Luton Movie Makers Archive - Media Contents
20090501 Sound of Dynamite
Title:- 20090501 Sound of Dynamite
Author:- Andrej Iliev
SUMMARY
Drama about a student who takes a liking to Jazz. Club member Peter Farrow acts in this.
Cast:- SCRIPT
Josh Fisher
Karl
Billy
Shopkeeper
Old Man
Ernie
Phil
EXT. ON THE STREET BLOCK OF HOUSES
We are following Josh Fisher as he walks fast along a block
of houses. Dressed in a punk-style clothes he is carrying a
vinyl record. Music plays. He turns behind a corner. We see
two different persons with similar clothes hanging around as
Josh approaches them from a distance.
KARL
...and that's why he never needed
to smoke anything else... unless he
of course wanted to.
Billy is walking around, trying to take a glance trough the
window. Finally Josh reaches them. Josh greets Billy with a
hand shake while Billy takes a closer look at the record.
KARL (LIGHTING UP A CIGARETTE)
That took you long enough... I
could have jerked off at least
twice more. HEHEHehe!
Karl takes a look at the record
KARL
Did you get that from Phil's store?
That fat bastard knows his stuff.
INT. JOSH'S HOUSE
All three men walk in as Josh unlocks the door. They walk
straight into the living room. Karl sits on the sofa while
Billy takes a beer from the fridge. Josh plays the record.
Punk music fills the room.
KARL
Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin'
about. Aaah, 'The Coloured Pig' -
the best fucking band in the whole
fuckin' history of music. Boys,
1981... 1981... The...
JOSH (WHILE DRINKING BEER)
... the best fuckin' concert off all fuckin' times.
Billy lifts up his beer as if making a toast
KARL (EDUCATIONAL)
That's right boys. 'The Queen
Rosemary Club.'(Karl is trying to
talk while drinking so is
impossible to understand him) The
best fuc_... conc_... off all fuck_
time_...
Josh passes another beer to Karl.
KARL
Aaaaah, you boys wouldn't know what
I'm talkin' about.
BILLY (AMUSINGLY)
Oh yeah oldtimer...
Josh makes a sarcastic laugh.
KARL (GRUMPY)
Oh yeah. Billy why don't you go to
call your girlfriend for a change?
I've seen things when you kiddies
only had IT to pee.
JOSH
I still have IT to pee.
KARL
You know what I mean.
BILLY (JOKINGLY)
What do yo mean Karl?!
KARL (TO BILLY)
You know what i mean. Times have
changed. These days is all about
fucking EMO. What does it mean
anyway...
BILLY
Electric Music Orchestra or
something.
KARL (REPEATING)
Electric music orchestra... Fucking
hair in your face you can't see
shit.
JOSH
I read they are like always
depressed and writing poetry about
how they want to commit suicide and
so.
KARL
See? That's what I'm talking about.
BILLY (CURIOUS)
Why would they want to commit a
suicide?
KARL
Coz they're fucked up that's why...
JOSH (TO BILLY)
I don't know, I read it in a
magazine...Why do you care anyway?
KARL (ALREADY TIPSY)
Wow! Look at him. If you're so
clever tell where the word Yakuza
comes from?
BILLY
That's the Japanese mafia...
KARL
I know it's the fucking Japanese
mafia. I'm asking where the name
comes from...
BILLY
I don't know.
Karl turns to Josh to find out if he knows the answer but
Josh shakes his head.
KARL
Of course you don't know. Listen to
this: in Japan, in the old times,
when an enemy of the mafia was to
be killed, eliminated...they did
the killing in the bathroom. In a
jacuzzi bathtub. So that no one
could hear that poor bastard.
BILLY
Why would no one hear?
KARL
Because of the sound that jacuzzi
makes you idiot. Bubbles. (trying
to imitate the sound of jacuzzi)
Josh starts to laugh while Billy acknowledgeable nods his
head. Meanwhile Billy drinks his beer and as he is putting
down his bottle he sees a picture of a pregnant woman on it.
He takes a long look at the picture. No one else notices
this.
KARL (LISTENING TO THE MUSIC)
This is my favorite part. Turn it
up a bit would ya?! This is my
favorite part.
Josh walks to the player to make the music louder. Everyone
is listening.
KARL
Have I ever told you boys about
'Sex Pistols'? About Johnny
Rotten?!
JOSH
A million times..
KARL (CONTINUES UNINTERRUPTED)
1982...McBuskin's pub... I am
sitting there with my pint when
Johnny walks in and sits right next
to me. I mean, Johnny Rotten's
face, just a few inches from my
face right?
There is a long silence. Billy and Josh exchange looks.
BILLY
So?
KARL
What u mean so?
JOSH
So? Then what happened?
KARL (TOUCHED)
Jesus Christ, that not good enough
for you? Did you share your toilet
with Iggy pop when you were a
child?
Josh and Billy are obviously amused by Karl's drunk talk.
Karl stands up.
KARL (ON HIS WAY)
I gotta take a piss now. You know,
Joey from 'the Ramones' once came
to use my bathroom.
JOSH
Come on, Joey Ramone never came to
use your bathroom.
KARL (CONVINCINGLY FROM A DISTANCE)
But his sister did.(or ...but you
shared the tolet with Iggy Pop and
Patti smith was ironing your
skirts.)
After everyone left we follow Josh to his room. As he lies
down on his bed he hears a distant music. He tries to listen
and identify it. When he finds out it is some kind of jazz
he stops listening and falls asleep.
EXT. OUTSIDE JOSH'S HOUSE
In the morning as Josh leaves his house there is an old man
sitting on a beach chair. He has a record player playing
jazz music next to him. Josh passes by and catches a glimpse
of the record label which reads 'An Afternoon in Paris with
Ernie 'the Dynamite' Macmillian'.
INT. RECORD STORE
Josh moves around the store and goes through some records.
Finally he chooses one. He waves with the record to the
shopkeeper.
SHOPKEEPER
Is that it?
JOSH
I'll bring it back tomorrow.
SHOPKEEPER
No problem, have a good one.
INT. JOSH'S HOUSE
Josh starts listening to the record he brought. He opens his
window and lights up a cigarette. For a while he is
observing people on the street. He starts eating sunflower
seeds and spitting them on people. Some of them look up and
run into a rubbish bin.
Next morning Josh's sleep is disturbed by the sound of
familiar jazz music. He gets up and angrily opens window
decided to tell the old man off.
JOSH
Hey!...
OLD MAN (SINGING)
Good morning sunshine!
JOSH (DISTRACTED)
Oh...yeah...ehm, listen...
OLD MAN
Oh what a beautiful morning, isn't
it?
JOSH (WITHOUT ANY EMOTIONS)
Isnt' it.
OLD MAN
I love this tune.
Old man turns up the volume.
OLD MAN (CONTINUES LOUDER)
Back in those days....they were
jumping.
The old man returns back to his music. Josh sees no further
point in talking to him and returns to bed.
After a while the door bells ring. He looks through the door
hole and sees the old man. Unwillingly he opens the door.
OLD MAN
I saw that you are up and thought
you might be interested.
The old man hands Josh a vinyl record.
JOSH
Well, thank you.
OLD MAN
Have a nice day.
Josh closes the door and takes another look through the
hole. The old man stands there for another moment and then
he leaves. Josh takes a look at the vinyl. There is an old
photograph of a musician with a guitar. The letters bellow
read: 'An Afternoon in Paris with Ernie 'the Dynamite'
Macmillian'. He puts it on the table with no interest. For a
while he wanders around the room with nothing to do so he
decides to listen to the record. The cover reads:
VOICOVER:
Ernie 'Dynamite' Macmillian was
born in a horse-drawn trailer in a
small town of Saint-Cloud outside
of Paris. His mother, a gypsy
housemaid and his father, a
Scottish violinist didn't have
enough money to pay for his
education. Ernie, full of
imagination, started to play
accordion at the age of seven.
Soon, he became known for his
guitar sessions in Parisian dance
halls. Here he was recognized by
the legendary American jazz pianist
Duke Ellington who, after listening
to one of his performances,
famously told his band members:
'That kid plays like a dynamite.'
This nickname stayed with him for
the rest of his life. Whether
playing acoustic or electric
guitar, the Gypsy genius, as
referred to by many, performed
astounding improvisation filled
with beautiful musical inventions.
His music, which is an unending
source of joy and happiness,
remains fresh and young as ever.
Josh turns the record around and stares at the photograph.
INT. RECORD STORE
Josh is going through records until he finds one of Ernie's.
He looks up in the direction of the counter. There is no one
there. He takes a punk record as well and swaps the covers.
Then he goes towards the exit.
JOSH
Hey Phil!
Phil shows up from the back room.
JOSH
I'll take this one.
Phil takes a look at the record.
PHIL
That's a good one. That old bugger
Karl'll like it.
JOSH
Yeah. Thanks.
Josh walks out of the store.
INT. JOSH'S HOUSE
Josh unpacks the record from the false cover and impatiently
puts it in the player. He is listening for a while and
starts smoking a cigarette. The doorbell rings. He turns the
music down a little bit to hear who is behind the door. Then
he draws the curtain aside and sees Karl and Billy.
BILLY
Maybe he's not in.
KARL
Shhhh. I think I can hear him.
BILLY
I'm telling you, he's not at home.
KARL (CONSPIRATORY VOICE)
Maybe he's got a woman there.
BILLY
I don't think so Karl.
KARL (CONTINUES HIS SPEECH)
Yeah, definitely. I can hear them.
Oh yeah.
BILLY
Come on, let's go. I have to call
my girlfriend.
KARL
Hehehe, that lucky bastard. Listen!
Hehehe, that bastard.
Josh watches them from behind the curtain as they both
leave.
EXT. PARK
Josh looks around himself as trying to remember where he is.
He looks to his right and sees an older man dressed in an
elderly fashion next to him. They are both sitting on a
bench in a park.
JOSH
Mr. Dynamite?
ERNIE
I never liked that stupid name.
Duke Ellington gave it to me once,
you know. That guy was a menace. A
monster. One time, he offered his
wife to Luis Armstrong for his
plane just that he could fly to New
York first and watch his favourite
show on television. Old Louie
thought it was a joke at first, but
after seeing Dukes face...well..he
understood. Poor girl. Beautiful
and pure as a lily. Besides, how
can anyone play 'as a dynamite'?
That just doesn't make sense.
JOSH
Mr. Dynamite...
ERNIE
Ernie, please.
JOSH
...how?...why?...
ERNIE
Oh, you have many questions I see.
Oooh, my back hurts. I shouldn't
stay outside for long you know. The
cold is doing me any good.
JOSH
What are you doing here?
ERNIE
Oh I come here every once in a
while. I like the atmosphere. The
grass and the wind. I'm almost
amazed I can still hear it. How's
old Emmet by the way? He must still
have his old saxophone, hehe. Maybe
I should pay him a visit. Is
getting colder again. Well, I
better go otherwise I won't be able
to use toilet for a week. It was
nice talking to you young man. What
is your name?
JOSH (CONFUSED)
Josh.
ERNIE
Goodbye Josh. Remember my words.
INT. JOSH'S HOUSE
Josh wakes up suddenly. He realizes it was all just a dream.
INT. JOSH'S HOUSE
Josh wakes up in the morning and sits on his bed for a while
thinking. The he grabs the record the old man gave him. In
the bottom right corner he notices a hand written: 'To
Emmet. Remember St. Louis?' The record is signed by Ernie.
EXT. STREETS
Josh. As he walks out of his house we can see he changed his
look. He is no longer wearing punk clothes but instead a
similar style as on the picture of Ernie. We follow him in
slow motion as he walks down the street. Montage of Josh
with Ernie's music playing.
INT. RECORD STORE
Josh walks in. Phil is counting money at the counter. He
spots Josh.
PHIL
Hey, look what the wind blew in.
JOSH (WAVES THE RECORD AROUND)
Hi Phil, I'm just gonna put this
back in the shelf.
PHIL
Be my guest.
Josh walks to the shelves to put the record on its place.
PHIL
So, did he like it?
JOSH
Ha?
PHIL
Karl. Did he like it?
JOSH
Oh. Yeah...yeah, you know Karl.
PHIL
Yeah, i know him alright.
Josh continues to put the record in between the others.
PHIL
But I don't think that Ernie
'Dynamite' is his cup of tea.
JOSH (GUILTY)
Look Phil, I'm really sorry...
PHIL (INTERRUPTS HIM)
Hey, you don't need to be sorry.
You can fancy Britney Spears for
all I care. Just let me know. You
know, to avoid a 100 year old
grandpa having a heart attack in
front of my store at 3 in the
morning.
Josh nods his head and walks out of the store.
INT. JOSH'S HOUSE
Josh, Billy and Karl are hanging out in Josh's house
listening to punk music. Karl is drinking heavily.
KARL (THEATRICALLY)
Daughter, you are forgiven! There
is all the good things on this
place and pure fucking evil too!
And all the same, I'm going down
with you!
Billy is shaking his head to the rhythm of the music. Only
Josh sits in the corner not amused. He sees Karl spitting
the beer all over himself. As the camera zooms slowly to
Josh's face, punk music fades away as Ernie's song comes to
the foreground.
EXT. STREET
Josh is standing outside the door waiting. He rings the bell
a couple of times. Suddenly, the old man opens the door.
OLD MAN (HAPPILY)
Well hello there neighbor.
JOSH
I just came to give you this.
Josh hands him the record.
JOSH
Thank you.
OLD MAN
What's the matter? You don't like
it?
JOSH
No, but I'm thinking of getting one
of my own.
OLD MAN
Come on in. I'll make you a cup of
coffee.
JOSH (TRIES TO RESIST)
Oh no, don't want to bother you.
OLD MAN
Oh nonsense. Come on in.
Josh follows the old man into his apartment.
INT. OLD MAN'S HOUSE
JOSH
Ok then. Is not like I need to rush
to the opera or anything.
They both sit down in the old man's living room.
JOSH
Did you know him well?
OLD MAN
Who? Ernie? Well, we had some good
times together. Used to hang out
quite a lot, mostly in clubs and
bars. Sometimes jammed the whole
night through.
JOSH
I didn't know you were famous. I
mean, just sitting there outside
the house everyday. At first i
thought...
Josh is trying to find the right words to finish his
sentence but he gives up.
OLD MAN
That I am some kind of old fool?
JOSH (EMBARRASSED)
Maybe...
OLD MAN
What people see is not necessarily
what I am. But I wouldn't call
myself famous. Ernie wouldn't allow
anyone to stick above him. They
used to say: 'Don't play with
Ernie, you're just gonna be one of
his crew. You'll end up in his
shadow'. They would say: 'Don't
play with the Dynamite'.
JOSH
What about St. Louise?
OLD MAN
Oh, that's what the note says
doesn't it?
Josh nods his head in agreement.
OLD MAN
Listen to this: Ernie wrote a song
there. The most beautiful thing
I've ever heard. One night we are
sitting in our hotel room. Ernie
decides to smoke a cigarette. It's
Sunday, middle of the night,
everything is closed. He had a lot
of tobacco but no paper to roll it
in. With the shops all closed, he
couldn't even buy any. So he starts
to take pages of his composition,
this magical and amazing thing,
tearing them up to roll a
cigarette. Page after page.
Enjoying his cigarettes. He smoked
and smoked and little by little, he
smoked the whole thing.
JOSH
His only copy?!
OLD MAN
His only copy.
JOSH
Wow.
Old man stands up, takes two empty glasses and a bottle of
whiskey and puts it on the table.
JOSH
What are we celebrating?
OLD MAN
My birthday.
Josh takes a surprising look at the old man.
OLD MAN
I'm 75 years old. We should have a
toast that I've made it this far.
Old man hands Josh a glass of whiskey.
JOSH
Happy birthday.
OLD MAN
How old are you?
JOSH
23.
OLD MAN
23? 23. 23.
Old man starts to sing.
OLD MAN (SINGING)
When I was 23...
Josh notices plenty of pens and pencils in a cup on the
table. He takes a look at the old man who is stil singing.
EXT. OLD MAN'S HOUSE
Josh and the old man are having fun spitting paper balls on
pedestrians from the emptied pencils
END