This post was published as Scene 9 of The Muppets Yakuza
INT. NIGHT - BASEMENT-ESQUE ROOM
It’s really dark, like, really pushing the dynamic range on them cinema-grade
cameras that cost as much as my college tuition kind of dark, people in the
theaters will be complaining about the glare but the content will be so good
they’ll forget all their gripes. The room consists mostly of concrete, blood
stuffing stained concrete everywhere. Also, it’s dark as shit. One of those
industrial work lights turns on and we see SCOOTER hanging from the ceiling,
tied there by shoelaces. The laces are tied tightly enough around his limbs that
it would cut off circulation if not for him being a muppet. He is facing the
floor, and in the center of the room, his head faces stage left.
SCOOTER
What is- what is this? Where am I? What’s going on? Who
are you? Wait, no, I know who you are! I know what’s
going on here! You’re sexykink69 from the S and M
personals on Craigslist. Dude, I said was totally down
for this and to hit me up, but, like, you really seem
to have taken the hit and up parts a tad literally
here, it’s a phrase, y’know? Like, it just means to
contact me. I provided my contact information as well,
my E-mail, phone number, address, social security
number, fax number, hell, I even threw in my pager
number and this is how you treat me? Not cool, this is
extremely not cool as hell. I mean, I gotta admit, this
is pretty freakin’ hot, but I would have prefered this
be in a bit more of a consensual manner and at an
appointed time, see, I was just going to this one place
to kill some of these fuckin’ guys, these dudes, these
bros, I was gonna cut ‘em to bits with my katana, you
see. Shit, man, I really gotta get back to that, fuck.
Shit, fuck, goddamn it, this really is not a good time,
could you cut me loose and let me go for now, I’ll come
back later, is there anything you wanted me to grab?
Some lube, maybe? I could go get you some coffee? Or
some snacks? Some better rope, not to be picky, but
this is some uncomfortable rope. No? Nothing. Ok, well,
I’ll just be on my way then, good seeing you, man.
Goodbye. Can you, could you just,,, please cut me down?
ANIMAL appears on screen, coming in from behind the camera toward stage left. As
he steps forward he throws his arms into the air and begins shouting.
ANIMAL
The fuck? No, jesus, what the fuck? God, no. Fucking
hell. I’m here to torture the shit out of you to get
information about whoever you work for and their whole
deal, like, whatever their deal is, I need to know all
the details, the deets, I need to know all of them. So
we’re going to start torturing you. And, like, since
I’m not whoever you think I am from the forum thing or
whatever about your fetishes or whatever I don’t really
know what sort of stuff will actually convince you and
what will just get you off, so we’re going to be doing
a bit of experimentation. I’m going to torture you in a
bunch of ways and if you look like you’re enjoying
yourself and not giving us the information that we want
then we’ll move onto another method, got it?
SCOOTER
Ok, that’s a bit fucked, but I’m game. Tho, one small
‘deet’ about this whole thing. You said ‘actually
convince you’ implying that there are some methods of
torture that will actually push the tortee to give you
information, but it has been proven time and time again
that torture does not work as a method of acquisition.
In all likelihood, I will die from bloodstuffingloss
before I actually tell you anything you need to know.
ANIMAL
While I do understand your criticism, I do not believe
you are in a position to make any valid claims that may
contradict my motives. As such, I will continue on with
this torture as previously stated.
SCOOTER
I am not okay with this; however, it has been made
abundantly clear that my opinions are irrelevant and
therefore I must learn to adapt and accept my fate as
it may be.
The camera then pans to FOZZIE who was in the corner of the room opposite the
camera and toward stage right this whole time, but as it is dark as fuck and
there is only a single directional light source it is understandable if the
camera’s brightness range does not allow it to capture his figure in the corner.
At this point he is the sole focal point and should be in full focus. He is
stroking his crowbar at varying intervals, his mouth is foaming and it is clear
that his eyes are slowly rolling back into his head as he watches these events
unfold before him.
FOZZIE
Go fer* it, ANI!
*This is not a typo, this is a pun, let me live.
ANIMAL
Let’s begin then.
ANIMAL pulls out a pipe wrench and grins at the camera. He lifts up the wrench
and wraps it around SCOOTER’s left arm, which is facing the camera. ANIMAL
slowly begins to tighten the wrench around SCOOTER’s arm, this does not look
painful to the HUMAN audience so SCOOTER should shake about in pain/fear while
ANIMAL slightly grimaces.
SCOOTER
What the fuck do you even- what do you want to fucking
know- what the fuck. God- goddammit this fucking hurts!
Please! What do you want-
ANIMAL
Let’s start with the simple questions, to gauge your
reactions and just for the records.
SCOOTER
Ok, that sounds reasonable, I am ready to answer any
question that you ask me.
ANIMAL leans in (up?) to SCOOTER’s ear, it is his left ear as this is the side
of SCOOTER that is most visible to the camera.
ANIMAL
What is your name?
SCOOTER
I won’t tell you anything, you sick bastard, take that
wrench and shove it right up your goddamn fucking
urethra, you fucking shit face monster.
SCOOTER spits in the general direction of ANIMAL’s face, he misses as he is
upside down and hits the camera which is positioned behind ANIMAL’s head.
ANIMAL tightens the wrench further, the camera zooms in on ANIMAL’s hand which
is holding the wrench, slowly losing focus, there is an audible snapping noise
and the screen begins to fill with white stuffing, but also fading to black.
EXT. DAY - SOME NEW ENGLAND BAY
A small sail boat is bobbing up and down in an otherwise completely empty bay.
This has to be New England because it has that faded/desaturated aesthetic that
will really emphasize this scene, I think. Land can be seen off in the distance,
but just barely popping up from the horizon so that the audience assumes that
there is no way anything on this boat could be heard by anyone that is not on
the boat.
The camera slowly zooms in on the boat, coming to a stop just above the boat and
facing the back, the portion not covered by the roof, and we see SCOOTER tied
down to a table. He is clearly missing his left arm and stuffing is leaking
through the ropes on his left side. The camera should, like, pan in and slowly
tilt down so this position is with the camera facing top-down on the boat, with
the bow off screen stage left and the back of the boat ending just inside the
frame at stage right, SCOOTER should have be facing upward with his feet facing
the bow parallel to the boat. ANIMAL is standing below him on frame, by his
right arm.
There is country music playing in the background, too loud to imply that it was
set for leisure, and since the previous shot established that noise wouldn’t be
a problem, the audience should be forced to conclude that it is being used as a
form of torture at this point.
ANIMAL
So, are we willing to talk now?
SCOOTER
I will never tell you! I won’t say a fucking word! You
can’t make me, I will fucking fight you to the death.
FUCKING FITE ME. Wait,,, wait,,, what the fuck happened
to my fucking arm? Where is my arm? The fuck did you do
to me? Let me out! I need my arm!
ANIMAL
You weren’t cooperating, it forced me to,,, make some
decisions about certain limbs and locations of certain
torturings.
SCOOTER
WHAT!? YOU REMOVED MY FUCKING ARM? WHAT THE FUCK HOW IS
THAT SUPPOSED TO GET ME TO FUCKING TELL YOU ANYTHING.
ANIMAL
Well, I mean, like, it isn’t? The normal torture is
supposed to get you to talk but the amputation was
supposed to,,, uh,,, convince you that the rest of the
torture was supposed to work?
SCOOTER
If it worked so much, then what was the last question
you asked me, hmm?
ANIMAL
I asked for your name.
SCOOTER
Right, and did you get an answer, do you even know what
my name is? Do you even know who I am?
ANIMAL
You’re Scooter.
SCOOTER
Shit. I thought torture didn’t work, but here I am, you
asked a question and now you have the answer and the
only method by which you ever even attempted to acquire
this information was by torturing me so I guess I’m
going to have to change my opinion on the whole thing.
ANIMAL
Right, I mean, clearly if so many people in the past
and present have chosen torture as a means by which to
gather info it has to work, right? That’s just the way
things are. Now,,,
ANIMAL pulls out a small knife and sticks it between the ropes, the blade
parallel to the ropes to make it evident that he is going to cut SCOOTER, not
the ropes.
ANIMAL
,,,how did you even get into the Yakuza.
SCOOTER
Shit. shit. Shit. shit. I guess I have to tell you. My
uncle owned a theater.
ANIMAL
What? That makes no sense, that doesn’t answer my
question at all!
ANIMAL begins to drag the knife along SCOOTER’s stomach. A close up shot showing
the stuffing beginning to bubble out of SCOOTER would be perfect here.
SCOOTER
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK Let me explain! Theater’s are
mostly a cash business! People pay for tickets on the
spot! It’s perfect for laundering! So my uncle got
dragged into the Yakuza after I got hired on as a
stagehand guy that goes and gets stuff for people-
ANIMAL
A gofer.
SCOOTER
Yeah, yeah. Anyway, since I was already working there
and just doing chores and shit they figured ‘hey, this
kid can go do chores and shit for us, the motherfucking
yakuza, i mean getting coffee and laundering money are
basically the same fucking thing, right!??’ And, like,
I guess I’m pretty good at that, too. I mean, sure I
was originally only hired because of my uncle and good
ol’ nepotism but at least I’m pretty dec at my job as
well.
ANIMAL
Hold up. Nepotism?
SCOOTER
You know, giving friends and family advantages over
strangers in consideration for appointments, tasks,
wages, etc.?
ANIMAL
Yeah, I know what nepotism is, it’s just that some
people actually had to work their way up to this point.
Like, I had to fucking drag myself out of the slums to
get where I am now. I joined a band and with it the
underworld, I’ve had to kill so many to get to my
standing as it is and you just happened to be related
to some fuck who owned a goddamn theater? What the
fuck?
SCOOTER
I mean, I get that it’s a bit fucked up, but maybe
you’re overreacting? Like, why did you start torturing
me to begin with?
ANIMAL
Truth is we know everything we needed from you, who you
are, who sent you, what your goal was, etc etc. This
was an exercise in futility to begin with, I mean, it’s
torture for fuck’s sake, all information gathered by
torturing is much easier and more ethical to acquire by
other means, this was more of a message. We were
supposed to record this to intimidate your cohorts, not
actually figure out what you wanted. We all want the
same thing but for different people, it’s pretty
straightforward. But really! Fucking nepotism. Jesus
christ! Now, this is personal.
SCOOTER
Come on, man, we can work something out. Just let me
go. Come on!
ANIMAL
Nah, you’re fate is set.
SCOOTER
*your
ANIMAL begins cutting SCOOTER’s stomach open, cutting very slowly, SCOOTER
screams in agony as his stomach is currently being cut open. Stuffing begins to
pour out from the ropes. ANIMAL drags the rest of the stuffing out and SCOOTER’s
screams begin to turn into a whimper as his consciousness starts to shut down
with all the pain he is having to handle. Once SCOOTER is completely flat,
ANIMAL reseals him with a couple of strips of duct tape. Liberal use of close up
shots would be just dandy here.
Timelapse of ANIMAL and FOZZIE sitting on the boat fishing, each time they catch
a fish they stuff it into SCOOTER’s deflated body, slowly refilling him. The
timelapse ends when ANIMAL begins to struggle to stuff a fish into SCOOTER and
they untie him. Close up of his eyes which have stuffing coming out from behind
them, maybe this is his brain, idk im not a muppet physician.
ANIMAL
Well, what do you want me to do with him now?
FOZZIE
Is he still alive?
ANIMAL
Yeah, muppets are kind of freaky with this whole
survivability thing. Like, if torture doesn’t work on
animals and people that die easily I don’t know what we
expect with muppets.
FOZZIE
As previously established we just wanted to intimidate
them.
ANIMAL
Right, but given all that, what do I do with this sack
of fish?
FOZZIE
There any, like, sharks and whatnot out here?
ANIMAL
I dunno, probably, didn’t JAWS take place somewhere
around like Maryland or some shit.
FOZZIE
That’s probably south of here, unless it was Maine,
which would be north. I’m not entirely sure about any
of this though. Also, that was a fictional story about
a massive fake shark or something, I don’t think we
should base our decisions on that.
ANIMAL
True, true, but we could probably still assume there
are sharks or something along those lines out here, it
is the ocean after all.
FOZZIE
Ok, well, I guess even if there were no sharks here, we
could just throw him overboard and he’ll either drown
or get eaten eventually.
ANIMAL unties the ropes around SCOOTER, which are drenched in stuffing. He
shakes a bit of it out, but it is hopeless, there is stuffing all over the boat.
FOZZIE grabs SCOOTER’s legs and ANIMAL grabs his arms. They heave him over the
edge of the boat. Cut to a shot level with the water facing out from the boat,
we watch SCOOTER slowly sink, several shark fins pop up in the water heading
towards the camera and SCOOTER.
ANIMAL
Well, now we know that.
FOZZIE
Yeah,,, have you ever seen Dexter?
ANIMAL
Shit, yeah, we could have done that instead, that would
have been a sure bet.
FOZZIE
Yeah. Well, whatever. We should probably burn this boat
now.