Lesson 22

[Stephen Maynard]

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.

[Steve Jones]

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.