MORBIUS
The Living Vampire
UNPUBLISHED SCRIPT
This was presented to me by the LEAD writer of the 90’s RISE OF THE MIDNIGHT SONS collection, MORBIUS The Living Vampire and with the movie coming out I thought I would share the unpublished script from deep in the vaults.
Thank you LEN KAMINSKI for sharing this with my readers!!
**ORIGINAL VERSION**
MORBIUS BACK-UP:
“Communion”
Full script for 10 pages
Len Kaminski
9/14/92
PAGE ONE:
1: EXT. NIGHT. ESTABLISHING SHOT OF NYC STREET WITH A LARGE, BROODING CATHOLIC CHURCH
NESTLED IN A THICKET OF OMINOUS SHADOWS. IT’S AN OLD, CRUMBLING PLACE THAT’S SEEN BETTER
DAYS; AN AURA OF DECAY SURROUNDS IT. WAY, WAY IN THE BACKGROUND, ALMOST TOO TINY TO
NOTICE, WE SEE THE FIGURE OF MORBIUS, GLIDING TOWARDS THE CHURCH ON THE NIGHT WINDS.
No dialogue.
2: CLOSE IN ON THE CHURCH; IN FRONT IS THE USUAL MARQUEE-STYLE SIGN WITH WHITE PLASTIC
LETTERS ON A BLACK BACKGROUND.
1 SIGN: (typeset) MIDNIGHT CONFESSION 11:00 PM — 2:00 AM
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO REPENT!
4: TIGHT ON CROSBY’S HAND, AS HE SLIDES BACK THE VENT BETWEEN THE TWO BOOTHS.
3 SFX: SKRRCHK
5: CLOSE UP ON THE WIRE GRILL BETWEEN THE BOOTHS; WE SEE THE SHARP SILVERY GLINT OF
UNNATURALLY-BRIGHT EYES STARING BACK AT US FROM THE DARKNESS.
4 MORBIUS: (special) Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned…
PAGE THREE/FULL PAGE SPLASH:
1: CUT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIRE GRILL; WE SEE THAT THE FIGURE IN THE CONFESSOR’S BOOTH
IS MORBIUS. CLOSE UP ON HIM, STARING THROUGH THE GRILL, TEETH BARED IN A FERAL SNARL.
1 MORBIUS: (special) It seems… an eternity since my last confession.
2 TITLE: COMMUNION
PAGE FOUR:
1: TIGHT ON CROSBY, NODDING HIS HEAD IN AN AUTOMATIC GESTURE INGRAINED BY YEARS OF
LISTENING TO CONFESSIONS.
1 CROSBY: Go on, my son…
2: ON MORBIUS, HIS HANDS SPREAD IN FRONT OF HIS FACE, STARING AT THEM, FLEXING HIS TALONS
2 MORB: (special) Within me I harbor an uncontrollable hunger for
blood.
3 MORB: (special) I have killed many —
4 MORB: (special) — to appease it.
3: ON CROSBY, BLINKING, REALIZING THAT THIS ISN’T GOING TO BE AN ORDINARY SESSION.
5 CROSBY: You say you have…killed?
4: TIGHT ON MORBIUS, EYES DOWNCAST, CONSUMED BY HIS GUILT.
6 MORB: (special) Yes.
7 MORB: (special) Men. Women.
8 MORB: (special) Innocent. Guilty.
5: TIGHT ON CROSBY, WIPING IMAGINARY SWEAT FROM HIS BROW, FLUSTERED BY MORBIUS’ TONE.
9 CROSBY: You must realize that murder is a mortal sin, my son…
10 CROSBY: A heinous transgression of the laws of both man and
god.
6: ON MORBIUS, HIS EYES CLOSED, HEAD BACK AGAINST THE WALL.
11 MORB: (special) Yes.
12 MORB: (special) I know.
PAGE FIVE:
1: TIGHT ON CROSBY, HIS HEAD THRUST FORWARD, MAKING HIS POINT FORCEFULLY.
1 CROSBY: You must surrender yourself to the authorities —
2 CROSBY: — and seek God’s forgiveness for your actions!
2: ON MORBIUS, HIS EYES OPEN NOW, BETRAYING TERRIBLE INNER TORMENT
3 MORB: (special) No.
4 MORB: (special) I would die for lack of blood.
5 MORB: (special) Or worse, be caged and experimented upon like
a laboratory animal.
6 MORB: (special) For me, surrender is tantamount to suicide.
3: TIGHT ON CROSBY, LOOKING TOWARDS MORBIUS IMPLORINGLY.
7 CROSBY: You must!
8 CROSBY: Your immortal soul is in grave peril!
9 CROSBY: Think of what you risk —
10 CROSBY: — the lake of fire —
11 CROSBY: — the unquenchable thirst!
4: CLOSE UP ON MORBIUS, PEERING THROUGH THE DARKNESS, EYES GLINTING WITH FURY.
12 MORBIUS: (special) I know about…thirst.
13 MORBIUS: (special) Hell can hold no horrors for me —
14 MORBIUS: (special) — that I have not already experienced.
PAGE SIX:
1: ON CROSBY, INSISTENT.
1 CROSBY: You cannot continue this existence.
2 CROSBY: You must trust in God’s justice.
2: ON MORBIUS, SNEERING.
3 MORB: (special) The same justice he provided for Celia Glover?
3: CLOSE UP ON THE FLOOR OF THE BOOTH, AS CROSBY’S ROSARY SLIPS FROM HIS FINGERS AND FALLS
TO THE GROUND.
4 SFX: THAK
4: ON CROSBY, STUNNED, CATASTROPHICALLY SHAKEN BY WHAT MORBIUS JUST SAID.
5 CROSBY: (tiny) What..?
6 CROSBY: I… I don’t understand what —
5: TIGHT ON MORBIUS, PRESSING HIS FACE AGAINST THE GRILLE BETWEEN THE BOOTHS, SNARLING.
5 MORB: (special) Oh, but I think you do, Father.
6: TIGHT ON MORBIUS, HOOKING HIS FINGERS THROUGH THE GRILL AND BEGINNING TO TEAR IT LOOSE.
6 MORB: (special) Confess.
7 SFX: (grating being ripped out) KREERRK
PAGE SEVEN:
1: ON CROSBY, AS HE BOLTS FROM THE CONFESSIONAL BOOTH, TERRIFIED.
1 SFX: CLAT CLAT CLAT
2: ON MORBIUS, AS HE BURSTS THROUGH THE DOOR OF HIS BOOTH, SPLINTERING IT INTO TOOTHPICKS.
2 MORB: (special) Harrgghh!
3: TIGHT ON CROSBY’S PALE, TERRIFIED FACE AS HE SEES WHAT IT IS THAT’S CHASING HIM.
3 CROSBY: (tiny) Dear God…
4: ON CROSBY, AS HE DIVES TOWARDS THE ALTAR, REACHING FOR A BIG (12″), HEAVY CRUCIFIX WHICH
SITS ATOP THE PULPIT. BEHIND HIM, MORBIUS CLOSES THE GAP, ABOUT TO POUNCE.
4 MORB: She was still alive when you finished with her.
5: TIGHT ON MORBIUS, HIS FACE A MASK OF REVULSION.
5 MORB: (special) The scent of her blood drew me to her.
6 MORB: (special) Before she died, she told me what you had done.
6: ON CROSBY, WHIRLING AROUND, CLUTCHING THE CRUCIFIX IN A TWO-HANDED GRIP, THRUSTING IT AT
MORBIUS.
7 CROSBY: Begone, spawn of the pit!
8 CROSBY: The power of Christ compels you.
PAGE EIGHT:
1 TIGHT ON MORBIUS, SMILING SARDONICALLY AS THE SHADOW OF THE CRUCIFIX FALLS OVER HIS FACE.
No dialogue.
2: TIGHT ON CROSBY, THE CRUCIFIX HELD OUT BEFORE HIM; HIS EYES WIDENING IN HORRIFIED
FASCINATION AS MORBIUS’ HAND GRASPS THE UPPER PART OF THE CRUCIFIX.
1 MORB: (special) My curse came from a syringe —
3: ON MORBIUS, AS HE THROWS THE CRUCIFIX ACROSS THE ROOM.
2 MORB: (special) — not Hollywood.
4: ON CROSBY, HIS BACK PRESSED AGAINST THE PULPIT, MORBIUS’ SHADOW FALLS OVER HIM
OMINOUSLY. HE STAMMERS IN TERROR.
3 CROSBY: I had to do it.
4 CROSBY: She was wicked.
5: TIGHT ON CROSBY’S HAND, REACHING BEHIND THE PULPIT TOWARDS A SHELF WHERE A BLOODIED
BUTCHER KNIFE RESTS.
5 CROSBY: Her body —
6 CROSBY: — it tempted me.
6: ON CROSBY, AS HE LEAPS AT MORBIUS, KNIFE GRIPPED IN HIS HAND, POISED TO KILL.
7 CROSBY: Haa!
PAGE NINE:
1: ON MORBIUS, AS HE CATCHES CROSBY’S KNIFE-ARM ONE-HANDED, EASILY.
1 MORB: (special) She was seven.
2: CLOSE IN ON MORBIUS, AS HE TWISTS CROSBY’S ARM, MAKING HIM DROP THE KNIFE.
2 CROSBY: aaghk
3 MORB: (special) You stabbed and violated her —
4 MORB: (special) — and left her to die in a dumpster.
3: TIGHTER ON MORBIUS, AS HE PULLS CROSBY TOWARDS HIM, HIS FANGS BARED; CROSBY’S FACE IS A
MASK OF SHEER HORROR.
5 CROSBY: But —
6 CROSBY: — you don’t understand —
7 CROSBY: — she was a tool of the Adversary —
4: TIGHTER ON MORBIUS, HIS FANGS POISED ABOVE CROSBY’S THROAT.
8 MORB: (special) Tell it to God.
5: EXTREME CLOSE-UP ON MORBIUS’ FANGS AS THEY SINK INTO THE FLESH OF CROSBY’S NECK.
6 SFX: SKLITCH
7 CROSBY: (from off-panel) aauuggh
PAGE TEN:
1. EXTREME CLOSE UP ON MORBIUS’ MOUTH, AS HIS TONGUE SLICKS OUT AND LICKS BLOOD FROM HIS
LIPS.
No dialogue.
2. PULL BACK FROM PREVIOUS PANEL, TO SHOW MORBIUS PULLING HIS HEAD BACK FROM CROSBY’S
THROAT, WIPING BLOOD OFF HIS FACE WITH ONE HAND.
1 MORB: (special) Mm.
3. PULL BACK SOME MORE, AS MORBIUS HOLDS CROSBY’S LIFELESS BODY ONE-HANDED, AT ARM’S
LENGTH AND STARES AT IT INTENTLY.
2 MORB: (special) I absolve you, Father.
4. PULL BACK EVEN MORE, AS MORBIUS LETS GO OF THE BODY, LETTING IT FALL IN A HEAP AT HIS FEET.
3 MORB: (special) Go now —
5. PULL WAY, WAY BACK FOR A LONG SHOT, SHOWING MORBIUS’ SHADOWED FORM LOOMING ABOVE THE
LIFELESS BODY OF CROSBY, THE SHADOWED CHURCH SURROUNDING HIM ON ALL SIDES.
4 MORB: (special) — and sin no more.
5 CAP: End.
About Author
