The caption on the screen reads, “The Museum of Dangerous Books and Papers 1862”. An alarm bells sounds; guards hustle an elderly man and woman into a room and inform them of a security breach. Meanwhile, in another part of the museum, a guard holds up a poster with a picture of the same elderly woman wanted for espionage, treason and ... lycanthropy.
A Most Fantastic Opening Scene Shootout
The doors burst open. A commander enters with a group of fully armed guards and informs the elderly man that his assistant is a traitor. Before the elderly man can respond, a twelve-foot werewolf tears out of the elderly woman’s body. The guards open fire and blast the werewolf with a rain of bullets. The beast grabs the elderly man and throws him up to the chandelier.
A guard armed with an archaic-looking flamethrower enters the room and blasts the werewolf with flames. The werewolf dodges the flames until back-up arrives: a talking monkey wearing a princess crown alongside a tall elderly woman. This odd couple, armed with machine guns, rains bullets on the guards and forces them to disperse. The werewolf throws the elderly man onto a skull-tattooed blimp waiting outside.
Abraham Lincoln Like You Have Never Seen Him Before
The sound of morse code flooding a government office. The dispatcher quickly types the message and hands it to none other than President Abraham Lincoln. The President immediately calls out for “Screw-On Head” before the show's introduction begins with the President explaining that there are two histories – one recorded and one that isn’t. America’s most strangest and secret histories are that of the Amazing Screw-On Head, crime fighter extraordinaire.
Who or What Exactly is the Amazing Screw-On Head?
Employed by the United States of America, Screw-On Head is a disembodied mechanical head that can literally be screwed onto a wide array of contraptions designed to protect America from the forces of evil. Screw-On Head is assisted by Mr. Groin as well as Mr. Dog, zombie canine-at-large.
Emperor Zombie – Screw-On Head’s Archenemy
Screw-On Head’s archenemy is Emperor Zombie; one of Screw-On's previous manservants whose taste for ancient forbidden knowledge led him to a life of a zombie – and evil. Emperor Zombie made a point of killing all of Screw On's manservants save for the ever-resourceful Mr. Groin. Zombie leads a posse of two elderly women dressed in old, Victorian garb and a talking monkey with a penchant for machine guns.
The Amazing Screw-On Head Pilot Episode
Emperor Zombie kidnaps the foremost expert on ancient evil texts, Professor Fruen, in order to translate an ancient scroll depicting the life of Emperor Gunn, the only man to have almost conquered the world using supernatural means. It is Zombie’s intention to acquire the melon-sized jewel that is said to have given Gunn his supernatural powers.
The Origin of the Amazing Screw-On Head
First published by Dark Horse Comics on May 15th, 2002, "The Amazing Screw-On Head" is the brainchild of Mike Mignola, creator of the popular comic book series, "Hellboy". Screw-On Head was a one-shot comic book, thirty-two pages in length. The pilot episode aired on the Sci-fi Channel in 2006 was identical to the original comic.
Credits for “The Amazing Screw-On Head”
- Paul Giamattie (Screw-On Head)
- David Hyde Pierce (Emperor Zombie)
- Patton Oswalt (Mr. Groin)
- Corey Burton (Pres. Lincoln, Demon, Prof. Faust, Additional voices)
- Mindy Sterling (Aggie)
- Molly Shannon (Patience the Vampire)
- Written by Bryan Fuller (writer) and Mike Magnolia (comic book)
- Directed by Chris Prynowski
- Produced by Bryan Fuller (executive producer)
 |
