PHYFF 2021: ‘A Day With Payne’ by Alex Colocousis

Draft #3

A Day With Payne Written by Alex Colocousis

Copyright (c) 2020 Email: alexcolocousis@yahoo.com

TITLE CARD INT. OMINOUS ROOM PAYNE is sitting, blindfolded with a bag over his head, and tied to a rocking chair.

WE SLOWLY ZOOM BACK TO SEE TWO HENCHMEN LIT UP BY CHEAP, FLORESCENT LIGHTS. AS WE ZOOM BACK, WE START TO FOCUS LESS ON PAYNE AND BEGIN TO INCREASINGLY FOCUS ON THE HENCHMEN. WE SEE THE OUTLINES OF THEIR FIGURES. WE CUT TO FACE THE HENCHMEN. THEY’RE WEARING SKI MASKS AND DARK CLOTHING, HOLDING GUNS. ONE OF THEM IS HOLDING AN ASSAULT RIFFLE, THE OTHER IS HOLDING A SMALLER, MORE PETITE WEAPON. There’s a short beat.

Henchman #1 on the left lightly hits the henchman to the right, Henchman #2, with his elbow, and nods to Payne.

Henchman #2 doesn’t react. Henchman #1 repeats the action.

Henchman #2 quickly looks at #1, then looks back at Payne. #1 gets an annoyed look on his face and repeats the gesture, but this time hits even him harder. #2 double takes at #1.

He looks baffled and irritated and has big eyes.

HENCHMAN #2 (whispers) What?!

Henchman #1 nods towards Payne even harder. This time with his eyes bulging as he nods towards Payne.

HENCHMAN #2 (cont'd) Whats *nods hard* supposed to mean?!

HENCHMAN #1 (enraged face) Shh! (whispers) Grill em!

HENCHMAN #2 (whispers mockingly) Grill Em?! You grill em!

CAMERA CUTS TO BETWEEN THE HENCHMEN LIKE BEFORE, ONLY THIS TIME IT’S FOCUSED ON PAYNE. Payne's head limply drops from resting on his shoulder to resting on his chest.

2.

CUTS SO WE FACE THE HENCHMEN AGAIN. THE HENCHMEN FREEZE OUT OF FEAR, BOTH OF THEIR EYES ARE POPPING OUT OF THEIR HEADS STARING AT PAYNE. There’s a long silence between the three of them. The Henchmen relax and get back into their first position.

HENCHMAN #2 (cont'd) (whispers) Why do I have to do it?

HENCHMAN #1 (sternly whispers) Cause you’re the one who caught him.

Henchman #2 slowly turns to face Henchman #1. His voice grows from soft to loud.

HENCHMAN #2 (angry) That's not how it works!?

HENCHMAN #1 I just thought that...

HENCHMAN #2 (irritated) What, you think I wanna go near that guy again?! Do you know what he could do to me?

Henchman #2 looks back at Payne and takes a deep breath.

Both Henchmen calm down and turn to face Payne again.

Theres a long pause.

Henchman #2 looks down at Henchman #1’s gun.

HENCHMAN #1 Whats with the gun?

HENCHMAN #2 (unaware) Hmm? HENCHMAN #1 Why's it so small?

HENCHMAN #2 (shocked) What?!

3.

HENCHMAN #1 (fast) Your gun.

HENCHMAN #2 Oh...

HENCHMAN #1 What’d you think IHENCHMAN #2 (fast and defensive) Nothing!

Beat.

HENCHMAN #1 So why's it so small?

HENCHMAN #2 (shrugs) Davis said to bring a gun.

Beat.

HENCHMAN #1 (confused) Well yeah...but did you read the email?

HENCHMAN #2 (faces Henchman #1) ...No? HENCHMAN #1 They sent out an email, it said to bring a BIG(shakes gun) ...GUN when dealing with Payne!

HENCHMAN #2 (irritated) Why a big gun?! That makes no sense, a guns a gun! They all do the same thing...BANG, dead!

Short pause.

Both men turn back and face Payne. Henchman #1 shakes his head angrily.

Henchman #2 turns to face Henchman #1.

4.

HENCHMAN #2 (cont'd) I didn’t think I had to read the email because of what Davis said. I mean I got the email, I just didn't...

Henchman #1 shrugs as he continues to look at Payne.

Henchman #2 turns back to Payne.

Henchman #2 disappointingly shakes his head like before.

Long pause.

HENCHMAN #1 How’d you get em anyways?

HENCHMAN #2 (proud) Caught him off guard. (chuckles) Ain’t nothing a couple of horse tranquilizers can’t do.

Henchman #1 turns to face Henchman #2.

HENCHMAN #1 You gave him horse tranquilizers?

HENCHMAN #2 (bragging) Yeah...

HENCHMAN #1 (disgusted) Why didn’t you just use chloroform, like a normal person?!

HENCHMAN #2 (defensive) They were on sale.

HENCHMAN #1 Where can you get horse tranquilizers on sale?

HENCHMAN #2 (quiet) Petco...

Henchman #1 turns back towards Payne’s direction. He raises his eyebrows and thinks about it then does a “De Niro” mouth.

5.

HENCHMAN #1 How long do they last?

Henchman #2 turns to face Henchman #1.

HENCHMAN #2 What do you mean “last”?

Beat.

Henchman #1 turns to face Henchman #2.

HENCHMAN #1 (irritated) What'd you mean, what'd I mean “last”?! I mean how long do they last?! How long tills it wears off?

HENCHMAN #2 I don’t know, uh...25 minutes.

Both The Henchmen turn back and face Payne.

Long pause.

HENCHMAN #1 When’d you give it to him?

HENCHMAN #2 2...2:30 I think.

Pause.

HENCHMAN #1 Well what was it, 2 or 2:30?

Henchman #2’s eyes dart and his face drops.

HENCHMAN #2 I...don’t know.

Henchman #1 turns to face Henchman #2.

HENCHMAN #1 (stern) How do you not know? There’s a pretty big difference between 2 and 2:30!

Henchman #2 turns to face Henchman #1.

6.

HENCHMAN #2 I don’t know! It was right after therapy and I didn’t think to pay attention to the time when I was trying to kidnap Ethan Payne!

Henchman #1’s eyes grow big.

HENCHMAN #1 Well it's kinda important! He could be awake right now and snap our necks in less than a second!

HENCHMAN #2 Well if he is, don’t give him any MORE ideas! And don't take your eyes off him!

Both Henchmen face Payne.

HENCHMAN #1 (calmer) What time is it?

Henchman #2 looks at his watch.

HENCHMAN #2 Three.

Henchman #1’s face drops as he calmly turns to face Henchman #2.

HENCHMAN #1 (disappointed) Its 3pm? You’re saying that IF you put HORSE tranquilizers into that man right there(points to Payne) One of the most dangerous men in the world, at 2:30, hes been listening to our conversations for at least the past FIVE MINUTES and playing dead...

7.

CAMERA CUTS TO BETWEEN THE HENCHMEN, FOCUSED ON PAYNE. WE SEE THE HENCHMENS' HEADS SLOWLY LOOK TOWARDS THE DIRECTION OF PAYNE. THE CAMERA FOCUSES FROM THE HENCHMEN TO PAYNE. HIS HEAD STILL IN THE SAME POSITION AS BEFORE, STILL SLUMPED DOWN OVER THE CENTER OF HIS CHEST. WIDE ANGLE: THE HENCHMEN AND PAYNE ARE IN ONE SHOT. THE HENCHMEN ARE STILL LOOKING AT PAYNE. WE SEE THE HENCHMEN IN FOCUS OVER PAYNE’S LEFT SHOULDER. Both Henchmen slowly turn their body towards Payne like theres a T-Rex in the room. Their eyes don’t break from Payne’s direction as they do it.

They both raise their guns and point them towards Payne.

Henchman #2 pushes Henchman #1 towards Payne. Henchman #1 drops his gun, looks back, tilts his head at Henchman #2, and raises his arms as in, "C'mon". Henchman #2 bulges his eyes and mouths something indescribable and points at Payne.

Henchman #1 raises his gun again and looks back at Payne and slowly moves towards him. He is hesitant and his body is cautious.

He puts his gun up next to Payne’s head. He looks back at Henchman #2.

BEHIND PAYNE AND HENCHMAN #1; HENCHMAN #2 IS IN VIEW, IN FOCUS. HENCHMAN #2 (mouthing) DO IT! Henchman #1's eyes are huge.

HENCHMAN #1 (mouthing) I DON'T WANT TO! Henchman #1 lightly taps his gun against Payne's head. There is no reaction. Henchman #1 looks back at Henchman #2, Henchman #2 shrugs. Henchman #1 lightly taps Payne's head again. There is no reaction...again. The Henchman slowly backs away from Payne. His gun still pointing at Payne, his body still cautious.

WE SEE HENCHMAN #1 SLOWLY STEP BACK INTO FRAME NEXT TO HENCHMAN #2 He reaches "safety" beside the other Henchman. Both Henchmen are still pointing their gun at Payne.

8.

HENCHMAN #1 (cont'd) (whispers) Ugh, this is NOT worth ten grand.

Henchman #2's face drops.

HENCHMAN #2 (turns to Henchman #1) WHAT?!

Henchman #1 gets scared by the others yell and faces Henchman #2.

HENCHMAN #2 (cont'd) (upset) I'm only getting five...

We hear a loud creak, like someone is opening a giant, decrepit, wooden door. Both Henchmen look towards Payne's direction.

CAMERA IS BETWEEN THE HENCHMEN AGAIN, FOCUSED ON A EMPTY CHAIR. We see an empty rocking chair with ropes, and a bag on the ground. The rocking chair is swaying back and forth. The Henchmen slowly look back at each other.

The sound of a circuit breaker being switched off is heard.

The lights in the ominous room shut off at the same time. A woman's scream is heard, followed by the sound of fists rapidly connecting to the bodies and faces of The Henchmen.

The circuit breaker is heard again. The nauseating florescent lights turn back on. We see The Henchmen on the floor, knocked out. Henchman #1 is leaned up against a wall, slouched over. Henchman #2 is lying face down on the floor with his arms and legs in almost impossible directions.

The rocking chair still rocking...

Beat.

CUT TO BLACK THE END