pistoleer script

PAGE 1

Panel 1: big establishing shot of a large Cavalry Remount Station. Barns, Corrals, Round Pens are in abundance, and there's a lot of background activity.

In the foreground, we see a CAVALRY COLONEL and his LADY rifling toward the station, the COLONEL is a real dandy and is wearing his finest dress uniform. The LADY is a well-bred type and is wearing the latest and finest fashions of the 1880's. Behind them follows a small COLT the foal of the mare the LADY is riding

Panel 2: closer view of the remount station. Horses are being ridden by bronc riders, horses are being trained.

PAGE 2

Panel 1: the COLONEL is dismounted, and is helping the LADY off her horse. He isn't really paying attention to her, however, and is looking at the STABLE SEARGENT, who looks up from his clipboard to greet him

Panel 2: the COLONEL, SEARGENT and LADY Head off-camera. Their horses are somewhat more prominent than the humans, but it's the COLT who's most visible, Dancing around, doing something to bring the readers main attention to it.

PAGE 3

Panel 1: We're at the COLT'S P.O.V. He looks up to see what appears to be a pen crowded with undesirable horses. They’re skinny, missing ears, eyes, some look sick, and they're all clearly unfit for Military use. They also all very nervous, and are looking at something off panel. A sign on the fence reads "Cull Pen" crudely painted on a board, in contrast to the otherwise neat military look of the place.

Panel 2: Overhead shot of the same corral. We see that the Pen isn't really overcrowded; all the poor horses are crowding themselves to stay away from a lone stud that’s off in the corner by himself, the BLOOD BAY. Even though we're somewhat far away we can see a difference between him and the cull horses. He’s fat and healthy compared to them.

Panel 3: Close up of the BLOOD BAY. He’s a magnificent animal. Thick, large muscles, big well proportioned head, like a thoroughbred on steroids, clearly a superior horse. He's also the meanest creature for miles. Menace just oozes off of him. His ears are pinned, and he just looks mad.

Panel 4: the COLT is looking at him through the fence slightly behind the BAY and to his right.

Panel 5: the BAY turns his head to look at the colt. Oh no! Whatever will happen?

Panel 6: the BAY walks toward the COLT. Ears still pinned and head lowered. The Cull horses run out of his way, terrified. The COLT is blissfully unaware of how much danger he's in, and reaches his head through the fence.

PAGE 4

Panel 1: The BLOOD BAY reaches his nose to the COLT, Friendly, but cautious.

Panel 2: The LADY points to the COLT, in an "aww, how cute" expression. The OFFICER barely glances back, but he does see what’s going on.

Panel 3: The BLOOD BAY continues his conversation with the COLT. the is in the background, but he reacts to the impressiveness of the BLOOD BAY

Panel 4: (inset on panel 3) the OFFICERS eyes are wide in admiration

PAGE 5

Panel 1: The SEARGENT waves his hands in an emphatic No, and begs with fear for the OFFICER to leave the BLOOD BAY alone

Panel 2: The OFFICER rushes over to the pen, and shoves the COLT out of the way, causing it to fall down

Panel 3: The BLOOD BAY'S angry eye glares with rage.

Panel 4: The COLONEL jumps onto the fence for a better look, a joyfully greedy look on his face

Panel 6: The COLONEL holds out a hand as if to display the superiority of the BAY, who is indeed, superior looking, and also homicidal

Panel 7: The SEARGENT begs the COLONEL to reconsider, pointing at the nearby medic tent, where several soldiers in splints and casts loiter with shell-shocked looks on their faces

PAGE 6

Panel 1: The COLONEL angrily dresses down the SEARGENT, shoving his finger in his face. The SEARGENT can't believe the crappy situation he's been put into.

Panel 2: The COLONEL angrily folds his arms, daring the SEARGENT to disobey him. The SEARGENT bows his head, resigned to obey his C.O.

Panel 3: The SEARGENT yells for several hands to come help. Several capable cowboy-looking soldiers look up or move to obey. One COWBOY clearly a bronc rider, picks up his saddle to work

Panel 4: Several mounted soldiers shake out their ropes to catch the BAY

Panel 5: The COLONEL looks pleased with himself, eyeing his LADY to see if she's impressed at what an important blowhard he is. The LADY has a shocked look on her face. Her delicate sensibilities are clearly unaccustomed to such rough stuff as seeing a wild horse roped.

PAGE 7

Panel 1: The BLOOD BAY is stretched out, blindfolded, and men are holding him down. It seems excessive, but we can see from their worried expressions that this isn't abuse, its caution. A COWBOY is sitting on the saddle, ready to ride.

Panel 2: the COWBOY nods his head, he's not scared, but he knows how dangerous this horse is

Panel 3: someone rips the blindfold off the BAY

Panel 4: the BAY raises his head, enraged

Panel 5: the BAY slowly and gently rises to his feet, the COWBOY's prepared for the worst, guys on the ground flee for their lives, the BAY's face is in shadow, to emphasize his menace.

PAGE 8

Panel 1: Extreme close up of the COWBOY, we can only see his eyes, very Sergi Leone style shot. He's looking down at the BAY with confident concern.

Panel 2: same type of shot of the BAY, but he's looking up, in wild rage

Panel 3: the BAY is leaping backward, almost vertical. Unbridled hatred and rage on his face at the COWBOY who's daring to ride him. the COWBOY is barely staying on, the leap is so unexpected and ferocious

Panel 4: the BAY is whipping and twisting his body around while airborne, the COWBOY's starting to lose his seat, but he's trying for all he's got

Panel 5: the BAY reaches around in midair with his teeth, trying to bite the COWBOY's leg, as he is being thrown off.

PAGE 9

Panel 1: with the COWBOY's ankle in his mouth, the BAY flips over backward to crush him with the saddle. the COWBOY is trapped and helpless

Panel 2: all we see is a black silhouette of the upside down BAY's feet, as he grinds the mangled corpse of the COWBOY into the dirt.

Panel 3: (inset in panel 2) the COLONEL and LADY are truly shocked, neither ever dreamed they'd see anything as gruesome as this.

Panel 4: the BAY gallops toward the COLONEL blood on his saddle, and maybe some torn clothing.

Panel 5: close up of the COLONEL's holstered pistol, he's drawing it to take the BAY down.

Panel 6: the COLONEL has drawn, and is now aiming at the BAY. the LADY is fleeing in the background

PAGE 10

Panel 1: the BAY leaps toward the COLONEL so fast we can't see if he's been shot, or maybe ripped out the officer's throat. Everything’s very blurry and dusty, lots of breaking wood and debris

Panel 2: close up of the BAY's angry face.

Panel 3: the COLONEL checks himself out, he's sprawled out, lying under broken fence rails, he seems to be okay, but we can't see his right hand.

Panel 4: the BAY drops the COLONEL's pistol from his mouth, along with a few fingers.

Panel 5: the COLONEL looks in shock at his right hand; he's missing the thumb and first 2 fingers.

PAGE 11

Panel 1: the horrified SEARGENT runs to the COLONEL's side, the COLONEL is screaming with rage, he's embarrassed, and the BAY will pay for his poor judgment.

Panel 2: many, many ropes are thrown onto the BAY, he can't really go anywhere to duck them, but he looks ready to put up a fight.

Panel 3 the BAY's neck is stretched by a rope,

Panel 4: his front feet are pulled the other way.

Panel 5, the BAY is lying down, fighting to get up, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot, unless an opportunity could present itself?

PAGE 12

Panel 1: the BAY is in the background, still struggling; the COLONEL is being helped up by the SEARGENT, and is panicked and angry from his experience, and helped into a chair.

Panel 2: The COLONEL points with rage at the BAY

Panel 3: The COLONEL draws a thumb across his throat to indicate he wants the BAY dead.

Panel 4: Papers marked "Order of Condemnation" are brought to the seated COLONEL, while a medic attends to his hand.

Panel 5: The SEARGENT looks toward the BAY as the COLONEL yells at soldiers and finishes the paperwork. The SEARGENT knows what he'll have to do, but he's not happy about killing such a magnificent, albeit dangerous horse.

Panel 7: The SEARGENT walks toward the BAY, his gun out.

Panel 8: Close up of the gun with the hammer cocked.

Panel 9: Close up of the BAY'S panicked eye, which is looking, but at what?

PAGE 13

Panel 1: the BAY bites one of the ropes, and then pulls it to trip the SEARGENT, who falls over backward, firing his pistol accidentally.

Panel 2: inset panel, the bullet hits a rope, cutting it in half.

Panel 3: the rope was the one holding the BAY'S front feet, they are loose, and he struggles to get up.

Panel 4: the BAY pulls HARD against the neck rope, pulling another horse down

Panel 5: the BAY kicks against one of the men on foot holding a rope, breaking his leg

Panel 6: the BAY jumps OVER the remaining mounted cowboy, knocking him and his horse over. The COLONEL and SEARGENT are in the background, shocked.

PAGE 14

Panel 1: the BAY gallops off; remount station disappears in the background.

Panel 2: he looks over his shoulder, no one follows.

Panel 3: its night time now, and the BAY travels by starlight

Panel 4: he's now in a Cottonwood Grove, and stops to drink from a stream.

Panel 5: he hears something, and looks up, water drips from his mouth.

Panel 6: through the trees we see light beams shining through, BAY trots off toward the sound he heard,

PAGE 15

Panel 1: big huge shot of a meadow full of wild horses, lots of Mares and Colts, all grazing contentedly. The BAY is trotting toward them to visit.

Panel 2: smaller panel, the BAY is saying hi to another curious colt.