DOWNLOAD FIRST TEN PAGES - Jeremy Levin - Actor - Writer -Stage

							CIRCLE OF CONFUSION FADE IN: INT. SHOOTING RANGE - DAY Where BILLY, 35, is loading a 9-mm gun. A BRASS BELT BUCKLE THAT READS "JESUS" It belongs to SAMUEL, 30's, who's standing next to Billy. He's already loaded up and ready to fire. THE TARGET - A HUMAN FIGURE Off screen the sound of rapid gunfire, and now the bullets piecing the target. Had this target been a real person both arms would have been completely blown off. BACK TO SCENE BILLY Nice. SAMUEL Watch this... Samuel begins firing. THE TARGET Being riddled by bullets and now the bullets creating a smiley face where its heart would be. The smiley face is complete with two eyes and a grin that goes ear-to-ear. BACK TO SCENE SAMUEL I like to leave 'em with a smile on their face.

Billy fires at his target. Unlike Samuel's precision firing, Billy's is off and he even misses the target a few times. Billy shakes his head. SAMUEL (cont'd) Wow. I've never seen you that off before. Are you sure you aren't suffering from PTSD? BILLY Eh. I'm just having a hard time concentrating. DISSOLVE TO: MONTAGE OF SHOTS EXT. HIGH CLASS HOTEL - NIGHT Where Billy, dressed as a valet parking attendant, ducks behind a bush. He takes out a pistol with a scope, and screws on a silencer. ACROSS THE STREET Through a window an OLDER GENTLEMAN dressed in a Tuxedo crosses. POV THROUGH THE SCOPE As the OLDER GENTLEMEN looks out his window. The gun fires silently, like puffs in the night, breaking the window and the Gentleman grabbing at his chest like he's suffering from a heart attack. INT. LIMO - NIGHT Where Billy, dressed as a limo driver, takes a gun from out of the glove box. He checks his rear view mirror. POV REAR VIEW MIRROR In the back seat is a well-dressed YOUNG MAN.

BACK TO SCENE Billy turns the gun on the man. The young man is pleading, but we can't hear what he's saying. He takes out his wallet and flashes a wad-full of money. Billy fires twice, sealing the young man's fate. EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT Billy walks in. INT. CHURCH - NIGHT The church is empty. Billy sits in the pews. He's approached by an OLD PASTOR, and without really looking at the man Billy is suddenly producing a gun and firing at the PASTOR. Only after the Pastor has fallen does Billy look at him and sense that something's wrong. He walks up to the man and takes out his wallet. He mouths "mother fucker" as he realizes he's killed the wrong man. END OF MONTAGE BACK TO: INT. SHOOTING RANGE - DAY SAMUEL I knew that already. You always tense your left eyebrow when you're stressed out, but I've never seen it this bad. BILLY I'm fine. SAMUEL Like hell you are. You're not even accurate enough to work for the Postal Service. I warned you that special ops shit would fuck you up forever.

BILLY What do you suggest, see a Psychiatrist? SAMUEL A change of scenery might do it. I'm moving to California. Come with me. BILLY California? When? He considers it. BILLY (cont'd) Why are you moving there? SAMUEL Work. They need me in a week. A buddy from my platoon is now a big mucky-muck at Cisco Systems. They need a new Security Chief, and I need the warm weather. BILLY I can't. I have some things to tie up here. SAMUEL Hey, you'll have a job and a place to live. Hey, working security beats that consulting you're doing now. BILLY Thanks anyway. If I start over, I need to start over. I've always wanted to tend bar. INT. CINEPLEX - NIGHT A SYRINGE Being taken out of a coat pocket. THE SYRINGE NEEDLE

Piercing the plastic lid of a fountain soda and the syringe contents being emptied. BILLY is wearing black-framed glasses and a blue T-shirt with an orange Atari logo he center. He moves from a pay phone after taking care of "business" with the syringe. BATHROOM Where MALCOLM, 28, a balding computer nerd wearing a sports jersey, walks out. MALCOLM (to Billy) I feel much better now. BILLY Here's your soda. MALCOLM (surprised) Thanks, Carl. EXT. CINEPLEX - NIGHT A crescent moon illuminates parked cars as people exit the movie theater, a few older folks and a few younger folks--couples hold hands. An ELDERLY COUPLE, each with a cane, is at the box office getting tickets. ELDERLY MAN Two seniors for the "Blood, Guts, & Gore" slasher festival. BOX OFFICE ATTENDANT The first two I've sold today. ELDERLY WOMAN Gotta have it. We like the Hockey player with the machete. BOX OFFICE ATTENDANT Who says youth is wasted on the young, right? Just make sure we don't catch you making out in the last row.

The Elderly couple exchange a mischievous look and she winks at him. Malcolm and "Carl" exit the cineplex mid-conversation. MALCOLM It was Socrates, I think, who said to know the good is to do the good. Yeah, in his dialogue with Meletus. BILLY Who? MALCOLM Meletus, one of the high officials that put Socrates on trial for corrupting the state. BILLY What did he do? MALCOLM He questioned authority. BILLY So what does that mean--to know the good is to do it? What kind of philosophical shit is that? MALCOLM To know the good is to do the good. It's like enlightenment--once you know what truth is, you can't really go back. Like let's say you burn yourself, you learn right away what fire is. Fire burns. You don't want to burn yourself again. When you understand that something is good, you go for the good, right? For the truth. Well, that's what the theory is. Show someone what's right, and they'll do the good. BILLY So what happened to Socrates? MALCOLM

He was put to death. A smile creeps across Billy's face. BILLY So much for knowing the good. MALCOLM It was what he stood for. Socrates was willing to die for the truth. The truth was more important than his own life. You just don't get the point. I mean what are you willing to die for, Carl? Billy laughs uncomfortably. MALCOLM (cont'd) Three bucks for this? I can't even finish it. You want the rest? BILLY Gimme that. Billy grabs the soda. MALCOLM Damn, dude, don't take my hand off. BILLY Hey, I paid for it. easy go. Easy come,

MALCOLM So, you've got your bong at the house, right? BILLY Of course. MALCOLM I can't wait to... Malcolm mimes a marijuana pipe being smoked. INT. HONDA - PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Malcolm, sitting in the passenger seat, opens a pack of cigarettes and takes out a joint. MALCOLM My special cigarette. (winks) Good for the mind, body, and soul. I wonder if Socrates ever smoked the wacky tabacky? Malcolm lights the joint and takes a big rip. BILLY I doubt it. But maybe -- after all, they did walk around wearing togas and Caesar salads on their heads. Let me have a hit. Malcolm takes his time and tokes the joint again, slowly sucking on it, then looks at the joint with a smile. Finally he hands it to Billy. Billy takes a hit. MALCOLM Nice isn't it? That's some of Humboldt County's finest. Billy hands the joint back. Malcolm really begins to show his gluttonous side, taking rip after rip off the joint. BILLY You didn't turn any of this stuff into THC concentrate did you? Malcolm nods his head as he sucks on the joint like an industrial vacuum cleaner. Malcolm takes out a container filled with THC concentrate. MALCOLM Want some? No. No. BILLY You go right ahead.

Malcolm sticks his finger in the container and sucks the juicy contents off his index finger like nectar.

INT/EXT. HONDA - TEN MINUTES LATER Malcolm is laughing hysterically, completely loaded; his eyes are bloodshot, tiny slits. MALCOLM Dude, turn the radio on. tunes. We need

Malcolm searches for the radio dial, but in his stoned stupor has trouble finding it. BILLY Fine, but I don't want to hear any Metallica, no Iron Maiden tonight. It'll give me a headache. Malcolm finally presses a green light on the radio and Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" starts playing. MALCOLM Where the fucks' my soda? BILLY It's in the holder, by your leg. Malcolm looks down but doesn't see it. BILLY (CONTÕD) (cont'd) Right in front of you. (laughs) Come on, you can't be that blind. Malcolm reaches blindly. BILLY (cont'd) Here. Why is it that when you get high you turn into a monkey tit? Billy hands Malcolm the soda. quickly. Malcolm drinks it down

BILLY (cont'd) Thirsty, eh? MALCOLM Yeah. Maybe it was all that candy I ate. For some reason I was feeling really strange or

something. Almost out of my body. Like those people who die and see themselves on the operating table. You ever see that? BILLY Maybe you have dysentery. Serious? MALCOLM Does that hurt?

BILLY I'm kidding. So, what did you see? MALCOLM What are you talking about? BILLY The operating table. MALCOLM Oh, yeah, I saw a dark tunnel, man, with light at the end. It was some scary shit. That was some dank weed. I want to be a Rocket-Man. Malcolm stares out the window dreamy-eyed. BILLY I think you're good, Elton. I'm not sure how much more weed you'll need tonight. Malcolm turns around, forces a smile. BILLY (cont'd) You gonna puke? Faintly lit homes can be seen in the distance. Billy turns right onto Clear Lake Drive. Malcolm stares out the window with a sick look on his face. A few bumps jostle the ride, but Malcolm begins to fall asleep. Malcolm? BILLY (cont'd) Are you asleep?

Malcolm is passed out with his head resting on the window. BILLY (cont'd)

Yo, Malcolm, you out or what? Hello? Earth to Mir. Earth to Malcolm. Billy waits a few seconds to make sure Malcolm is totally passed out, then he yanks the steering wheel to the right and Malcolm's head lolls over to face Billy. The Honda fishtails with a LOUD SQUEAL. driving straight again. Billy readjusts, He

Billy checks his rear view mirror, no one behind him. makes a U-turn. EXT. SUBURBS - NIGHT

Billy's blue Honda rolls slowly to the curb and the lights cut off. INT. HONDA Malcolm is passed out on the passenger side. Billy reaches under his seat and pulls out a black photo bag. Billy unzips the bag, takes out two white latex gloves and puts them on. Next he pulls out a nine-millimeter gun, reaches over and grabs Malcolm's right hand. He places the gun in Malcolm's hand, forcing him to grip it. Malcolm MOANS slightly and Billy puts the gun and gloves back into the camera bag; digs into Malcolm's jeans pocket and removes a set of keys. EXT. MALCOLM'S HOUSE Billy, carrying the camera bag, walks up to the front door, and after a second he's in. INT. MALCOLMÕS HOUSE - BEDROOM Billy walks in and puts the camera bag on the bed. out the white latex gloves and puts them on. He takes

Billy slides the mattress off of the boxspring. He takes a razor blade out of his back pocket and cuts a square out of the top of the boxspring, just big enough to fit the gun. He places the gun inside the hole, replaces the piece of foam padding, and moves the mattress back into place. KITCHEN Billy takes a ziplock bag out of the camera bag, holds it up to the light and shakes it. It contains bloody fingers and toes.