Living in Oblivion Page #10

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AC:

Oh. Sorry.

Standing on his tiptoes at the sink, straining to turn off

the running faucet is, TITO a DWARF. He is dressed in a sky

blue tuxedo with tails. A top hat and white gloves rest on

the closed toilet seat. Tito appears extremely annoyed.

TITO:

What do you want?!

AC:

I need to use the bathroom. Kind of

an emergency.

TITO:

Well, f***ing knock!!

Tito grabs his hat and gloves and marches down the hall, the

AC staring after him in astonishment.

TITO:

(muttering)

I swear to Christ, one of these days

I'm going to punch somebody in the

balls!

INT. WARDROBE ROOM. DAY

Camera is close on Nicole, her eyes clenched shut as a thin

white veil is placed on her head. Camera pulls back to reveal

SACHIKO, the Costume Designer putting the finishing touches

to Nicole's costume, which appears to be an elaborate white

wedding gown. Nick stands nearby, smoking.

NICK:

Just as we pull up to your apartment

Palomino suddenly says he feels so

sick he can't work today.

NICOLE:

God. Was it something he ate?

SACHIKO:

Stand up, please.

NICK:

I don't know.

NICOLE:

Can he work tomorrow?

SACHIKO:

Turn around, please.

NICK:

Don't know that either. But I'm not

worrying about it. I had this dream

last night where I was on the set.

You were in it, and another woman,

someone older. Anyway, everything

was going wrong. The harder I tried

to hold things together the more

they fell apart. And you know what

that dream was telling me, Nicole?

You just got to roll with it. And

that's what I'm doing, I'm rolling

with it. So, we'll just shoot the

Dream Sequence today.

Just then Tito walks in.

NICK:

Hey, Tito. You look great, man.

TITO:

I feel like sh*t.

NICK:

No, you look good. Thanks for coming

in on such short notice. This is

Nicole; she's playing Ellen.

NICOLE:

Hello. Toto, is it?

TITO:

Tito.

NICOLE:

Oh, I'm sorry.

NICK:

Listen, if there's anything I can do

to make you... if you need... uh,

just let me know.

TITO:

Put a stool in the bathroom.

Tito walks out, followed immediately by Sachiko, leaving

Nicole alone with Nick.

NICK:

Did I just offend him?

NICOLE:

What did you say?

NICK:

"Short notice?"

NICOLE:

Come on; that was nothing. I'm the

one who called him "Toto." Jesus,

I'm out of it. I dreamt I was on the

set last night too.

NICK:

Oh yeah?

NICOLE:

Yeah. You were in the dream.

NICK:

Was I freaking out?

NICOLE:

Actually, you were.

NICK:

That's great:
I freak out in my dream;

I freak out in your dream. No wonder

I'm f***ing exhausted.

NICOLE:

Nick...

NICK:

Yeah?

Nicole stares at Nick for a long moment then smiles briefly

and turns away.

INT. A CORNER OF THE SET. DAY

A dented, ancient smoke machine squats forlornly in the middle

of the set. WOLF (with eyepatch), the GAFFER, AC, BOOM MAN,

and the SOUND MAN stand around it, scrutinizing it intently.

Wolf seems in an unusually good mood.

WOLF:

Alright, guys; special effects today.

Could be fun. Who knows how to work

this baby?

GAFFER:

It's the old T-160. I used it once

in '85.

AC:

Damn. '85.

WOLF:

What's this?

GAFFER:

That's where the gas goes.

BOOM:

No, that's where the oil goes.

GAFFER:

Is it?

BOOM:

I think so.

GAFFER:

You're right. It's coming back now.

WOLF:

I'm going to let you handle this

one, Bob. This is your baby. And

Les, if he needs help you give him a

hand. OK, guys? We're all working

together today.

Wolf walks off. The Gaffer kneels to inspect the smoke machine

closer.

GAFFER:

Yup, all coming back now. Like riding

a bike. T-160, 1985. 1985, T-160.

AC:

Way to go, Bob.

INT. THE SET. NEAR THE CAMERA

Wanda stands alone by the camera, looking around at the

bustling crew like a battalion commander watching her troops

in battle. Nick approaches her.

NICK:

How are we doing, Wanda?

WANDA:

Not good, Nick. Not bad, but not

good. We need to finish this scene

and do Scene thirty-one today.

NICK:

Scene thirty-one?! I left my notes

for Scene thirty-one at home! I didn't

know we were --

WANDA:

Nick, Nick. I'll send someone to

your apartment to pick them up. Now,

relax.

NICK:

Oh, OK. Send somebody to my apartment

to pick them up; it's the red

notebook, under the bed.

WANDA:

It's taken care of, Nick.

NICK:

Good. Great. Good.

Nick walks off quickly, muttering to himself. A moment later

Wolf strolls up to Wanda.

WOLF:

We're all lit, the smoke machine is

under control; we're ready to go.

WANDA:

(hard)

What about the dolly?

WOLF:

Just need to see a run-through and

we're all set. I'm going to make

your job easy today, Wanda. Wandaful.

(he slips his arm

around her)

Mmm, I'm glad you wore that perfume.

And don't worry about Palomino; I'll

take you to a jazz club tonight.

WANDA:

Oh, I can't make it. I have to go

see Chad; he's extremely ill.

WOLF:

Oh, by the way my eye's much better.

WANDA:

Listen, Wolf, this may not be the

best time to say this but our

relationship is going nowhere.

WOLF:

What do you mean?

WANDA:

Please, don't take it personally.

Because I care for you, Wolf, I really

do. But I've had this feeling for

quite a while and I think it's time

we ended it. OK?

WOLF:

(pause)

OK.

WANDA:

I think it's better.

WOLF:

So do I.

WANDA:

Well, good. Still friends?

WOLF:

Sure.

WANDA:

Great, cause we still have to work

together and there's no reason it

has to be unpleasant. Give me a hug.

Wanda and Wolf move into an extremely wooden embrace.

WANDA:

You're a real special guy, Wolf.

WOLF:

Thanks.

Wanda slips Wolf a tender smile then walks away.

WANDA:

(into her walkie)

OK, let's get the A Team in please!

Nick, Ellen, Mr. Tito!

INT. THE SET. DAY

Nick is working with the crew and the actors. The set consists

of two flats (one with the fake door) joined to make a corner.

The flats are painted fire-engine red.

NICK:

OK, here's the shot. We start wide

with Ellen standing absolutely still

right in the middle of the frame.

You got that, Wolf?

WOLF:

Yeah.

NICK:

(notices eyepatch)

What happened to your eye?

WOLF:

Nothing. It's a little sensitive

today.

NICK:

Can you see?

WOLF:

(snaps)

Of course I can see!

For a moment Nick looks like he might snap back at Wolf but

he draws a deep breath and continues.

NICK:

OK, Ellen is standing there. The

smoke is flowing in and: Ellen's

line.

NICOLE:

I am so hungry.

NICK:

Good, Tito, that's your cue.

The fake door opens and Tito enters wearing his top hat and

carrying a golden apple in his gloved hands.

NICK:

You walk around her once, hold the

apple out, that's right; just beyond

her reach. You're staring at her

hard. Harder, good. Then stop right

here. Can we get a mark, please?

The AC moves up to Nick and places a piece of yellow tape on

the floor. CU the yellow tape.

NICK:

Then we dolly in to Tito's Close-up.

Alright, Wolf?

WANDA:

It should be hand-held.

NICK:

No, I think it's better on the dolly.

WOLF:

Whatever.

NICOLE:

Nick, do I see him?

NICK:

No, just the apple. And Tito, right

after we dolly in give me a little

laugh there.

TITO:

A little laugh?

NICK:

Big, little; anything you feel like

doing. OK? Good. Let's shoot one.

Call it, Wanda.

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