JAMES’ STALKER DRAFT ONE

       COPYRIGHT 1998 JAMES WHITTINGHAM.  
       ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

       DRAFT ONE

       

 1     STATION ID-1                                                  1

       OPENING SHOT OF SMALL URBAN MUNDANE 
       PARK SCENE. THE SHOT FEATURES A 
       CANADIAN GOOSE. ELEVATOR MUSIC UNDER. 
       A BAD VOICE OVER MAN ANNOUNCES THE 
       STATION IDENTIFICATION FOR THE 
       COMMUNITY CABLE ACCESS CHANNEL IN A 
       SMALL CITY CALLED REGINA.

                                CABLE ANNOUNCER
                     (V/O)

                 You are watching Access 10. Community 

                 television in the beautiful city of 

                 Regina. Where the soup of the day is 

                 cheese.

                                                      FADE TO BLACK
        PROLOGUE

 2     INT.     JAMES' BEDROOM - MORNING                                 2

       JAMES LAY ASLEEP ON HIS WATERBED IN A 
       TWISTED ARRANGEMENT OF SHEETS, 
       COMFORTERS, AND VARIOUS ODDITIES SUCH 
       AS A COW PUPPET. THE ROOM IS A 
       DISGUSTING MESS. JAMES' FACE IS 
       HIDDEN BY THE SHEETS. PHONE RINGING 
       AND HIS ANSWERING MACHINE IMMEDIATELY 
       PICKS UP. JAMES STIRS SLIGHTLY.

                                JAMES
                     (V/O - answering machine)

                 Hi, this is James. 

                 If you have any sense of decency 

                 you'll leave a message after the 

                 tone.

       
                     (answering machine beep)

       CARRIE, A WOMAN IN HER VERY EARLY 
       TWENTIES, LEAVES A MESSAGE ON THE 
       JAMES MACHINE.

                                CARRIE 
                     (V/O-answering machine)

                 Hi James. You don't really know me.
                     (awkward pause)

                 This is going to sound really weird. 

                 I really love your cable show and 

                 I've been following you the last 

                 couple of days. Not stalking you or 

                 anything--I don't want you to think 

                 I'm some sort of psycho or something.

       JAMES SITS UPRIGHT IN BED, A LITTLE 
       HORRIFIED.

                                CARRIE 
                     (V/O)

                 I really think you and Kevin are 

                 hilarious--will, especially you. I 

                 think you are adorable when you're on 

                 TV and I just started following you 

                 around. You eat a lot of fast food, 

                 don't you. 

                 James, I just think you're wonderful. 

                 I hope you don't think this is too 

                 forward, but I got you some flowers. 

                 I love you, James! I guess I'll go 

                 now. Oh--I guess you probably don't 

                 know my name. It's Carrie. Maybe we 

                 could go out some time. That is if 

                 you're not seeing anyone else. Bye! 

                 Oh yeah. The flowers are on your 

                 desk. Hope you like 'em. Bye.

       CAMERA WIDENS AS JAMES LOOKS WITH 
       AMAZEMENT TO THE DESK BESIDE HIS BED. 
       IT HAS AN ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS ON 
       IT THAT CONTAIN AN OBNOXIOUSLY CUTE 
       STUFFED ANIMAL.

                                JAMES 
                     (screams)

       PHONE RINGS AGAIN AND THE MACHINE 
       PICKS UP IMMEDIATELY. THE SAME 
       OUTGOING MESSAGE PLAYS AND JAMES 
       LOOKS AT THE MACHINE AFRAID IT MIGHT 
       BE HER AGAIN BUT IT'S KEVIN CALLING 
       THIS TIME.

                                KEVIN 
                     (V/O-speaker)

                 James, it's Kevin. Wake up. We have a 

                 show to do today.
                     (luring)

                 We're getting free foo-ood. All the 

                 mini doughnuts we can-- 
                     (Kevin sniffs as if he's 
                      smelling)

                 Are those flowers? What are you doing 

                 with flowers? 

       JAMES' EYES POP OPEN AS HE LOOKS AT 
       HIS MACHINE IN SHOCK AT KEVIN'S 
       APPARENT ABILITY.

 3     INT. CABLE OFFICE - DAY.                                      3

       KEVIN LOOKS OVER JAMES'S DESK WHICH 
       IS COVERED IN BOUQUETS OF FLOWERS 
       WITH RIDICULOUSLY CUTE ORNAMENTS. 
       KEVIN SHAKES HIS HEAD IN DISBELIEF. 
       LAL, THEIR PRODUCER, IS HAPPY TO SEE 
       THE FLOWERS. SHE IS BUSY ARRANGING 
       THEM AND DISCARDING SOME OF THE 
       WRAPPING THEY CAME IN.

                                KEVIN

                 This is incredible. Who would do 

                 this? Especially to James?
                     (he continues to the camera)

                 Why don't I ever get a stalker? What 

                 does James have that I don't have? 

                 What could this woman possibly see in 

                 him? 

                                Louise 
                     (to Kevin)

                 Maybe he's her type. You're not 

                 everyone's cup of tea, you know. 

                                KEVIN 

                 Thanks Lal. Stick to producing our 

                 show.
                     (to camera)

                 It's not that James hasn't had his 

                 women. It's simply a matter of 

                 chemistry. Most of James' girl 

                 friends have gone on to paddle on the 

                 other side of the canoe, if you know 

                 what I mean. He hasn't had the 

                 greatest luck with members of the 

                 opposing sex. I love the guy and all 

                 but this sort of thing just doesn't 

                 happen to James.

       JAMES ENTERS THE FAR END OF THE 
       OFFICE WEARING OUTDOOR CLOTHING.

                                JAMES 
                     (loudly to be heard across 
                      the room)

                 Kevin, get away from those. The boys 

                 in the lab said this woman could be 

                 nuts.

                                Louise

                 Hey, loverboy.

                                JAMES 

                 Lal.

                                Louise

                 The flowers are wonderful. I don't 

                 think she's nuts. 

                 A woman doesn't have to be crazy to 

                 like a guy, you know.

                                KEVIN

                 She does if it's James she likes.

                                Louise

                 Kevin.

                                JAMES

                 She may be nuts but at least she has 

                 taste.

       JAMES PICKS UP ONE OR TWO OF THE 
       VASES.

                                JAMES 

                 Help me take these things into the 

                 lab.

                                Louise

                 Why are the lab guys so sure she's 

                 nuts? Maybe she's a perfectly normal--

                 possibly even good-looking-- person 

                 you might like.

                                KEVIN

                 If she has all her own hair and teeth 

                 James will like her.

       ALL THREE WALK TO THE LAB WITH THE 
       FLOWERS.

                                JAMES

                 I do have some sort of standards you 

                 know.

                                KEVIN

                 Oh bull. You'd go out with 

                 anyone...Own hair and teeth, that's 

                 all you look for.
                     (to camera)

                 The love monkey hasn't swung from 

                 James' tree in some time now.

                                JAMES 
                     (to camera)

                 Don't listen to him. I'm not the sort 

                 of person to kiss and tell.
                     (to Kevin)

                 What makes you think I tell you 

                 everything about my personal life?

                                KEVIN

                 Keith in customer service and I 

                 looked through your cable account. A 

                 man who's getting it doesn't order 

                 Yank My Doodle Dandy three times a in 

                 one month on pay per view.

       LAL, JAMES, AND KEVIN ENTER THE 
       TECH'S LAB. MILES THE TECH IS BUSY 
       WORKING WITH A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

                                Louise

                 I don't think I want to hear this.

                                JAMES

                 You don't. Kevin, stop looking at my 

                 cable account.

                                KEVIN 
                     (snickering smugly)

                 The account tells all.

                                JAMES

                 Lal, as our producer I want you to 

                 fire Kevin's ass for snooping in my 

                 cable account.

                                Louise

                 I think that well have to be up to 

                 Mr. Scadding.

                                JAMES

                 Miles, what have you got?
                     (to camera)

                 This is Miles. He's our main 

                 technician for the cable company. Not 

                 only can he get the snow off HBO but 

                 he can do a lab analysis on just 

                 about anything.

                                KEVIN 
                     (to camera)

                 There's a rumour that the FBI 

                 contracts work out to him every now 

                 and then when 

                 something big comes up.

                                MILES

                 That's not true, gentlemen. The 

                 Bureau simply had some difficulties 

                 with their TNN reception because of 

                 interference from some of their 

                 sophisticated computer systems. The 

                 locals couldn't figure it out so I 

                 was called in to lend a hand.

       MILES WALKS OVER TO A COMPUTER BESIDE 
       A MICROSCOPE.

                                MILES

                 Come over here for a moment.

       JAMES, KEVIN, AND Louise SET THE FLOWERS 
       ON A WORK BENCH AND FOLLOW MILES. 
       MILES HOLDS UP A VOICE ANALYSIS 
       GRAPH.

                                MILES

                 This is your stalker's voice analysis 

                 from your answering machine tape. 

                 The pattern indicates a Caucasian 

                 female, early twenties,...eldest of 

                 three children, art education major, 

                 perhaps someone who's done a lot of 

                 dieting the last few years but I 

                 can't be sure. I've fed this into a 

                 special program I have on the main 

                 frame computer and I should have a 

                 rough composite picture of what she 

                 looks like in a few minutes. Then 

                 I'll have a better idea about the 

                 dieting thing.

                                Louise

                 That's amazing.

                                JAMES 
                     (to camera)

                 I told you he was good.

       KEVIN NODS TO THE CAMERA IN 
       AGREEMENT.

                                MILES

                 There's one thing I'm concerned about 

                 though.

                                JAMES

                 What's that?

                                MILES

                 Remember when we had to put that tap 

                 on your phone line a few months back 

                 when you had that little problems?

                                JAMES

                 Yeah.

                                Louise

                 What problem?

                                KEVIN

                 You wouldn't want to hear about this, 

                 either.
                     (to camera)

                 James isn't very popular with certain 

                 political extremist groups, either.

                                MILES

                 You see James, although we've never 

                 successfully traced the origin of 

                 those calls, we do have the voice 

                 print and it's a ninety-nine per cent 

                 match with the flower girl.

                                JAMES

                 But you told me that first caller was 

                 an Iraqi freedom fighter--a man.

                                MILES

                 A clever disguise. The voice print 

                 doesn't lie. At least ninety-nine per 

                 cent of the time. James, we need to 

                 take immediate precautions. This 

                 woman is unstable and possibly very 

                 dangerous. You should be careful when 

                 you are out shooting your show in 

                 public until we can find her.

 4     EXT. DOUGHNUT SHOP - DAY.                                     4

       JAMES AND KEVIN INTRODUCE THIS WEEK'S 
       SHOW ON DOUGHNUTS IN FRONT OF A  
       DOUGHNUT SHOP. TIM, PIMPLY-FACED 
       DOUGHNUT-MAKER, JOINS THEM.

                                JAMES

                 Hello and welcome to the James and 

                 Kevin Show. I'm James and the 

                 ridiculous-looking guy on the end is 

                 Kevin. Kevin, who is with us here 

                 today?

                                KEVIN

                 James, I have the honour and the 

                 privilege to introduce Tim, a skilled 

                 and valued employee here at Robin's 

                 Doughnuts. Tim, welcome to the show.

                                TIM

                 Thank you.

                                KEVIN

                 Tim, how long have you been with the 

                 company?

                                TIM
                     (a little proud)

                 About four years. Yeah, four years 

                 this summer.

                                JAMES

                 Sorry to hear that.

                                KEVIN

                 Tim, you have extensive knowledge in 

                 the making of doughnuts, do you not.

                                TIM 
                     (laughs)

                 Yeah. I guess.

                                KEVIN

                 You've have a lot of fond memories 

                 over those four years?

                                TIM

                 A few I guess.

                                JAMES

                 Do you eat a lot of doughnuts, Tim?

                                TIM

                 Maybe a bit more than most people, 

                 but not--

                                JAMES 
                     (interrupting)

                 Have you ever stolen doughnuts from 

                 the company?

                                TIM 
                     (stumbles, trying to find 
                      the words)

                                JAMES 

                 Maybe a box here and there? A couple 

                 of honey dip now and then? Maybe 

                 brought some home for the family at 

                 Christmas?

                                TIM 

                 No.

                                KEVIN 

                 You MUST BE VERY PROUD.

                                JAMES

                 Been in a lot of trouble with the 

                 police, haven't you? Tim.

                                TIM

                 Uh, no.

                                KEVIN 

                 Do you have any credentials. Degrees 

                 or certificates in doughnut-making? 

                 Did you do an undergraduate at 

                 Stanford, maybe?

                                TIM 

                 No, they just train you here for a 

                 couple of weeks--

                                JAMES 

                 You're a fraud, aren't you, Timmy? If 

                 that's your real name.

                                TIM 

                 Uh.

                                JAMES 

                 What's you're favourite kind of 

                 screwdriver?

                                KEVIN 

                 Robertson number two.

                                JAMES 

                 I'm asking Timmy.

                                TIM 

                 I don't really know.

                                KEVIN 
                     (feigned disbelief)

                 And you're a doughnut-maker.

                                JAMES 

                 Can we go see how doughnuts are made? 

                 Can you show us?

                                TIM 

                 Okay.

 5     INT. DOUGHNUT SHOP KITCHEN.                                   5

       JAMES, KEVIN, AND TIM ARE IN THE 
       KITCHEN WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WORKING 
       IN THE BACKGROUND.

                                JAMES 

                 Tim, how many varieties of Doughnuts 

                 are made here?

                                TIM 

                 It depends, on busy shifts we can 

                 have thirty-six at the counter at one 

                 time.

                                KEVIN 

                 What's your favourite variety?

                                TIM 

                 I don't know. Chocolate glazed?

                                JAMES 

                 How may can you eat in a sitting.

                                TIM 

                 Lots, if I wanted to.

                                JAMES 

                 More than me?

                                TIM 
                     (smiling)

                 Oh for sure.

 6     INT. FRONT TABLE SECTION OF STORE.                            6

       JAMES AND TIM SIT AT A TABLE WITH A 
       MOUNTAIN OF DOUGHNUTS BETWEEN THEM. 
       THEY INHALE THEM ONE AT A TIME INTO 
       THEIR MOUTHS. KEVIN WATCHES OVER THEM 
       KEEPING COUNT IN THE DOUGHNUT EATING 
       CONTEST. TERRY A COUNTER SERVER WORKS 
       BY THE TILL.

                                JAMES 
                        (mouth full)

                                TO TERRY

                 I'm going to need some more of figure 

                 eight sugar things in a minute.

       FOOD FALLS OUT OF JAMES' MOUTH. A 
       CUSTOMER REACTS WITH DISCOMFORT.

 7     INT. DOUGHNUT SHOP KITCHEN.                                   7

       JAMES, KEVIN, AND TIM CONTINUE THE 
       INTRODUCTION TO THE BAKERY.

                                KEVIN 

                 Would you say that doughnuts are 

                 healthy for you?

                                TIM 

                 I would, but I'm not a doctor or 

                 anything.

                                JAMES 

                 That's good enough for me.

       JAMES GRABS A DOUGHNUT OFF A BAKING 
       TRAY AND EATS ITS.

                                KEVIN 

                 Can you show us how to make them?

                                TIM 

                 Sure. Come over here.

       ALL THREE WALK OVER TO A LARGE MIXING 
       MACHINE. TIM PICKS UP A LARGE 
       INDUSTRIAL BAG OF FLOUR.

                                KEVIN 

                 Wait a minute, let James give you a 

                 hand. He needs to learn by doing.

       JAMES PICKS UP A BAG OF FLOUR AND 
       POURS IT INTO THE LARGE METAL MIXING 
       CONTAINER. IN THE PROCESS HE 
       TRANSFERS SOME WHITE FLOUR FROM HIS 
       HAND TO THE TIP OF HIS NOSE.

                                KEVIN 

                 James, you have some flour on your 

                 face.

                                JAMES 

                 Oh, do I?

       JAMES WIPES HIS FACE IN THE WRONG 
       PLACE.

                                JAMES 

                 Did I get it?

                                KEVIN 

                 Nope. Try again.

       JAMES WIPES HIS FACE AGAIN, STILL IN 
       THE WRONG SPOT AND DOESN'T REMOVE ANY 
       FLOUR.

                                JAMES 

                 How's that?

                                KEVIN 

                 Yep. You got it.

       JAMES CONTINUES WITH FLOUR ON THE TIP 
       OF HIS NOSE. TIM LOOKS CONFUSED BY 
       THIS.

                                KEVIN 
                     (to Tim)

                 You people don't make crullers do 

                 you? Those doughnut things that look 

                 and taste like a tractor tire?

                                JAMES 
                     (to Kevin)

                 They're not really part of the 

                 doughnut family.

                                TIM 

                 Yeah we make them.

                                KEVIN 

                 Really. I can't believe that. Do 

                 people actually buy them?

                                TIM 

                 Yes they do. We make 'em everyday.

                                KEVIN 

                 What kind of morons buy crullers? I 

                 just can't understand that.

                                     --TO BE CONTINUED LATER IN THE 
                                                               SHOW
       Commercial Parody: Fat Devil

 8     EXT. CITY STREET - DAY.                                       8

       JAMES WALKS DOWN A CITY SIDEWALK 
       WHILE ADDRESSING THE CAMERA IN HIS 
       HOLLOW, TRANSPARENT "I'M ON TV AND 
       YOU'RE NOT" VOICE.

                                JAMES 

                 Hello, I'm James Whittingham. Perhaps 

                 you know me from "The James and Kevin 

                 Show". Regardless, by now you've 

                 probably noticed my great, free and 

                 easy hair cut. I achieved this 

                 fantastic look not at a salon, but 

                 with the patented Flowbee. A 

                 revolutionary device that attaches to 

                 the end of you vacuum cleaner hose.

 9     EXT. STREET BY MEDICAL CLINIC.                                9

                                JAMES 

                 Well, the innovative folks at Fat 

                 Devil, North America's most trusted 

                 vacuum company, took this idea one 

                 step further. They say, "What works 

                 for great hair cuts could also work 

                 for weight management.

       JAMES STOPS ON THE SIDEWALK TO SHOW A 
       MEDICAL CLINIC IN THE BACKGROUND.

                                JAMES 

                 Why spend thousands of dollars on a 

                 simple procedure you can do in the 

                 comfort of your own home?

       GRAPHIC: BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF 
       JAMES.

       

                 An actual photo of James Whittingham 

                 when he was over a hundred pounds 

                 heavier with the caption "before" 

                 over it. Beside it a recent photo of 

                 James with the caption "after" over 

                 it.

                                JAMES 
                     (V.O.)

                 I lost a total of a hundred and 

                 twenty pounds with the Fat Devil Home 

                 Liposuction System. Friends, let me 

                 tell you that I've never felt better. 

                 And I still enjoy generous portions 

                 of the foods I love.

10     4A. INT. LIVING ROOM.                                        10

       JAMES STANDS HOLDING A VACUUM CLEANER 
       HOSE IN ONE HAND AND A THIN PLASTIC 
       TUBE ATTACHMENT IN THE OTHER.

                                JAMES 

                 The Fat Devil Home Liposuction kit 

                 comes complete with a doctor-

                 inspired, patented vacuum cleaner 

                 attachment, a sterilized scalpel--

                 that's something the medical 

                 profession uses to cut things with--

                 and a suture kit that's as easy to 

                 use as sewing a button on an old 

                 sweater.

       CAMERA ZOOMS IN TO A MEDIUM CLOSE UP. 
       THE VACUUM IS HEARD BEING POWERED ON. 
       A DENTAL-LIKE SUCTION-SLURPING IS 
       HEARD OUT OF FRAME. JAMES GRIMACES 
       SLIGHTLY BUT CONTINUES TO SPEAK OVER 
       THE NOISE.

                                JAMES 

                 Order now and you will receive the 

                 ExtendaSuck attachment with mirror 

                 for hard to reach problem areas.

11     4B. INT. ANOTHER LIVING ROOM.                                11

       KEVIN STRUGGLES WITH AN ADULT LONG-
       HAIRED CAT AND A VACUUM CLEANER WITH 
       A FLOWBEE-LIKE ATTACHMENT.

                                JAMES 
                     (V.O.)

                 And, as a special bonus, if you call 

                 in the next five minutes, we'll also 

                 send you the Popeel Flowbee for cats. 

                 A twenty-nine, ninety-nine value.

       KEVIN POWERS ON THE VACUUM AND TRIES 
       TO APPLY THE ATTACHMENT TO HIS CAT 
       BUT THE CAT RESISTS AND IT GOES OUT 
       OF FRAME WITH THE ATTACHMENT MAKING 
       CONTACT.

        FLURRY OF CAT CRIES AND SCREAMS OFF 
       CAMERA

       A MOMENT LATER THE CAT NOISES 
       ABRUPTLY STOP. A SHORT TINY SHORT 
       HAIRED CAT, A FRACTION OF THE SIZE OF 
       THE FIRST, EMERGES AS IF IT JUST 
       RECEIVED A MAJOR HAIR CUT AND HAS 
       QUICKLY FORGOTTEN THE WHOLE ORDEAL.

12     GRAPHIC AND PHOTO--FAT DEVIL HOME LIPOSUCTION KIT.           12

                                JAMES 

                 Call now to order the Fat Devil home 

                 liposuction kit. 

                 Operators are standing by. You'll get 

                 the patented Fat Devil home 

                 liposuction kit with the bonus 

                 ExtendaSuck attachment, and the 

                 Flowbee for Cats, a twenty-nine, 

                 ninety-nine value.

[ top | next ]