8mm Page #16

MRS CHRISTIAN:

Nothing more than a bother. Have

you any news for me?

INT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS

WELLES:

(into phone)

I've made progress. I'm in

Manhattan. Once a few more pieces

fall into place, I'll drive to you

and give you an update.

MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.)

(from phone)

Fine...

MRS. CHRISTIAN is HEARD COUGHING. Welles waits.

WELLES:

I've got about five thousand left in

cash, but I'll need another thirty,

if you approve.

MRS CHRISTIAN:

How will I get it to you?

WELLES:

If you have a pencil and paper, I'll

tell you how to send it.

EXT. MOTEL, HELL'S KITCHEN -- NIGHT

A TAXI pulls over in front of this flea-bag motel. Max gets

out with a SUITCASE, looks at the dubious accommodations.

INT. MOTEL, MAX'S ROOM -- NIGHT

Max enters with Welles, turns on a light and throws his

suitcase on the bed. The room is disgusting.

MAX:

You didn't say it was gonna be this

luxurious.

WELLES:

It's their Presidential Suite.

MAX:

Great.

Max looks in the bathroom.

MAX:

Oh, come on, man, what are we doing

in this flea bag?

WELLES:

It's cheap, and people know to mind

their own business. What have you

got for me?

Max opens his suitcase, takes out THREE VIDEO TAPES.

He hands them to Welles. The boxes are covered in jumbled

PHOTO COLLAGES:
American flag, S+M men and women, a skull,

mannequins, a scorpion, cut-outs of arms, legs and eyeballs.

MAX:

Dino Velvet.

INT. WELLES' MOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT

Welles is lit by the flicker from the TELEVISION SCREEN. WE

SEE NOTHING. We HEAR the rhythmic MUFFLED MOANS of a WOMAN

from the TV, can't tell if it's pleasure or pain.

Max is asleep in the bed, PIZZA BOX near his feet.

Welles drinks beer, gets up and ejects the CASSETTE from a

VCR, tosses it aside, tired. He picks another Dino Velvet

TAPE, puts it in, sits.

ON TV:
GOTHIC ROCK is HEARD over old, scratchy IMAGES: of

Klansmen around a burning cross... Dracula menacing a

sleeping woman... a man in a Devil costume dancing...

Welles opens another beer.

ON TV:
a WOMAN is tied up, arms in the air, hanging from the

ceiling, gagged and blindfolded, in a dungeon lit by

candelabras. Then, glimpsed IMAGES: worms writhing in

slime... gargoyles... a guillotine falling. Then, the bound

woman, struggling. A MASKED MAN in a leather jacket enters.

He wears a LEATHER MASK with zipper eyes and mouth...

This focuses Welles' attention.

ON TV:
the Masked Man circles the captured woman...

WELLES:

Max... wake up...

Max awakens, rolling over, groggy.

MAX:

Wha... ?

WELLES:

(points at TV)

Who is this, in the mask? Who is he?

Max tries to see, eyes barely open.

MAX:

He's one of the lunatics Dino uses.

He's in a bunch of these.

Welles watches. On the TV, Masked Man takes off his jacket

shirtless, reveals an impossibly muscled body. Huge arms,

thick chest, oiled, dotted in pimples.

MAX:

Why? He have something to do with

whatever you're into?

Still watching the behemoth on TV, Welles is less sure.

ON TV:
the bulging Masked Man flexes, ripped.

WELLES:

No... it's nothing... that's not him.

Welles rubs his eyes, sits back. Max sits up, watching.

ON TV:
Masked Man pulls the bound woman's head back by her

hair, licks her face with his thick tongue...

CLOSE ON:
Masked Man grips the woman's head, still licking.

He pulls down the woman's blindfold...

Welles sits forward, realizing, horrified...

Welles goes to the VCR, hits PAUSE. The IMAGE on TV

FREEZES. Welles goes back, FRAME by FRAME...

... to the CLOSE UP where Masked Man grips the woman's face.

FREEZE FRAME. On Masked Man's hand: a TATTOO, on the arch

between his forefinger and thumb, same as the scrawny Masked

Man in the snuff film. A PENTAGRAM TATTOO.

WELLES:

Who is he?

MAX:

I told you, he's one of Dino

Velvet's stock players...

WELLES:

Who is he, his name?

MAX:

Nobody knows his name. That's his

thing. He always wears a mask. You

never see his face. He calls

himself "Machine," that's what they

call him. Machine.

Welles hits PLAY. On TV, Masked Man runs his hands up and

down the woman's body. The woman's eyes are filled with

fear. Welles sits, unnerved, watching.

MAX:

They say he's half brain-dead from

all the steroids he's using.

Max rolls over, trying to get back to sleep.

MAX:

He's a brutal motherf***er, man. He

loves what he does for a living.

INT. WELLES' MOTEL ROOM -- DAY

Welles enters, carries an OVERNIGHT PACKAGE and his LOCK

BOX. At the desk, he tears open the package, opens the

MANILA ENVELOPE inside; finds FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS in

thousand dollar bills, wrapped in plastic and masking tape.

Welles takes the lock box to the bed and works the

combination, opens it. He takes out the holster, stands

looking down at the gun. He puts the holster on.

EXT. 1204 WAREHOUSE -- DAY

Welles' Ford waits with turn signal on. A car pulls out of

a parking space. Welles takes the space.

INT. WELLES' CAR -- DAY

Max is in the passenger seat. Welles looks to 1204.

WELLES:

You don't need to be here.

MAX:

What kind of Junior P.I. would I be

if I didn't go with you?

INT. 1204 WAREHOUSE, SECOND FLOOR -- DAY

Welles and Max get off the elevator, moving down the grey

hall, to the black doors. Welles pushes the INTERCOM

BUTTON. After a moment, the INTERCOM CRACKLES...

MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)

(from intercom)

Who is it?

Welles waits, presses the button again.

INT. DINO VELVET STUDIO -- DAY

The doors BUZZ and Welles and Max warily enter this large,

dark, converted warehouse. Square pillars shoot from floor

to ceiling. Shafts of light cut down from high windows.

A large THUG in a pinstripe suit crosses from a far DESK.

THUG:

You're in the wrong place.

WELLES:

We're looking for Mr. Velvet.

THUG:

He's not here.

Welles looks around, at piles of PROPS; a huge faux-stone

ANGEL and GARGOYLES, elaborate CANDELABRAS, a huge BIRDCAGE,

massive WOODEN CROSS, NAZI FLAGS.

WELLES:

Why don't you tell him we're here to

give him a large sum of money. If

he's not interested, we'll go.

THUG:

You should leave now, before I have

to remove you.

Welles just stands looking at the thug. A VOICE is HEARD...

DINO VELVET'S VOICE (V.O.)

(from SPEAKERS)

Show them in, Milo.

Welles and Max look up. There are SPEAKERS mounted high up

on the pillars, and SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS looking down.

WELLES:

You heard the boss, Milo.

The disgruntled thug starts back across the studio towards

a distant DOOR. Welles and Max follow...

They notice an elaborate set built in one corner, a TORTURE

CHAMBER, complete with RACK and IRON MAIDEN.

INT. DINO VELVET'S OFFICE -- DAY

Thug opens the door and lets Welles and Max in.

The office is huge, windowless walls covered in thousands of

PICTURES from every conceivable source, torn and cut, pinned

up to form an indecipherable collage. A tall LADDER leans

against one wall, near three TELEVISIONS.

DINO VELVET rises behind his desk, a small, bird-like man,

wearing a black suit and bad hairpiece.

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