DigitalPriest.Com: Batman: The Hill Script Excerpt

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Page 13

1 KORLEE EMBRACES HOLLYWOOD. KORLEE IS A BIG MAN, ABOUT 35 YEARS OLD. NEAT, CONSERVATIVE HAIRCUT AND CONSERVATIVE HORN RIM GLASSES. HE LOOKS LIKE AN ACCOUNTANT. KORLEE IS GENUINELY SAD AS HE EMBRACES THE YOUNGER MAN (HOLLYWOOD IS ABOUT 17 YEARS OLD).

KORLEE WEARS VERY EXPENSIVE CLOTHES. A ANKLE-LENGTH WOOL TOPCOAT OVER AN ITALIAN DOUBLE-BREASTED SUIT WITH AN EXPENSIVE TIE. EXPENSIVE ITALIAN LEATHER GLOVES. KORLEE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A GANGSTER. THIS IS *HIS* BRUCE WAYNE FACE.

NOTE TO ARTIST: KORLEE ALWAYS HAS A BODYGUARD OR TWO HOVERING SOMEWHERE. THEY ARE NOT IMPORTANT, BUT, LIKE THE SECRET SERVICE, THEY HOVER INCONSPICUOUSLY. THE WAY YOU KNOW THEY ARE BODYGUARDS IS THEIR COMPLETE DISASSOCIATION WITH WHATEVER ELSE IS HAPPENING IN THE PANEL. LIKE THE S/S, THEY ARE SCANNING FOR POSSIBLE ASSASSINS. THEY PROBABLY WEAR EAR MONITORS (LIKE S/S BUT CLEARLY NOT THE SAME AS GUNTHER AND HIS BROTHER).

CONSPICUOUS AMONG THEM IS DAT KRAZY BROTHER DEX. HE'S A LARGE BLACK FELLOW WITH A THICK NECK WHO LOOKS LIKE HE CAN BREAK YOU IN HALF.

KORLEE 1: Hollywood.

MOM 2: (Off) Get your filthy hands off of him--!!

2 MOM PUSHES HOLLYWOOD OUT OF THE WAY AS SHE CONFRONTS KORLEE. KORLEE REMAINS CALM, GESTURING TO HIS GUARDS THAT IT'S OK-- LEAVE HER ALONE.

HOLLYWOOD 3: Yo, ma-- Korlee had nothin' to do--

MOM 4: He had everything to do with your brother's death, Trevor, and I won't stand for--!!

KORLEE 5: It's all right, Candace. I know what you're feeling--

3 MOM VICIOUSLY SLAPS KORLEE, KNOCKING HIS GLASSES OFF. KORLEE IN PAIN, BUT RETAINS HIS DIGNITY. DAT KRAZY BROTHER DEX MOVES TOWARDS THEM. STOIC EXPRESSION.

SFX: SSSLLAAAAPP!!

MOM 6: When you bury your 14 year-old son because some cheap hood with a God complex used him up--

MOM 7: --then you'll know.

4 ANGLE PAST THE CROWD AT GORDON, STANDING ALONE SOME DISTANCE OFF. PUT HIM ON A SMALL RISE SO HE'S SLIGHTLY ELEVATED. EVEN FARTHER BACK, K/O FIGURES OF A FEW UNIFORM COPS CONTAIN A SMALL GROUP OF REPORTERS.

MOM 8: (Off) Commissioner Gordon-- this is on you too!! A jewel thief--?! You were chasing a jewel thief and shot my boy?!?

GORDON 9: We had no way of knowing--

5 NEW ANGLE: MOM RANTING, YANKING HARD ON HOLLYWOOD'S EXPENSIVE CLOTHES, DRIVING HOME HER POINT. KORLEE NOT IN SHOT.

MOM 5: You should've shot the man who put my sons in that car-- the man who buys them expensive clothes and cellular phones--

MOM 6: --who gets them to sell drugs for him--

6 ANGLE: KORLEE, WHO IS STRAIGHTENING HIS TIE (HIS GLASSES BACK ON). KORLEE SHOW NO EMOTION.

MOM 7: (Off) --Demitrius R. Korlee.

MOM 8: (Off) He's been operating here on the Hill since he was Trevor's age-- and you've virtually ignored him--

7 MOM LEAVING, DRAGGING HOLLYWOOD WITH HER.

MOM 9: --while you chase down jewel thieves. This is the first time you've set foot on The Hill, isn't it, commissioner?

MOM 10: Not a lot of Dutch jewel thieves here.

MOM 11: I know how that must disappoint you.

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1 MEDIUM: GORDON STARING. WAYNE, IN THE DISGUISE, STANDS IN BACK OF HIM, RAKING. HIS HEAD DOWN AS HE RAKES. MAKE SURE HE'S WEARING GLOVES.

BATMAN 1: Don't be sorry.

BATMAN 2: That boy was armed and dangerous. He died trying to commit murder.

BATMAN 3: Don't be sorry. Not one damned bit.

GORDON 4: I know that voice--

2 IN CLOSER: GORDON, STILL LOOKING AWAY FROM WAYNE, WAYNE STANDS BEHIND, STILL LOOKING DOWN. SUNGLASSES AND FAKE BEARD.

BATMAN 5: If you turn around, I'll be gone.

BATMAN 6: I wanted to see if there was a line between our Dutch pals and these kids.

GORDON 7: She does have a point, Batman.

GORDON 9: We do spend a lot of time chasing the Penguin and so forth.

3 ANGLE ON THE DISGUISED WAYNE. HEAVY SHADOWS ACROSS HIS FACE MAKE HIM EVEN MORE MYSTERIOUS.

BATMAN 10: We do what we do.

BATMAN 11: Too late to start second guessing ourselves.

GORDON 12: (Off) But-- with your methods, you could easily--

BATMAN 13: Sorry.

4 NEW ANGLE: KORLEE— IN ALL ASPECTS A BLACK BRUCE WAYNE— SIDLES UP NEXT TO GORDON, LOOKING AWAY FROM HIM AT THE (OF-PANEL) DISBURSING CROWD. KORLEE HAS A GRIM EXPRESSION, AS THOUGH HE WERE SCRUTINIZING SOMETHING.

KORLEE 14: Looks like we both got hosed on this one, Jim.

GORDON 15: We both had it coming, Korlee.

KORLEE 16: I am an importer of African collectibles, Commissioner. You've never been able to prove otherwise.

5 MED C/U: KORLEE NOW ADDRESSES GORDON. HE SMOOTHES THE LAPELS ON GORDON's COAT.

GORDON 17: I'm not sure I've tried.

KORLEE 18: You've tried.

KORLEE 19: The fact is, people on The Hill don't vote. You take your cues from City Hall--

KORLEE 20: --and City Hall keeps praying for city maps without The Hill on it.

6 C/U: KORLEE WHISPERS IN GORDON's EAR.

KORLEE 21: Nobody gives a damn, Jim.

KORLEE 22: If Alanis Prescott wasn't camped outside your door you wouldn't even be here.

KORLEE 23: But, what I'd really like to know is--

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1 MEDIUM: KORLEE NOW LEANING IN TO A FACE-TO-FACE CONFRONTATION WITH THE DISGUISED WAYNE.

KORLEE 1: --who am I talking to?

KORLEE 2: Looks like a grave digger-- even smells like one.

KORLEE 3: I suppose it's possible you're who you appear to be--

2 CUT TO: ONE OF KORLEE's MEN THROWS SOMETHING OFF-PANEL.

KORLEE 4: (Off) --but I trust my instincts.

3 WAYNE, KORLEE, GORDON: WITH THE MEREST GESTURE, WAYNE ANGLES HIS RAKE SO A PROJECTILE-- AIMED AT GORDON's NECK-- EMBEDS IN THE RAKE'S WOODEN HANDLE.

SFX: THOOKKK.

KORLEE 5: --uh-huh.

4 NEW ANGLE: KORLEE SMILES AS HE SHOWS THE RAKE HANDLE TO GORDON. GORDON LIGHTS HIS PIPE.

KORLEE 5: Impressive.

KORLEE 6: Some new special force of yours, Jim? Maybe some new elite bodyguard?

KORLEE 7: That supposed to unnerve me like this "Batman" scare you're running? Jim-- don't you know by now--

5 MCU: KORLEE. SMILING. NOW HE LOOKS SCARY.

KORLEE 8: --I don't scare.

KORLEE 9: I don't believe.

KORLEE 10: You may as well tell your friend here to--

6 OVERHEAD SHOT: GORDON AND KORLEE. WAYNE IS GONE. PULL BACK SO THESE ARE SMALL FIGURES AND WE SEE SOME EXPANSE OF GROUND. WAYNE HAS INEXPLICABLY VANISHED.

KORLEE 11: --oh.

KORLEE 12: Good, Jim. Very good.