The rentals, a screenplay
(this one's for PZ- wherever you are, buddy- thanks for the corn flakes)
FADE IN:
INT. VIDEO RENTAL STORE – EARLY EVENING - ESTABLISHING
Thronging crowds ELBOW each other before the COUNTER all the way from the SHELVES at the back, under GREEN & YELLOW BALLOONS hanging overhead. The calendar marks July 1st.
SUPERIMPOSE: July 1st, 2006. The local Blockbuster store.
INT. VIDEO RENTAL STORE – CONTINUOUS
The PROTAGONIST approaches the LINE before one of the CASHIERS; is CONFRONTED by the last man, a CHUBBY, HALF-DRUNKEN FAT MAN IN A SOCCER UNIFORM.
PROTAGONIST
(whispering)
Oboy… Here we go…
FAT MAN
(sad-looking)
Y’know, I still can’t believe we lost, I mean, what the hell was the coach thinking, took him long enough to start replacing the key players…
The protagonist looks at the DVD box in his hands, says nothing.
FAT MAN (CONT´D)
Tell ya this, man, was at this barbecue and it was supposed to go on into the night but now me and the wife, we got no reason to carry on, y’know?
PROTAGONIST
Sure do.
FAT MAN
Had the whole thing called off and now we’re gonna watch some movies at my mother’s, we called in a few friends, that’s gonna be our Saturday night, no real motivation for anything else. Besides, my mom loves movies so I’m renting what, three or four in a row so we’ll have stuff to watch up until Tuesday.
PROTAGONIST
Tell me about it.
FAT MAN
I mean, it’s a wonder we got this far, isn’t it? Players looked like they’d been wearing high heels into the field all through this World Cup. Look at the millions they make in endorsing deodorant and tennis shoes and stuff.
PROTAGONIST
Billions.
FAT MAN
(laughing)
Billions, that’s right. You’re a riot!
PROTAGONIST
(looking down at the DVD in his hands)
So they tell me.
FAT MAN
Guess we were the lucky ones, our line’s the slowest in the store.
PROTAGONIST
Oh? Hadn’t realized…
FAT MAN
So what did you get?
PROTAGONIST
(waves the DVD at the Fat Man)
The Right Stuff. Astronaut movie.
FAT MAN
(waves three or four DVDs at the Protagonist)
Me, I got, see, a lot of movies. So I can watch ‘em until Tuesday comes along.
PROTAGONIST
…With your mom.
FAT MAN
Hehh, sure thing pal. So how about those astronauts, uh? Like, you into alien movies with ‘em explosions and the spaceships?
PROTAGONIST
It’s a movie about the Mercury 7 astronauts. You know, John Glenn. Alan Shepard. Those guys…
FAT MAN
…That Henry fella, tell ya something, he played out that one nicely, right there in the nick of time…
PROTAGONIST
…and Chuck Yeager too…
FAT MAN
…Zidane’s pretty good too, better’n’ours…
PROTAGONIST
…First man to break the sound barrier, you gotta respect that…
FAT MAN
Sure thing, ya gotta respect those Frenchmen, play with much more gusto than our guys!
CUT TO:
EXT. VIDEO RENTAL STORE – EARLY EVENING – ZOOMING OUT FROM ABOVE
Pull back & Pan out from the Protagonist WALKING HOME across the PARKING LOT, up into the NIGHT SKY above.
PROTAGONIST
“The last day of June is the last day of Central City.”
He STOPS for a split-second. SIGHS....
PROTAGONIST (CONT´D)
The Flash #244. September, 1976. Jesus Christ.
...Then MOVES ON, WHISTLING a song (Move On, by The Rentals).
FADE TO BLACK- TO THE CREDITS- AND CUE IN SOUNDTRACK, “MOVE ON” BY THE RENTALS…
Let's get up and leave this town
I just want to go right now
Once we get out of here
No one will notice
that we disappeared
So what do you say we go right now
Get away from everyone
that hangs around
They seem so insincere
So why don't we just
leave them here
And move on
We'll find some new place nice
Some other city
or the country side
We'll make new friends in time
We'll pack up and say good-bye
And move on
It's been six long years
Six years of hanging about
without a care
It don't matter where we go
Anywhere is better,
I know
FADE OUT:
THE END
FADE IN:
INT. VIDEO RENTAL STORE – EARLY EVENING - ESTABLISHING
Thronging crowds ELBOW each other before the COUNTER all the way from the SHELVES at the back, under GREEN & YELLOW BALLOONS hanging overhead. The calendar marks July 1st.
SUPERIMPOSE: July 1st, 2006. The local Blockbuster store.
INT. VIDEO RENTAL STORE – CONTINUOUS
The PROTAGONIST approaches the LINE before one of the CASHIERS; is CONFRONTED by the last man, a CHUBBY, HALF-DRUNKEN FAT MAN IN A SOCCER UNIFORM.
PROTAGONIST
(whispering)
Oboy… Here we go…
FAT MAN
(sad-looking)
Y’know, I still can’t believe we lost, I mean, what the hell was the coach thinking, took him long enough to start replacing the key players…
The protagonist looks at the DVD box in his hands, says nothing.
FAT MAN (CONT´D)
Tell ya this, man, was at this barbecue and it was supposed to go on into the night but now me and the wife, we got no reason to carry on, y’know?
PROTAGONIST
Sure do.
FAT MAN
Had the whole thing called off and now we’re gonna watch some movies at my mother’s, we called in a few friends, that’s gonna be our Saturday night, no real motivation for anything else. Besides, my mom loves movies so I’m renting what, three or four in a row so we’ll have stuff to watch up until Tuesday.
PROTAGONIST
Tell me about it.
FAT MAN
I mean, it’s a wonder we got this far, isn’t it? Players looked like they’d been wearing high heels into the field all through this World Cup. Look at the millions they make in endorsing deodorant and tennis shoes and stuff.
PROTAGONIST
Billions.
FAT MAN
(laughing)
Billions, that’s right. You’re a riot!
PROTAGONIST
(looking down at the DVD in his hands)
So they tell me.
FAT MAN
Guess we were the lucky ones, our line’s the slowest in the store.
PROTAGONIST
Oh? Hadn’t realized…
FAT MAN
So what did you get?
PROTAGONIST
(waves the DVD at the Fat Man)
The Right Stuff. Astronaut movie.
FAT MAN
(waves three or four DVDs at the Protagonist)
Me, I got, see, a lot of movies. So I can watch ‘em until Tuesday comes along.
PROTAGONIST
…With your mom.
FAT MAN
Hehh, sure thing pal. So how about those astronauts, uh? Like, you into alien movies with ‘em explosions and the spaceships?
PROTAGONIST
It’s a movie about the Mercury 7 astronauts. You know, John Glenn. Alan Shepard. Those guys…
FAT MAN
…That Henry fella, tell ya something, he played out that one nicely, right there in the nick of time…
PROTAGONIST
…and Chuck Yeager too…
FAT MAN
…Zidane’s pretty good too, better’n’ours…
PROTAGONIST
…First man to break the sound barrier, you gotta respect that…
FAT MAN
Sure thing, ya gotta respect those Frenchmen, play with much more gusto than our guys!
CUT TO:
EXT. VIDEO RENTAL STORE – EARLY EVENING – ZOOMING OUT FROM ABOVE
Pull back & Pan out from the Protagonist WALKING HOME across the PARKING LOT, up into the NIGHT SKY above.
PROTAGONIST
“The last day of June is the last day of Central City.”
He STOPS for a split-second. SIGHS....
PROTAGONIST (CONT´D)
The Flash #244. September, 1976. Jesus Christ.
...Then MOVES ON, WHISTLING a song (Move On, by The Rentals).
FADE TO BLACK- TO THE CREDITS- AND CUE IN SOUNDTRACK, “MOVE ON” BY THE RENTALS…
Let's get up and leave this town
I just want to go right now
Once we get out of here
No one will notice
that we disappeared
So what do you say we go right now
Get away from everyone
that hangs around
They seem so insincere
So why don't we just
leave them here
And move on
We'll find some new place nice
Some other city
or the country side
We'll make new friends in time
We'll pack up and say good-bye
And move on
It's been six long years
Six years of hanging about
without a care
It don't matter where we go
Anywhere is better,
I know
FADE OUT:
THE END
posted by 186282mps at 8:02 AM
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