Let me preface this by saying that giallo is probably the sub-genre of horror which I am least familiar with so this is a very difficult challenge for me. (Although, like I’m sure everyone here is, I’m very excited to see Argento’s Giallo, if for no other reason than to check out another of Sean’s scripts.)
Quote:
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Dario Argento liked Sean Keller's Giallo so much he wants to make another giallo flick with you in Sean's place.
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Since I am in Sean’s place for this challenge, that makes me the screenwriter. Since the writer generally has little to do with selecting the cast or crew, I believe that it is acceptable for me to leave those up to the director, Mr. Argento, on this task and focus solely on the story so here goes….
A Lady in the Night
Bronx, New York – Present Day
A hotel maid knocks at a door. No answer. She enters and gasps. The room is a grisly scene; a naked woman lays mutilated on the bed with blood drenching the sheets and splattering all walls.
A short time later, two detectives stand in the hallway outside the room while forensics teams gather possible evidence inside the room. Detective Bava, short and stocky, and Detective Lado, tall and handsome, discuss what occurred. Lado asks if they have an ID on the girl. Bava informs him that her name was Crystal Plumage and she worked as a stripper at the Grey Velvet Club down the block. The hotel manager had informed Bava that she had been a long term guest at the hotel and has occupied the room for the past couple months. Bava goes on to say that there is no sign of forced entry.
Later that afternoon, Det. Bava and Det. Lado park outside the Grey Velvet Club and have a brief conversation in the car about the shabbiness of the building, the dimly lit parking lot and the dark alley adjacent.
The Detectives enter the Club. It’s a smoke filled, neon cesspool that we can only imagine must smell like some unholy mixture of sweat, cum and cheap perfume. A massive bouncer, Martino, blocks their path but steps aside when they flash their badges at him. The Detectives head directly for the bar and ask to speak with the manager. As they wait, they take in the show. A large breasted brunette in a cowboy hat and crotchless chaps simulates sex with the strip pole as a half dozen overweight lonely men stare perversely at her and shower her with dollar bills. Her song ends, she collects the wads of cash strewn about and scurries off the stage just as the manager arrives at the bar. Leon, the manager, asks what he can do for them. They flash their badges, then a picture of Crystal. They ask Leon if he knows the girl and he nods instantly, informing them that she is the Club’s top earner. Bava corrects him and lets him know that she WAS the Club’s top earner, but she was found murdered in her hotel room earlier this morning. Leon is stunned and offers to do anything he can to help with their investigation. They inform him that they’ll need to speak with her co-workers and ask them a couple questions. Leon tells them that’ll be no problem.
A short time later, the Detectives are in a back room sitting at a table. Across the table is the brunette from the stage. Leon is sitting next to her as the detectives ask questions. The questions range from the last time she saw Crystal to what type of girl Crystal was to whether or not she was aware of any dangerous people in Crystal’s life, all of which she answers to their satisfaction. As she stands to leave the room, Detective Lado asks, “Oh, Miss, what did you say your name was? Your legal name, not your stage name.” She informs them her name is Andrea Bianchi then leaves the room. As Detective Bava reviews the pages of notes he’s taken from what has obviously been several interviews, Leon informs him that they’ve spoken to everyone. Bava and Lado thank him for his cooperation and exit the backroom. As they make their way through the club towards the front entrance, Lado stops to stare at the girl on stage. Bava questions him and Lado points out that they had not spoken with her yet. Leon, who is escorting them to the door, informs them that the girl in question is Barbara Bouchet and she just started last night so she didn’t know Crystal at all. As they near the entrance, a blond stripper attempts to solicit either of them for a private dance. Embarrassed, Leon shoos her away “Michelle, beat it. They’re workin’ here.” Michelle responds that she is working too, or at least trying to. Leon tells them to stop back on their day off some time and he’ll set them up with the VIP treatment.
Back in the car, the detectives compare notes. They both agree that Leon was extremely helpful, almost suspiciously so. They are also in agreement that the bouncer, Martino, seemed like a pretty cold guy that could potentially be capable of murder and that several of the Club’s patrons seemed like they’d probably seen the inside of a state penitentiary at some point in their lives. To summarize their discussion, nearly everyone they saw inside the Club could be considered a suspect and this case could be a tough one to crack.
Later that night, Detective Lado, driving a different car, arrives outside an apartment building and parks. He enters, heads up four flights of stairs and fishes his keys out of his pocket. He enters his apartment, let’s out an exasperated sigh and kicks off his shoes. His cell phone rings. “This is Lado.” His brow furrows as he listens, then “I’ll be right there.” He puts his shoes back on and dashes out of his apartment.
Detective Lado’s car pulls up outside a different apartment complex. He gets out and heads inside. He arrives at a specific door and knocks. It opens and we see, the blond stripper Michelle, standing there in street clothes. She’s terrified. He enters and asks her what’s wrong. Trembling, she hands him a note and informs him she found it shoved under her door when she arrived home. He unfolds it. The note reads simply “You’re next.” She begs him to stay at her apartment overnight to protect her and he hesitantly agrees. Relieved, she offers him a drink and then tells him she needs to take a shower.
Michelle exits the bathroom in a robe, toweling off her hair. She expresses gratitude to Lado for his willingness to stay with her. There is a brief conversation over a glass of wine about Lado’s personal life; no wife, no kids, he’s never had the time and has basically been married to his job since he got out of college. She offers herself to him, but he declines because he doesn’t think it’d be prudent. She persists saying technically, he’s off the clock and could probably stand to relieve some tension. Again, he declines. She asks a third time but this time works the angle that it would help soothe her nerves to be in the arms of a man. He finally agrees and they retreat to the bedroom where a steamy romantic interlude takes place. She falls asleep on his chest and eventually his eyes drift off to sleep as well.
Lado’s eyes jolt open to the sound of the apartment door being kicked in. He instinctively grabs a knife off the top of the nightstand beside him but before he can climb out of the bed, there is a pistol in his face. “FREEZE! Drop the knife asshole!” The room quickly fills with cops, all with guns drawn. “Don’t move scumbag!” Lado notices blood on the knife and glances over his shoulder to see Michelle laying next to him with her throat slit from ear to ear, a pool of blood staining the sheets.
(CONTINUED)