Confessions of a Dangerous...

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman based on CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND an unauthorized biography by Chuck Barris third draft (revised) May 5, 1998 MUSIC IN:OMINOUS ORCHESTRAL TEXT, WHITE ON BLACK: This film is a reenactment of actual events. It is based on Mr. Barris's private journals, public records, and hundreds of hours of taped interviews. FADE IN: EXT. NYC STREET - NIGHT SUBTITLE: NEW YORK CITY, FALL 1981 It's raining.A cab speeds down a dark, bumpy side-street. INT. CAB - CONTINUOUS Looking in his rearview mirror, the cab driver checks out his passenger: a sweaty young man in a gold blazer with a "P" insignia over his breast pocket. Several paper bags on the back seat hedge him in. The young man is immersed in the scrawled list he clutches in his hand. A passing street light momentarily illuminates the list and we glimpse a few of the entries: double-coated waterproof fuse (500 feet); .38 ammo (hollowpoint configuration); potato chips (Lays). GONG SHOW An excerpt from The Gong Show (reenacted). The video image fills the screen. We watch a fat man recite Hamlet, punctuating his soliloquy with loud belching noises. The audience is booing. Eventually the man gets gonged. Chuck Barris, age 50, hat pulled over his eyes, dances out from the wings to comfort the agitated performer. the wings to comfort the agitated performer. PERFORMER Why'd they do that? I wasn't done. BARRIS (AGE 50) I don't understand. Juice, why'd you gong this nice man?