Post by renonevada on May 11, 2021 15:32:54 GMT -5
A BLACK SCREEN.
A cheering crowd roars, the voices countless folded over one another into a constant stream of excitement. Through the chaos thousands are chanting a name all at once: RENO! RENO! RENO!
CUT TO:
INT. WALTER PYRAMID - LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.
A sea of fans surround an MMA cage. They’re on their feet as two men trade punches in the middle of the octagon. One of the fighters is young and cut, with muscles on top of muscles which contract and explode forward with each jab and overhand right.
The other is Reno Nevada. Dad bod. Circles under his eyes. He looks winded but he’s still throwing bombs. Unfortunately most of them are missing. FOCUS ON: his opponent who feints with his left then drives his right fist forward. We follow the glove as it slices through the air and smashes into Reno’s face.
Reno turns in ULTRA SUPER SLOW MO. Spit flies from his lips, followed by his mouth guard. The silicon mold of his teeth rotates like a horseshoe through the air before sailing out of frame. The skin, muscle and fat in his face reverberate from the force of the punch.
He falls like molasses, moaning like a cassette tape running through a dying player, and flops like a dead fish on the mat with a rattling thud. Blood leaks from his nose and mouth. His eyes struggle to open. Above him the referee, out of focus, is waving to call the fight. From far off, a bell tolls three times, and then—
RECORD SCRATCH.
FREEZE FRAME.
(O.S.) "BABA O'RILEY" BY THE WHO PLAYS.
RENO (V.O.)
(Boston Accent)
(Boston Accent)
Whoa, see that dude there? Looks like he’s hit fuckin ROCK BOTTOM. Well, that dude is actually me.
You’re probably wondering where I’ve been the last two years. Or maybe not. Go fuck ya’self. You’re gonna find out anyway.
END MUSIC.
INT: MEDICAL OFFICE. PRESENT DAY.
A steel folding chair sits empty in a small white room. There’s a window behind and above it covered in those cheap, white vinyl blinds that seem to come preinstalled in every office. There’s sunlight pushing through the small cracks between the blades. Next to it hangs an analogue clock. The time is twelve after nine in the morning.
NURSE (O.S.)
Step right in, Mr. Nevada. Take a seat.
A man moves into frame and plops down on the chair. This is Reno. His hair is disheveled and around the sides of his white medical mask a coarse black beard protrudes around his jaw and down his neck. He looks drunk because he is, having just left the bar after a night of heavy boozing.
NURSE (O.S.)
Do you have your card from last time?
He takes a small notecard from his jean pocket and hands it over to the nurse’s small hand which briefly appears in frame. We hear the click-clack of fingers on a keyboard while he slumps back and runs his hands down his face. He lets out a groan under his breath and squints up at the bright, unforgiving light overhead.
The nurse enters the frame above the hip. She’s thin, with light skin, dark blonde hair and dressed in blue scrubs. A badge dangles from her breast pocket. The name is hard to makeout but not the large letters which read MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL.
NURSE
Do you have a preference for which arm?
RENO NEVADA
This one’s fine.
He reaches with his right and tugs the sleeve of his dirty white shirt up over his left shoulder. The nurse uses an alcohol swab to clean the area before revealing a narrow syringe. She removes the cap and then pinches his skin together with her gloved hand.
NURSE
Here comes the stick.
She pushes the needle into the fat of his arm. He winces, which might be surprising for someone who used to get beat up for a living. She pulls the needle out and quickly applies the bandaid she had stuck to her glove. He pulls the sleeve down and stands.
NURSE
There are stickers and suckers on the table if you’d like one. Here’s your card back.
He takes the vaccine proof as he stands, shoves it back into his pocket and walks over to the table. He ignores the stickers and grabs a grape lollipop. As he’s removing the wrapper the nurse speaks up.
NURSE
Remember to wait fifteen minutes like last time before leaving. The waiting room is around the corner.
Reno looks back and smiles.
RENO NEVADA
Why wait around? I’m looking forward to turning into a goddamn synthetic android 5G hybrid monster in service of the dark overlords in the Bilderberg Group.
I hope Chelsea Clinton is my handler. She got that "Don’t fuck with me or my mom’ll have you murdered" look in her eyes that drives me crazy.
The nurse stares at him.
RENO NEVADA
I’m kidding, love. I’ll totally wait. I promise.
EXT: SOUTH BOSTON — WEST BROADWAY.
Automatic doors open and Reno steps out into the warm sunshine. He pulls his mask down under his chin and pops the fresh sucker into his mouth. There’s an old man moving slowly toward him with a walker. Reno gives him a wink and a finger gun as they pass one another. The old man looks back at Reno and lifts a middle finger. Through his mask he yells:
OLD MAN
FUCK YOU, RENO NEVADA!
Reno doesn’t look back. He just keeps walking as the old man enters the building behind him. The story on his face says this isn’t a rare occurrence. He follows the sidewalk while twirling the sucker in his mouth. At the corner he waits for the pedestrian sign to turn. While standing there he’s approached by a African American man dressed in a green work jacket over a gray polo shirt. He’s fifty something and walking with a slight limp and his head hanging to the left. He speaks like a child.
DISABLED MAN
Excuse me! Excuse me! Can you help me, please?
Reno turns to see him hobbling toward him with a scrap of paper held out. Reno doesn’t pay much attention to the man who obviously has some sort of mental handicap. Instead he looks down to read the messily written address on the note.
RENO NEVADA
"Sweeney Playground."
Aren’t you a little big for the swingset?
The disabled man doesn’t respond. He looks at Reno sideways due to the unnatural bend in his neck.
RENO NEVADA
Okay, well, if memory serves, which isn’t a guarantee, you go back that way, then turn left and go three blocks—
DISABLED MAN
Three.
RENO NEVADA
Yeah, three, then turn right and you’re there, my friend.
DISABLED MAN
Again, please.
RENO NEVADA
(patience running low)
(patience running low)
Go up one, left three, then right and you’re there.
DISABLED MAN
Okay, Reno. Thank you.
Reno starts to turn away to continue on his path but something stops him. He’s used to people in the area knowing who he is but not usually those with mental disabilities. Unless you count the chowderheads that play rugby on the weekends. Maybe the kid’s a fan? Maybe he wants an autograph? Reno looks back and starts to say something, but the words get caught in his throat.
The man is still standing there, his head still bent, but his eyes are now looking straight into Reno’s. He speaks but no longer like someone with a severe mental handicap. His words are succinct and his voice deep and strong. Recognition hits Reno like a mac truck. He knows this man. His name is Rodney Prince, and he’s a fucking asshole.
RODNEY PRINCE
The Score. 2001.
Reno nearly trips over his feet getting away from the man. He holds a hand over his neck where Rodney had previously tricked him into thinking a bomb was planted next to his artery in order to make him take part in a laundry list of ridiculous (and illegal) activities.
RENO NEVADA
Stay the fuck away from me!
Reno spins on his heels and takes off running. At the corner he ignores the red pedestrian light and darts through the street, narrowly missing getting hit by a speed truck. Over the curb and he’s now hoofing it through a parking lot. After cutting through multiple rows of vehicles he finds his ride. It’s a beat-up conversion van from the 90s, tan with multiple dents and scratches and a bit of rust on the undercarriage. It even has those weird little fabric shades for the passenger and back windows, which are pulled closed. Huffing and puffing, he fishes his keys out and climbs into the front seat.
The door slams shut. He adjusts the mirror. In the reflection we catch a glimpse of the back. The seats have been removed, replaced with a mattress. There are also piles of clothes and discarded food wrappers, indicating he’s been living in it for some time.
The mask goes into the passenger seat. The key slides into the ignition and he gives it a turn while pushing on the gas pedal. The engine struggles to come alive before sputtering out.
RENO NEVADA
Oh no, Betty. C’mon. Start for papa.
He drops the lollipop in the center console cup holder to concentrate fully on turning over the engine, as if that’ll help. He grips the key hard and cranks the starter. It coughs like a man with stage four lung cancer. No luck. Out of frustration he seizes the steering wheel and angrily yanks it back and forth while screaming at it.
RENO NEVADA
You fucking bitch, Betty! Not you, too! Don’t do this to me, girl.
Finally he lets go and he collapses into the bucket seat. His hands go through his hair before grabbing a handful, followed by a loud growl. After a moment he begins to calm down. His hand goes back to the key and he readies to give it another try but something catches his eye. He lifts his head to look out the window. Rodney is standing with his backside leaning against the trunk of a Mercedes. Slowly he holds up his hand which is clinched around a band of wires. The kind of electrical cables that might be found in an engine.
RENO NEVADA
(whispers)
(whispers)
Mother fucking Rodney Prince.
He shoves his shoulder into the door, forgetting at first to pull the handle. After cursing loudly from the jolt to his arm he gets it open and stumbles out to the pavement, nearly falling over his own feet. He slams it shut behind him and marches toward the other man.
RENO NEVADA
You got some fucking nerve showing your face after that debacle with Fight 2 Win. You know I still have a record in the state of New York for pissin’ on that police car? You were supposed to expunge that shit, remember?
RODNEY PRINCE
(smiling)
(smiling)
Does that mean you didn’t miss me?
RENO NEVADA
I would’ve preferred to never see you or that fat fuck Francis ever again.
Reno grabs the wires from Rodney’s hand and looks at them with a realization that he has no idea what they go to or how to reinstall them. He points a finger into Rodney’s chest.
RENO NEVADA
I oughta kick your ass all over this fucking parking lot.
RODNEY PRINCE
If you were the Reno from a few years ago I might be concerned. Now? Not so much.
Reno thinks about it. His right fist balls up, turning the skin of his hand white but he can’t do it. At the end of the day, after all Rodney and Francis put him through, he at least was out there living, not wasting away in the back of a van on the streets of Southie.
RENO NEVADA
What do you and the Godfather want with me? I ain’t fallin for that neck bomb bullshit again.
RODNEY PRINCE
I no longer work for Mr. Coppola. After his dramatic escape from Rikers Island at Fight 2 Win’s Melee 6 he felt it would be best to retire from public life. Spend time with the grandkids. Make homemade marinara. Poker night with Spielberg and Scorcese. You know, the usual.
RENO NEVADA
That’s fantastic. If only I gave a shit. You out on your own then?
RODNEY PRINCE
Actually I work for his nephew now.
RENO NEVADA
Nephew, huh? Sounds like a downgrade.
RODNEY PRINCE
On the contrary, you might say he’s a national treasure.
Reno’s eyes widen. A motorcycle roars in the distance. Reno turns to look off in the direction of the rumbling sound.
RENO NEVADA
You gotta be fucking kidding me.
FOCUS ON: The handlebars of a Harley-Davidson Deuce. Satan black paint. Polished chrome. A screaming skull on the gas tank. The road is speeding toward the front wheel at breakneck speed. Two hands, both gloved, hold firm on the handles, the left controlling the clutch, the right pushing the throttle to its limits. The sleeves are pink leather with silver zippers and black fringe.
The passing road slows as the biker eases off the gas to turn left into the parking lot. After clearing a small speed bump, THE RIDER hits the throttle again. The engine screams like hell as the bike jets forward, faster and faster. In the distance, Reno and Rodney are quickly approaching the bike.
The Rider hits the rear brake. Tires squeal. The smell of burnt rubber fills the air. The bike slows fast, coming to a dead stop only feet away from the two men.
Reno stares in awe as the Rider steps over the seat. FROM BEHIND he has black hair combed back over his head and down to his neck. His jacket has multiple patches sewn into the pink leather: two wings over the shoulder blades and between them is a white and fuschia superman logo. Below it just above the bottom hem is a large white embroidered poodle.
As the rider walks toward the two men he removes his black gloves and extends his bare right hand. Reno looks down as he takes a hold of it. As they shake, he looks up.
FOCUS ON: The rider’s face. Long and thin, with sharp eyes and a thick black beard. There’s a glint in his eye as their hands interlock.
RENO NEVADA
Jesus Christ, you’re Nicolas Cage!
NICOLAS CAGE
And you’re Reno Nevada. I have to say, I’m a huge fan.
Their hands separate. Reno takes a step back in awe. Nicolas fucking Cage, he could hardly believe his eyes.
RENO NEVADA
You’re a fan…of me?!
(gulp)
You’ve seen my fights?
NICOLAS CAGE
Absolutely. When you were in that match in the skyscraper and you had to wear a Hulk fist over your broken hand? Great fucking television. Seriously, kid. You’re a star.
RENO NEVADA
Me? You’re the star! Let’s go through the hits.
Face/Off.
Ghost Rider.
Gone in Sixty Seconds.
The Rock.
Drive Angry.
Oh, and my all-time favorite flick:
CON AIR.
(Nic Cage impression)
Put the bunny back in the box.
Nic nods along with a humble half-smile, waving each one away with his hand, until Reno stops naming movies.
NICOLAS CAGE
What about my more serious movies?
Matchstick Men?
Adaptation?
Leaving Las Vegas?
RENO NEVADA
Oh, yeah I’ve not seen any of them. I’m sure they’re great.
Rodney, perhaps seeing the disappointment on Nic’s face, steps in, placing an arm around Reno and pulling him in close.
RODNEY PRINCE
You’ve not seen Leaving Las Vegas? He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson.
Reno looks at him, then back to Nic.
RENO NEVADA
I’m sorry. I don’t really like super serious movies. I’m sure those are great flicks but I’m more of an action movie kind of guy. Too much plot gives me a headache.
One time I tried to watch Shawshank Redemption because this fucking asshole at the gym wouldn’t stop fucking telling me to watch it. Said it was the greatest movie of all time. Seriously, I got through thirty minutes tops. Too long. Too slow. So what if he shot his wife? She was cheating on him. By law that should be allowed. And now because she’s a woman. Same would be true if reversed.
NICOLAS CAGE
Riiiight. Well, anyway, how would you like to come with me and Rodney here and talk some biz. Just us boys, maybe a drink or two. We have an amazing opportunity that we think you’d be perfect for.
RENO NEVADA
Uh, sure. So long as it doesn’t require me going to jail again or crawling through air ducts on some impossible mission.
NICOLAS CAGE
(smiling)
(smiling)
No promises.
Not the answer Ol’ Reno wants to hear but hey, it’s Nic Cage. There’s no turning down a chance to shoot the shit with his favorite actor of all time.
RENO NEVADA
A’ight.
(turns)
Can I get a ride Rodney? You kinda fucked up my Betty.
Nic puts his hand on Reno’s shoulder.
NICOLAS CAGE
You can ride with me.
Nic climbs onto the bike and motions behind him.
Reno’s face brightens up as he looks from Nic, to the bike, and back to Nic. He can’t remember the last time he felt genuinely happy. His life has been shit for the last few years. Living in a van, no money to his name other than what he earns pushing a broom at the gym. People telling him to fuck off everywhere he goes because he let the whole damn city down when his career crashed and burned.
Reno hands Rodney back the cables to his van and hurries over to hop on the back of the back just as Nic fires it up.
NICOLAS CAGE
Hold on tight.
Reno wraps his arms around the actor’s torso a moment before Nic torks the throttle and the engine roars to life. The bike jumps forward and tears through the parking lot.
(O.S.) "SMOKIN’" BY BOSTON PLAYS.
EXT: SOUTH BOSTON.
The motorcycle rips through the streets of Southie, weaving around slow moving cars on a one way street with expert precision. FOCUS ON: Reno. The wind whips across his face, pushing the skin back tight over his skull. His eyes squint and his mouth is smiling full of joy.
EXT. PUB — SUNSET.
ONLOOKERS crowd a pub window, trying to peek inside.
NICOLAS CAGE (O.S.)
Have you ever been to Reno, Nevada?
INT: PUB.
"SMOKIN’" continues to play, only now it’s coming out of a retro jukebox, the old kind with vinyl singles of old school classic rock. The pub is small but cozy. Most of the customers are focused on their drinks or meals, but a few of them have their phones out, snapping photos and taking videos of the half-circle booth in the back where Reno, Nic, and Rodney are sitting around a few pints and a platter of a variety of appetizers.
RENO NEVADA
Is that a trick question? Like, have I inwardly reflected on the man that is Reno and what he represents in this universe?
RODNEY PRINCE
No, he means the city.
RENO NEVADA
Oh, well in that case, no. I’m more of a Vegas man.
(thinking)
Then again, I’m banned from all the good spots in Vegas, so maybe I should give the Biggest Little City a shot. What’s in Reno?
NICOLAS CAGE
UPRISING.
RENO NEVADA
What’s an UPRISING?
RODNEY PRINCE
An act of resistance or rebellion, but in this case we’re referring to the wrestling promotion.
RENO NEVADA
Oh, yeah I haven’t seen it but I think I’ve heard some of the boys at the gym mention it.
NICOLAS CAGE
The boys at the gym, you mean?
RENO NEVADA
Yeah, TIDE of BLOOD. It’s where I train.
RODNEY PRINCE
You’ve been training in professional wrestling, right? For the last year or two? Ever since that last knockout drove you out of the cage.
RENO NEVADA
(suspicious)
(suspicious)
Right…How’d you know that?
RODNEY PRINCE
We have our sources.
NICOLAS CAGE
Let’s not worry about the past. I want to focus on the future. We want you to join UPRISING.
Reno grabs his Guinness off the table and takes a long drink. Half the pint disappears down his throat in two seconds flat. He sits it down and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand while fighting back the urge to burp in front of Nicolas Cage.
RENO NEVADA
And why’s that?
NICOLAS CAGE
Maybe we think you deserve more than living in a van down by the river?
RODNEY PRINCE
Chris Farley. SNL. 1993 to 1997.
Reno looks hard at him.
RENO NEVADA
Don’t start that shit. I’m not getting dragged into another misadventure where everything is a goddamn movie trope.
RODNEY PRINCE
Saturday Night Live isn’t a movie.
RENO NEVADA
(pauses)
(pauses)
That’s true but I don’t care.
He reaches toward the platter and scoops up one of the mini cheeseburgers. Before shoving it in his mouth he looks around at the other two.
RENO NEVADA
I feel like I’m the only one eating and drinking.
Nic waves it off as he sits back.
NICOLAS CAGE
I’m on this Sirtfood Diet. Need to cut a few pounds for this Tiger King show I’m working on for Amazon.
RODNEY PRINCE
I’m Vegan. But please, enjoy yourself.
Reno devours the burger in bite, chews and then swallows it down, followed by a few gulps of the beer. He places the glass down and puts a hand to his mouth to cover a belch that squeaks out.
RENO NEVADA
Hrmph, excuse me.
Shirtfood Diet? Like, you eat your shirt?
RODNEY PRINCE
Sirt, not shirt.
RENO NEVADA
Oh, shit. Good luck with that, whatever it is. Anyway, back to the job. Let’s say I wanna join UPRISING. You sure they’ll hire me?
RODNEY PRINCE
We have sources that say they are very interested following that twitter interaction a month back.
RENO NEVADA
Okay, then what?
NICOLAS CAGE
Then you beat up your opponents, rise up the ranks, make some money and become famous.
Reno scratches an itch in his scruffy beard as he thinks it over. A job would be nice. Money would be nicer, and fuck, who doesn’t want to be famous? But there’s gotta be a catch. There always is with these fucking Hollywood types.
NICOLAS CAGE
A’ight, let’s say I’m interested. What’s your end? You’re not doin’ this out of the kindness of your own heart. I mean, no offense, Mr. Cage, but why the fuck do you care about me?
A cool smile plays across Nic’s face, with his left brow rising up just a little above the right as his piercing blue eyes stare through Reno’s soul.
NICOLAS CAGE
We want you to steal something, of course.
Reno slams his hand on the table, drawing eyes from the entire room
RENO NEVADA
Goddamnit! I knew it! Why else would you wanna come out here to throw me a bone. You’re no different than your uncle. Well, physically, sure. You have the long gaze of an eagle with the mascuiline features of a silverback gorilla ready to defend your family with your life. But mentally? You’re just as fucking bananas as Francis.
Rodney reaches across the table and smacks Reno across the face. A collective groan rolls through the bar as people take out their cellphones. Reno stares dumbfoundead from the strike. A look of did this mother fucker just slap me comes over him.
RODNEY PRINCE
Have some respect.
Reno smiles but it’s one of those crazy, unhinged grins you see on a homeless crank walking down the street in the dead of winter without a coat on. He considers reaching around the table and beating the fuck out of the man until he notices all the attention on them. Last thing he needs is to get recorded beating up a black man in a Boston bar, even if the bastard deserves it.
RENO NEVADA
I’ll let you have that one Roddy but I’ll get you back. Just you wait. Now, if you gents will excuse me, I gotta walk back to the clinic to fix my damn van.
Reno moves to stand but Nic stops him with three simple words.
NICOLAS CAGE
Two million dollars.
RENO NEVADA
Two million?
Reno looks over at Rodney then back to Nic before easing back into his seat. He drums his fingers on the table before picking up his glass and finishing off the beer. As the lauger is swallowed down the onlookers return to their food and conversation.
Nic nods his head.
NICOLAS CAGE
Two million dollars in your mitt. More than you ever dreamed of. Show him, Rodney.
Rodney man pulls out his phone and places it on the table, screen side up. After entering the unlock code he sits back just as a beam of light shines from a small dot next to the front camera. Two feet above the device rays of blue light manifest a holographic image of a tall building, maybe a hotel or some sort of resort. It slowly turns above the table.
NICOLAS CAGE
This is the Eldorado Casino in Reno, Nevada. It’s where UPRISING broadcasts its shows from every two weeks in the Silver State Ballroom.
RENO NEVADA
Hold up. Are we not gonna talk about the fuckin’ hologram coming out of your iPhone?
RODNEY PRINCE
It’s an iPhone 20x Prototype, said to be the last creation of Steve Jobs. We borrowed it from Tim Cook’s house last week. Pretty cool, eh?
Reno admittedly is a little impressed. Nic waves his hand around the hologram. It spins briefly before reforming into a new image.
NICOLAS CAGE
And this is the newly completed Hard Rock Cafe located on the second level concourse. Per usual, it will feature displays of various rock n’ roll memorabilia. Normally the items aren’t particularly valuable. However, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which owns Hard Rock, is trying to make a splash with this new location.
Another wave of his hand and the image changes to a glass display case. Inside is a mannequin. It’s wearing a white polyester jumpsuit. The fabric is covered in gemstones which form a large Aztec sundial across the chest. Even in the blue-tinted image it’s clear that it’s gilded in gold leaf and gemstones. Across the waist stretches a matching belt.
RODNEY PRINCE
This is on loan from Graceland Museum. Elvis wore this during his final tour in ‘77, up until his last concert in Indianapolis. It’s even stained with his sweat.
Reno makes a nasty face.
RENO NEVADA
(to Nic)
(to Nic)
Why you wanna sweat-stained suit? You’re rich. Just get one made that looks like it.
NICOLAS CAGE
Are you familiar with a man named Bill Belew?
RENO NEVADA
Nah. Sounds like a comic book character.
NICOLAS CAGE
He was a world renowned costume designer. For five decades he created stage outfits for some of the biggest names in music. Legend has it he also happened to be a practitioner of the dark arts.
Reno perks up.
RENO NEVADA
Dark arts?
RODNEY PRINCE
Witchcraft.
RENO NEVADA
Oh my.
NICOLAS CAGE
Indeed. For the right price he would weave spells directly into the fabric, much like the undergarments worn by Mormons today.
Reno smacks the table lightly and points across at Nic.
RENO NEVADA
Are you telling me the Mormons wear magic fuckin’ underwear? Is that why they’re so nice? The mumbo jumbo takes away all that anger you get when some snob slams their door in your face while you’re backpacking around town tryin’ to spread the good word?
RODNEY PRINCE
Something like that.
NICOLAS CAGE
By the late sixties Elvis’s career was on life support. His movies bombed. Critics routinely made fun of him in their reviews. Colonel Tom Parker had stolen large sums of money—
RENO NEVADA
Let me stop you there. Is this gonna be like one of them 10 part documentaries on Netflix? Because I gotta tell you, my attention span is shot from years of drug use.
NICOLAS CAGE
Point being, by 1967, people considered Elvis a has-been and a joke. Enter Bill Belew. Elvis visited him in 1967, a month after the Jackson 5 exploded onto the music scene while wearing Belew’s designs.
RODNEY PRINCE
He visited Bill and asked him to design an outfit for a concert special being taped in December ‘68. Bill asked Elvis the same thing he asked every other performer who came to him. What do you wish for more than anything else? His answer:
NICOLAS CAGE
To be the King he once was. To be back on top. He wanted the world by the balls again, dig? Psychedelic witchcraft with a rock ‘n’ roll twist. And that’s what Bill gave him. And it worked.
Nic waves his hand. The hologram forms into a video of Elvis standing on a small stage with a guitar, gyrating his hips back and forth to inaudible music. Reno watches intently. The glowing 3D manifestation is reflected in his eyes.
NICOLAS CAGE
The Comeback Special in 1968 catapulted Elvis back into stardom. This leather jumpsuit was purportedly inscribed with runes which empowered the King with a physicality and vocal performance he had not been capable of for years. It also charmed the viewers and filled their eyes with stars.
Reno leans back as the waitress delivers him another pint of Guinness. He offers her a thanks and lifts the glass for a drink.
RENO NEVADA
So what was the catch?
NICOLAS CAGE
Magic costs. For simple spells Bill would need strands of hair, nail clippings or a few drops of blood but what Elvis wanted required a mortal commitment.
RENO NEVADA
Mortal commitment? Like, a promise ring?
RODNEY PRINCE
Life, Mr. Nevada. Life.
Reno’s eyes go big as he slurps down another mouthful of beer.
NICOLAS CAGE
It’s believed the 1968 leather jumpsuit cost Elvis a year of his life, a small price to pay if you think you’re going to live forever. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough for him. Every tour Elvis wanted a new suit with more powerful magic. He even began having Bill design all of his clothes, each one inscribed with mystical spells and wards, each one more powerful than the next, until Elvis took the stage for his last tour in 1977, during which he wore the Sundial jumpsuit. Despite Elvis’s deteriorating health, when on the stage wearing that jumpsuit, he was still the greatest rock ‘n’ roll performer alive.
As if on cue the hologram retracts into the reticle of the iPhone’s front camera. Rodney picks it up and quickly slips it back into the inside pocket of his jacket. Reno looks back and forth between the two as he sits his glass down.
RENO NEVADA
So let me get this straight. You want me to join this UPRISING promotion in order to get access to the inner workings of the casino so that I can steal the magic Elvis jumpsuit being displayed in the soon to open Hard Rock Cafe. The same jumpsuit that eats the life of the wearer in return for stardom, likely being the cause of his ill-fated death on a toilet. Am I gettin’ it right?
RODNEY PRINCE
Yes, actually. That’s fairly spot on.
Reno looks over at Nic.
RENO NEVADA
You’ve done a dozen flicks where you did this kind of shit. Why do you need me? Why can’t you just go steal it for yourself? Or better yet, just buy the damn thing.
NICOLAS CAGE
Has the internet not taught you anything? You don’t buy art. You steal it. Besides, it’s not for sale and this isn’t the movies, Reno. This is real life.
RENO NEVADA
(looking around)
(looking around)
Is that what this is?
NICOLAS CAGE
We need a genuine badass. A maestro of mayhem. We need Reno Nevada.
Nic holds his hands up, one turned over the other, to form a tiny theater screen with his index fingers and thumbs. FOCUS ON: the hand theater, as Reno’s face fills its frame.
RENO NEVADA
Well, when you put it like that…
RODNEY PRINCE
Steal the suit for us and you walk away with two big ones in your hand.
Reno considers the offer while taking another swig of Guinness. Two million bones is a lot of money, more than he’s ever had in his entire shit-stained life. Thinking back to all those fucked up situations Rodney and Francis put him through in Fight 2 Win, they weren’t so bad. Adventure. Excitement. Fortune and glory. Pretending to be some super spy like Tom Cruise. There are worse ways to live.
Like in the back of a conversion van.
RENO NEVADA
Alright, I’m in.
Nic slaps his hands together.
NICOLAS CAGE
That’s the Reno Nevada I heard about. Take the world by the balls.
Rodney, however, looks skeptical.
RODNEY PRINCE
I have to say, I’m a little surprised. When I recruited you for Francis I had to threaten you with explosive decapitation. What’s changed?
RENO NEVADA
Yeah, well, first off, you’re offering to pay me this time. Last time all I got was my hand broken by a sadistic prison warden and a go fuck ya’self from Fight 2 Win when I needed time to heal up. There’s just one hitch. I think I deserve more than two million for a magic Elvis costume. I want four.
Nic chuckles as he grabs the ketchup bottle off the table and holds it up to his mouth while his left hand pretends to hold the receiver to an old timey telephone to his ear.
NICOLAS CAGE
Uh, hello operator? I got a nutcase down here who just said four million. Send the paramedics.
RODNEY PRINCE
Four million dollars? You’re out of your mind, Nevada. The offer is two. If you aren’t interested we’ll find some other desperate bum who won’t complain that two million isn’t enough.
RENO NEVADA
Jesus, a’ight. No need to get uppity. Two million it is. When do I start?
(O.S.) "LOW RIDER" BY WAR PLAYS.
A wild smile plays across Nic’s long, thin face.
NICOLAS CAGE
Right now, baby doll. Right now.
CUT TO BLACK. ROLL CREDITS.
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY
MIKE TOMES
PRODUCER
Barry Stollman
Associate Producers
KEVIN MURPHY
SARA VENNETI
EDITOR
STEPHANIE LAWSON
EDITORS
Barry Stephenson
Matt Staller
Ryan Holder
MUSIC BY
Franz Saporta
CAST
RENO NEVADA
JOSEPH GILGUN
NICOLAS CAGE
HIMSELF
]RODNEY PRINCE
RZA
VULGAR OLD MAN
REGGIE BANNISTER
NURSE
ALLY WALKER
MIKE TOMES
PRODUCER
Barry Stollman
Associate Producers
KEVIN MURPHY
SARA VENNETI
EDITOR
STEPHANIE LAWSON
EDITORS
Barry Stephenson
Matt Staller
Ryan Holder
MUSIC BY
Franz Saporta
CAST
RENO NEVADA
JOSEPH GILGUN
NICOLAS CAGE
HIMSELF
]RODNEY PRINCE
RZA
VULGAR OLD MAN
REGGIE BANNISTER
NURSE
ALLY WALKER
FADE OUT MUSIC.
CREDIT BREAK — EXT: PARKING LOT — SOUTH BOSTON.
Reno’s van, Betty, is still sitting in the same parking lot. Day has given way to the night and we hear the sounds of a busy city. Cars rumble past. Voices shout back and forth as people walk by. The occasional police siren wails in the distance.
INT: BETTY.
Reno is lying in the back of Betty, his conversion van, on a broke-down mattress surrounded by piles of clothes and fast food wrappers. The curtains are pulled across the windows. He yanks a ratty blanket over him and tries to get comfortable on an old pillow. It takes time but his eyes begin to close and sleep creeps over his consciousness.
EXT: PARKING LOT — SOUTH BOSTON.
FOCUS ON: ALWAYS OPEN TOWING is written on the door of a white diesel truck. We TRACK down the length of the vehicle, revealing the mechanical arm, winch, and pulley system installed on the tow truck’s bed. Further we continue to move, and then down, until the operator comes into view. He’s lying on the ground under the backside of Reno’s van, attaching the hook to the rear axle. Once engaged he rolls out and stands. He’s wearing Dickie’s coveralls over a stout body with a protruding belly, He chews on a cigar as he walks back to the truck and grabs the control lever. He engages the motor and the winch begins to whir.
INT: RENO’S VAN.
CLANG! BOOM!
Reno shoots up out of bed as the rear end of the van lifts off the ground and the vehicle is dragged backward. He rolls off the mattress and stumbles to the back. Pushing the curtains aside, he looks out the back window to see the tow truck driver. He bangs on the glass and yells. Outside, the driver looks at Reno with a smile and offers a wave before flashing a middle finger.
Reno loses his balance as the angle of the van increases, falls backward and lands hard on the floor. He stares up at the ceiling. With clenched teeth he lets out a long, raspy growl that morphs into a singular word.
RENO NEVADA
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!
CUT TO BLACK.
MORE CREDITS AS "OUTRO" BY M83 PLAYS.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Tom Gillogley
LIGHTING DIRECTOR
Nathan Koepke
POST SUPERVISOR
Tim Gunderson
AUDIO SUPERVISOR
Frank Ali
FIELD PRODUCER
Kevin Ruback
MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD
Elle Favorule
AUDIENCE PRODUCER
Amanda Geer
HISTORICAL CONSULTANT
Karl Dozier
CAMERA OPERATORS
Laurence Velasquez
Ken Parrish
Phil Ramos
AUDIO MIXER
Stan Hoyte
SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR AND RE-RECORDING MIXER
Jamie Levine
COLOR CORRECTION BY
Creative Cow
CAMERA UTILITY
Dan Chambers
Jeremy Cruz
Barbara Lowery
Paul Church
PROP MASTER
Maurice Cherry
SET DRESSERS
Vira McConnell
Otto King
Emiliano Rasmussen
KEY MAKEUP ARTIST
Victoria Burton
COSTUME SUPERVISOR
Azby Grimes
COSTUME DESIGNER
Grace Nazarian
SET COSTUMERS
Susana Padilla
Michelle Phelps
COSTUME MAKER
Stephanie Brady
POST COORDINATOR
Francisco Morris
ASSISTANT POST COORDINATOR
Cori Gibbs
MUSIC PRODUCER
Stephen Moon
GAFFER
Adan Sharp
KEY GRIP
Daniel Carrillo
BEST BOY GRIP
Colin Hood
BEST BOY ELECTRIC
Brian Kennedy
GRIPS
Brendan Beasley
Clayton Serrano
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Daryl Stewart
Sammi Stewart
Sean Dalton
Jesse Marks
Justin Todd
Nina Gay
Robby Cole
Allyssa Lewis
Grant Golden
Jonathan Duncan
Diego Sanchez
Robin Christian
"BABA O’RILEY"
WRITTEN BY PETE TOWNSHEND
PERFORMED BY THE WHO
COURTESY OF POLYDOR
"SMOKIN’"
WRITTEN BY BRAD DELP AND TOM SCHOLZ
PERFORMED BY BOSTON
COURTESY OF EPIC
"LOW RIDER"
WRITTEN BY HOWARD SCOTT, CHARLES MILLER, LEE OSKAR, LONNIE JORDAN, JERRY GOLDSTEIN, B.B. DICKERSON, HAROLD R. BROWN AND PAPA DEE ALLEN
PERFORMED BY WAR
COURTESY OF AVENUE RECORDS
"OUTRO"
WRITTEN BY ANTHONY GONZALEZ
PERFORMED BY M83
COURTESY OF NAÏVE RECORDS
PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATION FURNISHED BY
THE PERSONS AND EVENTS IN THIS SERIES ARE FICTITIOUS.
ANY SIMILARITY TO ACTUAL PERSONS OR EVENTS IS UNINTENTIONAL.
COPYRIGHT ©2021 aMeriKanULTRA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Ownership of this Motion Picture is protected by Copyright and other applicable laws, and any unauthorized Duplication, Distribution or Exhibition of this Motion Picture could result in Criminal Prosecution as well as Civil Liability.
Tom Gillogley
LIGHTING DIRECTOR
Nathan Koepke
POST SUPERVISOR
Tim Gunderson
AUDIO SUPERVISOR
Frank Ali
FIELD PRODUCER
Kevin Ruback
MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD
Elle Favorule
AUDIENCE PRODUCER
Amanda Geer
HISTORICAL CONSULTANT
Karl Dozier
CAMERA OPERATORS
Laurence Velasquez
Ken Parrish
Phil Ramos
AUDIO MIXER
Stan Hoyte
SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR AND RE-RECORDING MIXER
Jamie Levine
COLOR CORRECTION BY
Creative Cow
CAMERA UTILITY
Dan Chambers
Jeremy Cruz
Barbara Lowery
Paul Church
PROP MASTER
Maurice Cherry
SET DRESSERS
Vira McConnell
Otto King
Emiliano Rasmussen
KEY MAKEUP ARTIST
Victoria Burton
COSTUME SUPERVISOR
Azby Grimes
COSTUME DESIGNER
Grace Nazarian
SET COSTUMERS
Susana Padilla
Michelle Phelps
COSTUME MAKER
Stephanie Brady
POST COORDINATOR
Francisco Morris
ASSISTANT POST COORDINATOR
Cori Gibbs
MUSIC PRODUCER
Stephen Moon
GAFFER
Adan Sharp
KEY GRIP
Daniel Carrillo
BEST BOY GRIP
Colin Hood
BEST BOY ELECTRIC
Brian Kennedy
GRIPS
Brendan Beasley
Clayton Serrano
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Daryl Stewart
Sammi Stewart
Sean Dalton
Jesse Marks
Justin Todd
Nina Gay
Robby Cole
Allyssa Lewis
Grant Golden
Jonathan Duncan
Diego Sanchez
Robin Christian
"BABA O’RILEY"
WRITTEN BY PETE TOWNSHEND
PERFORMED BY THE WHO
COURTESY OF POLYDOR
"SMOKIN’"
WRITTEN BY BRAD DELP AND TOM SCHOLZ
PERFORMED BY BOSTON
COURTESY OF EPIC
"LOW RIDER"
WRITTEN BY HOWARD SCOTT, CHARLES MILLER, LEE OSKAR, LONNIE JORDAN, JERRY GOLDSTEIN, B.B. DICKERSON, HAROLD R. BROWN AND PAPA DEE ALLEN
PERFORMED BY WAR
COURTESY OF AVENUE RECORDS
"OUTRO"
WRITTEN BY ANTHONY GONZALEZ
PERFORMED BY M83
COURTESY OF NAÏVE RECORDS
PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATION FURNISHED BY
THE PERSONS AND EVENTS IN THIS SERIES ARE FICTITIOUS.
ANY SIMILARITY TO ACTUAL PERSONS OR EVENTS IS UNINTENTIONAL.
COPYRIGHT ©2021 aMeriKanULTRA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Ownership of this Motion Picture is protected by Copyright and other applicable laws, and any unauthorized Duplication, Distribution or Exhibition of this Motion Picture could result in Criminal Prosecution as well as Civil Liability.