CHAINSAW NEWS TEXT Austin, TX, August 18, 1973 -- News of a bizarre, chainsaw-wielding family -- reports which were to ignite the world's imagination -- began to filter out of central Texas. Regrettably, no one of the family members was ever apprehended, and for more than ten years, nothing further was heard. Then over the next several years at least two minor, yet apparently related, incidents were reported. Then again nothing. For five long years -- silence. FADE IN: INT. JENNY'S BEDROOM - JENNY'S HOUSE - NIGHT EXTREME CLOSE UP: A bright red lipstick moves over full, sensual lips. From elsewhere in the house comes the SOUND of a woman's voice. Although the words are muffled and unintelligible, a plaintive quality in the voice comes through. THE CAMERA PULLS BACK from the lips to reveal the face of seventeen year old JENNY. It's not the face the lips led us to expect. Not that Jenny's unattractive--at least as far as WE can tell. It's that it's hard to know exactly what she does look like. She wears owlish, thick-lensed glasses and her hair is done up elaborately in stiff, formal curls which make it look like a cheap wig. But more than the glasses and hair it's the way she carries herself--like she'd like to become invisible. Again from elsewhere in the house, but nearer and louder than the woman's voice--WE HEAR a man's voice. There's a nasty edge to it. JACK (O.S.) Who asked you? Jenny flinches, drops the tube of lipstick, wipes the lipstick from her mouth in disgust, stands. CLOSE ON a formal gown. Jenny's feet enter the frame. She steps into the gown, pulls it up. The gown awful and unbecoming with a huge satin bow at the bosom and a profusion of taffeta at the waist and all down the skirt that makes her look thick-waisted and plump. Jenny struggles with the zipper. It stops inches short of closing and Jenny can't budge it. She sighs in exasperation, calls out. JENNY Mother...? There's no response and she opens her mouth to call out again when the door bangs open. Jenny's stepfather, Jack, a flashily handsome man in his late thirties, enters. His face is flunshed. It appears he's been drinking. Jenny turns her back on him. JENNY Get out of my room. Jack slouches against the doorjamb. JACK Hey--you think I'm bad, you don't know what bad is. I'm one of the good guys. JENNY Hah. JACK What are you afraid of? All I'm asking is for you to be nice to me--no big deal. JENNY Even if you weren't a slimeball, aren't you forgetting you're married to my mother? JACK Hey, shut your mouth. You don't talk to me like that. (moving into the room) If you won't tell, I won't. Jenny backs away. JENNY Get out. I'll scream. JACK I think you want it. I think you're a damn little tease. JENNY Mother...! Jack's on her on a flash. He pins her arms and clasps his hand over her mouth. JACK Who do you think she's going to believe? Huh? Come to think of it, either way you lose. CUT TO: INT. JENNY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - SAME Jenny's mother, AMANDA. She's ten years her husband's senior and at war with middle age--hair, dress and make-up perfect to the point of fraility. AMANDA Jenny...? She gets no answer, moves to the foot of the stairs and calls out again. AMANDA Jenny? INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE JENNY'S BEROOM - SAME Jenny slips out the bedroom, starts up the hallway. Jack follows her out, grabs her arm. JACK One word out of you and I divorce the bitch. If that's what you want, have at it. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep you God damn mouth shut. CUT TO: INT. JENNY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - SAME Amanda starts up the stair. JENNY (O.S.) It's okay, mother. Never mind. Amanda stops. AMANDA Are you sure? Jenny appears at the head of the stairs. JENNY Yes. Jack brushes past Jenny, starts down the stairs. JACK What do you want, a sworn affidavit? AMANDA (cowed) No.... I just thought.... JACK Don't think, okay? You're too stupid to think. AMANDA Jack.... The doorbell rings. AMANDA (brightening) Oh, I bet it's Sean. (She starts away, stops.) Oh, I forgot some boy called you.... Angel, I think he said. It's not the one with the motorcycle, is it? You didn't give him your number...? JENNY No, mother. AMANDA (to Jack) It seems like every place she goes, he turns up. The doorbell chimes again. AMANDA I'm beginning to think he must follow her around. JACK Answer the God damn door. An explosion of brilliant white light fills the screen--an electronic flash--followed by the distorted SOUND of a shutter opening and closing and WE.... INT. JENNY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - SOME MINUTES LATER Smiling fixedly for the camera, Jenny and SEAN in their prom finery pose before the fireplace. Sean wears a black tuxedo. At seventeen he's slight and boyish looking--he could pass for fourteen. Again the distorted sound of the shutter. A second electronic flash captures Sean pinning a red corsage to Jenny's dress. Then again an WHIRR of the shutter and a third flash--a close-up of Jenny and Sean. Jenny's glasses reflects the flash. The pupils of Sean's eyes glow red. EXT. HORIZON - SUNSET The sun, huge and lurid, melts into the hills west of downtown Austin. EXT. FREEWAY - NIGHT Traffic is heavy. The headlights of the onrushing vehicles seem on the verge of overunning the CAMERA. At the last instant they veer past, missing the CAMERA by fraction of an inch. The ROAR of the engines is deafening and the earth seems to shudder at each passing. EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT An old graveyard with large, crumbling tombstone, monuments and mausoleums. In the near background the lights of the high-rise buildings of downtown Austin loom above the graveyard. EXT. HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM - NIGHT From the gym come the muffled STRAINS of Billy Haley and the Commets, "Rock Around the Clock." The parking lot is jammed with cars. A group of teen-age boys in tuxedoes lounges against the hood of a car parked opposite the entrance to the gym. A couple in prom dress enters the gym. INT. GYMNASIUM FOYER - NIGHT THE MUSIC is louder, but still muffled by the doors to the interior of the gym. Glass cases on the walls display sports trophies, ribbons, team photographs, etc. An attractive woman in her mid-fifties. MS. ABBOTT, sits behind a folding table, reading a book. On the table in front of her are a rubber stamp and an inkpad. The interior doors open. The MUSIC is suddenly deafening and we get a brief glimpse of the interior of the gym -- teen-age couple dancing, colored lighhts swirling over the dancers, creps paper streamers hanging from the rafters. An attractive teenage girl, HEATHER, comes through the doors into the foyer. HEATHER Ms. Abbott, have you seen Barry? Did he go outside? Ms. Abbott blinks. MS. ABBOTT Barry...? Oh, Barry. A thin, red-haired girl, SUE, enters the foyer. MS. ABBOTT (continuing) Didn't you break up? HEATHER No. MS. ABBOTT Oh, well, never mind. I just thought.... Forget it. SUE She's doing it again. (aside to Heather) She's such a bitch, I can't believe it. HEATHER What? Jenny and Sean, push through the gym doors into the foyer. SUE Don't listen to her. Don't believe a word she says. All she wants is to start trouble. Heather turns a dazzling smile on Sean. HEATHER Sean, hi. Have you seen Barry? Jenny and Sean exchanging a glance, then turn to Heather and shake their heads in unison. EXT. GYMNASIUM AND PARKING LOT - NIGHT The muffled SOUNDS of The Police, "I'll Be Watching You" come from the gym. Jenny teeter on the steps, clearly unaccustomed to high heels. Sean takes her arm, steadies her, helps her down the steps. One of the boys in the parking lot, a big guy, JOHN, nudges a couple of the others, CHRIS and CHARLES, directs their attention to Jenny and Sean. JOHN Oooooh, don't they make a cute couple. (moving to block Jenny and Sean's path) Wait. Stop. (pinching Sean's cheek) Somebody get a camera. Sean pulls back, slaps at John hands. SEAN Quit it. JOHN Hey, did you see that? The little prick hit me. He spins Sean around, pins his arms to his sides. JENNY Leave him alone, John.