HELL OF A DEAL, a supernatural satire

Twenty Nine

29

Louis Seaford scheduled a viewing at the The Smith Company's screening theater. Terra: Earth Under Terror had been assembled into a rough cut, without the final color correction or music. The cast and crew were excited to experience the very first version of the movie.

Al Smith Jr. wished to avoid the event completely, but he was obligated to attend. It was expected that Al should provide input, and that this would be treated like any other Smith Company project, which it wasn't.

The company's theater was packed with eager young filmmakers. Popcorn, candy and drinks were provided gratis, and every seat was occupied. They even stood at the rear of the aisle, and several sat on the floor right below the screen.

Al searched through the crowd for Ashlyn Krumb, but she did not attend.

Lights faded, and Lou's vision roared to life in vibrant 35mm color. Al found himself swept up in the raw violence done on such a massive scale, something seldom seen to that degree even in most big-budget action pictures. Lou's film had kicked it up several notches from the usual levels of devastation and destruction.

Terra was exactly as Lou had described it. The acts of vengeance by the American soldiers caused Al revulsion and made him question the intent of the director. The well-known actors went in with some sympathy points based solely on their previous movies and notoriety. All were held in high esteem in the general public's mind.

The actors' actions on screen, while unjustifiable in the real world, seemed to maintain a logical consistency in terms of the story world. This tale of cultural revenge and upheaval, and ultimately of transformation seemed to work on its own terms, according to its own rules of behavior. This did not comfort Smith. He was wary of having his name attached to the movie at all.

The crowd laughed at all the intended jokes. They sat silently enthralled during the big suspenseful moments. They cheered at the grotesque deaths and mutilations of the appropriate enemy characters. They waited patiently for the final resolution to play out.

The squad of supermen, veterans now, beaten to hell, some broken, visited a middle school. They wanted to deliver the kids a particular message. The supermen were well worn and aged, and most had grown their hair long.

Zach Zane was stuck in a wheelchair, where he wore an eye-patch with a skull and crossbones insignia embroidered onto it.

Iced Benz had only one arm. Computers removed the other with post-production artistry.

In the movie's class of eighth graders the camera moved in and focused upon the long-haired "Hippie Kid," in his tie-dyed aqua peace symbol shirt. It was clear that this Hippie Kid had thrown the stone and blinded Zach Zane at the beginning of the movie.

Now Zane had lost both his legs, and the Hippie Kid had choked up. At the back of the class the kid held back tears while he watched the squad enter and set up their presentation.

The junior high school students gathered around the supermen in a semi-circle. The men opened up military crates, much to the avid curiosity of the children.

Zach Zane rolled forward in his wheelchair, and he said, "Since they're too pussy to use nukes, it's down to you. Who wants one?"

The squad presented a cache of assault rifles, shiny and new. The supermen held the rifles up high, and they looked out to the kids.

The Hippie Kid stepped forward, and Al shuddered. He remembered the final sequence now after putting it out of his mind for so long.

Zach handed out the assault rifles like Santa Claus. The other supermen demonstrated how to lock and load properly to the gathered class. Various lessons played out in the background.