – THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Is knocked from his horse.

LOW TRUCKING SHOT – THE SECOND HORSEMAN

Bounces along the rocky ground, kicking up dust.

A SWORD HANDLE

Slams against the back of Ash's skull.

ASH

Crumples. He looks up in pain to...

ARTHUR

Above him. The sun over his shoulder.

EIGHT MOUNTED WARRIORS

Gallop up, dismount and surround Ash with swords drawn.

ARTHUR

Bring the prisoner!

The warriors surge upon Ash. His sawed-off shotgun and chainsaw are taken from him.

ASH

No!

GOLD TOOTH AND OTHER WARRIORS

Secure Ash to a set of iron shackles that painfully extend his arms. A collar forces his neck upward.

ARTHUR

To the castle!

WARRIOR #2 ON HORSEBACK

Prods Ash along with a rod attached to his spiked iron collar. The Warriors gallop off, forcing Ash and the other prisoners to run alongside them.

WISEMAN JOHN

Picks up the chainsaw and sawed off shotgun from the dust. He is troubled by the strange objects. Sunlight glints off the blade of the chainsaw, blinding the CAMERA.

DISSOLVE TO:

THE HOT ORB OF THE SUN

Blazing in the sky above the wasteland.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PARCHED LAND – DAY – A WEARYASH

Bound in his iron shackles, whipped by Gold Tooth, who rides alongside him.

GOLD TOOTH

Move along now!

DISSOLVE TO:

LONGSHOT – A WIND SWEPT LANDSCAPE OF CRAGGY ROCK

CAMERA PANS along the line of Arthur and his horsemen, to find a 12TH CENTURY BATTLE CASTLE built on the edge of a great cliff. A drawbridge is lowered. Arthur's warriors ride over it.

CAMERA TRACKING WITHASH

Shackled alongside other prisoners, is prodded inside the castle walls.

INT. CASTLE COURTYARD

SHEILA, a striking, blonde haired maiden, rushes into frame. She searches the faces of Arthur's warriors and grows concerned. She pushes through a crowd of villagers and calls up to Arthur atop his horse.

SHEILA

M'Lord Arthur! Where is my brother? Did he not ride with you?

ARTHUR

Eye. And fought valiantly. But last night fell in battle to Duke Henry's men.

Sheila’s face does not immediately register the grief. She attempts to step forward but stumbles. She steadies herself against the stone wall. Her eyes harden as she sees the first of the shackled prisoners: a semi-conscious Ash.

She flushes with anger and races up to him. She spits and kicks at him as he's dragged along.

SHEILA
Foul thing! A pox on your throat! Thou art a Murderer! A black Murderer!

VILLAGE WOMEN

Restrain her.

Sheila cries as the Village Women attempt to soothe her.

VILLAGE WOMAN #1

May you be consoled by their suffering in the pit.

THE PROCESSION, ASH AND THE FOUR OTHER PRISONERS

Halt. Iron keys rattle. The shackles are unlocked. Ash and the prisoners rub their reddened wrists. They are pushed at swordpoint towards a circular iron grate that sits atop the ground. This is THE PIT.

ASH

Looks to the jeering villagers that surround the pit, wondering what they have in store for him.

SHEILA

Stares at him in hatred.

THE PRISONER NEXT TOASH

Eyes Ash curiously. This is Duke Henry the Red.

DUKE HENRY

You sir, are not one of my vassals. Who are you?

ASH

Who wants to know?

DUKE HENRY

I am Henry the Red. Duke of Shale. Lord of the Northlands and leader of its people.

ASH

You ain't leadin' but two things now, pal. Jack and shit. And Jack left town.

A STERN FACED ARTHUR AND HIS FOUR LIEUTENANTS

Address the doomed men:

ARTHUR

There is an Evil that has awakened in this land. And whilst my people fight for their very souls against it, you, Duke Henry the Red, wage war on us. Your people are no better than the foul corruption that lies in the bowels of that pit! May God have mercy on your souls.

TWO OF ARTHUR'S MEN

Crank a massive wench. Chains tighten and the heavy iron lid slides back, revealing a dark hole. THE PIT.

FROM THE BOWELS OF THE IRON GRATED PIT

A echoed wailing rises up.

ASH, HENRY AND THE OTHER PRISONERS

Stiffen in fear.

AN OLD WOMAN AMONGST THE JEERING CROWD

OLD WOMAN

Aye. Into the pit with the bloodthirsty sons of whores!

She jams a meat pie into her mouth and cheers excitedly as CAMERA PANS TO...

HENRY'S WARRIOR #1

As he's thrown down into the pit. He disappears into the blackness.

CAMERA PANS AND HALTS CLOSE ONASH

Watching with disbelief. We hear the warrior's echoed cry of terror, then a SPLASH as he hits bottom.

CLOSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PIT

Looking down into the blackness we hear:

HENRY'S WARRIOR #1 (O.S.)

I beg of you... by all that's holy! Lower a rope! Lower... Oh, for the love of god! no! NO!!! AIIIIIiiieee!

The sound of ripping and scratching. The SHRIEK of terror is cut short as...

 A GEYSER OF BLOOD erupts upward from the pit. Then silence.

ASH

Is frozen in fear.

TOWER GUARD (O.S.)

There! He's escaping!

ASH'S TERRIFIED GAZE jerks from the pit to...

TRACKING SHOT – HENRY'S WARRIOR #2

Making a break for it! He's past the guards, heading for the open drawbridge.

THE TOWER ARCHERS

Spot him and fire arrows.

ANGLE ON

PING! PING!

They bounce off the Warrior's armor. He's makes it to the open drawbridge when...

ARTHUR

Pulls back a iron arrow in his crossbow. ZING! He lets it fly. CAMERA SWISH PANS with arrow...

PAN HALTS ON HENRY'S WARRIOR #2

The iron arrow punctures the Warrior's armor, pegging him to a wooden post. He dies standing.

THE CROWD

Cheers. They turn their attention to the remaining prisoners: CAMERA PANS from their bloodthirsty faces to the next prisoner in line...

ASH

Turns to Arthur and in a desperate, cowardly plea:

ASH

Hey, I never even saw these assholes before..

He spins to Duke Henry the Red.