Horror Movie Mayhem.v1 (Bill, Alex, Julian, Mike)

Thursday, April 30th, 1986: The adults are acting very strange around town. All of a sudden, dad doesn’t approve of the weekly D&D game. Mom says you can’t rent ‘Day of the Dead’ even though she promised to get it for you last week. The principal at school has banned all rock music. Suddenly, the movie theater is not offering to screen ‘Aliens’ anymore. What gives???

Will the kids be able to watch Day of the Dead? Will their D&D club get shut down? The terror begins.

14yo Jimmy Bunyard/Hick-Tinkerer (Bill): Helping his mother finalize her crafts for the coming ‘Cultural Festival’. She suggests a break, “How about a movie night. Here’s some money to go pick out a VCR rental; your choice.” Ellen Wood at the video store helps find “Day of the Dead”. Adult wacko, Ms Janet Thompson, condemns the evil messages in the movie. She also disapproves of Ellen running D&D games at the community center.

13yo Alvin Yi/Computer Geek (Alex): Preparing dumplings with his dad when someone rings the doorbell. Alvin brushes flour off his pants to answer the door. A Boulder City PTA member hands dad a flier lambasting dangerous media such as violent movies and even D&D. Instead, hyping for a “better society.” Dad trusts his son’s judgement and sternly shuts the door in the man’s face, “Have a good day.”

Joshua Hutsenpilar, 14yo Bookworm (Julian): Helps his mother (head of public library) sort used books for sale at the festival. She’s acting strange, boxing fantasy books for the dumpster, “Unhealthy scenes and unholy ideas. The St. Christopher priest says your D&D promotes satanic ideas. Your dad and I decided no more D&D for you. Nor hanging around with that Fire boy and his suggestive Rock and Roll blaring music. In fact, your dad (school principal) plans to announce his ‘New Initiative’ school idea.” At least mom thanked him for his help, “My assistant, old Mrs. Stacey, just up and left a few weeks ago in her wheelchair. Disapproves of something. Just left.”

Johnny Fire, 13yo Rocker (Mike): He laid out his dance recital outfit, excited for the weekend festival where he would perform his native American dance with the other kids from the reservation. With mom making fried bread, Johnny answered the doorbell. “Hello sonny, are your parents’ home? Oh, I see you have comic books. Did you know Superman is just a symbol of violence while Batman is a vigilante?! Unholy images to corrupt your mind. I’m working with the school principal to actually ban those images as paganistic. Oh, hello Mrs. Fire. I was just telling…” She first laughed at his ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude then scolded him, “My boy knows right from wrong and doesn’t need someone trying to ‘cleanse’ his mind. You white folks have been doing that to my people for centuries. No, I will NOT be attending your St. Christopher services. If you will kindly leave.” Johnny sat back and watched with a smile.

8am School: Principal Hutsenpilar tapped the microphone. After a short buzzing, “Good morning students. I am excited to announce a ‘New Initiative’ to start cleaning up the school. Beginning with the school books and media that can corrupt your minds. We will begin a new dress-code, disallowing anything distasteful such as clothing depicting D&D or Rock-n-Roll themes. For those of you currently wearing such items, the teachers will hand out replacements that prompt a healthier and happier image.”

Johnny was one of the first to be targeted for his Rock shirt. He held up the school’s shirt, “I’m a Boulder City Kid? What kind of BS is this?! I have a whole wardrobe of rock gear. Who is going to buy me new clothing? Detention? Well, you better make room for my parents once they hear about this!”

Alvin stepped up to defend his friend, “Is this necessary? There is nothing wrong with our clothing. My parents can’t afford…” He too was handed a shirt, not because he was wearing anything “offensive”, but just because. Which is why he too was sent to detention. Alvin turned pale, “I…I …I’ve never been in detention before.” He silently shuffled toward his imprisonment as Johnny too admitted, “First for me too.”

Jimmy scanned the auditorium for his anchor, Rod. Who was in the process of lighting his new T-shirt on fire. Teachers swarmed him, took his lighter, frisked him for more, and sent him to join detention. “I know my rights, you pigs!” Jimmy smiled and was about to cheer him on when another teacher handed him a T-shirt to cover his ‘Day of the Dead’ shirt his mother got him. Jimmy complied, by putting it on inside out. And joined the others on the march toward detention.

Over the speaker, they heard the principal add, “And for our End-of-Year concert, we will be changing from Rock to music by Donny Osmond. Have a good day.” As a non-rocker, Jimmy nudged Johnny, “Is he related to Ozzy Osbourne?” Which gave Johnny the idea to crank up his boombox to play “Breaking All the Rules”. [sorry, a 1988 song, but it fits the scene] Teachers rushed to turn it off with the threat of confiscating the box.

Joshua felt he had to abide by his dad’s announcement and took a shirt for himself to fit in, despite being properly dressed. School bullies and jocks found him, “This is bullshit! Listen Hutsenpilar, teachers are watching now, but just wait for after school. We are going to pound you into the dirt!” Josh rushed into detention for safety. Where he saw Jimmy trying to impress Rod with his own defiance. Rod tore long rips in Jimmy’s shirt, “You gotta be more violent in your protests.” Meanwhile, the detention monitor, Mr. Martin, instructed all, “Write ‘I will follow the Boulder City rules’ 100 times.” But that’s when another teacher entered, “I need to see Rod and Kelly. If you’ll follow me.” That was the last they saw of those two.

3pm, School’s Out: “What’ll I do? The jocks are waiting for me?” Alvin ‘lead’ the way as Johnny hustled across the street, off school grounds, and cranked up his box with ‘The Trouper’. The jocks and bullies came a running to join in the defiant scene as teachers starred out windows. Josh slipped away.

Johnny ran home to grab his electric guitar and returned to find the principal. “I heard your announcement about the school concert. I wanted to offer this song. It’s a country song.” He strummed out ‘The Trouper’ in country to Mr. Hutsenpilar’s approval, “Very wholesome. Yes, appropriate. It sounds like the Charge-of-the-Light-Brigade. Support our troops and all.” To which Johnny smiled, “Really? Because that is a rock song by Iron Maiden that is on your list of banned music. I think YOU need to go to detention.”

As the kids gathered and rode home, they passed the video store where protestors were handing out flyers. Josh got one. “The PTA is calling for all parents to attend tonight’s meeting. They are asking the parents to bring in unwanted media for destruction.”

But Alvin was distracted by his own worries, “Josh, do you think you can convince your dad to expunge my record of detention? PLEASE?!” Jimmy tried to snap him out of it, “The meeting tonight. Do you think you can build a bug to listen in on their meeting? Besides that wacko, Ms Janet Thompson, who else is in on it?”

Home: Alvin’s dad was already waiting, “Your homeroom teacher called. What’s this about you in detention? Did those boys you hang around with put you up to no good? New shirts? The principal is enforcing new rules? You know we stand up for our own thoughts. Mom and I will attend that PTA meeting and voice our own opinion.” Johnny’s mom was equally shocked, “New cloths? Just who does he think he is?! Overextending his authority. Oh, you bet your sweet bippy I’ll be giving him a piece of MY mind!” Jimmy’s parents were the same in defiance.

On the way home, Joshua stopped at the mall and bought himself a Motorhead t-shirt. He confronted his dad, “Where did all your crazy ideas come from? I got bullied because of you. No, I will not give you their names.” But his dad just starred at the shirt, “I see you’ve been hanging around with Johnny and Rod, despite my warning. You need to trust me, son. I know what’s best. By eliminating all those corrupting images and thoughts, there will be less crime and more peace in the world. Now, you stay home with your mom while I go to the PTA meeting. And take off that shirt.”

Josh called the others over their walkie-talkies, “I’m under house arrest.” They coordinated a plan of action: Jimmy would go to Josh’s house to search his dad’s desk for clues what prompted this rash change. Johnny would assist Alvin with his constructed parabolic mic to eavesdrop on the meeting.

Jimmy climbed Josh’s trellis, “Get your mom to make cookies, and I’ll sneak into your dad’s office.” No smoking gun. Just his notepad where he listed various school kids needing help. A list of needed school supplies. Mundane stuff. Till he flipped the page… and read notes from just a few days ago. A checklist: a list of school troublemakers who might resist, a list of teachers and parents who were “onboard”, his ideas for the ‘New Initiative’, contacts for ordering the new T-shirts. Jimmy accidently knocked over a lamp. From downstairs, “What was that? Jimmy’s here helping with your homework? Why didn’t he just come to the door? Invite him down for these sugarless cookies.”

Alvin and Johnny setup outside the fire-escape door of the Elementary School auditorium. They plugged the mic into the boombox for better amplification. A lot of parental objections to the principal’s new plan. Johnny and Alvin smiled as they heard their parents sticking up for them. A woman’s voice. Ms Janet Thompson, “I know you all have a lot of questions. Please, just watch the video that explains our reasoning.” The boys listened to the audio, “Welcome to Boulder City where we are going to create a HARMONIOUS… CONFORMING… COMPLIANT… for the GREATER GOOD.”

Alvin and Johnny shook off a buzz in their ears before listening to the following conversation. Shocked to hear the crowd in agreement! Even their own parents!! “Were they just brainwashed?! I don’t want to become a robot!” They coordinated over their radios. “Get the non-conformist bullies and troublemakers involved. What was on that video? It has to be the combination of visual AND audio because you weren’t affected.” Alvin wanted to get the tape to reverse engineer it. Jimmy wanted to test shocking a teacher to see if that would break her out of her trance. “See you at school tomorrow.”

Johnny found his mom packing his D&D books, rock shirts, and records, “Mom, what are you doing?!” She continued packing, “I actually agree with your principal and that Ms Thompson. In fact, I want us to go to that St. Christopher church this Sunday. And I don’t think it’s a good idea to flaunt your cultural dance in front of everyone at the festival. Some might be offended by us touting our native American ways.” His jaw dropped, “But mom…” She’d been brainwashed.

Jimmy’s mom held up a new button-down shirt, “Try it own. I think it will make you fit in better at school. And now that I think about it, time for a haircut. You are getting really ragged. No more bowl cut; I think I’ll take you in for a real barbershop haircut. ‘High-and-Tight’.” Jimmy complained, “Geesh mom, you might as well shave me bald!”

Alvin’s parents were just as conformed, “Son, you just need to pick your battles. This is nothing really. Actually do you good.” His mom was packing her ‘Guns and Ammo’ magazines, “I need to get these out of the house. Too violent.”

Joshua’s dad was pleased, “I thought the meeting went very well. I hear even those troublemakers Rod and Kelly have come around to our way of thinking. It will be good when all the kids see the light and reasoning. It’s for the greater good. Now Joshie, hustle off to bed. It’s been a long night and you have school tomorrow.”

8am Friday: Their jaws dropped when they saw Rod wearing a flowery shirt to go with his ‘above-the-ears’ haircut. “Damn dude, what happened to your mullet? You look like you’ve been neutered!” But Rod just smiled, “Ms Thompson and I had a chat. She convinced me of my downward spiral. By golly, it feels good to be an upstanding citizen. You should try it. Give up on that D&D and rock… they’ll fry your brain.” Kelly and a few of the other resisters had been converted. “They’ve been chipped!”

As the school day progressed, they saw Randy and his gang of bullies sent to detention. Josh was sent too when he came out of the bathroom wearing his Motorhead t-shirt. Along with Jimmy for his prank against the math substitute, Mrs. Williams, who replaced Mr. Lopez all week. “Mrs. Williams, I wanted to show you my homebuilt robot, Moto. Check him out.” As she turned him over and around, inspecting the gears and wiring, Jimmy continued, “I call him Moto, but his full name is Quazimoto.” The keyword to activate the electric shock. She dropped the robot, “Ouch! I think you have a short in your wiring.” As Jimmy returned to his desk, he took off the school shirt to reveal his own ’Day-of-the-Dead’ shirt.” Young man, to detention! Now.”

Jimmy arrived in time to see another teacher leading Josh and Randy, “Mr. Martin, I need to take these 2 to the Elementary School to talk with Mrs. Thompson.” Jimmy excused himself to the bathroom to then follow. He listened in to Mrs. Thompson, “OK boys, I’m willing to forgive your bad behavior. I just need you to watch this short film that should explain what we are trying to accomplish around here.” Josh stuttered in fear [charm], “Um, I’m epileptic and might have an episode reacting to bright or flashing lights.” She pondered, then caved in, “I’ll get a note from your parents. Till then, you are excused.” Josh stopped outside to listen in. Joined by Jimmy. As the video played inside, they both got a slight headache they were able to shake off.

3pm: The kids regrouped. “I think we need to break into the Elementary office and steal that video. Modify it. Maybe insert single frame pictures of D&D covers or Rock record sleeves and then later maybe snippets of banned movies. Then return it.”

They waited for the Elementary Middle-School hallway to clear before they broke into the office. They saw a desk with a computer and TV and wiring running into the desk. And chairs with restraint straps. “Adults sure are into kinky stuff.” Alvin ejected the VCR tape and stuck it in his jacket. He then logged into the computer. Where he found a protected folder. He felt behind the monitor and found the password “PTA1986”. The folder was labeled ‘Janet Thompson- Hypnotic Programmer- Loop’. One of its files included notes about the video software. The audio and visual necessity for full hypnotic effect. Another file outlined plans to broadcast the video live at the Saturday Cultural Festival, on a big outdoor screen, via the local KBCL radio station reporter and cameraman covering the event and interviewing Ms Thompson.

“Holy crap guys! She plans to hypnotize the entire town. And here’s another file about plans to insert a shorter version of the tape onto VCR movies they’ve confiscated from the video store. She plans to go statewide! At least the surrounding communities. I did find an entry that says exposure to undesirable material will break the hypnosis. I think Jimmy’s idea of inserting snippets of such material will work. Maybe we can get Ellen in the video store to help. She knows something about audio recording and splicing.” But first, they had to get out of the middle-school. They acted like conformed kids hauling out boxes of inappropriate material. With Johnny across the street providing distraction by playing “Run to the Hills” on his boombox.

They arrived at the store where a protest was being held outside. Conformed parents carried banners and signs warning about the evils of the movies inside the store. Janet Thompson led the chant, “We demand Ellen Woods show herself! Stop corrupting our kids. Save the youth, save the children! El-en, el-en, EL-EN!” The store window suddenly shattered from a thrown rock. And the parents swarmed inside and ransacked the shelves. While demanding, “Where’s Ellen?! Give it up Ellen, show yourself.”

Joshua volunteered to sneak in, “Maybe I can find Ellen first.” But Ms Thompson saw him, “Aren’t you the Hutsenpilar boy? Tell me, have you seen the video? Seen the way? Good, then you can help us carry the VCR tapes out to the burn pile.” Joshua remembered Ellen’s private room in the back behind a curtain. But when he got there, he heard adults inside, “She’s not here. Nor at home; we checked. Think she could have escaped to the abandoned Pumping Station where the other resister ‘targets’ hide?”

It was a 30-minute bike ride to the Pumping Station northeast of town. Along the way, they witnessed a van pull up to an adult walking along the road and swept him up into the van. “Did you just see them capture that man? That must be why they have those chairs with restraints… to force the resisters to watch.” Another adult was grabbed. At the station, they saw ‘birdwatchers’ with binoculars starring at the station. “I don’t think they are watching for birds. They must be converts searching for Ellen.”

6pm: Forewarned, the kids left Moto behind to play rock music while they snuck in. The station was boarded up and dark inside where chains hung from the rafters and water dripped from the chains, making that irritating “Plink, plink, plink…” sound. Just enough light to make out cots and people milling around. Jimmy began yelling, “Ellen, Ellen are you here?!” “What are you kids doing here?” They saw Mr. Lopez their math teacher, and Mrs. Stacey in her wheelchair, before Ellen appeared.

She fought back tears, “They tried to hypnotize me with that video. But I resisted. Modify the tape? Great idea but I don’t have equipment here. Nor am I willing to go to my store. Perhaps you kids could get it and meet up with me. Somewhere with power. The junkyard? OK. But we don’t have much time; the festival starts early tomorrow morning.” Alvin added, “And we need to get home before our parents get concerned.”

They arrived at the video store where they watched groups of adults carrying tapes out in boxes. A 10-minute cycle to the dump and back. Enough time to sneak in… the door locked, and the broken window boarded up. Alvin used his universal lock-pick… he threw his Tandy laptop thru the boarded window, “It’s heavy as a brick! We need to hurry. They had to hear the noise and will be back to investigate.”

They rolled the dolly stacked with equipment to the junkyard where they found Ellen. Alvin gave his spiel, “Replace the key words with things like RESIST, and FREEDOM. Add snippets and single frame images as Jimmy suggested. That should break the hypnotic spell.” Ellen setup her equipment, “It will take most of the night. I’ll see you early tomorrow guys.”

Jimmy left Moto behind to guard as Alvin suggested a sleepover at his house. They waited for his parents to say goodnight before they stuffed their sleeping bags with pillows and snuck out. Alvin had his Walkman under his sheets, playing a loop of him snoring.

10:30pm: They gathered at the radio station, thinking the tape was to be broadcast from there. But as they got near, they saw adults leaving the Elementary school carrying boxes of VCR tapes to the radio station. “What’s that all about?”  They hid in the bushes and overheard, “Janet says she was able to replace the commercials on this master movie with snippets of her programming video with ‘the’ message. The radio DJ is supposed to make copies onto these other VCRs for us to re-stock the video shelves.”

When the coast was clear, “We need a strong magnet to degauss those tapes! We could try the school Science Lab or the junkyard. Josh has been accepted as converted. Should he try to get a tour of the radio station to distract the DJ as we erase the tapes or wait till after the festival?” It was decided to wait, to not reveal their hand too early.

6am Saturday: Ellen was exhausted, “It’s done. You try your best to replace the tape before she hypnotizes the entire town. I’ll gather the other resisters at the Pumping Station to come give aid. Distract the other converts at the festival.”

The kids rode their bikes to the festival grounds, where they saw the Audio/Visual table already setup. “Think the tape is already loaded?” Joshua approached, being noisy, “Excuse me. Do you have time to show me how this works? I’ve been thinking about a career in broadcasting and sure would like to get some insight.” The operator showed him around and explained, “Pretty simple. Don’t have the tape yet, but once Ms Thompson cues me, I’ll start the video projection on that big screen for all to watch.”

CLIMAX: [need 8 successes to accomplish their plan]

It wasn’t long before the KBCL van pulled up and a cameraman and reporter stepped out. Another car arrived from which emerged Ms Thompson.

The resisters from the Pump Station were in the background chanting opposition to the chorus of converts proclaiming the iconic and wholesome image they desired. Janet only smiled more as she knew they were about to be exposed to the video. She reached into her purse and pulled out the tape as she excused herself from the reporter.

That’s when Jimmy stepped forward in his new button-down shirt, acting conformed, “Please Ms Thompson, can I deliver that for you? I know my parents would be excited if they saw me helping such worthy cause.” Janet smiled as she handed over the tape, “What a kind gesture.” [1]

Johnny jumped up on the band stage, in his best rock t-shirt, and slid across the stage on his knees as he strummed his electric guitar. And blasted out the ‘National Anthem’ to help distract the converts. [used his Pride ‘No one calls me chicken’] [2]

Alvin strolled up to the beer-stand outlet and plugged his broken Tandy laptop to start a controlled fire as further distraction. [iconic item] [4]

Jimmy faked handoff of the tape to Joshua, who pulled the modified tape out of his vest and loaded it into the VCR box while the AV guy was distracted by the fire. “The tape is loaded and ready whenever you are.” [Pride ‘I can explain anything’] [3]

Johnny was chased off the stage by security but escaped into the gathering of resisters who closed ranks to hid him.

Janet stepped up to the microphone and spoke to the crowd, nodded to the AV guy, and began, “If I can direct your attention to the big screen. I’d like to show you and the TV viewers just what we here in Boulder City have been doing to better our lives and kids.”

Her video began as normal. Till it spoke RESIST…FREEDOM…

Janet looked puzzled, “This isn’t my tape! I disapprove of this. I…” she snapped out of her own hypnosis. “What’s going on?”

The conformed parents too snapped out of it and sought out their kids to console them.

The kids gathered to high-five each other as Johnny screamed, “We won! Didn’t we?”

Ellen found security to lead Janet away as she realized, “I feel horrible. All the damage and destruction I caused. It was just supposed to be a relaxation tape I was working on at the Loop to help people with anxiety and depression. Yes, you are right. I MUST destroy all my work back at my Loop office. And destroy those tape copies I had stocked at your store. Ellen, I am so sorry for all the harm I caused. I’ll pay for all the damages.”

EPILOGUE:

Johnny’s dad drove him home to return for his on-stage native American heritage dance to the sound of others drumming the tune on original buffalo hide drums. But he was still hurt by his dad’s corrupted rebuke “You’re unreliable.” Johnny made an effort to keep in touch with his grandparents and helped mom and dad restock the bookstore. And was excited at dad’s news of them moving off the reservation.

Jimmy approached dad, “You know I just turned 14. Old enough for a student permit. I could drive home to get mom’s craft to setup her booth.” After dad finished laughing, they all got into the car to return home for the craft. Jimmy helped man the booth. It was her biggest sale of the year.

Joshua put his Motorhead t-shirt on before facing his dad, “You know, not everyone was happy with your rules. You need to make an announcement at school rescinding your ‘New Initiative’ plan.” His dad lowered his head, “You know son, I’ve had my own youthful larks. But I must say you did well. I’m proud of you for standing up for what you believe in.”

Alvin invited all the kids to his 14^th birthday party that following weekend. Held at the city’s bowling hall/arcade/pizzeria Plaza. He passed out tokens to everyone. Long lines formed at the various arcade machines that offered ‘weapons of mass destruction’. Atari’s Missile Command and Battlezone were the biggest drawn. And for the grand finale… Ellen invited all the kids to her store for a special playing of ‘Alien’. Followed by ‘Nightmare on Elm Street.’

It would be another 6-months before Rod had anything resembling his mullet.