MarkLCBertolini
05-29-2006, 01:23 PM
Magnum Opus
Page 1
1/ Half page establishing shot of the sun-baked desert (we're just outside Las Vegas). The
sun is brutally blaring down, the ground is hard-packed dirt and very little vegetation.
2/ Medium shot of the back of a man. He is wearing a white leisure suit. The sun glares
off of his bald head. He is looking down slightly in front of him, his left hand is on his
hip and his right hand is in front of him, obscured by his body.
3/ Same as 2, only his urine has become visible between his spread legs.
4/ Close-up on his face. He's an older man, probably approaching his 60s. He's wearing
dark sunglasses, and his face is tipped back, towards the sun, a slight smile on his face
while he pees. This is our "hero", NICODEMUS REX.
REX: AHHH…
Page 2
1/ Same as page 1, panel 2, only he's zipping up now.
2/ Profile shot of his face as he turns to look over his right shoulder towards the reader.
REX: WELL? SHALL WE GO?
3/ Cut to a young man, early 20s, sitting in the driver's seat of a rusty, banged-up
convertible. He's obviously not happy at sitting there in the hot sun, and his face shows it.
This is ALEX YOUNG.
ALEX: YEAH, WE SHALL GO. IT'S ABOUT ****ING TIME. YOU PISS LIKE OLD PEOPLE ****.
4/ Rex steps close to the car, looking down at Alex.
REX: I AM OLD PEOPLE, ALEX.
Page 3
1/ Close-up on Alex, who's jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
ALEX: WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THEM?
2/ Shot of the back seat of the convertible, where a young man and a young woman are
very dead, both shot in the middle of their foreheads.
(no dialogue)
3/ Close-up on Rex's face, his sunglasses down on his nose so he can look over the top of them. He's got old eyes, but sharp and snake-like.
REX: WHAT'S THIS "WE" BUSINESS?
4/ Small shot of Alex as he looks up at Rex.
ALEX: WELL, WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM THERE. THEY'RE STARTING TO SMELL.
5/ Small shot of Rex looking off into the distance, amused.
REX: THERE'S A SHOVEL IN THE TRUNK. START DIGGING.
Page 4
1/ Medium shot of Alex looking pissed, he's starting to get out of the car, doing what he's told even though he doesn't want to.
ALEX: WHY DO I HAVE TO BURY THEM? YOU SHOT THEM!
2/ Large shot of Rex's face, all the humor in it now gone, eyes narrowed as he stares at Alex.
REX: THAT'S RIGHT. I SHOT THEM. THAT'S THE MAN'S WORK. NOW YOU GET TO BURY THEM. THAT'S THE BITCH WORK. SO GET DIGGING, BITCH.
3/ Alex opens the trunk to get the shovel.
ALEX (mumbles) HRRRMM….BULLSHIT…HRRMM
4/ Rex climbs into the passenger seat and lights a cigarette.
REX: AND HURRY IT UP. IT'S ****ING HOT OUT HERE.
Page 5
1/ Close-up on Rex, his face a snarl, blood spattered across his sunglasses.
CAP: TWO WEEKS AGO.
REX: ****!
2/ Wide shot of Rex, guns smoking in his hands, blood splashed across his face, chest and suit. There are two dead men on the ground at his feet, very bloody and mangled. Another man stands a few feet away, holding a gun on Rex. This is Richie Gianni, mob underboss.
3/ Horizontal shot of the Gianni holding the gun.
GIANNI: PUT THE GUNS DOWN, REX.
Page 6
1/ Medium shot of Rex, who is practically vibrating with anger, his guns clenched tightly in his fists.
REX: WHERE IS MY MONEY, YOU SON OF A BITCH?
2/ Gianni grins, not moving his gun.
GIANNI: YOUR MONEY IS GONE, OLD MAN. UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE GONE TOO, I'D PUT THE GUNS DOWN.
3/ Rex glares at Gianni, lips in a snarl again.
REX: EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, RICHIE.
REX: (attached) EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!
4/ Gianni shrugs, still holding his gun on Rex.
GIANNI: THAT'S BUSINESS, REX. NOW PUT DOWN THE GUNS AND I'LL LET YOU WALK AWAY. YOU KILLED MY GUYS, BUT I'LL LET THAT GO AS LONG AS YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID.
Page 7
1/ Tight shot on Rex's face.
REX: JUST…JUST GIVE ME MY MONEY AND I'LL GO.
2/ Tight shot on Gianni's face, mirroring panel 1.
GIANNI: THERE IS NO MONEY.
3/ Rex throws up his hands, still holding his guns, and clutches at his head, in agony.
REX: THAT WAS MY MONEY, GODDAMIT. I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT IT.
4/ Wide shot of Gianni stepping closer to Rex, gun still up.
GIANNI: THEN YOU DON'T LEAVE AT ALL.
5/ Rex drops his guns, head down, looking defeated.
Page 8
1/ Wide shot of Gianni lowering his gun too.
GIANNI: SMART MOVE, OLD-TIMER. NOW GET IN THE ****ING WIND.
2/ Small shot, Rex lashes out, grabbing Gianni's gun hand.
REX: WRONG, ASSHOLE.
3/ Rex breaks Gianni's forearm, and the gun drops from his fingers.
GIANNI: GAAHH!
4/ Rex snakes out a hand and catches Gianni's gun before it hits the ground.
REX: YOU REALLY SHOULD NOT HAVE MESSED WITH MY MONEY, GIANNI. MY GODDAMN ****ING MONEY.
5/ Shot of Rex jamming the gun into the bottom of Gianni's chin.
REX: NOW I HAVE TO GO OVER YOUR HEAD.
6/ Rex fires the gun, blowing the roof of the man's head off in a bloody eruption.
REX: OR THROUGH IT, AS THE CASE MAY BE.
Page 9
1/ Wide shot of Rex and Alex in the stolen car. Rex is driving, one hand on the wheel, calm and relaxed. Next to him, Alex is dirty from digging the graves, and looks pissed off.
ALEX: SO NOW WHAT?
2/ Close-up on Rex, his eyes hidden by his sunglasses, a small smirk on his face.
REX: WE GO BACK TO VEGAS. WE FIGURE OUT WHO HAS MY MONEY. WE GET IT BACK.
3/ Small panel of Alex, looking sideways at Rex, almost afraid to look at him.
ALEX: WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS MONEY, REX?
4/ Shot from above of the two of them in the car, speeding along the highway (just for a different vantage point)
REX: IT'S ABOUT RESPECT. I EARNED THAT MONEY. I KILLED EIGHT PEOPLE ON THAT GODDAMN LIST THEY GAVE ME, AND THEY DIDN'T PAY ME. NOW I HAVE TO COLLECT, AND THAT JUST MAKES EVERYTHING HARDER.
Page 10
1/ Close-up on Alex, who is still avoiding making eye contact with Rex.
ALEX: BUT GOING UP AGAINST THIS ROMANO GUY, IS THAT REALLY THE SMARTEST MOVE? I HEAR THE GUY OWNS HALF OF VEGAS.
2/ Profile shot of Rex, staring straight ahead.
REX: THAT DOESN'T MATTER. HE WANTED A JOB DONE. I DID THE JOB. HE SHOULD PAY ME. INSTEAD, HE SENDS THAT **** GIANNI AND TWO GOONS AFTER ME? AFTER I DID THAT JOB FOR HIM? **** THAT, ALEX. HE MADE A BAD MISTAKE WHEN HE SCREWED WITH ME. NOW I HAVE TO SET THINGS RIGHT.
3/ Shot of Alex, opening the glove compartment.
ALEX: YEAH, I GUESS I UNDERSTAND THAT. WE HAVE TO GET WHAT'S OURS, RIGHT?
4/ Rex snaps his head quickly towards Alex, head titled down, looking at Alex over his sunglasses with narrowed, reptilian eyes.
REX: WHAT'S THIS 'WE' SHIT? THAT MONEY IS MINE.
5/ Shot of Alex taking a pistol out of the glove compartment.
ALEX: YEAH, BUT I'M GONNA HELP YOU GET IT BACK, RIGHT? I MEAN, DOESN'T THAT GET ME A SHARE?
Page 11
1/ Horizontal panel, shot of Rex from the front of the car, through the windshield, one hand on the steering wheel.
REX: THAT'S MY RETIREMENT MONEY, BOY. YOUR 'SHARE' IS ME TEACHING YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK. IF YOU'RE EXPECTING MORE THAN THAT, I CAN DROP YOU OFF RIGHT HERE.
2/ Horizontal panel, shot of Alex from the front of the car, through the windshield, same as panel 1. Alex fiddles with the pistol.
ALEX: I JUST THOUGHT--I MEAN--YEAH, OKAY. I GET IT.
3/ Horizontal panel of both Rex and Alex, same positions as in panel 1 and 2.
ALEX: LET'S JUST HURRY UP. I WANT TO SHOOT SOMEONE.
REX: SOON, BOY. VERY SOON.
Page 12
1/ Half page splash of a huge, ornate office. Paintings and prints hang on the walls. A massive picture window is on the wall behind a small man sitting behind a massive desk. The man at the desk is TONY ROMANO, godfather of Las Vegas. He is wearing an expensive designer suit. A computer and paperwork sit on the desk, as well as an open file folder with papers in it.
CAP: THREE WEEKS AGO.
2/ Small panel inset, a tough-looking thug pokes his head through the open door.
THUG: BOSS? MR. REX IS HERE.
3/ Second small insert panel of Romano looking down at the open file folder on the desk.
ROMANO: SEND HIM IN, CARLO.
Page 13
1/ Medium shot of the thug leading Rex into the office. Even though he's indoors, Rex is still wearing his sunglasses. He's that cool.
(No dialogue)
2/ Overhead shot of Romano standing, offering his hand to Rex, who stands on the other side of the desk.
ROMANO: NICODEMUS REX. HOW ARE THINGS?
REX: THINGS ARE HOW THEY ARE, MR. ROMANO.
3/ Close-up on Romano, motioning for Rex to sit.
ROMANO: SIT, PLEASE.
4/ Medium shot of Rex sitting in front of the desk on a large, comfortable-looking chair.
REX: MIND IF I SMOKE?
5/ Small panel of Romano, looking down at the paperwork on his desk again.
ROMANO: DO AS YOU PLEASE.
Page 14
(Four horizontal panels, all are identical, except for minor movement changes)
1/ Horizontal panel, side view of Rex sitting across the desk from Romano. Rex has his left leg hung casually over his right, and he's reaching into his jacket for his cigarettes. Romano sits on the other side of the desk, elbows on the desk, fingers together like a steeple in front of his nose.
ROMANO: YOU KNOW WHY YOU ARE HERE, NICODEMUS?
REX: I THINK I DO, MR. ROMANO. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, DON'T YOU?
2/ Same as 1, except Rex is putting a cigarette into his mouth.
ROMANO: PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, HA, THAT DOES NOT BEGIN TO DESCRIBE WHAT IS GOING ON. MY SON, MY BOY JULIO, HE IS IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. HE DOES A JOB FOR US, FOR THE FAMILY, AND HE GETS CAUGHT AND IS GOING TO GO TO COURT AND THEN TO PRISON. I CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. HE IS A GOOD BOY, MY JULIO, AND HE CANNOT GO TO PRISON.
REX: SO YOU WANT ME TO--?
3/ Same as 1, except Rex is putting flame from a lighter to the tip of the cigarette, and Romano is pushing the file folder across the desk towards Rex.
ROMANO: THIS FILE HAS A LIST OF NAMES, ALONG WITH PICTURES, OR CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN JULIO'S CASE. WITNESSES, JURORS, PROSECUTORS. EIGHT PEOPLE IN ALL.
REX: HOW MUCH AND HOW SOON?
4/ Same as 1, except Rex is blowing out smoke, and Romano has steepled his fingers again.
ROMANO: TEN THOUSAND PER HEAD. BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
REX: CONSIDER IT TAKEN CARE OF, MR. ROMANO.
Page 15
1/ Close-up on Romano, who is staring coldly at Rex.
ROMANO: YOU ARE A GOOD MAN, NICODEMUS. YOU DO GOOD WORK. I HAVE MUCH FAITH IN YOUR ABILITIY TO GET THIS DONE. I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU THAT THIS MUST BE FINISHED QUICKLY AND QUIETLY.
2/ Close-up on Rex, blowing more smoke out of his nostrils.
REX: NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ME.
3/ Medium shot of Romano, looking back at some other papers on his desk, dismissing Rex.
ROMANO: CARLO WILL SHOW YOU OUT. CONTACT ME ONLY WHEN IT IS OVER.
4/ Medium shot of the thug, Carlo, holding open a door that leads out onto the street. Rex breezes by, one hand in his pants pocket, the other holding Romano's file folder.
5/ Close-up on Rex, who is lighting another cigarette.
REX (whispers) LAST JOB, OLD MAN. BETTER MAKE IT COUNT.
Page 16
1/ Shot of the car pulling up to the curb in front of a hotel, Rex and Alex inside.
ALEX: WHERE DO WE START?
2/ Medium shot of Rex getting out of the car, one hand on the windshield, head slightly turned to the left, scoping out the environment.
REX: WE START AT THE BAR. I NEED A DRINK.
3/ Horizontal shot of the backs of both Rex and Alex sitting on bar stools, at a bar (naturally). Rex is hunched over slightly, but Alex is sitting straight, showing the difference in their ages.
REX: YOU SURE YOU'RE READY FOR THIS?
ALEX: HELL YEAH. LOOK, REX, IT'S NOT LIKE I NEVER SHOT ANYONE BEFORE. I MEAN, I'VE SHOT LOTS OF PEOPLE. THIS IS JUST…BIGGER, YOU KNOW? THIS GUY'S LIKE THE GODFATHER, RIGHT? I'VE SEEN 'CASINO'. I JUST DON'T WANT TO GET MY EYEBALL POPPED OUTTA MY HEAD.
4/ Small shot of Rex, leaning on the bar, a shot of tequila in front of him, looking to his right at Alex.
REX: YEAH, IT'S GONNA BE DANGEROUS. WE'LL PROBABLY BOTH GET KILLED. BUT I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT. I KEPT HIS SNOT-NOSED KID OUT OF JAIL, AND HE TRIES TO KILL ME FOR IT? AND TO DO THAT, HE SENDS RICHIE ****ING GIANNI, THE BIGGEST SACK OF SHIT IN VEGAS? DISRESPECT, ALEX. ****ING DISRESPECT.
5/ Small shot of Alex, leaning on the bar, mirroring panel 4, only he has a bottle of beer in front of him, looking to his left at Rex.
ALEX: WHAT'D ROMANO'S KID DO?
Page 17
1/ Rex tosses back his shot.
(No dialogue)
2/ Medium shot from bartender's POV of both Alex and Rex. Alex is taking a swallow from his bottle. Rex holds the empty shot glass in his hand.
REX: FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE KID THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO BE A HITTER. WENT OUT WITH A COUPLE OF ROMANO'S GUYS TO SHAKE DOWN SOME ASSHOLE ON THE STRIP THAT OWED SOME MONEY. ENDED UP SHOOTING THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE, TONS OF WITNESSES AROUND. GOT CAUGHT COLD.
REX(attached) SO ROMANO HAD ME KILL EIGHT PEOPLE. FOUR WITNESSES, THREE JURORS, AND THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR, A YOUNG KID HIMSELF. AND I DID THEM ALL. SHIT, IT WAS EIGHTY ****ING GRAND. I EVEN FINISHED THEM EARLY.
3/ Close-up on Rex, lighting a cigarette.
REX: NOW I'M GOING TO KILL ROMANO'S KID. HE DIDN'T WANT HIM TO GO TO JAIL? NOW HE CAN GO IN THE GROUND.
4/ Alex looks shocked, beer bottle halfway to his mouth.
ALEX: DAMN, REX. THAT'S COLD.
Page 18
1/ Half page shot of Rex, angry, body turned towards Alex. He still holds the shot glass in his hand. His other hand is up, index finger pointing at Alex.
REX: NO, THAT'S BUSINESS. YOU NEED TO GET THIS FACT THROUGH YOUR HEAD. YOU WANT TO BE IN THIS LIFE? YOU WANT ME TO TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT? YOU NEED TO REALIZE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME TERRIBLE SHIT. HELL, TWO OF THE WITNESSES I DID WERE YOUNG WOMEN IN THEIR EARLY TWENTIES. I STILL DID IT. I SHOT ONE OF THEM IN THE HEAD. I CUT THE OTHER'S THROAT.
REX(attached) YOU WANT TO KILL PEOPLE FOR A LIVING? YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT YOU'RE PLAYING FOR KEEPS. AND IF YOU LET SOMEONE GET AWAY WITH ****ING YOU OVER, YOU CAN KISS YOUR CAREER GOODBYE. THAT'S WHY I CAN'T LET THIS THING WITH ROMANO GO. THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO KILL HIS SON. HE NEEDS TO LEARN NOT TO **** WITH NICODEMUS REX.
(3 small square panels along the bottom of the page):
2/ Small shot of Alex, still holding his beer bottle, just staring at Rex.
(No dialogue)
3/ Small shot of Alex, chugging the beer down.
(No dialogue)
4/ Small shot of Alex, same as panel 2.
ALEX: OKAY REX. I GOT IT. LET'S DO THIS THING.
Page 19
1/ Close-up on Rex, cigarette in his mouth, the smoke curling up over his face and bald head.
REX: GOOD BOY.
2/ Medium shot of Rex, from behind, sitting on the corner of a ratty, filthy bed, in a ratty, filthy small hotel room. He is facing the window, which has the curtains drawn. He's looking down at Romano's file, which is open on his lap, we can only see part of it, the rest is obscured by his body.. He's not wearing his suit jacket, only a white wife-beater t-shirt, and he's covered in tattoos (which are not visible when he's got the full suit on). Note to artist: feel free to play with the tattoos, just cover his arms to the wrist, and up to the bottom of his neck.
(No dialogue)
CAP: THREE WEEKS AGO.
3/ Overhead shot of Rex sitting on the bed, the file spread open in his lap. He's holding a glossy photo of a pretty young woman in his right hand, a cigarette smokes in his left, which rests on his left knee.
REX (CAP): JOANNE MILNER. NOT BAD LOOKING, AT LEAST BEFORE HER HEAD GOT BLOWN OFF.
4/ Close-up on Rex's hand, placing the photo on the bed beside him, on top of a stack of other glossy photos, each with an X marked through them.
REX (CAP): THAT'S THE LAST OF THEM. EIGHT PEOPLE IN FOUR DAYS. ROMANO WILL BE HAPPY, HIS KID'S GOING TO WALK.
Page 20
1/ Medium shot of Rex snubbing out his cigarette in an ashtray on the bed next to the photos.
REX (CAP): AND I'LL BE HAPPY. I CAN TAKE THAT MONEY AND GO TO MEXICO AND NEVER COME BACK.
2/ Vertical shot of Rex standing at the window, looking out through a slit in the blinds,
cigarette smoldering in his left hand, a cell phone in his right, raised to his ear.
REX: MR. ROMANO.
REX (attached) YES, IT'S DONE.
REX (attached) YES. THIRTY MINUTES. YES.
3/ Vertical shot of Rex putting on his jacket, a pair of pistols are hung in shoulder holsters beneath his armpits.
(no dialogue)
4/ Horizontal shot of Rex stepping into the street, the file folder in his hand.
(no dialogue)
5/ Small shot of Rex hailing a cab.
(no dialogue)
Page 21
1/ Half page shot of Rex standing in front of a seemingly abandoned building. The brick is chipped and scarred and dirty, weeds are growing up between the sidewalk cracks, there's spray-paint all over the place, the windows are broken.
REX (CAP): THIS IS THE PLACE ROMANO SAID, RIGHT?
2/ Close-up on Rex pushing open the broken, boarded-up door. It's dark inside the building.
REX (CAP): THIS ISN'T RIGHT. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT.
3/ Close-up on Rex, stepping inside the building, his right hand inside his jacket, ready to pull the gun out from the armpit holster.
REX: WHAT THE HELL--?
4/ Close-up on Rex's head, reacting to a voice off to the side.
VOICE (off panel) COME ON IN, MR. REX.
Page 22
1/ Full page splash: slight overhead shot of Rex standing across from three men. Two nameless thugs hold guns on him. A man stands in the middle, dressed impeccably (this is the same man from page 5, Richie Gianni.
GIANNI: YOU DID FINE WORK, MR. REX, BUT I'M AFRAID MR. ROMANO HAS DECIDED TO GIVE YOU YOUR SEVERANCE PACKAGE.
FIN.
Page 1
1/ Half page establishing shot of the sun-baked desert (we're just outside Las Vegas). The
sun is brutally blaring down, the ground is hard-packed dirt and very little vegetation.
2/ Medium shot of the back of a man. He is wearing a white leisure suit. The sun glares
off of his bald head. He is looking down slightly in front of him, his left hand is on his
hip and his right hand is in front of him, obscured by his body.
3/ Same as 2, only his urine has become visible between his spread legs.
4/ Close-up on his face. He's an older man, probably approaching his 60s. He's wearing
dark sunglasses, and his face is tipped back, towards the sun, a slight smile on his face
while he pees. This is our "hero", NICODEMUS REX.
REX: AHHH…
Page 2
1/ Same as page 1, panel 2, only he's zipping up now.
2/ Profile shot of his face as he turns to look over his right shoulder towards the reader.
REX: WELL? SHALL WE GO?
3/ Cut to a young man, early 20s, sitting in the driver's seat of a rusty, banged-up
convertible. He's obviously not happy at sitting there in the hot sun, and his face shows it.
This is ALEX YOUNG.
ALEX: YEAH, WE SHALL GO. IT'S ABOUT ****ING TIME. YOU PISS LIKE OLD PEOPLE ****.
4/ Rex steps close to the car, looking down at Alex.
REX: I AM OLD PEOPLE, ALEX.
Page 3
1/ Close-up on Alex, who's jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
ALEX: WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THEM?
2/ Shot of the back seat of the convertible, where a young man and a young woman are
very dead, both shot in the middle of their foreheads.
(no dialogue)
3/ Close-up on Rex's face, his sunglasses down on his nose so he can look over the top of them. He's got old eyes, but sharp and snake-like.
REX: WHAT'S THIS "WE" BUSINESS?
4/ Small shot of Alex as he looks up at Rex.
ALEX: WELL, WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM THERE. THEY'RE STARTING TO SMELL.
5/ Small shot of Rex looking off into the distance, amused.
REX: THERE'S A SHOVEL IN THE TRUNK. START DIGGING.
Page 4
1/ Medium shot of Alex looking pissed, he's starting to get out of the car, doing what he's told even though he doesn't want to.
ALEX: WHY DO I HAVE TO BURY THEM? YOU SHOT THEM!
2/ Large shot of Rex's face, all the humor in it now gone, eyes narrowed as he stares at Alex.
REX: THAT'S RIGHT. I SHOT THEM. THAT'S THE MAN'S WORK. NOW YOU GET TO BURY THEM. THAT'S THE BITCH WORK. SO GET DIGGING, BITCH.
3/ Alex opens the trunk to get the shovel.
ALEX (mumbles) HRRRMM….BULLSHIT…HRRMM
4/ Rex climbs into the passenger seat and lights a cigarette.
REX: AND HURRY IT UP. IT'S ****ING HOT OUT HERE.
Page 5
1/ Close-up on Rex, his face a snarl, blood spattered across his sunglasses.
CAP: TWO WEEKS AGO.
REX: ****!
2/ Wide shot of Rex, guns smoking in his hands, blood splashed across his face, chest and suit. There are two dead men on the ground at his feet, very bloody and mangled. Another man stands a few feet away, holding a gun on Rex. This is Richie Gianni, mob underboss.
3/ Horizontal shot of the Gianni holding the gun.
GIANNI: PUT THE GUNS DOWN, REX.
Page 6
1/ Medium shot of Rex, who is practically vibrating with anger, his guns clenched tightly in his fists.
REX: WHERE IS MY MONEY, YOU SON OF A BITCH?
2/ Gianni grins, not moving his gun.
GIANNI: YOUR MONEY IS GONE, OLD MAN. UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE GONE TOO, I'D PUT THE GUNS DOWN.
3/ Rex glares at Gianni, lips in a snarl again.
REX: EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, RICHIE.
REX: (attached) EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!
4/ Gianni shrugs, still holding his gun on Rex.
GIANNI: THAT'S BUSINESS, REX. NOW PUT DOWN THE GUNS AND I'LL LET YOU WALK AWAY. YOU KILLED MY GUYS, BUT I'LL LET THAT GO AS LONG AS YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID.
Page 7
1/ Tight shot on Rex's face.
REX: JUST…JUST GIVE ME MY MONEY AND I'LL GO.
2/ Tight shot on Gianni's face, mirroring panel 1.
GIANNI: THERE IS NO MONEY.
3/ Rex throws up his hands, still holding his guns, and clutches at his head, in agony.
REX: THAT WAS MY MONEY, GODDAMIT. I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT IT.
4/ Wide shot of Gianni stepping closer to Rex, gun still up.
GIANNI: THEN YOU DON'T LEAVE AT ALL.
5/ Rex drops his guns, head down, looking defeated.
Page 8
1/ Wide shot of Gianni lowering his gun too.
GIANNI: SMART MOVE, OLD-TIMER. NOW GET IN THE ****ING WIND.
2/ Small shot, Rex lashes out, grabbing Gianni's gun hand.
REX: WRONG, ASSHOLE.
3/ Rex breaks Gianni's forearm, and the gun drops from his fingers.
GIANNI: GAAHH!
4/ Rex snakes out a hand and catches Gianni's gun before it hits the ground.
REX: YOU REALLY SHOULD NOT HAVE MESSED WITH MY MONEY, GIANNI. MY GODDAMN ****ING MONEY.
5/ Shot of Rex jamming the gun into the bottom of Gianni's chin.
REX: NOW I HAVE TO GO OVER YOUR HEAD.
6/ Rex fires the gun, blowing the roof of the man's head off in a bloody eruption.
REX: OR THROUGH IT, AS THE CASE MAY BE.
Page 9
1/ Wide shot of Rex and Alex in the stolen car. Rex is driving, one hand on the wheel, calm and relaxed. Next to him, Alex is dirty from digging the graves, and looks pissed off.
ALEX: SO NOW WHAT?
2/ Close-up on Rex, his eyes hidden by his sunglasses, a small smirk on his face.
REX: WE GO BACK TO VEGAS. WE FIGURE OUT WHO HAS MY MONEY. WE GET IT BACK.
3/ Small panel of Alex, looking sideways at Rex, almost afraid to look at him.
ALEX: WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS MONEY, REX?
4/ Shot from above of the two of them in the car, speeding along the highway (just for a different vantage point)
REX: IT'S ABOUT RESPECT. I EARNED THAT MONEY. I KILLED EIGHT PEOPLE ON THAT GODDAMN LIST THEY GAVE ME, AND THEY DIDN'T PAY ME. NOW I HAVE TO COLLECT, AND THAT JUST MAKES EVERYTHING HARDER.
Page 10
1/ Close-up on Alex, who is still avoiding making eye contact with Rex.
ALEX: BUT GOING UP AGAINST THIS ROMANO GUY, IS THAT REALLY THE SMARTEST MOVE? I HEAR THE GUY OWNS HALF OF VEGAS.
2/ Profile shot of Rex, staring straight ahead.
REX: THAT DOESN'T MATTER. HE WANTED A JOB DONE. I DID THE JOB. HE SHOULD PAY ME. INSTEAD, HE SENDS THAT **** GIANNI AND TWO GOONS AFTER ME? AFTER I DID THAT JOB FOR HIM? **** THAT, ALEX. HE MADE A BAD MISTAKE WHEN HE SCREWED WITH ME. NOW I HAVE TO SET THINGS RIGHT.
3/ Shot of Alex, opening the glove compartment.
ALEX: YEAH, I GUESS I UNDERSTAND THAT. WE HAVE TO GET WHAT'S OURS, RIGHT?
4/ Rex snaps his head quickly towards Alex, head titled down, looking at Alex over his sunglasses with narrowed, reptilian eyes.
REX: WHAT'S THIS 'WE' SHIT? THAT MONEY IS MINE.
5/ Shot of Alex taking a pistol out of the glove compartment.
ALEX: YEAH, BUT I'M GONNA HELP YOU GET IT BACK, RIGHT? I MEAN, DOESN'T THAT GET ME A SHARE?
Page 11
1/ Horizontal panel, shot of Rex from the front of the car, through the windshield, one hand on the steering wheel.
REX: THAT'S MY RETIREMENT MONEY, BOY. YOUR 'SHARE' IS ME TEACHING YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK. IF YOU'RE EXPECTING MORE THAN THAT, I CAN DROP YOU OFF RIGHT HERE.
2/ Horizontal panel, shot of Alex from the front of the car, through the windshield, same as panel 1. Alex fiddles with the pistol.
ALEX: I JUST THOUGHT--I MEAN--YEAH, OKAY. I GET IT.
3/ Horizontal panel of both Rex and Alex, same positions as in panel 1 and 2.
ALEX: LET'S JUST HURRY UP. I WANT TO SHOOT SOMEONE.
REX: SOON, BOY. VERY SOON.
Page 12
1/ Half page splash of a huge, ornate office. Paintings and prints hang on the walls. A massive picture window is on the wall behind a small man sitting behind a massive desk. The man at the desk is TONY ROMANO, godfather of Las Vegas. He is wearing an expensive designer suit. A computer and paperwork sit on the desk, as well as an open file folder with papers in it.
CAP: THREE WEEKS AGO.
2/ Small panel inset, a tough-looking thug pokes his head through the open door.
THUG: BOSS? MR. REX IS HERE.
3/ Second small insert panel of Romano looking down at the open file folder on the desk.
ROMANO: SEND HIM IN, CARLO.
Page 13
1/ Medium shot of the thug leading Rex into the office. Even though he's indoors, Rex is still wearing his sunglasses. He's that cool.
(No dialogue)
2/ Overhead shot of Romano standing, offering his hand to Rex, who stands on the other side of the desk.
ROMANO: NICODEMUS REX. HOW ARE THINGS?
REX: THINGS ARE HOW THEY ARE, MR. ROMANO.
3/ Close-up on Romano, motioning for Rex to sit.
ROMANO: SIT, PLEASE.
4/ Medium shot of Rex sitting in front of the desk on a large, comfortable-looking chair.
REX: MIND IF I SMOKE?
5/ Small panel of Romano, looking down at the paperwork on his desk again.
ROMANO: DO AS YOU PLEASE.
Page 14
(Four horizontal panels, all are identical, except for minor movement changes)
1/ Horizontal panel, side view of Rex sitting across the desk from Romano. Rex has his left leg hung casually over his right, and he's reaching into his jacket for his cigarettes. Romano sits on the other side of the desk, elbows on the desk, fingers together like a steeple in front of his nose.
ROMANO: YOU KNOW WHY YOU ARE HERE, NICODEMUS?
REX: I THINK I DO, MR. ROMANO. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, DON'T YOU?
2/ Same as 1, except Rex is putting a cigarette into his mouth.
ROMANO: PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, HA, THAT DOES NOT BEGIN TO DESCRIBE WHAT IS GOING ON. MY SON, MY BOY JULIO, HE IS IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. HE DOES A JOB FOR US, FOR THE FAMILY, AND HE GETS CAUGHT AND IS GOING TO GO TO COURT AND THEN TO PRISON. I CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. HE IS A GOOD BOY, MY JULIO, AND HE CANNOT GO TO PRISON.
REX: SO YOU WANT ME TO--?
3/ Same as 1, except Rex is putting flame from a lighter to the tip of the cigarette, and Romano is pushing the file folder across the desk towards Rex.
ROMANO: THIS FILE HAS A LIST OF NAMES, ALONG WITH PICTURES, OR CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN JULIO'S CASE. WITNESSES, JURORS, PROSECUTORS. EIGHT PEOPLE IN ALL.
REX: HOW MUCH AND HOW SOON?
4/ Same as 1, except Rex is blowing out smoke, and Romano has steepled his fingers again.
ROMANO: TEN THOUSAND PER HEAD. BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
REX: CONSIDER IT TAKEN CARE OF, MR. ROMANO.
Page 15
1/ Close-up on Romano, who is staring coldly at Rex.
ROMANO: YOU ARE A GOOD MAN, NICODEMUS. YOU DO GOOD WORK. I HAVE MUCH FAITH IN YOUR ABILITIY TO GET THIS DONE. I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU THAT THIS MUST BE FINISHED QUICKLY AND QUIETLY.
2/ Close-up on Rex, blowing more smoke out of his nostrils.
REX: NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ME.
3/ Medium shot of Romano, looking back at some other papers on his desk, dismissing Rex.
ROMANO: CARLO WILL SHOW YOU OUT. CONTACT ME ONLY WHEN IT IS OVER.
4/ Medium shot of the thug, Carlo, holding open a door that leads out onto the street. Rex breezes by, one hand in his pants pocket, the other holding Romano's file folder.
5/ Close-up on Rex, who is lighting another cigarette.
REX (whispers) LAST JOB, OLD MAN. BETTER MAKE IT COUNT.
Page 16
1/ Shot of the car pulling up to the curb in front of a hotel, Rex and Alex inside.
ALEX: WHERE DO WE START?
2/ Medium shot of Rex getting out of the car, one hand on the windshield, head slightly turned to the left, scoping out the environment.
REX: WE START AT THE BAR. I NEED A DRINK.
3/ Horizontal shot of the backs of both Rex and Alex sitting on bar stools, at a bar (naturally). Rex is hunched over slightly, but Alex is sitting straight, showing the difference in their ages.
REX: YOU SURE YOU'RE READY FOR THIS?
ALEX: HELL YEAH. LOOK, REX, IT'S NOT LIKE I NEVER SHOT ANYONE BEFORE. I MEAN, I'VE SHOT LOTS OF PEOPLE. THIS IS JUST…BIGGER, YOU KNOW? THIS GUY'S LIKE THE GODFATHER, RIGHT? I'VE SEEN 'CASINO'. I JUST DON'T WANT TO GET MY EYEBALL POPPED OUTTA MY HEAD.
4/ Small shot of Rex, leaning on the bar, a shot of tequila in front of him, looking to his right at Alex.
REX: YEAH, IT'S GONNA BE DANGEROUS. WE'LL PROBABLY BOTH GET KILLED. BUT I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT. I KEPT HIS SNOT-NOSED KID OUT OF JAIL, AND HE TRIES TO KILL ME FOR IT? AND TO DO THAT, HE SENDS RICHIE ****ING GIANNI, THE BIGGEST SACK OF SHIT IN VEGAS? DISRESPECT, ALEX. ****ING DISRESPECT.
5/ Small shot of Alex, leaning on the bar, mirroring panel 4, only he has a bottle of beer in front of him, looking to his left at Rex.
ALEX: WHAT'D ROMANO'S KID DO?
Page 17
1/ Rex tosses back his shot.
(No dialogue)
2/ Medium shot from bartender's POV of both Alex and Rex. Alex is taking a swallow from his bottle. Rex holds the empty shot glass in his hand.
REX: FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE KID THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO BE A HITTER. WENT OUT WITH A COUPLE OF ROMANO'S GUYS TO SHAKE DOWN SOME ASSHOLE ON THE STRIP THAT OWED SOME MONEY. ENDED UP SHOOTING THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE, TONS OF WITNESSES AROUND. GOT CAUGHT COLD.
REX(attached) SO ROMANO HAD ME KILL EIGHT PEOPLE. FOUR WITNESSES, THREE JURORS, AND THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR, A YOUNG KID HIMSELF. AND I DID THEM ALL. SHIT, IT WAS EIGHTY ****ING GRAND. I EVEN FINISHED THEM EARLY.
3/ Close-up on Rex, lighting a cigarette.
REX: NOW I'M GOING TO KILL ROMANO'S KID. HE DIDN'T WANT HIM TO GO TO JAIL? NOW HE CAN GO IN THE GROUND.
4/ Alex looks shocked, beer bottle halfway to his mouth.
ALEX: DAMN, REX. THAT'S COLD.
Page 18
1/ Half page shot of Rex, angry, body turned towards Alex. He still holds the shot glass in his hand. His other hand is up, index finger pointing at Alex.
REX: NO, THAT'S BUSINESS. YOU NEED TO GET THIS FACT THROUGH YOUR HEAD. YOU WANT TO BE IN THIS LIFE? YOU WANT ME TO TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT? YOU NEED TO REALIZE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME TERRIBLE SHIT. HELL, TWO OF THE WITNESSES I DID WERE YOUNG WOMEN IN THEIR EARLY TWENTIES. I STILL DID IT. I SHOT ONE OF THEM IN THE HEAD. I CUT THE OTHER'S THROAT.
REX(attached) YOU WANT TO KILL PEOPLE FOR A LIVING? YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT YOU'RE PLAYING FOR KEEPS. AND IF YOU LET SOMEONE GET AWAY WITH ****ING YOU OVER, YOU CAN KISS YOUR CAREER GOODBYE. THAT'S WHY I CAN'T LET THIS THING WITH ROMANO GO. THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO KILL HIS SON. HE NEEDS TO LEARN NOT TO **** WITH NICODEMUS REX.
(3 small square panels along the bottom of the page):
2/ Small shot of Alex, still holding his beer bottle, just staring at Rex.
(No dialogue)
3/ Small shot of Alex, chugging the beer down.
(No dialogue)
4/ Small shot of Alex, same as panel 2.
ALEX: OKAY REX. I GOT IT. LET'S DO THIS THING.
Page 19
1/ Close-up on Rex, cigarette in his mouth, the smoke curling up over his face and bald head.
REX: GOOD BOY.
2/ Medium shot of Rex, from behind, sitting on the corner of a ratty, filthy bed, in a ratty, filthy small hotel room. He is facing the window, which has the curtains drawn. He's looking down at Romano's file, which is open on his lap, we can only see part of it, the rest is obscured by his body.. He's not wearing his suit jacket, only a white wife-beater t-shirt, and he's covered in tattoos (which are not visible when he's got the full suit on). Note to artist: feel free to play with the tattoos, just cover his arms to the wrist, and up to the bottom of his neck.
(No dialogue)
CAP: THREE WEEKS AGO.
3/ Overhead shot of Rex sitting on the bed, the file spread open in his lap. He's holding a glossy photo of a pretty young woman in his right hand, a cigarette smokes in his left, which rests on his left knee.
REX (CAP): JOANNE MILNER. NOT BAD LOOKING, AT LEAST BEFORE HER HEAD GOT BLOWN OFF.
4/ Close-up on Rex's hand, placing the photo on the bed beside him, on top of a stack of other glossy photos, each with an X marked through them.
REX (CAP): THAT'S THE LAST OF THEM. EIGHT PEOPLE IN FOUR DAYS. ROMANO WILL BE HAPPY, HIS KID'S GOING TO WALK.
Page 20
1/ Medium shot of Rex snubbing out his cigarette in an ashtray on the bed next to the photos.
REX (CAP): AND I'LL BE HAPPY. I CAN TAKE THAT MONEY AND GO TO MEXICO AND NEVER COME BACK.
2/ Vertical shot of Rex standing at the window, looking out through a slit in the blinds,
cigarette smoldering in his left hand, a cell phone in his right, raised to his ear.
REX: MR. ROMANO.
REX (attached) YES, IT'S DONE.
REX (attached) YES. THIRTY MINUTES. YES.
3/ Vertical shot of Rex putting on his jacket, a pair of pistols are hung in shoulder holsters beneath his armpits.
(no dialogue)
4/ Horizontal shot of Rex stepping into the street, the file folder in his hand.
(no dialogue)
5/ Small shot of Rex hailing a cab.
(no dialogue)
Page 21
1/ Half page shot of Rex standing in front of a seemingly abandoned building. The brick is chipped and scarred and dirty, weeds are growing up between the sidewalk cracks, there's spray-paint all over the place, the windows are broken.
REX (CAP): THIS IS THE PLACE ROMANO SAID, RIGHT?
2/ Close-up on Rex pushing open the broken, boarded-up door. It's dark inside the building.
REX (CAP): THIS ISN'T RIGHT. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT.
3/ Close-up on Rex, stepping inside the building, his right hand inside his jacket, ready to pull the gun out from the armpit holster.
REX: WHAT THE HELL--?
4/ Close-up on Rex's head, reacting to a voice off to the side.
VOICE (off panel) COME ON IN, MR. REX.
Page 22
1/ Full page splash: slight overhead shot of Rex standing across from three men. Two nameless thugs hold guns on him. A man stands in the middle, dressed impeccably (this is the same man from page 5, Richie Gianni.
GIANNI: YOU DID FINE WORK, MR. REX, BUT I'M AFRAID MR. ROMANO HAS DECIDED TO GIVE YOU YOUR SEVERANCE PACKAGE.
FIN.