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Lesson 22
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Subject line: Stephen Maynard Act 4 Climax
“What I
learned doing this assignment is…?” I learned the essentials of a Climax
and I practiced applying the essentials in a sequence to arrive at the
beginnings of a good climax.Outline Key Sequence 3.
BEGINNING: The Thugs think they’ve got the money but they have captured Chuey.
MIDDLE: The Boys must rescue Chuey.
END: Chuey and the boys capture the villains and their henchmen.
Write Key Scene 3: Climax – The Ultimate Expression of The Conflict.
INT. HUMMER – NIGHT
The vehicle enters a wooded area and slows.
PEAKED-LOOKING THUG
Come on, Gut. Let’s count the money and
take our cut before the boss sees how
much we got.
In the back seat, the other two thugs open the backpack and see only Chuey.
CHUEY
I didn’t know money could taste so good.
SHORT FAT THUG
Don’t let him out. And stop calling me Gut.
Tall Skinny zips the backpack shut.
CHUEY (OS)
Thank you very little.
INT. BARN – NIGHT
Bradford opens the backpack and sees Chuey.
TALL SKINNY THUG
The dog ate the money. He confessed.
Gordon slaps him.
GORDON
You idiot, dogs can’t talk. Where’s the money?
TALL SKINNY THUG
I’m telling you, boss. This dog can talk. Let’s cut
him open, we’ll find the money.
Gordon slaps him again.
GORDON
What have you done with the money?
SHORT FAT THUG
Make him talk, Boss. The dog ate all the friggin
money.
Bradford slaps the fat thug repeatedly.
BRADFORD
(to Fat Thug)
Listen to me, Gut. Get with your henchmen
and figure out where that money went.
Dogs don’t eat money.
GORDON
We’ll be back in thirty minutes. You have that
money here or mother gets a call.
SHORT FAT THUG
(whimpering)
We’ll find the money, Boss. Please don’t
tell mother.
INT. BARN – NIGHT
The three thugs stand bleary-eyed holding kitchen knives and looking down on Chuey who lies spreadeagle on a woden saddle stand.
Short Fat brandishes a knife in his left hand.
CHUEY
Not again.
Short Fat drains the last drop of Cognac from a bottle and tosses the empty to the floor. It hits the other empty Cognac bottle shattering both. He hands the knife to the tall skinny thug.
SHORT FAT THUG
We’ll go in through his back. Go ahead and
make the first cut there.
TALL SKINNY THUG
You moron, that‘s where the lungs are. The
money’s in his gut.
PEAKED-LOOKING THUG
So where exactly is the gut on a dog?
SHORT FAT THUG
How should I know? Just cut down the spine.
CHUEY
Come on, people. Be nice, and I’ll take
you to the loot at sun-up.
Short Fat cuts Chewey loose.
SHORT FAT THUG
Put him in the backpack.
LATER
Peaked pears out from the open hay door, idly fiddling with the hoisting pulley. He pulls on the pully rope, lowering the hay carrier to the ground.
Skinny unzips the backpack, takes Chuey out, and puts him on the floor.
TALL SKINNY THUG
Stretch those legs and get back in there.
At the hay door, Peaked notices moving headlights as a vehicle leaves the highway and heads toward the barn.
PEAKED-LOOKING THUG
They’re coming.
SHORT FAT THUG
Get down here. Open the door, Skinny.
Skinny staggers over, puts his back into it, and struggles the barn door open.
The Limozine rolls in.
Peaked descends on the loft ladder and goes and stands by Short Fat and Skinny.
SHORT FAT THUG
I told you to clean up that glass.
PEAKED-LOOKING THUG
Why do I always have to clean stuff up?
Gordon and Bradford leave the limousine and approach the bleary-eyed thugs.
BRADFORD
Have you idiots been drinking?
EXT. BARN – SAME
Stevie and Johnny climb the hay carrier rope and enter the barn through the hay door.
INT. BARN – SAME
Johnny looks around assessing the situation. He slides the trolly on the rail, positioning the block and tackle above the five men.
Stevie looks down at Bradford and Gordon who loudly chastise the three thugs.
Chuey looks up at Stevie, runs to Gordon, and puts a bite on his ankle.
Gordon lurches away from Chuey and into Bradford, who catches and steadies him.
Lasso nooses fall from above. One circles the three thugs and one circles Bradford and Gordon.
The nooses tighten around the man and they are hoisted kicking and wailing.
They take a ride via the hay trolly to the center of the barn where the five men look down at their shoes, dangling ten feet above the barn floor.
Bradford
What the hell is this, Gut?
SHORT FAT THUG
Stop calling me Gut.
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Steve Jones Act 4 climax
What I learned doing this assignment is that huge problems can be dealt with badly for now if it keeps you writing.
INT. WOODS – DAY
BEGINNING: Harry goes to face Worple alone.
MIDDLE: Harry fights for his life and nearly wins but Worple will get away.
END: Harry’s friends arrive and help him.
INT. EARTH SPACEPORT – CHECK IN – DAY
Harry and Carina are standing in separate lines waiting to be processed. Harry is sweating.
He gets to the front of the line and is scanned. Carina watches him go through. Ten minutes later they both head into the departure lounge and then onto the shuttle.
INT. SHUTTLE – DAY
Harry and Carina take seats a few rows apart and settle in for the flight.
As the ship leaves Earth, Harry watches through a window before turning away from the view.
INT. MARS SPACEPORT – ARRIVALS – DAY
The shuttle lands as the police get into place. Passenger lists are scanned and robots positioned to monitor arrivals.
The passengers start to come through.
Harry joins the back of a queue. He now looks slightly different.
He arrives at a check in desk and hands over his passport. The CHECK IN AGENT scans it and Harry is scanned.
CHECK IN AGENT
Purpose of your visit?
HARRY
Business.
CHECK IN AGENT
How long are you with us?
HARRY
It shouldn’t take long to wrap things up.
The Agent hands Harry his passport back.
CHECK IN AGENT
Enjoy your stay with us.
Harry walks through. He passes Prup and his robot who both give him a glance and then pass onto the next arrival. Harry is approaching the door when he hears a commotion. He turns to see Carina standing between Prup and his robot.
CARINA
Is there a problem?
PRUP
We need you to come with us.
CARINA
Why? I’m a citizen here. What right do you have to do this?
PRUP
It’s just a formality.
Carina is led away.
Harry turns to look at the spaceport exit, then back to Carina being led away. He turns back to the doors and leaves the spaceport.
A robot going into the spaceport passes him in the doorway.
EXT. WOODLAND CLEARING – DAY
Harry arrives at the clearing. He scans it from behind a tree before crossing to the far side and hiding behind another tree.
Peep and Worple arrive. Peep guides Worple to the bench and Worple has a seat.
Harry watches from behind the tree until Peep creeps up behind him and hits him at the base of the neck.
Harry staggers forwards into the clearing and Peep is about to grab him when Harry holds his stun gun to his own neck.
HARRY
What happens if I fire right here?
WORPLE
You have it in you?
HARRY
I have it in me to pull the trigger and destroy the contents of the phial inside me, yes.
WORPLE
Hold your horses there Koala. Peep, stand down for a second. But stay on point.
HARRY
Where do you go for the final piece of the puzzle if I destroy this one? Everyone will be onto you even if there’s no proof you killed the others. You could wait years for the dust to settle before you to get the chance to bring it here again.
WORPLE
You really think you can pull the trigger? I know that’s a stun gun but that sort of impact at close range will kill you or leave you a drooling imbecile.
HARRY
Some would say that was an improvement.
WORPLE
Peep, take his gun.
Peep moves towards Harry.
HARRY
I’ll do it! Don’t take another step you little psycho shit licker!
Peep moves round Harry trying to get closer.
HARRY (cont’d)
Fuck this.
Harry brings his gun towards Peep who dives to Harry’s left before moving like lightning to get closer. He jabs Harry in the throat while pushing the gun skywards.
Harry falls to his knees gasping. Peep steps back and Harry raises the gun again. Peep kicks out at it but Harry rolls away and fires. He clips Peeps shoulder and Peep freezes, spasms and then falls to the floor.
Harry dives on Peep and pins his hands behind his back before kneeling on them. He holds the gun on Worple and slowly drags Peep onto his knees and then squats behind him with the gun close to Peep’s head.
WORPLE
Don’t kill him. He’s a child! He can’t help his nature.
HARRY
I’m not a murderer.
WORPLE
Neither am I.
HARRY
So, who killed those immigrants?
WORPLE
Peep did.
HARRY
Who ordered you to do that?
The unconscious Peep says nothing.
WORPLE
So, what? They were life’s flotsam and they washed up on the wrong shore.
HARRY
They didn’t deserve to die so you could live a few more years.
WORPLE
They deserved to die because they were cowards. They were running away from their lives on Earth. Boohoo!
Peep wakes and starts to struggle. He nearly escapes.
HARRY
Hold still!
WORPLE
You need another pair of hands. Where are your friends when you need them?
CARINA
Right here, dickhead.
Worple spins round to see Carina and the robot. Standing on the edge of the clearing.
HARRY
Hi guys. (To the robot) You recording this?
ROBOT
Every syllable.
WORPLE
What?
HARRY
Including his confession?
ROBOT
Every syllable.
HARRY
Looks like you’re going to spend the rest of you artificially extended life in jail. Oh, hang on. We don’t have jails here so it will have to be on Earth.
Peep makes a run for it and Harry stuns him so he falls to the ground on his face.
HARRY (cont’d)
That’s got to sting.
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