W H A T   I S   A   M O V I E  ?

 

 

Poster of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, with Richard Burton and Rex Harrison

 

 

CHAPTERS: The chapters of this story are published live for collaboration development purposes, with a sequence derived from the Chapters below, supplemented with other (unpublished) writings as we progress. The final order for the proposed screenplay may be the subject of additional drafts to suit production of the final movie (producers/directors/actors).

 

 

 

 

 

<<<<<< CHOSEN ONE

 

 

THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, ABOARD THE ELIZABETH SWANN - WHAT IS A FILM?

 

"What is a 'film' character? asked Cleopatra." 

 

"A film is like a portrait and landscape painting. But the pictures are blended together as a series of pictures, so that the subjects appear to move against a background. So a film can be called a movie. As in the actors moving. The name 'film' comes from the special medium on which the pictures used to be painted. Thousands of pictures are joined together. Made by an optical device that captures light, called a camera. This machine creates instant pictures, doing the work of a thousand artists, in minutes."

 

John did his best to explain, but it was complicated. Cleopatra looked confused.

 

Dan chimed in, knowing that was too much information. 

 

"Here, it's easier if we show you." 

 

Dan selected an archive film from 1963, Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor.

 

"Now, just to warn you, these pictures can be quite realistic, and the stories they tell quite dramatic, played by actors."

 

John continued: "We'll watch a sample with you and explain as we go. Is that okay with you?"

 

Dan continued: "This film is about your former life, played by a famous actress called Elizabeth Taylor. She's almost as pretty as you."

 

Blushing slightly, Cleopatra asked: "There is a moving picture story about me?"

 

"Yes indeed," said Dan. "Shall we eat while we view?"

 

"Oh yes please," said Cleopatra. "I love eating during the telling of a good story."

 

"So do we." Said John and Dan together.

 

"Actually, there are several films about you in ancient Egypt," said John.

 

"We'll eat more comfortably in the galley. But before that, these are the helm seats and those desks house the navigation instruments." 

 

Cleopatra looked at the screens, more questions forming.

 

"If you want to know anything, just ask Hal."

 

"Oh, where is he, we've not yet met. He's a very well informed man, though quite elusive. Reminds me of Charmian, my favorite handmaiden."

 

Cleopatra suddenly had a memory of her Palace at Alexandria, and her friends Charmian and Iras. She kept this to herself.

 

John was extremely hot again, he ached all over, his mind wondered. He had a vivid vision of Alexandria with soldiers on horseback and a palace.

 

Dan saw that John was almost in a trance. 

 

"Hal is not a breathing, walking person," he explained.

 

"Oh," said Cleopatra, also noticing the John was not with them.

 

"No. He's more of a spirit."

 

"You mean he's dead and haunting us?"

 

"Not haunting, more helping. And not dead. He's alive using electricity if you know what that is?"

 

"Oh, yes. I've seen electricity coming from a special vase filled with chemicals, copper and other metals. It makes sparks."

 

"Well, Hal is hundreds of sparks, all working together. Our brain uses electricity."

 

Cleopatra gave a disbelieving stare, a combination of furrow and smile.

 

"Don't tease me."

 

"Yes, I know. It takes a lot of believing. You'll just have to trust me and Hal. Like you trust John."

 

"Oh Daniel, Dan. I'm so sorry, of course I trust you, like I believe in John."

 

At the mention of his name, John rejoined the party. He put the vision he'd just experienced out of his mind.

 

Dan clicked a remote, and an LED screen burst into life, the 20th Century Fox epic had started. Elizabeth Taylor was resplendent in a silk dress, with a golden headdress, being carried by Nubian slaves in a parade in Egypt, as she sat atop a throne like seat.

 

"Oh heavens, I had a golden headpiece very much like that." She shrieked. "She is attractive, but looks very little like me."

 

"No, it is hard to find good actors to play a Queen from two thousand years ago. They did not have photographs in those days. Just coins, busts, and sandstone carvings. Nobody knew what you looked like!"

 

Dan fast forwarded to the Battle of Actium, flicking between scenes, then back to a palace scene, thinking better of it.

 

"How can you control time like that Dan?"

 

The flickering image of Elizabeth Taylor, resplendent in gold and jewels, filled the screen. Cleopatra, sitting beside John Storm, watched with a mixture of fascination and disbelief. 

 

She grasped his arm tightly.

"This… this is how they portray me?" she asked, her voice a hushed whisper.

John smiled. "The legendary Elizabeth Taylor. One of the most iconic portrayals of you in cinematic history."

Cleopatra leaned forward, her eyes wide with wonder. "The settings, the costumes… magnificent. Though," she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I believe my wardrobe was somewhat more…extensive."

Dan, eager to impress, fast-forwarded through the romantic scenes, showcasing Caesar's arrival, the political intrigue, and the opulent feasts. Cleopatra watched, her expression a mixture of amusement and recognition. 

"Ah, the Roman legions," she murmured, a flicker of a smile playing on her lips. "Caesar… he was certainly…persuasive. A brilliant tactician."

Dan fast forwarded.

As the film progressed, the mood shifted. The Battle of Actium unfolded on screen, a chaotic spectacle of warships clashing, flames erupting, and men dying. Cleopatra, her gaze fixed on the screen, became increasingly agitated.

 

Dan went to fast forward again.

 

"No, Dan. Please, I'd like to see this bit. Please."

 

Dan looked to John, who shrugged to signal to continue.

"Antony!" Cleopatra gasped, her voice laced with concern. "He is losing!"

John, sensing her distress, hesitated. "Perhaps we should —"

"No," she insisted, clutching John's arm harder, her voice firm. "I must see this."

The film continued, depicting Antony's desperate retreat, his despair, and finally, the betrayal. Cleopatra watched, her face pale, her eyes filled with a mixture of grief and shame.

"I … I abandoned him," she whispered, her voice trembling. "He faced defeat alone."

John reached out to comfort her, but she waved him away, tears welling up in her eyes. 

 

"I… I remember now," she sobbed. "I remember the betrayal, the shame… I remember… the poison."

The film showed Elizabeth Taylor, her face etched with despair, inviting the asp to bite. Cleopatra watched, her breath catching in her throat. Then, as the screen went black, she turned to John, her eyes filled with tears.

"I… I failed him," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I… I should have stayed with him. I should have faced defeat with him."

John was taken aback. He had not expected such a visceral reaction. "Cleopatra," he said gently, "You were under tremendous pressure. You were confused, thinking Mark Antony had fallen…"

"No excuses," she insisted, wiping away a tear. "I failed him. I betrayed him."

John hesitated, unsure how to respond. He had not anticipated this emotional outpouring. He realized then that he had underestimated the impact of these memories, the weight of history that now burdened her.

"Perhaps," he said softly, "it is time for you to rest. To process these emotions."

Cleopatra nodded, her gaze fixed on the darkened screen. "Yes," she murmured. "I need to… understand."

She fell into John's arms, sobbing and shaking.

Dan was moved.

"Sorry Cleopatra," he offered, genuinely affected.

She turned to face Dan, "I had to see it."

John wiped her tears. "Thank you for being here, for helping me like this. Both of you."

As John comforted her, he realized that he had unwittingly opened a Pandora's Box. The resurrection of Cleopatra was not just a scientific triumph; it was a deeply personal and emotional journey, fraught with unexpected consequences.

 

Cleopatra sat on the edge of the couch, her gaze fixed on the blank screen. "Play it again, John," she requested, her voice firm. "The… the end."

John hesitated, concerned about her emotional state. "Perhaps later, Cleopatra. You've already seen a great deal."

She shook her head, a determined glint in her emerald eyes. "No. I need to… understand. To confront it. I cannot live with this shadow hanging over me."

Dan, sensing her resolve, activated the playback. The final moments of the film unfolded, Elizabeth Taylor's face etched with despair as she applied the asp to her arm. Cleopatra watched, her breathing shallow, her body rigid.

As the screen went black for a second time, a profound silence descended upon the room. Then, Cleopatra spoke, her voice low and trembling.

 

"It was not… defeat. It was defiance."

John was taken aback. "Defiance?"

"Yes," she said, her gaze fixed on the floor. "Octavian… he would have paraded me through Rome, a caged bird, a trophy for his victory. I would have been stripped of my dignity, reduced to a mere spectacle."

She looked up, her eyes filled with a fierce intensity. "But I chose my own fate. I chose death over submission. I chose to die on my own terms. I denied Antony's adversary his political glory. Returning the giving of his life, with my own."

Another long silence followed. Then, Cleopatra spoke again, her voice softer now. "I believed… I truly believed… that Isis would welcome me back. That Anubis would guide me through the underworld."

John was deeply moved by her words. He could see the pain, the regret, but also a fierce pride in her eyes. She had faced death with dignity, with a defiant spirit that mirrored her legendary reign.

"I… I understand," he said softly. "You were a queen to the very end."

Cleopatra smiled faintly. "Yes," she murmured. "A queen."

She turned to John, her expression softening. "Thank you, John, Dan. For sharing this with me. For allowing me to confront the past."

John felt a surge of unexpected emotion. He had witnessed a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the soul of a legendary queen, a woman who had defied the odds and lived a life of extraordinary courage and ambition.

"You are welcome, Cleopatra," he replied, his voice filled with a newfound respect. "And remember," he added, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "history may remember you as a tragic figure, but to us, you are a legend reborn."

 

Now Dan was tearful, but hid it rather well, turning his head to wipe his eyes dry.

Cleopatra smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile. "Perhaps," she mused, "this is just the beginning of my legend."

 

"Yes. That may be so, but we need some sort of relaxation to help you, along this journey. Your story has captivated millions all around the world."

"Fortunately, very few people know you exist in the here and now, said Dan," and we should keep it that way."

 

 

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE >>>>>>

 

 

 

THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM - Queen Cleopatra retreats leaving Mark Antony to lose against Octavian and seek a new deal with Rome.

THE POISON ASP - Hotfoot from Actium, Cleopatra's plan to seduce Octavian backfired leading to a suicide pact with Anubis and Isis

TANZANIA - THE STORM BREAKS - Fanatical DNA collector, John Storm, finds Homo erectus skull, Olduvia Gorge, in Tanzanian dig site.

WRATH OF THE GODS - 365BC destruction of Thonis and Alexandria, Anubis and Isis watch on in horror as Cleopatra is submerged.

WWII ENIGMA - The birth of computers at Bletchley Park under Alan Turing, and his visits from Anubis and Isis, who see the potential in his ideas.

SYDNEY WILL READING - John's uncle Douglas vanished, declared dead, the adventurer inherits keys and a note from George Franks.

ANGEL OF DEATH - Anubis and Isis occupy Josef Mengele's and Adolf Hitler's subconscious as spirits steering their legacies.

INNER CIRCLE OF SIX - Joseph Mengele's Fourth Reich plans an escape to Brazil to develop Nazi-funded human research laboratories.

NELSON BAY - John visits the coordinates George gave him, to discover the Elizabeth Swann, ARK and Hal, AI computer.

BRAZIL BOUND - Doctor Death bargains for funding and logistics of relocation to Amazon South American base via Argentina.

NEW WORLD ORDER - A former Neo-Nazi plan to regenerate Aryan supremacy, develops into a cause for good.

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE - Having reached the end of his PhD, William and Jane Bates have epiphanies, Will should follow his dream.

ROADBLOCK - Nobody would fund his R&D, William and Jane Bates are blanked by DARPA, computer and software houses.

THE AFTERLIFE - Cleopatra's tomb lay lost for centuries submerged and out of sight with little change of discovery.

QUANTUM LEAP - Jane and Will find backers, then US military and computer processor chip makers cyber attack, hack and bug them.

WASHING MACHINE - Inventor Franco Francisco comes up with the Incubus, artificial uterus concept while repairing his household appliance.

EXIT STRATEGY - Realising they will always be a target from industrial and military espionage, Jane & Will devise a cunning plan.

PATENT APPLICATION - Franco Francisco files his Claims with the Italian Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in Roma, Italia.

CYBERCORE GENETICA - Nano computer technology is purchased at an auction by a semi religious sect, New World Order.

INCUBUS - Roberta Ferrara secures the expertise of Franco Francisco for knights of the New World Order: Neuwelt Rittertum.

SPLICE - Klaus and Eva von Kolreuter find a way to live forever using cloning technology; Genonimo Investments, Geneva.

TREMORS - Cleopatra's feels vibrations after a shift in the tectonic plates triggered a tremor off the coast of Alexandria.

PANAMANIAN RUNNING MAN - The secret is out, an enhanced human is spotted running at unbelievable speeds.

THE ARK - NeuWelt Rittertum headhunt John Storm seeking access to his genetic DNA map of life on earth, but they fail to reach agreement.

MARJORIE BOYLE - Sam Hollis tracks down sexy backpacker, Majorie Boyle, to Brighton Point in Trinidad, beautiful Caribbean Island.

THE AMAZON - Charley agrees to meet John & Dan at Manaus, but is a little too inquisitive.

OPERATION LEVIATHAN - New World Knights, Klaus and Franco go to Plan 'B' to track and steal the Elizabeth Swann & The Ark DNA database.

TOMB RAIDERS - Safiya Sabuka and Musa Bomani dive among sifting sands to discover precious artifacts and golden treasures.

SCOTLAND YARD - The famous London DNA database is stolen, the biggest data heist to date. The Yard initiates a cover up.

OPERATION ALEXANDRIA - Neo-Nazi occultists recover Cleopatra's sarcophagus from underwater tomb near Palace.

SALVAGE RIGHTS - Entering Cleopatra's mausoleum, locating sarcophagus and raising with air bags to the surface, Safiya Sabuka tomb raider.

COASTGUARD PATROL - Safiya and Musa surface off Alexandria to a waiting customs vessel, they pretend to be sports divers fooling the officials.

UNESCO - Catholic Church fear grave desecration heritage theft, asks agencies for help. Interpol issue Red Notice.

KIDNAP - Charley is taken prisoner but John rescues her, in the process becoming injected with a serum.

SARCOPHAGUS OPENING - The wooden inner casket is opened revealing Cleopatra's mummy, golden crown and death mask, perfectly preserved.

AWAKENING - In the afterlife, the DNA extracted from Cleopatra's mummy triggers a divine stirring with Anubis and Isis comforting the Nile Queen.

REPLICANT - The Society reproduce Cleopatra using Francisco's RepliVator™, uploading synapse sequence and implanted memories.

BRAIN CONDITIONING - Klaus and Franco upload digitally recreated memories in historical order to trigger correct learned synapse firing sequence

REBORN - The former Queen of Egypt speaks for the first time to her creators, proving that her brain is working, the implants succeeded.

FULL STEAM AHEAD - Storm speeds to Thonis, then uses the Swann's AI sensors and the Ark database to find tomb has been plundered.

PROPOSAL - Baron von Richhofen's gambit, a union of Royal ancient and Aryan blood, for strength and intellect, a powerful heir as her successor

RITUAL SACRIFICE - The Baron prepares a drugged Cleopatra for ceremonial impregnation.

MANAUS TO ALEXANDRIA - A hydrogen powered race across the Atlantic Ocean in nine days, John Storm guided by Anubis and Isis.

SANCTUM INTERRUPTUS - John finds secret Nazi hideout near Alexandria, disturbs ritual - rescues Cleopatra, arresting conspirators.

THE CHOSEN ONE - The reincarnated Cleopatra falls for her rescuer. John comes under her spell, despite her being a replicant.

MOVIES, WHAT ARE THEY - Reincarnated Nile Queen asks John and Dan to explain films, they show her 20th C. Fox 1963 Elizabeth Taylor biopic.

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE - John suggest a tour of the Wadj Ur, Thalassa Nostrum, to relax Cleopatra, Hal plans the ultimate experience.

JOHN'S BLOODLINE - Dan and Hal trace trace John's noble lineage back to the iconic figures of Ancient Egypt & Roman General Mark Antony

DÉJÀ VU - Dan and Hal reveal John's family tree as being related to Roman General Mark Antony via Julia and Queen Drusilla of Mauretania.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION - Jack Mason talks John and Cleopatra into agreeing to a check up at Port Royal, Jamaica, working for NSA and CIA

GEORGE WARNS OF TORTURE - Franks radios Swann to tell John & Dan that New World Knights are being tortured at Guantánamo Bay, you're next.

JESUS CHRIST - Cleopatra asks about this man. John, Dan & Hal explain he is an ancient religious preacher from Galilee, son of Yahweh, Hebrew god.

BIOCORE BRAIN IMPLANT - Dan and Cleopatra drill John's skull, occipital bone implanting biological chip to interface with CyberCore Genetica.

DARPA, NSA & CIA - National security and military intelligence chiefs Iras Charmian and Dr Stefan Raengst, plot to remove all human obstacles.

MILITARY INTERVENTION - The military detain Cleopatra to appease stakeholders, despite media & medical protests. Storm distraught.

BATTLE ARMOUR - Thanks to some unexplained divine intervention, Dan Hawk talks John Storm into wearing a bullet proof suit.

GUANTÁNAMO BAY - History repeats itself, US military kidnap Cleopatra, John forced to rescue puts Elizabeth Swann at risk.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - Commander John Storm, in Navy SEAL mode, attacks the Cuban torture camp at Guantánamo Bay, in stealth mode, black op.

MISSILE LOCK - USA military try to hack into Hal, anticipating a strike, as the DOD launch Tomahawks, John hacks into NORAD, and redirects them.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN TRUMAN - Hails the Swann to find out why John is shooting missiles at Guantánamo Bay, Storm sets the record straight. FINALE

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  WHAT ARE MOVIES? REINCARNATED QUEEN ASKS JOHN STORM AND DAN HAWK  - CLEOPATRA & THE MUMMY REBORN OF THE AFTERLIFE

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Cleopatra - The Mummy - A John Storm adventure with the Elizabeth Swann

 

 

The rights of Jameson Hunter and Cleaner Ocean Foundation to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. This website and the Cleopatra artwork is Copyright © 6th January 2025 Cleaner Ocean Foundation and Jameson Hunter.