Who Needs Friends? (Spacing Fixed!)

Abandoned Warehouse
Location Unknown
2:15 PM
February 4, 2012 

[A gold spotlight flashes into the picture causing a blinding effect as cameras begin rolling. The gold moves away from the camera and focuses on the center of the room where a man is sitting Indian style with his hands over his head rocking back and forth. The man begins to scream, his voice reaching a high pitch causing a screeching sound, he continues to rock back and forth frantically. As the camera gets close, it becomes apparent who the man is that’s rocking back and forth. His brown hair is parted perfectly down the middle and is dangling down his face at ear level, he continues to rock back and forth as his black and white mask is lying directly in front of him on the concrete floor. The man who appears to be Max Siegel begins laughing as he stares down at his mask, he slowly tilts his head to the right, his hair follows his movement and he stops to stare at the mask, as moments pass by “Hollywood” Max Siegel looks up and away from the camera.] 

Siegel: Oh the theatrics, Tommy Boy, you’ve impressed me.

 [Max Siegel begins frantically moving his hands through his hair, he fully turns his back to the camera and moves his hands through his hair quicker and quicker with each pass.]

 Siegel: The emotion, the drama, the sound of your voice. Tommy, I must admit, I like your crazy side! The performance was stellar, it was as if I was watching Tom Cruise’s performance in Rain Man, I could even put it right up there with Sean Penn’s performance in I Am Sam, this crazy side of you is fun. But you see Thomas, there is one problem, you forgot that I am more than capable of putting together an Oscar worthy performance. 

[Max Siegel looks up at the ceiling and begins to laugh his body begins shaking as his laugh changes from what would be described as a joyous laugh to a laugh filled with pain. Siegel’s voice changes to a deeper voice as he begins to speak.] 

Siegel: You see Tommy, you’re not the only person who can sit in the dark and talk to voice, you see I understand your pain, and I understand the craziness that you are experiencing. Oh yes Tommy, I understand the massive stress you are under, for you have lived a lie for far too long. Your claims of being Mister WWX have been skewed, you see Tommy in order to be Mister WWX you need to be a man that is consistently on top, that spends his life as a champion, when is the last time you’ve held the companies top prize for over a month? 

[Max continues to rock back and forth as he does he slowly turns his body to face the camera, he places his hands back over his head and looks down towards his lap, and his voice stays deep as he continues to speak.] 

Siegel: You see Tommy, while you were busy having a lackluster twenty eleven filled with a very brief stint on top of the WWX mountain, I was busy living life on top. I was the man people wanted to be around, I was the star, I was Hollywood! I was making millions, signing autographs and winning at everything I did. I was the feature attraction, the man children aspired to be, women fantasized over, and men were tired of hearing about. There is only one thing I’ve ever been known for and that is greatness. “Hollywood” isn’t a nickname it’s a way of life and the sooner you realize that the quicker you’ll be able to accept defeat. 

[Max stops shaking and slowly straightens his back and looks towards the camera, as Max brushes his hair back from his eyes he looks up at the camera and reveals a Guy Faux mask on his face, his voice drops back to normal as he begins speaking.]

 Siegel: Were you expecting to see my face? Did I disappoint you, Tommy? 

[“Hollywood” laughs before waving his right hand in front of his face.] 

Siegel: Tommy, I wear a mask because people like you don’t deserve to see my face or even be in my presence. To be honest with you, you don’t even deserve to step inside the same ring as me. Just look at me Tommy, I’m as good as they get, I’ve proven to you and the World on multiple occasions that I am better than you, my two thousand eleven alone would prove that I’m one hundred times the man that you are, you would be lucky to open a door for me, yet alone get in the same ring as me. You have already made errors in your judgment, because I am not just another rookie, at Aftershock I will make sure to remind you of that.

 [With his right hand, Max Siegel picks up his black and white mask and begins to look at it, it is during this time that he lets out a low laugh before turning his attention back to the camera.]

 Siegel: The two of us clearly have a different take on what it means to be famous, when I think of famous I think of people like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe. Tommy Lipton doesn’t belong anywhere near the same sentence as those icons. When I think about Tommy Lipton, I think about something bigger than all three of those names, when I look at making you famous I think about the Black Dahlia, Phil Hartman, Sharon Tate, and Nicole Brown Simpson, all names of stars that faded too soon and unfortunately not by their own will. You see Tommy, I will not only make you famous, I have people mourning the loss of Tommy Lipton, because at Aftershock it will be the last live performance a crowd will ever see from you again. People will refer to Aftershock as the death of Tommy Lipton, and Tommy Boy, I will be the man responsible. 

[“Hollywood” Max Siegel begins to laugh hysterically as the gold spotlight goes out.]


Greater Los Angeles Homeless Shelter
Los Angeles, California
4:45 PM
February 4, 2012

 [The old brick on the side of the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Shelter is the first thing you see as the camera opens up, “Hollywood” Max Siegel is standing in front of the homeless shelter in a neatly pressed pair of black slacks and a white button down shirt that has the top three buttons undone, Siegel’s black and white mask is covering his face.]

 Siegel: Blaine, does this look familiar? Yes, the kid from such humble beginnings. Your story is very common to most we see on the Hollywood big screen, the kid who comes from nothing to slowly make his rise to the top, but Blaine the problem between your story and Hollywood stories is that your story will not have a happy ending. Just look at your parents, your old man has been out of the picture since you were a young one and your mother, well let’s just say that cracked out lunatic looks to be on her last leg. Blaine, you are nothing more than a statistic, you can’t fight fate, the sooner you quit the less painful it will be.

 [Max reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a folded brown paper bag. He slowly unfolds the bag and holds it in his hands.] 

Siegel: I have never liked your kind, you are nothing but a filthy beggar that has been lucky to be given a bone. You should be ashamed of who you are, you have no class and there’s nothing exciting about you. Do you really think you can compete at the same level as me? 

[Max stops to laugh, he looks away from the camera and looks towards the homeless shelter, Siegel takes in the old brick building before looking back towards the camera.] 

Siegel: Blaine, growing up I would look at trash like you and thank my lucky stars I wasn’t like you. As a past time, my buddies and I would come around these homeless shelters in our limousine or our new cars and offer various things to teenage beggars like you, you should’ve seen their faces when they were offered front court tickets to a Lakers game and a ride in my limousine, it looked like they were about to cry.

[Siegel begins laughing.]

Siegel: Come to think of it Blaine, they did cry, right after we welcomed them back to reality and kicked them out of our life! Do you really think I would allow scum like you to enter my World? If I had it my way, you wouldn’t even be in the match at Aftershock, because every minute I spend with you in the ring is a minute wasted, and trust me when I tell you “Hollywood” doesn’t like to waste anything, especially his own d@mn time!
 
[“Hollywood” opens up the brown paper bag to reveal eye holes that have been cut in the front of the bag.]
 
Siegel: I’m going to do you and the rest of this Universe a favor, this paper bag is for you, it even has your name on it.
 
[Right above the eye holes the name “Blaine” can be seen on the paper bag.]
 
Siegel: Because Blaine, once you get laughed out of New Orleans, you might not ever want to show your face again!

Staples Center
Los Angeles, California
9:40 PM
February 4, 2012
 
[The lights are shining outside of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Staples Center parking lot is empty, the doors are shut and the lights are turned off, yet the large spotlights and red neon letters spelling Staples Center are shining bright. “Hollywood” Max Siegel is standing in the vacant Staples Center parking lot admiring the large arena.]
 
Siegel: Look at this place! New Orleans couldn’t even wish to hold a candle to the city of angels, Hurricane Katrina was no accident, everything happens for a reason and Aftershock will be no different. Tommy Lipton and Blaine Evans consider this your last warning because at Aftershock I will make you famous!
 
[As the spotlights continue to shine in the night sky the camera fades to black.]