Showbox Pages

Here's a couple pages from my script "Showbox".

SHOWBOX
Written by Marcy Green


EXT. STREET - DAY

LORI DENNIS gets out of her car, goes to the passenger side,
gets a paper grocery bag from the seat, closes the door, and
walks toward a modest house.

A few steps from the car a live band in the garage of the
house next to hers starts playing punk/thrash rock and roll.
Lori stops, her expression fades, she looks down at the
sidewalk. Inhaling, she turns for the garage, goes to the
side door, knocks.

The music is loud, there is no way her knocking can be heard
inside. She opens the door and goes inside.

INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS/DARK

Lori appears pathetic standing in the doorway silhouetted
against the daylight.

LORI
Excuse me.

Her voice is barely audible. The band - four young, typical
guys - continue to play, not noticing her.

She looks around, sees a corkboard with sticky notes, yellow
and magenta, arranged to form the words: FUCK YOL.

A smirk flashes on her face when she realizes the sticky notes are
hers.

INSERT: CLOSE UP STICKY NOTES. ONE SAYS: 'Please consider not
playing after 10 PM.' ANOTHER: '...I work and need...'
ANOTHER: '...your volume levels are quite...' ANOTHER:
'...and I can't sleep...'

She can't help but admire how, with 2 more notes to finish
the vertical part of the letter U, the words will spell: FUCK
YOU.

LORI
Would you mind keeping it down
tonight? I have to be at work at five
in the morning.

She can't be heard.

The lead singer, JOHNNY, is deep into the performance.

JOHNNY
(singing)
Anarchy! Revolt! Disdain! Feel my
PAIN!!!

Lori's eyes narrow.

INT. HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

Lori enters the kitchen, puts the groceries on the table.
SOUND OF BAND PLAYING is clear.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Lori puts a vinyl LP on a turntable and lowers the stylus --
50's jazz trio. She LEAVES FRAME. The jazz and rock from the
band clash. Lori RE-ENTERS FRAME, turns the jazz up loud. Too
loud, she knows.

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

Lori eats a pasta listening to the loud jazz mix with the
driving beat from the band next door. The cacophony makes her
scowl.

INT. BATHROOM - LATER

Lori brushes her teeth. The musical clash continues.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Lori lifts the stylus from the LP, turns the stereo off. As
soon as she does the bass from next door seems to come to
life.

Lori stares. The cymbal crashes penetrate the walls. The lead
singer's screeching pound her life, but she mouths a couple
words. Bad guitar solo work follows -- she smirks.

DESK - MOMENTS LATER

Lori sits, gets sticky notes, writes. Then, gets a piece of
musical staff paper, starts writing.

EXT. GARAGE SIDE DOOR - NIGHT

Lori sticks a note on the door. Stares at the note, listens
to the roar of bad music, her enthusiasm fades.
Lori takes down the sticky note, and opens the door.

INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

Johnny is working the mic and his guitar like a pro, but
sounds pretty bad. JOEY, on the drums, seems to have the
tightest technique. BILLY, on bass, can't really keep up, and
TOMMY plays the guitar much better than Johnny.

They're all young, skinny, a typical gig band.

Lori goes to the amps, starts pulling cords and flipping
power switches to 'off'. The music stops. The guys flash
at Lori, they grumble protests.

JOHNNY
Hey!

Joey motions for Johnny to stay cool. Lori goes to the
corkboard and puts 2 more sticky notes on the letter 'L',
making it into a letter 'U'.

Then, she takes the sheet music and pins it to the
coarkboard. She squares off at the guys in the band and flips
them off. For several seconds, making eye contact with each.

Lori marches out.

JOHNNY TAKES DOWN THE SHEET MUSIC. ON THE PAGE ARE: 3 TITLED
SONGS WITH MUSIC ON THE TREBLE CLEF, AND SOME LYRICS -- 2 OR
3 LINES PER SONG, AND HANDWRITTEN NOTES UNDER EACH TITLE.

The band has gathered around Johnny.

BILLY
Those are our songs.

JOHNNY
My songs.

BILLY
Those are the right lyrics.

Joey takes the sheet from Johnny, reads.

JOEY
Feel My Pain. (reading) "The pickup to
the downbeat is an eighth late. It's
okay if you're trying to sound like
The Ramones -- but I know you're not."

There are smirks all around.

JOHNNY
She doesn't know what she's talking
about.

JOEY
There's notes for all our big songs.

TOMMY
(re: Johnny) His big songs.

Tommy goes to the corkboard and reads the last 2 sticky
notes.

JOEY
These are good. This makes sense.

TOMMY
(reading sticky notes)
"If you want to keep sounding like
shit, please stop it by ten P.M. If
you want to gig or get radio play...I
can help."

This raises eyebrows all around.

JOEY
Go talk to her.

JOHNNY
You're kidding.

JOEY
These might work.

BILLY
They are your songs.
















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