Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Art Imitating Life


Hey there, crime kids. Happy Hump Day. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 8 of AFTERHOURS, while rogue cop Vin Vargas gets his gunshot wound attended to by Silverlake hipster drug dealer Mickey Mertz, crazed gunman Danny Peel chats up his hostages, especially Oscar-winning screening Casey Montana ...


A CHYRON reads ‘August 16, 5:06 AM’ over --

INT. THE EXIT ROOM - MAIN LOUNGE - EARLY MORNING
Danny sits at the bar
nursing a cocktail.

One of his shirt sleeves
has been cut off.

The gunshot wound on his arm
has been dressed and bandaged.

Vin sits in a booth
with his bloody pants leg sticking out,
pointing his gun at Mickey.

MICKEY
Cutting your jeans would be stupid.

VIN
I’m not taking them off.
You cut Danny’s shirt,
you can cut my pants.

MIKEY
But it’s different.
Danny can put a jacket on,
but it’s gonna look really stupid
with one long leg and one short leg.

VIN
I could give a rat’s ass.
(aims his gun)
Cut the fucking pants. NOW.

MICKEY
Okay, okay.
Stop pointing that thing at me.

VIN
Shut the fuck up and
CUT MY FUCKING PANTS.

MICKEY
Okay. Calm down.
(beat)
Would you mind standing up?
I can’t get to them with
you lying down like that.

VIN
Alright.
But if you touch my junk,
you’re a dead man, got it?

AT THE BAR
Danny sits at the far end.
Looks at Sky, Easy and Angel
at the other end.

Mia looks down.
Like she’s going to cry.

DANNY
(to Mia)
Why so glum, gorgeous?
Play your cards right and
you’ll get out of this alive.

MIA
My mother had a stroke.
I need to go the hospital
and see her.
If you let me go,
I promise I won’t say anything.

DANNY
Sorry, doll.
Ain’t gonna happen.

Casey comes over.
Plops in a stool.
Looks at Mia.

CASEY
Can I get a drink?
I’m starting to sober up.

DANNY
How’s she doing?

CASEY
She’s breathing.
But I really think she
should go to the hospital.
She could die.

DANNY
Yeah, but then her record sales
would go through the roof.

Mia hands Casey her drink.
She takes a sip.

CASEY
So what did you guys do?
Rob a bank?

DANNY
Nah. Don’t do banks.
(beat)
Why do you wanna know?
Think it would make a good movie?

CASEY
Maybe.

DANNY
You wrote ‘Wilshire Boulevard.’

CASEY
Guilty as charged.

DANNY
Great fucking movie.

CASEY
Thanks.

DANNY
I love the part where the intruder
rapes the rich bitch,
but turns out to be the guy
she’s having an affair with.

CASEY
She was based on my boss’s wife
at my last job.

DANNY
(smiles)
What’s that expression?
‘Art imitating life?’

CASEY
(smiles)
Ten points.

No comments:

Post a Comment