Ninja Girl: The Lightning Orb Page #3

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all, be descending from heaven

to play my Marnie.

Oh, Hitch.

I'm so sorry.

I'll get another

blonde.

Not like Grace Kelly.

You have everything

she has and more.

So shall we discuss

tomorrow's scenes?

I've been thinking of when

Melanie goes up to the attic

filled with birds.

Why does she go

up there on her own?

Because I want her to.

Now, what expression do we

think she has on her face?

I think she goes up there in

a spirit of self-sacrifice.

She gives herself

to the birds, do you see?

"This is all my fault.

"Everything is ruined,

and it's all my fault."

"Everything is ruined,

and it's all my fault."

Sure. I'm a woman.

I can do that

standing on my head.

Who needs Grace Kelly?

Good.

Some...

some bedtime

reading.

My next movie.

This is going to

be a silent murder.

Oh, yeah.

The birds attack her.

She knows

that's in the script.

So...

now you need to go

and tell her

how we're going

to shoot it.

She doesn't know?

Won't everyone be able to

see the birds are fake?

The magic

of post-production.

Well, unless they're

intending on shooting it

real close up,

but even then...

Ha.

Hi, Tippi.

Come on in.

I need some

convincing.

Uh...

I'm sorry.

We can't use mechanical

birds for this scene.

I know, it's a lot of shots

to get through in one day,

but we're going to be

taking them methodically.

You'll be fine.

You'll be quite safe.

I'll always be here.

Just don't let them

near your eyes.

OK, OK. Thank you.

Through here.

Here you go.

Where is Hitch?

He'll be here

for the shot.

I'd still like to know why she

goes into that attic alone.

Can we get started?

Is he here yet?

I'd like to get today

over with.

All right,

good boys.

Do what I taught you.

All right,

silence on set, everyone.

Picture up.

Speed.

Camera set.

Action!

Cut it!

All right,

going again.

OK, we're going

for another one.

Speed.

Cut it.

Standing by, everybody.

Cut it.

Morning, sir.

Stand by, everybody.

Picture up.

Take 23.

Going again!

Good take.

You don't think she

might have had enough?

Bob, I'd keep

your opinions to yourself.

Take 37. 613...

Going again.

First positions,

please, Tippi.

Good morning,

Mr. Hitchcock.

Picture up.

Take 45.

Are you OK to go

for another one?

She's fine, Jim.

Go again.

Yeah. Yeah.

Come on, Jim.

Let's have all

the birds in this time.

All right, silence

on set, please!

Action.

Cut it.

Tippi!

You can't drive

yourself, honey!

It's OK. Whatever she wants.

One day.

I heard you tell her it would

only take one day, Jim.

Did you hear what I said?

It clawed her eye.

She was told one day with mechanical

birds and special effects.

Instead, she got 5 days with

real birds thrown at her,

pecking and shitting.

She'll be back.

Hi. Mommy's

home early.

Hey.

Is this to be

thrown out?

I'm hungry.

Can I have

a chocolate cookie?

Please?

Look, I can stay.

No need. I'm fine.

Come on.

Are you sure?

Mom?

There's no answer.

Ladybug, ladybug,

fly away.

Your house is on fire,

and your children are gone.

Mom?

Mom!

Ladybug, ladybug,

fly away.

Your house is on fire,

and your children are gone.

Mom!

I got you water.

Mom!

Wake up! Mom...

Ah! Ah!

I'm so sorry.

Doctor's orders.

She'll be off for

the rest of the week.

So, production's

shut down.

That's a first.

There's no way

he made up his mind

on the day to use

real birds.

Stuff like that

takes forever to organize.

He knew, Jo.

He knew, and he never told me.

Tippi, walk away.

Come on.

You can take Melanie

and pack up your stuff

and go back to New York

and modeling and your

old life and be happy.

Something

you must see.

Welcome

back, Tippi.

Welcome back.

Nice to see you

back, Tippi.

Let's finish

this picture.

So you see

it was worth it.

All the pain.

All the fear

and the loneliness.

I know I've put you

through some hard times.

Look at you now.

The point being,

my dear,

there's only so much I can

teach you through kindness.

Is this an apology?

For doing whatever it took to

turn you into a movie star?

Thank you.

So here's the girl,

walking away from us,

walking away from the camera,

down a long platform.

We follow her all

along the platform,

where's she's

waiting for the train.

She has dark hair...

dark, and a bright

yellow purse.

The brightest yellow

you can think of,

so we watch that purse.

We're obsessed

with that purse.

We're asking ourselves,

"What's in the purse?"

And, uh,

that's it, is it?

Hmm.

Act one, scene one

of "Marnie."

How about the

other 100 minutes?

That's Evan's job.

Uh, she's a complex

character...

a thief, a liar, and Marnie

can't let any man near her.

It's because of

childhood trauma.

Frigid, you see?

No, just scared, surely.

But she gets rescued by

the love of a good man, right?

I'm just guessing.

Sure.

Maybe.

Surely to God she

hasn't let the old fool

anywhere near her.

Of course not.

Is she leading

him on?

No.

Can't help being

a pretty girl.

They're all pretty.

Grace was pretty

Ingrid was pretty...

OK, what's she got,

Peggy?

What's this one got

that's so bloody special?

Whatever he throws at her,

however he provokes her...

she makes him feel

he can't hurt her.

She's in a negligee. He's

in a shirt and pants.

Now, all through this, I think

we should play her quite

unresponsive, until

right at the bottom,

when he goes to kiss her.

Now it breaks.

"I can't. I can't.

"I can't."

Like it

repulses her?

Now he's really

getting mad.

He'd been very

sweet, very patient,

nothing yielding

from her at all.

"If you don't want to go

to bed, please get out"?

"I do want to

go to bed."

And now he goes around

her, and quite sharp,

her hands come up

to ward him off,

and her negligee

falls to the ground.

And she has no expression

on her face at all.

She shouldn't have.

I'm on a big head.

And?

He says yes.

As long as his part

is as big as Tippi's.

Who?

Sean Connery.

The Sean Connery that just

got out of "Doctor No"?

You have a problem

with that?

No, sir,

but Marnie is

supposed to be frigid.

It's called acting,

my dear.

I'm going to have to give

my best block of marble.

Once upon a time,

there was a sculptor

who made a beautiful

statue

out of marble...

I don't want to miss

my daughter's bedtime.

And fell in love with

his own creation.

But the gods

looked kindly on him

and brought her to

life,

and they lived

happily ever after.

Good night, Hitch.

Good night, Peggy.

It just doesn't

work for me, Hitch.

I don't believe it.

I don't believe that guy

would rape his own wife

on their wedding

night, so...

in my version,

he comforts Marnie.

Helps her.

That's not what

I asked you for.

Use the version

I wrote for you

and why would the

audience have

any sympathy for him

at all?

I've told you

before, Evan,

sympathy

is not the point.

When he sticks it in her,

I want that camera

right on her face.

Look at you.

Look at Marnie.

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