Please note that I am not a professional at doing this so the below
transcription may not be perfect.
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MillenniuM Episode: #MLM-207 "THE CURSE OF FRANK BLACK"
Air Date: 10/31/97
Transcribed By: Emmett S. Land
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The opening quote:
"Do you ever find yourself
talking with the dead?
Since Willie's death,
I catch myself every day,
involuntarily talking with him,
as if he were with me."
Abraham Lincoln
- upon the death of his son
We first hear the wind slightly howling as we see dark clouds in the
night sky. The camera pans down to show Frank Black's current house
as we hear the distant thunder and the barking of dogs. The camera
continues to pan downward as we see the path leading up to the house
and the bushes blowing in the wind. The sound of the howling wind
increases as we hear the ruffling of the bushes and leaves. The
camera settles on a black cat sitting on what looks like a wooden
barrel with the house in the background. We hear a deep throated
"meeeeoooooowwww".
In the house we see a closeup of a man's hand holding a knife walking
toward us. Frank jabs the knife into a pumpkin and carves out the
last hole to form the pumpkin's scary face. He sighs as he wipes his
hands and grabs a book of matches with The 268 Club logo. Upon
opening the book of matches he notices that only one match remained
and says "D-Ohh" (the word Homer Simpson says when he's disappointed
about something). He lites the match and then notices that the candle
is not yet in the pumpkin. So, he quickly grabs a new candle still
wrapped in plastic with a $2.68 price tag, unwraps it, lites it, and
carefully puts it down inside the pumpkin. He then sits back into his
chair and makes a crooked mouth face at the pumpkin, sighs, and then
winks at it. The camera slowly zooms in through the pumpkin's eye and
the candle goes out. Frank makes the crooked mouth face again, says
"Hey, hey." and stands up, looking down into the top of the pumpkin as
he does so.
We see a yellow post-it note sticking on the top right corner of the
computer screen that says "Jordan, Trick or treat, 6 to 8". Frank
puts on his jacket, grabs his keys, and heads out the door. He sees
two kids approaching the house dressed up as a football player
(uniform #26) and a hockey player (uniform #8).
Frank: "Hey! Don't move."
Frank rushes back into the house to grab a bowl of candy by the
door. The two boys look at each other and turns and leaves. Frank
looks disappointed and confused as he watches them walk away. He
then sees a demon with red flesh and bat like wings looking back at
him from the gateway of the house across the street with the street
number 268. An automobile passes by and the demon is gone. (I took
this demon to be the Devil himself so that is how I will refer to him
at this point on). Frank puts the bowl of candy back inside the
house while saying "Hmm." and leaves. The camera stays inside the
house. And, as we hear Frank getting into his automobile, starting it
up, and driving away, the camera slowly moves up behind the pumpkin
sitting on the coffee table. As it pans to the front of the pumpkin,
we see that the candle is now burning bright!
The beginning theme and credits begin.
this is who we are
the
time
is
near
Frank and Jordan walk down a street, Jordan in a Marge Simpson
costume and mask.
Jordan: "Daddy, I can't see anything."
Frank adjusts her mask as they walk up to a house with scary
decorations and a witch's mechanical laugh is heard.
Frank: "Go ahead Marge."
Jordan goes up on the porch of the house and knocks on the door. The
door opens.
Jordan: "Trick or treat!"
The lady of the house waves at Frank and he waves back. The lady
gives Jordan some candy.
Jordan: "Thank you!"
A couple of trick or treaters pass by Frank and he laughs as they go
by. A lady screams in horror from across the street. Frank's smile
goes away as he looks in that direction. In a window he sees a woman
slowly walking backwards with her arms up in front of her as if she
was being attacked. Then the image turns into a hockey game. It is
only someone flipping channels on a wide screen TV. As Frank turns
around to face the house he is standing in front of, he sees the Devil
looking back at him out of a second floor window at the next house.
Jordan: "Homer."
Frank: "Hey! Ahh!"
Frank removes Jordan's mask.
Jordan: "Hey!"
They walk hand in hand to the next house.
Frank: "Did you get some goodies?"
Jordan: "Yeah."
Frank: "Can I have a piece?"
Jordan: "Nooooo."
Frank: "D-Ohh."
Approaching the next house, Frank sees that the Devil is no longer in
the window. When Jordan sees the house, she grabs a tight hold on to
Frank's leg with a frightened look on her face.
Jordan: "Do we have to go there?"
Frank: "What's the matter?"
Jordan: "It feels bad!"
Frank: "What do you mean, bad?"
Jordan: "There's ghosts there!"
Frank: "There's no such thing as ghosts."
Jordan runs on past the house. As Frank walks past the house,
observing it, he notices the house number 26_8 (the 3rd number is
missing). This triggers a childhood recollection.
*** Remembering begins ***
Frank, as a boy, and three friends are trick or treating. Frank,
dressed as General Douglas MacArthur with sunglasses, is standing in
front of a house, with a street number 268, looking up at the front
door as if he was mesmerized. The other three boys, dressed as a
cowboy, a hobo, and a gangster, are standing behind him.
Hobo: "One of us goes inside Crocell's house. That fella splits up
whatever he gets with the others who wait out here to call the cops if
the loser doesn't come out alive in five minutes. Deal?"
While Frank is still standing in front, mesmerized by the house, the
hobo decides who the loser is.
Hobo: "Eenie, meenie, miny, moe. Catch a German by the toe. If he
hollers let him go. Eenie, meenie, miny, moe."
The hobo stops on himself, meaning he is the loser. But he touches
Frank on the back.
Hobo: "Looks like you're it, Frank."
Frank turns and looks at the hobo.
Hobo: "Don't get scared. You shall return."
Frank slowly walks up the steps and hesitantly knocks on the door.
Crocell opens the door until the door chain tightens and he blows out
a puff of cigarette smoke.
Crocell: "What is it?"
Frank: "Trick or treat."
Crocell: "Is that today?"
Frank nods yes. Crocell is silent as if he was thinking.
Frank: "I'll leave if you... if you don't got nothing."
Crocell: "No. No, no."
Crocell closes the door, removes the chain, and opens the door
wider.
Crocell: "Come in here, kid."
Frank goes in the house. Crocell looks down at the other three boys
standing below the steps and then closes the door.
Crocell: "All right kid, I'll tell you what. I'll find you some kind
of treat around here if you, uh... if you do a trick for me. Deal?
Hmm?"
Crocell takes a drag from his cigarette, puts it out, and sits down
in a chair facing Frank.
Crocell: "Do you know why you're doing this, kid? No? You know what
Halloween is all about? Halloween is believed to have been started by
the ancient Druids who believed that on this evening, Saman, the lord
of the dead, summoned evil spirits. For the Celts, it was the last
evening of the year, and an especially propitious time for examining
portents of the future. And the devils and witches were free to roam
the earth."
We see the front cover of The Seattle Tribune with the headline,
"HERMANN GOERING COMMITS SUICIDE HOURS BEFORE EXECUTION". Crocell
lites a cigarette.
Crocell: "And on this night the spirits of the dead returned to visit
past family and acquaintances from this life. Hmm?"
Crocell drinks a shot of liquor and we see a book called "L'Age de
Raison".
Crocell: "So, kid, for your trick, I want you to tell me... is it
true? Is it possible that the, uh, dead can return? Just for, uh,
five minutes."
We see a military uniform hanging in an opened closet.
Crocell: "Just to tell someone who had no idea that he'd never see
them again that there's a better place than this and that they're
waiting for him. Just for a minute. Just so I could have the chance
to say, 'So long.' Just for a second. Just to let me know that
there's a better place than this."
We see a picture on the wall with Crocell and some army buddies
standing in front of an army tank.
Crocell: "Huh, kid? Now, is it true? Is it possible? 'Cause if
it is... then there's a hell of a lot of guys I'd rather have here
talking to me than you."
Fifteen seconds of silence.
Frank: "There's no such thing as ghosts. Can
I have my treat now?"
Crocell: "Okay."
Crocell takes a cigarette out of a pack of Lucky Seven and holds it
out to Frank.
*** Remembering ends ***
It is a foggy night and Frank is driving down a dark wet road with
leaves blown all about. He grabs his Bobby Darin CD, blows away any
foreign particles and loads it in the player. It quickly pops back
out.
Frank: "Come on."
Frank pushes the CD back in. It pops back out. He grabs it, wipes it
across his chest, and loads it in again. It pops back out.
Frank: "Come on, Bobby. Forget it."
He grabs the CD, throws it on the seat, and tries the radio. But, the
programmed pre set buttons are getting nothing but static. So, he
presses the seek button. It tunes in on AM 826 that's playing "Little
Demon". The odometer reads <26007.6> and rolling.
Song lyrics: "Down in the valley on a foggy hill rock, stood a crazy
little demon blowing his top. Fire in his eyes and smoke from his
head, you gotta be real cool to hear the words he said..."
Frank is humming to the tune. The odometer roles up to <26007.8>.
Song lyrics: "mumm mumm mumm nee mumm, mumm mumm nee mumm, uh, mumm
nee mumm bbe mumm"
The odometer roles up to <26007.9>.
Song lyrics: "He had steam in his soul for the one he loved so. He
had death on his..."
As the odometer rolls over to read <26008.0>, the music cuts off, the
engine starts knocking, and Frank comes to a stop in the middle of
nowhere. Even though there is 2/3 of a tank of gas, the motor will
not start. Frank grabs his cell phone, turns it on, but after
entering 555 it shuts off. He turns it on again. It shuts off.
Frank: "Oh, forget it. I surrender. I surrender."
Frank grabs his jacket and gets out. He looks at his watch and it is
8:26. He's now walking down a sidewalk. He hears footsteps
approaching and heavy breathing. Suddenly he finds himself face to
face with a Chig (an alien from Space: Above and Beyond). They stare
at each other for about 5 seconds before the person in the Chig
costume continues walking. Frank follows.
Frank: "Excuss me. What street is this? My car broke down. Do you
have a cell phone on you, do you?"
The Chig ignores Frank and continues walking. Frank stops following.
Frank: "You look like a cell phone. What are you supposed to be
anyway?"
Frank sees two kids throwing eggs at a house and runs toward them.
Frank: "Hey! Come here. Come on."
The kids run off and Frank seems surprised to be facing his empty
yellow house. He starts remember back when him, Catherine and Jordan
first moved in.
*** Remembering begins ***
Catherine: "I'm so happy right now. I think this move was the right
thing. I really do, Frank."
*** Remembering ends ***
Frank goes around to the back of the yellow house and turns on the
water hose, as if he was about to wash off the eggs. But then he sees
a shadow moving through the basement window. Frank enters the front
door, removes a sheet off the top of a desk, opens the drawer and
grabs a flashlight. But the battery is dead. He grabs another
battery, switches it, and walks into the front empty room. The window
is open, so he closes it. He starts remembering happy times in this
house.
*** Remembering begins ***
Frank and Catherine holding each other at the front window. Jordan in
bed holding a puppy.
Jordan: "I love you so much!"
*** Remembering ends ***
Frank then hears whispering coming from the basement. He tiptoes down
the steps. There are five teenagers, two boys and three girls, with
sleeping bags and beer.