Re: Playing with Structure: "Death Flight"
Love it! Just one little thing.... That ending. It's a downer, man. That's not gonna test well. Don't worry, tho. We can massage it. </Hollywood>
As I see it, we've got:
A sample of super-flu being transported from Asia to the US after a horrible but covered-up outbreak that gives some victims violent zombie-like symptoms
An accidental catastrophic event that breaks the super-flu container and infects the cabin
In the air:
An Asian CDC courier now dying from super-flu and violently infecting other passengers
A lovely Asian girl who as been flirting with him and who tragically becomes his first victim
A troubled young pilot who wants to see his family again, except for his ex-wife
An older co-pilot with a chip on his shoulder and a cocaine problem who is probably going to do something rash
Assorted other passengers including Sigourney Weaver and a pre-schooler*
* This should result in a zombie Sigourney Weaver and zombie pre-schooler. Cf. DIF Ghostbusters commentary
On the ground:
A lesbian airplane expert turning her life around from a failed traditional marriage to the troubled young pilot
A fresh-faced lesbian CDC super-flu expert who secretly feels that the flight is doomed because of what crazy shit had to secretly be done in Asia to contain the outbreak
A pragmatic but not ruthless Army general empowered by the president to divert the plane to a nearby military base because he also has knowledge of the Asia containment operation
Act 1
Lack of personnel in Asia owing to the recent super-flu outbreak causes stress fractures in the aircraft to go unnoticed. The doomed courier/cute girl head-fake kicks off the outbreak. The panicked crew struggles to keep the plane from crashing with the help of the airplane expert ex-wife of the pilot, who fears the pilot may buckle under the stress.
The CDC scientist enters, explains the problem to the crew, and sets the ticking clock. The two lesbians make a connection.
Act 2
The airplane crew stabilizes the plane, but the cockpit situation gets intense, with both pilots making some poor decisions. They try to contain the outbreak on-board, resulting in some gruesome action scenes. Intercut with this: the Army general enters ground control, takes charge, and orders the plane diverted. The CDC scientist reluctantly agrees, angering the airplane expert and creating their romantic break.
The plane changes course. The coked-up co-pilot--now paranoid and terrified--starts killing everyone who he imagines to be infected, and ends up infected himself. He is reluctantly subdued by the young pilot and uninfected passengers/fight attendants.
Act 3
The crippled plane lands at the military base and is greeted by a hazmat team and armed soldiers, who separate survivors from victims with brutal efficiency, while the pilot--a changed man--controls the situation and thanks his ex-wife, who congratulates him. The infected and coked-up co-pilot escapes in the confusion. The CDC scientist saves the life of the airplane expert, repairing their romantic connection. The Army general and his men go after the co-pilot in a sudden, desperate man-hunt...
THE END(?)