GTO 3987 on Mulholland

GTO 3987 on Mulholland

Thursday, June 28, 2018

101 to the 405: "Just a glimpse"



Early on, I got into the habit of writing scenes for my movies dictating the dialogue to the actors just before we filmed them. They would rehearse and, when ready, we would film. It meant we could always shoot regardless of the circumstances we encountered. I always knew if what I wrote would be 1st, 2nd or 3rd act material so it would fit into the structure of the film. 

More recently, these writing sessions take place on Skype as my actors are 3-5,000 miles away--Los Angeles in this instance. This is what I wrote off the top of my head for Devorah Firestone and Gordon Maniskas, which we will shoot next week:
 
Gordon hovers over Devorah asleep in her bed. He is wound tight and desperate like the guy in Extremities. He screams at her.

G: Who the fuck are you?!

D: (waking) I'm me, who are you?

G: Where's Eddie?!

D: (rubbing sleep from her eyes) Eddie told me to tell you he left 3 years before I got here.

G: What the fuck?

D: My sentiments exactly.

G: (Baffled)

D: Did it ever occur to you that I might not be wearing anything under this blanket?

G: No.

D: Well, think about it, but do it in the other room.

G (More baffled) What if you tried to get out the window?

D: Not until I get some clothes on, at least. And you can always rush back in.

G: (He gets up, walks out ): Don't take too long.

D: It takes a woman as long as it takes.

 Living Room

(He's drinking a beer he got from the fridge)

D: Did you put your gun away?

G: I don't have a gun.

D: That's living dangerously. Who are you, what do you want, and when do we get to meet Eddie?

G: Eddie lives here.

D: On your way into my bedroom, did you notice the fixtures here in the living room?

G: Huh?

D: I'm just wondering if they speak to you of Eddie. 'Cause I got them at the Rose Bowl swap meet and if they do, maybe that's where you should be looking for him.

G: So Eddie's really gone then?

D: Then, now, and forever more. So what do you want?

G: I want what's mine.

D: Don't we all?

G: I'm not fucking around!

D: You made that clear when you burst into my bedroom. My guess is Eddie took it with him, whatever it is.

G: (talking to himself) I don't know, I don't know...

D: Of course you don't.

G: (jarred out of his thought process) What?

D: Skip it.

G: I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to look under your floorboards.

D: I always do, so don't apologize.

G: Are you for real?

D: What would you like the answer to be?

G: This is out of control.

D: Are you buying breakfast or what? I have a craving for Eggs Benedict.

G: Is that like an Egg McMuffin?

D: (sighs) Looks like I'm buying.

G (he looks completely lost)

D: I'm going to put some makeup on. There's a claw-hammer in the drawer next to the sink if you want to look under the floorboards but frankly, I already looked.

G (WTH is she talking about?!)

D: First thing I do when I move into a new place.

G: Really?

D: I don't think so.

(She walks off to the bedroom, he goes to the kitchen, and rummages through the drawers. Not finding the claw-hammer, he's agitated.)

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