Script Sample - The Dreaded Red
EXT.STREET - AFTERNOON
A red lighter lays suspiciously in the middle of a busy sidewalk as several pedestrians pass by not noticing it. Eventually JON, a young man in a cheap looking leather jacket, walks up to the lighter. He pauses momentarily. then bends down to pick it up. He looks it over, puts it in his pocket, and continues down the street.
INT.LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON
JESSIE, a young screenwriter types frantically on his lap top....pausing only to periodically rub his chin in an obsessive compulsive matter.
Jon walks into the living room and sits on the couch behind Jessie who is still typing feverously.
JON
What's up scumbag?
Jessie stops typing and stares at the ceiling obviously annoyed to be interrupted.
JESSIE
Nice....real nice.
He pivots is upper half in his chair to face Jon who is relaxing casually on the couch.
JESSIE
I'm in the midst of one of the
greatest creative surges of my
young life and you waltz in here
bearing nothing but insults.
Jon tilts his head and lets out a sigh
JON
Here we go.
Jessie flails his arms in the air
JESSIE
No...there you go!
Out the door!
Back to where you came from!
I am surging!
JON
You're surging?
JESSIE
Are you audibly dyslexic?
Yes, I'm surging.
JON
And what, pre tell are you
surging about this time?
JESSIE
Well you feeble little bastard,
if you must know I happen to be
writing the greatest American
screenplay since Red Dawn.
JON
A screenplay huh?
You mean like a movie?
JESSIE
Yes Furigno...a movie.
And as you sit there like a blister
on the index finger of humanity my
brain is leaking through my delicate fingertips.
JON
Well what's it about?
JESSIE
I don't have time to explain it
right now.
JON
Well just sum it up in a sentence.
Jessie looks at the ceiling again and starts laughing sarcastically
JESSIE
Ha!
Look, you're making me laugh.
Ha!
Look, this is me laughing at you.
Could the Deer Hunger be summed up
in a sentence?
JON
I'm just asking!
JESSIE
Ok, if I must amuse you,
consider it a sophisticated crossbreed
between Moonstruck...and Platoon.
With just a hint...of Blue Velvet.
JON
And you think it'll be good?
JESSIE
Compared to all the tini-bopper
happy horse shit they put out these
days I'll be surprised if it doesn't win
a fucking Pulitzer.
Now will you please leave me and my
embryonic opus to ourselves.
JON
Not until you give me a cigarette.
JESSIE
I thought you quit?
JON
You thought wrong sucka.
JESSIE
You're exact words were,
Jessie, I'm quitting in March".
JON
Exactly, and now it's April so
cough it up bitch!
JESSIE
Fine, I could use a puff break
anyway.
JON
Excellent.
JON
But not in here, I don't want any
nicotine fumes invading my keyboard.
It won't be good luck.
JON
You're such a superstitious weirdo.
JESSIE
Of course I'm superstitious,
I'm an atheist.
It's the only way we can explain things.
There's no God, just black cats and
obtrusive ladder placements.
The two stare at each other blankly for a moment and then get up and walk out of the room.
EXT.HOUSE - AFTERNOON
The door to Jessie's house opens and the two step outside and sit down on the porch steps.
Jessie pulls out two cigarettes, giving one to Jon and putting the other one in his mouth as he turns his head away and begins drumming on his lap while Jon searches his pocket for his lighter.
Jon pulls out the lighter, flicks it to a flame and holds it next the back of Jessie's head. Jessie turns his head slowly towards the flame, still drumming on this lap. When he turns into the flame he begins to puff and then instantly pulls back frantically. He grabs the lighter out of Jon's hand and throws it into the road. He then slaps Jon hard across the face.
JON
What the hell are you doing?
JESSIE
I'm slapping you with the backhand
of good judgment you stupid bastard!
JON
What?
JESSIE
I can't believe you almost let
that happen!
JON
What the hell are you talking about?
Jessie stands up quickly and stares down his confused and battered friend with fire in his eyes.
JESSIE
Let me explain to you the three
rules that I live by.
Rule number one, never smoke hash
on a Wednesday.
Rule number two, never feed a Mogui
after midnight.
And most importantly rule number three,
never...EVER...smoke from a red lighter!
JON
You're scaring me man.
JESSIE
You're scared!
I'm downright terrified with you
pointing that demon stick in my face!
JON
It's plastic filled with butane!
JESSIE
It's a satanic instrument of the devil
himself.
JON
I thought you were agnostic?
JESSIE
It's atheist you dumb shit!
And just because I don't believe
in a higher power doesn't mean
I don't acknowledge the ruler of the
underworld and that my friend is his
calling card!
JON
I found it on the sidewalk?
JESSIE
Exactly where Beelzebub intended you
to find it!
JON
When exactly did all of this enter
your little fantasy world?
JESSIE
About a year ago.
I found a red lighter on the sidewalk.
Just like you did!
EXT.STREET -AFTERNOON
Flashback of Jessie walking down the street. He finds a red lighter on the ground and picks it up.
JESSIE (V.0.)
I was drawn to it.
So shiny.
So red.
So innocent.
Jessie picks up the lighter and pulls a cigarette out of his pocket.
JON (V.0.)
So what happened?
JESSIE (V.0.)
Oh I'll tell you what happened.
I pulled out a smoke and lit it.
Several feet away a shady looking Korean guy with white bell bottom pants, a mint green Hawaiian long sleeve shirt with floral patters across the chest, and huge sun glasses pulls a pair of pantyhose over his head and crouches in attack mode.
Jessie lights the cigarette with the red lighter.
The MUGGER pounces towards him.
Jessie takes a drag of his cigarette.
JESSIE (V.O.)
And as I inhaled that first luscious
breath of tar and carbon monoxide...
The mugger tackles Jessie full force onto the pavement.
JESSIE
BAM!
I get mugged by this crazy dude!
The mugger flips Jessie onto his back and quickly takes his wallet out of his back pocket.
Then he darts away.
EXT.HOUSE - AFTERNOON
JESSIE
I woke up an hour later with no
wallet, no pride, and an unholy dread
for the demon red lighter.
JON
Wow, that has got to be the
dumbest thing I've ever heard.
JESSIE
What?
JON
You actually think that the lighter
had something to do with you getting
mugged?
JESSIE
Of course it did!
It was the silent catalyst!
JON
You are such an idiot.
JESSIE
You know what?
I don't care for this tone!
So why don't you just take
your demon flame and get the
hell out of hear before my roof
caves in, or a swarm of dead whooping
crane land on my lawn!
Jessie pounds up the steps and opens the door to his house. He walks halfway inside and turns around to look at Jon with disgust. Then he swiftly slides inside and slams the door.
Jon gets up and walks to the street in front of the house where he finds the red lighter. He picks it up and begins to light his cigarette as he talks to himself.
JON
What a superstitious weirdo.
As Jon takes his first drag of the cigarette he realizes he is standing in the path of a speeding car which immediately runs him over.
The DRIVER stops his car and stares at his steering wheel in disbelief. He steps out and walks over to Jon who is lying on the ground with his mouth and eyes wide open and his left leg bent nearly behind his neck. The driver stands above him and shakes his head.
DRIVER
It's damn shame.
The driver suddenly smiles.
DRIVER
Hey look...a lighter.
He picks the lighter out of Jon's motionless hand and takes a cigarette from behind his ear. As he lights it he is tackled and dragged out of frame by the mugger from Jessie's story.
