Living in Oblivion Page #8

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Nick suddenly sees Palomino is wearing a black eyepatch.

NICK:

Chad, what are you doing?

WOLF:

Hey, that's my f***ing eyepatch.

PALOMINO:

Wolf, could I borrow it? Cause I'm

telling you, Nick; it really feels

right. I feel like this guy now,

man.

NICK:

I don't know, Chad. I don't think it

works.

PALOMINO:

You're wrong, man. I'm going to fight

you on this one.

WOLF:

Hey, it's my f***ing eyepatch and I

don't want anyone wearing it. It's

insanitary.

Palomino removes the eyepatch and tosses it back to Wolf.

PALOMINO:

Fine. I'll get my own. Nick, send

someone out for an eyepatch. I'll

f***ing pay for it myself.

Nick pulls Palomino aside and whispers to him confidentially.

NICK:

Listen, Chad. I didn't want to say

this in front of Wolf but it makes

you look a little... gay.

PALOMINO:

Really?

NICK:

Yeah, a little bit.

PALOMINO:

Jesus.

Palomino sneaks a glance back at Wolf then whispers to Nick.

PALOMINO:

You're right. Thanks, buddy. Good

call.

WANDA:

Are you ready, Nick?

NICK:

One second. You need a rehearsal,

Wolf?

WOLF:

Let's just f***ing shoot it!!

PALOMINO:

El Lobo!

Palomino winks at Nick and walks back to his new mark, making

a barely audible howling sound behind his hand.

NICK:

Call it, Wanda.

WANDA:

Going for picture. Lock it up. And

roll sound.

SOUND:

Speed!

WANDA:

Roll camera!

AC:

Rolling!

CLAPPER:

Scene six, take four!

NICK:

And, action.

INT. THE SCENE. TAKE FOUR

The scene begins again. Palomino milks his Close-up for all

it's worth.

NICOLE:

I've always admired you from afar.

PALOMINO:

Admired? That sounds rather

professional.

NICOLE:

Well, then:
loved. How does that

sound?

Right on his cue, Palomino walks to the bed. As the camera

moves into the 2-shot he begins stroking Nicole's hair with

extreme care and concentration.

PALOMINO:

It sounds like the champagne talking.

NICOLE:

I've loved you from the moment we

met.

PALOMINO:

Why didn't you tell me?

NICOLE:

We were working together. I didn't

want anything to interfere -- God!

Under the onslaught of escalating hair-stroking, Nicole

suddenly jerks her head away hard. Palomino jumps up and

begins pacing at the rear of the set.

INT. THE SET. DAY

NICK:

Cut!

WANDA:

That's a cut. Hold the work, going

again, right away.

NICOLE:

I'm sorry, Nick. I don't know why I

did that. I'm sorry.

Palomino suddenly stops pacing and addresses Nick with a

curtness that is a little startling.

PALOMINO:

Nick, could I talk to you a second?

Palomino disappears behind the set, a jerk of his head

indicating his wish for Nick to follow him.

WANDA:

A momentary delay. Everyone stand

by. We're going again, right away.

SOUND:

Excuse me, Ellen? You were a tad low

on that take.

NICOLE:

Oh, OK. I'll bring it up. Actually

could I listen to the take before?

The Sound man gives Nicole his headphones and rewinds the

tape recorder for her. The first several lines of the last

take are heard through the headphones.

INT. OFF THE SET. DAY

Nick follows Palomino behind the set, stopping just beside

the fake set window. Palomino whirls on Nick and whispers

fiercely.

PALOMINO:

I'm out of here, man!

NICK:

What's the matter?!

PALOMINO:

I like you, but I made a big mistake

taking this part. Have someone call

me a cab.

NICK:

Wait a second, Chad. Just talk to

me. What's going on!?

PALOMINO:

I can't act with this woman. I know

she's a friend of yours but I got to

tell you:
she cannot act worth a

sh*t! I'm giving her everything! The

whole thing I just did with the hair;

did you see that? I came up with

that on my own because I thought it

would help her. But no, she's giving

me nothing! I'm out of here.

INT. THE SET. DAY

Nicole listens to the last line of the previous take.

PALOMINO:

God, and all this time I thought...

(the muted rustle of

the kiss)

The Sound man stops the recorder at the end of the take,

sets the machine in standby mode, and picks up his crossword

puzzle. Nicole is just about to take off the headphones when

she realizes she can hear Nick and Palomino talking quite

clearly. Glancing up, she sees the Boom man has left his

boom leaning against the wall, the mike pointing out the

open set window.

PALOMINO (V.O.)

Why did you cast her? She sucked in

that Richard Gere movie!

NICK (V.O.)

You're right. She is not the best

actress in the world. I see that now

but you've got to help me, Chad. I'm

asking you to please help me here.

We've got to get through this somehow.

The camera begins a slow DOLLY in to Nicole's astonished

face. This will be intercut with a similar DOLLY in to the

microphone leaning against the wall, ending in an ECU of the

mike.

INT. OFF THE SET. DAY

Camera is close on Nick and Palomino.

PALOMINO:

I'll tell you what this is about,

man. You know why she took a cab

this morning?

NICK:

Something came up.

PALOMINO:

No. She was in my hotel room and she

didn't want you to know it. OK? I'm

sorry it had to come out like this

but I told her this morning "thanks

a lot, it was a lot of fun last night

but let's get something straight --

it was just a one-time deal," and

she didn't want to hear that. She

wanted more, you see what I'm saying?

It's rejection.

INT. THE SET. DAY

The camera reveals Nicole now seated in her spot on the bed.

She rises as Nick and Palomino reappear and approach her

from behind the set.

NICK:

Nicole, listen...

NICOLE:

Nick, it's my fault the scene isn't

working. I apologize. Chad, I

apologize to you too. I'm completely

unfocused here and I think you're

absolutely right; what we need to do

is loosen the scene up somehow.

Nick and Palomino stare at Nicole for a moment.

NICK:

What would you like to do?

NICOLE:

I was wondering if we could try

improvising the scene. More along

the lines of what Chad has been doing.

Maybe that would help me find

something.

Nick's smile of gratitude to Nicole looks almost drug-induced.

NICK:

That's a fantastic idea. What do you

think, Chad?

PALOMINO:

Hey, that's the only way I can work.

Let's take it apart, let's cut loose.

NICK:

Good! And we'll shoot it! Hell, why

not?!

PALOMINO:

Roll that motherfucking camera,

Wolfie!

WOLF:

Kiss my ass!

Although Wolf says this quite loud, Palomino doesn't hear

him because he suddenly yells:

PALOMINO:

Yeah! Let's go!

NICK:

Alright, now we're making a f***ing

movie! Call it, Wanda!

WANDA:

Going for picture. Lock it up. And

roll sound.

SOUND:

Speed!

WANDA:

Roll camera!

AC:

Rolling!

CLAPPER:

Scene six, take five!

NICK:

And, action.

INT. THE SCENE. TAKE FIVE. THE IMPROV

Nicole stays seated, though Palomino moves around making a

great show of loosening up.

NICOLE:

I've always admired you from afar.

PALOMINO:

Have you? That's, wow; that's

incredible. But that sounds kind of

professional doesn't it? Admired?

NICOLE:

You're right. How does despised sound?

PALOMINO:

Great!

(laughs)

What's it mean?

NICOLE:

(laughs)

It's sort of like I think you're a

piece of sh*t.

Palomino is somewhat startled by this. He looks to Nick in

confusion. Nick silently encourages him to keep going.

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