Tuesday 14 October 2008

"FACE OF DEATH" : A Ben Chatham/Doctor Who film synopsis

OK, following my synopsis for a Doctor Who film, here is an idea for a Ben Chatham spin-off series movie. I've tried to combine elements of classic Who & Quatermass with some social comment on 21st century western society.

"FACE OF DEATH"

Ben Chatham is lying across his sofa in his silk dressing gown enjoying an early morning cup of Blue Ridge Columbian coffee. He is listening to Bowie's 'Heroes' album and waiting for Anselm to arrive from the airport. The latter has been away for several weeks in Germany attending a festival of Wagner operas and Ben is keen to see him again. He pours himself some more coffee and relaxes to the sound of Bowie's voice.

Meanwhile, in Gladstone Street Cambridge, the residents are waking up and Mrs Ablewhite emerges from number 22 to fetch the milk in. She is an elderly lady of 76 who in her younger years had been a minor actress. The years haven't been kind however and she heaves her aching body out of the back door, her skin haggard from a life of chain-smoking and disappointment. As she picks up the milk, a hand grabs hold of her. She shrieks as a man dressed in a long black gown and a gaudy clown mask lifts up a meat cleaver and whacks her on the head.
Hearing the shrieks, Mr Ablewhite, upstairs in bed, shouts down:
"Hey, are you alright Daphne?" He is a slim old silvery-haired former lecturer who had left his wife for Daphne when the latter was still easy on the eye. Before he can get out of bed however, the intruder enters the room and hacks him to death with the cleaver, making a mess on the sheets.

The door buzzer of Ben's apartment rings before Anselm enters. Ben leaps up and holds Anselm close:
"Its so good to see you. I've really missed you. Did you have a good flight?"Anselm kisses Ben:"It was ok. I'm rather tired though. One has missed you too Ben, here look what I've bought you."
Anselm takes out an exclusive bottle of Wurtenberg Schnapps and Ben smiles:
"We'll have that later. Bedroom first *winks*".
"Ben I'm really tired after the flight. I'd rather just relax here with you on the sofa for a while and watch a dvd or something."
Ben is irritated:"Oh come on. I haven't seen you for weeks."
However Amselm sits down and starts to pour a coffee.
"Are you seeing someone else or something? Well?"
Anselm looks up:
"Of course not. I'm just tired."
Ben frowns:
"Well I'm not happy about this Anselm. You go away for weeks to another country when you know I'm too busy to accompany you and then you return only to refuse to sleep with me. I feel that you arn't committed to this relationship."
Ben's dark eyes well up with tears and he storms out of the room.

As he does so however, the door buzzer goes again. The second visitor is Captain Jack Harkness, who sits himself down and helps himself to a cup of Ben's coffee without being asked. As Ben returns fully dressed, he stares up and grins:"Hiya Benji-boy. You look great as always."
Ben fixes him with an icy stare:
"I'm in no mood for frivolity. What is the problem?"
"Ben, I have a proposal for you, well two actually. Firstly Isobel has undergone a remarkable change over the last month. It seems that her alien physiology and psychology have adjusted to the zeitgeist of human society, at least partially. She no longer needs to live in the hub, so I'd like to bring her here."
Ben is irritated:
"I'd rather you didn't. This place is full already. It'd distract Craig."
"OK Ben, we can discuss that one later. The other matter concerns Operation Delta. We feel that there is scope to expand the organisation, have it deal nationally with matters of alien, occult or unusual phenomena deemed too peripheral to Torchwood's core work. We have discussed this with Corrine Shaw & Paul Faraday who like the idea. We want you to head the organisation and Kyle, Katie , Anselm & Craig to be involved."
Ben sips his coffee elegantly:"I'm not sure I like being fobbed off with peripheral matters."
However Anselm is more enthusiastic:"Ben this sounds intriguing. One would simply love to become more involved in all of this."
Jack grins:"Great *places hand on Anselm's knee & winks*.

Back in Gladstone Street, Jack Stubbs is leaving his house to travel to Fitzwilliam College where he works as a day porter. He goes round to the back shed to fetch his bike. As he does so, a figure emerges from the shed wearing a clown mask and knocks him to the ground. It then raises up a meat cleaver and decapitates Jack with eleven whacks............

.............. to be continued.

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