A Crazy Game of Poker

By
Alexander J. Hancock

Based on the song by O.A.R.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT
An empty block of a generic commercial street. The
storefronts are all dark. All streetlights are out except
for one, which FLICKERS.

EXT. THE BLACK ROCK - CONTINUOUS

Underneath that lamp is a nondescript bar: THE BLACK ROCK.
Once a nice sports bar, now its just a dive.

The door opens, and a BIKER (40s) steps out with a python
over his shoulders and a WOMAN IN BIKINI at his side.
Before the door closes, we enter.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - TRACKING

Moving through The Black Rock. No music, no talking.
The crowd is classic dive: A DRUNK leaning on the bar. A
female MIDDLE-AGED BARTENDER. A TAROT CARD READER. A tiny,
male BARBACK smoking a cigarette. A pair of MEN playing
9-ball pool. The sound of the break disrupts the silence.
We move through the bar and pass through two swinging doors
to the kitchen. Empty and dirty. No telling when it was last
cleaned, or even when it was last used to cook food.
At the back of the kitchen is a LARGE BLACK DOOR. We stand
outside of it, then FADE TO BLACK.
TITLE: Rockville, Maryland 1997

Slowly we begin to hear tinny, laid-back guitar music.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - BACK ROOM - NIGHT

Were behind the door. A smoky, windowless room. The music

is coming from a miniature jukebox in the corner.
The center of the room is taken up by a POKER TABLE with
four people around it.

First we see SANDY (early 20s), small, gender-fluid,

poker-faced, with scratches on the face and neck.
SANDY
Raising it twenty.

A $20 bill lands in the pile in the center of the table.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: (2) 2.

Next up is JOHNNY (early 30s), menacing, angry in an almost

whimsical way. He wears a black suit, white shirt, thin
black tie.
JOHNNY
What are we at, 350?
(beat)
Lets double that up.
As he tosses a STACK OF BILLS into the pot, we notice his
wrist is bandaged and hes clearly in a little pain.

Then we meet MARC (late 20s), tall and thin - if he put on

20 pounds he could be an athlete. He wears a bowling shirt
and has spiky blue-black hair. A beat as he stares down
Johnny through a black eye.

MARC
Call.
Last up is ALEJANDRO (mid-20s), a happy drunk. Without
speaking, he puts his cards down, face-down. Hes out.

Time to see who won. First, Sandy: four eights.

Johnny grins as he presents his ROYAL FLUSH.
Marc shakes his head. As he slowly sets down his cards, we
see a TAN LINE where his watch should be. Then his cards:
three jacks and a pair of nines.
Johnny reaches in to collect the pot. Before he finishes
raking in all the bills, a LOUD BANG.

The door is open. Backlit, standing in the doorway is a DUDE

in a black fedora.
Both Sandy and Marc jump up, hands in the air. Johnny sits
and sneers. Silence in the room. Even the music has ended.

JOHNNY
This is a legal game.
BLACK HAT DUDE
Tell that to the county cops.

MARC
(to himself)
Fuck.
The Black Hat Dude approaches the table. He continues his
sentence.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: (3) 3.

BLACK HAT DUDE

If you see them, I mean. Deal me
in.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - BACK ROOM - LATER

Another hand. All five are playing. Empty pints of liquor
all over the table. Laughter all around.

Marc has two shot glasses at his elbow: one full and one
empty. He throws back the full one and slams it down. As the
shot glass hits the table...
SMASH CUT TO

EXT. THE BLACK ROCK - DAY

The end of a hazy day, the sun setting over the roof of The
Black Rock.

TITLE: One day before.

Marc stands in the waning light looking at the bars door,
steady and resolute. We notice he has no black eye, and a
bulky watch on his wrist.

INT. THE BLOCK ROCK - CONTINUOUS

Marc walks in. The crowd might as well be same as the poker
night, with the addition of a couple DRUNK BUSINESSMEN. The
Bartender gives Marc a nod as he enters before going back to
washing glasses.
MARC
Johnny here? I got something to say
to the man.

The Bartender looks at Marc, then sees something over Marcs

shoulder.
CLOSE ON Marcs face as we hear a door open and close, and
three or four heavy footsteps.

Marc turns. Johnny stands before him, same black suit.

The Drunks in the bar watch nervously.
MARC
Johnny, whatcha doing tonight?
Johnny looks at Marc with a face full of fright.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: (2) 4.

MARC (CONTD)
How bout a revolution?
A fast smile from both.
JOHNNY
Right.
Marc motions to The Bartender.
Driving rock music (think Bob Dylans Someday Baby or Chris
Isaaks Gone Ridin) begins playing.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP of draft beer flowing into pints, liquor
being poured into shot glasses.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - BACK ROOM - NIGHT

Johnny and Marc are joined again by Sandy and Alejandro.
Its less smoky, and everyones a little more clear-eyed.
Cards are held close to the chest.

A quick move around the table as each player throws cash

into the pot:
MARC ALEJANDRO
Raise. Raise.

SANDY JOHNNY
Raise. Call.

Marc looks in his wallet. Hes out. A beat. He takes off his
watch and tosses it in the pot.

MARC
Call.

EXT. THE BLACK ROCK - NIGHT

The sun is almost completely set. A vintage Cadillac

convertible pulls up in front of the bar.
The Caddys doors open. Five SHARP-DRESSED PEOPLE pour out.
Four are men of different sizes, short, tall, stout, skinny.
One is a tall woman. All have the same Elvis-style hair and
the same light blue suit.
 5.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - NIGHT

The Sharp Dressed People stand near the front of the bar.
SHARP DRESSED WOMAN
Wheres Johnny and Marc?

The Drunk picks his head up off the bar

DRUNK AT BAR
Where do you think!

The Sharp Dressed People move towards the back room.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - BACK ROOM - NIGHT

The Poker Players stare up towards the door.

MARCS POV: The Sharp Dressed People stand in the doorway.
Menacing. A stand-off.
Marc suddenly jumps up happily.

MARC
Honey bunny!
He runs up to the Sharp Dressed Woman and kisses her.

One of the Sharp Dressed Men clears his throat.

SHARP DRESSED MAN
Is this a game of poker or what?
Sandy, deal it up.

Sandy takes the cards and begins shuffling.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - BACK ROOM - LATER

The Sharp Dressed Woman and the speaking Sharp Dressed Man
have joined the other four around the table. The other Sharp
Dressed People stand in the corner, smoking cigarettes,
chewing toothpicks, etc.

EXT. THE BLACK ROCK - NIGHT

A group of SAILORS approach the bar.
 6.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - NIGHT

EXTREME CLOSE-UP of draft beer flowing into pints, liquor
being poured into shot glasses.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - BACK ROOM - NIGHT

The room is full now, noisy with ad-libbed cross-talk and
tinny swing music from the jukebox. The Navy Sailors, the
Sharp Dressed People, and the Poker Players are all there,
as well as two ELEGANT WOMEN, a bespectacled CHILD SMOKING A
CIGAR, and a VERY LARGE DOG.
POTS POV: We pan around the table. As we go around, the
Poker Players draw cards, toss cash, drink, etc.

SHARP DRESSED WOMAN

Youre a clown, Johnny, always have
been.
SANDY
He might be a clown, but hes my
clown.
JOHNNY
Hell I am. Come on, lets just play
some crazy poker.

MARC
Only kind I know how.
Alejandro doesnt speak, only drinks.
SHARP DRESSED WOMAN
(singing)
Im feeling kinda funky, kinda
fine.
SANDY
Im out.
We stop on Johnny. He throws his entire wallet in the pot.
JOHNNY
Lets see what youve got.

A hush falls on the room. Finally this is fun for them.

Marc looks at his cards, looks over to Johnny. He takes a
shot. He lays his cards down: a FLUSH.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: (2) 7.

JOHNNY
Sonofabitch.
We lose focus on the room as Marc begins raking in the pot.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - NIGHT

EXTREME CLOSE-UP of draft beer flowing into pints, liquor
being poured into shot glasses.

INT. THE BLACK ROCK - BACK ROOM - NIGHT

The poker game starts getting weird. Theres a different
makeup of people at the poker table: Johnny, Mark, the Child
Smoking a Cigar, one Sailor, and one Elegant Woman

In the corner, one of the other Sailors dancing with the

Very Large Dog.
Alejandro makes out with Sandy, while the other Elegant
Woman gives tips.

EXT. THE BLACK ROCK - NIGHT

The crowd from the poker game pours out onto the street.
Everyone is drunk and hootin-and-hollerin. Marc stumbles
drunkenly with his arm around the Sharp Dressed Womans
waist. Tracking as they leave the bar, and...

EXT. STREET - TRACKING

...behind them, one of the Sailors punches one of the Sharp

Dressed Men. As they walk, more and more fighting breaks out
behind them.
Marc and the Sharp Dressed Woman approach a corner. Johnny
comes from around the corner to approach them with one hand
behind his back.
MARC
Whered you come from?

JOHNNY
Came out the back. Now give me my
wallet!
Marc pulls it out of his pocket.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: (2) 8.

MARC
What, this? I won it fair and
square. You had three hands to win
it back.

We see whats in Johnnys other hand: a baseball bat.

He CRACKS it across Marcs face. Marc goes down, the wallet
flying.
Marc jumps up, grabs Johnny and throws him face-first into a
wall. Johnny turns, right into a PUNCH from The Sharp
Dressed Woman.
Sandy comes out of nowhere and jumps on The Sharp Dressed
Womans back.

Johnny and Marc go to the ground, wrestling and punching and

biting and scratching.
THE BARTENDER (O.C.)
Hey! You clowns knock that off!

The Sailors and Well-Dressed Men and other fighters all stop
mid-punch and look behind them.

EXT. THE BLACK ROCK - CONTINUOUS

The Bartender stands, arms crossed, her authority felt even

outside the bar.
THE BARTENDER
Its a Tuesday goddamn night.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Marc and Johnny lay on the ground looking down the street at
her. Marc stands up, then offers a hand to Johnny, helping
him off the ground.
Marc picks up the wallet from the ground. He hands it to
Johnny.
MARC
That was one hell of a game of
poker.
Johnny takes it, puts it in his pocket, and adjusts his
suit.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: (2) 9.

JOHNNY
See you tomorrow?
They shake hands.
Off on Marc walking down the street alone.

THE END.