MICKEY
Have you talked to Mallory about this?
WAYNE
She won't even see me, Mickey. Now
you're not supposed to know anything
about what's going on with her, but I'm
gonna tell ya somethin'. Since you
two've been sentenced, Mallory hasn't
spoken one word.
MICKEY
She doesn't talk?
WAYNE
Not to anybody. She sings.
MICKEY
She sings? What does she sing?
WAYNE
Songs. `He's A Rebel', `Leader Of The
Pack', `Town Without Pity', that Dusty
Springfield song `I Only Want To Be
With You'. That's what I hear anyway.
Her behaviour was the main thing the
doctors' report used against you. So
even if she would see me, which she
won't, I couldn't put her on camera
anyway. If I ask her, `Mallory, are
you insane?' And she starts singing
`Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road',
that blows out whole case.
Mickey cracks a smile.
The guards come over to take him away.
<
WAYNE
Wait a minute, Mickey, I need an
answer.
WAYNE
(Yells after him)
Just think about it. But don't think
too long.
INT. MICKEY'S CELL - DAY
MEDIUM CU of Mickey curled up by his bed, writing Mallory a
letter.
MICKEY (V.O.)
Dearest Mallory. My cell is so cold.
At night I get the chills. I pretend
you're lying next to me, holding me
from behind with your leg draped over
mine and your arms wrapped tightly
around me. I lie in my cell. . .
DISSOLVE TO:
WIDE SHOT in cell behind Mickey. We slowly DOLLY back.
MICKEY (V.O.)
. . .and imagine kissing you. Not
making love, just kissing for hours and
hours on end. I remember everything
about our time. I remember every joke
you ever told.
MICKEY (V.O.)
I remember every secret you ever
shared. Shared or revealed? I think
shared is proper. I remember every
single time you laughed.
MICKEY
I remember every meal we ever ate. I
remember your cooking. I especially
remember your casseroles. I remember
watching David Letterman.
MICKEY
I remember driving fast. . .faster,
man, fast behind the wheel of the Coupe
de Ville.
The sound of the Coupe de Ville swells until we...
CUT TO:
EXT. COUPE DE VILLE - NIGHT
CAMERA sits on the hood looking down at Mickey and Mallory,
driving fast -- SLOW MOTION. A hurricane of wind whips through
their hair. Mallory laughs wildly as she wraps her arms around
Mickey and kisses.
MICKEY (V.O.)
You, baby, by my side. Your bare feet
up on the dash, singing along with the
radio `Needles And Pins', `He's A
Rebel', `You're My World', `Ring Of
Fire', `Love Grows Where My Rosemary
Goes', `Groove Me'...
DISSOLVE TO:
Coupe de Ville parked on the road side. Mickey is in the
drivers seat with his feet on the dash watching Mallory dance on
the hood of the car.
INT. A BEDROOM - NIGHT
The screen erupts with fire. Mickey and Mallory's faces appear
in the flame kissing passionately.
MICKEY (V.O.)
The killing of your parents, our
wedding. . . They're not just memories.
I feel that joy again...
INT. RESTAURANT - DAY
MEDIUM CU of Wayne holding a piece of paper in front of his face
and reading from it out loud. We hear Wayne's VOICE over
Mallory's singing before the last scene DISSOLVES.
WAYNE
(reading out loud)
`After taking a few days to reflect on
your offer, I've come to the conclusion
that you are one hundred percent
correct. A national TV interview would
be very advantageous to both Mallory
and I. The only obstacle is they're
shipping me out to the funny farm in
four days. However, that is your
problem and not mine. I feel confident
you'll manage. Here's to us making
television history. Sincerely, Mickey
Knox.'
Wayne drops the letter down from in front of his face.
WAYNE
Am I a God or what?
The team consists of SCOTT, the cameraman, who wears wild
t-shirts (presently a t-shirt with the movie "She Devils On
Wheels" splashed on the front); ROGER, the soundman, who wears
wild Hawaiian shirts and Bermuda shorts; and UNRULY JULIE,
Wayne's assistant, a young lady who wears Bermuda shorts, a
baseball jersey, and a dark sports coat no matter how hot the
weather is at any time. Roger's never seen without his
recorder, Scott's never without his camera, and Unruly Julie
always has her giant notebook. These dishevelled film types are
all in their twenties and are a marked contrast to Wayne's
stylish yuppie demeanour.
Unruly Julie pops the cork on a champagne bottle. The guys hold
out coffee mugs, while Julie fills. Julie, however drinks
straight from the bottle.
NOTE: This scene is to be played at a rapid fire "His Girl
Friday" pace.
ROGER
r4
This is Raymond Burr witnessing the
destruction of Tokyo by Godzilla.
Everybody laughs.
SCOTT
What's the schedule, mein feuhre?
WAYNE
We got tonight and tomorrow to get our
shit together. The day after that
they're shippin' Mallory. That's when
we do the Mickey Knox interview, 'cause
the next day he goes.
SCOTT
Would the network really not run it
without the interview?
WAYNE
Are you kidding? The last thing they
expected was Mickey Knox to get up
close and personal. They wanted a
follow up episode and would've taken
anything I had given them. I'm not
gonna tell Mickey Knox that. I'm gonna
make him think his grey matter depends
on it. When I told Woody and the brass
about this coup, they practically shit
a brick. I'm talkin' an adobe brick.
They want to expand the show to a hour,
and they want it on immediately.
ROGER
How immediate is immediately?
WAYNE
Next week's episode.
Wayne's team all spit out mouthfuls of champagne.
ROGER
We don't got enough footage for a hour
follow up.
SCOTT
(pointing at Roger)
What he said.
WAYNE
Rape and pillage the first episode,
just change the order a bit. Those
sons of bitches out there ain't gonna
know the difference. All that shit is
just filler for the interview anyway.
We film a new intro. Show some old
footage from the first episode so the
get a brief history of Mickey and
Mallory. We introduce a new angle. .
.what the prison board is up to. We
see some of that new shit, then the
rest of the show is the interview. Now
what's so fuckin' hard about that? Oh,
Julie make a note: I need Woody to get
me thirty seconds of the "Live at Five"
broadcast to promote next weeks show.
We'll do a feed right from the jail
while we're wrapping up with Mickey.
WAYNE
You too Scott, Betacam and a remote,
keep it simple.
WAYNE
So Unruly Julie's comin' with me and
planning the interview.
(points at Roger & Scott)
You two go down to the editing bay,
take the old footage and the new
footage, put it together, and see what
we got. Get it into shape so when we
finish the interview, we can just stick
it in.
SCOTT
When do you want the assembly?
WAYNE
Tomorrow.
CUT TO:
TITLE CARD: "TOMORROW"
CUT TO:
INT. TV STATION CORRIDOR - DAY
CAMERA leads Wayne, who's talking to Unruly Julie. As they
march quickly through the halls Julie writes furiously in her
notebook.
WAYNE
At that point I'll ask him if he
believes in God. If he says yes, I'll
ask him what he thinks God would make
of his actions. And is he worried
about burning in hell? If he says no,
I'll say, `Well, Mickey, what do you
believe in?' And hopefully he'll say
something like a live round of ammo,
the expression on the face of a man he
just split up the middle, Mallory's
eyes, sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.
He's bound to say something
provocative.
WAYNE
Okay, boys, lets have it.
SCOTT
Well, basically, what we did was put
part of the old show on first. . .
ROGER
But we changed the order around so it
wasn't super obvious. . .
SCOTT
Then we added the new shit to the
tail. . .
ROGER
So we film the interview, and we can
just slap it on at the end.
Wayne and Unruly Julie grab chairs and sit.
WAYNE
Okay, let's see it.
ROGER (O.S.)
Now we got to film a new intro for the
follow up episode. But we put the
intro for the first episode at the
beginning temporarily so you can see it
with some scope.
WAYNE (V.O.)
I hear ya. Play.
CUT TO:
Static. Then the opening slate for "AMERICAN MANIACS" fills the
SCREEN.
BEGIN: "HIGHWAY - DAY
EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY
WAYNE GAYLE is standing in the middle of an empty highway. The
CAMERA looks up from the ground. With a WIDE ANGLE lens, he
looks practically mythic.
Wayne speaks into the camera.
WAYNE
Hello. Welcome to "American Maniacs".
I'm your host Wayne Gayle. And this is
Highway 58.
WAYNE
To some the fastest distance between
point A and point B. To others a
beautiful stretch to the American
landscape. But to Mickey and Mallory
Know, it was a candy land of murder and
mayhem.
While we hear Wayne's narration, we see a MONTAGE of home 8mm
movie footage. These are films of Mickey and Mallory living a
normal life.
HOME MOVIE - Mickey shaking hands with the JUDGE who married
them. Mallory stands happily by Mickey's side.
HOME MOVIE - Mallory hamming up the sex angle, as she poses by
Bob's Big Boy.
HOME MOVIE - Mallory sitting on Mickey's lap at home.
HOME MOVIE - CU of Mallory asleep in bed. Mickey (holding
camera) tickles her under her chin. Mallory slaps herself in
the face with a handful of shaving cream.
HOME MOVIE - Mickey and Mallory posing with Santa Claus.
HOME MOVIE - Mickey being surprised in the toilet.
WAYNE (V.O.)
After living a very routine, drab,
nothing out-of-the-ordinary-ever-
happens kind of life, the sweethearts
shocked the entire nation with a
cross-country crime and murder spree
that lasted only three weeks, but
left ---
PHOTO: BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS of bloody victims -- MEN and WOMEN.
PHOTO: BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS of a bloodstained police chalk
outline.
WAYNE (V.O.)
--- forty-eight known bodies in its
wake. Including ---
HOME MOVE FOOTAGE of Mallory and her PARENTS during happier
times. All three are smiling. Mallory's in the middle with her
arms around them. Mallory's father is eating a chicken
drumstick. Mallory takes a bite out of it while he's holding
it.
WAYNE (V.O.)
--- Mallory's very own parents
WAYNE
And they were finally apprehended here
at this Circle K in St. Paul,
Minnesota.
CUT TO:
This sequence is films in 16MM COLOR, cinema verite a'la "COPS."
The CAMERA runs behind three blue windbreaker clad COPS, as they
run up to the Circle K, shouting obscenities.
In front of the store three windbreaker cops have Mickey on the
ground, beating him with nightsticks. One COP lies on the
ground near them, holding his hands over his face, screaming.
To the left Mallory is slugging it out with a windbreaker COP,
matching each other blow for blow.
Meanwhile, the three cops we ran with reach the action and join
in.
CUT TO:
MONTAGE
NEWSPAPER-- Newspaper or magazine COLOR AD for a 7/11 store.
NEWSPAPER-- Newspaper or magazine COLOR AD for a gas station.
WAYNE (V.O.)
They started off robbing 7/11 type
stores and gas stations and later
graduated to banks and the big time.
Wayne Gayle walks down the street. The CAMERA walks with him.
He speaks into the camera.
WAYNE
Mickey and Mallory's idea of an armed
robbery was a little different than
most. It was an assault, actually.
Wayne interviews BISHOP, a young blonde kid with a "Flock of Sea
Gulls" haircut. Bishop's name appears on the SCREEN.
BISHOP
Well. I knew that Mickey and Mallory
kill everybody when they're through,
except for one clerk. There were a
couple of people in the store then, and
I was working with Stevo. And I like
Stevo, you know? But I was thinking,
what could I do to make them pick me to
be the clerk that gets to live?
This scene is shot through the STORE'S BLACK & WHITE VIDEO
SURVEILLANCE CAMERA. The date and time of day are burned into
the edges of the frame.
Mickey and Mallory charge into a 7/11 store, cocking their
shotguns and shouting things.
Mickey SHOOTS a CUSTOMER who lies on the ground screaming.
Mallory BLASTS a FEMALE CUSTOMER who lies on the ground screaming.
Mickey points his shotgun at Bishop the store clerk and screams:
MICKEY
Money! Money! Money! Fast! Fast!
Faster! Faster! Faster than that!
STEVO, the other store clerk, walks in from the back room
carrying boxes and wearing a walkman.
Mickey and Mallory spin around and shoot him.
As all this mayhem happens before our disbelieving eyes, Wayne's
narration happens over it.
WAYNE (V.O.)
They'd storm in with shotguns, and kill
every customer in the place right off
the bat.
CUT TO:
Smiling PHOTOS of other VICTIMS. We CUT from each photo
to the next photo after shotgun FIRE.
EXT. BLEACHERS - DAY
Wayne Gayle sitting on football bleachers. He stares into the
CAMERA for a few beats. Then, after his dramatic silence, he
talks.
WAYNE
Sick, isn't it?
(mournful pause)
After killing numerous people, the
would always leave one clerk alive.
One clerk . . . to give them the money,
and tell the tale of ---
WAYNE (V.O.)
Mickey and Mallory.
WAYNE (V.O.)
Patrolman Gerald Nash was just on of
the twelve peace officers that Mickey
and Mallory murdered during their reign
of terror.
WAYNE (V.O.)
Gerald and his partner Dale Wrigley
were parked at . . .
Interview with Dale Wrigley. Dale's name appears below him on
the SCREEN.
DALE
This '68 Cadillac Coupe De Ville pulled
up about three spaces away. Gerald
came walking out with our coffee
and ---
(begins to tear up)
my bear claw. When the driver of the
car asked him something, Gerald started
giving him what looked like street
directions. When he finished, the
driver waved him "thanks," brought up a
shotgun and ---
WIDER PHOTO: Alfie's donut and parking lot. On this photo, a
white grease pencil circles where Gerald was shot. We hear a
SHOTGUN BLAST and a SCREAM over this.
PHOTO: BLACK & WHITE of Mickey and Mallory. We hear LAUGHTER
and a car PEELING OUT over this.
EXT. BLEACHERS - DAY
Wayne talks to us.
WAYNE
Apparently bored with banditry and
murder, the two outlaws proved what
renaissance psychopaths they really
are. To break up the monotony in
between bank jobs, or what have you,
they started butchering whole
households at random.
INT. WAYNE'S STUDIO - DAY
Wayne, dressed in a pink shirt and suspenders, talks to us in
front of a blue screen that has "WAYNE GAYLE'S AMERICAN MANIACS"
logo behind him.
WAYNE
Unfortunately, the story didn't end
with their capture. It just became
more surreal. Their subsequent trial
turned into a sick circus . . .
CUT TO:
EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
The CAMERA captures the crowd in front of the courthouse.
They're a very mixed lot.
WAYNE (V.O.)
. . . As spectators, reporters, law
students, tourists, gawkers, the
interested, the curious, the devoted,
and the demented were drawn to the Los
Angeles county courthouse like moths to
a flame.
INT. WAYNE'S STUDIO - DAY
Wayne talks to us.
WAYNE
The Mickey and Mallory Knox murder
trial was so event filled it made the
crime spree that took place before pale
by comparison. The first point was the
decision of Mickey's to act as his own
council. Now this in itself is not
unheard of, for instance, Ted Bundy
acted as his own council as well. What
was unexpected was how well Mickey's
performance would be.
Wayne interviews JUDGE BURT STEINSMA in his den at home.
WAYNE (V.O.)
We spoke with Burt Steinsma, who was
the presiding judge during the Knox
trial.
JUDGE STEINSMA
Mickey was surprisingly effective.
When I was told I was to be the judge
of this trial and then I was told
Mickey Knox would be handling his own
defence, I got a headache that lasted
five days. But at first I breathed a
sigh of relief. Mickey showed up very
prepared, and proved to be an excellent
amateur lawyer.
Interview with state prosecutor WANDA BISBING, an attractive
woman in her forties.
WAYNE (V.O.)
However, this opinion isn't shared by
the state's prosecutor on this case,
Wanda Bisbing.
WAYNE
Judge Steinsma said that Mickey showed
up very prepared and proved to be an
excellent amateur attorney.
BISBING
Oh, that's rich. Well, considering
that Mickey Knox turn his court into
a mockery and personally made him look
like a fool, I'd say that's very
benevolent of Judge Steinsma. As far
as Mickey being an excellent amateur
lawyer, maybe I'm old fashioned, but
when I went to law school, we were
taught the object was to win the case,
which I did.
Wayne talks to us.
WAYNE
The nation caught fire to Mickey and
Mallory fever, Mickey and Mallory
mania, if you will, as the merits to
Mickey's talent as a defence attorney
became apparent.
Law students from all ends of the
country converged on Los Angeles as
legal history took a new course. But
that was only the lemon next to the
pie. And that pie is you, the American
people. That pie is the way the
strangely charismatic, and make no
mistake, they are charismatic, Mickey
and Mallory have captured the public's
interest, fear, and in some cases,
admiration.
EXT. COURTHOUSE STEPS - DAY
Wayne interviews three long-haired guys: CHUCK, STEVE, and JEFF.
WAYNE
What do you think of Mickey and
Mallory?
CHUCK
Hot.
JEFF
Hot.
STEVE
Totally hot.
CHUCK
Mickey and Mallory's the best thing to
happen to mass murder since Manson.
STEVE
Forty-eight people known. They're way
cooler than Manson.
WAYNE
What do you think of Mickey and
Mallory?
MORGAN
Well, he's just . . . I dunno . . .
charismatic.
PAGE
They're so romantic.
INTENSE COP
I'm here to watch the judge give those
two shit asses (BLEEP) the stiffest
sentence the law allows. I want to see
their faces when the state says "they
are the worst scum sucking, degenerate,
douche bag, filthy, I don't know what's
ever shit (BLEEP) out.
(referring to crowd
behind him)
And these assholes (BLEEP) are making
heroes outta sickos. You wanna know
who a hero is? You wanna know? I'll
tell ya who a Goddamn hero is. Mike
Griffin. Mike fuckin' (BLEEP) Griffin
is who these misguided assholes (BLEEP)
should be revering. You know why Mike
Jerome Griffin is a hero? I'll tell ya
why. Because he was killed in the line
of duty. Do you want to know how he
died?
WAYNE
Yes.
INTENSE COP
I'll tell you. Mike Jerome Griffin was
killed in the line of duty by those two
anti-heroes.
WAYNE
Tell me, Mr. Vossler, how many days of
the trial have you attended?