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| The Story in Pictures pg. 1 |
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| The Story in Pictures pg. 1 |
We're floating down an old two-lane highway through a desolate, desert landscape. This gliding, eerie POV continues as credits roll. when the credits end, the headlights seem to dim and soon we're moving through BLACKNESS.
In the blackness, a man, FRED, is sitting on a bed smoking a cigarette.
Face in the mirror - Blank expression - face somewhat obscured or distorted by smoke from the cigarette.
Fred's actual face - Unshaven, haggard look, eyes seem empty, glazed over. Fred is 32 years old, with dark hair.
The doorbell rings.
A voice comes over the intercom: Dick Laurent is dead.
Fred leaves the bedroom and goes through the house. He is on the upstairs level. He looks through a narrow slot window, but can't see the front door below. He goes further in the house to a picture window that overlooks the street below. There is NOBODY there.
Renee Madison: You don't mind that I'm not coming to the club tonight.
Fred: What are you going to do?
Renee: Stay home...Read..
Fred: Read?...Read...Read what?
Luna Lounge: Fred is on the bandstand. He takes a solo on his saxophone. Fred plays hot, hard, neo-bop. The BAND wails madly behind him.
The PATRONS explode onto the dance floor, making it a wild scene. Fred Is a lion now, roaring away on his tenor, driving everyone nuts.
Fred dials a pay phone.
We move through the empty living room - empty bedroom, etc. The ringing telephone goes unanswered.
as he listens to the ringing. Sweat is still rolling off his face. His eyes are blank.
back home: Fred goes to the bedroom, and sees Renee sleeping soundly.
Renee in a bathrobe, opens the front door to collect the mail. She sees a plain, clean, manila envelope lying on the step. She picks it up.
Renee opens the manila envelope. She's noticeably nervous when she sees a videotape inside. She stares at it.
Fred: What's that?
Renee: A videotape.
Fred: Who's it from?
Renee: I don't know... There's no return address on the envelope... In fact, there's no address on it.
Fred: Does it say anything on the tape?
Renee: No, nothing.
Fred: Well, let's see what's on it.
They sit on the couch in front of the television.
The videotape shows the front of THE MADISON HOUSE, the camera panning slowly over it. The picture is accompanied by an eerie DRONING SOUND. After the camera pans back to the front door, the tape image turns to snow.
Fred and Renee stare at the snow for a few moments. Renee looks relieved.
Renee: Must be from a real estate agent.
Renee comes out wearing a robe, which she sheds just before getting into bed.
Naked under the covers, she switches out her bedside lamp. The only light in the room comes from the outside, through the windows.
Fred moves closer to Renee, puts his lips to her cheek, a hand on her breast. She does not respond. Fred pulls Renee to him, and kisses her passionately.
Renee accedes to his demands, but does not participate willingly..
He makes love to her voraciously, but her lack of passion disturbs him.
Fred can't stop, however, and when he comes she acts consolingly, stroking him maternally while he calms down. He climbs off of her and retreats to his side of the bed.
Close up on Fred's eyes - which express his horror and humiliation.
They lie there in the dark silence for a while.
Fred turns back toward Renee in the darkness.Fred: I had a dream about you last night...
Fred (con't): You were in the house... calling my name... but I couldn't find you.
Fred: Then there you were...lying in bed...but it wasn´t you...It looked like you...but it wasn´t.
Fred looks at her shadowed face, but it's not Renee's face. It's a face Fred has never seen before.
Fred quickly turns and switches on his bedside lamp, and looks quickly back at Renee, whose face is now her own.
Renee: Fred, are you all right?
