This synopsis gives the basics for a
blockbuster screenplay, and I'm giving it away! Just tell me you used it and
made the movie happen, and that will be reward enough for me!
Best, Harry the Human
The Day the World Froze in Terror because it looked in a Mirror
A screenplay by (...your name here...)
Synopsis: In a solar system remarkably like our own, a humanoid
civilization develops on one of the inner planets, just as ours has on earth.
On this planet, the humanoids have evolved external, mechanical abilities much
more rapidly than internal mental abilities, especially those related to its
subjective quality of existence. In fact, this humanoid culture has so utterly
neglected its internalities that their Spellcheck recognizes only
"externalities." God-like external powers are suddenly developed by
the humanoids, including the ability to genetically recreate themselves in
whatever form they wish, except they have no idea what they wish, because they
are weak on internalities. Ancient cultures, rich with internalities, dissolve
in front of everyone's eyes, with no agreed-upon replacements (cameo of their
version of Joseph Campbell on his death bed, crying, "We need new myths;
the old myths are dead!"). In laboratories all over this planet scientists
report to wealthy patrons and governments on their progress towards a
scientific re-creation of humanoids that will, presumably, be happy, since
they'll be programmed that way, while the archaic populations soon to be
displaced are diverted with scripted "controversies" about ideology,
competition between races (soon to be genetically re-written anyway), sexual
practices, etc. In their version of what we might call "Roman
circuses," the futureless humanoids are encouraged to distract themselves
with the fake controversies, war, innovative drugs (illegal, to create the
illusion of free will and cover their true purpose) and to watch lots of TV.
In the most powerful nation on this planet, which we'll call Lemon
Drop for security reasons, general dysfunction due to overwhelmed and
distracted government leads to ever increasing dissatisfaction at all levels of
society, such that the government of Lemon Drop- a corporate/state hybrid- gets
together with other governments and plans a fake war, intended both to
distract their respective populations from their impending replacement by
enhanced humanoids, as well as to, well, kill a lot of them. The leader of
Lemon Drop is a liberal icon, something of a ploy because he pushes aggressive
military moves harder than anyone. As we encounter this leader, he wants his
military to conduct a high-profile attack on a far-away country engaged in a
vicious civil war, in which none of the parties is an ally of his country- a
sure means of igniting the tinderbox this world has become. To the leader's
surprise, and to the surprise of many of his advisors, his proposals for
aggression are forcefully rejected even by his core supporters, and he has to
withdraw them, for now. The “democratic” process of choosing a new leader
approaches and it becomes clear that the centuries old political structures
will buckle under the strain of realities their founders did not envision. To get the war up-and-running in time to
distract the population from the political dysfunction, agent provocateurs muddy
the waters, giving the lame-duck leader's aggression cover, and the world
devolves into a chaos of fighting. There is no center to the humanoid culture.
In their "natural" form, the humanoids do not survive the
evolutionary crises that, for instance, the Vulcans famously survived en route
to becoming the intellectual, possibly autistic and remarkably moral humanoids
we understand them, fictionally, to be. Perhaps there is a sequel where Vulcans
discover Lemon Drop and place it in receivership.
Suggested opening and sub-plot: Establishing shot of ivy covered
building; push-through upper window into the study of Dr. Owatta Gooh Siam,
professor of philology at Dorkchester University, who has discovered an
algorithm for processing ongoing news events on his planet which produces
remarkably detailed and accurate forecasts. One of these forecasts relays that
the forces that want to start a war and general mayhem sufficient to serve as
cover for re-creating the humanoids are not at all done with their mischief.
Dr. Siam realizes that it is up to him, and him alone, to stop the nefarious
plot from unfolding. But how? Dr. Siam decides to write a manifesto for an underground movement of others who have uncovered the truth. He disguises the manifesto as a
fictional work of sci-fi/horror, not hard to do, and makes a sham offer to give
it away so someone can get rich off it and in the process disseminate the
truth. As it happens, an enterprising hack picks up on the story and makes a
bundle, the humanoids are replaced with the new models anyway, and Dr. Owatta
Gooh Siam ends up penniless under a piece of cardboard on skid row.
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