Another Adaption... Maybe!

[indyflys_solo]

Recently, I was on the site reading about "Raiders: The Adaption." What a cool story! Actually, I am a high school student very interested in film (I have a few years of experience in the area), and I was so inspired by the "Adaption" that I bought my own camera and began brainstorming for my own Indy-style film. I don't think I will be making Indiana Jones, but definitely something very much like it. However... I am meeting with a group of friends to plan and am in desperate need of some awesome, Indy-like gags, adventures, and even plot twists to use. Also need something to start the movie rolling, like that great boulder (no pun intended). The main concept is a guy and a gal somewhere in the time period between the 1920s-1950s, going all over the world in a treasure hunt or even maybe a secret mission (CIA?). We wanted it light, funny... pretty much just good, innocent fun that our parents will like enough to allow us to blow stuff up for it!
Your response is GREATLY appreciated, and if we use your idea we will put your Raven screen name in the credits for help with the story. Thank you!
;)

[kongisking]

Here's my idea, although it is probably FAR too ambitious in scope for you to pull off on your own:

1949 BC. Sarah Bremmer is an aspiring archeologist who has come into possession of an ancient map. This sacred document was written by a brave knight during the reign of King Arthur who had suceeded in imprisoning the soul of a demonic dragon-beast named Morgolith within a magical stone. The 'Dragon's Eye' is said to be hidden in a secret tomb in a remote area of the world, and this map that Sarah has stumbled upon leads to an ancient temple inside the Amazon.

Inside this temple is, according to legend, is an alter where the map must be inserted into a type of magical lock, which will unlock another map in the form of a golden knife, which has the tomb's coodrinates engraved on the blade. This knife, called the Knife of Redemption, is also the only weapon that can slay the monstrous dragon.

Excited, Sarah is then caught in a dangerous assassination attempt by a mysterious cult of green-clothed men, who are obsessed with stealing the map and who desire to harness Morgolith's destructive powers to create a new World Empire at their command. Turns out these men are neo-Nazis, led by a cyborg Nazi General named Albrecht, who is a robotic Vader-like villain built from scrap-parts stolen from a spaceship that crashed on earth in the 40's. She manages to survive the attack, and Sarah travels back to America to meet with government agents, who want to hire her for an archeological expedition to recover the Dragon's Eye before the Nazi cult does.

However, the government wants a bodyguard to protect Sarah from her attackers, and so the President personally recruits the escaped-convict and known criminal Nick Bounty to be her bodyguard. In return, the man will be granted amnesty and freedom.

Throughout the story, both Nick and Sarah are at odds with each other's penchant for a particular trait: Sarah critisizes Bounty's obsession with violence to solve problems, and Nick chastises Sarah for being weak and thinking cowardice is the way to escape. In the course of the tale, these two not only fall deeply in love, but they each also slowly begin to change their ways: Bounty rediscovers his humanity and compassionate nature, learning to give mercy instead of killing, and Sarah finally gets the nerve to stand up for herself and become a tough fighter.

There are plenty of slam-bang action sequences, with a massive gun battle between the cultists and Sarah's party at an airport, culminating in Bounty and a Nazi warrior dueling atop one of the wings of a Boeing 747. There is also a cool scene within the jungle temple where a booby trap ressurects a team of mummified soldiers who fend off Bounty and the Nazis. In the end, the golden knife leads Bounty's group (who have reluctantly joined forces with the Nazis in order to prevent more bloodshed) to a vast mountain cave in the Himalayas, where the tomb is located within the formation.

General Albrecht uses the Dragon's Eye to release Morgolith's spirit, hoping that in gratitude the dragon will ally itself with the Nazis; instead, the beast slaughters the soldiers, utterly destroying the cave with it's fire. Bounty and Sarah escape down the mountainside, but Sarah convinces Bounty to go back and face the dragon. If Morgolith is not slain, he will unleash his terrible wrath upon the world, destroying humanity. After an intense battle, Nick manages to stab Morgolith in the heart, and the evil dragon instantly explodes into ash.

Nick and Sarah eventually marry, and decide to share life as adventurers, traveling across the world, seeking fame and fortune wherever they go...

Like it? I hope so. I personally am very proud of this tale, and I wanted to make my own novel out of this. But it appears you wanted some help coming up with something, so I just wanted to share my own Indy-styled adventure story with you. Good luck with your project!!! :hat:

[indyflys_solo]

Wow, Kong. That's really a great idea. Let me talk it over with the ladies and gents and get back to you. Thank you for answering!!!:D

[kongisking]

Wow, Kong. That's really a great idea. Let me talk it over with the ladies and gents and get back to you. Thank you for answering!!!:D

You're very welcome. :hat: Nice to know someone with the right spunk and spark to actually seriously consider a huge project like this. I'll still keep in touch with ya on this thread; provide story improvements to my idea, give support, and give feedback. I got your back, pal! :up: ;)

[kongisking]

BTW I meant to put "AD" not "BC" at the beginning of the summary. My mistake! :o

[Osceola]

One thing most people don't know: BC goes after the number, AD before. So it would AD 1949.

[indyflys_solo]

Yeah, I did notice that the BC part didn't make much sense. Thanks for the reassurance... I'm glad somebody's got my back. I'm still ridiculously determined to make this film, but I'm sort of going through the "Am-I-ever-gonna-actually-be-able-to-do-this" phase. I will tell you right now that just getting kids together to plan is a drama in itself. Thanks again for the ideas and advice.;)
Also: didn't know that little bit about the AD/BC business, Osceola. That will definitely come in handy.:gun:

[indyflys_solo]

I'm baack! :D

Kong, I've got a nice long dissertation for you... if you're reading this, then thanks for watching out for me and my crazy ideas. Nice to know that someone is. Okay, I think I've sort of come up with a story (or at least an idea). Absolute Indiana Jones freak that I am, I set my own film in 1937 (the year that gets "skipped" in the original trilogy)... partly b/c I like the year and partly cuz this movie is really a play-off of Indy... basically the same corny (but oh so hilarious) gags, stunts, and that real 30s feel. I really haven't come up with proper names yet (every time I name any of my characters something, it feels wrong and I have to go back to calling them the Hero and Heroine, Sidekick, etc.); I really don't even know quite what they're looking for, although I have an idea. So without further ado...

-Year: 1937

The Characters
-Hero works for U.S. government, posing as a diplomat but really going all over the world collecting and rescuing priceless artifacts of history from destruction and oblivion.
-Hero is 24 years old in the story.
-Born on May 24, 1913, in Washington D.C.
-Hero can speak several modern languages, but he can read only scattered pieces of Egyptian hieroglyphics and Ancient Greek picked up from the Heroine.
-The Hero's father was the American ambassador to France and as a result the Hero traveled much of the world at a young age. He developed a passion for history and antiquity... while at Harvard studying diplomacy and international relations (his father's wishes), he also studied anthropology and world history. In 1934 he graduated Harvard to follow in his ambassador father's footsteps. Unknown to everyone else (including his parents), the Hero deals in a different sort of international relations: he travels around the world, outwardly a diplomatic American ambassador; but secretly a clever historian and "treasure protector" who travels to secure and protect priceless articles of history from destruction and oblivion. The small handful of Americans who know the Hero's true occupation are: the Heroine, the Sidekick, President F.D. Roosevelt, and Gregory Rollins... the Hero's boss. The Hero answers directly to Gregory for just about everything; Gregory arranges the Hero's trips from travel fare and lodgings to contacts and guides.

-Heroine is a college student who taught herself (as a child) Sumerian, Latin, Aramaic, Ancient Greek, and Egyptian hieroglyphs... she also understands a bit of "modern" Egyptian from her father. She attends___ college and is studying to earn her doctorate in Ancient Languages.
-Born on October 3, 1916, in Savannah, Georgia, where she has lived all her life. She is 21 years old in 1937.
-Her father was an explorer and friend of Sir Flinders Petrie. Often overseas in Egypt, Greece, and Italy, he left her home with a housekeeper (her mother died in childbirth). Having no one to play with or talk to, the Heroine read a great deal of her father's library. With his many books on languages, she taught herself Sumerian, Latin, Aramaic, Ancient Greek, and Egyptian hieroglyphs.
-Heroine works at the _____Diner in Savannah, GA.
-Heroine is 21 years old in the story.
-Heroine can speak English and pieces of her ancient languages... no other modern languages.
-Our leading lady is feisty, creative, and has a quick wit-- a girl that pretty much says "Don't mess with me," yet is a lady first and foremost: she won't start fights, but has no problem finishing them.
*Although it may befit someone born and raised in GA, the Heroine does not have a heavy southern drawl.

-The Hero and Heroine were introduced by Gregory Rollins in 1934, when the Hero was 21 and the Heroine was 18 years old. Gregory was a college friend of the Heroine's father as well as government friend of the Hero's dad; he learned of the Heroine's talent for ancient languages and immediately presented her to his new protégé in hopes that she would help the Hero translate difficult inscriptions once he brought the pieces back to the U.S. What Gregory doesn't know is that the Heroine joins the Hero on many of his travels, instead of just waiting for him to come back with the treasure. She has a mind of her own-- she's not going to let the Hero have all of the fun. The Hero has offered to suggest to Gregory that the Heroine should officially become a "diplomat", but she has declined. The Heroine wishes to finish college and refuses to officially hire on as another "diplomat" until she earns her doctorate.

-The Hero has both a Friend (much like a Sallah-type character--he helps the Hero and his friends out when they're in his country or region, but doesn't always go with them everywhere) and a Sidekick.
-Friend is Middle Eastern, German, or British... or anything else you can think of. I though a German Friend would be interesting because it would make a point that not all Germans were Nazis...

-Sidekick and Hero have been friends since childhood; before the Heroine started coming on some of the Hero's travels the Sidekick was always the one down in the creepy tunnel (as it were) with the Hero. In the film, the Sidekick and the Hero still do most of the adventuring together; having the Heroine on hand to translate what they need.
-This starts the main conflict between the Hero & Heroine: she wants to do some exploring, and he doesn't want her to get too involved because she's younger (by 3 years) and he feels responsible if she gets hurt... also the fact that Gregory doesn't even know she goes with the Hero & Sidekick all over the world.

The Object
-In trying to decide on an object for the Heroes to find, I read something about the "Copper scroll," a scroll made of copper (duh) found with the Dead Sea scrolls that according to legend listed the location of the treasure of the 2nd Temple of Jerusalem. However, almost none of the treasure was ever recovered-- and neither was the Silver Scroll, an identical treasure list with more detail. The Romans sacked the Temple of Jerusalem around AD 70, and the treasure disappeared. I liked this idea of an "unfound" treasure, and I thought that "(insert Hero's name here) And The Treasure Of The Silver Scroll" sounded kind of cool (although "too much like Indy, according to my sister"). I took the idea a few steps further and invented an "after the sacking of the Temple" story... that after the fall of the Temple, the bulk of the treasure was taken back to Rome (although so minor pieces were traded away to Greece, Egypt, etc.) Over the course of the Roman empire, loyal Jews and/or Christians re-collected the Temple's treasure from corrupt officials, marketplaces, etc. By the time the Roman Empire crumbled in the 5th century, all of the treasure was assembled and hidden in one place; the location of which had been inscribed on a "new" silver scroll. The Dark Ages came and went while the treasure was left undisturbed, then Charlemagne and the Middle Ages came along. Charlemagne's soldiers discovered the treasure in the Gaul (France) region... Charlemagne took the treasure back to his castle, and reburied it. The centuries went by, and the treasure was re-dug up, then hidden again. I figured then after all those years and the Crusades and everything else, the Silver Scroll listing the real and final location of the main treasure was sent either three ways: North to German Alps, South to Egypt or a trade city like Marrakech, or East on the Silk Road to China. But which way is the question...
-An interesting and maddening plot twist could be that the treasure is really in the region it was originally supposed to be instead of being moved...
-Although the whole "treasure of the Temple" is cool, I wanted to have one specific piece of treasure for several reasons: One, it narrows the search down by a lot. Two, saying "Oh, we're just looking for a massive treasure" although cool in real life, gets kind of cumbersome in a film. Three, this piece should probably have some kind of Biblical significance and should possess that same "magic" of the Ark & the Grail. Four, it would be nice if it was something the Hero could carry.
Any suggestions are welcome... I thought of a few things but cannot decide.
-The Bronze Serpent-(Exodus, I'm pretty sure)-Anyone who looked upon it would be cured (of snakebite in the Bible, but it could apply to normal injuries I guess). The Nazis would want this, if they're planning a war. Convenient to have an army that won't die.
-The Holy Cross- Massively important Christian artifact that the Nazis merely want because "Hitler's a nut on the subject."
-More stuff that I wrote down somewhere but can't find it.

[indyflys_solo]

So now, the story...
I figured I would start off with an adventure with the Hero and either the Sidekick or Friend-- kind of like the whole "golden idol" sequence in Raiders. Something action-packed (although slow to start for the opening credits) and fun; the Hero ends up finding a tablet inscribed with an ancient language pertaining (or not) to the main treasure of the film.
The next scene (probably) would go something like this:

The Hero is walking into a little diner early on a Saturday morning. The diner is mostly empty, and a little bell above the door jingles as the Hero enters the diner. The Heroine, dressed in a crisp uniform/waitress outfit, is taking the order of an older couple a few booths down. She turns to glance reflexively to the door and sees the Hero. The two share a short moment of eye contact; her gaze is obviously interested and his seems to say "I've got news." She turns back to the older couple, and the Hero finds a booth at the other end of the diner. The Heroine finishes with the customers and crosses to the Hero's booth.
Heroine (very formal, but with a hint of a sarcastic smile): Why hello, Mr. ______. What can I get for you this morning?
Hero (glancing up): Cup of coffee.
Heroine (definitely teasing, but with a straight face): You want whiskey or vodka in that?
The Hero gives her a look that says "Come on."
Heroine (something of a sigh, a little more serious now): I'll be right back.
The Hero half-smiles to himself and removes two airplane tickets from inside his jacket, the camera takes a close-up focus on the destination (wherever he's going next). She comes back a moment later. The Heroine places the cup of coffee in front of him and slides into the booth to face him. She folds her hands under her chin, smiles cordially.
Heroine: So what is it this time?
Hero (leans forward, smiles crookedly): The Silver Scroll.
Heroine (amazed, interested): You found the Scroll?
Hero: Not yet.
He extracts the handkerchief-wrapped tablet from his pocket and sets it in front of her (says "this" when he sets it down).
Hero: I thought you might be interested in this.
The Heroine unwraps the cloth and picks up the tablet.
Heroine (gasps): Latin.
The Hero nods, as the Heroine holds and studies it.
Hero: Can you translate it? I tried, but I only got pieces of it...
Heroine: Yes, uh...
The Heroine translates it.
The Hero wrinkles his brow in deep concentration at the translation.
He remarks about a certain phrase.
The Heroine shrugs.
Heroine: Your guess is as good as mine. It'll make a nice museum piece, though.
She turns it over in her hand.
Heroine: Where did you get this?
Hero: An old friend.
The Heroine looks up.
The Hero tells her about his most recent and narrow escape.
Heroine (sighing) Oh, I miss everything. I suppose that's what I get for having a normal job.
Hero: Hey, at least I let you tag along.
The Heroine gives him a look.
Heroine: With talk like that, I don't know if I want to help you.
The Hero returns the look.
Hero: With an attitude like that, I don't know if I want your help.
The Heroine laughs to herself, shakes head, and finally looks down and plays with the tablet.
[Pause]
Heroine (looks up): When are we leaving?
Hero (grinning on the inside): I'll pick you up at your place at two.
Heroine (looks around): I don't get off until three.
Hero: Two-thirty.
The Heroine glances around the nearly-vacant diner, then flicks him a small half-smile.
Heroine: I think I can manage that.
The Hero grins, and the Heroine gets up to attend to the other customers.

So then they go to Europe (Paris, perhaps?), meeting the Sidekick there. They can attend a state dinner or some other appropriately bureaucratic function for the Hero's diplomat cover; there they perhaps get a first glimpse of the suave British bad guy that ends up working with the Nazis (kind of a charming, snappy-dressing James Bond-turned very evil)? After this they head to a castle in the northern-French Alps. The castle turns out to be used as a Nazi headquarters (surprise, surprise). The Hero and Heroine go exploring while the Sidekick stands guard... the Hero reluctantly ends up leaving his right-hand man behind in favor of the Heroine when she objects "And when you run into something you can't translate?" They find a secret room behind a wall panel, stumble into a dungeon infested with a swarm of something gruesome, and finally find a clue before escaping the castle and pursuing Nazis.
Whatever they find in the castle leads the Hero, Heroine, and Sidekick to Northern Africa (for the lack of knowing exactly where at the moment, let's just say Marrakech). The Hero & Heroine meet up with the Sidekick in Marrakech, do a little sightseeing and asking around the city. Their asking leads them to Hagia, an old woman and her young grandson Mahi. Mahi's father Ahram is a guide, Hagia tells them that her son is leading an expedition into the desert for a group of "German soldiers" and a British man. The Hero realizes that the German soldiers are Nazis and that the British man is our suave villain... so naturally, he wants to know what they're up to and what they've found. Ahram offers to guide them to the dig... soon after they arrive, the foursome finds a nearby village to arrange accommodations. Then they make it to the dig, which is apparently a search for the "Silver Scroll." They split up, the Hero taking the Heroine with him so he can "keep an eye on her." They discover a cave or underground chamber, the wall of which is inscribed with Latin underneath a false wall. The Hero and Heroine discover the Scroll in a metal chest buried underneath the Latin. They secure the Scroll in the Hero's bag. Unfortunately, after they emerge from the cave to meet the Sidekick and Friend a scene very much like this one takes place:

A small group of Nazis and their hired Moroccan guns spot them, realize they're interlopers, and shout for them to stop. When the Hero refuses by breaking into a sprint, they begin firing. The Hero and Heroine jump into a trench from the dig, while the Sidekick and Friend jump into another nearby. The Hero pulls out his pistol and begins firing on the pursuers from the safety of the trench. A few Moroccans go down, and the rest jump into a trench across from the Hero & Heroine's. The Heroine peeks out of the trench to see what's happening; the Hero grabs her and pushes her down.
Hero: Are you tired of living?! Get down!
The Heroine ducks down, turns her head... and she does a double-take as she spots the crates of dynamite the Nazis brought to enter the cave. Her eyes light up, and she immediately begins prying open the crate. Cut to the Hero firing on the Nazis, then back to the Heroine striking a match and lighting the dynamite. She hurls the stick over the Hero's head, and the villains' trench erupts in an explosion. The Hero is surprised but pleased.
Hero: I hit something.
The Heroine pulls the Hero back by his shoulders to get his attention.
Heroine: No, I hit something! Look!
The Hero looks over his shoulder and sees the open crate, then looks the Heroine up and down, impressed.
Hero: Not bad.
A bullet whizzes by his ear, and he and the Heroine scrunch down in the trench to ready more dynamite. The Sidekick and Friend have belly-crawled to the Hero and Heroine's trench, and the Hero tells them that they've found the Scroll. He gives them instructions to meet back at their village accommodations, and the Sidekick & Friend make their getaway as the Hero throws more dynamite to keep the Nazis busy. The Hero wants the Heroine to go with them, but she stays while he's busy dispatching the last few soldiers. He spots the Heroine, sitting in a small canoe-type craft with a sail.
Hero (aghast): Since when can you sail?
Heroine (cheerfully): I can't. [Tilts head] Hop in.
He does, and the two quickly leave the dig site by the river...but not before the Hero recognizes the evil British guy and the Brit recognizes him. Uh oh...

They spend a night on the river hiding in the reeds, then another day/night trekking back to the meeting point for the Sidekick and Friend. They solve the clues and finally travel to either Germany, Austria, or Switzerland with the Sidekick and Friend. I had an idea that one morning the Hero & Heroine wake up to Nazi rifles in their faces... then the Nazis force them to lead the way to the treasure...
They find the main treasure thing (whatever it is), they lose the treasure, but not without a great showdown with the suave villain and the remaining Nazis. (HELP REGARDING A GRAND FINALE, PLEASE!) At some point in this, the Hero comes to terms with the Heroine and they resolve their differences about her going adventuring... then they admit they're in love (either that or they don't admit anything, but have a great romantic moment to finalize that issue and make the audience happy. (*They show their affection for one another through a combination of insults and tenderness.*) And at the end of the film, they can ride (or fly, walk, run, sail, etc.) off into the sunset like a perfectly good clichéd movie.

I have absolutely no idea what this is leading to... or if you can even understand my jumble of ideas and craziness. If you can, more power to you.