Michael T. Miyoshi: Scripts

Happy Fiftieth

int.lecturehall.day

A female PROFESSOR stands at her podium preparing for her lecture. The table next to her podium has a hint of the day. It has an open yellow envelope barely visible. She has an innocuous “50” pin on her lapel. And she smiles a little as she puts something under her lecture notes. She sighs a little as she looks up preparing to speak.

A police OFFICER bursts into the lecture hall huffing and puffing. Apparently, he has been running. He has on an unbuttoned trench coat and places his hands on his knees to catch his breath. His hat is a bit askance, but he takes it off and wipes his brow with his arm. The top of his head is toward the camera which is in the seats of the lecture hall. He moves toward and then sits in a seat next to the table beside the podium. His body is facing the class (there are whispers and rustling in the lecture hall), but he turns his head toward the professor.

OFFIcer

(still panting slightly)

Did a man just rush in or through this room?

professor

(quizzically)

Nobody has entered but my students.

The PROFESSOR motions toward her students. The OFFICER looks where her arm motions and nods ascent. He starts to breathe hard again. Almost gasping for breath. The PROFESSOR looks worried and moves toward the OFFICER.

PROFESSOR

(worried)

Are you okay? Do I need to call the paramedics?

OFFICER

(waving her off and trying to smile)

No. Just give me a second and I will be okay.

(coughing slightly; apologetically)

Maybe a bit of water would help.

The PROFESSOR grabs a water bottle that had been next to her podium. She walks around the table toward the OFFICER and gives him the bottle. He takes the bottle, opens it, and takes a large drink. It is the first time his full face is shown and he is striking. He places his hand on the table and pushes himself up. The PROFESSOR moves to help him by grabbing the elbow of his arm that is not propping him up. The OFFICER grins a big grin of thanks and then slips back toward the chair a bit. The PROFESSOR moves in closer to grab the OFFICER and help him. The next thing she knows, she is in the chair and he is standing above her looking down. He is no longer panting and he has torn his trench coat off. Music starts up at the top of the lecture hall (behind the camera).

The PROFESSOR looks shocked as the OFFICER starts a strip tease. He pulls off his tear-away shirt and then his tear-away pants. He has a small Speedo swim suit on and is gyrating to the music. The lecture hall is erupting with whoops and yells of delight. The camera pans around to the students and focuses on a group in the back holding up a sign that says, “Happy 50th Professor K.”

The PROFESSOR’s look changes from shock to enjoyment as the camera focuses back on her. She is beaming at the OFFICER’s face and swaying to the music. The camera fades to black and the music slowly fades.

PROFESSOR

(sheepishly)

Do you have a business card?

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Who Is the Monster?

int.school.hallway

During the hustle and bustle of going to lunch and getting to class, a “burly” student, BOB, pushes and shoves his way through the crowd with little thought for anybody but himself (and a couple of his toadies). The crowd is going slowly as they try to get to lunch and classes.

bob

(yelling loudly)

Coming through! I’m hungry!

Even when much of the crowd recognizes his voice and clears a path, Bob still goes out of his way to push a small boy student against the wall just because he looked to see who was yelling. He knocks books and folders out of another student’s hands and screams in delight as papers fly everywhere. Bob is the bully and nobody stands in his way. Especially when he is on his way to lunch. As Bob enters the cafeteria, he sees a new kid who he apparently made a mental note to harass. This new kid, RALPH, is fairly skinny and wears glasses. He has already gotten his lunch and is about to sit down to eat when BOB comes up.

BOB

(loudly, winking at his toadies, and exaggerating “Ralph” to make it sound like throwing up)

Mashed potatoes and gravy! My favorite.

Bob reaches out to grab Ralph’s food and actually grabs the plate of mashed potatoes and gravy.

ralph

(softly and meekly but defiantly)

It is my lunch and you cannot have any.

Everybody around the two stares silently to see what will happen. Those who have felt the wrath of Bob at some time or another cringe a little and shake their heads as they know something bad is going to happen. Bob looks mischievously at his toadies then gets an angry glare on his face.

BOB

(softly, with hatred and loathing)

Give me MY lunch.

RALPH

(matter of factly with no emotion)

It is my lunch.

Bob softens his look and appears to back down.

BOB

(mercifully)

Okay newbie, you can have your lunch. This time.

Everybody around the lunchroom lets out a sigh of relief and wonder as it appears Bob is letting Ralph off the hook. But just when it looks like Bob is going to let go of the plate, he instead pushes it into Ralph’s face. He laughs as Ralph wipes the mashed potatoes and gravy off of his eyes in a slow exaggerated motion with both hands. The PRINCIPAL can be seen entering the background. He sees what is happening and starts moving through the crowd toward the scene very urgently. Fear is evident in his eyes even though he is still far from the action.

RALPH

(calmly and cooly)

I need to eat lunch Bob.

Bob is yucking it up with his toadies and hoping that Ralph wants to fight. As he continues to look at Ralph, his eyes turn from amusement to hatred.

BOB

(low and gutteral)

So do I. Go get me a lunch.

RALPH

(still calm)

No. You get me a lunch or…

BOB

Or what?

RALPH

Or this.

Ralph opens his mouth wide and stretches out his arms. His hands and arms become huge and his mouth is a gaping maw. He shoves Bob whole into his mouth and swallows him in one bite. The principal, who had been fighting through the crowd to get to the scene, arrives just as Ralph burps and wipes his mouth with his sleeve. (Ralph’s body has returned to normal proportions and his face still has mashed potatoes and gravy on it. The only thing different about Ralph from when it all started is that his stomach is now distended quite a bit. Like a snake after it has swallowed its prey.) The principal looks disappointed but unafraid as he addresses Ralph.

principal

Ralph. You cannot just eat other students. I told you that when you entered this school.

RALPH

But you saw what he did, didn’t you?

PRINCIPAL

(nodding affirmatively)

Yes. You still cannot do it.

Ralph shrugs and vomits up Bob onto the floor. Bob is covered in bile and his clothes are wet and look like they have been eaten a bit by Ralph’s stomach acid. There is fear in his eyes and those of his toadies. Other students watching the scene in disbelief look in wonder at Bob cowering on the floor. Some look at Ralph in awe.

RALPH

(shrugging calmly)

He was bitter anyway.

(to Bob)

My lunch?

Bob scurries out of the scene. Apparently to get Ralph’s lunch.

INT.SCHOOL.HALLWAY

The crowd is again trying to get to lunch or class. Bob can be seen in the hallway with his toadies in tow.

BOB

(yelling loudly)

Coming through! I’m hungry!

People in the hall turn and look at Bob and friends. Some laugh and others just look in pity. One student just keeps looking forward and walking as if nothing is happening.

BOB

(pretty loudly)

Why I oughta…

The lone student who had been continuing forward slowly turns around and just looks at Bob inquisitively. It is, of course, Ralph. The person who Bob had knocked papers to the floor in the first scene has this time dropped stuff on the floor.

BOB

(meekly)

...just be patient and get there when I get there. No rush. Take your time.

(to the person who dropped stuff)

Here. Let me help you.

Ralph and the rest of the crowd turn around and continue on their way as Bob helps with the stuff on the floor. His toadies continue walking with the crowd as well.

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Tick Tock

int.hotel.room.night

A mechanical tick tock is heard throughout the picture after the traveler winds his clock.

The TRAVELER is getting ready for bed. He brushes his teeth and is humming a tune. He looks happy as he gets his computer and clothes ready for the next day. He winds his mechanical clock, looks at his watch and sets the time and alarm, and then gets into bed and turns off the light. The analog clock shows 9:30. The traveler looks happy as he lays on his back and closes his eyes. The only sound is the clock and an occasional cricket.

The traveler is lying on his stomach this time. He again looks at the mechanical clock. It shows 3:30. He buries his head in the pillow.

The clock shows almost 6:30. The traveler is just falling to sleep. He is starting to snore and a bit of drool is escaping from his mouth. The loud mechanical alarm goes off. The traveler wakes up startled. He slowly reaches out to turn off the alarm but it shuts off before he can get to it. He slowly gets out of bed and shuffles to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

int.conferenceroom.day

The traveler is sitting in a conference room. His eye lids are heavy as he tries to pay attention to the presenter. He takes notes and shakes his head often. Still, his head nods frequently but his eyes stay mostly open most of the time. The tick tock of the mechanical clock is still heard and none of the words of the presenter are heard. The only other sounds are those mechanical sounds of computer and projector fans as well as computer keyboard and mouse clicks.

The presentations end and everybody moves out of the room. The traveler has almost nodded off with his head on his hand and his elbow on the conference room table. The sound of shuffling feet is heard as people shake hands and move out of the room. The traveler stands and everybody shakes his hand before they leave.

int.airplane.day

The traveler places his tote bag in the overhead bin then moves to his seat by the window. He puts his computer under the seat in front of him. He buckles his seat belt, folds his arms, then closes his eyes. In front of him, a young boy (3 or 4), TIMMY, and his mother get into their seats. She moves directly in front and he sits in the middle seat. He is the only voice heard throughout the movie.

timmy

(loudly)

Mommy! When are we going to take off? Where are the pilots? Can I see the pilots? Are we going to come home on a plane?

The plane takes off and the sound drowns out all the other sounds on the plane except Timmy’s voice and the tick tock of the clock.

The traveler can be seen nodding off and then hearing something, he looks above the seat in front of him. He sees that the seat belt light if off and the head of Timmy is looking at him above his seat.

timmy

Mommy! That man behind you is trying to go to sleep. Should we be quiet? Can he really sleep in a plane? Whoa. Did the plane just fall?

The hostesses come by with their trays of food and the traveler waves them off. He sees the head of Timmy bouncing up and down. He is still trying to sleep even though it is hopeless. His eyelids shut for a moment, then, the plane lands. People are filing past and weary travelers are stopping by the seat in front of the traveler and leaning over. The traveler finally gets up and gets his stuff. While he is getting his bag from the overhead bin, he notices the man in front of him in the aisle leaning over and patting Timmy on the head. Timmy had obviously fallen asleep at the end of the flight and the people leaning over the seat had been patting Timmy on the head waking him up as they did so. The mother is obviously frazzled. The traveler gives her a wan smile and moves off the plane. He glances back and sees the people behind him leaning over to pat Timmy on the head. Everybody looks tired.

int.bedroom.night

The tick tocking is still heard above all else. The traveler goes into his bedroom and drops his bags on the floor. He falls face first onto his bed and a look of bliss comes over his face. The tick tocking of the mechanical clock is slowly overcome with sounds of the city and other clocks. It is 9:00 and the other tick tocks of many clocks turns into cuckoos, beeps, and other reminders that the hour has struck. Sirens outside the small city apartment can be heard. Even as the clocks strike 9:00, the traveler can be seen smiling as he sleeps. He is home.

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