domingo, 27 de enero de 2013

LAST SON-part4: Clark Kent gets a job interview at the Daily Planet

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13. INT. – DAY – DAILY PLANET, PERRY WHITE´S OFFICE

We see LOIS` face screaming with disbelief.


LOIS

What???...what

14. INT. –DAY – DAILY PLANET, PRESS ROOM

We see a bunch of the staff of the Daily Planet staring to PERRY WHITE´s office.
Among them is JIMMY OLSEN (18, red hair, freckled face, wide eyes), starting too with a digital camera in his hands.

JIMMY looks surprised; some of the others look as if laughing at the scene.

15. EXT. – DAY –DAILY PLANET, PERRY WHITE´S OFFICE

This time we see LOIS with her knuckles on a desk, she almost looks as if a wild animal were about to jump to its prey’s neck.


LOIS

What do you mean you are not printing it???


We see at the other side of the desk a man sitting on a comfortable leather chair, he is PERRY WHITE (57, gray hair, tough looking, dresses old-fashioned).
PERRY WHITE looks amused at LOIS`attitude, he smiles while he lights a cigar.
LOIS looks disgusted as the smoke get near her face and leans back away from the desk.
PERRY inhales some smoke, exhales and lets some ashes fall on an ashtray, then he speaks calmly, like a father talking to his own daughter.




PERRY

Yes, Lois. I`m sorry... It`s an order from Publisihing... We cannot print your story cause it seems Lexcorp is about to buy the Daily Planet and they don´t want no problems with the transaction... I know it stinks but...


LOIS

You bet your own cuban cigars this stinks, Perry! It’s got Lex Luthor’s stench all over and you know it! ... Perry, I`ve been working hard for this story for about half a year and all this time I`ve been covering soft stories in order to concentrate on this big fish... You knew I was working on this!!

LOIS falls heavily on a sofa, she really looks desperate.


LOIS (with resolution)
Perry, I`m quitting the Daily Planet...

                PERRY
Oh, C`mon, Lois! And where will you go to? The Gotham Gazette?

                 LOIS
Well, it´s an option...

                 PERRY
Yeah, right... All there is to report in Gotham is how many bats they got flying out of the rooftops this year! You will make a great career there...

LOIS looks at PERRY with an interrogative look and then she finally cracks a smile.
PERRY smiles back at her then walks towards her, sits on a chair and stares at her straight into the eye.

PERRY
Look, kiddo... I know it`s a tough break, and it certainly wouldn´t have happened back in the good old days when the Daily Planet stood for truth and justice. But nowadays money is the new value and that´s  all the big chiefs up there want to hear about. The Plant hasn´t been pulling its weight in the last years and they are looking for the first chance to close it, that`s why I got to play their game for now, get it?

              LOIS
I do get it, Perry... I just hate it to see Lex Luthor win another one!

             PERRY
I know, kiddo, I know... Let me tell you this: we`ll get that scoundrel! One way or another, we will. For the moment let it roll, just this once, ok? Do it for me, or even better do it for The Planet.

              LOIS (exhales)
*Sigh* ... All right, Perry. For the Planet...and for you.

              PERRY
Thank you, kiddo! You are a true sport! Now, I just need you to do us one more favor.

              LOIS
“Us?”

   

              PERRY
Yes, both you and me. I need you to storm out of here. First it will maintain your reputation with the rest of the staff and second it gives me the chance to nag at those lazy no good peeping-toms!



16.     INT.- DAY- DAILY PLANET, PRESS ROOM

Everybody keeps staring into Perry’s office.

JIMMY
It`s awfully quiet in there, isn´t it?

              WOMAN NEXT TO JIMMY
If you ask me I think she finally did it...

              JIMMY
What?

         
              WOMAN NEXT TO JIMMY
Killed the chief...It was a matter of time before that woman went crazy and did something desperate...Loneliness will do that to you. She´s too career-centered for her own good...

JIMMY
Oh, but Ms. Lane…she`s not like that, you know? Well, not exactly…I mean, she´s just too professional, that`s all.

THE WOMAN looks at JIMMY upside down and then she goes away.
JIMMY looks back at the door of Perry`s office.




JIMMY (whispering)
Come on, Ms Lane...please don`t kill the chief!

We notice a tall figure in a gray suit that stands next to JIMMY.

                             TALL FIGURE
              Er...excuse me...

JIMMY doesn`t seem to notice him.

TALL FIGURE
Ahem!...Excuse me,er...sorry to interrupt you but...

               JIMMY (without looking back)
Not now, buster! You can get your own coffee... I want to see what`s going on with Ms. Lane...

               TALL FIGURE
Well, actually I don´t drink coffee...it´s not good for my stomach, you know? I`m just looking for Perry White, I have an appointment with him.

JIMMY looks back up to the tall figure and we see CLARK, dressed with a gray suit and wearing thick glasses. He looks very polite.

JIMMY
Oh, I`m sorry, sir. I thought you were some one else, er…who did you say you are?
                               
CLARK
I`m Clark Kent, I`m here to ask for a job, very nice to meet you...and you are?

    


               JIMMY
I am James Olsen, star photographer at the Planet, perhaps you’ve seen my work?

               CLARK
I`m sorry, I can`t say I have.

             
               JIMMY
Oh, well...Doesn´t matter. It`s just that I haven´t taken MY picture, you know? That one every photographer takes at some point, the one that makes them a legend.

               CLARK
I wish you luck on that, then, Mr. Olsen.

                JIMMY
Thank you, sir! By the way, you can call me Jimmy, every one here calls me that.

                CLARK
Sure thing, Jimmy. And you can call me Clark.

                JIMMY
That`s swell, sir! Mister Trent, right?

CLARK’s about to correct JIMMY, when the sudden appearance of LOIS storming through the press room calls everyone´s attention.


LOIS
You know something?? I bet my salary this piece of rag could not survive a day without me! The Daily Planet would be lost without Lois Lane!

PERRY comes shouting behind her.

PERRY
Oh, we can make it, be sure of that Lane! In fact, take the rest of the day off! You are suspended, you can come back tomorrow after you`ve cleared your head, young lady, and are ready to give good damn apology!

LOIS goes away storming out of the press room.
She is followed by CLARK`s eyes.
The rest of the staff are petrified at the scene, PERRY looks at them.

PERRY
What are you maggots looking at? Ain`t you got enough work to do??? This is a newspaper not a damn talk show! GET TO WORK!

PERRY slams the door hard.
Every one gets to work immediately.
CLARK and JIMMY stare at the door.

CLARK
Wow...

JIMMY
Oh, don´t worry! Just usual business here at the Planet. You`ll see a lot of that if you get the job.



CLARK looks back to the way Lois left.

                              
                JIMMY
Well, sir, I wish you luck! I gotta go now, I have an important assignment to take care of.

PERRY opens the door once more and shouts at JIMMY.



PERRY
Olsen! Where`s my coffee??? I asked you for a black coffee, no sugar about half an hour ago, what? You  going all the way to Costa Rica just to get a cup? Move it, boy!

JIMMY goes away feeling embarrassed.
CLARK decides to move ahead and talk to PERRY.

CLARK
Ahmm...Mr. White?

PERRY
Yeah! What d’ya want?


   CLARK
Good day, Mr. White...I am Clark Kent, I got a job interview with you today.

                  PERRY
Oh, yes...The one George Taylor recommended, come in, boy. That George Taylor`s a good friend of mine, and a true reporter. They don´t make them like that anymore, you know? Come in, don´t stand there!


Fade-out.




17.    INT. – DAY – LEXCORP BUILDING, LEX LUTHOR´S OFFICE

We see a view of Metropolis from what appears to be a window; we know so due to the reflections.
We see part of LUTHOR`s reflection on the window.
We now see LUTHOR sitting on a chair, contemplating the view.
We see details of the office: a wall with lots of recognitions and university degrees. Some of the recognitions read”, “The World Philanthropist Association thanks Lex Luthor for his outstanding work as a Humanitarian”, we can see the cover of a “Newstime Magazine” on the wall with Luthor`s picture in it and the title: “Lex Luthor: Man of the Year”.
On his desk we can see a model of a plane and it reads: “LexWing-01”.   
LUTHOR keeps staring at the view when a buzzing sound interrupts his thoughts.He squeezes a button on the right arm of his chair.
Suddenly the view disappears from the window and it`s replaced with the projection of man in a white coat that seems to be in a lab.

LUTHOR
Good day,Dr. Happersen. What news do you have for me today?


               DR HAPPERSEN
Good day, Mr. Luthor. I thought you`d be pleased to know that TeamLuthor is ready for its first public try-out, we seem to be running on schedule.

                LUTHOR
That`s great news, Happersen...and what about our little...device? Has there been any improvement on it?

               
              DR HAPPERSEN
Not as much as we`d like, sir. All I can say so far it´s what we have been thinking all along since we found it at the North Pole...Its technology just seems to be too advanced to be from this planet, as fantastic as it may sound.




  LUTHOR
I like to believe that “fantastic” is where Humanity true genious resides in, Happersen...Where would Lexcorp if I hadn´t dared dream about taking Metropolis to the next step in technological evolution? If you say that device is alien then think of the possibilities...We must keep studying it and find a way to figure it out completely.

               DR HAPPERSEN
Well, Mr Luthor...I must say that we already seem to have figured a lot out of it, especially since the technology Lexcorp threads on these days come in great part due to what your own genious, sir, has managed to comprehend from this device.

               LUTHOR
Don`t sell yourself short, Happersen...I know you too have contributed a great to this investigation, Team Luthor itself provides good proof to this.

               HAPPERSEN
Thank you, Mr Luthor… I…

                LUTHOR
I only hire the best, Happersen… Never forget that. Keep working now.

               


HAPPERSEN
Yes, sir, Mr Luthor! Right away!


                LUTHOR
Oh, and Happpersen?...


                HAPPERSEN
Sir?


                LUTHOR
I hate being wrong, so you better prove to me you are as good as I think you are...Do not disappoint me, you wouldn´t like to see me disappointed, would you?

               
LUTHOR’s last words are said with a certain tone, like implying a threat with them.
HAPPERSEN seems to notice that and looks very nervous as he signs off.

HAPPERSEN
N-no sir...Not at all...I...I better get back to my assignment, sir...Good day!

            
            LUTHOR (smiling maliciously)
               
Good day, Happpersen.


The projection disappears from the window leaving the view of Metropolis again.
LUTHOR opens a keyboard from the right arm of the chair, executes a sequence and we see the window become a screen again with lots of graphics, we can also see a 3-D graphic resembling the device that had detached from the ship at the beginning of the movie.
LUTHOR stares at it, he executes another sequence of commands and we see only the graphic of the device on a corner of the window, on the rest of the window we can see Metropolis again.

LUTHOR gets a bottle of champagne from a freezer next to his desk, he opens it and pours some on a very elegant glass.
He stares at the graphic and raises his glass at it.
LUTHOR drinks the whole content, then he stares back to Metropolis.
He raises his empty glass so we can see the city as if it were inside the glass.
We can also see part of his reflection on the glass, as if it were extending all over the city inside it.
He smiles with arrogance.

Fade-out.



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