TODAY'S NUGGET: Judge Dredd (1995) - Inventive Way to Stage a Fight Using One's Head (Literally)

[Quick Summary: Judge Dredd, a clone who has both police and judiciary powers, is wrongly accused of a crime, and fights his way back to prevent a take over.]

This script has remarkable clarity, action, and energy on the page.  

I particularly marveled at how I was still able to connect with the script, though I did not know the underlying comic book material.*

I really enjoyed the inventive way the writers staged the fight below because it requires the opponents to anticipate and think their way out, not simply use brawn.

NOTE:
- "Mean" is Rev. Angel's henchman.
- Mean has a dial on his head.  1 is calm, 4 is frenzied.

INT. RUINED COURTHOUSE - NIGHT

... REVEREND ANGEL: And Mean - Finish Dredd - !

MEAN: My pleasure.

Mean breaks into a big smile, nods, turns the dial on his head to 4, and turns back -- He takes a big swing, and lets the meanest ever headbutt fly.

DREDD like lightning lifts his whole body weight up. Mean goes flying into the wooden pole behind, cracking his skull wide open.

KEE-RACKK-K-! Dredd and the pole fall to the floor. He throws the ropes off his wrists --

Mean is starting to get to his feet -- Dredd slides past him, twisting the dial on his head down to 1 -- continues towards --

THE ANGELS

Drop Fergie -- he scrambles away -- rush Dredd! Dredd doesn't wait for them to reach him - he charges!

REVEREND ANGEL

Cranks Mean's dial back up to 4 -- Mean starts to move --

DREDD

Sweeps past, twisting the dial back to 1, Mean drops to his knees --

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked that this is an atypically staged fight, so there's some suspense. How will the opponents figure their way out of this?

Also, I liked that this didn't feel like a comic book where no one ever suffers repercussions, but like a real action story with real consequences. 

Judge Dredd (1995)(7/25/94 draft, w/revisions)
by Gary Goldman and Danny Cannon
Previous drafts by Steven de Souza/Walon Green, William Wisher/John Fasano

*In fact, I had not interest in this script itself.  I only decided to read it after learning writer Walon Green (The Wild Bunch) had written an earlier draft.