SIGNATURE LINES
MIDNIGHT
After the assignment gets posted, groups of writers gather to burn the midnight oil on writing the AFTER-12 one page script challenge. The cues are 9, 1 & 2; signature lines from movies and a signature act.
03:00 AM -- SCENE 1
Lead Actor panics as everything he turns on gets SMKD.
He breaks the computer, television and grabs the phone.
Lead Actor: “I never promised you a rose garden.”
His voice quavers.
He dials a number.
Secretary’s voice:
“Dial 1 if you want to fly the cuckoo’s nest;
Dial 2 for reaching Girl Interrupted,
Dial 3 if you’re in The Cell,
Dial 4 if you think I know what you did last summer or just
Go into the phone booth where the phone is ringing. Answer it!”
Weird sounds to follow as the Lead Actor throws the phone down.
“The number you’ve dialed is no longer in service, it is SMKD, but go ahead and walk into the hospital where the mad-err means the merrier.”
[To say the least, when writers getting together there are as many thoughts as there are genres]
04:00AM -- SCENE 2
CUT TO THE OFFICE
Lead Actor (Hereafter called LA) in sunglasses, hat and a Z on his cloak – disguised - on the couch.
PSYCIATRIST (P) : “I’m going to ask you some questions.”
She ticks the boxes off on the paper in the file.
P: “ Do you see dead people?”
LA: “ No! Unless you're a Zombie or Vampire.”
P: “ Do you still hear the lambs screaming?”
LA: “No, they’re running wild.”
P: “I hear you.”
P: “Are you King of the Britain’s?”
LA: “No, I’m not Arthur, King of the Brittan’s”.
P: “Did you take the blue pill?”
LA: “No I took the red one.”
P: “Is your TV leaking?”
LA: “I’m not falling for that one again, Brenda.”
P: “Does smiling make your face hurt?”
LA: “No, even smiling makes my face ache.”
{This can go on forever so the group moves on.}
P: “I’ll have to put you under hypnosis to find out why this is happening to you.
LA: “You have my vote.”
P: I’m going to count 9; 1, 2 and you’ll be fast asleep…Ready?”
LA lies down.
P: “9; 2; 1”
LA”…ZZZZZ”
P: “Now tell me when did you see SMKD first?
M (Sleepy): ”On my TV, it’s like it crept through the electrical cord into…”
PSYCIATRIST gets from the chair.
Secretary enters and blows a kiss at LA on couch.
P: (Whispers) ”Get the TWELVE colleagues to vote on his outcome – or not – no pun intended.”
When Secretary leaves, P smiles victorious.
P: “I hold the key to your future. ”
Secretary comes back.
S: “ 9 Voted against bringing him back; 1 abstained from voting…”
LA twiddles his toes.
P: ”Don’t say it…”
S: “ Say what?”
Secretary leaves.
05:00 AM -- SCENE 3.
Psychiatrist pulls the blanket over LA.
Secretary enters, falls on LA.
S: “I love you, Beast.”
{Is this not the signature line we’re all waiting for?}
Secretary gets from LA, opens vest and reveals guns.
Bang, bang, bang.
Psychiatrist goes down.
S: “9; 1, 2.”
LA wakes up.
S: “Am I a bad girl?”
LA: “I’ll have to see.”
A Zorro moment as he swings the blanket like a cloak and kneels in front of her.
LA: ”Told you: I’ll be back.”
The sun rises.
Breakfast is served.
CONCLUSION:
I’ve seen way better scripts, but this was fun.
Signature lines make movies unforgettable.
I’m thinking it will be great if I can come up with a signature line that one day I'll be remembered by.
A signature line that creates a turning point by daybreak and gains meaning as the day(s) go by.
Like in: “Good morning, have a nice day.”
