(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In)
HEAD GAMES
WRITTEN BY
BRENDAN GERAGHTY
DEADLITE 2023
(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In)
INT. JACK'S HOUSE - NIGHT
JACK (25M) is sitting on the couch watching a “Film Noir”
while snacking on popcorn. It’s dark outside with the only
thing illuminating him is the TV. His eyes lids start to
shut but he keeps forcing them open to watch the movie. He
finally gives up and lets his head hit the pillow. As he
does it quickly match cuts to the morning.
Jack goes through his morning in a blur as the frame quickly
cuts through is entire day. It finally ends on him in a
meeting as a bunch of men are screaming. There's no sound
for the only thing Jack can hear is his own heartbeat. He
snaps back to reality when one of the men, CHUCK (40M) calls
for him.
CHUCK
What about you Jack? What do you have
to say to our companies new VP?
JACK
Wait What?
CHUCK
Johnathan our new VP
JACK
What the fuck Chuck
CHUCK
Please, not here
JACK
That was my promotion Chuck
CHUCK
Please, Jack
JACK
CONGRATS JOHNATHAN, but chuck… I HOPE
YOU GO FUCKING DIE YOU NARCISSISTIC
PRICK
CHUCK
Jack? (Long Pause) Have anything to
say.
It jumps back to Jack, now sitting down, the last minute
being all in his head.
CHUCK (cont'd)
Jack? Are you OK?
(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In) 2.
JACK
Con-congrats
A teapot can be heard boiling in the background. The camera
pushes in on Jack as the kettle is about to hit the boiling
point. At the climax it cuts to a kettle. Chuck picks it up
and begins making tea. Jack walks over to him.
JACK (cont'd)
Chuck!
CHUCK
Hey Jack, hey you know I wanted to
apologize for giving you promotion to
Johnathan.
JACK
YA, um… whats with that?
CHUCK
I could give you all the ins and outs
but honestly your just not management
material
JACK
What?
CHUCK
Come on, you… running things? I mean
(starts to laugh) that’s absurd. One
day… you might be able to get a
cubical with a view but sadly theirs
no place for at the top, (starts to
laugh again) and there probably never
will be.
Rage in Jack builds as he hears this. But it all seems to go
away when Chuck stops.
JACK
You know Chuck that makes a ton of
sense, Ha, Ha, Ha, Speaking of
Cubicle's can you help me in the
back.
CHUCK
Like? The back stairs?
JACK
Ya sure!
Jack brings Chuck to the back and they enter the door way.
The camera stays outside the doorway as it pans to Jack
watching himself enter the door.
(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In) 3.
The camera stays on Jack, the only thing heard is a man
muffled arguing. It gets louder and louder as the camera
gets closer and closer to Jack. It all comes to a head when,
in the doorway, a confetti canon goes off. It cuts back to a
closeup of Jack, Another Jack comes into frame whispering
directly in his ear.
OTHER JACK
Let yourself see the truth.
Jack looks down at his hands to see blood, then looking at
the floor of the doorway he sees blood pooling. Jack turns
to run back trips hitting the ground. As his face hits the
ground it match cuts to him hitting the pillow in the
morning.
This day repeats, and repeats, and repeats. Jacks day keeps
repeating, every time getting faster and more chaotic. As
its getting faster it starts turning into a Film Noir. At
the head of this Jack runs out into the street.
JACK
STOP!
The film reel breaks while he screams. The screen does
black.
A VHS tape starts up. An Old Tape of the Shopping Network
starts to play.
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
Rich, were gonna get that beautiful
Sort-of Diamond studded
RICH
(On Phone) What? What do you mean
sort of?
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
Watch right to you. Let us send you
over to producer to get your card
info.
RICH
Wait what the fuck did I jus-
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
Now folks for this next item I have
the privilege and honor to bring out
a guest to help sell this beautiful
next time, please welcome... Jack
Jack gets kicked onto stage. Jack comes out happy to be
there and gingerly shaking the Shopping Network Guys hand.
(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In) 4.
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY (cont'd)
Jack! How are we doing!
JACK
Thanks for having me Shopping Network
Guy. I'm excited to show these
viewers some amazing new products,
there wallets can't wait to put out
for.
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
I'm glad you ask Jack. Now this next
item folks, Just take a look at this
beauty! This masterclass of culinary
perfection, crafted from high-carbon
stainless steel,
The Shopping Network Guy rips a sheet from the table to
reveal a Bloody Knife, still dripping.
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY (cont'd)
This in piece of kitchenware isn't
you grandma's Butchers Knife. It's a
precise instruments, designed to make
your kitchen work and murder... a
breeze!
JACK
What!
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
And check this out, folks this knife
is razor-sharp! You won't believe how
smoothly they glide through any
ingredient, whether it's a ripe
tomato or pesky human skin. No more
crushed tomatoes or struggling to cut
through your annoying neighbor Jim's
artery!"
Jack looks at him confused.
JACK
What are you saying!
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
Lets take a call from one of our
callers... Caller your on!
CALLER
Hey my questions for Jack.
JACK
(to self) We take question?
(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In) 5.
CALLER
Who the fuck did you murder?
JACK
What?
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
Jack can you please tell are eager
viewers how well you can murder with
this knife.
Nothing from Jack.
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY (cont'd)
Tell the lovely viewers who you
killed.
JACK
I didn't
SHOPPING NETWORK GUY
Let yourself see.
JACK
No, no, no
A title card come up "The Shopping Network Will Be Back
After These Short Messages"
It cuts to a Trailer for a Film Noir movie.
Title Screen: "This Fall"
Jack is in 1930's detective gear.
JACK (cont'd)
It was the night of the 14th. It was
dark, a little too dark.
Title Screen: From the Director of Murder: The Night Of
Murder, I killed someone and can't live with the guilt, and
Let Yourself See (2018 Remake).
Jack is sitting at a desk flipping through a book.
JACK (cont'd)
(Internal Dialog) The more and more a
look at theses faces of men who are
suspected of committing oh such an
awful crime...
On every page of the book of suspects has the same picture
of Jack.
(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In) 6.
JACK (cont'd)
(Internal Dialog) could be the answer
my burning desire to know who on this
God forsaken earth made such an awful
mess of old man Chuck. Yet I sit here
suck with no clues. (real-time)
Drats. (Internal Dialog) The only
clue I have is, a name, address,
social security number, date of birth
and this bloody knife purchased off
the Shopping Network.
Jack holds up the bloody knife from before. A loud bang is
heard, Jack goes to investigate. In a long hallway Jack sees
a shadowy figure, he turns and starts to run.
The chase between the two continues while it cuts to Jack
watching the movie on the TV from the beginning. He's
chuckling at the screen till he notices the person running
is Chuck, the shadowy figure closely behind.
The next 30 seconds is a chaotic mess where we cut between
all the Scenario Jack just experienced.
Scenario #1: Talking to the Boss and the Boss laughing in
his face
Scenario #2: The "Other Jack" whispering into Jack's ear/
confetti canon's.
Scenario #4: Film Noir of Chucking being chased by the
shadowy figure and Jack watching it all on the couch.
These four Scenario's ramp into the shadowy figure knocking
Chuck to the ground and dragging him to a door way. This
quickly cuts in and out between what was just decided and a
similar sot in which Chuck is being dragged in the office to
the door.
It cuts back to the Film Noir as the shadowy figure raises
his axe. A flash of lightning hits the shadowy figure to
reveal Jack. It cuts to a reverse shot of Chuck on the
ground begging for mercy but being in the office in contrast
to being in the Film Noir.
It cuts to Jack watching the movie, covering his face as you
hear the sounds of Chuck being murdered.
It cuts to the door way. Jack walks out of the doorway and
walks over to Johnathan's desk and places the knife. You can
hear Jack going over to another person. Beat them up and
drag them to the desk. Jack puts John hand on the Knife and
grabs it.
(Printed with the demonstration version of Fade In) 7.
The camera, still not moved, catches in the corner Jack
stabbing Johnathan using johnathans own hand. Jack then
places the knife back on the desk and walks away.
It cuts back to Jack sitting on the couch watching this all
unfold on the TV. The credits to the movie come on. Jack
sits there thinking when he feels something on his neck. He
grabs his neck in pain when all the sudden his eyes roll
back in his head. He falls to the side hitting the pillow.
It match cuts to Jack on the floor with a VR helmet and suit
on. It cuts to Jack's POV as he takes his helmet off.
Everything is super blurry. He looks up to see a man
kneeling over him.
DETECTIVE
You pulled it off with no one the
wiser, but you just had to put that
knife back on the desk. (pause) book
him.
The camera (still in jack's POV) pushes away from The
Detective as Jack gets dragged away.
END