THE STAGE 32 LOGLINES
Post your loglines. Get and give feedback.
LE LOUP DE GAROU (THE FRENCH-CANADIAN WEREWOLF)
By Hans Nielsen
SYNOPSIS:
It is the night before Christmas Eve and Sam Wiggins along with his eleven fellow loggers are gathered together in their employer's rustic outpost in Northern Ontario on the banks of the Wendigo River. The company has provided free grog and their foreman, Patrick Munster, is handing out paychecks and Christmas bonuses. After things die down at the Tamarack Paper Company, Sam and two of his buddies, head over to the Laughing Loon Saloon for more drinking and socializing with a friendly barmaid, named Heidi. It is here that Sam tells his friends that he is headed to Hudson's Crossing, which is five-mile, overland journey that requires the use of snowshoes. On this nocturnal voyage, Sam learns about the Loup de Garou legend first-hand.
LE LOUP DE GAROU (THE FRENCH-CANADIAN WEREWOLF)
"Le Loup de Garou"
Screenplay by
Hans Nielsen
Hans Nielsen
E-mail: hank_nielsen@yahoo.com
406-371-6582
FADE IN: Aerial shot of a frozen river. The plane continues along the river. SUPER: WENDIGO RIVER IN NORTHERN ONTARIO 1949 RUN CREDITS: END CREDITS: Camera approaches a small group of log buildings cluttered together in the Canadian wilderness. EXT. OFFICE OF THE TAMARACK PAPER COMANY – NORTHERN ONTARIO (WENDIGO RIVER BRANCH) – DAY The one story building is built from logs, has a shingle roof and a Christmas wreath on the front door. It is part of a small outpost of buildings that sits on a bluff overlooking the river. Narrator: (V.O.)
The old timers said that the winters in the spruce forests of Northern Ontario were not as cold as they used to be. According to these elderly gents, there once was a time, when the Wendigo River would freeze solid as a rock from Thanksgiving till Easter.
The frigid winter would even solidify Henry McKenzie Falls, a twelve foot high rock ledge that ran the breadth of the northward flowing river. They also said that on some nights it would get so cold that your spit would freeze before it hit the ground.
But there was no need to tell Sam Wiggins that...for he learned all about the awesome North Woods winter, the hard way. The unfortunate event took place on an icy December night, when the trees of the forest were going snap, crackle and pop, as the temperature plunged well below zero. So cold were these solstice nights that not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
INT. WENDIGO RIVER BRANCH OF TAMARACK PAPER CO. - DAY It is two days before Christmas and the office is a beehive of activity for all the loggers are inside to draw their weekly pay, which includes a modest bonus. PATRICK MUNSTER, the foreman, is present along with a secretary, a bookkeeper and an office manager. To gain the attention of his robust work crew, Patrick climbs on top of the secretary's desk and starts banging a cowhorn with a wooden mallet. The crowd immediately quiets down. There is a Christmas tree next to the desk that Patrick is standing on and other Yuletide decorations drape the windows. Patrick (yelling above the din of the small crowd) Ladies and gentlemen. The people in the building quiet down. Patrick (CONT.) On behalf of the Tamarack Paper Company, I would like to welcome everyone to yet another Christmas holiday. Wild cheers of joy arise from the workmen. Male logger Many thanks for the free grog. More yelling and toasting from the men. Patrick You're welcome.....And as far as I am concerned, you've earned every drop and then some. So drink up and be merry, Monday will be here before you know it. Patrick pauses for a few, while the bookkeeper walks up to Patrick and whispers in his ear. Patrick puts his arm around the young lady's shoulder and listens attentively. Patrick (Cont.) I've got some good news for everybody. Your paychecks are ready and can be picked up as soon as I am done talking. Another male logger Hurry up and finish you old coot. We ain't got all afternoon. Subdued laughter circulates through all those who are listening. Patrick (chuckling and raising both arms) I'll make this as quick as I can. But first let's give the office crew a round of applause for keepin' the books straight and puttin' money in our pockets every two weeks. Another round of applause explodes from the small crowd. Patrick (cont.) And I would like to add that there will be a 50 dollar Christmas bonus added to everyone's paycheck......And another 50 added to all of those who have been with us since last Christmas. All the loggers start congratulating each other and slapping their comrades on the back. Patrick raises both arms again and the crowd quiets down. Patrick (cont.) This is the most important part. Since next week is our last work period for the season, the bunkhouse will close down on noon Monday......And it won't re-open until some time next spring, when the Tamarack Paper Co. is ready to begin operations again. More applause and cheering. Patrick (cont.) However, your last paychecks will be available bright and early at eight in the morning. So this will give everyone plenty of time to make transportation arrangements out of here....And by the way The Laughing Loon Saloon will be closed after the weekend, so you won't be spending any more of your last bit of your hard-earned dough there. Low murmurs of discontent pass through the crowd. Patrick (CONT.) (yelling) Are there any questions? No one responds. There is near silence. Patrick (CONT.) If there aren't any questions, you can line up for your pay, but please do so in an orderly fashion.....And have a merry Christmas, but not too merry for I want to see everyone back here on Monday for our last week of work. It should a pretty easy week. Patrick steps down from the desk and the twelve lumberjacks form a single file line in front of the secretary's desk. Int. laughing loon saloon Tamarack outpost – day (ONE HOUR LATER)SAM WIGGINS, GIL MCHALL and EMIT HARDING enter the Laughing Loon Saloon, which is doing a thriving business on the night before Christmas Eve. The three hard-working loggers are promptly seated by HEIDI, a hard working barmaid who is in her late thirties.
After taking orders the buxom blonde returns and sets up each man with a mug of O'Keefe Ale and two shot apiece of Seagram's Canadian Whiskey.
Gil Let's have a toast. Emit That sounds good to me. Each man grabs a shot glass and begins to raise it in the air. Sam Here's to the overworked lumberjack and the cheap-ass timber company that can't afford more than a couple days off for its dedicated employees. GIL and Emit (in unison) Aye, aye. Everyone clinks their glass together. emit And here's to the three month furlough we got coming after the New Year. May God rest our weary bones. Sam and gil (in unison) Hail, hail. After clicking glasses together everyone sets their second empty shot glass on the round wooden table and instinctively starts sipping their brew. Gil (to Gil) So I hear you plan to spend the winter break up here on the river. sam You got that right. The company offered me some part-time employment and a bed in the bunkhouse until we get going again in the spring. gil No shit. Whatcha goin' to be doin'? sam Repairing snowshoes, sharpening axes and shit like that. emit That won't last very long. sam I hope not. Cause I was planning to set out some traplines, catch me a bunch of snowshoe hares and maybe a lynx or two. gil There's always money to be made, ain't there.
Sam downs his beer until he is staring at the bottom of his glass. Then he raise his hand high above his head and summons the barmaid. sam One way or another. Heidi arrives at the table. heidi You guys want another round. sam Just the ale. heidi No more whiskey. gil I'll do another shot. Emit Me too. heidi One more shot all around.
Gently, Heidi places her hand on Sam's shoulder and swings her long blond braids near enough to the tired lumberjack, so he can catch a whiff of her shampoo.
sam Hell....make it two. We got a lot to talk about tonight. heidi Be right back.Heidi swoops up the empty shot glasses and places them on her circular tray. Then she leaves the table and disappears behind the bar.
sam That's one foxy lady. Sam watches the barmaid as she returns to the floor and fixes up a round of drinks for some other customers, who are sitting nearby. gil You can look all you want to. But that lady's spoken for. sam I can dream, can't I. emit No harm in that,Just don't get any nutty ideas as the night rolls on.Heidi goes back behind the bar and returns with the shots of whiskey for Emit, Gil and Sam.
Heidi Here you go guys. Enjoy your drinks. sam Don't worry 'bout me, I'm headed up to Hudson's Crossing for the holiday. gil You ain't goin' up that ways tonight, are you? sam I was kind of thinkin' of it. You have a problem with that? gil No way, It's just that it's a good five to seven miles. sam I can handle that. gil Just checking. sam You're not going to try and pass off some nonsense about the Loup de Garou. gil You mean the French-Canadian werewolf. Sam Every year about this time, some idiot starts talking about how it's not so safe to walk alone at night because they might run into a werewolf. Gil Everybody loves a good ghost story. People just make up tall tales to keep busy on a cold winter night. Sam I can relate to that, nothing better than a good scary tale and a warm mug grog to pass the time away. Just then Heidi returns with the next round of beer and sets them on the table. heidi Here you go guys. This round's on me. sam Thanks Heidi! You're a real sweetheart. heidi Just doing my job By the way I didn't overhear you talking about the Loup de Garou, did I? emit Yeah, that's right. We were kind of swapping tall tales. gil Ahhhh, There's no such thing. heidi I wouldn't be so sure about that. gil You're pulling my leg aren't you. heidi I used to think like that. sam What changed your mind? heidi A few midnight stragglers with the fear of death in their eyes. emit Here at the Laughing Loon. heidi Every now and then, one of them shows up with some weird tale about being followed by a strange phantom-like creature. I used to pass it off as some sort of drunken nonsense....but I just can't do that no more. sam Why's that? heidi Some of them were stone cold sober!Heidi walks away leaving the three men to their drinks.
Gil You're not goin' to believe her, are you?Sam No way. EXT. laughing loon saloon – night (one hour later)
Sam, Emit and Gil are outside the Laughing Loon standing on packed snow and strapping on their snowshoes. There are many snowshoes sticking out of the snow with each one belonging to one of the customers at the Laughing Loon.
emit You're not serious about trekking up to Moose Crossing tonight. sam Sure am. And I hope you're not serious about that French werewolf bullshit. emit Of course not. It's just the night is turning into a real cold one and a lot can happen in five miles of night walking.Sam finishes lashing up his webbed walking contraptions and then stands straight up.
sam Don't worry, Emit. I know where I'm going. Besides I got a rising full moon to guide me. gil I'm sure Sam can take care of himself. emit Alright then. See you guys bright and early on Monday. Gil and Emit walk off in one direction, while Sam takes a different path that leads along the river. Ext. spruce forest near the logger's bunkhouse – night (cont) Emit and Gil walk for a little ways, then stop at a rise in the hill amidst a thick stand of spruce. The exterior of the bunkhouse can be vaguely seen by looking down the trail through the spruce trees. Gil Feels like it's goin' to be a cold one tonight. Emit Sure does. I'm glad we're not goin' too far tonight. Gil I hope Sam makes it up to Hudson's Crossing tonight. It's a long ways. One wrong turn and you're dead. Emit I'm sure he'll get there OK. All he has to do is stay in sight of the river...and eventually he'll get there. Besides he has lots of whiskey to keep him warm. Gil Yeah, I forgot about his flask. That'll get him through. Emit Speaking of which there's some nice hot apple cider and rum waiting for us at the bunkhouse. Gil Let's go. Ext. woods along the wendigo river – night (cont.) SHOT: Sam on snowshoes walking through a stand of bare birches. Sam stops and pulls a flask from inside his wool-plaid jacket. He takes a big swig and puts the flask back inside his jacket. Sam keeps walking. SHOT: A full moon rising above a stand of dense spruce trees. The snowshoe trail leads right through the dense stand of conifers. SHOT: Sam walking up hill through the spruce forest on his snowshoes. Sam stops at a crest in the trail. SOUND: Sam breathing heavily. SHOT: Sam removes his flask and takes a big swig of whiskey. Sam is still holding the flask and his breathing is normal. SOUND: Heavy breathing in the distance. SHOT: Sam listens to the breathing, then puts his flask back inside his jacket and commences walking through the night woods at a slightly increased speed. INTERCUT: Two animal eyes glowing in the dark of the spruce forest. INTERCUT: Sam walking through the woods at a faster clip. INTERCUT: Closer view of two animal eyes glowing in the dark. No body can be seen but the condensation of a winter breath is faintly visible in the night forest. INTERCUT: Sam leaves the spruce forest and is walking very rapidly through a stand of birches. The trail passes very close to the river. The river is visible. INTERCUT: Even closer view of the animal eyes. Now footprints in the snow can be seen along with condensation of breath. SHOT: In front of Sam is a cabin near the river. It is maybe a half mile away, but there appears to be flickering lights on the inside and smoke rising from the chimney. SHOT: Sam moving through the woods as fast as he can on snowshoes. SOUND: Sam breathing very heavy. Ext. lone cabin along the banks of the wendigo river – night (cont.)Exhausted Sam arrives at the front door of the cabin and all his strength almost gone, he reaches out for the metal latch that keeps the cabin door closed tight and the interior space separated from the frigid night. With great difficulty Sam releases the latch and stumbles across a finished maple floor with his snowshoes still attached to his feet.
Immediately, the joyful banter turned to dead silence. The first thing Sam notices is a huge fire burning in a field stone fireplace that is located on the other side of the rather large room.
Directly, to the left of the fireplace is a long bar with a banner hanging from the ceiling that says: Welcome To Hell. The bartender had a bright red face and two horns emerging from the sides of his head. His clothing is bright red and he has a long tail emerging from his backside. He is carrying a red metallic pitchfork in one hand.
Sam looks around the room and sees nothing but a wild array of witches, ghouls, devils and ghosts. Many of the women are wearing bright red dresses with a low cut neck-line.
Bartender How may I help you this evening?When the bartender speaks, Sam passes out.
Immediately, a small crowd gathers around the exhausted logger. A woman splashes her drink in Sam's face and slowly he comes to.
Sam looks again at the bartender and screams in horror.
Sam You're Henry McKenzie and you're dead.Immediately, the sounds of laughter fill the spacious one-room cabin.
bartender No sir, I'm DOUG MCKENZIE, Henry's older brother. Even though Jim passed away ten years ago, people still get us mixed up. It happens every now and then. Sam (looking around in disbelief) What the fuck is going on here?Another burst of laughter passes through the twenty or more people gathered in the lonely cabin. Some of the party-goers walk up to where Sam is now sitting up and make fearful faces at him....all in jest.
doug Welcome to Hell Night! We do this once a year right before Christmas. It helps us get through the winter without goin' truly insane.Slowly, Sam surveys the room and notices that all the people are in some kind of devilish costume. Two women, dressed as red-dressed devils walk up to Sam and stand on each side of him. Each inserts one arm under Sam's armpits and slowly they raise him to his feet.
The woman remain holding Sam upright.
sam You're kidding me. doug I kid you not. But I do have one question for you. sam What's that? doug What caused you to come bursting through the front door with your snowshoes still attached to your feet? Sam looks down at his feet then back up at Doug. sam I was being followed by the Loup de Garou. The two women release Sam. The fire flickers. Another deathly silence sweeps through the room.Then, one of the windows fogs up from the outside and through the glass pane two animal eyes could be seen staring into the cabin. A few seconds later the other window fogs up, as two more wolf-like eyes could be seen glowing outside in the night.
When things returned to normal, Doug leans over and speaks to Sam. doug That ain't no werewolf! sam Then what the hell is it? The crowd chuckles. doug It's a ghost wolf. The chuckling stops abruptly. sam A what? doug An appearance by a ghost wolf is rare. But when they do show up, they always take somebody with them. Sam I guess I just had a close call. Doug Not really. Sam Whatya' sayin'? Doug If the ghost wolf was after you, it would've gotten you. Sam Really! Doug Really. Just think about it for a moment or two..... Out there there's someone walking down the trail on this frigid night, who's not goin' to be so lucky. Ext. isolated cabin in the woods near the wendigo river – night (cont.) SHOT: Shot of the cabin at night with the interior all aglow from candles and a fireplace. The camera pulls away. ROLL END CREDITS: THE END
Register / Log In
