Month: August 2015

The Final Summons

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

 

hitman

He doesn’t know what hit him, doesn’t even feel my presence. No time to think or grovel.

I pull the trigger. The hammer drives the firing pin forward, striking the primer of the bullet cartridge. The gunpowder ignites. The shell casing is ejected, and the bullet travels down the barrel at a phenomenal speed. The spring recoils the slide, jerking my hand slightly. Cotton buds in my ears mask the explosion out of the muzzle. The bullet tears through the air, leaving a vacuum. A gentle stream of smoke fills the void. I’m prepared, nothing can prepare the receiver. The bullet penetrates the victim’s temple, leaving a wake of destruction. The head of the bullet is the most resistant, collecting energy through its journey. This is why the exit wound is messier. A plethora of tissue and brain matter becomes exposed on the rear wall. He’s dead before he hits the ground. Nerve impulses from the trauma lead to erratic finger twitches and leg spasms.  As the blood begins to coagulate, I remain calm. Making sure the safety catch is on, I remove the casing and find the bullet merged with a skirting board. Even after filing the serial number, the filth can trace residue to prove that the gun was fired and match it to the slug found. Cracking through the splintered wood and plaster, I extract the bullet, which has half disintegrated upon impact. Using a microfiber cloth, I wipe prints from the door, gun trigger and butt. I’m a ghost before anyone realises what has transpired. All in a day’s work.

“The Ice Man” Book Review

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

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There isn’t a high enough pedestal for Richard Kuklinski to put himself on. This book is a true story about the life of the sociopathic hitman and I use the term “true” very loosely.

Kuklinski was a Polish contract killer who operated out of New Jersey and is reputed to have killed over 100 people from the 1960’s to his arrest in 1986 following an undercover case. He was convicted of 5 murders and spent the rest of his life in prison, dying in 2006 whilst intending to testify against Sammy Gravano, John Gotti’s underboss. In this book, Kuklinski claims to have participated in some of the most high profile Mafia killings of the second half of the 21st century, including Jimmy Hoffa, Carmine Galante, Paul Castellano and Roy DeMeo, who he claimed to have worked for in several hits and introduced Kuklinski to several high up Syndicate members. He performed all his killings with chilling indifference, varying his methods from guns, to knives, to poison in order to avoid detection. His way of freezing victims to prevent time of death being determined earned him the nickname, The Iceman.

The book itself is a compelling reading. Philip Carlo had many meetings with Kuklinski inside prison and we really do get a vivid picture of his life – his troubled childhood to an abusive father, his disturbed brother, his broken marriage, his love for his family and his alternate persona as a cordial neighbour. This biography, more than a lot, gets inside Kuklinski’s head, to the point where the reader actually feels like they know him. Regardless of the validity of some of his claims, which I will get to shortly, Kuklinski is a fascinating character, so full of rage and hatred to the point where he is a human pressure cooker, a callous man uncaring to the suffering of the others. A violent man, the abused becomes an abuser. I do recommend watching some of the interviews on HBO just to even look at him. There’s nothing more scary than what is real. Despite his tough upbringing, he is pure evil. All this is true and incredibly intriguing. The rest of Kuklinski’s claims leave a lot to be desired.

First of all, the hits which I spoke about in the first paragraph are completely false. Without any shred of a doubt. Kuklinski has as much to do with these as he does with the Kennedy assassination (which surprisingly, he doesn’t take credit for). Hoffa was far too cautious a man at that point in his life as he strived to take control of the Teamsters. Regardless of any other heresay about the hit, Hoffa simply wouldn’t have gotten into the car with someone like Kuklinski. Castellano was far too important a target to delegate to someone else. The main point here is that the Mafia is a secret organisation full of experienced killers. Why would they hire a Polish hitman, who doesn’t follow the code of omerta and can’t be trusted, to murder one of their leaders? Not to mention the fact that a 6ft4, 250 pound behemoth isn’t the most inconspicuous man in the world. This brings me to another point where the book can’t go 5 pages without Kuklinski murdering someone. I’ve never been to America but it seems everyone there is really eager to antagonise a man of Kuklinski’s stature. It makes Kuklinski out to be almost supernatural, a creature out of fantasy as opposed to real life which has forensics, witnesses and common sense, none of which seem to exist when someone cuts Kuklinski off in traffic and berates him for no reason.

It’s qute baffling that Carlo, a man who has been around this world, takes everything Kuklinski says without hard evidence or general skepticism. It puts all the other assertions into disrepute. Kuklinski himself is made to be the lesser the several evils, killing an associate intending on poisioning a town’s water supply and rescuing trafficked children from a house. It all comes across as highly fantastical. The book goes out of it’s way to create a myth out of Kuklinski. Whilst he is a killer and cold blooded, most of his confirmed hits are people he knew from money laundering and pornography dealing. More than likely, he did some very low level work as a contract killer and may have killed a few unlucky people in the wrong place at the wrong time, but not much more than that. Certainly not any Mafia killings.

Whilst it’s validity is seriously compromised with no index or quotations, it’s still a gripping read. It’s entertaining the whole way through and it’s interesting to meet all these characters, from the mobsters, lowlifes and the police attempting to ensnare Kuklinski, which is actually the best part of the book. All the dialogue and descriptions of locations give it the quality of a novel. It’s quite repetitive though, you’ll be reading key phrases and thoughts repeatedly throughout.

The main question is should it be read and I think it should. The best thing to compare it to is Boardwalk Empire, a fictitious version of a real person interacting with historical crime figures. It is well written and features an undeniably engaging figure but it just simply isn’t believable. If you’re able to distance yourself from the facts, it is enjoyable. The film version starring Michael Shannon is also pretty good and excludes some of the more incredible statements. Take the two together for a frightening experience.

“Year of The Dragon” Review

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

Year of The Dragon

Michael Cimino is a whisper on the lips of the film industry. The infamous Heaven’s Gate besmirched his success with The Deer Hunter, bankrupted his studio and all but lead to him being blacklisted from high profile movies. Year of The Dragon was his last real chance at a comeback. Mixed reviews and an unsatisfactory box office return spelt the end of Cimino, a talented albeit obsessively autocratic director. Year of The Dragon is a mostly forgotten movie but does it hold up in any respects? Yes and no.

Mickey Rourke plays Stanley White, a Vietnam veteran and racist cop determined to bring an end to the new Triad leadership under Joey Tai (John Lone), an ambitious but brutal young gangster. A vicious struggle ensues between the two men which threatens both their professional and personal lives, culminating to the point where all they have is each other, and nothing left to lose.

The acting is both the film’s strongest and weakest points. Mickey Rourke is at the peak of his acting talent. White as a character is not particularly likeable but is still sympathetic despite risking everything through his rashness. However his character is supposed to be much older than Rourke and seeing him with his middle aged wife and dyed hair is off putting and awkward. John Lone is particularly good as Tai, a charismatic Triad who must circumvent his way to the top of the pecking order. He’s not above bring a rival’s head to a meeting to prove his power. The two actors perfectly compliment each other – completely different aside from their uncompromising personalities. Neither are going to settle for second best. White’s love interest, a reporter played by Ariane is, to be blunt, simply bad. She is wooden and unconvincing and many of her scenes are overly dramatic which brings down the grittiness of the main conflict.

That’s another issue which punctuates the either film, it’s a film of two halves. The main theme music is fitting and daunting, the dramatic music is sappy. Well plotted, well placed scenes are sullied by over indulence of politics as regards stereotypes. The screenplay, written by Oliver Stone, keeps the action moving and involved, but is let down by a lack of sharpness seen in Stone’s treatment of Scarface. Characters are also introduced and then forgotten about for a long time; a corrupt cop doesn’t have any payoff since on first viewing, I didn’t even know he was part of the plot. Michael Cimino, a perfectionist, should have used a few more takes in certain scenes, including an obvious dummy for a body being dragged. When he has scope though, he shines. His moving camera work, such as when Tai interrogates two hitmen, gives the film a briskness and grittiness, perfectly highlighting the world of the Chinese Mafia. The sweeping vistas of Thailand is a striking scene and punctuates that Cimino can create art when he has scope. The climax is genuine breathtaking with the wide shots and lighting creating a tense showdown which is really unforgettable.

Ultimately this is movie which doesn’t get its due credit. It’s not perfect by any stretch but I prefer to it’s more popular peers such as To Live and Die in LA or Black Rain. Unfortunately, the film did little to help Cimino’s career. It was made on schedule and budget so Cimino could clearly work well when given restraint. It’s a pity he never made a film as successful as The Deer Hunter. 

“An American Werewolf in London” Review

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

wolf

An American Werewolf in London is a horror/comedy by John Landis about a young American backpacker who finds himself transforming into a werewolf after being bitten in the Northern Moors.

David Naughton plays David and Griffin Dunne plays Jack, two friends who venture into an antagonistic and superstitious village where they are told to stay off the moors. The two get lost after leaving and are stalked by a mysterious creature which kills Jack and attacks David. The creature is fatally shot by the villagers and an unconscious David is brought to London where strange occurances begin to happen. David has strange nightmares and sees the ghost of Jack who warns him of his impending faith as a monster on the next full moon.

Whilst all this sounds serious and standard monster movie fare, the film differenciates itself through sharp writing and humour. The horrifying elements are perfectly balanced out with some genuinely funny moments, such as when David tries to get himself locked up by calling Price Charles a “faggot”. The use of music is particularly well done, a sardonic charm is given to some emotional scenes and the ending itself, which I won’t spoil, is abrupt but it’s the right kind of abrupt to toy with the emotions of the viewers. The dreams within dreams, influenced by The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise, also are inspired and creative, giving the first half a more surreal quality. The second half is all too real as David transforms into a werewolf and causes havoc on the streets of London. The special effects are of particular note. The metamorphosis is without a doubt the best in any werewolf film. The prosthetics and animatronics create an organic feel where you can really feel the pain and trauma of such a physical change. If your body was to actually become a wolf, these contortions and mutations is what you should expect it to be. The final design is also memorable, but Landis does a good job of holding the audience in suspense through point of view shots and close ups to keep the creature enigmatic. Jack’s makeup is also distinctive as a decaying hallucination, whose appearances become more rotting. Rick Baker definitely deserved an Oscar for his work.

Make Up is no good however if the story can’t back it up. The acting can come across a bit stilted at times but it mostly works through likeable characters, especially the ghosts of David’s victims who are cheery and helpful. One of the strongest points is that it shows revereance and respect for the source material. Similar to an equally good Fright Night, it does something different and tries to be unique but doesn’t try to change the lore and mythology of its core appeal. It’s a modern retelling with a lot of charm.  It is ultimately an enjoyable experience and gave a new found respect to the monster made popular by Lon Chaney Jr’s The Wolf Man. Credit to John Landis and Rick Baker who turned a conventional formula into an exceptional one.

The Sleeper

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

 

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He could have been anyone. 6 foot, pockmark cheeks, thick glasses, greying hair emerging from underneath a homburg. Skin was coarse, lips faintly cracked. Tie perfectly knotted. He would occasionally straighten it even though it was never loose. Right eye is droopy, but easy to miss. This created a minute discolouring, which contrasted with the darkness of his left eye.

He lives in this small house in a cordial estate. Nobody would come to visit him. The serenity, being unperturbed by the troubles of the world might be appealing to him. He likes taking care of his front garden; the smell of freshly cut grass would constantly permeate the air. He wouldn’t trim it if anyone else was around though. Never says more than he has to. Simple requests – in, out, thank you, goodbye. He would never gaze at anyone he’d pass on the street, nor would they wish him a good morning.

Inside his house, there would’ve been a different aura. He’d have photographs of a young girl, hung with pristine delicacy. Every picture different, yet similar. The grain on them would be slightly besmirched, but free of dust and dirt.  The bad memories would be preserved, not by choice. It would follow him everywhere. He couldn’t forget the past any more than he could escape the future it caused. Towns change, everything stays the same. Rather than hiding from it anymore, he indulges it. He lies in bed, dreaming of the girl in the photographs. The ultimate taboo.

Relevance of Music in Cinema

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

isolated three dimensional negative roll with musical notes

As an established narrative, it would very ignorant to simply say that music is an afterthought to be completed in editing. Some of cinema’s most memorable scenes are based around “preexistent music”. An example would be the sardonic use of “Happy Heart” in Shallow Grave, where all the actions are keeping to the beat of the music. This flawless editing can make disassociation with the song difficult, because they work so well together. In Apocalypse Now, the lyrics of “The End” are excised as Martin Sheen is killing Colonel Kurtz. All sound is drowned out and the use of the music alone creates a very distinctive scene. Many films use music as signifiers of time and genre. Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” is the one of the main representations of the 1960’s in movies. Due to overexposure, it has become cliché to use such music in this manner and it loses its strength as a nondiegetic sound. Music is also an enhancement of the film’s marketability. This is especially true for a film like Titanic. James Cameron didn’t originally want to use “My Heart Will Go On” for Titanic, but its usage definitely helped ticket sales and it is just as popular as the film.

Music is definitely manipulative and if you are looking out for it, it is easy to identify. Some directors use this increased recognition against its audience to great effect. An example would be An American Werewolf in London. The ending here is very dramatic, with the likeable main character being killed and his girlfriend crying over his dead body. The scene then abruptly cuts to credits with an upbeat rendition of “Blue Moon”. Your emotion goes from horror to laughter in a second at just how surreal and unexpected this is. This is a great example of a director using narrative to play with your responses, with the music being the driving force.

Many scenes are written without composed music in mind, whilst others depend greatly on music for emotional impact. The shootouts in Heat and Taxi Driver feel very gritty and realistic as the lack of music allows us to hone in on the sound of the action itself. We have grown accustomed to music in action films, most of it today being frantic and forgettable. Absence of music can be as pertinent to a filmmaker in scenes where we expect it. The end credits of the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers has no music whatsoever which keeps in tune with the shocking hopelessness of the conclusion. On the flip side, it is hard to imagine some scenes without music. The theme in the last scene of The Long Good Friday compliments the superb facial expressions of Bob Hoskins, from shock, to anger, to acceptance. Without music, it would just be 2 minutes of a man in the back seat of a car. Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In America had the music composed and playing during filming. There are many long scenes where the only real narration is the music. One scene has Robert de Niro returning to his friend’s restaurant and reminiscing. The emotional resonance of “Deborah’s Theme” is a signifier of all Noodles’ regrets and losses. The music turns a simple shot into something all the more beautiful and tragic, which is something that couldn’t be accomplished without it. Music clearly has many capabilities as a powerful narrative device.

“44 Inch Chest” Review

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

 

44-Inch-Chest-001

44 Inch Chest is a hard drama about a man broken by his wife’s infidelity and his friends’ attempts to restore his manhood through revenge.
44 Inch Chest stars Ray Winstone as Colin, a car salesman who returns home one day to a reveal that his wife, Liz (Joanna Whaley) is having an affair. He suffers a breakdown and obsessively listens to Harry Nillson’s “Without You”. His friends however come up with a plan to kidnap her lover and have Colin kill him. His motley friends include the mother’s boy, Archie (Tom Wilkinson), volatile hard man, Mal (Stephen Dillane), racist and bigoted Old Man Peanut (John Hurt) and suave homosexual, Meredith (Ian McShane). They all join in verbally and psychologically abusing the lover as Colin struggles with his guilt, anger and sorrow.
If it doesn’t sound like there’s much of a plot, there isn’t. Most of the film takes place in one room where it’s all talk, no action. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One of the main problems was how it was advertised. Trailers made it out to be another fast paced Lock/Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Sexy Beast. It is actually a very deliberate and slowly paced film which is both an advantage and disadvantage. I remember when I first watched this film and hating it. I thought it was the most boring, uneventful film ever. The second time I watched it, years later, my impressions were better. It was still a bit cumbersome, but I appreciated it more for what it does on its own merits.
One thing it does excel at is delivering an actor’s movie. All the roles are perfectly cast. Ray Winstone is in one of his better performances since Nil by Mouth. He is quieter and much more sensitive and delivers a fantastic monologue about the nature of love. A man’s life is in his hands and his marriage is shattered so his indecisiveness is realistic and rather thought provoking about what defines someone as a man. According to his friends, being a man is killing the lover, but Colin doesn’t readily accept that. John Hurt is great playing against type as a very vulgar, Albert Steptoe like character. He is the most vocal about killing the lover and Hurt provides his dialogue with such insensitive venom. The largely unknown Stephen Dillane is also very good as Mal, who is both friendly and has a fiery temper. Tom Wilkinson has the least to work with as the good natured Archie who shows much concern for Colin. Ian McShane is the best though as Meredith. He is mostly indifferent to whether or not Colin kills the lover, but he is definitely on his side and exudes such charm that you can’t take your eyes off him. He steals the show.
It’s the length and pacing where 44 Inch Chest falters at. There is so many unnecessary scenes in an already short film. One involves Archie talking to another man with a dog about how Colin has to kill the lover. Absolutely nothing is added that we don’t already know. We never find out who this man is, why is trusted with such secret information and if he is trusted, why doesn’t he partake in the kangaroo court? There’s also many stories being told by the characters which only serve to kill time. The best involves Meredith conning another gambler in a well shot scene, but in the grand scheme of the film, it is completely irrelevant. The film definitely would have worked better as a play if the script was tightened because it does have some great dialogue and acting. It is more moving than you’d expect and does have some interesting connotations and commentary about the insecurities and flaws inherent in humans. Give it a watch and make of it what you will.

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” Analysis

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

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Dr. Caligari is a fine example of German Expressionism and one of the first true cinematic horror films. It’s easy for those who haven’t seen it to simply say that, at 95 years old, it would be crude and an experimentation. To say that would be missing out on one of the most visually striking and influential silent films ever made.

Hermann Warm, one of the designers of The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari settings, claimed that “films must be drawings brought to life”. This idea gives Dr. Caligari a very surreal look. It is full of bizarre, two dimensional shapes where everything is unnaturally sharp or diagonal. The sets complement the innovative use of Dutch angles, in which Caligari was a pioneer. All this gives the film a sense of disorientation and menace. Use of colour changes reflects a world which has no moral centre. Everything seems to be on the brink of breaking down, physically and mentally. The music also creates an unsettling atmosphere. The use of the violin really heightens some of the movie’s more interesting and tense moments. Once again, this music does seem to have sparked creativity in following films, particular John Carpenter and his The Thing. Whilst watching Caligari, it greatly reminded of the scene where Kurt Russell explores the burnt remains of the Norwegian camp.

The storyline is very original for its time. Its plot twist at the end, where Francis is revealed to be an inmate at the asylum and that Caligari is actually his doctor, has inspired many notable examples, such as Shutter Island or The Game. It made popular the use of unreliable narration and distortion of events within the story, leaving a very dreamlike quality. More than just the plot twist, Caligari also had a large role in creating conventions of the horror genre in Hollywood cinema. One of the main ones is using an insane figure who has control over another being to carry out their evil deeds. Notable examples include Dracula and Renfield in Dracula or Doctor Pretorius and the Monster in Bride of Frankenstein. Indeed, the Frankenstein Monster probably owes a lot of his appearance to the Somnambulist, Cesare, in Caligari. The dishevelled, pale and deathly look and clothing seems to be, at least in some part, an influence in the makeup of the first Frankenstein Monster played by Boris Karloff.

The story may be criticised by some as being slow and nonsensical, but that’s missing the point of the film. It really was rather intriguing to get inside the head of someone who is insane and how he perceives the world; nothing is as it should be. It definitely delivers what I think is more important in a horror film- something that is chilling and unsettling, rather than flat out scary. There really is nothing more frightening than the human mind and its capabilities. What’s real is the most unnerving; the psychological horror, and the reveal that the other characters are also merely inmates of the asylum leaves us with an unforgettable conclusion. It provides very interesting analysis in that it doesn’t really matter what theories you have about the world outside what the real Caligari makes of Francis. Did Alan actually exist or was he even killed by Francis (as he is unseen at the end), how does Caligari intend to cure Francis, is Caligari’s experimentation operating on a moral level and how is Francis induced into his fugue state to reveal his insanity? It makes no difference. It’s what you make of the story and that will always be the right answer. Personally, I think Caligari staged certain events in the asylum to create delusions in Francis’s mind, almost seeming to thus push him further into madness. I think Caligari believes the ends justify the means and will do anything to further his own knowledge of the human mind, with illusions of goodwill towards his patients. That’s just my debatable opinion. Regardless, Caligari definitely seems to have stood the test of time, leaving the same sense of impact which must have been felt by contemporary audiences.

10 Minute Play

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

 

Dinner For Two

 

CHARACTERS

Max

Eddie

 

 

[Enter a small, bare living room. MAX is running around franticly setting the table. He is in his mid-20’s. He has an apron and a cook’s hat on. He notices a stain on one of the glasses and vigorously wipes it with the back of his apron. The door knocks loudly three times.]

 

MAX: It’s open!

 

[A man in his mid 40’s enters the room. He is wearing a caramel suit and a homburg and has steeled rimmed glasses.]

 

MAX: Mr Byrne, I’m glad you could make it.

 

EDDIE: Max.

 

MAX: Would you like to take a seat?

 

[Eddie continues to stand and stares blankly].

 

EDDIE: Yes, I would like a seat. You hardly expect me to eat while standing, do you?

 

[Max laughs with insincerity]

 

MAX: Of course not.

 

[EDDIE takes off his hat and sits down rigidly. MAX walks off stage and comes back with pitcher of wine]

 

MAX: I hope you like red.

 

EDDIE: I don’t.

 

MAX: Oh.

 

[Both of them stare at each other for a second]

 

EDDIE: Is there a problem?

 

MAX: I beg your pardon?

 

EDDIE: Why are you standing there like a dog who just shat on the carpet?

 

[Max quickly looks behind him towards kitchen]

 

MAX: I think the steaks are done.

 

[Walks off stage, EDDIE talks loudly to him]

 

EDDIE: You do know I’m only here because ‘Shaughnessy’s’ is closed? You know that, don’t know?

 

MAX: Yeah, I heard about it. What happened to that again?

 

EDDIE: Some git left a fag lighting in one of the bins. Whole place is burned down. The old man has no insurance, can you believe that? Took it out and spent it all on the track, the poor bastard.

 

MAX: Jesus, that’s terrible.

 

EDDIE: Terrible? It’s an abomination. Man’s worked there his whole life, worked his weight in gold. Never got something for nothing, never got any breaks. Then all of it–gone, up in smoke.

 

[Max comes back with plates]

 

MAX: Stupid prick. He’ll be sorry when he’s picking up his teeth from a wheelchair.

 

EDDIE: You’ll see to that, won’t you Max? I’m doing you a favour here, so you can do me a favour. Your man Shaughnessy is a friend, good friend. I’d like to do it, but I’m a bit busy myself.

 

MAX: Yeah, I’ll find him, that’s no trouble.

 

[Pause]

 

MAX: Mr. Byrne—

 

EDDIE: Call me Eddie.

 

MAX: Eddie. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make this out as if it’s some sort of…I don’t know, chore.

 

EDDIE: Chore?

 

MAX: Well, we’ve been working together a long time. Just thought it would be a good thing to do. Get to know each other.

 

EDDIE: Jesus, what is this? A member’s only tea party? “Golly gosh, I’m sure glad you had me over, let’s go for a walk in the park afterwards. We’ll have some ice cream”. Do you want us to discuss philosophy over the fireplace, with caviar and smoking jackets and brandy—

 

MAX: I do have some brandy.

[Pause]

 

EDDIE: Well, that’ll do for starters… I know you might find this hard to believe Max, but I like you. I like your work. You’re thorough. All you have do is lose the pair of tits and I may like you a bit more. Come on, give me that steak before it goes cold.

 

[Two eat silently for a minute]

 

MAX: What do you think?

 

EDDIE: Well, I’m no culinary genius, but it’s a bit stringy.

 

[Max raises his eyebrows and continues eating].

 

EDDIE: So, do you have a girlfriend?

 

MAX: Something like that.

 

EDDIE: Oh yeah. You going to settle?

 

MAX: It’s early days yet. I love her but, I’m not sure. Just have to wait and see.

 

EDDIE: Be sure to get a move on. Don’t you want a dynasty?

 

MAX : Um…

 

EDDIE: Kids, whatever. The most important thing in life is to leave something behind.

 

MAX: I’ll drink to that.

 

EDDIE: I barely see the wife these days. If I’m not doing one thing for Vinnie, I’m doing another.

 

MAX: No time off. Its go, go, go.

 

EDDIE: Goddamn right. Goddamn right you’re right. You know, they say that the cops never sleep in this city. I say to hell with that, it’s the crooks who need their beauty sleep more than anyone else. [smiles wryly] Am I wrong?

 

MAX: You aren’t. I’m the same, like. Do you know that place on 57th street, the laundromat?

 

EDDIE: The chink joint?

 

MAX: Yeah, that’s the one. Son of a bitch has been stonewalling me for weeks. “No money! No money this week!” I just get sick of his crock of shit, I get one of the boys and we go and try and smash the place up. The guy’s in the corner, sobbing like a child. His wife comes out, she always looked like a tart. I thought she’d be nothing. Next thing I know, she pulls a .45, blows the other guy’s toes off. She’s firing like crazy, I’m ducked behind one of the machines. She’s screaming in whatever language. The other guy is scared shitless and, of course, I forgot to bring my snub. Left it at home.

 

EDDIE: Mistake.

 

MAX: Yeah. I just stop thinking, I make a break for the door, I hear the pig sirens. The rest was just a daze, I can’t even remember what happened. But it was crazy. I had to hide out for days, wait for everything to die down.

 

EDDIE: Such is the nature of what we do.

 

MAX: Tell me about it.

 

EDDIE: You should have a piece on you all the time.

 

MAX: I know. I hear you like to stockpile.

 

EDDIE: That don’t matter, I haven’t had an itchy trigger finger since high school. It’s in case those Reds come knockity knock knocking. Can’t be too careful.

 

[MAX smirks]

 

MAX: I take it you’re a fan of Joe McCarthy.

 

EDDIE: No, I don’t really like The Beatles all that much.

 

[MAX frowns slightly and looks down]

 

MAX: Me neither.

 

[ EDDIE pushes his half eaten plate across the table. MAX attempts to conceal offense].

 

EDDIE: Anyway Max, I’m going to level with you. I didn’t come here for the steak.

 

[More to himself]

 

MAX: I can see that.

 

[EDDIE doesn’t hear.]

 

EDDIE: I’ve got a little deal coming in. It’s a pet project of mine I’ve been doing on the side. You may be interested, you may not, I’m not sure. But there’s a lot of money to be made and I could use a bagman.

 

 

[Max leans forward with interest]

 

MAX: What kind of deal?

 

EDDIE: Heroin.

 

[Max attempts to respond but is immediately cut down]

 

EDDIE: I know, I know what you’re going to say. Vinnie doesn’t like it. Don’t talk to me, just listen. But it is the way of the future. If it’s controlled and regulated, it’s safe.

 

MAX: That’s a federal crime though. You’ll bring a lot of heat down on us.

 

EDDIE: Everyone’s going to look the other way once we keep their pockets lined, do a favour here and there to stay quiet. If you have to play someone, all you have to do is get music they want to listen to. It’s that simple. This is a big opportunity. I mean, you can’t cook for shit, but you’re good people. I can see that now. I want you part of this.

 

MAX: It seems very tempting, Eddie.

 

EDDIE: Look, let’s just forget about it now. We’re just talking, speaking about it. Sleep on it, see how you feel in the morning.

 

MAX: Yeah, sure.

 

[EDDIE nods slowly, then looks towards the kitchen]

 

EDDIE: You said you had brandy, didn’t you?

 

MAX: Yeah. I’ll get us two glasses.

 

EDDIE: You do that.

 

[MAX leaves to kitchen. EDDIE puts his feet up and looks around the room. MAX comes back]

 

 

EDDIE: Thank you.

 

[MAX looks towards desk behind EDDIE].

 

MAX: You know, I never showed you a picture of her.

 

[MAX walks to counter, EDDIE half-heartedly looks back]

 

EDDIE: Who?

 

MAX: My girlfriend.

 

[EDDIE, mildly disinterested, turns back towards kitchen]

 

EDDIE: Is she cute?

 

MAX: Very. I think you’ll like her.

 

EDDIE: Nice tits?

 

MAX: You could say that.

 

EDDIE: I do say that. Do you have any other way of putting it?

 

[EDDIE drinks slowly].

 

EDDIE: No offense. I’m sure she’s lovely.

 

 

MAX: None taken.

 

[MAX walks towards EDDIE who doesn’t look back. MAX is holding onto a snub nose and points it at EDDIE. He fires. EDDIE slumps over the table, his glass shatters on the ground. EDDIE is motionless.]

 

MAX: Mistake, Eddie.

 

[MAX moves the plates towards his end of the table. He then reaches into EDDIE’S pocket and pulls out his wallet. He strolls over to the phone and dials a number. He stares at EDDIE as he waits]

 

MAX: Vinnie, it’s Max. Yeah, it was him. He was in charge of the dope…Because he told me so… No, I took care of it. I can dump him upstate, I know a place…Yeah, I thought he’d never get relaxed…No, he didn’t like the steak.

 

 

 

CURTAIN

Introduction

Posted on by Kevin McElligott

Hiya,

I hope you’re all keeping well and welcome to my blog. The bulk of my content will revolve around my own writing and criticial analysis of feature films, both of which I am currently studying in college. For more information of my own interests and what the blog will entail in the future, there’s a specific page which goes into more detail. Any feedback or opinion would be greatly appreciated. It’s all in good fun anyway.

Remember, one word can change the world.

 

Kevin