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"TO INDEED BE A GOD."
"Teleology: No day but this week."
"Clean out your lungs."
A picture of Lindsay Lohan from the "Hot" issue of rolling
stone magazine 2004 of her sitting on a block of ice, withthe
quote caption, "I'm only 18, I wanna have fun."
"In Banners or bandages."
"Art: the only plausible lifestyle."
"The rain never has to cry, because it is."
"It's supposed to be for love."
"Are you living, or?"
"The meek shall inherit the earth."
"I do a job, and then I get paid."
"It's what you do that defines you."
Picture of kids looking at fireworks from a bridge, their
backs to the camera. (two pictures, one of the kids against
the railing, one of the fireworks in the sky)
"It's a good life, end of discussion."
"Drivers wanted."
(CON'T)
"A civilization without spirituality? Hardly an idea worth
having."
"Start getting younger."
(On a piece of paper on the back of which is printed in bold
"fuck you": "Remember",
"If you don't have your health you don't have anything."
"Stay Human."
"Entropy Favors the undirected."
"Adhere to your religion."
"1=2",
"The mind can do anything."
"You're so far away from me."
"Dude, electric bagpipes.",
"The only thing to fear is fear itself.",
Picture of the most beautiful girl in the world, smoking a
cigarette next to a candelabra.
"Hey! I'm gonna live forever so I'm gonna take every day from
now until never for granted!"
"Hope is the great barometer for people like us. We are hope,
or we're... not, I guess."
"You can't have a character without desire! It doesn't make
any sense! Any fucking sense!"
"Forever 18, Forever 21"
"Thirsty is the answer"
"The love life"
"Wanna live like common people do."
"Exercise for energy and pleasure."
"You get what you give."
"We got a problem with no solution but to love and to be
loved."
"No to 93%"
"Gotta think of something."
"Don't think so much."
"Stop making mistakes."
Replacements album cover to 'Let it Be'
--------------------------------------------------------------
END OF WALL QUOTES - MUSIC
TRANSITIONS (OR HAS TRANSITIONED
TO:)
While the below is going on, The MUSIC PLAYING IS (lyrics)
BAND: 'BRIGHT EYES' - SONG 'DOWN IN A RABBIT HOLE'
"I heard you fell into a rabbit hole Covered yourself up in
snow Baby, tell me, where'd you go For days and days? Did
they make you stay up all night? Did they paint your face
that pastey white? You're thirsty but your appetite Gets
chased away Sun turns us to stone It's a cloudy day But we
still can't go home I've been out that cellar door Until we
see the moon We're invisible No one ever takes the garbage
out A neighbor kid gets dared to touch the house He runs back
only to announce "There's no one home" Because we paint the
foil with the flame Smear the soda, taste butane For every
fear that can't be named To calm you down Your heart starts
skipping steps So you're farther gone Than you might expect
If your thoughts should turn to death Gotta stomp them out
Like a cigarette"
-- While the below is going on, the instrumental part of the
song... : Voice Over - their voices over the music as Justin
remembers his room and gets ready for bed… eventually gets in
bed and stares up at the ceiling...
JUSTIN:
"Mom, you remember Tina."
MOM:
"I remember a lot of things."
JUSTIN:
"She called me on my way in."
MOM:
"Isn't that the reason you left?"
JUSTIN:
"I left to leave. Because no one
was here."
MOM:
"All your friends are still here."
JUSTIN:
"But are they here?"
(Emphasizing here but in a certain way)
(music playing… drums droning trancelike, lyrics 'Days and
days and days and days')
JUSTIN:
(like he's really wondering but not
angry or anxious)
"Are they here?"
Music: "Days and days and days and days" Justin lying in bed
FADE TO BLACK
SCENE OPENING:
THE NEXT MORNING - DRIVING
EXT - MORNING
Driving to Off the Shelf Records and sZines , Car zooming by
city streets.
MUSIC pouring out of car's windows
BAND: 'LESS THAN JAKE' - SONG: 'NERVOUS IN THE ALLEY'
LYRICS:
"On a Tuesday in the rain, I never thought there'd come a
day. I never thought there'd come a day, yea. If I put myself
to the test, would I ever raise a fist. Would I just shut my
mouth, would I just block it out. I've swore it a million
times, never to be left again with that feeling, of
hopelessness left standing. Just nervous in the alley. I've
swore it a million times, never to be left again with that
feeling, of hopelessness left standing. Just nervous in the
alley, woah. Just nervous in the alley. And when all is said
and through. Would I know just what to do. Would I know just
what to do, yea. If I put myself to the test, would I ever
raise a fist. Would I just shut my mouth, would I just block
it out. I've swore it a million times, never to be left again
with that feeling, of hopelessness left standing. Just
nervous in the alley. I've swore it a million times, never to
be left again with that feeling, of hopelessness left
standing. Just nervous in the alley. Woah-oh...Just nervous
in the alley. Woah-oh...Just nervous in the alley. Woah
oh...Just nervous in the alley. Woah-oh..Woah-woah. It's a
change of heart, that keeps us apart (you say its true, you
know its true, nothing left except for me and you) It's not
that strange, with all I have to say, I wonder what I'm
fighting for, yea. I've swore it a million times, never to be
left again with that feeling, of hopelessness left standing.
Just nervous in the alley. (Woooooaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh) I've
swore it a million times, never to be left again with that
feeling, of hopelessness left standing. Just nervous in the
alley. Woah-oh...Just nervous in the alley. Woah-oh...Just
nervous in the alley. Woah-oh...Just nervous in the alley.
Woah-oh...Just nervous in the alley."
CUT TO: OFF THE SHELF RECORDS & SZINES (RECORD STORE WHERE
JUSTIN SOLD HIS COMIC BOOK/ZINE AND IS NOW GOING TO PICK UP
HIS SALES MONEY AND MAIL TO THE MAGAZINE WHICH THE RECORD
STORE FRONTED AS THE ADDRESS)
Justin opening the door, a little bell ringing.
A guy BEHIND the counter, in like a little watchtower, raised
above the floor level looks up from a zine or comic and gives
a 'what's up' with his head.
Justin surveys the store, wide angle, as he walks in.
We see it from his point of view getting the sense that he's
looking for someone.
JUSTIN:
(walking around to the counter)
"Hey, does Drake still work here?"
STORE CLERK:
"He's over there."
JUSTIN:
(spots him around a rack of
cds/dvds display)
"Drake!"
Drake is sort of tall and a little gangly, with dark brown
scraggly hair shooting out in little almost-dred-locks
everywhich way, but his hair is pretty short.
He has the air of someone who thinks they're more intelligent
than everyone else so they don't have to live in this world
anymore.
He's holding a box and a pricing gun and placing copies of
CD's behind the copies already on display, or where they are
Missing.
DRAKE:
"Oh, hey man. How have you been?"
JUSTIN:
"Not too bad. How bout you?"
DRAKE:
"Ok. Ok."
JUSTIN:
"You still keeping the mail here
from the comic strip? Wait, r'you
guys even selling the old issues
anymore, I don't see it." (looking
around)
Drake starts walking toward the back room, Justin following
him.
DRAKE:
"We're still selling it. We moved
the local comics over to the shelf
over there."
Drake sort of points to a shelf by the side wall as he's
walking.
They're at the back room, which has a ticketbooth with a
glass window. We see them through the glass window.
JUSTIN:
"Cool. Well, What's the damage?"
Drake looks up for a second, then&also offhandedly, looking
down at the piles he's sorting through.
DRAKE:
"That's the wrong phrase."
JUSTIN:
"It could be the right one."
Drake is getting the mail.
DRAKE:
"You can't say something like that
when you mean, how much mail do I
have. People won't know what you're
talking about. You have to use the
language the same way other people
use it."
JUSTIN:
"What's the damage if I use it
different if I think you'll
understand. Maybe you should try
to understand."
Drake hands him a large handful of mail, and gives him a bag
for it.
The bag says "Thanks for hitting up the wall." And has a
smiley face.
DRAKE:
"We owe you some money too. That
would be damage."
They're walking back out into general population when
DARLENE sees him there.
DARLENE is about the same age as Justin.
She is a beautiful African American girl, with perfectly
human-angular features that morph into curves that take you
with them.
She is pretty light skinned.
She's dressed like a hipster, with some womanly features.
She's walking in with a couple of girlfriends and when she
sees Justin they both slow down, as does the camera, and they
just stare at each other like, oh damn, in a good way.
She's looking at him, then she smiles like the daughter of
the devil herself:
TRANSITION TO:
"FOUR YEARS EARLIER"
(BLACK AND WHITE)
EXT. WAREHOUSE PARTY
OUTSIDE OF PARTY: JUSTIN AND DARLENE FIRST MEETING.
MUSIC playing inside warehouse like building coming out side
door is: BAND 'CAKE' - SONG 'IT'S COMING DOWN' From their
album 'Fashion Nugget' - album version distorted by warehouse
party noise.
LYRICS:
"it's coming down. it's coming down. it's raining outside.
you've nowhere to hide. she's asking you why you think it's
funny. it's coming down. it's coming down. she's leaving your
house. she had to get out. she's mad, and she'll take her
mattress with her. it's coming down. it's coming down. it's
coming down. it's coming down. it's coming down. it's coming
down. it's coming down. it's coming down. it's coming down.
you lie on the floor. she's slamming your door. she's gone,
and she's wearing your red sweater. it's coming down. it's
coming down. it's coming down. it's coming down. it's coming
down. it's coming down. it's coming down. it's coming down.
it's coming down."
Justin talking to guy (friend) outside of party, casually,
sort of like you know he really wants to be talking to the
girl he's about to be talking to, but that doesn't mean
they're not good friends.
Showcasing the fact that they are two groups, the guys and
then this girl sort of a free agent (free radical?) among
others.
PETE (OR PJ)(KIND OF SARCASTICALLY, AS
YOU'LL SEE WHY):
"I lost my zippo."
JUSTIN:
"Oh, man, you can't lose your
zippo."
PETE(BEING A SMARTASS):
"Well, you can lose it."
JUSTIN:
"No, I view it as like, if you lose
your zippo, it's a sign from God
that you've gotten off track
somehow. That you're like, not on
your true path."
PETE:
"That's interesting. Especially if
you lose your zippo by throwing it
out of a moving car when it refuses
to light like I did."
HE LOOKS OVER TO HER, WE SEE.
THEN WE SEE HER.
(Laughter)
SOMEONE IN CIRCLE:
"Defenestrated Flame."
Justin walks up to the girl, Darlene
JUSTIN:
"What are you smoking?"
DARLENE:
"It's a clove."
JUSTIN:
"What is that?"
DARLEEN:
"It's a different kind of plant."
JUSTIN:
"But it tastes like a cigarette?"
DARLEEN:
"Well… I mean, but it has a
different flavor. It's still a
cigarette. It has tobacco. But with
a spice. That's the clove."
JUSTIN:
"What's your name?"
END FLASHBACK: TRANSITION BACK TO 'OFF THE SHELF' RECORDS
Back to 'Present Day'
END BLACK & WHITE
She knows he knows it's here, but she is smiling at him and
says her name because there is some magic in restating the
loved familiar, in an unknown way.
DARLEEN:
"Hey, Justin. It's me, Darleen."
JUSTIN (CASUALLY, LIKE, OF COURSE ):
"I knew it was you."
(and he did)
DARLEEN: JUSTIN:
So, how are you? What's new?
Darleen looks trumped and puzzled, curious, like, she's being
photographed by a sexy stranger, curled hand in front of her
face
This part like she's remembering him, of course, but then
she's about to remember why she remembers him.
JUSTIN:
"I'm in town for a bit."
DARLEEN:
"So it seems."
She clears her throat a little, almost hesitantly.
"How long?"
CUT TO: THE OBLIGATORY AWESOME HIROSHIMA SEX SCENE
INT: DARLENE'S PARENT'S HOUSE
FOUR YEARS
EARLIER:
Darleen's Bedroom, darkened, under covers with two
flashlights lit.
They're having sex, or making love rather, teenage true
lovers, I guess the second time around for Justin, though
he's untouchable at that point by physics standards, Justin
narrating:
JUSTIN:
"I'm going to take you."
DARLENE:
(laughing, and serious)
"Where?"
(THIS IS TAKEN FROM ROBERT ANTON
WILSON'S BOOK 'THE SHRODINGER'S CAT
TRILOGY' AROUND PG 171, SLIGHTLY
ALTERED.)
JUSTIN:
"To the center of the galaxy. This
is the center of space time, and it
is also the center of your womb,
darling Darleen. It is way, way out
and it is also way, way in. You can
only enter this mystery on vibes of
sheer ecstasy, because all matter
at a lower vibratory rate gets
destroyed in the black hole.
So, in order to navigate this
dangerous crossing I must fuck you
even more deeply, my darling."
DARLEEN:
(Moaning) "What are you talking
about?"
JUSTIN:
"There there, you'll see the center
of the galaxy when your pretty
little cunt gets hot enough."
(CONT'D)
"To the center of space-time. Deep,
deep into the cosmic vaginal barrel
and deep, deep into the spiral of
your moist galaxy, I'll pilot you.
Slow permutations, like the growth
of crystals, deep into a
kaleidoscope of strange floral
energies, each petal shape tingling
with the languid joy dance in the
folds of your own warm pussy, the
shaft digging deeper and deeper
into the starry dynamo."
--
"It's the only way to travel."
DARLENE:
"Keep fucking me."
JUSTIN:
"Forever and all ways.
I'll fuck you good, my dear. I
will."
DARLEEN:
"Oh, my God."
TRANSITION TO: LATER THAT NIGHT
Justin ducking under the covers, pausing for a second, then
crawling up from under the blanket like it's a sleeping bag
he's got to burrow through, just knowing it's cute.
Afterword they're smoking a cigarette together. They have to
open the window and put on a fan.
DARLENE:
(the tiniest hint of spaziness
comes out of her character. When
she says "where" she does a little
gesture and emphasis with her hand,
but understated.)
"Where did you come up with that?"
Her hand slips across the blanket and she looks over at him
in expectation of his answer.
QUICK CUT TO:
A RIDE IN THE CAR
PRESENT DAY:
In Justin's car, Darleen and Justin riding, laughing and
enjoying each other's company, immediate entrance into the
below cut.
Car flashes by, they're driving in 'The Loop', a cool street
light-hearted neon-lit hang-out business district in St.
Louis City
MUSIC PLAYING LOUD from their car, first thing heard: BAND
'THE REPLACEMENTS' - SONG: 'ALEX CHILTON'
The LYRICS: (shot inside car) singing along:
"I'M IN LOVE/
WHAT'S THAT SONG? /
I'M IN LOVE /
WITH THAT SONG."
From the rocking intro...
They air drum the drum part, then rock out and when it goes
into the next verse, Justin turns down the music.
LYRICS (FULL)
"If he was from Venus, would he feed us with a spoon? If he
was from Mars, wouldn't that be cool? Standing right on
campus, would he stamp us in a file? Hangin' down in Memphis
all the while. (chorus:) Children by the million sing for
Alex Chilton when he comes 'round They sing "I'm in love.
What's that song? I'm in love with that song." Cerebral rape
and pillage in a village of his choice. Invisible man who can
sing in a visible voice. Feeling like a hundred bucks,
exchanging good lucks face to face. Checkin' his stash by the
trash at St. Mark's place. (chorus) I never travel far,
without a little Big Star Runnin' 'round the house, Mickey
Mouse and the Tarot cards. Falling asleep with a flop pop
video on. If he was from Venus, would he meet us on the
moon?If he died in Memphis, then that'd be cool, babe.
(chorus)"
Justin's face from the driver side.
JUSTIN:
"So you don't see any of the
old crew?"
Darlene is rolling a cigarette:
Shot of her hands rolling the cigarette.
Shot of her face as she licks the cigarette to close it.
DARLEEN:
"Not really, no. Just around."
JUSTIN:
"That's weird."
She turns to sit sideways in her seat comfortably, now
(CON'T)
viewing justin as an enigma.
DARLEEN:
"Why?"
JUSTIN:
(Alerted)
"I guess it's not weird."
Justin ashes his cigarette out the window.
He reaches into the backseat for his cd case.
He picks out a cd seemingly at random and puts it into the
car's cd player.
Music comes on:
BAND - 'OF MONTREAL' - 'WRAITH PINNED TO THE MIST AND OTHER
GAMES' (BROKEN SPINDLES REMIX)' song hardly begins
before scene changes, probably don't even hear the lyrics
LYRICS:
"Let's have bizarre celebrations Let's forget who forget what
forget where We'll have bizarre celebrations I'll play the
Satyr in Cypris you the bride being stripped bare(bare) Let's
pretend we don't exist Let's pretend we're in Antarctica
Let's pretend we don't exist Let's pretend we're in
Antarctica (ah-ah-ahh) Let's have bizarre celebrations Lets
forget when forget what forget how We'll have bizarre
celebrations We'll play Tristan and Izolde but make sure I
see white sails (sails) Let's pretend we don't exist Let's
pretend we're in Antarctica Let's pretend we don't exist
Let's pretend we're in an Antarctica (ah-ah-ahh) Maybe I'll
never die I'll just keep growing younger with you And you'll
grow younger too Now it seems too lovely to be true But I
know the best things always do Let's pretend we don't exist
Let's pretend we're in Antarctica Let's pretend we don't
exist Let's pretend we're in Antarctica Let's pretend we
don't exist Let's pretend we're in Antarctica"
Shot of Justin from the front
JUSTIN:
"I guess… Well you know how we all
felt like we'd always be friends."
Shot of Darleen from front right
DARLEEN:
"Yeah. … Wait, this coming from
you?"
JUSTIN:
"It's not like that."
DARLEEN (QUOTING JUSTIN BUT NOT MEAN
SPIRITEDLY):
"That's weird"
Close up of Justin's face from the left
JUSTIN:
"Yeah."
Justin takes a slow drag off of his cigarette.
Shot of the cigarette burning, close-up.
JUSTIN:
"It's just that... there was a
time, you know, where all these
kids... were mine. I mean, you
too... We were all each others...
We owned each other."
DARLENE:
"That's awful."
Justin realizes he's talking to a black girl and gets
sensitive, but still continues in earnest of his point.
JUSTIN:
"No, I don't think so."
Darlene looks at him apprehensively, concerned, lovingly.
JUSTIN:
"It's... we belonged to each other.
Do you get it?"
Darlene... Getting it, maybe like she's getting Justin for
the first time.
DARLENE:
"Yeah, I guess."
JUSTIN:
"I guess I just thought that maybe
they were still yours."
DARLENE (CURIOUSLY, POIGNIANTLY):
"Cause they stopped being yours?"
Justin sort of sighs it out, but holds back the exaspiration.
JUSTIN:
"Yea, I don't know."
SORT OF FADE
OUT.
CUT TO:
THEY ARRIVE AT DARLENE'S APARTMENT - FRONT ROOM/KITCHEN
INT. MED. SZ. APT, PURPLES AND REDS, NICE, WOOD FLOORS.
Music: 'CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE' - 'NEW YEAR'S
KISS' from their album 'Etiquette'
DARLEEN:
"Wanna bake some cookies?"
JUSTIN:
"Does a bear live at the Vatican?"
Cat comes in and rubs against Justin's leg.
JUSTIN:
"I didn't know you had a cat."
DARLENE:
"Neither did I. What the hell?"
JUSTIN:
"Alright, we've got to calm down,
we're getting too funny."
DARLENE:
"That's Tarzan."
JUSTIN:
"Your cat's name is Tarzan?"
DARLENE:
"Yeah. Have you ever read those?"
JUSTIN:
"No."
DARLENE:
"Well. I rescued the cat from the
wild, but he rescues me from
civilization sometimes."
JUSTIN:
"I thought they were supposed to be
racist or something. I heard
something."
DARLENE:
"Well, they're old."
(Show her working class hands
kneeding the dough)
DARLENE:
"You've always got to make
concessions for the elderly."
(she says as she is preparing the
cookie dough, joking in a weird
way, not disrespectful to the
elderly, but wishing they weren't
elderly)
Justin lets out a little laugh.
JUSTIN:
"You've changed since I left."
DARLENE:
"You knew I would."
JUSTIN:
"I guess."
DARLENE:
"When you stopped sending letters I
figured you weren't coming back. At
least not anytime soon."
JUSTIN:
"I'll always come back, if you're
willing to bake cookies."
DARLENE:
Personating an older black woman
with some snap: "Anytime, sugar."
Justin puts the tray of cookies in the oven.
TRANSITION: FROM
KITCHEN TO
LIVING ROOM
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