“The Big Fade"
Four chalked up teens bring heat on themselves after they beat down an alleged gang member to help their pal’s uncle erase a drug debt.
This is about the 5th time I’ve rewritten my first act (strong racial slurs btw, heads up). Should I keep trucking with this project or nah? I’m all ears:
FADE IN:
A white on black TITLE appears in the very center of the
screen:
NOVEMBER 26, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, PA
FADE OUT
FADE IN:
EXT. FIELD - NIGHT
Floating up a lengthy set of stone steps that mount up a
prominent, verdant hill. A rock song fades in, something
defiant (from the late 60’s, early 70’s) – and a subtle,
female voice:
VOICE-OVER
You don’t realize it now, but you
will reflect on it some time once.
Forty-five-years from now, it won’t
matter what shoes you had, or what
you did with your hair or what type
of clothes you wore. The only thing
that’ll matter is what you learned.
I’ve learned that: good-byes will
always hurt, pictures will never
replace being there, and words will
never replace the feelings. Now,
I don’t remember how we happened
to meet each other. I don’t
remember who got along with whom
first. All I can remember is all
of us together. Always. I don’t
cry for what might have been and
don’t live in the past because it
isn’t forever. Forever never
lasts.
Topping the rise is the parking lot of a middle school
that stretches out immensely. A gritty van, playing the
defiant music, drives in and parks near the top of the
steps.
The driver kills the ignition and gets out from the
passenger side, revealing:
GERARD (GERRY LANG) LANGELLI, an unsavory 18-year-old of
about a 6’3” frame in jeans and a black jacket over a
white Ecko hoodie. He walks to the pinnacle of the steps
which rise high above a field containing two baseball
diamonds and an indoor basketball gym, gazing out at the
twilight.
VOICE-OVER
I’ll always remember one of those
old sayings Gerry once told me.
Gerry Lang lights up a cigarette and inhales.
VOICE-OVER
Grief can take care of itself but
to get the full value of joy you
must have someone to divide it
with.
He exhales thick smoke.
VOICE-OVER
I love you, baby.
(pause)
But I miss you - I miss you this
much.
MAIN TITLE SEQUENCE.
AGAINST BLACK, INSERT:
"This film is inspired by true events."
INT. VAN (MOVING) - DAY
Gerry is behind the wheel, driving the desecrated van
that was seen earlier. ASHLEY DePALMA (18, Gerry’s
girlfriend), a dazzling blond and fully developed knock-
out, rides shotgun.
ASHLEY
Okay - so tell me about your new
job.
GERRY
I hold signs.
ASHLEY
You hold signs?
GERRY
Yeah - like you see them guys on
the corner of a street doing for
stores that are going to be going
out of business.
ASHLEY
What’s the store?
GERRY
Hancock Fabrics, up in Bensalem.
ASHLEY
What’s the pay?
GERRY
70 bucks. I work Saturday in the
morning and Sundays in the after-
noon. It’s 35 bucks a day for -
I think it’s four hours - something
like that. But I get paid to do
nothing. I just put the sign in a
parking lot and walk down to the
courts.
ASHLEY
They have guys that are paid to
watch you, y’know that, right?
GERRY
That’s all bullshit. They woulda
said something to me. As far as
they are concerned, I’m out there
freezing my ass off. As far as I’m
concerned, it’s a license to steal.
A Mercedes-Benz S-Class cuts them off.
ASHLEY
Look at that - wouldn’t you love
to have a car like that? Brand
new, up-to-the-minute unlike this
heap of trash.
Gerry’s grip constricts on the wheel.
GERRY
What are you talking about - we
got something to get us around -
besides the door here, this mother
fucker is tip-top. What we should
be doing is saving up for a house.
Maybe you could, I don’t know, put
some extra hours in flipping some
burgers.
Ashley scoffs and cuffs him upside the head. Gerry is
still focused on the road, back hands her nonchalantly,
but with a little extra vim and vigor.
ASHLEY
Oww!! Gerry!
GERRY
(mumbling)
'Hitting me…
(changing tone)
But seriously, tonight we should
definitely get a bottle of wine.
ASHLEY
Wine?
GERRY
Yeah, like Marsala. I was y’know,
thinking we could have like a, uh,
dreamy night or something.
ASHLEY
You mean - like have a romantic
night or something?
She emphasizes the word "romantic."
GERRY
Yeah.
ASHLEY
Aww, Gerry, that’s so cute. I
love it.
GERRY
But then again, I really shouldn’t
be drinking and driving.
EXT. COURTS - DAY
Gerry parks right next to the courts. There’s a small,
winded game going on between some black KIDS.
ASHLEY
Okay, I’ll see you tonight.
They kiss.
GERRY
I’ll pick you up at – I’ll give
you a call, alright?
Ashley opens the door and gets out, walking to her
house.
GERRY
And have your phone on, godamn it.
He turns to look at the courts. At the far end are
three people who live a hip-hop lifestyle, adorned in
Rockawear and Ecko, engaged in an animated conversation
and smoking cigarettes. They are:
NICK (LITTLE NICKY) FOX (18), a stunted but hardy kid
with a face like granite.
JACK (SLIM JACKIE) McMARTIN (18), a husky Irishman who
carries himself with a don’t-fuck-with-me swagger.
(DIRTY) LARRY REPRICANO (18), tan, suave, and a devious
appearance and an untrustworthy grin to go with it.
NICKY
We was talking about this last
night, would you fuck a horse to
hook up with the hottest girl in
the world?
LARRY
How long are we fucking for here?
NICKY
Til you bust in it’s ass.
SLIM
Oh, no way.
LARRY
That’s some crazy shit - like some
fucked up, repugnant Tom Green
shit.
SLIM
He prolly fucked a horse so he could
get Drew Barrymore. I mean, how
else would a foul motherfucker like
him get Drew Barrymore?
NICKY
Would you go fuck a horse to fuck
Drew Barrymore?
SLIM
Fuck no.
LARRY
She’s okay, but she’s not worth
my reputation.
NICKY
How bout this… would you suck a
horse’s dick to have the hottest
girl in the world for a life time?
SLIM
No.
NICKY
You wouldn’t?
SLIM
I said no, motherfucker. I ain’t
down with that grimey shit.
LARRY
What are we talkin here, like one
stroke or what?
NICKY
No, you gotta suck the horse dick
til it gets a nut off in your mouth.
LARRY
Never. That’s where I draw the line.
Maybe if it was like one, two, MAYBE,
three fucking strokes, I’d consider
it. But adding in the factor of
having to swallow two tons of horse
cum, no fucking way - an ocean of
horse cum, no way, not a chance.
NICKY
Yeah, but you’d be with the hottest
girl in the world. Say if it was…
some one like Jessica Alba or J Lo,
you wouldn’t polish a horse knob
to be with her? You’d be a million-
aire. I’d do it. If anyone busts
my balls about it, I’d just laugh
at 'em, 'I’m a millionaire now, you
ain’t, you can fucking wipe my ass
for all I care.'
SLIM
I got a boundary, y’know, a fucking
boundary…like a perimeter. I have
a line. I ain’t crossing it for no
18-foot horse’s cock just to be rich,
I don’t care if there’s millions
involved, or billions, or trillions,
I don’t care if you offered me a
google, I’m not giving no mother-
fucking horse a blowie. That’s all
there is to it. That’s all there
is fucking to it.
GERRY
watches them from inside his van.
Nicky looks over and sees him.
NICKY
Hey, there he is…
JOE HOLIDAY (14)
“struts” down the sidewalk. He’s a baby-faced youth.
Peers at the van and walks up to it.
JOE
Gerry Lang!
GERRY
In the flesh.
JOE
Long time, no see, Gerry.
Gerry nods and lights up a cigarette.
JOE (cont’d)
How come you don’t come around no
more, man? You know - your presence
at the house would be appreciated -
really. My ma adores you, man - she
hasn’t seen you in so long.
GERRY
You’re right. I should stop around,
say hello.
JOE
Good, good…so you think you can
tighten my wig with that righteous
bush?
GERRY
What? No. I’m not doin that for
ya, sorry. No can do.
JOE
What, c’mon, man. I’m Johnny Boy’s
little brother, you can’t hook me
up?
GERRY
That’s the problem. That’s what I
think of. You know - if your bro
were alive - and saw you standing
here trying to get some trees off
of me, let’s just say he would have
a word with me about it. In fact,
he would beat my ass, then he’d go
and kill me, and that crazy mother
fucker would do it too. That’s
something maybe you don’t know
about Johnny Holiday.
JOE
I just wanna get high, man.
GERRY
Weed is some bad shit, you hear?
That’s some bad shit, weed is some
bad shit - you hear me? You wanna
kill some time, have a beer or two,
maybe fuck your girlfriend a little
more.
The others come over. Larry grabs Joe and playfully puts
him in a headlock.
LARRY
Trying to score? Trying to score?
Huh, you trying to score?
JOE
Get off, get the fuck off me.
Larry relinquishes his grip.
JOE
Asshole.
SLIM
What are you socializing with this
bastard for, Joe? He’s no good.
GERRY
I might be a bastard and I might
be up to no good, but I ain’t a
fucking bastard. I’m a man of my
word and I don’t break a promise.
JOE
What word and what promise?
NICKY
Hey kid, why don’t you take a walk
or somethin, shoot some hoops. Do
somethin proactive, will ya?
JOE
Yeah, whatever, ya’ll drawlin.
Joe walks off, shaking his head.
NICKY
What the fuck did he want?
GERRY
Some weed. I told him to scram.
He’s gonna end up doing it anyway,
but he ain’t copping nothing off
me.
NICKY
Yeah.
SLIM
Gerry, do you mind if I get in your
van, so I can undrape this fifth of
vodka which I have concealed here
under my cumbersome jacket?
INT. VAN (PARKED) - DAY
Larry and Nicky get in the back. Slim sits techie and
pulls a fifth out from inside his jacket. He takes a
couple swigs.
GERRY
How’s it tasting?
SLIM
Oh, fuck me…
He grimaces.
GERRY
(laughing)
You got those percs?
Slim nods, still grimacing. Gerry takes out ten dollars
and they exchange with each other.
SLIM
Wash it down with this.
Gerry pops the percs, grabs the fifth and gulps it down.
His face contorts, disgustingly.
GERRY
Jesus - fuck… you know what?
Jack Palance died two weeks ago.
SLIM
Get out, really? I don’t believe
it.
GERRY
Jack Palance died. How can Jack
Palance die?
NICKY
Fucking young guns got him.
LARRY
(holding up
index finger)
Do you know what the secret of life
is? This. One thing. Just one
thing. You stick to that and the
rest don’t mean shit.
They laugh.
SLIM
I’m so hungry I could eat the ass
end out of a dead rhino.
LARRY
You know the way you cut your meat
reflects the way you live?
NICKY
What the fuck?
SLIM
I could go for a two ton cheese
steak.
GERRY
You know what, that sounds pretty
fucking delicious right now.
He revs up the engine and the van jerks forward.
AGAINST BLACK, TITLE CARD:
"ALL DUE RESPECT"
FADE IN:
INT. VAN (PARKED) - NIGHT
Gerry sits snorting cocaine off the wheel, tilting head
back, closing eyes, taking in the euphoric pleasure.
The radio blares rap (preferably a 50 diss by The Game).
EXT. KINDERGARDEN BUILDING - NIGHT
Nicky, Slim, Larry, Ashley & LOCK (18) are boozing, the
cases set aside near Gerry’s van. Lock smokes a gotti
blunt.
NICKY
Lock…
LOCK
Yeah.
NICKY
Answer this question for me.
LOCK
What?
NICKY
If you could have the hottest girl
in the world – for a life time –
would you suck off a horse’s dick?
ASHLEY
(repulsed)
Eww, what the hell?
SLIM
We have to talk about this again?
ASHLEY
I know, really.
NICKY
I just wanna see what Lock has to
say. We was talkin about this
today.
LARRY
Nicky said he’d do it.
LOCK
Well, Nicky’s a lil virus-breeding
faggot.
NICKY
It could be any girl you want, J Lo,
Jessica Alba, Jenna Jameson, whoever.
You’d be with her forever, whatever
money she makes, you get. You’d be
a millionaire.
LOCK
No.
SLIM
Thank you.
NICKY
How bout you, Ash? Would you do
it for the hottest guy in the
world?
ASHLEY
That’s a sick question, you are a
sick fuck - and I’m not that sick
that I’m gonna answer it.
She walks to the van, gets in, and rolls down the window.
INT. VAN
Nicky comes over.
NICKY
Gerry, can I ask you a question?
GERRY
Fire away.
NICKY
Would you suck off a horse cock to
to have the most beautiful girl in
the world for a life time?
Gerry lights a cigarette.
GERRY
I don’t gotta suck no horse cock to
get the most beautiful girl in the
world. I already have her. Right
here.
He pats Ashley’s leg and takes a drag.
ASHLEY
(beaming)
Aww, that’s so sweet.
She gives Nicky a dirty look, then rolls up the window.
ASHLEY
Beat it.
GERRY
That kid’s head is a cess pool.
ASHLEY
But you’re too sweet.
She turns down the volume of the music.
EXT. KINDERGARDEN BUILDING
Lock is mid-chant.
LOCK
Fuck, fuck, fuck, mother-mother
fuck, mother-mother fuck-fuck.
Mother-fuck, mother-fuck, mother-
fuck, noinch, noinch, noinch,
smoking weed, smoking weed, doing
coke, drinking beers, beers, beers!
Who smokes the blunts? We smoke
the blunts! Where’s that from,
boys?
SLIM
JAY AND SILENT BOB.
LOCK
That’s right. Fifteen bucks, lil
man. Put that shit in my hand.
Larry starts beatboxing.
LOCK
If the money does not show, then
you owe-me-owe-me-owe!
Nicky cuts him off, beginning to rap to Larry’s beat.
NICKY
You better take heed while I step
and bring these/blow me like a
spring breeze while I spread like
cream cheese
INT. VAN
NICKY (OS)
(muffled)
/in the zone to get with any chick
I please/except for Gerry’s girl cuz
I don’t want no STD’s
ASHLEY
(disgusted)
Oh my God, did you hear that?
Gerry roars with laughter.
EXT. KINDERGARDEN BUILDING
NICKY
/diseases spread and Gerry’s the
cause of all of it/herpes on his
tonsils cause he loves to swallow
jizz/Slim you come correct and your
rhymes have none to check/but if I
could take one sec to point out you
are ugly none-the-less/you loveless
just like Xena in real life/cause
wearin spandex is the only time you
feel tight/creatin buzz with these
lines/spittin somethin I can sell/
these emcees are either shook, or
they frontin like Pharell/it ain’t
hard to tell I spit more bars than
a cell/punches scorched, and leave
you burned in lyrical hell/Gerry,
I hate to state your name again/
you didn’t pass English til you
took a position in front of Mr.
Nejman.
The music in the van booms louder, drowning out Nicky.
INT. VAN
Ashley turns the volume down again. She takes the cig
out of his hand and takes a few puffs.
Gerry reaches below the seat and pulls out a bottle of
wine, popping it open.
GERRY
Party time.
He guzzles it, then passes it to Ashley. She sips it.
Gerry takes back his cigarette, takes a drag, then
flicks it - at the rolled up window - and doesn’t see it
til it plummets back onto his lap.
GERRY
Fuck me! FUCK ME!
Gerry jumps around, rolls down the window, looks for
the cigarette, finds it, and throws it out.
Ashley laughs at what just happened. Gerry glowers at
her, but his glare starts to transform into a smile.
He leans over and kisses her passionately, then pulls
back. She stares at him, bewildered.
Gerry runs his eyes all over her.
GERRY
What?
ASHLEY
Nobody has ever kissed me the way
you did.
GERRY
Nobody?
ASHLEY
Nobody.
GERRY
Not one? Not even by all the guys
you’ve been kissed by?
ASHLEY
How many guys do you think there’ve
been?
GERRY
What am I, a psychic?
ASHLEY
You’re the best.
She overlaps him and they make out like crazy.
Gerry reaches around her –
– PLUGS THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, STARTS ENGINE.
ASHLEY
(in between
kissing)
What… are…you doing?
Gerry puts it in reverse, then takes off.
GERRY
Blowing this popsicle stand, sugar
pop.
EXT. KINDERGARDEN BUILDING
They watch him drive off, chaotically swerving back and
forth.
LARRY
Where the fuck’s he going?
INT. BED ROOM - NIGHT
The door is kicked open and Gerry carries Ashley in and
flops her down on the bed. He gazes at her for a few
seconds.
GERRY
You know you get me harder than
Chinese arithmetic.
She begins to unbutton her shirt sensuously, grinning a
little.
ASHLEY
Come and get it.
Gerry hurtles himself onto her. They roll around kissing
each other. She caresses his entire body.
Gerry kicks off his pants. She stimulates him with her
hand, kissing him tenderly. As he starts to moan, she
goes to straddle him and brings him inside her.
They make love. As he’s about to come, he clinches her
close to him. She embraces back.
ASHLEY
I love you.
GERRY
(quietly)
You fucking better.
INT. BED ROOM - LATER
Ashley’s naked, shapely body lay next to Gerry, cuddled
closely. He’s sitting upright, banging a line of coke
off an index card.
ASHLEY
(annoyed)
Why do you do that?
GERRY
(wiping nose)
Do what?
ASHLEY
You know what I mean.
GERRY
This?
ASHLEY
Yeah. It’s dumb.
GERRY
I guess that makes me dumb.
ASHLEY
You know – I had a cousin and I
have another cousin that used to
do coke. One got into a program
called Cocaine Anonymous and the
other was shot dead over a nickel
bag of smack. Shot thirteen times.
In the head.
GERRY
That shit only fucking happens to
dead-beat niggers.
ASHLEY
Well, it happened to my cousin,
so it can happen to anybody. I
got the brochures for the place.
GERRY
What place?
ASHLEY
Cocaine Anonymous.
GERRY
Man, fuck a Cocaine Anonymous!
Ain’t going to that place - I’m
not a goddamn junkie.
ASHLEY
You just need to hit rock bottom
first before you realize that is
a place you need to go to.
GERRY
Life is laying the smackdown on
me everyday. I’m fine. You ought
to get dressed for Beaumont’s.
ASHLEY
Isn’t he a cotton shooter?
GERRY
He’s also called King Kong – so
don’t be sitting anywhere on his
couches unless you wanna get poked
in the ass by a hypodermic needle.
ASHLEY
You don’t gotta worry about me.
GERRY
I stay worrying, I’m in constant
discomfort.
INT. BEAUMONT’S HOUSE - PARTY - NIGHT
It’s a big bash: everybody talking loudly, bonging beers,
and having a good time.
Larry & Slim sit on a couch drinking brew, watching a TV
movie. It’s FRIDAY THE 13TH PART II.
Joe Holiday walks into the room and stops half-way in
front of the TV. Seconds later, he notices them.
JOE
Hey fellas, what are you doing?
LARRY
(mock serious)
Look who it is, your friend and mine,
King Turd of Shit Mountain. Don’t
you mind what we’re doing - just get
the fuck out of the way.
Joe comes over and sits next to Larry. He sees what
they are watching.
JOE
Jason, huh? He’s a beast.
LARRY
Yeah, snapped that dude in half in
FREDDY VS JASON.
JOE
That ain’t nothin, in JASON LIVES,
he ripped a heart out.
LARRY
I know. He’s a nut. Imagine havin
him after you, though? I could never
live right again. I’d be afraid to
sleep.
JOE
I’d grab a taxi, tell him take me
where ever. Bill me what ever.
LARRY
I’d fly off to the west coast. Give
it like a month then keep flying
from east to west every month.
JOE
(laughing)
He can teleport. Remember JASON TAKES
MANHATTAN?
LARRY
Never saw that.
(ill at ease)
But thanks for ruining my Jason
escape plan, asshole.
Larry turns to watch the rest of the movie, completely
stone-faced. Joe shifts his weight, uncomfortable now,
and watches too.
MEGAN (18) walks into the room. She’s a gangsta in every
sense of the word, the way she dresses, the way she talks,
her mannerisms, everything.
MEGAN
Slim, can I talk to you?
SLIM
What?
MEGAN
Outside.
SLIM
I’m watching a movie here.
MEGAN
Move your fat mother fucking ass,
Slim. Outside. Now.
Slim gets up, marching past her.
SLIM (OS)
(under breath;
partially heard)
Calling me fat, I’ll fucking kill
ya.
Larry glances at them for a second, then returns his eyes
to the TV.
JOE
What’s that all about?
LARRY
Shut up.
STAIRS
Nicky escorts blond and curvy LISA (14) up the stairs,
slowly, telling a joke. The girl is plastered.
NICKY
One day, a man went on a business
trip to Florida. He sees a hooker
and asks "how much for a hand job?“
The hooker says “100 bucks.” The
man says “a 100 bucks? That’s lotta
goddamn money.” So the hooker pulls
him aside and says “see that Mercedes,
I paid for that by giving hand jobs.“
So he pays her the money and gets
the best hand he ever had.
HALL
NICKY (cont’d)
The next day he sees her and asks
"how much for a blow job?” She says
"200 dollars.” “200 dollars, that’s
a lot of money.” She pulls him aside
and says “you see that yacht by the
pier, I paid for that yacht by givin
blow jobs.” So he gives her the money
and gets the best head of his life
– in here, baby.
BED ROOM
Lisa enters first, Nicky behind her, locking the door,
still in the middle of his joke.
NICKY (cont’d)
And when I say the best head, she
sucked like a vaccuum cleaner, so
hard that she sucked his brains out
his dick.
Walks over to the bed and sits down, still talking.
NICKY
On his last day in Florida, he goes
to the hooker and says the hand job
was good, the blow job was great,
how much for the whole package?” She
says “1000 dollars.” “1000 dollars,
that’s a lot of goddamn money.” So
she pulls him aside and says "you
see that island? I could afford that
if I had a pussy."
Lisa doesn’t laugh. It looks as if she wasn’t even
paying any attention to what he was saying.
Nicky stares at her beautiful figure.
NICKY
Damn girl, you like a model, I swear
it. How old are you?
LISA
Fooouurrr–nineteen.
(giggling)
You?
Nicky freezes up - then lies through his teeth.
NICKY
15.
LISA
You look older.
NICKY
I get that a lot.
Lisa gets on her knees, unzips Nicky’s pants, and puts
her head down into his lap.
As she pleasures him with oral sex, he lights up a cig
and enjoys the first drag.
EXT. BACKYARD
Megan sits on the lap of DUME (25), black, a wannabe
gangsta, tough on the surface, but not the real deal.
Slim sits across from them, sucking on a straw that’s
placed inside his beer can. He’s got a poker face on.
DUME
Slim, right? Listen, motherfucka,
your uncle owes my girl here money
for percs. Now she says that he’s
been dodging her for weeks. Makin
up lil fucking excuses, just fucking
holding out. You tell your uncle he
better pay Megan back or else he’s
in for something, ya heard? I don’t
give a fuck, I know people, if you
ain’t thinking I’m serious – I’d have
'em run up in yo crib and blast away
any one they see. I’m remorseless,
I got no feelings. We’re crazy like
that. Grandmas, aunt’s little baby,
anyone. I’m serious as a heart
attack.
Slim’s expression remains blank, sipping his beer.
DUME (cont’d)
I don’t mean to threat, but that’s
what most likely will happen if shit
don’t get straightend out, naw what
I mean, young buck? You don’t want
ya house being sprayed with bullets
now, do ya, over a measily ten bills,
do ya?
Slim remains unruffled, the threats not fazing him.
DUME (cont’d)
I don’t think so. I don’t think so
at all. Just go back and tell your
uncle the deal, and if he doesn’t do
what’s said, there’s gonna be some
fucking problems.
Dume stops speaking, waiting for a response. He gets
none.
DUME
Am I speakin to a wall? It feels
like I’m speakin to a wall here.
Slim doesn’t retort, sipping the last bit of beer.
DUME
What… did it go in one ear and
out the other? You best be telling
your uncle first thing, pronto.
Still eyeing Dume, Slim notices Megan, a little uneasy,
mouthing the words "please."
SLIM
Will do, sweetie.
Dume & Slim share a look. If looks could kill, Dume
would be recently departed.
INSIDE
Larry & Joe are still watching FRIDAY THE 13TH PART II.
Gerry & Ashley enter. Gerry sees Joe and becomes livid.
GERRY
What the fuck is he doing here?
LARRY
Your guess is as good as mine.
Gerry gaits his way over to Joe, grabs him by the collar,
and hauls him off.
ASHLEY
Gerry!
JOE
What the hell? What did –
INT. BATHROOM
Gerry slams him up against the wall, still gripping his
collar.
JOE
– I do? What the fuck is your
damn problem?
GERRY
What in the fuck are you doing here,
you little squirt? Shouldn’t you be
out in the woods drinking some cheap
ass beer with your friends and not
at some drug addict’s house? Why
the fuck are you here?
JOE
I know Beaumont’s sister - that’s
why. She invited me.
GERRY
Why the fuck are you here?
JOE
Beaumont’s sister invited me here.
Gerry’s grip tautens.
GERRY
What did you do here, Joe, huh???
What the fuck are you on?
(examining Joe’s
eyes)
Did Beaumont offer you anything - did
anybody offer you anything?
JOE
No, goddamn it. I’ve just had a
few beers, that’s all. That’s it.
GERRY
A few beers, that’s it? I’m gonna
ask you one more time and you’ll
answer me like I’m Jesus Christ him-
self, or may you die of cancer of
the eye! Did you do any heavy shit
tonight?
JOE
I said NO!! Now get your fucking
hands off me!
Gerry takes his hands off of Joe, looks at him wearily.
JOE
The fuck you trying to be, Gerry, my
big brother - why you always looking
out for me all the time? Why?
GERRY
I made a promise.
JOE
You are always talking about this
promise. I don’t get it, what the
fuck is this promise? I ask what
it is and fuckin Nicky basically in
so many words tells me to fuck off.
GERRY
It’s hard to explain.
JOE
Tell me, what the fuck is this
promise. I wanna know.
GERRY
(eyeing the floor)
I made a promise with…
JOE
With who?
GERRY
Listen – I just don’t like seeing
you here. There’s a lot of creeps
and nobodies here, all they do is
snort and shoot. I don’t want you
falling into the trap. Get hammered
and decide to bang a line, or pop
some fucking pills. You in the woods,
worst thing you could do is try to
hop the cap. At least you can come
back from a broken leg or two.
They just stare at each other.
JOE
I need a cold beer.
GERRY
Yeah well, I need to get jacked.
INT. BASEMENT
Gerry & Joe stand at a bar in the corner of the room –
bottles of cheap liquor stacked. Gerry takes out two shot
glasses and quickly pours large shots of Jack Daniels.
The wall is filled with portraits and visual renderings
of legendary Hollywood figures: FRANK SINATRA, DEAN
MARTIN, AL PACINO, JAMES CAGNEY.
Gerry & Joe raise their glasses, salute each other, and
drain the shots. Joe’s face twists. Gerry looks at all
the photographs on the wall - they look as if they are
inspecting him - and pours another.
Bangs it down.
SINATRA
Bangs it down.
DINO
Bangs it down.
PACINO
Bangs it down.
CAGNEY
Slim walks down the steps, looking around, and spots
Gerry with Joe. Walks over to them.
SLIM
You won’t believe what happened.
GERRY
What?
SLIM
Uncle Benny owes Megan ten bucks for
percs. She’s got Dume the goon up-
stairs threatening me… Benny…
my family, he’s gonna do-this-do
that, the works, if Benny don’t pay
up.
JOE
Fuck him, let’s go beat his ass.
GERRY
You keep your mouth shut and let
the grown-ups handle it.
Joe glares at Gerry.
GERRY (cont’d)
What, you got beer muscles all of
a sudden?
Gerry pours Joe another shot.
GERRY
Stay here. Where’s, umm, Nicky
and Larry at?
SLIM
Larry’s dropping some friends off
at the pool, Nicky’s upstairs some
where.
GERRY
Alright, get Nicky and let’s do
this shit.
HALL
Nicky exits the room he was in, zipping up his pants
and buckling his belt, talking on his cell.
NICKY
(into cell phone)
I’ll be down stairs in a sec.
He walks down the steps, dodging people, and reaches
the floor of the party, looking for Gerry & Slim.
He spots them and they join up.
NICKY
Alright, where’s he at?
SLIM
I dunno.
Lock and BEAUMONT, black, high, walks by them. Gerry
pulls Beaumont aside.
GERRY
Beaumont, do you know where Dume
is?
BEAUMONT
Dume?
SLIM
Black, 25, about 5’9".
LOCK
Uh, yo, I think he left.
NICKY
He left?
LOCK
I sold him a nickel bag and him
and his girl said they was out.
NICKY
You sold him a nickel bag? And
he’s gone now?
LOCK
Yeah, he said they was gonna go
blaze an el.
BEAUMONT
Niggaz, if you got beef with this
Dume nigga, take that shit outside
of my house. Got that?
Gerry, Slim & Nicky are disenchanted.
BEAUMONT (cont’d)
Did you hear me? I said, ya’ll
take problems outside, ight?
NICKY
Shut the fuck up, Beaumont, ain’t
gonna be no problems tonight.
BEAUMONT
Don’t be telling me to shut the
fuck up. I will beat yo ass, I
will break yo heart.
NICKY
(brushing him off)
You ain’t doing shit, homes.
INT. HIGH SCHOOL - S. SIDE BATHROOM - DAY
Gerry strolls in, his high school uniform (grey pants,
white shirt, black sweater & tie) untucked, mumbling “I
Get Around” by The Beach Boys.
GERRY
"Gettin bugged drivin up and down
the same old strip, gotta find a
new place where the kids are hip, I
get around…"
He enters the last
STALL
Locking it behind him. Drops his pants and sits down on
the can, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter, sparking
his cig, still singing imperceptibly.
GERRY
"My buddies and me are gettin real
well known. Yeah, the bad guys
know us and they leave us alone.
I get around round round I get
around from town to town. Get
around round round I get around,
I’m a real cool head."
Slow shuffling of feet cut him off.
NICKY & SLIM
stand around the corner wall. They both pull out smokes.
NICKY
I wanna know who the mother fucker
is who thinks it’s cute to tag the
bath room every single day of the
week.
SLIM
I find the piss-ant, I’m telling ya
right now, I’m smacking the marker
out of his hand and I’m telling him,
either ya stop it or you are getting
rocked, plain and fuckin simple,
that is it. I see teachers I ain’t
seen in four years walking in here
just to see what’s new on the walls.
GERRY (OS)
It’s some freshman or a sophomore,
y’know, they come in here, I was in
in here third period, I was taking a
shit, and the little squirt walked
in and did his thing.
NICKY
It’s bringinf unnecessary heat, Gerry.
There’s no need for him to do that
shit, y’know? I see him, he ain’t
getting no warnings, I’m cleaning
his clock. I don’t fuck around with
any of them young bucks. I wanna
enjoy a cigarette in peace, know
what I mean?
SLIM
Things are so fucked up now, you got
G-Man walking in every period with
a set of rags and bottle of fucking
Windex.
NICKY
’Works before you wipe.'
SLIM
I’m about to wipe the floor with
that fucking spook Dume.
The mere mention of Dume’s name sets Nicky off.
NICKY
That stinky - apple-pickin - congo
lip - bush-boogying - babooma - blue-
gummer! That mother fucker. I
don’t even think he’s got a clue
who Benny is, does he?
SLIM
Not a clue.
GERRY (OS)
Well, if we don’t stand up for
each other, we are dead.
NICKY
Fuck that cricket. He wants to
play tough guy, we’ll play, we’ll
fucking play. Have Larry to call
Cornelius and tell him to meet me
at the big steps. This motherfucking
Double A is looking to get sprayed,
laid, played and slayed.
Nicky takes a drag, seething with anger.
NICKY (cont’d)
Tell Benny he don’t gotta worry
about his debt no more.
EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY
Gerry’s in hyper drive, doing 150mph down the lot. He
slams the breaks and comes to a screeching halt by the
steps, occupied by Dume.
Nicky gets out, followed by Gerry & Slim, and storms
his way straight into Dume’s face.
DUME
What’s good, Little Nicky?
NICKY
Don’t you fucking “Little Nicky” me,
you negroid, you. Where the fuck do
you get off saying you’re gonna go
and kill Slim’s uncle?
DUME
Benny.
NICKY
Benny! What’d you think, it wasn’t
gonna get around?
DUME
You sticking your beak into business
that you ain’t supposed to, Nicky.
NICKY
You said Benny’s in for something?!
You’re gonna ice Slim’s grandmother!
You and who, the bloods?!
DUME
I said they’ll be a serious problem,
yeah, that’s what I said.
NICKY
I don’t know whether you know this
or not, but your ass ain’t on the
ground right now because I haven’t
decided to do anything yet!
DUME
I -
NICKY
I’m what counts out here, not your
little half-assed threats, or your
Schwarzenigger physique - or your
fucking imaginary gang of crips -
not your fucking fitted or your
fucking white tee – and what the
fuck are you dressed like that for
anyway?! You a baby gangsta! I’m
what counts.
DUME
You got some cajones, y’know that,
for a little guy your size.
NICKY
With all due respect, get this through
your head, you smokey, silverback,
spear-chucking motherfucker, you.
You don’t ever come around this
neighborhood saying you’re gonna kill
anybody, especially Benny, whom by
the way, I consider one of my own
family members! You think you’re
Larry Hoover, think you’re fucking
big time - everyone here would take
a piece of your fucking spook ass!
You’re fucking warned. You fucking
hear me? Ya fucking hear me, I
said you’re fucking warned!
DUME
Ya’ll sweet young bouls need to
bounce like a bad check before ya
get embarrassed.
Nicky swings at Dume, a devastating haymaker that connects,
taking him straight off his feet, tumbling down the steps.
The three of them walk down after him.
NICKY
I’m not embarrassed. How bout you,
Slim, you embarrassed?
SLIM
Nah.
NICKY
You embarrassed, Gerry?
Gerry nods no.
NICKY (cont’d)
See, we ain’t embarrassed.
They start to dance all over Dume, kicking him viciously
and repetitively till he’s a bloody mess.
NICKY
What happened to the fucking tough
guy told my friend he was gonna
run up in his house and spray his
family with bullets? Huh? What in
the blue fuck happened?!
Gerry bends over and dips Dume’s pockets, pulling out a
wallet and pack of smokes. Checks the wallet: $200.
GERRY
This is mine now, buckwheat.
DUME
You motherfucker. I’ll getchu, I -
I’m gonna getchu.
Gerry kicks him in the stomach and Dume rolls over.
NICKY
Speak again - you’re getting sent
back to Africa via a shipping
cargo. I dare ya.
DUME
(mumbling)
Chicken shits…
Nicky just looks at Gerry & Slim, shocked. He starts
kicking Dume again.
GERRY
C’mon - let’s get the fuck outta
here - get some steaks. It’s on
me.
(pause)
Or should I say it’s on Dume?
Gerry refers to the wallet, and laughing together, they
jog up the steps and back to the van, taking off.
DUME
(through gasps)
I’m’a getchu!
“negroid”… if he’s black call him black. if you don’t wanna use the “N” word get colorful and avoid race all together. call him a black bastard if you want. I mean you did say ‘spear chucker’. what year is this from anyway? what were you doing watching MASH when you wrote this?
it’s not bad, needs a little work though.
I felt it suited the character better to use racial slurs.
I know ppl who referred to those slurs, hence inspired by true evnts.
I dont see anybody 18 saying “you black bastard!” kids say niggers and
whatever else
where do you live??? are you from the states???
Hey don’t get me wrong- I liked the script well enough, it just seems that the dialouge is a little forced- like you’re trying to edge in puns and funny stuff- without it sounding all that natural.
But hey, its alright- and take what I say with a pinch of salt anyways- I have just got two short scripts under my belt after all. But all the same the characters are a bit cliche- but this only Act I I guess.
rewritten/more…50 pages…below:
<LINK_TEXT text=“http://www.addictedtodeath.com/download … ts/new.zip”>http://www.addictedtodeath.com/downloads/scripts/new.zip</LINK_TEXT>