FADE IN:
EXT. GASWURKS PUB SEATTLE, WA - NIGHT
An OMINOUS FULL MOON lights the diffuse fog this 2011
November night as a foghorn eerily bellows. A SCRUFFY MAN in
his 60's in a SANDWICH BOARD plastered with "Jesus Saves,"
"The Saviour is Coming" and "The End is Near" signs
panhandles on a corner, the Space Needle silhouetted in the
distance. NUKE, a large 50's HOMELESS MAN in a filthy thigh
length yellow work coat, work boots and yellow hard hat with
goggles lumbers past. He strains against a shopping cart
overflowing with green plastic garbage bags full of - well,
we really don't need to know. Other DUMPSTER DIVERS and
HOMELESS do their voodoo.
We TRACK with Nuke to the back door of a nightclub. A small
group including a CHEF, TWO WAITERS and HALBURT [Hal]
LIGHTER, huddle. Hal's a 34-year-old roadie with long-ish
brown hair over his eyes, moustache and a beer gut. His black
jeans, T-shirt and high-top sneakers crowned with a baseball
cap always on just a little crooked. ROCK MUSIC flows into
the lane as a JOINT is passed. With a CLICK-STOONK of a
Zippo, Hal illuminates an OLD DRUNK in the shadows as he
sucks down a huge toke.
DRUNK
Spare change?
HAL
(holding his breath)
Piss off.
The Zippo CLANKS shut and the drunk disappears back into the
darkness, the receding echoes of his maniacal GIGGLING the
only betrayal of his whereabouts. A BIG BLACK LIMO pulls up.
A back door open's and MARION JONES struggles to get out.
It's apparent she's an extremely attractive blonde in her
early 30's.
MARION
I said I'll call tomorrow. Now let me go!
With a determined yank, she's loose and searching for safety.
Spotting the group, she moves with purpose. Hal watches
through a haze of puff.
MARION (CONT'D)
(sweetly)
Hi guys. How's it goin?
A hand attached to a very large individual in a tux, gruffly
slams the limo door shut. Her demeanor changes as it
disappears into the night.
CHEF
Late again?
MARION
(sourly)
Don't remind me.
She's about to dash, but pauses for a BEAT.
MARION (CONT'D)
You're with the band? Hal right? Uh -
whatcha doing after?
HAL
Duh, I, uh, duh...
MARION
Can we talk? After my shift I mean?
HAL
Duh, yeah, sure, no problem-o.
She makes for the door. Hal, in a daze, moves to follow her.
CHEF
Where ju goin wit dat?
He snaps to, takes a last haul and scratches his belly before
passing the joint back.
WAITER
Hey Lighter, what ch'ou got dat we don't
got?
HAL
BURP, class man.
INT. THE GASWURKS NIGHTCLUB/CONTINUOUS TIME
Marion rushes into the raunchy club, dumping her purse and
grabbing a serving tray on the fly. What isn't painted flat
black became that way through years of neglect. Patrons are a
mix of rock and roll diehards. They live hard, drink hard and
will likely die hard.
There are "words" between Marion and ANDRE, the bartender,
but they're drowned out. On stage a 5 piece-band calling
themselves the SQUEEGEE CLEANERS hammers on a rock classic. A
bevy of adoring GROUPIES sit close. Heavy makeup and
revealing outfits are the fashion of the day.
Hal stumbles to the back of the room. WILL WESTON sits at the
MIXING CONSOLE where he's been filling in.
At 17, he's too young to be in the bar, but since he's "with
the band" everyone's cool. He frees the main seat, saluting
as he yells to be heard over the music.
WILL
Ahoy Captain...just in time.
HAL
4 20 time, all the time.
Hal fishes a PARTIALLY EATEN HOAGIE SANDWICH from his back
pocket.
WILL
Was that Marion?
With mouth full, he puts his hand on Will's shoulder.
HAL
Dude, I'm tellin ya. Chicks dig guys in
bands. It's done.
WILL
But she's so classy and...
HAL
Five bucks says I get her alone on my
boat. A quick game of truth or dare
and...
WILL
(interrupting)
You really like her, don't ya?
HAL
Duh, that's like totally against my prime
directive.
WILL
Your what?
Hal holds up three fingers, pulling down one with each
"directive."
HAL
Prime directives. Stay below the radar,
no responsibilities and, uh...
The remaining finger "confuses" him.
WILL
But you're a...
Hal gestures around the room of seedy people zoned on sex,
drugs and rock n roll.
HAL
(interrupting)
...I'm a music professional. That's right
dude. My life's on the road serving
greater rockdom. And groupies. Serious
about a chick? Not gonna happen!
Will gestures to the stage as the band finishes its tune.
ON STAGE
FREDDIE THE RIPPER, the lead guitarist, takes the mic.
FREDDIE THE RIPPER
This is our latest tune, 'I'm gonna rock
you stupid'.
INTERCUT BAND MEMBERS, HAL, WILL AND AUDIENCE
Freddie steps back, the drummer counts in and the bands all
over a HEAVY ROCK TUNE - their BIG SONG. Will's on lights,
Hal mans the mixing console and the audience grooves.
JIMMY
(song lyrics)
Freddie takes his turn in the spotlight with a blazing solo.
Ripping up and down the neck of his guitar, he mesmerizes the
audience. His foot moves towards an
ARRAY OF GUITAR EFFECTS PEDALS
closing on a PLAIN ALUMINUM BOX with a SINGLE STOMP SWITCH.
ANGLE ON FREDDIE
The solo builds to a high note shrieking with sustain. His
foot comes down hard on the pedal! Sparks fly, the pedal
oozes BLACK SMOKE and the guitar is dead. Furious, Freddie
tears it off. Holding it by the neck he repeatedly pounds the
smoking pedal. The audience goes wild as he storms offstage.
INT. THE GASWURKS DRESSING ROOM - LATER
The band towels down as they enter from the stage. Freddie
broods in a corner.
ANTHONY [BASS]
Loved the way you added that emphasis.
Very orchestral-like.
JIMMY [SINGER]
(faux British accent)
It's natural. I don't even have to try
and I sound fab.
BARTON [DRUMMER]
Hey Freddie, you pissed or what?
ANTHONY
Lesson 21 - Test before the show.
FREDDIE
Just fuck off. I'm an artist, not a
fucking technician.
A penitent Hal lurks in the doorway with the toasted pedal.
FREDDIE (CONT'D)
Well, well. The man of the hour.
HAL
I did test it. At least a dozen times.
Must have been a power-surge or...
FREDDIE
We're paying you for solutions not
fucking problems.
HAL
Ahh, about getting paid...
The subject changes quickly.
ANTHONY
Anyone see the record agent?
FREDDIE
(calming)
He didn't make it.
(menacingly to Hal)
But he abso-fucking-lutely will be here
for our next gig with his A&R people and
we're going to have that pedal working by
then, right?
HAL
I'm on it dude. Now about...
Groupies giggle as they knock at the door.
GROUPIE 1
Hi guys.
GROUPIE 2
Loved the show.
BARTON
Ello, ello...
The band members quickly gravitate to the inebriated young
girls, leaving the room without another glance at Hal.
GROUPIE 3
It was like, so cool, I got wet just
sitting there...
ANGLE ON
HAL
...the pay...
INT. THE GASWURKS - LATER
A waiter CLUNKS a dead bolt, locking the bar for another day.
He grabs straggling glasses on his way to the back where the
other waiters and waitresses busily tip out. Andre, a
terminally gay 5 foot nothing bartender, winks as Hal leaves
the last TROLLEY OF ROAD CASES in the aisle and slides up to
the bar in exhaustion.
ANDRE
If it isn't my little cuddle-muffin.
HAL
Water...
Andre pours a glass and passes it to Hal.
HAL (CONT'D)
...and cut the gay-crap Andre.
ANDRE
Tsk, such talk. You know Bruce is away
all month and...
Marion slams Andre's share of tips on the bar.
MARION
Why'd you cut my shifts? You know I need
the money.
ANDRE
Bitchier than usual? Try showing up on
time for a change.
MARION
(fuming)
Come on Hal, I gotta get out of here
before I hurt somebody.
Hal's back up and pushing the trolley out the door.
ANDRE - O.S.
Kinky too...
EXT. THE GASWURKS BACK LANE - NIGHT
Small groups in leather and body piercing dodge the dumpster
divers as they scurry from place to place. Marion fumes.
MARION
Can I get a lift? We can talk on the way.
HAL
Duh, chip in for gas?
As an exasperated Marion winds up lash out, the DRUNK appears
from the blackness again.
DRUNK
Spare change?
HAL
Like, bugger off dude.
NUKE moves away and down the lane as they near a very tired,
1964 Ford school-bus. It sports a bizarre paint job,
betraying its years of service to several fledgling nowhere
bands, the Squeegee Cleaners being the current.
HAL (CONT'D)
They're kinda like turtles. Everything
they own is in those carts. Like ANA
BELL.
MARION
Ana-bell?
HAL
My boat. You should come over sometime.
Hey, what a great idea. We can sail up
the coast a bit and...
MARION
Like, over my dead...hey! What's this?
She stoops to pick up a chain. An odd metallic device dangles
at its end.
HAL
The dumpster dude must have dropped it.
Hey buddy?
NUKE
Detach yourself.
HAL AND MARION
Huh?
NUKE
He's coming. Rid your attachments. Watch
for my sign.
Hal takes the item as he lets Marion on the bus. When he
turns back, Nuke is gone. Shrugging, he climbs into the
drivers seat and lurches a handle, shutting the door and
leaving the last trolley of road cases in the lane.
MARION
Well?
HAL
Well, like, the dumpster dude's gone.
CLOSE ON MEDALLION
In the light it looks like a high-tech alien gameboy with
strange hieroglyphic markings, sliders, buttons, dials and a
viewscreen.
MARION - O.S.
Things always this strange around you?
EXT. SEATTLE DOWNTOWN STREETS - NIGHT
A CRASH OF GLASS precedes the annoying WAIL OF A CAR ALARM.
Homeless, addicts and prostitutes mill as the misdirected
lights of Hal's old bus lumber into view.
INT. HAL'S BUS/CONTINUOUS TIME
The "in-dash" 8-track/FM Radio blasts out a rock tune. Hal
hauls on a joint as he drives while Marion sits pensively in
the passenger seat, declining the joint when offered. The
song ends.
RADIO ANNOUNCER - V.O.
Hey dudes and dudettes, I'm your Seattle
Late Night DJ spinning news fresh off the
wire. Worlds' banks just auctioned the
last of their gold reserves. Big deal?
Not in the fine print.
All the gold was bought by one lucky
dude. Trick is, he won with THE LOWEST
BID...
The receding wail of a siren and the rattling old bus pick up
the beat when Hal turns the radio off. Swallowing hard,
Marion speaks up.
MARION
I know we don't know each other, I mean
we see each other when your band's
playing, but,... anyway I have a biggie
to ask.
HAL
Spit it out. No promises tho.
She indicates the joint.
MARION
Is that good? Like they say, I mean.
HAL
Dude, best bud ever.
EXT. SEEDY SEATTLE DOWNTOWN STREET/CONTINUOUS TIME
They drive by THE HOMELESS HOUSE, a seriously spooky,
dilapidated 3-story building with unkept yard and scores of
shopping carts "parked" in the driveway.
MARION - O.S.
Can you...get me some?
Hal pulls a joint out of his pocket.
HAL
Dude, ask something tough.
MARION
Okay...I need more.
He snickers as he digs in his other pocket and pulls out a
1/4 ounce in a baggy.
HAL
That's your best shot?
MARION
(meekly)
I need a pound.
HAL
Doh, a pound? I don't have that much. I
have to...damn, you saw Freddie. We got a
big gig comin up and if I don't fix that
pedal I'm in, like serious shit.
She bats her eyes.
MARION
Please? I'm really in a bind.
HAL
Why me? John can get something local.
MARION
John has shit; everyone says yours is the
best.
EXT. MARION'S APARTMENT
The bus creaks to a stop.
HAL
Not gonna happen!
She starts to pout and a tear forms as if on cue. Hal freaks
as it glistens in the moonlight.
HAL (CONT'D)
Is that a tear? You cryin? Damn, I hate
it when they do dat. Okay I'll think
about it. Like I said, no promises.
She gets up to leave but must wait for Hal to open the door.
HAL (CONT'D)
Call tomorrow.
Triumphantly, he gives her one of his TWISTED BUSINESS CARDS.
HAL (CONT'D)
But not too early, I need my beauty
sleep.
MARION
No kidding...
EXT. HAL'S BUS SILHOUETTE
MARION
...but I can't wait that long.
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