Logan McInnes' E-Portfolio
Pulp's Premise
Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary won the 1995 Oscar Award for “Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” for Pulp Fiction at the 67th Academy Awards. Along with the Oscar win, Pulp Fiction won 69 other awards and was nominated 72 different times. IMDB lists Pulp Fiction as “Top Rated Movie #8.”
INT. - THE WRITING
Looking at Pulp Fiction’s last screenplay draft from May 1993, labeled “Red Original,” I broke down the script into 23 sequences of scenes that make up the story.
At the beginning of the script, the word “pulp” is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary: New College Edition. According to Screen Rant, “The movie’s title refers to the latter meaning of pulp fiction, popular during the mid-20th century and known for graphic violence and snappy dialogue. These were printed on cheap wood pulp. . .” The definition of “pulp” sets the tone for what the audience is about to experience.
During the story, Tarantino and Avary write three intertwining stories. The story goes as follows.
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(SEQUENCE 1) There is a YOUNG MAN, referred to as “PUMPKIN,” and a YOUNG WOMAN, referred to as “HONEY BUNNY,” who are sitting down at a breakfast table at a restaurant in LA. The man (Pumpkin) proposes to the woman (Honey Bunny) that it’s better to rob a restaurant than a bank or liquor store because no one expects it. They both take out their .32-caliber pistols, abruptly stand on the seats of their booth, and yell out to all the breakfastgoers and kitchen staff that this is a robbery.
(SEQUENCE 2) CUT TO: VINCENT VEGA (WHITE) and JULES WINNFIELD (BLACK) are driving down the road in a white 1974 Chevy Nova and have the iconic conversation about a quarter pounder being called a “royale with cheese” in France. They arrive at an apartment complex with .45 automatics and discuss their situation. Marsellus Wallace, their gang boss, had beef with Antoine Roccamora (AKA “Tony Rocky Horror”) about supposedly giving Marsellus’ wife a foot massage, causing Marsellus to throw Roccamora off of a four-story building. Vincent tells Jules that Marsellus is going to Florida and that he’s to watch his wife, MIA WALLACE. Vincent and Jules knock on the door of an apartment, interrupting ROGER and BRETT’S BIG KAHUNA BREAKFAST while MARVIN is in the corner of the room, and Jules kills Roger and Brett for screwing over Marsellus after Vincent retrieves a black suitcase OF WHICH THE INSIDE IS NOT SHOWN AS VINCENT OPENS IT from the kitchen. Before Jules kills Brett, he recites EZEKIEL 25:17, a very creative invention by TARANTINO & AVARY.
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(SEQUENCE 3) CUT TO: “VINCENT VEGA & MARSELLUS WALLACE’S WIFE” (PAGE 26). BUTCH COOLIDGE, the boxer, talks to Marsellus O.S., Wallace hands Butch an envelope of money, and they make a deal that the opponent will go down in the fifth round.
(SEQUENCE 4) CUT TO: Vincent goes into Sally LeRoy’s club and meets ENGLISH DAVE and Butch Coolidge before meeting with Marsellus O.S.
(SEQUENCE 5) CUT TO: LANCE (late 20s, drug dealer), JODY (Lance’s wife), TRUDI (a young woman), and Vincent are at Lance’s house. Lance sells special heroin to Vincent, and Vincent shoots it up with a needle before driving to Marsellus Wallace’s place to pick up Mia.
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(SEQUENCE 6) CUT TO: Vincent shows up at Marsellus’ place, and Mia tells him O.S. to come in through the intercom. They share a drink, and they drive in Vincent’s RED MALIBU to a 50s dinner, JACK RABBIT SLIM’S. Vincent tells Mia that he just got back from Amsterdam, and Mia tells Vincent that she was in a TV PILOT. Mia goes to the bathroom to “powder her nose,” returns to share her $5 milkshake with Vincent, and they get on the dance floor for the iconic twist dance and win the trophy. When they get back to Mia’s/Marsellus’ place, Vincent goes to the bathroom while Mia grabs the special heroin that Vincent bought from Lance out of his coat pocket and overdoses. Vincent drags Mia into the car and speeds to Lance’s house for the adrenaline shot.
(SEQUENCE 7) CUT TO: Vincent gets to Lance’s house at 1:30 AM and stabs the adrenaline shot into Mia’s chest in front of Lance and Judy. Mia is revived.
(SEQUENCE 8) CUT TO: Vincent drops Mia back off at her place, and they agree never to speak of the incident again.
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(SEQUENCE 9) FLASHBACK TO: Butch as a five-year-old receives his golden watch from Captain Coons.
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(SEQUENCE 10) CUT TO: “THE GOLD WATCH” (PAGE 69). Butch kills his opponent in the boxing ring, sprints to a cab, and cab driver ESMERELDA picks him up.
(SEQUENCE 11) CUT TO: Esmerelda drops Butch off at a motel to meet his girlfriend FABIAN. Meanwhile, ENGLISH DAVE informs Marsellus that Butch ran away, and Marsellus gets pissed to the point where he is going to find Butch at all costs.
(SEQUENCE 12) CUT TO: The next morning at the motel, Butch realizes Fabian forgot to grab his gold watch from their apartment before leaving. Butch goes back to the apartment and realizes there is an M61 SMG on the counter, Vincent casually walks out of the bathroom, Butch guns him down, puts the watch on, and exits the apartment.
(SEQUENCE 13) CUT TO: Butch is driving back to Fabian and runs into Marsellus on the road, who is SEEN ON THE SCREEN FOR THE FIRST TIME (PAGE 98). After Butch hits Marsellus, he gets in an accident. Marsellus chases Butch on foot with a .45 automatic to a Mason-Dixon Pawnshop.
(SEQUENCE 14) CUT TO: MAYNARD, the guy at the counter of the pawnshop, holds Marsellus and Butch hostage and waits for ZED to come.
(SEQUENCE 15) CUT TO: Butch and Marsellus are tied up in chairs with red ball gags in their mouths, Zed and Maynard then rape Marsellus in the other room while Butch is left alone with THE GIMP (man in a black costume), Butch escapes the chair and grabs a samurai sword from the shop, comes back downstairs and slices Maynard, Marsellus shoots Zed in the groin and leaves him alive for some “medieval torture,” and Marsellus and Butch agree to never speak of this again and that Butch is to leave town.
(SEQUENCE 16) CUT TO: Butch leaves the pawnshop after grabbing the now-dead Maynard’s motorcycle keys, and he heads to the motel and picks up Fabian.
(SEQUENCE 17) CUT TO: “JULES, VINCENT, JIMMIE, & THE WOLF” (PAGE 112). Jules and Vincent kill a man who was in the bathroom of the apartment and take Marvin, the man in the corner, in the white 1974 Chevy Nova.
(SEQUENCE 18) CUT TO: Vincent blows Marvin’s head off with his gun, and Jules phones up his friend JIMMIE for a garage to clean the car in.
(SEQUENCE 19) CUT TO: Jules and Vincent park the car in Jimmie’s garage, and Marsellus calls THE WOLF (AKA WINSTON WOLF).
(SEQUENCE 20) CUT TO: The Wolf shows up at Jimmie’s speeding in a silver PORSCHE. Jules and Vincent clean the car up, put Marvin’s dead body into the trunk, and line the car’s interior with quilts to camouflage the mess.
(SEQUENCE 21) CUT TO: Jules and Vincent strip out of their black, bloody suits, The Wolf washes them with the hose, and The Wolf drives the white 1974 Chevy Nova with Jules in the passenger’s seat while Vincent follows in The Wolf’s Porsche to MONSTER JOE’S TRUCK AND TOE in North Hollywood.
(SEQUENCE 22) CUT TO: The Wolf pays JOE $3,000, takes his daughter Raquel to breakfast, and Jules and Vincent take a cab.
(SEQUENCE 23 PICKS UP FROM SCENE 1) CUT TO: Jules and Vincent end up at the same breakfast joint as Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Vincent goes to the bathroom, leaving Jules alone at the table when Pumpkin and Honey Bunny begin their robbery. Pumpkin gets to Jules’ booth and tells him to throw his wallet in the trash bag, Pumpkin asks Jules what’s in the briefcase, Jules opens it for Pumpkin BUT THE AUDIENCE DOESN’T SEE WHAT IS INSIDE, and Jules pulls out a gun on Pumpkin. Jules makes a deal that Pumpkin and Honey Bunny take the $1,500 from his wallet and all the money from all the other wallets and leave the restaurant. Vincent makes his way back to the table amid the ordeal, but Pumpkin and Honey do as Jules says. Pumpkin and Honey Bunny leave the restaurant with the wallets, and Jules and Vincent leave with their guns and the mysterious briefcase in Vincent’s hand.
WRITER SPOTLIGHT
Quentin Tarantino, winner of 171 awards and 286 nominations to this point, is known for several films: Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Natural Born Killers (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) & Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) & Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006), Death Proof (2007), Inglorious Bastards (2009), Django Unchained (2012), The Hateful Eight (2015) & The Hateful Eight: Extended Version TV Series (2019), and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood (2019). Tarantino’s upcoming projects include a TV show Bounty Law, currently in the pre-production phase, and Django/Zorro, a follow-up to his previous film Django Unchained (2012) (IMDB).
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Additionally, Roger Avary, winner of 15 awards and 2 nominations to this point, is credited for several films as well: Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Glitterati (2004), and Silent Hill (2006). Avary’s upcoming project is a film, Black Hole, in the pre-production phase (IMDB).
E.T. Phone Home!
Melissa Matheson was the 1983 Oscar Nominee for “Best Screenplay Written for the Screen” for the film, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Along with Matheson’s Oscar Nominee, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial won 4 Oscars and had 52 awards and 38 nominations (IMDB).
INT. - THE WRITING
Looking at the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial “Shooting Script,” revised September 8, 1981, I broke down the script into 23 sequences of scenes that make up the story.
Melissa Matheson’s story about a little alien, stranded on Earth from his home and family, is so rich with emotion. Little E.T. becomes inseparable from a boy named Elliott, who has no friends or father in the picture. Matheson’s genius brings two fish-out-of-water stories into one, which creates a profound connection between E.T. and Elliott and simultaneously deepens Elliott’s relationship with his family which has been in shambles after his parents’ divorce. E.T. is Elliott’s wish come true, a friend and someone who sincerely loves him. Elliott is also E.T.'s wish come true, a savior, a loved friend, and someone who will stop at nothing to get him back home.
Matheson’s story goes as follows.
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(SEQUENCE 1) An ALIEN exits a spaceship down the plank into the redwood forest. People spot the ship and investigate, but before they get the chance, the spaceship takes off leaving little E.T. stranded on Earth.
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(SEQUENCE 2) ELLIOTT, a “fatherless and friendless 9 or 10-year-old boy” (as stated in the script), plays Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) with his older 14-year-old brother, MICHAEL, TYLER (Michael’s best friend), 14-year-old GREG, and STEVE. MARY, who is divorced, in her late 30s, and is Elliott, Michael, and GERTIE’S mother, is in the kitchen while the boys are playing D&D. Elliott goes outside to get a pizza that the boys ordered without Mary knowing and hears a noise in the backyard that he thinks is HARVEY, the dog. Elliott sees E.T. and goes inside to tell everyone that he saw something in the shed. Everyone goes out to the shed to investigate, but there is nothing.
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(SEQUENCE 3) Elliott is asleep in bed and hears another noise coming from the backyard. Elliott finds E.T. in the vegetable garden and lures the creature inside to his room with a trail of M&Ms.
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(SEQUENCE 4) E.T. falls asleep in Elliott’s bedroom closet. Meanwhile, people are looking for the alien.
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(SEQUENCE 5) E.T. is hidden in the closet, while Mary, Elliott’s mom, examines Elliott’s hot forehead. Elliott is faking that he’s ill and uses a lamp to raise his temperature. After Mary leaves, Elliott goes to the fridge to get him and E.T. food. E.T. acts like a curious little child, as he rummages through items in Elliott’s bedroom and causes a mess. Elliott comes back, and they eat together.
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(SEQUENCE 6) Michael, Elliott’s older brother, gets home from school. Elliott takes Michael to his room and has him promise that he won’t say a word about what he is about to see. As Elliott comes out of the closet with E.T., their little sister, Gertie, barges in and screams. Their mom comes into the room after hearing the commotion, and Michael, Gertie, and E.T. hide in the closet. After Mary leaves the room, Michael and Gertie promise Elliott that they won’t tell anyone, not even their mom.
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(SEQUENCE 7) The family has dinner, and the kids save scraps for E.T. to eat. The kids all go to Elliott’s bedroom, Elliott pulls out an Atlas, and E.T. stops Elliott on the solar system page. E.T. takes clay, rolls the clay into planet balls, and makes the balls levitate in the air, rotating like planets to tell the kids that he’s from outer space.
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(SEQUENCE 8) After he makes the geranium bloom, E.T. speaks for the first time saying, “Elliott, Elliott.” The next day at the bus stop, the D&D boys (Greg, Steve, and Tyler) make fun of Elliott and his “goblin story.” They all get on the school bus, and Michael and Elliott are concerned about leaving E.T. home alone.
(SEQUENCE 9) Left alone to his devices, E.T. tries potato salad from the fridge and drinks a case of Coors Light. E.T. gets drunk and is amazed at the TV. Meanwhile, Elliott releases frogs from their jars at school in the science lab during their class dissection. At this point, it becomes clear that E.T. has used his powers to become in sync with Elliott because Elliott acts drunk as well and grabs the PRETTY GIRL’S hand in class and kisses her romantically, as is displayed on the TV that E.T. is watching. Mary and Gertie come home while E.T. is drunk, and Mary doesn’t realize the alien. Gertie goes into the living room with E.T. and teaches him how to speak with the “Speak & Spell” device. Mary leaves to pick up Elliott from school.
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(SEQUENCE 10) Elliott gets back home and goes to his room. This is when E.T. says his famous line for the first time, “E.T. phone home.” Shortly after, a “high tech audio ‘snooper’ van” (as stated in the script) listens to the family’s conversations at the bottom of their driveway. Mary tells Gertie a bedtime story, and Elliott cuts his finger on a saw blade and E.T. heals the wound with his glowing finger.
(SEQUENCE 11) Michael and Elliott are dressed up for trick-or-treating, along with E.T. disguised as Gertie in a white ghost sheet. After Mary snaps a Polaroid picture of the three, they leave to go trick-or-treating with Harvey, the dog. They are to be home no later than one hour after sundown.
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(SEQUENCE 12) The kids get on their bikes and get to the “lookout,” a high point with a panoramic view of their town. E.T. makes Elliott’s bike fly through the night sky in front of the full moon. This scene is arguably one of the most iconic scenes of all time in film. They get to the “landing zone,” where the spaceship landed, and use the “Speak & Spell communicator” to “phone E.T.'s home.” Meanwhile, the “SOUND OF KEYS” peeks in Elliott’s closet to try and find the alien.
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(SEQUENCE 13) Mary goes out to pick up the kids from their trick-or-treating, but Elliott is nowhere to be found because he was at the landing zone with E.T. Elliott fell asleep, and E.T. ran off.
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(SEQUENCE 14) Elliott comes back home while Mary is talking to a police officer about him going missing. Michael leaves on his bike to find E.T. in the forest, and a car follows Michael. Michael finds E.T. in the creek and pulls him out. Michael wraps E.T. in the ghost sheet, puts him in the basket on the back of his bike, and rides back home.
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(SEQUENCE 15) Michael and Elliott put E.T. in his resting area in Elliott’s bedroom. Michael tells Elliott about him getting followed by the car and that they must tell their mom or “they’ll lose E.T.” (AKA he will die).
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(SEQUENCE 16) Michael shows E.T. to his mom for the first time, as E.T. and Elliott lay in the shower. A MAN IN A SPACE SUIT enters the house.
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(SEQUENCE 17) The family’s home is wrapped up in transparent vinyl and is invaded by SCIENTISTS and DOCTORS galore. They have all come to witness the mystery that has lived in their home and to save the lives of E.T. and Elliott. The kids are asked a bunch of questions, and Michael tells a doctor that Elliott feels what E.T. feels.
(SEQUENCE 18) The doctors perform tests on Elliott and E.T. who lay on beds side by side. Elliott tells KEYS (the doctor who has jangling keys on his side) that E.T. wants to go home. Michael screams in sadness as he sits in E.T.’s resting place and witnesses the geranium plant die. The doctors try defibrillation on E.T.’s heart, which is unsuccessful. Mary tries to comfort Elliott, as E.T. lies dead.
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(SEQUENCE 19) KEYS (doctor trying to save E.T.) lets Elliott see E.T. one last time. Elliott begins to cry, and just as he shuts the coffin, he witnesses the geranium plant come back to life! E.T. is alive! Elliott tells E.T. to stay and be quiet so that the others don’t know he is alive. Elliott tells Michael who becomes ecstatic. Michael and Elliott hijack the van that has E.T. in it, and Elliott without his driver’s license does his best to drive away.
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(SEQUENCE 20) Michael rolls down the window and tells the D&D boys (Greg, Tyler, and Steve) to meet them at the playground on their bikes. Michael and Elliott exit the van, Elliott puts E.T. underneath the white sheet and in the basket on his bike, and all the kids take off on their bikes to head to the landing zone.
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(SEQUENCE 21) Mary and Gertie, KEYS, and the police arrive at the van, but it is empty. All of the boys on their bikes get their riding path blocked by police cars, but E.T.’s power comes back, and he makes all the boys fly through the sky on their bikes!
(SEQUENCE 22) All of the boys arrive at the landing zone, as well as Mary and Gertie, KEYS, and the police. The spaceship appears, and Michael, Gertie, and Elliott have their last interactions with E.T. The interaction between E.T. and Elliott is so powerful and bittersweet. E.T. is going to get back home, but little Elliott will most likely never see him again, except for in his memory. E.T. gets back on the spaceship, and it takes off into space.
(SEQUENCE 23) The boys get back to their game of D&D at Elliott’s house. The polaroid pic of Elliott, Michael, and E.T. is pinned to the wall, E.T.’s clay planets are hung by wires above Elliott’s bed, and E.T.’s communicator is on the roof, still working and sending messages into space. The camera pans deep into space.
WRITER SPOTLIGHT
Melissa Matheson, Oscar Nominee for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial as well as 3 award wins and 6 nominations total, is known for The Black Stallion (1979), The Escape Artist (1982), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) & E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: The Video Game (1982), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), E.T. Phone Home: The Video Game (1983), Son of the Morning Star: TV Mini-Series (2 episodes) (1991), The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), Kundun (1997), Universal Studios Theme Parks Adventure: The Video Game (2001), Ponyo (2008), and The BFG (2016).
Melissa Matheson passed away on November 4, 2015. If Matheson were still alive today, I could not thank her enough for her brilliant writing and the impact she left on the world. Thank you, Melissa.
Just Got Dark In The Ozarks
The television show Ozark, created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2022 and is still available to stream. Ozark won 4 Primetime Emmys and 29 awards with 203 total nominations. The writers throughout the show include Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams, Chris Mundy, Paul Kolsby, Ning Zhou, Martin Zimmerman, Miki Johnson, John Shiban, Ryan Farley, Laura Deeley, Alyson Feltes, Whit Anderson, David Manson, Michael M. Chang, and Jed Rapp Goldstein.
INT. - THE WRITING
The season 4 episode 14 series finale, “A Hard Way to Go,” was written by Chris Mundy and directed by Jason Bateman. The pilot and season 4 finale scripts can be found and downloaded from The Script Lab website, which is free to create an account and download scripts.
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In my opinion, Ozark is hands down one of the best shows, if not the best, that has aired on television. From the very beginning of the show, you are introduced to the Byrds/Birds. “As explained by showrunner Chris Mundy (via Express), the Byrde/Bird analogy alludes to how the family had "literally taken flight from where they were.’ He [Mundy] further added that the Byrdes are invasive species in the Ozarks because if it weren't for them, many people would still be alive and well” (ScreenRant).
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Marty Byrde, the husband to Wendy, father to Jonah and Charlotte, and financial advisory partner to Bruce Liddell gets caught between a rock and a hard place because of Bruce. It becomes quickly apparent in the series pilot episode that Marty and Bruce have been laundering money for a Mexican drug Cartel. Bruce’s decision to mishandle the drug money, amid marital issues between Marty and Wendy, causes the Birds to “take flight” to the Ozarks.
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The Brydes’ new home in the Lake of the Ozarks becomes an iconic place in the show. In their hopes to escape the troubles in Chicago by going to the Ozarks, the problems only worsen. The Byrdes’ new home, fixated near the water, introduces the next-door neighbors, the Langmores and the Snells.
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Throughout “Ozark,” there is a continuous series of character actions that fuse character development, and in turn, drive the story forward. The storytelling is immaculate, and the pacing is brilliant. When characters are introduced, there is perfect timing in their introduction and action that pushes the story. The characters and their deep, raw dialogue create such emotion for the audience, allowing them to connect so deeply with the story.
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The stakes are consistently life or death and rise to new heights, keeping the audience extremely engaged with the story. In the series finale, Chris Mundy’s storytelling is genius. There was much controversy and debate about the series’ ending, but to me, it makes complete sense. The last unloose ties are knotted in the most bittersweet way in the series finale, shaking the audience. The series finale is a testament to the heart of the show, which includes a focus on social class, familial relationships, wealth, and the dangers and consequences of playing with fire.
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In my opinion, the story that unfolds throughout Ozark is some of the most brilliant storytelling and writing that I have ever witnessed, and I am sure that many others would attest to how well thought out and genius the show is. Because of the well-written scripts and storytelling throughout the series, the addition of such a phenomenal cast brings even more life to the heartbeat already established from the words on the paper.
WRITER SPOTLIGHT
According to the Milken Institute, “Chris Mundy spent 11 years as a senior writer and contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine before transitioning to television.” For Ozark, Mundy wrote the season 1 finale “The Toll,” season 2 first episode “Reparations” and season 2 finale “The Gold Coast,” season 3 first episode “Wartime” and season 3 finale “All In,” and the season 4 first episode “The Beginning of the End,” season 4 episode 8 “The Cousin of Death” and season 4 series finale “A Hard Way to Go.” I believe the episodes that Mundy wrote were some of the best episodes in the entire series.
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Chris Mundy was a writer on “Chicago Hope” (1999-2000), “Deadline” (2000), writer and co-producer on “Leap of Faith” (2002), writer and producer on “Presidio Med” (2002-03), writer and producer on “Line of Fire” (2003-04), writer and supervising producer on “Cold Case” (2004-05), writer on “Head Cases” (2005) & “Heist” (2006), writer, executive producer, co-executive producer and consulting producer on “Criminal Minds” (2006-10), writer and executive producer on “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior” (2011), writer and co-executive producer on “Hell on Wheels” (2012), writer and executive producer on “Low Winter Sun” (2013), producer on “White City: TV Movie” (2015), writer and executive producer on “Bloodline” (2016), writer, executive producer and showrunner on “Ozark” (2017-22), and writer and executive producer on “True Detective” (2024).
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Chris Mundy has three projects that are currently in pre-production. Mundy is an executive producer (showrunner) and writer on the upcoming DC “Lanterns” television series. Mundy is also a writer for the forthcoming Sublime biopic film about the life of the former lead singer of Sublime, Bradley Nowell. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “KJ Apa is to star as the late singer for the movie that has Justin Chon set to direct. The untitled project is currently in development, with Chon working on the screenplay with Bobby Hundreds following an initial draft from Chris Mundy.” Last but not least, Mundy is an executive producer on the upcoming television series, “A Cool Breeze on the Underground.”