Some people say
that they would kill to make it in Hollywood.
Only difference...
I just did.
Wait with the car. I won't be long.
You're Douglas Brown.
I'm a producer. This is just...
My friend wrote this script.
I'm producing, he's directing...
You would be perfect for the lead.
Great. Let's do lunch.
Dude. Oh, are you serious?
Of course not.
I can't listen to movie pitches from anyone.
You don't understand, Mr. Brown,
this script is based on an actual true story.
It's real.
Yeah.
I don't care.
- We got mango juice? - No.
I got Douglas Brown in the VIP room.
I told him, "Whatever you wanna drink, I'll get you."
He says, "Mango juice."
Look, why don't we just send somebody?
- All right. Send somebody quick. - I'll send him.
Hey, how you doin'?
I don't like that guy. Send somebody else.
Ugh, you know what?
Go to the walk-in, all the way in the back,
get the best bottle of champagne we got,
and bring it to the table.
Shit's gross.
- Happy Birthday, Jack. - Thank you. Oh.
Why does he keep mentioning Panama?
Panama's a beautiful country.
Wonderful people, wonderful people, very subservient.
- Beautiful beaches. - With banks that keep secrets.
Uh-huh. That has something to do with one of his divorces.
We love you. We love you, D.B.
You know, I don't know why your mother has turned on me, Jack.
- I never turned on you guys. - Why is he here?
I... he hasn't left the house for anybody's birthday.
- Mom... - He wants something.
You're right, I want something.
Who cares about his birthday?
I came here to make sure that your son
gets the character in my next picture changed.
It's gonna be my big comeback.
Getting a little old for a comeback.
Look, Jack, I don't play grandfathers, okay?
I... I'm the father
and also, we need to change the location to Panama.
It's exotic and...
there's a few things we could do with my banking, financial...
Well, you know, I mean it's a... it's a...
You know what I mean.
Yeah, I know what you mean but it's a...
it's a different country now.
Noriega's not there anymore.
Let's talk about it in the office tomorrow.
So, we shoot the picture in Panama... Panama.
Can't even say Panama.
I don't know.
Jack.
- Oh, Rick. - Hey, happy birthday!
Thank you very much.
You know I got a bottle of champagne coming over,
on the house.
Well, as long as it's on the house. Thank you very much.
Mr. Brown.
It's a pleasure to meet you. A huge fan of your work.
Ah, thank you.
Can I get you some more mango juice?
Please, no. I... I think I just, uh, better, uh...
- Do what? - Catch my breath.
I just gotta throw cold water on my face.
You're not supposed to be in here.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sick. I just need to...
Oh, my God. You... you're Douglas Brown.
I just need to use the restroom.
Now you stay right there.
You've got a big surprise coming to you.
What the fuck.
Somebody help me, please.
Jesus Christ.
Get him out! Get him out! Get him out! Keep moving.
Hey, Jack,
I was just informed that Douglas Brown
wasn't feeling so well.
But don't worry, the boys, they got him in the car,
driver took him home, he's fine.
But, please stay, enjoy yourself.
Thanks, Rick.
- Hmm. - Hmm.
That's Dougie Brown for you.
That's terrific.
Can I... you can... you can set up one of those poles.
Vic! Come on, man, it's the middle of the night...
I heard music and your door is open.
You could still knock.
Y... you know, that's true. You're right, I'm sorry.
I... I was excited.
I just wanted to tell you something of
earth-shattering importance to you, that's all.
Yeah, what?
What is it?
Can we talk alone, without green card?
You know me no listening to you, me just listening to my stereo.
- How you doin', darling? - Me all right.
Oh, well, good. That's about enough of you.
Baby, would you just let me and Vic talk here for a second?
- Me no want to leave. - Please.
Yeah, go on in the other room, all the way, yeah.
Now that's right. C'mon.
Go in the room, all the way.
- What is it? - Are you ready for this?
I found someone to finance our movie.
- Who? - Well, that... that doesn't matter.
It's complicated. Uh, I just need to know
- how much we need. - No, no, wait.
You gotta tell me who.
Douglas fucking Brown.
What? Douglas Brown?
Yeah, I pitched it to him in an elevator.
Wait. Okay.
- You pitched him Night of the Fire? - He loved it.
Really?
That's the first time that anybody in the industry
has said they like my work.
What... yeah.
He specified he'd only help us under certain conditions.
Okay?
So, we are forbidden to talk about him or with him,
or we lose the whole thing.
Um, really? Okay, um...
Well, you know, it's very controversial.
He's like, uh, an angel investor.
There's just one...
Are you sure...
you can definitely bring it all in, for 200,000.
All right.
We shoot digital, we go non-union.
I can do this for 200.
I'm bringing the entire sum from our angel
and if we can just keep this secret...
Dude, we have ourselves a movie.
Whoa! I mean...
Yeah, this is happening. We just...
we have to be quiet about it.
Well, I mean, you know me. I'm as quiet as a church mouse.
Can you be even quieter than that?
What?
Can you be even quieter than that?
Yeah, I'm as quiet as a church mouse with, um,
you know, slippers on.
Yeah, that is what I'm talking about!
He really said he loved it?
Yeah.
Wow.
Night of the Fire.
Yeah, well,
Vic Venitos presents a Night of the Fire...
over the title.
All right.
Okay. How bad could that be?
Oxana! Guess who's gonna be in a movie?
Who's gonna be in a movie?
You are.
- I am? - Oh, yeah. I just cast you.
But...
...I don't know how to act.
- I only know how to dance. - Baby, that doesn't matter.
Vic just got us some money for a movie.
- What? - Him?
He doesn't do anything right.
Well, check your sundial, sweetie.
I'm a producer now. Chick-chicka.
- Now you are director. - And you...
- you are a dancer slash actress. - Mm.
I'm gonna let you two have your moment.
I gotta go. Hey! Can I... can I have this?
Remember, Max...
don't tell anybody.
- Anybody. - Da svidaniya, Vic.
Now we dance?
Hello, shots.
Christ... The hell happened last night?
- Hmm? - I don't know.
Oh, someone left this in the driveway last night.
I think I need a minute to myself.
No!
Good news, amigo.
Panama documents just came through.
What's up?
Pay 200,000 dollars
or this goes on the internet.
How bad is it?
Very.
Can I see it?
- Nope. - It's that bad.
It's worse.
Well, shit.
That's a nice tree.
It can't be that bad. We'll fix it.
Believe me when I tell you thirty years in Hollywood...
I have seen it all.
I am so fucked.
I don't know how this happened.
But I'm ruined, Jack.
Need you to calm down. Just show me what's on the DVD.
It's so...
humiliating.
It's all right.
We can manage this. But first...
I am gonna have to ask you to...
show me what's on the DVD.
I know. I know.
Ooh.
You got me.
I've never seen anything like that in my life.
Well, that's... comforting.
I'm finished, Jack.
I... I didn't think anything like that could ever actually happen
to a person on a public staircase.
I'm fucking through! If this thing goes viral on the internet,
I'm ruined.
How are your fans gonna remember you?
Forty feature films cannot stand up to this.
Should we just pay the 200 grand? Look.
There's an email address on the bottom.
"No time for crumbs at internet
- cafe 17 dot org". - No, no! God, no! No!
You don't play with people like this.
You think dirt like this just goes away? It does not.
In the old days,
one call to the studio and they'd fix everything.
They knew how to take care of their stars.
I got a guy.
His name is Frank Manascalpo.
It's busy.
Okay, let's roll it.
- Uh, right now? - I ain't waiting for popcorn.
Universe Club.
With the time code...
right off the surveillance rack. Hmm.
Oh, Jesus!
Oh! All right, I get it. Turn it off. Turn... turn it off.
I'm finished.
I know the club. I can handle it.
I just gotta figure out who's pulling images off the security hard drive.
So, no problem here, then?
Mr. Brown, trust me, this is amateur stuff.
Considering what's on the tape here,
what they're asking for is peanuts.
On the open market, this goes for ten times as much.
We are in very good hands.
You wouldn't believe what he has handled.
I mean, he has handled some of the worst.
Gentlemen, my career and everything I've worked for
- is on the line. - Douglas...
I need you to relax.
Hello.
Yes, she told me you'd be calling.
My financial adviser?
Yes, his mailing address is in Panama City.
Okay. Lovely talking to you again.
Thank you.
It was my ex-wife's attorney.
Seems we have a protracted, matrimonial-type issue that...
only he can..
Never mind.
I need a drink.
No, Doug, let go on that, God, this too shall pass.
- Easy does it. Huh? - Frank.
I need you to guarantee me
that you can make this disappear, immediately.
Mr. Brown.
It's gonna cost you.
But I guarantee it.
All I need from you is the DVD and the package.
No, no, no. The DVD is staying here.
You gotta give him the thing. He's very good.
I don't care.
- It's staying with me. - Okay.
I want you to relax...
and not to worry. For the time being,
stay at home.
Bea!
I picked up a new deal.
Okay, tell.
Blackmail.
A hand-written note.
One or two people in a rush.
And a DVD from the surveillance rack
at the Universe Club.
Universe Club? We already dealt with them.
I can get in their system.
Okay, there's a problem.
One of the hard drives has been pulled.
Okay, I'm gonna head down there.
All right, get me an analysis of the note at the precinct
and everything you can on the email address.
Oh, no.
Oh, yes. And you know why I'm here.
We don't know exactly what happened to Mr. Brown.
We found him in a bad state,
we rushed him out of the club, put him in his car.
Then what? You came up here and found that somebody
had ripped off your hard drive?
Well, we didn't know that at first, we thought maybe
one of Mr. Brown's guys came up here and took it.
He didn't.
But now you got a major problem with me.
You need a new system.
You sold us this one.
It's, uh, 25,000 for my consultation...
and 25,000 for the system.
I also want the name and addresses
of every one of your employees. You got a rat in the house.
And I'm the cat.
I got a list of all the employees.
Inside job all the way.
What'd you get?
Look at this. Whoever wrote this note,
in their haste, used scratch paper
from an old-fashioned typewriter.
"The Night of the Fire by Max O'Leary."
Huh...
And he even wrote his address.
This is not our guy...
but he knows our guy.
Let me see if I go talk to Mr. O'Leary,
maybe he wants to give up his friend.
Have fun.
You Max O'Leary?
Yeah.
Shouldn't keep your door open like that.
It's a problem. Can I help you?
I got your name and address off the title page from your screenplay.
I just wanna talk to you about something that happened last night.
I thought maybe you might know something about it.
You might have a friend who works over at the Universe Club.
Now wait, we could...
Wait a second, does this have anything to do with...
you know, Douglas Brown?
So, you know about it.
Yeah, I know all about it.
Your friend, what's his name again?
It's interesting that you don't know his name but you still focus on him.
But anyways, he met Mr. Brown at the club but...
this is my movie.
All right? Max O'Leary.
I'm the one asking for the 200 grand.
Really?
Yeah, really. And also, you know, we had an arrangement
with Mr. Brown, not to even talk about any of this.
So I don't really know what you're doing barging in here.
How is this any of your business?
- Ooh. - Do you see this gun? Do you?
- Do you see the gun? - Yeah, I'm not blind!
This is a chop gun.
An untraceable firearm.
It's made up of three different handguns.
I could take this gun and blow your fucking
brains out all over your typewriter
and put the gun in your hand.
Another L.A. suicide
of a wannabe screenwriter that couldn't make it.
Is there another option?
Yeah, there's another option.
You cooperate with me with all your heart and soul.
Okay?
And you help me clean up this mess that you started
with Mr. Brown.
We have company?
It's my wife.
Call her in here.
Call her in here!
Call her!
Honey!
Could you come and, uh...
talk to us for a minute?
Everything's okay.
Just the kind of broad I'd think you'd be with.
A real head case.
Or maybe her tits.
Come here.
- I have to go over there first. - Don't move.
Don't move.
Knock him out!
What was that about? You calling Vic?
Yeah, they just keep saying that the subscriber has requested
not to receive incoming calls. Who requests that?
Maybe Vic.
Frank Manascalpo.
- Legal services. - Let me see that.
Was that legal? Really?
Okay.
We're gonna go to the cops.
Max...
- I didn't get my green card, yet. - I know. I know.
I'm not gonna let anything happen to you.
Okay?
Maybe.
- Max, he's gone. - What? What?
How'd he do that?
I bet he just walked away.
Okay.
Get dressed. We're gonna go to the cops.
Who's this?
It's Frank.
I have a project for you, Edie.
I thought you never wanted to speak to me again.
Things change.
Do they?
Oh, just come over here.
Me come to you?
Frankie, is this a set-up?
It's not a set-up, Edie.
Okay.
Turn off your cameras and I'll be right there.
Okay.
I need it done tonight.
Any computers, burnt DVDs, whatever.
You take them.
I'm looking for a stolen hard drive.
After...
full demo.
Frankie, they did a number on you.
I was careless.
Well, you should be more careful.
I'm not Santa Claus, Edie.
It's inflation, Frank.
You get the rest when the job is done.
Don't contact me again...
until I contact you.
- Hello. - Is this Frank Manascalpo?
Yeah.
This is Detective Chad Aborn, at the West Hollywood Police Department.
I have...
Wait, hold on. Who do you work for?
West Hollywood Police, sir.
West Hollywood.
You're at the station, is Briggsy still there?
No, Lieutenant Briggs retired last year.
- We've got Captain Jackson. - Well, you know who I am, right?
I know exactly who you are.
What is this call in regards to?
Sir,
I have before me two individuals.
They claim to have been in an altercation
with you earlier this afternoon.
- And they came to you? - Yes, sir.
- Are they pressing charges? - No.
They've asked me to help resolve a dispute between them and you,
regarding the actor, Douglas Brown.
Jesus Christ! I don't get this.
I had the same reaction myself, initially.
But they insist this dispute is regarding
a controversial film project.
I have no idea what that means. They won't elaborate.
I'm not in the movie business.
I don't know about film projects.
Why the hell are you calling me?
Sir, let me explain.
They have your wallet.
Now would you like to come down to the station and pick up your wallet
and meet with this young man and woman to, quote,
"Discuss this film project."
Or would you prefer I put it in the mail?
Put it in the mail. I gotta go.
- Are you listening to me? - Yeah.
Have you called Vic?
Baby, I have called, texted, emailed, he's not get...
he's not answering.
Well, maybe you need to go over there.
It's not about Vic, it's about my script.
Frank got my name. He got it off the screenplay.
Now, Vic took the script. He gave it to our movie star friend.
The script's the thing, okay?
Look, it says here...
that our movie star friend...
his father was a New York City firefighter
who died in the line of duty.
You don't think that that has anything to do with all this, do you?
What?
I mean...
Maybe The Night of the Fire has affected him on a personal level.
That is crazy.
I really think my script's gotten to this guy.
Nope. I think your script has gotten to you.
Hey, could you turn that down for a sec, babe.
I can't hear you. The music is too loud.
This is a pretty serious situation, you know.
Not really sure why you're dancing.
You know, back home, police would find Manascalpo right away and...
Yeah, well, we're not in Russia.
Not Russia. Ukraine.
- Is that better? - Not really.
I don't know, I feel like...
I gotta talk to this guy directly, you know.
I'm gonna call his agent.
Hmm? Hmm?
Someday.
I could feel like...
What's up? What's going on?
Hey, you okay?
I thought it's ma.
Come on.
I know. I know. We had a scary day.
Great day, you know, a scary night.
You know, the thing about nightmares you gotta remember is
they're not real.
They're not real.
It's just a dream.
I know.
My light's out.
Fuse box.
Did you pay the bill?
No, none of them work.
- Our power's out. - Our phones are gone.
We've been robbed.
What? In our sleep?
Shh.
Whoever's out here, I just called the cops!
- That's how you come out? - That's right. Guns out!
With a t-shirt or something.
This is the element of surprise.
All right.
Wait. hold on, hold on a second, she's...
- Mama, is that... - Did you hear that?
I could have sworn she ju... Hey!
Who are you?
Why'd you break in to our house?
Do you work for Douglas Brown?
The actor?
Yeah, the actor.
No.
Look, I can... Wait...
I...
work for this guy.
He wanted me to come and collect all your computers.
Was looking for a hard drive.
Well, if it's Frank Manascalpo,
you tell him I don't have a hard drive.
I type. I'm old school.
Right.
You seem like really nice people.
I wasn't expecting that.
- I can't. - Yeah, don't.
Who the fuck was that?
How would I know?
- No, I can't help you. - No?
She broke into our house, she cut off our power,
she went through all our stuff, she stole our cellphones,
I mean, you should have seen this girl, she was like a...
like some kind of a spy or an operative, I mean...
Uh, sounds like you need some help.
Call 911,
they'll send out officers to make a report.
Okay? And please,
don't call this number inappropriately ever again.
I'm not interested in calling 911.
I need to talk to Douglas Brown.
I'm working on this project, okay? And...
I know. We discussed this before.
Can I finish?
This piece...
it is very controversial, and I think... I think it has...
powerfully affected Douglas Brown,
and that's why he's hired Frank Manascalpo and,
you know, whoever else to try and shut it down.
Are you accusing the actor Douglas Brown with stealing your cellphone?
I mean I...
I mean, I don't... you don't... yes and no, I don't know,
it's more complicated, this piece,
you know, it's about real life, okay?
It's about how things really, really are, and I'm certain
that that's why Douglas Brown has been deeply affected by this.
I'm going to sleep now.
Call 911,
get the officers to make a report on the robbery.
Ju... no... detective...
detective, I need for you to arrange a meeting
with me and Douglas Brown.
I am a police detective.
I don't arrange meetings for screenplays.
Honey...
what are you doing? The lights are back on.
Well, our lights are back on, so, you know, some good news.
Good. Turn them off and go to sleep, okay?
Good night.
- Got my message? - Yeah.
Sure, Frank.
What's the matter, Edie?
There was no hard drive.
No computer.
Just a couple of innocent people.
You didn't square with me, Frank.
Huh?
Douglas Brown.
What's on that hard drive?
It's nothing but a routine blackmail.
Amateurville.
Nobody's gotta get screwed on this, Edie, okay?
We can work it 50-50. Heads up.
Where's the hard drive, Frank?
These kids...
got a friend that works over at the Universe Club.
Maybe he's got it.
Frankie, did I ever tell you...
that I wanted to be an astronaut?
Jack Girardi's office?
Frank... Manascalpo...
Hold the line.
Mr. Girardi, a Frank Manascalpo's on the line for you...
Frank Manascalpo?
Frank? You don't usually call on this line.
Tell me the good news.
This isn't Frank.
Then to whom am I speaking?
Okay, um, you don't know me,
but I'm a writer... well,
I'm a writer, director.
Look, Mr. Brown met my friend at the Universe Club,
but this is my movie. Okay?
This is my movie, and I'm the one who's asking for the 200,000.
Yeah. Got it.
Well, um...
I'm sure we can work something out.
So, you're familiar with the film.
Ah, yeah.
Well, if it's all right with you,
I'd like to meet up in person and just...
clear everything up. Okay? Because...
you know, I... I think we both know that
things have gotten a little out of hand here with,
you know, Mr. Manascalpo waving guns around, and
I... I'm a good person, you know?
Not at the office.
You meet me at El Matador.
I'll be there at noon. Come alone.
And... thank you very much.
I just got a meeting with his agent.
Okay.
Oh. Lock the door. Okay? No more open doors.
- Mm-hmm. - No more open doors.
Okay.
- Max. - Yeah?
Be careful.
Stop! Right there.
Whoa.
- Hey, pretty lady. - Don't you move.
You been watching movies?
'Cause that's not how you hold a gun.
Get down on the ground.
Get down on the ground!
See, you don't hold a gun like this,
and leave it where someone can take it from you.
You hold it like this.
Because, God forbid, if anyone takes your gun from you...
what would they do to you then?
Mr. Girardi?
Call me Jack, tell me your name and sit down.
I'm Max O'Leary.
- It's good to meet you. - Hmm.
Man, I had a hell of a time tracking you down.
You see.
Do I seem like such a bad guy to you?
- Right? - No, no, no. You're...
- perfectly reasonable fellow. - Yeah, that's right.
There's no need to send Frank, was there?
Well, that's just the way we do things. Look, now,
- how are we gonna settle this? - Okay. All right.
Well, I'm here because it's become clear to me
that my project has started to push some buttons around town.
- Your project. - Oh, yeah.
And correct me If I'm wrong...
I think it's started to affect Mr. Brown
on a deeply personal level. Am I right?
Yeah. Whatever affects Doug Brown affects me,
- and that's why I'm here. - I get that, and I respect that.
By the way, do you know how difficult it is
for an artist like me, trying to raise a little bit of money for my film?
How hard it is to get somebody like you on the phone,
let alone an actual sit-down? I mean...
shame on you.
Shame on me?
- Yeah, man, shame on you. Come on. - Tell me your name.
Max O'Leary. All right, you know what? Fuck this.
I know my script is controversial, I designed it that way.
Okay? So, you tell Dougie Brown to call off his dogs,
or the fucking deal is off. The deal is off.
- Well, what... - And I'm not changing a word.
Well...
so you made the Douglas Brown film.
We're still in pre-pro.
But yeah, I wrote that script.
You mean the note.
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about Douglas Brown as my angel investor
on my movie, Night of the Fire.
You don't have any video with anyone with a tranny?
- What? - You don't have a video
with anybody and a tranny, do you?
A tr...
No.
Then why the fuck am I here?
Wait... okay.
Hold on, hold on, hold on... can you just...
let's just back this up for a second here. Hold on.
Mr. Gira... Jack...
can you just explain to me...
- No, no. No, no, no. - ...why, you...
Fuck, Jack!
Mis...
Oxana?
Baby?
Oh no, not you again.
Uh, I'm sorry to, uh, disturb you again, detective,
but I've had another break-in, and...
now my wife is missing.
The Russian girl.
Yeah, Ukrainian, uh, yeah, her name is Oxana O'Leary.
Look, I'm not a relationship counselor, but,
uh, I saw there was some tension between you two yesterday.
Are you sure she didn't just leave you?
No, no, no, no, no. It's more than that, um...
There was a gun involved, uh, and that's what was taken.
You own a firearm?
I hope you haven't done something dumb.
No, no, uh, no. It was Frank Manascalpo's,
but he was threatening to kill me with it, right,
so we had to take it away.
Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?
Well...
I guess I'd feel partially responsible.
You know, I wrote this script.
It's based on actual events...
that weirdly, unbeknownst to me, closely resemble
the life of Douglas Brown's father, who was a...
a firefighter in the Bronx, and I don't know...
I'm trying to be sensitive to Mr. Brown,
I didn't wanna get anybody...
in... in trouble...
Nobody's gonna buy this.
Oh, one thing and maybe this is of help,
uh, I had a meeting earlier today with, um,
Jack Girardi who's Mr. Brown's agent,
and... he... he was of the opinion that all of this
had something to do with what he called, um...
a... a video with a tranny?
Does that ring a bell with you?
Have you taken any drugs today?
No.
I mean, I...
Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness?
No.
I want you to go home... stay there.
I'm gonna make some calls.
If anything you said doesn't check out...
I'm charging you with filing a false police report...
...and I'm going to remand you for psychiatric evaluation.
Do you understand?
Yeah.
What I understand
is you're gonna be no help in this situation.
At home! Where I can find you.
Excuse me, do you work for Frank?
I'm...
just a temp.
Oh yeah?
I'm a cop. What's in the box?
Papers. I... I gotta go.
- Excuse me. - Okay, look... look, I'm...
not a cop. I'm...
My wife is missing.
I really need to talk to him. Is he in there?
Yes. He is.
- Thank you. - But he's dead.
Are you Max O'Leary?
Yeah...
- We should go. - Whoa, whoa.
We gotta call the cops.
There's a detective that needs to know about this...
That's not a good idea.
The title page of your screenplay with your address,
is on his desk.
There's blood on it.
Listen to me.
There is a dead man in there.
You do not want to go in there and touch anything.
The security cameras have been disabled.
If we leave now, we were never here.
Take your car and follow me.
Take the alley... not the main street.
Max, walk.
Someone on that list is blackmailing Douglas Brown.
They stole a hard drive from the Universe Club with a video on it.
Recognize any names?
- Yeah, Vic Venitos. - Who is he?
My producer.
Find your producer and get a story together.
I'm leaving L.A. tonight.
Good luck.
What happened?
Some chick in a mask came into my house...
she was holding a gun...
she asked me for a...
a hard drive and burned DVDs,
and then she walked me to the balcony and pushed me off.
Did you blackmail Douglas Brown?
- Don't tell anyone... - Oh, man...
I... why would you do that?
Because nobody was gonna give us the money to make our movie.
- We have a real problem. - Yeah, and that's my fault?
You don't have any idea the situation you put us in.
Yeah?
How about a new page, your GoPhone has my e-mail on it,
Douglas Brown has been e-mailing me, trying to make a deal.
Where's your phone?
It's in my dresser, take it.
He e-mailed me back.
Yeah, I see that.
Thank you for all your work as a producer,
but I think I gotta be the one...
to sort all this out.
I was just trying to help, man.
Yeah. That was the problem.
Get better.
Mr. Brown?
Is anybody home?
Hello!
Okay, I'm calling the cops.
No, you're not. Come on. Come on out here.
Up against the wall.
Up against the wall!
- That's it. Come on. - Okay.
- Spread your legs. - All right.
- Spread 'em wider, please. - Okay...
- Hands up! - Okay!
Spread your legs. You armed, huh?
Got another ratchet?
Oh, that's right, I got the one beside your bed.
Where's my wife?
We're in the basement.
So... where were we?
I'll give you whatever you want.
As long as you let everybody go.
- Yeah, yeah... - Please.
You said that already.
You also tried writing me a personal check for two million dollars,
from a bank in Panama.
Where's your money?
I told you.
I moved all my money out of the country, I'm going through a divorce.
You expect me to believe that a man of your stature
does all of his banking out of Panama.
I got documents upstairs to prove it.
But lo... how about we do this.
We open a joint bank account. You and me, we... in Panama...
No!
That is not customary... for this type of transaction.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
But you're the one extorting me! In my basement, at gunpoint!
I'm trying to, yeah. But you know what?
Douglas...
You're simply gonna be helping a girl live out her lifelong dream.
I don't know what the fuck that means, but...
I am gonna take that money...
and I'm gonna get me one of those private special flights into space.
I'm going to the fucking moon!
So...
Look, I...
you know what?
Kill me. Put that fucking gun to my head and pull the trigger.
Come on.
My life is meaningless.
I've been divorced three times, never had any children,
made millions of dollars and I'm still fucking miserable.
Shoot me! You'll be doing me a favor.
Oh, yeah?
Okay.
I get it.
You.
You, I wanna talk to.
- Okay. He says he wants to die. - Mm-mm.
I'm inclined to believe him.
- Mm. - But you...
Ah! Let me stop you right there, thank God.
Listen, the moon thing, so you're off your meds,
I understand, I've dealt with this with him.
So we're good there.
We have everything we need right here,
- so let's close this... - Oh, yeah. This is gonna work.
- It's absolutely gonna work... - Definitely gonna work.
- D.B.? - Come on.
Hang in there, buddy. I got this.
That's gonna leave a mark, but that's gonna cost you.
Jack?
I got this D.B., I got this, don't you worry about a thing.
Huh?
- Where's the money? - Oh, fuck. What? Oh!
Where is the money?
I don't fucking know where his money...
- I moved it to Panama! - Mr. Brown?
- You don't know me... - No. I don't know you.
I don't know who the hell anybody is.
Get me out of here, you son of a bitch.
My name is Max O'Leary. I'm a writer, director.
I am so sorry, sir, this is all my fault.
My friend, Vic, he's in the hospital right now, and I wrote a script,
and I think he tried to blackmail you with a video
which I have not seen, um,
but... but, it was all to finance our... our low-budget feature.
Hold on. You can't shoot a film for 200 grand, what the...
- That's not the point. - I know what the point is.
Listen, that's a...
that's a great story, kid, but we're all gonna die here.
Just get me untied.
The point is
that this script I wrote, this was a true story, okay?
This was about a firefighter, you know, a
firefighter that died in the line of duty.
And I know that this movie would have affected you deeply, sir. Because...
I know about Kevin Brown.
Who?
Fire...
firefighter Kevin Brown.
Your father.
No, kid, no. My father's name was Rabbi Benjamin Kubelsky.
The fuck do I know?
Uh, I see.
But listen, it's... it's okay.
I did make a firefighter movie, you're right.
Mm. I'm not really interested in that.
Oh, but you can help us out of this mess.
How do I do that?
When she comes back, say something to distract her.
What do I say?
Make something up, God dammit, you're the writer.
I just need to get to the closet down the hall.
I've got props down there, I keep them from the movies I do.
I kept the ax.
Where's the money?
Aw God... I moved it to Panama,
- I moved it to Panama. - Panama? I kinda believe you.
Let's just try this one more time.
We got a situation... we got a situa...
I'm pretty sure...
he doesn't know anything.
Look, I'm sorry. I lied. I... I got money, and I... it...
it's not two million, but it's...
I got a hundred grand and it's in cash.
Upstairs in the bedroom, in a safe. Now let's do this.
What's the code?
It's on an iris scan, I have to go,
I have to put my eye into it, and that's what opens it.
Just untie me and I'll bring you up there.
Come on, let's do this. Please.
A hundred grand.
Don't move.
Mama!
Oh, she can't hear you.
No. That's you.
What?
That's what you said when you fell off of our roof.
Mama?
Is that...
No, I didn't.
Yeah, you did.
You did. I mean, we both heard you,
you fell off our roof, you got knocked out,
and then you cried out for your mama.
My mother is dead.
I don't think she is.
I think your mama...
left you.
That's what you're getting so upset about.
Maybe you have some kind of problem.
- Huh? - Fuck... the fuck did you say?
Liar!
Douglas?
Wow. Douglas. That's really something else.
- I was trying to get free... - Hurry up, babe.
I had an Irish girl in one of my movies.
Go, go, go.
- So I lied. Come on, please. - Let me take this.
Okay. People.
I'm done.
I tried working with you people.
I've taken my mask off.
What do you think that means?
This thing's really heavy.
The fire ax of the late Douglas Brown.
Don't move! Don't move.
Put the ax down.
Drop that ax.
- Hi, Max. - Drop the ax.
Put the ax down.
- You ever shoot a gun before? - No.
It's okay, Max.
It's... it's okay.
- Yeah. - Great shot, kid.
Yeah.
Mr. Brown!
- Mr. Brown? - I'm downstairs!
- Jack. - Yeah.
Just put it under the ta... put it under the table.
Mr. Brown!
Hey.
Holy shit. What happened?
Well, you see, uh...
this kid...
he, uh...
You know what?
This young man...
was working on an idea...
- A movie... a movie. - ...for a film.
- Yeah. - Yeah?
And what happened?
Well...
he...
Kid...
why don't you tell him the whole story?
Go ahead. Tell him what really happened.
Go on.
Tell him.
Okay.
This is what happened.