The Adventures of Superboy (1988) s03e12 Episode Script
Special Effects
[Announcer] Rocketed
from a distant planet
to a bold new
destiny on Earth.
Found by a Kansas family
and raised as Clark Kent,
he learned he possessed
the strength of steel,
the speed of light
and the desire to
help all mankind.
He is Superboy.
All right, where are we?
"Children, close-up." Sure.
Master shot.
Nah, not so hot.
[footsteps]
All right.
[chains rattling]
OK, close-up,
and that's that.
Jeez, lousy prop.
Don't they
[object thuds]
Oh!
Oh, jeez, Frank, you shouldn't
come up on me like that.
I just had a bypass.
No, no, no.
- [growls]
- This isn't what I wanted.
It looks too '50s.
- It doesn't look real either.
- [growling]
[chuckles] Well, what
are you waiting for?
You go back and tell Max that
I'm gonna buy him a hearing aid,
so next time I ask him to
do something, he'll do it.
Well, go on!
[growls]
Very funny.
- [growling]
- Hey! Hey! Hey!
[bones cracking]
[yelling]
[growling]
- Morning.
- Mm, hi.
Ready for another day of filing,
faxing and brewing coffee?
If that's what they need.
I think they're
threatened by us.
What do you mean?
They're afraid that if we
go out into the field
we'll do a better
job than them.
Lana, I think they just
want us to be a little
more experienced first.
Do you really believe that?
No. [chuckles]
[Jackson] Kent! Lang!
I've got something for you.
- The Lloyd case.
- The movie director?
Supposed to have been killed
by some kind of a monster.
- I just filed that one.
- No, there was a witness.
You want me to file that, too?
No, I want the two of you
to go out and interview him.
[Matt coughs]
Us?
- Or I could send Matt.
- No, no. We'll do it.
Dennis, you are a real
[door unlocks]
- [Clark] Mrs. Watson?
- Yes.
I'm Clark Kent, this is
Lana Lang. We spoke to
you earlier today.
Sure, about the monster.
Can we see your husband?
If you'd like to,
but he's not the one
you should be talking to.
Tommy, there's some
people here to see you!
Thank you, Mr. Jackson.
My dad works at the studio.
He lets me come to work
with him sometimes.
I'm going to be a director.
But Tommy,
what about the monster?
Oh, yeah, like I was saying,
I heard this guy
scream on Stage 21.
I looked in and I saw it.
The monster!
It was choking him like this.
Oh! Tommy! Tommy!
OK, OK.
And then it just ran away.
Did anybody else see it?
No, just me.
You don't believe me,
do you?
- Tommy, it's just that we
- I'll show you.
This is what I saw.
That's just from a movie.
It's not real.
Hey, I've got an IQ of 145,
I've skipped two grades
in school,
and I'm at advanced-expert
level at "Turbo Kong."
I know if something's
real or not.
- OK, but
- What's your IQ?
[woman] It's beautiful,
Milt, every word.
It made me cry real tears.
[chuckles] Yeah,
you're wonderful.
Right, see you
at the Oscars.
In your dreams.
- [man on phone] Yeah?
- Hello, Chuck?
- Yeah?
- It's Risa Owens.
- Uh-huh?
- Boy, do I need a rewrite.
- It's only a one pager.
- Uh-huh?
Milt really let
me down this time.
He's old, is what he is!
Let me tell
Hello? Hello?
I'm trying to make a call here.
Take a number!
What is
- [gurgling]
- [screams]
[man] Yeah, that's mine.
So what?
Mr. Von Norman,
two people have been killed.
One of them by something that
looked like this thing.
This isn't a thing.
It's a man wearing makeup.
A man who's been
in Vancouver all summer.
[Clark] Anybody can wear makeup.
That's a good point,
that's what I told the police.
[Lana] The police?
You know, those guys in uniforms
that investigate murders?
They came by a few
days ago asking the same
questions you're asking.
And what did you tell them?
I told them somebody broke
into my house last month
and stole some masks
and prosthetics.
I thought it was a fan,
but apparently it
was some kind of psycho.
Maybe whoever it is is both.
It's a fine line
in this business.
Doesn't it bother you that
somebody's out there
in your makeup
killing people?
It would be,
if people were dying.
But they are.
No.
They're producers and
directors not people.
[man] All right, everybody.
Quiet on the set!
- Ooh, a little bitter, huh?
- [man] Quiet, please!
Roll sound! Action!
You see? Machines can
do almost anything.
Hmm, anything but lie
and cheat and
[sighs] I'm sorry.
I forgot the line again.
[man] Cut!
Get me another one.
[man] Another cigarette
for Mr. Melville.
Not the cigarette,
the girl.
And make sure this
one can act.
[squeals]
Well, at least it wasn't
your fault this time.
It's hard to believe
he's the same guy that
does all those commercials
for the South American
orphans, huh?
Andy!
What are you doing here?
Well, it's a part-time
job, but I figure in a
year I'll be directing.
Only a year?
I'm gold at this place.
Hey, McAlister,
what about that coffee!
I-I'm right on it.
That's what you
said an hour ago.
He doesn't think
you're gold.
Yeah, like he counts.
He's just a writer.
So what are you guys up to?
We're here to see
Max Von Norman.
Yeah, Max?
He's the greatest.
He's such a happy guy, too.
It's an occupational hazard,
you know?
Six months ago,
he couldn't get arrested
and now he's a genius.
[chuckles]
[instrumental music playing]
[low growling]
Lisa?
Carrie?
Lisa and Carrie?
[growling]
[gasping]
[low growling]
Oh!
Thanks a lot!
[laughing]
[screaming]
- You all right?
- I don't know.
What was it?
It was a guy
in a monster suit.
There!
I don't think that's
a guy in a suit.
I'm gonna call security.
[growling]
[air rushing]
[woman] Oh, my God!
Watch out! Watch out!
[crowd gasping]
It was real.
How did you know?
Just a hunch.
What was it?
Where did it come from?
All the police know is that
thing killed Robin Melville.
Von Norman didn't have to
kill it, Superboy had it down.
- Well, maybe he was afraid.
- For Superboy?
No, afraid that maybe
we'd find out something
[Von Norman] "Best special
effects in a horror film."
Do they think this can make up
for all those years of abuse?
[chuckles] The humiliation?
The insults?
Do they think they can buy
my friendship with this?
Six months ago I was dirt,
now everybody wants me
to work on their films.
To be at their parties,
to have lunch with them.
[growls]
And I go along smiling,
kissing their cheeks.
But all that stops tonight.
Caliban.
Where is Ajax?
Ajax, he was killed
[grunts]
by Superboy.
[growling]
He was sent by the ones who
are going to be here tonight.
No! No more killing.
That was our bargain.
You do what I tell you to do,
just like you did for my father.
Then
Your father never asked
us to kill for him.
That's it.
You wanna stop.
You wanna go back
to where he found you?
Good, then let's go.
You've got a busy day.
Up to about six months ago,
Max's stuff was terrible.
Make a list: Lowry,
Lou Lloyd, Risa Owens
Owens and Lloyd
were both murdered.
Oh, forget it. If Max was
going around trying to kill
he'd need an A-bomb.
Besides, everybody
loves him now.
He just turned it around.
All of a sudden his stuff
became a lot more realistic.
As good as anything
his dad ever did.
Look, I wanna show you
this other project.
How can you not remember
where you saw a monster?
I see them day and night.
I see them in my dreams.
It's easy to lose track.
Boy, you shoulda seen
that fight last night.
That thing was almost
as strong as Superboy.
Really?
Yep, but for once someone
else got to be the hero.
Max turned it into
a pile of ashes.
He suddenly jumps out
with this flamethrower.
Hey, Lana!
We're gonna go
look at some tapes.
[Clark] Andy thinks he
saw the monster before.
- You saw it before?
- Yeah, I'm sure of it.
I'd like to see them but
She's going to
Von Norman's party with me.
Von Norman's party?
I wasn't invited to that.
[Clark] I hope these
tapes help you remember.
Yep, it's going to be
just like Saturday nights
You, me and the VCR.
- I'll go get the pizza.
- All right.
[piano playing]
Hey!
Oh, ladies' room.
That's what they
always say. [sighs]
[scary music playing]
[woman screaming,
monster growling]
I knew I'd seen you
somewhere before.
[knocking on door]
Yeah, Clark, come on in.
[door opens]
I think I found our monster.
[growling]
[door creaks]
[Von Norman] Miss Lang.
Here for a preview?
[gasps]
Andy, it's Clark.
[sniffs] I got the pizzas.
Andy?
"Special monster effects
by Max Von Norman, Jr."
[air rushing]
This is what all the
others are going to get.
- Only you're going to be first.
- [yelps]
What is it?
I've always been afraid
to ask that question.
[gasping] What's back there?
Kind of like a
different dimension,
That's why his monsters
always looked so real.
They were real.
Get him!
He killed Ajax!
[gurgling]
Stop
or he dies.
[growling]
Go, my friend.
You are free to go.
What are you doing?
You lied! Superboy
didn't kill Ajax!
Wait, Caliban,
I can explain.
Ask him! He saw!
No wait! Wait! No! Stop!
Where did they go?
Movie magic.
from a distant planet
to a bold new
destiny on Earth.
Found by a Kansas family
and raised as Clark Kent,
he learned he possessed
the strength of steel,
the speed of light
and the desire to
help all mankind.
He is Superboy.
All right, where are we?
"Children, close-up." Sure.
Master shot.
Nah, not so hot.
[footsteps]
All right.
[chains rattling]
OK, close-up,
and that's that.
Jeez, lousy prop.
Don't they
[object thuds]
Oh!
Oh, jeez, Frank, you shouldn't
come up on me like that.
I just had a bypass.
No, no, no.
- [growls]
- This isn't what I wanted.
It looks too '50s.
- It doesn't look real either.
- [growling]
[chuckles] Well, what
are you waiting for?
You go back and tell Max that
I'm gonna buy him a hearing aid,
so next time I ask him to
do something, he'll do it.
Well, go on!
[growls]
Very funny.
- [growling]
- Hey! Hey! Hey!
[bones cracking]
[yelling]
[growling]
- Morning.
- Mm, hi.
Ready for another day of filing,
faxing and brewing coffee?
If that's what they need.
I think they're
threatened by us.
What do you mean?
They're afraid that if we
go out into the field
we'll do a better
job than them.
Lana, I think they just
want us to be a little
more experienced first.
Do you really believe that?
No. [chuckles]
[Jackson] Kent! Lang!
I've got something for you.
- The Lloyd case.
- The movie director?
Supposed to have been killed
by some kind of a monster.
- I just filed that one.
- No, there was a witness.
You want me to file that, too?
No, I want the two of you
to go out and interview him.
[Matt coughs]
Us?
- Or I could send Matt.
- No, no. We'll do it.
Dennis, you are a real
[door unlocks]
- [Clark] Mrs. Watson?
- Yes.
I'm Clark Kent, this is
Lana Lang. We spoke to
you earlier today.
Sure, about the monster.
Can we see your husband?
If you'd like to,
but he's not the one
you should be talking to.
Tommy, there's some
people here to see you!
Thank you, Mr. Jackson.
My dad works at the studio.
He lets me come to work
with him sometimes.
I'm going to be a director.
But Tommy,
what about the monster?
Oh, yeah, like I was saying,
I heard this guy
scream on Stage 21.
I looked in and I saw it.
The monster!
It was choking him like this.
Oh! Tommy! Tommy!
OK, OK.
And then it just ran away.
Did anybody else see it?
No, just me.
You don't believe me,
do you?
- Tommy, it's just that we
- I'll show you.
This is what I saw.
That's just from a movie.
It's not real.
Hey, I've got an IQ of 145,
I've skipped two grades
in school,
and I'm at advanced-expert
level at "Turbo Kong."
I know if something's
real or not.
- OK, but
- What's your IQ?
[woman] It's beautiful,
Milt, every word.
It made me cry real tears.
[chuckles] Yeah,
you're wonderful.
Right, see you
at the Oscars.
In your dreams.
- [man on phone] Yeah?
- Hello, Chuck?
- Yeah?
- It's Risa Owens.
- Uh-huh?
- Boy, do I need a rewrite.
- It's only a one pager.
- Uh-huh?
Milt really let
me down this time.
He's old, is what he is!
Let me tell
Hello? Hello?
I'm trying to make a call here.
Take a number!
What is
- [gurgling]
- [screams]
[man] Yeah, that's mine.
So what?
Mr. Von Norman,
two people have been killed.
One of them by something that
looked like this thing.
This isn't a thing.
It's a man wearing makeup.
A man who's been
in Vancouver all summer.
[Clark] Anybody can wear makeup.
That's a good point,
that's what I told the police.
[Lana] The police?
You know, those guys in uniforms
that investigate murders?
They came by a few
days ago asking the same
questions you're asking.
And what did you tell them?
I told them somebody broke
into my house last month
and stole some masks
and prosthetics.
I thought it was a fan,
but apparently it
was some kind of psycho.
Maybe whoever it is is both.
It's a fine line
in this business.
Doesn't it bother you that
somebody's out there
in your makeup
killing people?
It would be,
if people were dying.
But they are.
No.
They're producers and
directors not people.
[man] All right, everybody.
Quiet on the set!
- Ooh, a little bitter, huh?
- [man] Quiet, please!
Roll sound! Action!
You see? Machines can
do almost anything.
Hmm, anything but lie
and cheat and
[sighs] I'm sorry.
I forgot the line again.
[man] Cut!
Get me another one.
[man] Another cigarette
for Mr. Melville.
Not the cigarette,
the girl.
And make sure this
one can act.
[squeals]
Well, at least it wasn't
your fault this time.
It's hard to believe
he's the same guy that
does all those commercials
for the South American
orphans, huh?
Andy!
What are you doing here?
Well, it's a part-time
job, but I figure in a
year I'll be directing.
Only a year?
I'm gold at this place.
Hey, McAlister,
what about that coffee!
I-I'm right on it.
That's what you
said an hour ago.
He doesn't think
you're gold.
Yeah, like he counts.
He's just a writer.
So what are you guys up to?
We're here to see
Max Von Norman.
Yeah, Max?
He's the greatest.
He's such a happy guy, too.
It's an occupational hazard,
you know?
Six months ago,
he couldn't get arrested
and now he's a genius.
[chuckles]
[instrumental music playing]
[low growling]
Lisa?
Carrie?
Lisa and Carrie?
[growling]
[gasping]
[low growling]
Oh!
Thanks a lot!
[laughing]
[screaming]
- You all right?
- I don't know.
What was it?
It was a guy
in a monster suit.
There!
I don't think that's
a guy in a suit.
I'm gonna call security.
[growling]
[air rushing]
[woman] Oh, my God!
Watch out! Watch out!
[crowd gasping]
It was real.
How did you know?
Just a hunch.
What was it?
Where did it come from?
All the police know is that
thing killed Robin Melville.
Von Norman didn't have to
kill it, Superboy had it down.
- Well, maybe he was afraid.
- For Superboy?
No, afraid that maybe
we'd find out something
[Von Norman] "Best special
effects in a horror film."
Do they think this can make up
for all those years of abuse?
[chuckles] The humiliation?
The insults?
Do they think they can buy
my friendship with this?
Six months ago I was dirt,
now everybody wants me
to work on their films.
To be at their parties,
to have lunch with them.
[growls]
And I go along smiling,
kissing their cheeks.
But all that stops tonight.
Caliban.
Where is Ajax?
Ajax, he was killed
[grunts]
by Superboy.
[growling]
He was sent by the ones who
are going to be here tonight.
No! No more killing.
That was our bargain.
You do what I tell you to do,
just like you did for my father.
Then
Your father never asked
us to kill for him.
That's it.
You wanna stop.
You wanna go back
to where he found you?
Good, then let's go.
You've got a busy day.
Up to about six months ago,
Max's stuff was terrible.
Make a list: Lowry,
Lou Lloyd, Risa Owens
Owens and Lloyd
were both murdered.
Oh, forget it. If Max was
going around trying to kill
he'd need an A-bomb.
Besides, everybody
loves him now.
He just turned it around.
All of a sudden his stuff
became a lot more realistic.
As good as anything
his dad ever did.
Look, I wanna show you
this other project.
How can you not remember
where you saw a monster?
I see them day and night.
I see them in my dreams.
It's easy to lose track.
Boy, you shoulda seen
that fight last night.
That thing was almost
as strong as Superboy.
Really?
Yep, but for once someone
else got to be the hero.
Max turned it into
a pile of ashes.
He suddenly jumps out
with this flamethrower.
Hey, Lana!
We're gonna go
look at some tapes.
[Clark] Andy thinks he
saw the monster before.
- You saw it before?
- Yeah, I'm sure of it.
I'd like to see them but
She's going to
Von Norman's party with me.
Von Norman's party?
I wasn't invited to that.
[Clark] I hope these
tapes help you remember.
Yep, it's going to be
just like Saturday nights
You, me and the VCR.
- I'll go get the pizza.
- All right.
[piano playing]
Hey!
Oh, ladies' room.
That's what they
always say. [sighs]
[scary music playing]
[woman screaming,
monster growling]
I knew I'd seen you
somewhere before.
[knocking on door]
Yeah, Clark, come on in.
[door opens]
I think I found our monster.
[growling]
[door creaks]
[Von Norman] Miss Lang.
Here for a preview?
[gasps]
Andy, it's Clark.
[sniffs] I got the pizzas.
Andy?
"Special monster effects
by Max Von Norman, Jr."
[air rushing]
This is what all the
others are going to get.
- Only you're going to be first.
- [yelps]
What is it?
I've always been afraid
to ask that question.
[gasping] What's back there?
Kind of like a
different dimension,
That's why his monsters
always looked so real.
They were real.
Get him!
He killed Ajax!
[gurgling]
Stop
or he dies.
[growling]
Go, my friend.
You are free to go.
What are you doing?
You lied! Superboy
didn't kill Ajax!
Wait, Caliban,
I can explain.
Ask him! He saw!
No wait! Wait! No! Stop!
Where did they go?
Movie magic.