Okay so firstly I've taken inspiration from Sin City and numerous materials for this idea, I'm no movie maker but if I were I'd love to try this out as a short film or a series of films. This is the first movie pitch which like the Sin City movies contains a number of short (some not so short) stories set in and around a bleak and dangerous city.
So read away and tell me what you think.
Setting -
Pines located in an unspecific part of the United States of America, split into three parts, 'Mallice City' the somewhat trapped in an 80's neon vibe of a city holds the gangs of power that control the city from above while their hentchmen run it from below. 'The Waste Strip' a barren desert wasteland to the east that contains small dead end towns, a good place to hide if your too cheap to leave the city but not the state, this place has no law but the law inflicted by the locals, and then theres 'The Cove' a large woodland area that surrounds the west side of the city, holding a coast line/beach to the west of it that curves down to the south, this area is used by those who wish to live quietly and occasionaly them that wish to keep their activities secret.
Title -
Smoke, Bullets and Lust Noir
Plot -
Story 1 - Freddie's Truck
A large truck pulls into Mallice City, the sun beats down almost baking the driver 'Freddie' a middle aged guy that's seen the hard side of life and tried to escape it by joining the army, only to realize the hard times only fall harder on those that run away. He drives into 'Destille Cargo' a large cargo firm, getting out of the truck he is met by a small man that moans Freddie is late, Freddie tells him he is only told where to deliver the truck, not what time he is to deliver it by.
He is paid and walks into the city to find the nearest bar, walking down the city's club strip his eyes search for a bar, he wipes the sweat from his forehead as he avoids the crowds in the streets, he see's an old gentlemens club and walks in.
Ordering a drink he sits at the bar, looking through his phone a woman name is seen in his call history but that was from long ago, now he spent his days alone driving his truck delivering for Herman that evil bastard back in Texas.
His phone bleeps and Freddie looks back down at it, a text message from Herman his 'boss'
"Well done Fred, thats $100,000 worth of coke Mad Tommy will never see again, see yah once you get back Destille have a package for me so drive back safe! and no getting pulled over!!!"
Freddie finishes his drink, stands up and makes way for the door after paying, but he's been caught by the attention of a group of preppy boys, "Old guy!" one shouts over, Freddie looks over searching them with his eyes to find a threat but see's none.
Walking over to Freddie two of the prep's tease him on his scruffy clothes, Freddie tries to ignore it but then a hand hooks his arm, Freddie gets a flash of Korean soldier doing the same thing in the jungle, Freddie grabs the hand breaking it, the other boy throws his fist but Freddie catches it and uses it on the first boy sending the kid to the floor.
The second boy backs away in fear, Freddie looks at the now unconcious boy on the floor and then at the small group still sat they all have the same fear painted on their faces as the second did, he leaves the club and walks back to Destille Cargo, the same small man as before tell's him the trucks loaded, Freddie signs a forum and leaves.
On the desert stretch of the Waste Strip, Freddie looks up at the beating sun and then out at the almost empty road, 'Bang' a noise from the truck makes Freddie pull over, getting out of the truck and walking to the back he opens the doors and is met with shock.
Six young girls cower in the back, soaked in sweat and stuggling to breath, Freddie knows what this is, he's heard other truckers tell of illegal runs and he's heard the stories that came of these truckers turning down these jobs, but he's not like those other saps, he can look after himself.
Pulling in at a gas station he gets out of the truck and walks a pay phone,
*Rings*
"Herman.... its me, the girls are out, I'm out...... Send your boys, send your guns, I'll be ready"
The camera zooms out from Freddie and the gas station.
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Story two - Your Smile
The bright neon lights of Mallice City hardly let the stars shine, but outside the 'Kings & Queens' bar Dandy can see the stars as he has the heavy boot of a bouncer thrust hard into his groin, another bouncer sends a towering punch down to his face, both bouncers walk into the bar as Dandy spits blood and limps to his feet leaning on a street lamp for support,
"You shouldn't spit it out, I hear you need it to live"
Dandy looks over at the bar and see's a beautiful woman smoing a ciggarette smiling over at him, suddenly he feels fine and strolls over to her, leaning on the fence between the bar and the parking lot, Dandy looks up at her and smiles,
"I bet your smile gets you anywhere"
She blows smoke into his face and replies, "Smiles only get you so far", he knows this to be the truth, he gives her one last smile and waves as he takes a deep breath and barges into the bar, the bouncers give him an angry look but he evades them, plowing into the crowd he makes his way for a door with the sign 'PRIVATE' above it.
A small room filled with cabinets, shelves and a desk where a large man sits sounting money, the man looks up at Dandy and scowels,
"What are you doing back in here?"
Dandy knows the bouncers will be here any second from now, "I need it back!" the man looks over at a cabinet in the corner of the room, "You lost it" standing up the man reveals a gun in a holster behind his blazer, Dandy makes a quick desision and dashes for the cabinet, the man also lunges, the two stuggle and Dandy gets hold of the gun aiming it at the man, "Open it!" the man takes a key and opens the cabinet.
Taking out a small envelope he throws it on the ground, Dandy slowly reaches down to pick it up, the bouncers burst into the room, in shock Dandy grabs it but falls to the ground, as one bouncer runs to Dandy, dandy pulls the trigger sending the bouncer to the ground.
The music in the bar too loud to alarm anyone, the other bouncer leaps towards Dandy smashing him in the face with a right hook, Dandy lets go of the gun letting it slide across the floor, the two struggle, the other man stands in shock looking at the now dead bouncer.
Dandy tries despreatly to crawl to the gun but is held back by the bouncer, he kicks his foot back hitting the bouncer in the head, finally reaching the gun he rolls over and shoots the bouncer and the man, standing up he looks at the three bodies, blood pouring across the floor he stuffs the envelope into his jacket pocket and runs from the room.
In the bar he evades the crowds, reaching the door he looks back into the corners of the room, seeing CCTV camera's all over, he dashes out of the bar and into the parking lot where he takes the envelope out of his pocket and rips it open, a set of car keys fall out and into his hand, he smiles and looks over and a '66 Mustang.
"Was is worth it?"
Dandy looks over and see's the beautiful woman still stood smoking, he smiles and her smile meets his like a first kiss, he opens the door and gets in but bfore shutting the door he looks back to her,
"I bet your smile gets you anywhere"
As if it were an invite to join him.
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Story three - Lifestyles of the Rich and the Depressive
Sarah kisses Gary, a muscular dark haired business man, he strokes her frizzy blonde hair and asks her if he can have another hour, her sad look turns to a smile and her sweet voice squirts out,
"You couldn't handle it baby"
Pulling her skirt back up and zipping up her leather jacket, Gary watches her from the other side of the room while he also gets dressed, Sarah quickly recounts the money from her handbag and blows him a kiss as a good bye before leaving the hotel room.
Walking down the loby she presses the button for the elevator, an elderly man steps up to the elevator as the door opens they both enter, in the elevator the man looks at Sarah, his eye wander from her legs up her body, when his eyes meet her's she jokingly shoots him a wink which sends him to look down at the ground in embarresment, *Ping* the door opens letting a tall handsome man in, he walks in and stands infront of Sarah.
Sarah checks the tall man out, his suit well tailored and his hair well done, the elderly man looks at the tall man and then straight back at the wall, the elevator stops, Sarah looks at the door but there is no announcement about which floor they are on.
The tall man swings around pushing Sarah to the floor, quickly he flicks his blazer open and arming himself with a silenced hand gun he shoots the elderly man twice, once in the chest then in the face, the elderly man drops dead and after the tall man places his gun back in his blaser holster, straightens himself up and the elevator begins to move again.
Sarah in complete shock looks dwn at the dead man and then back at the tall man, as the elevator reaches the third floor the man leaves, Sarah waits til the second floor then stumbles out and throws up in the corridor, making her way for the stairwell she see's the tall man leaving the exit to the ground floor.
She leaves through the same door shortly after him, a crowd has gathered by the now open elevator after someone has found the body of the dead elderly man, Sarah looks on as the tall man leaves through the hotel entrance, she looks back at the crowd and then elaves following the tall man.
The busy streets of Mallice City block Sarah from catching up with the tall man, all the while asking herself why she's following this killer, is it because like her he lives a dangerous life? or is it because like her he also lives a double life?
Loosing sight of the tall man Sarah turns back but her arm is grabbed and she's pulled into an alley way, the tall man stands there calm,
"You walk a dangerous path, take another"
He turns and walks away, Sarah completely terrified leaves the alley and walks home, in upper town Mallice the richer area of the city, Sarah gets out of a cab and looks around, pulling off her wig revealing she really has straight brown hair, she walks up the street of a wealthy estate.
Entering a large garden she walks through to the house, opening the door she calls out,
"I'm home"
Her husband comes from upstairs, they kiss and she goes into the bathroom, looking into the mirror she begins to cry.
The next night she is sat in a hotel room, her recent customer is in the bathroom, she fixes her makeup when there is a knock at the door, the customer tells her to get it suggesting its most likely room service, Sarah gets up and opens the door, there is the tall man in a new suit.
The tall man smiles and steps into the room, raising his finger to his lip implying Sarah to be quiet, he walks into the bathroom and after what sounds like a quick struggle and a muffled shot, he walks back out.
Sarah sitting on the bed wide eyed, a tear rolls down her face as the tall man gets closer, he leans down and wipes the tear away before kissing her on the cheek and telling her,
"Be careful Sarah, its a very dangerous city"
The screen fades to black as the tall man leaves the room.
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Story Four - Fred Wanted
Freddie speeds through the Waste Strip, pushing his truck as fast as it will go, his phone rings we see he has over fifty missed calls, behind him two cars chase, a mexican man leans out the passenger window of one car and begins to shoot a machine gun, a tyre is blown and Freddie truck skidds out of control.
One of the cars hits their break as Freddies truck swings towards them, smashing into them sending the driver through the windscreen, killing him while the back passenger is thrown face forward into the drivers head rest and killed, the passenger next to the driver is thrown from their window.
Freddies truck rolls over and then stops, Freddie lies bleeding from a head wound.
The first car stops and the mexican gets out and walks towards the truck, climbing up and opening the door he leans in and is shocked to find Freddie waiting for him, Freddie pulls him in and using a chokehold the Mexican passes out.
Freddie takes his gun as the others approche he kills them, leaving the truck in pain he looks at it in misery as if saying good bye to a dear freind for the last time, he limps towards the men's car and gets in.
Driving down the long strip Freddie looks in the wingmirror and pulls over, a car from behind stops and a man with greying hair steps out,
"You knew this was coming Freddie, Herman can't let you go, you owe him too big"
Freddie sits still watching the man from the car's inside mirror, the man yells over,
"He'll meet you at the 'Lucy's' a diner in The Cove, only twenty or so minutes from the city, he 'knows' the owner so we'll be there til end of the weekend, come alone obviously..... I'm sorry"
The man gets in his car and leaves, Freddie knows this isn't an invite to a second chance, no this is an invite to a quick death, maybe Herman feels pity for Freddie or maybe he just can't waste the time sending more men after one man.
Hours later Freddie crosses the point between Mallice City and The Cove, the car glides across the road smoothly, Freddie enjoys the view of the Cove, the forrest calms him, something he expects he'll need in the coming minutes. He thinks back to a time he was happy, he and a woman walk along a beach similar to the beach at the Cove, arriving at Lucy's he parks the car and walks to the main door.
Inside Herman an ageing mob boss, sits seemingly along,
"Come on Fred sit down"
Freddie walks through the diner and sits at the table across from Herman, eagle eyed Freddie feels his heart beat hard against his chest like a hammer against a brick wall, Herman smiles then reaches his arms out,
"What am I supposed to do Fred? You owe me a great deal...... then you refuse the work I've already set up for you? work that was going to make me a lot of money which will now cost me a lot more money?..... You have to be made an example of man"
Herman places a revolver onto the table, Freddie ignores it focusing more on Herman's arm eye contact,
"You see Fred, I let you work for me instead of having your legs broken as I felt for you man, fought in the war, lost your girl, had that mad spell..... But the other boys will be talking if I leave you to it........ So! here's how its going to be! You can either take the easy option, we deal with it here, or you can walk outside and find my boys outside waiting"
The moment is tense as Freddie and Herman stare each other down, Herman enjoying it, Freddie looks across at the diner menu, slowly he reaches over for it then looks over at Herman and says,
"I always loved Ice-cream Floats"
Both men begin to laugh, Freddie throws the menu at Herman trying to make a quick jump to the left out of Herman's view, but Herman shoots with a hidden gun under the table.
Freddie stands up, grasping hold of his bleeding shot wound he stumbles forward onto the ground, Herman stands up and walks towards him, Freddie makes one last attempt he jumps up and grobs hold of Herman who comes falling down onto Freddie, Freddie jabs Herman in the ribs with quick punches but they aren't enough, Herman leans down pushing on Freddies wound making freddie yell out loud.
"Messed up Fred"
*BLAM!*
The sound of the gun shot is slightly muffled due to how close the two are, outside Herman's men surround the diner, inside Herman stands up and wipes the blood from his gun barrel, and leaves the diner.
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Epilogue - Welcome to Mallice City
A narration is played over views of Mallice City and characters from this filma nd upcoming characters from the next......
"There's a lot that happens in this city, some things good, other things bad....... I'll let you decide what you make of it, so come, stay a while, enjoy the views and meet the people....... no matter what kind of person youa re there are always adventures to be had in Mallice City"