Magicians Veil
By
Christi ElkinsEXT. CITY MARKET DUSK
Nick(Del-boy-esque early twenties) flogging market goods.
BUYER
(vulnerable voice)
Can i get just the one for a fiver?
NICK
(waving knock off DVD’s
around/dodgy goods)
No fuck off! Two for a tenner or
seven quid each! Not to be missed
these...Bargain!
CUTS ON BARGAIN
EXT. CITY MARKET DUSK-NIGHT
Nick exhales as packing away sparse goods, checks profits.
£12.50.Shakes head exhaling.
EXT. MAGICIANS ALLEY NIGHT
Nick walks home, he passes a Magician(Mysterious smartly
dressed man pertaining eccentric exotic style).
MAGICIAN
Have you a lighter good sir?
NICK
Good sir?
(Hushed chuckles, checks
pockets)
...yeh yeh i do actually.
Nick gives the magician a blue lighter, gets red back. Nick
looks to lighter before sparking cigarette and suspiciously
pockets lighter.
MAGICIAN
Tell me good sir, what would you
say if I told you magic is real?
NICK
(Shakes head dismissively
laughing slightly)
...You taking the piss?
Begins card trick with black Aces. Nick’s cigarette now
transferred to Magicians hand. Magician smokes.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.
MAGICIAN
No?...Of course you don’t;
everybody knows that magic isn’t
real, yes?
NICK
Erm yeh yeh...
The Magician pulls out Black aces and shuffles cards, Nick
distracted, hands still in cigarette position sparks a new
cigarette
MAGICIAN
What if i told you that magic is
simply an illusion...a trick of the
eye?
The magician hands him back the cigarette, Nick stand with
both cigarettes bemused.
NICK
Yeh well obviously bu...
MAGICIAN
Well what if i told you that
reality is also just an illusion,
the same trick of the eye?
The Magician is holding an absinthe bottle with an eye on
the label over his eye, he moves it and takes a swig.
NICK
Look i ain’t got no till you know?
MAGICIAN
You see, imagine this drink is
activity around us, our senses only
pick up a tiny proportion
(Indicating to bottle)
less than one percent visible
light, less than 1 percent acoustic
sound... and there are areas we
cannot even detect...
(Downs drink)
You see, magic makes use of this
hidden world...yes?
NICK
(suspiciously/unconvinced)
Yeh and?...
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.
MAGICIAN
(Continuing unperturbed)
Well mix this with time[Slow mo sfx
etc] and well...
Pulls cards out.
NICK
Not bad ill give you that.
MAGICIAN
You see in life we can manipulate
this...and this is magic...true
magic.
NICK
(laughing Sceptically)
True magic?...Mate I’ve seen Darren
Brown and all that shit...I’m not
fuckin twelve.
MAGICIAN
(Laughing)
Ok ok calm yourself good sir...
Tell you what,watch this...
Magician throws cigarette to floor it disappears and falls
in from the top of the screen, the magician catches it.
NICK
(Looks up in amazement)
Fuuuck me!...Do that one again!
MAGICIAN
You never repeat the same
manipulation twice in a row.
NICK
Go on then do another trick!
MAGICIAN
I cannot do a ’trick’...i do not do
simple ’tricks’...I manipulate.
NICK
(Rolling hand gesture)
Well fuckin whatever you wanna call
it just do summat else!
MAGICIAN
Some things you need to discover
for yourself my friend, take these.
Passes over matches
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.
NICK
Magical matches? You havin a laugh?
Nick turns to leave
MAGICIAN
...Oh and just a warning...You
won’t remember a fucking thing
about tonight...
EXT. STREETS MORNING
FADE IN FROM BLACK
Nick tries light cigarette but his lighter breaks. He huffs
checking pockets and pulls out the matches, he inspects
reminiscing and laughs slightly.
NICK
Fuckin street gypsies.
He strikes a match spilling the majority, a cider Bottle
appears next to tramp in background. Tramp notices, chuffed,
cracks it open. Nick looks at matches and frowns. Sparks
another, looking to the right he is stunned. A pile of ’ ’
has appeared from nowhere. Sparks another. Cam zooms out.
New location.
EXT. DESERTED SUBURB
He looks up from cigarette, amazed the cigarette drops from
mouth.
NICK
(bewildered)
...What the fuck?
looks around confused. Strikes match after match but little
effect’s.
NICK
(attempting to light last
match)
...Fuckin bullshit!
As he lights a match an old bike pings into view. Nick looks
across and fumes at the black aces on the handlebars.5.
EXT. STREETS LATE NIGHT
Nick pedals wearily past steady shot, heaving.
EXT. MAGICIANS ALLEY NIGHT
Nick walks determinedly up Alley.
MAGICIAN
Back again good sir?
NICK
(flipping)
Don’t good sir me you tit! I ended
up on the fuckin tour-de-France
last night cos of you!
MAGICIAN
Matches are matches.
NICK
I don’t know what the fuck you gave
me but...
MAGICIAN
(Magician looks about)
Matches! Just matches! Magic is
real my friend, I’ll prove it again
if you need something bigger to
convince you... Watching?
(indicating car)
The magician vanishes the car, it pops out of existence.
NICK
(Complete shock)
...Nooo way!!
Nick runs over to where it was and wafts in the air, he
turns and comes back to the magician who puts an arm round
his shoulder.
NICK
Am i on scare tactics or some shit?
The magician "palms" the car back into view.
MAGICIAN
You see, The world we see around us
is just a mirage... just one big
card trick... There are things
going on we cannot see, cannot
hear, cannot touch.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.
(Nick nods in awe)
And well you see this allows us too
manipulate.
FADE TO BLACK
EXT. BAK ALLEY UNDER LIGHT
Nick sits next to Magician on back-alley step. Both smoke.
NICK
So your telling me you can change
anything to anything?
MAGICIAN
(Laughing)
No no no modern day ignorance... If
you piss in a cup i cannot turn it
into wine...but get me grape juice
and were drinking Riocca... you see
there must be a link.
NICK
(Exhales)
Can’t believe I’m even considering
this!?
(nods thoughtfully in
momentary pause)
Can you make money?
MAGICIAN
(Slight laugh/gasp)
You need to review your priorities
Sonny...
NICK
Look, just say i do believe this
shit, whats it gotta do with me?
MAGICIAN
Im recruiting, and your names on
the list, see?
(Holds ordained parchment up)
’Nick ’, You were born, 1984,
Williamshire hospital; weighed 10.9
Ib’s, a right little porker! When
you were seven you sneaked into Mr
Gunters sweetshop and stole 50p’s
worth of strawberry gum-gums; but
nobody knows about that, do they?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.
NICK
How the fuck do you know that?
MAGICIAN
I’m a magician, part of a worldwide
connection; you can to join the
cause.
NICK
Ive got a life you know?
MAGICIAN
What sat at home wanking over
countdown? Don’t kid me!
NICK
(Thoughtful pause)
What’ve i gotta do to join.
MAGICIAN
First I need to measure your
magical influence.
NICK
Fuck it, what have I got to lose
(Magician begins routing in undergarments, finally pulls out
compass. Begins following wildly. Points to Nick, spins
oddly)
MAGICIAN
Well thats odd, Never seen it react
like that before, not to worry, one
final thing then...you need to look
the part.
EXT. CITY STREETS
Song>http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeaypQk2u_I&NR=1
(Gramatik-Swucca chust)
Nick and Magician walk streets confidently, Nick in Magician
style clothes. Long coats fly in wind, The magician spins
with stick etc. Nick follows behind and flicks a cigarette.
EXT. TRAINING YARD
MAGICIAN
Just try it one more time!
Magician attempts to teach Nick, attempts fail. Nick leaves,
fuming at his failure.8.
EXT. CITY MARKET DUSK-NIGHT
Nick sits sodden at Market stall, bored.
BUYER
Can i get just the one for a fiver?
NICK
Erm yeh whatever.
EXT. UNDERPASS NIGHT
Nick D walks home. Magician in foreground waits till he
passes and joins pace annoying Nick.
MAGICIAN
Gonna give it another go then?
NICK
Whats the point? I cant fucking do
it man!
MAGICIAN
And whys that?
NICK
Not a fast learner, never have
been, i couldn’t fuckin swim till i
was 12, two lessons a week and I
still drowned like a twat.
MAGICIAN
Maybe you just needed a push...
Looks insightful at own revelation. Magician grabs passer
by, magics revolver into hand puts against head.
MAGICIAN
Sort your act out or this fucker
gets it!
NICK
Shit, fuckin hell man!
MAGICIAN
Im gonna kill this bitch!
NICK
Calm down!
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.
MAGICIAN
Im gonna fuckin do it!
NICK
(Changing tact)
As if, you wouldnt...
Magician shoots the woman in the leg.
NICK
What the fuck!
MAGICIAN
Im not fuckin about here, this
bitch is gettin it.
Magician pushes gun to cheek. Nick D searches pockets, pulls
banana out, raises hand.
NICK
Ahhh fuck.
Revolver turns to banana, the magician squeezes it to mush.
The woman drags herself away as the magician smiles, he
looks up, Nick has revolver to head.
MAGICIAN
Oh... bugger!
Nick pulls trigger. Blood splatters over face. Expression
reflects gory scene. Magician walks in from side of the
shot, ruffles collar, non-chelauntly walks beside Nick,
sparks a cigarette.
The women turns into the tramp who swigs a beer and nods to
the magician before walking away.
MAGICIAN
Not a bad shot that,
(Tapping own skull)
directly in the Cranium!
Nick jumps, looks to Magician, to body, back to
Magician,traumatized.
NICK
What the fuck’s going on?
MAGICIAN
Oh Im sure he’ll be alright
(Waving to body, changing
subject)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 10.
NICK
but?
(looks to body)
Your dead?!
MAGICIAN
Dont worry, none of its real, and
this is the tip of the iceberg; not
to bad for your training eh?
NICK
(Traumatized)
Fucking hell man...
MAGICIAN
Well we know the list was right...
NICK
What now?
MAGICIAN
(Joviantly)
...Tell you what, Ive got to meet a
contact in the french Riviera so
ill be away for a while, I’ve got
just the ticket! Got a job for you
though.
FADE TO BLACK
EXT. CITY BACKSTREET NIGHT
Nick stood in alleyway in Magicians place. Shopper passes
by.
NICK
S’cuse me mate? You got a light?
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