AWARDS
CINESTORY International Screenplay Contest, 1999
PRODUCED SCREENPLAYS
AMERICAN GUN – A serious look at the way the presence of firearms affects Americans today, in different parts of the country.
OPTIONED SCREENPLAYS
WEASEL, 2001, 2005 – The life and times of a 12-year-old killer in a futuristic inner city.
OTHER SCREENPLAYS
THE HEARTS OF MEN – A story of three young men growing up in Los Angeles whose lives cross paths in a fateful and heartbreaking way; three young men from very different worlds who happen to all be enormous fans of the late rapper, Tupac Shakur.
THE PERSEUS COMPLEX – A Hitchcockian tale of two brothers: one, a Pulitzer-prize winning reporter, the other, an infamous killer on death row, and the secrets that neither one of them are willing to confront.
THE INCREDIBLE OLIVER DRIZZLE – A family film about a 10–year-old boy who saves the universe. "Harry Potter" meets "Star Wars."
RADIO BABYLON – A story set three hundred years in the future. Further details on this story are currently unavailable.
EXCERPTS
FADE IN:
EXT. CITY. NIGHT.
A harsh snow pounds a GRIM CITYSCAPE, barely visible in the
distance.
A dilapidated BILLBOARD rests on the outskirts of the
metropolis: ‘WELCOME TO NEW TROY, CITY OF DREAMERS.’
We MOVE PAST the billboard and ENTER New Troy...
The city is a monument to ambitious, gothic architecture.
At least it used to be. New Troy now stands as a dark
testament to dreams deferred. A fairy tale city gone bad.
A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY shuffles down the crowded sidewalk, wearing
a gangsta ensemble: baggy pants, hoodie, combat boots, beanie.
This is WEASEL FLETCHER.
He admires himself in a CRACKED STORE FRONT WINDOW.
Just then -- A LARGE OLD WOMAN (74) is SHOVED DOWN by a GUY
(18) with GREEN HAIR, who GRABS her pink purse, and BOLTS.
The crook BRUSHES PAST Weasel, who doesn’t blink. Granny
begs for help. Weasel steps over her. Never breaks stride.
He reaches a majestic building. The sign reads, ‘SODOM.’
HUNDREDS OF PUNK ROCK CLUB-KIDS wait in line.
A monstrous BOUNCER stands guard before the teeming MOB.
Weasel pauses. Checks HIS WATCH. It’s a strange timpepiece:
SPACE-AGE, PLASTIC,
and SILVER.
Then -- Weasel cuts into the very front of the line.
Catches the Bouncer’s eye, nods a greeting. The Bouncer
smiles. Gallantly OPENS THE DOOR for Weasel.
INT. SODOM. SAME.
Dark, dank, dangerous. The place is crammed to its gills
with GANGSTERS, JUNKIES, WHORES, and TEENAGERS.
A LARGE MAN in a shimmering white robe moves across the floor,
shaking hands, patting backs and tongue-kissing pretty ladies.
A mane of BLEACHED WHITE HAIR matches his pale skin. This dude
owns the place. Literally and figuratively. He is LUCRE
MEZZANINE (42). With a cocksure smile, he slithers upstairs.
UPSTAIRS
LUCRE takes the biggest seat at an ovoid GOLD LACQUER TABLE.
Seated around the table are simpering YES-MEN.
Behind Lucre -- A GIGANTIC STAINED-GLASS WINDOW depicts a
CRUCIFIED JESUS CHRIST. On the opposite side of the room is
a matching stained-glass window of a LAUGHING DEVIL.
A tall, svelt bodyguard -- SOMNABULASTO (33) -- leans over a
railing by the wrought-iron stairwell.
Lucre says something but the music is SO LOUD it’s impossible
to hear. The Yes-Men look nervous.
Suddenly -- Lucre bursts into raucous, diabolical LAUGHTER.
Apparently, he made a joke. Everyone else starts to LAUGH.
Champagne flutes CLINK. Phony smiles all around.
DOWNSTAIRS
WEASEL moves through the madness. On a mission. Appears to
be looking for someone.
Looks UP -- Bingo -- his eyes narrow onto a target.
UPSTAIRS
LUCRE plops down on a plush couch with a bevy of YOUNG SLUTS.
WEASEL climbs the staircase. Passes SOMNABULASTO. The
bodyguard nods robotically.
Suddenly -- Weasel SPINS. SHOVES Somnabulasto in the back.
He TUMBLES DOWN THE STAIRS like an epileptic insect.
Lucre looks up.
TIME SLOWS TO A SNAIL’S PACE:
WEASEL pulls out an ABSURDLY LARGE GUN.
(NOTE: All guns in this movie are surreal, over-sized weapons
that do not resemble any firearms that exist in our world.)
WEASEL sets his sights on LUCRE. FIRES.
BLAMM-BLAMM-BLAMM-BLAMM-BLAMM-BLAMM-BLAMM!
Seven shots hit their mark with ridiculous precision.
WE ARE BACK TO NORMAL TIME AS:
Lucre is sent HURTLING BACKWARDS, mortally wounded.
Lucre’s girls SCATTER, hysterical. Everyone else is FROZEN.
Except Somnabulasto, who returns to the top of the stairwell
in time to see...
Weasel cup one hand over the other and PLUNGE like an Olympic
diver THROUGH THE STAINED GLASS JESUS WINDOW.
EXT. SODOM. SAME.
Jesus SHATTERS. Weasel PLUMMETS to the ground, LANDING atop
the roof of a BATTERED OLD CAR. His GUN goes FLYING. Weasel
SCRAMBLES off the car. DISAPPEARS into the night.
INT. SODOM. SAME.
Stunned sycophants FLUTTER around their dying king.
Somnabulasto LEAPS OUT the broken window.
EXT. STREET. SAME.
WEASEL RUNS LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER.
All we can hear is his strained, adrenaline-charged PANTING.
IN THE DISTANCE
SOMNABULASTO gives chase. Slowly. Methodically.
BACK TO WEASEL
The boy SKIDS frantically across the snow. VAULTS over a
chain-link fence. Looks back.
SOMNABULASTO jogs along, a block or so back. Not hustling.
WEASEL hauls ass. ZIPS around a corner, makes a hard left,
then a right. And another left. And another.
Having run himself ragged, he’s horrified to see A DEAD-END.
The kid TURNS to back-track. But...
SOMNABULASTO steps confidently from the shadows.
GRABS the 12-year-old by his neck. LAUNCHES him into a wall
as if he were a rag-doll. Weasel CRUMPLES.
Somnabulasto pulls out a GIANT GUN. JAMS IT into Weasel
face. The gun GLIMMERS under the moonlight.
WEASEL’S FACE. GUN. WEASEL’S EYES. GUN. WEASEL’S PUPIL.
BLAAAMM! Every deaf person in New Troy heard that...
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