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Blackthorne
Cinemagenic 114
Simmer
“I like playing a “pressure cooker” kind of
character, where the lid’s on, and it’s left
to simmer for a long while.--Stellan Skarsgard.
1(two-shot) Wallace raced around the counter and
intercepted Buck before he reached the door.
Wallace: Wait, wait, wait, Hoss--his hands up in
Buck’s face. Are you going to do this legal. or are
you going to raise hellfire and maybe hurt some
innocent people?
Buck lowered his chin and glowered at Henry.
2(sound cue) a pistol cylinder spinning over harmonica.
3(close-up) Buck: No, Johnny and Mateo were right.
I’m just too damned naive to see it. I’m headed across
the street. When the sheriff gets back, you can tell
him where I am. I was standing here a moment ago
and I realized that I’ve been hiding behind aprons
and skirts, and that’s not for me. You go back
upstairs and watch over things. I have a man’s
work to do.
4(two-shot) Wallace: Use your head, son. You’ve
got friends here--and that should mean something.
Come on, you can’t take on Bronson alone. Christ,
you’ve got the law on your side.
Buck: Fuck it. He pushed past the storekeeper, and
stepped through the half doors.
5(cut to exterior, crane shot) Buck joined the throng
of Mateo’s friends at the base of the doctor’s steps.
The big Indian stood at his side.
Buck: Time for the nut-cutting.
He turned and started down the street toward the
CHINA DOLL. The Indian walked alongside.
6(sound cue) snare drum and coronet.
7(medium close-up) Buck unsnapped the stud over
his sawed off shotgun and jerked it from its holster.
He checked the load and holstered it. He did the
same with the Thunderer, the self-cocking Colt that
hung on his right hip. As tall men, they took big
steps, raising flour-like dust, even in the dark.
8(sound cue) drumbeat speeding up, joined by guitar.
9(overhead drone shot) As Buck and the Indian
passed the BRONSON HOUSE, a small group of
porch riders came to their feet and crossed the
dark street, falling in behind them. As they
approached the saloon, its front steps and
benches were barren.
10(cut to street level wide shot) Inside, the bright
lights, laughter, and out-of-tune bar piano blared.
Buck headed straight for it, stopping in front. The
red false front looked scarlet in the dim light. The
six foot high letters spelling CHINA DOLL were
rippled from being painted over thick uneven siding.
11(wide two-shot) Buck paused, addressing the
tall Indian: What’s your name?
Indian: I am a friend. I will cover your back. I have
no name until we both walk out of this place.
Buck tramped through the fancy swinging doors.
The Indian followed him in. No one else in the
crowd moved .
12(sound cue) snare drum bap, guitar strum.
13(cut to interior, POV from above, top of the
stairs) Buck and his companion stepped inside,
and the door shivered shut behind them.
14(cut to main floor wide shot--behind Buck and
the Indian) The din in the room went to all-stop.
Smoke hung in a blue haze over green felt tables,
masking some of the faces.
Hey, Indian! came a voice out of the smoke.
Get your red butt out of here! You fucking know
dirty Indians ain’t allowed in here. Go back to
the Cantina.
Buck turned to his left. A short saloon guard stood
up in his cubicle, a pump shotgun in his arms. Buck
waited. No one else spoke up.
Guard: Did you hear me, redskin?
Buck: He’s with me. We didn’t come here to drink.
The guard flicked his eyes toward the bar. Thor
Bronson stood alone at the middle. He slowly
shook his head no.
Guard: Then see that he don’t.--sitting down.
What the hell do you want here?
another voice boomed across the room.
15(sound cue) base drum and clarinet.
Glenn Buttkus
Open Link Night
Posted over at d'Verse Poets Pub OLN
10 comments:
You were quick on the draw today, Glenn! You’re good at simmering your plot and characters. I love the ‘pistol cylinder spinning over harmonica’ and Wallace’s advice. But it was obvious that Buck would go his own way. You painted a great picture of Buck and the Indian:
‘As tall men, they took big
steps, raising flour-like dust, even in the dark’
and the China Doll externally and internally.
I love reading your words Glenn, they take me back to my childhood, my childhood attending the children’s Saturday matinee at the cinema.
Initially we paid (to get in) with jam-jars that had a monetary value and later money itself.
I was always in awe at the vastness of the screen and that that was portrayed there, cartoons, maybe Laurel & Hardy (I’m not sure), always finished off with a Western that ended with a cliff-hanger.
I loved those days!
The tension is on high volume (again). (K)
I like your description of those watching in the street as "porch riders". It looks like something is about to happen with all the confrontation.
Uh oh, you left us hanging. 😀
I liked the description: "As tall men, they took big
steps, raising flour-like dust, even in the dark."
Favorite parts:
"Time for the nut-cutting."
Buck paused, addressing the
tall Indian: "What’s your name?"
Indian: "I am a friend. I will cover your back. I have
no name until we both walk out of this place."
The tension is about as tight as a wire can get without snapping. It appears Thor is feeling pretty confident in his position. Now to stand at the edge of the cliff until next time!
Interesting that the Indian with no name said he had Bucks back, but it ended up the Buck had his back instead!
It's exhausting work, keeping them and us at that simmer, that no man's land between shadow and boil. You populate it well. - Brendan
Oh my gosh.....the tension keeps mounting all the way through this scene. The drum rolls....the details.....I want to know what happens next!!!!!
PS: Will you be bringing back Sabrina at all?
Oh no, this is a western so doing it by the law is not what a good man does. I wonder what will happen next... hope Thor is peeing in his pants.
I had to come in and read so I don't miss anything... I took a little break from writing during the May holiday
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