08/13/2013
Burbank, California
4000 Warner Boulevard
--------------------------
* We fade in to a scene placed on a sunny day in Burbank, California. The frame pans to the right and we gain sight of the famous water tower yielding the Warner Brothers official shield. On the ground level we casually move through the front gate from the point of view of a man behind the wheel of a 2013 Chevy Camaro. The security guard waves the driver through and the vehicle drives forward towards the main studio. A cross fade sets the scene inside of the corporate offices of the studio. We casually move through an assortment of individual hallways until passing through a large area used for auditions and casting. Various people holding their custom head shots are seen lined up behind a set of double doors. There is a sign on the doorway with a legal disclosure regarding the current auditions being held inside. The cameras pan away from the line and move down a side hallway. We stop in front of an open door that has a name plate on the front that says “L. Kennedy – Executive Vice President – Feature Casting. Inside of the spacious and exquisite office we find Lora currently in the middle of a business meeting *
Lora: To be honest with you I don’t really see the point they’re trying to make with this production. Foxx can barely handle himself on set and Lloyd has his hands full running his own studio. Sure, it was a great concept in the eighties but the industry is going in a different direction than it was twenty years ago.
* The cameras pan away from Lora and reveal the man sitting across from her as the HWA All Star Champion, Michael James. He is sporting his custom shades and a t-shirt with a logo on the front that reads “Black Eye Entertainment” *
Michael James: Have you read the script?
Lora: Of course. The first thirty pages are in dire need of a detailed revision.
Michael James: That bad, huh?
Lora: I wouldn’t say it’s a bad script. It just needs to be organized by someone with professional experience that knows the original story.
Michael James: Have you tried scouting independent writers that are non union?
Lora: You know we can’t do that. The studio is contracted with the writer’s guild so if they found out it wouldn’t turn out well for anyone involved. If worse comes to worse we’ll just offer the original author distribution points and sell the script to one of our side partners.
Michael James: Kind of like they did with the Lost Boys franchise?
Lora: Exactly. Granted, this script has a much bigger following so they’re going to have a better chance at scoring a theatrical release.
Michael James: I still say it’s going to be a complete mess. Where the hell is the studio going to find an ’82 Delorean in working condition?
Lora: A junkyard most likely. Or eBay. You would be surprised what can be done with a little creativity.
Michael James: I don’t think it’s a question of creativity as much as it is a question of money. You saw the last film my studio produced so I think it’s safe to say I’m no stranger to the concept of original creativity.
Lora: Apparently you’re no stranger to ultra violent home invasions, either. My kid is still having nightmares from all of the gore he saw in that film.
Michael James: Well, Lora. There’s a reason the MPAA gave it an NC-17 rating. How old is your son?
Lora: He’s six.
Michael James: Then it sounds like his mother needs to pay more attention to what he’s watching.
* Lora gives James a sarcastic glare of death *
Lora: Very funny.
* James smiles back at Lora and shrugs his shoulders. Lora looks down at her desk and begins to open the top of a small box. She dumps the contents from the box onto her desk. She removes the official head shot for Butch Parker from a laminate sleeve. The next item she finds is a DVD that has an HWA label on the disc. She directs her attention towards Michael James *
Lora: You want to tell me what this is all about?
Michael James: A few days ago I was informed about a phone call one of your associates made to Butch Parker regarding a possible role in an upcoming feature.
Lora: Okay. Do you know the name of the represenative that made the call?
Michael James: No. All I know is they claimed to represent the studio and informed Butch that his presence was wanted in a feature film. Now, I’m not here to tell you who to work with because that’s your decision. I just wanted to come by and give you the basic run down on this guy before the studio ends up making a terrible mistake.
Lora: Alright. But seeing how this is the first time I have even heard of the guy I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.
Michael James: Be as it may, there are a few things you need to know about him just in case it does become a problem.
Lora: Like what?
Michael James: Listen. You and I have been doing business with each other for what? Five years now?
Lora: Since the release of your first feature.
Michael James: Right. So you know I wouldn’t steer you wrong. Either way, this guy is not the type of person you want working for Warner Brothers. Here. I’ll show you what I’m talking about.
* James leans forward and picks up the DVD case. He removes the disc and approaches a plasma screen television Lora has set up to the side of her desk. He slides the DVD into the player and returns to his chair. A few seconds later footage from one of Wisdom and Butch Parker’s promos against Michael James appears on the screen *
(Wisdom): Who do you think you are, you squinty-eyed little fuk? Here you are again in the media running your mouth without a damn hint of knowing what the hell you’re talking about. You jump your ass of some Fujisawa fish boat, and waltz into HWA like you know everyone and everything. You don’t know shit Michael James.
* Lora grows a sudden expression of disgust on her face in reaction to the comments made by Wisdom Parker *
Lora: What trailer park did she come from?
Michael James: Just wait. There’s more where that came from.
* Lora turns her attention back to the promo *
Sweetie, you may have some legacy wrestling Godzilla or whoever in death matches over in Japan, but you are about as established here as tits on a 5 year old girl.
* Lora rolls her eyes and directs his attention back to Michael James *
Lora: Okay. I’ve seen enough.
* James pauses the footage using the television’s remote control *
Lora: If this is truly a sample of the type of attention Butch Parker would bring to the company I think it’s safe to say that he won’t be working with us anytime soon. This is his current wife. Correct?
Michael James: That’s right. And don’t get me wrong. In most cases of dysfunctional couples you have a good side and a bad side. Butch on the other hand lacks the ability to stand up to Wisdom because he’s a coward. He relies on his racist wife to fight his battles for him because he can’t accomplish anything on his own. What do you think would happen if he was asked to take on a serious role where Wisdom was banned from the set? You and I have seen it all before and neither of us wants to go through that Hell again.
Lora: I understand and I can assure you that isn’t going to be an issue. Warner Brothers is the last place to condone any kind of hatred or racist behavior.
Michael James: Then it looks like Butch won’t be getting that role after all, huh?
Lora: That would be correct.
Michael James: But just in case the studio needs further proof you might want to see this.
* James runs the footage and allows a new segment to begin. The official TMZ logo appears on the screen with an image of Wisdom and Butch Parker. Lora begins to roll her eyes upon sight of the press conference featuring Wisdom issuing an apology to the Asian community. She takes the remote from James and powers down the television *
Lora: I think I remember seeing something about this guy a few months back. Is this the one you faced in your last match? The Scottish moron?
Michael James: Yep.
* Lora laughs out loud *
Lora: Then it’s going to be a LONG time until he can be considered for anything connected to the film or television industry. The next time you see him you should tell him to learn how to act before he can jump into a serious role. Everyone saw how the Condemned turned out and I can guarantee you the studio isn’t going to make the same mistake.
Michael James: Well, that’s good to know. I just wanted to make sure you knew about the situation. I think someone might have been playing a joke on him just to hear his reaction. It’s not very hard to confuse a complete imbecile like Butch.
Lora: Judging from what I saw of Wisdom I think it’s clear that Butch isn’t a very smart man. Only an idiot would marry a horrible woman like that.
Michael James: I’m still following the theory of Wisdom being a transgender. That’s the only reasonable explanation for half of the crap that comes out of her mouth.
* Lora laughs at his joke and leans back in her chair *
Lora: Different strokes for different folks, right? Some people like the abuse.
Michael James: I don’t think that’s the case with Butch. He’s like the loser people knew in high school that would contemplate thoughts of suicide if it meant being alone. I don’t think he enjoys Wisdom’s abuse. He’s just too much of a coward to do anything about it.
Lora: Well, either way, you won’t have to worry about seeing either of their names a part of any of our future productions. I’m going to send this footage straight to corporate so they can have them both black listed.
Michael James: That sounds like a damn good idea.
* A static feed interrupts the footage. A few seconds later the white noise begins to clear from the image. We gain sight if a close up image at the very top of the Warner Brothers water tower. A cloud of smoke appears in the frame from the left side of the image in front of the W-B shield. Moments later, Michael James moves into the center of the frame. He has the custom designed HWA All Star Championship strapped around his waist and a cigarette gripped between his lips. He removes the cigarette and exhales a cloud of smoke from his mouth *
Michael James: So, Butch Parker wants to be a movie star.
* He looks away from the camera and releases a hysterical laugh *
Michael James: Keep dreaming, asshole.
* James takes a drag from the cigarette and inhales the smoke into his lungs *
Michael James: And don’t take this the wrong way, Butch. You are more than welcome to seek ventures outside of the HWA. I’m not trying to stop you from doing that. Everyone should be allowed to seek their own vice the only way they see fit. Unfortunately for you and Wisdom the entertainment industry isn’t open to your ideas of racism and bigotry. You know what that means? Just like in American History X you aren’t ####ing welcome. In order to survive in this industry you have to possess the skills to keep up with the rest of the competition. Do you really think you have the talent to do that, Butch? I didn’t think so. Tell me something, asshole. How much acting experience do you truly have? What’s that? None? Well, then I guess you still have a long way to go before you can even think about auditioning for anything. And yes, I know what you’re going to say. Who am I to judge your abilities as an actor, right? Well, guess what, prick? Unlike you I already have an established name in the film industry. You know what means? If anyone has room to talk, it’s Michael James. In 2009 I premiered my first feature film at the Portage Theater in Chicago and received a standing ovation. A few weeks later the reviews came pouring in praising my name as the future of independent horror. How many films have you been a part of, Butch? As far as I can tell you haven’t done a damn thing. Otherwise, your name would be registered with everyone else on IMDB, wouldn’t it? But your name isn’t there, Butch. And it never will be thanks to the thoughtful actions of the undefeated HWA All Star Champion. Did you really think you were going to tread on my territory and get away with it? Come on, Butch. You should know better by now.
* James nods his head back and forth showing his astonishment for Butch Parker’s unlimited amount of stupidity *
Michael James: Did the defeat you suffered at Road to Ruin teach you nothing? How many times do I have to beat you at your own game until you get the message? Usually, people in your position will accept the loss and move on to other things. You’re nothing like that, Butch. Instead of moving on you would rather sit around and b###h about how “unfair” things became throughout the course of the match. It’s like I told you before, dipshit. Life isn’t fair. You can learn from your mistakes or you can sit around and cry about it. Obviously, you’re a weak mother####er that requires the pity of other people to be who you are. Instead of doing something to compensate your loss to me you want everyone to feel sorry for you. And that’s fine. Sit around and whine about the things you can’t change. The only problem is no one gives a damn about Butch Parker anymore. Who cares if you think what I did to you was unfair? I’m a heel, you clueless sack of shit. It’s what I do. It’s who I am. If you don’t like it then you can pack up your shit and go home. I’m not changing for you or anyone else incapable of keeping up with my level of competition. You’re never going to be an actor so you need to get that out of your head right now. You can’t work with other people without your ego getting in the way. That’s why I say you’re destined for failure, Butch. You have all the matching elements of a man with nothing left to live for. Sure, you have the World Championship. But let’s be honest with each other. You and I both know that isn’t going to last much longer. I’m next in line and that means your time with my title is severely limited. I know you’ll just give me your usual bullshit speech about “being the best champion” and I’m fully prepared for that. We’ve heard it all before. It didn’t help you when you lost at Road to Ruin and I can promise that it isn’t going to help you anytime in the near future.
* He leans back against the tower and inhales another drag from his cigarette. The tip begins to glow as a few ashes begin to scatter in the wind. He removes the cigarette from his mouth and places his hand on the face plate of his championship *
Michael James: So far, I’ve heard every excuse in the book regarding your loss to me, Butch. And you know something? I’m getting sick of listening to you. It wasn’t fair. You didn’t beat me the way I wanted you to. I’m still the champ so that means I still won the match. Sorry Butch, but it really doesn’t. A loss is still a loss and that means I’m still better than you will ever dream to be. You haven’t defended the World Championship since you took it from Senester. I hate to break it to you asshole but if anyone is walking around with a false sense of individual accomplishment, it’s Butch Parker. In order to claim success for a job well done you have to actually commit to the job. But you lack the ability to do that. Otherwise it wouldn’t have taken you four efforts to win the World Championship. I’m not going to have that problem. All I need is one opportunity and five minutes later I will be announced as the next HWA World Heavyweight Champion. That’s exactly how I beat Judas to become the champion I am today so Butch isn’t going to be any different. He can say what he wants but everyone knows how full of shit he truly is. He can say I’m unworthy but if that was the case why am I the highest ranked name in the entire promotion? It’s like I always said. Butch is a liar. He’s an idiot. And most of all, he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s a man made of failure trying to convince the world of his imaginary success. Great. It’s not like we haven’t seen that a million times before. Personally, I’m going to be happy when Butch is gone. I’m sure the insecure douche bags like Freddie Styles will miss having him around. But not me. Parker pissed me off from the beginning when he should have been earning my respect. That’s not my problem. I responded like anyone would and now he’s just another notch on my belt. If he didn’t want a war from the best he should have kept his mouth shut.
* James takes the last drag from his cigarette and tosses it over the railing. He slowly approaches the edge of the platform and looks down below. People are seen as the size of ants from his elevated location in the tower. He moves away from the railing and adjusts his sunglasses *
Michael James: The same goes for anyone that is stupid enough to cross me. I don’t care who they are or what they might have done before. In the HWA I’m the only name that means a damn to anyone. Others like Butch and Freddie preach their fraudulent bullshit and continuously fail to achieve their goals. That might be okay for them but it isn’t okay for someone like me. I win every match because I can do things that others can’t. I can talk as much shit as I want and still have the last laugh at the end of the day. If you don’t believe me just take a look at the war between Michael James and the Parker Family. For months they slandered my name every chance they had. They promised to rid me from the company. They promised to have their hands raised in victory over me with minimal effort. But none of those things happened for either one of them. When Butch Parker faced Michael James he didn’t just lose the match. He lost his pride, his dignity and his credibility in an attempt to spoil his own pathetic ego. Sure, Butch and Wisdom will say whatever they have to in order to avoid the truth. That’s what liars do to save face. I’m sure Freddie Styles will be doing the same thing in a few days. And I’m fine with that. Ever since I put that delusional bastard in his place we haven’t heard a word from him. And something tells me we aren’t going to hear from Styles anytime soon. You know why? He’s running scared like I said he would. He knew he couldn’t win so he took the easy way out. Granted, it’s not the kind of reaction I would expect to see from Freddie but that’s why I always considered him to be a man of serious limitations. When the going gets get rough Styles gets the #### out of dodge. Maybe Butch Parker can somehow learn from Freddie’s example and accept his lowly place in the company.
* He grows a cynical expression on his face. He lowers his shades so we can see his pupils *
Michael James: Yeah, right. Anyone that knows the real Butch Parker will agree that his chances of learning anything are slim to none. That’s probably why he thinks he’s going to be a big name in Hollywood. He obviously doesn’t want to be a part of the company if he can’t be the top dog. And as much as it pains him to think about it he knows that day is coming for him sooner than expected. He’s going to lose the World Championship and have nothing left in his life but a cracked out wife and a cockeyed freak show of a child. What am I going to have? Well, Butch, I’m glad you asked. I’m going to have the World Heavyweight Championship on one shoulder and the All Star Championship on the other. I’m going to have all of the praise and success that comes with being the only undefeated dual champion in the entire company. I’m going to have everything you ever wanted, Butch. The best part about the whole situation is there isn’t going to be a damn thing you will be able to do to take these things away from me. You tried once before and failed miserably. Do you really think another useless effort is going to do you any good? That’s right, douche bag. You can’t win. No matter how hard you try you can’t get the best of me. Sure, you’ll say you already have but if that was true why are you the one losing the war? Holding the World Championship with no title defenses doesn’t make you a winner, Butch. It makes you a counterfeit title holder. You haven’t won anything against me and you never will. Talking doesn’t earn you anything. That’s the only thing you have against me. You haven’t pinned my shoulders to the mat or made me submit. I can’t say the same. At Road to Road, I scored my first pin fall over Butch Parker and changed the course of history. Just imagine what kind of impact I’ll have when I’m the World Champion.
* He slowly turns his head to the side *
Michael James: I can see it now.
* The image uses a dissolve transition to morph the scene into an animated image of Michael James standing in the center of a wrestling ring. He is holding the HWA World Championship as high as he can while laughing hysterically. The surrounding audience is heard cheering his name in Japanese. The image morphs back to Michael James standing on the platform *
Michael James: What a moment it will be for the Personification of Perfection. And unlike most of the douche nozzles with hopes and dreams filled with championship gold, I’m more than capable of turning my vision into reality. I did it once before against Judas Mercury and I’ll do it again when I face Butch Parker for the World Championship. As for my upcoming defense of the All Star Title, Freddie Styles isn’t going to be a problem for Michael James. You want to know why? I’m going to do exactly as I said and defeat him to retain my championship. We’ve seen what he’s capable of doing and so far none of it has had any effect on the All Star Champion. You know why? I don’t sweat assholes with no sense of ambition or actual talent. Sure, Freddie has had his high moments and I’m sure he’s proud of his limited accomplishments. Unfortunately, he isn’t going to be experiencing anything like that when the All Star Championship is up for grabs. He isn’t facing some weak piece of shit like Steve Angel or Bryan Deas. He’s going to be facing the most feared man in the HWA and that factor alone eliminates any chance of his possible success. But then again, Freddie is used to being at the shallow end of the talent pool so this loss should come as no surprise to him. If he wants to work his ass off just to lose like a b###h then it’s none of my concern. The only thing I care about is keeping my championship exactly where it is right now. And you know what? Something tells me I won’t have any problems doing that when I face Freddie Styles on Havoc. If he wanted to be a champion he would put more effort towards the presentation of his material. Freddie refuses to do that so in return I refuse to consider him to be a serious opponent.
* James begins walking along the platform towards a closed door located a few inches away from the W-B shield. He reaches inside of his jacket and removes his flask. He removes the top and downs a shot of Sake down his throat *
Michael James: Think about it for a second. This is a man who lost the only gold he had ever earned to the worst possible tag team in the entire company. We’re talking about a man that would rather accept humiliation and defeat over the chance of any kind of individual success. As far as I’m concerned this entire match is a waste of my time. I beat Styles once before so I have absolutely nothing left to prove to him or anyone else. I should be facing Butch Parker for the World Championship. Instead, I get stuck with a fraudulent opponent that can barely keep from pissing himself upon the mere sight of me. I might not like it but since this isn’t my company I’m obligated to accept it. I’m fine with that. I wouldn’t be the only flagship name in the company if I wasn’t willing to play along. But since I am currently recognized as the leader of the pack I’m going to do what’s best for Michael James and my All Star Championship. If it means breaking Freddie’s neck in the process then it will be nothing more than an added bonus. I don’t really care. I always find a solution to the problem. Unlike Butch Parker I don’t have to whine and cry when things don’t go my way. I had the weight of the world against me at Road to Ruin and everyone saw the final result. Butch can deny a lot of things but he can’t deny his loss to Michael James. And the same goes for Freddie Styles. He wants to argue our first encounter was a “draw”, right? Well, you know what I say? #### that bullshit. There are no limbos in the sport of professional wrestling. Freddie Styles lost to Michael James and that’s all there is to it. He’s going to lose again and again and again until he learns how to take a ####ing hint. I think he would be better off handing over his resignation to Shevington. At least that way he wouldn’t have to walk around with his head stuck in a halo for the next year. But, it’s like they say, you can’t fix stupid.
* James approaches the door and opens it using the knob. He moves through the open doorway and slams it shut. A static feed interrupts the footage. A few seconds later the white noise grows thicker on the frame mixed with the sound of various men arguing in Japanese. When the image clears we cut directly to an unidentified location seen through the lens of a cheap video camera. A thick grain overlays the frame of what appears to be a condemned building from the appearance of the mold and corrosion decorating the walls. The figure of a male approaches the frame and picks up the camera. He uses the viewfinder to move into a side room where we discover a man tied to a chair. His face is severely beaten and his clothes are drenched in his own blood. The confined man slowly raises his head and begins to speak *
Victim: Shite kudasai…
* He begins to choke while trying to push out his words. He spits a clump of blood from his mouth. There are pieces of broken teeth mixed with the blood *
Victim: Tasukete kudasai.
* A door slams open and two large Japanese men dressed in expensive suits enter the room. They both have a variety of tattoos covering their bodies that appear to represent some type of crime organization. They quickly approach the man and begin angrily screaming at him. The man on the right slams his fist into the side of the victim’s face. The man on the opposite side grabs a handful of his hair and slams his knee into the confined man’s face. The blow shatters his nose on impact. They continue to verbally insult him while one of the men reveals a roll of duct tape. He moves around to the back of the victim and uses the tape to seal his mouth while the opposite man pulls a switch blade from his pocket. He flips out the blade and gradually inches towards the victim while the other man grabs a hold of his scalp and exposes his neck. While screaming at him the Japanese they begin slicing open his throat with the blade of the knife. A static feed interrupts the footage. The noise thickens the frame while we hear the confined man screaming in complete agony *
Message Thread
« Back to index