| *Fade up. We are looking at one of the famous stars on the boulevard, Hollywood. The camera pans upwards revealing The Graduate, Jay Gavin, standing outside an elegant, expensive-looking movie theater. Behind him it is reasonably quiet, tourists with cameras mingle excitedly, while locals occasionally hurry by, talking hurriedly on mobile phones, or looking anxiously at their watches. The Graduate is dressed for the Oscars, in a striking black-and-white tux, hair slicked back, clean shaven. He carries a microphone and, smiling with a sickening smugness, begins to address the audience*
Graduate: - "Good evening my friends, my fans, loyal fans of Tidal Wave Wrestling. It is an absolute pleasure to be here tonight on behalf of TWW at the premiere of a highly exciting piece of work, by one of the hottest properties in the busy world of LA today. And while I fear it may betray my modest exterior, I have to reveal to you that this sought after directing talent is, well, me.
You see, while I've made brief appearances on the last two televised TWW shows, it's been some time since I've come out to address my adoring public, since I've got out among the real people. But as my friends and family would doubtless tell you, despite my superior intellect, there is nothing The Graduate enjoys more than (Adopts ridiculous teenage "streetwise" accent) "Keepin' it real!". And what better chance to get out and about than for the first showing of my debut directorial work, it's a fact.
So now the TWW Head Office and myself have finished our "Character Evaluation", now I've been let loose onto your screen again, now things are clear in my head, it is quite clearly the perfect time for us to get to know each other better. And as coincidence would have it, this short film will also address The Graduate's first match in TWW, this coming Friday on Lightning! Confused? Don't worry, one as intelligent as myself often has this effect on lesser individuals such as yourselves. Let me assure you that all will become clear when we step inside the Golden City Movie Theater and we roll that videotape!"
*The camera focuses on the cinema behind The Graduate, it pans upwards to reveal the name "National Movie Theater". The Graduate lets out a sharp hiss in the direction of the cameraman, we turn back to him and see that he is gesturing across the street. We follow his finger...
The other side of the street could not be more different to the one The Graduate is currently standind on. It is dark, seedily lit by a few dim streetlights, garbage overflows from trashcans while beggars with bottles of vodka poorly concealed under the trenchcoats plead with passers-by for pennys. As we pan up and down the road we pass hookers as cheap and nasty as Hannah Swift and scary-looking hobos with disturbing shapes bulging in their pockets. After a while the camera stops and doubles-back on itself, almost as if the camera man is doing an exaggerated double-take. He focuses on a crumbling, derelict building which may or may not be a movie theater. We zoom in on it's dirty exterior and spot a sign, barely legible beneath layers of graffiti - "Golden City Movie Theater".
We turn back to The Graduate, who is still smiling inanely. He walks across the road, reaching the other side a few feet from one of the "Ladies of the Night", leaning over the hood of a parked car.*
Hooker: - "Hand job, honey?"
Graduate: - (Examines the car thoughtfully for a brief second) "Well, I'm no motoring expert, but I would say it was fully automatic..."
*The Graduate walks towards the movie theater, one of the hobos walks menacingly alongside him*
Graduate: - (Nervous) "Er...shoo???"
*Sniggering drunkenly, the hobo prods Jay a few times in the ribs before walking away, laughing. Finally The Graduate reaches the theater. Glancing around nervously for a second, he steps inside. We fade out* |
