The cake plates were gathered as Tippy offered brandy and coffee, she asked the children to come inside and watch a DVD with her. They gleefully scampered inside, deciding amongst themselves whether it was and Indiana Jones night or a cartoon festival.
“Well, thank you all for consenting to meet with me tonight.” David put his coffee cup down. “And, of course, to our hosts for such a wonderful meal.”
Ripley stood. “Well, I’ll take my leave then ladies and gentlemen. I believe it’s time for business and I think there’s a game on I’d like to watch.” I turned to Ian. “I’ll be inside if you need anything.”
“Thank you Ripley. I think I’ll be fine.”
Colton, too, stood to make an exit. “Well, I’ll see how the children are handling my wife and son. They are quite a handful. The grandbabies are all fine, but my wife and children can be quite rowdy.”
“I’ll join you, Colton. Maybe you and I can watch that game with Ripley.” Jude pushed back his chair and followed his buddy inside leaving behind all the diners who had business to be discussed.
Tuner took one more sip from his cup and placed it in the saucer, ready to get down to business. “Ian I’d like to congratulate you on your instincts. I’ve said it before, but you’ve spotted a real talent in Jenson Michael and had the good sense to nail him down.”
He pulled out a script, the word “Quarters” clearly emblazoned on the cover. “This is quite an…” he looked for just the right word, “…intimate script. You are very courageous to even consider this. You all know that once this hits the screens, hell once the word leaks out you are even considering making something like this you’ll be pipe bombed from every direction.” Turner warned.
“Yes, sir…we want to make it as quickly and quietly as possible, without damaging the piece.” Ian noted.
“And everyone is prepared?” He looked at each person in the group. “Jeremy, you will probably end up taking the biggest hits.”
“I know…” he said. “Susan and I have discussed it and we think it’s something I have to be involved in.”
“And if it ruins your career?”
“Then I went out with a bang that I’m proud of.” Jeremy leaned back in his chair and smiled. “That’s not something I can say about most of my work...”
Turner turned to Saxon. “And you young lady, this is a jaw dropping departure from anything you’ve ever been associated with.”
“I know, but like Jeremy, this is something I have to do, and I will do at whatever cost.” Saxon was firm.
“My only concern at this point is how I can fit in…” Turner said.
“Excuse me…?” Ian said.
“It’s obvious that the three of you are of one mind…I’m hoping you’ll consider an old man adding his fourth the mix.”
Ian looked at Jeremy. “We’re honored sir….”
Turner held up his hand. “Let me finish, son.” He chuckled to himself. “Did you know that Douglas Fairbanks once refused to work on a picture I was directing because he didn’t want his image tainted by a pornographer?”
Ian’s eyes got big. “No I didn’t.”
“We were considered quite racy in our time. A lot of houses wouldn’t even play an HRT film because they feared repercussions.”
Jeremy was amazed, “I’ve seen most of your work. I’m shocked.”
“Back then, it only took a kiss with all feet on the ground or a bedroom furnished with a double bed to raise the ire of the public. That’s one of the reasons why the three of us formed the company; we were tired of having what we considered our art being tainted by people who mistook money for morals.”
Turner looked off in the distance for a moment. “I haven’t directed in 32 years. This may very well be the last chance I have to do it. I’ve thought that someday I’d find just the right piece for my swan song, and this my fellow artists…” He reached over and took a quiet Susan’s hand. “I’m including you in this as well, my dear Susan. This is it. I want to go out the way I came in, shocking the public with the best piece of art I can make and making them question everything about the fabric that makes them up.”
“Mr. Turner…” Ian stepped in. “We have some very definite things in mind for Quarters, are you sure you’d be comfortable with some…hell, all of the content?”
“Ian, let just tell you how I see it, and then I’ll leave you be to make your decision…and I assure you that whether a yes or a no follows my offer, I am already guaranteeing that HRT will distribute this film.”
“We have nothing to loose then…” Saxon urged Turner to continue.
“I want to shoot this like the old days, just some lights, a sound guy and a camera or two, very intimate. I think the script calls for the details of the sex sequences to be filmed almost exactly as they were originally done, we’ll use a hand held video camera and then transfer to film to give it a stark reality to contrast with the starkness of the life sequences….”
“That’s kind of what we had in mind…” Ian said softly.
“And I don’t think we should try and simulate anything. I think that will be too phony. We’ll just make sure that all the actors involved are aware and willing to…well…take one for the team. It will make it hard to cast and a bitch to edit, but I believe we can do it.”
The old man seemed to percolate with energy as he began talking about his visions. “I’ve even thought that we might release two versions on DVD, the released version and then the version we really wanted to print but knew none of these mall complexes would dare show. We can market the second one at a hefty price and donate the proceeds to charities…AIDS foundations, suicide hotline, drug rehab centers.”
Jeremy agreed. “I was thinking that. I knew good and well what we thought were the best shots might not be able to be used, and there would be an interest in it, so we could justify releasing the original version to raise money for the causes it speaks out about.”
“Now how about casting?” Turner asked. “Any one besides Mr. Tyson as Ms. Allen here on board?”
“Not yet.” Ian admitted. “We’ve been very cautious only to talk to people we really wanted and thought would be interested, to kind of keep the buzz nil. We wanted John Barryman for the best friend, but he turned us down.”
“Hmmm…” Turner nodded his head. “I was thinking that for most of the smaller roles we could maybe use some people who actually do this sort of thing…”
Ian’s eyes brightened. “Jenson could probably set us up with some people from the industry. He’s not involved anymore, but still might have some friends.”
“I was going to ask about that.” Saxon said. “I think we should do some research beyond just downloading stuff on the computer…see how it’s made, at least talk to a few people.”
Susan final spoke. “I have an idea. How about Ian play Will?”
Jeremy smiled. “Saxon and I have been thinking about that, too…”
“Absolutely not…” Ian refused.
“Oh come on, don’t you wanna get some footage to show our grandchildren?” Jeremy teased making the groups laugh.
David Turner interrupted the laughter. “Well now, I have two more ideas, or maybe I should say that I took liberties with…and then let you gentlemen make your decisions. Does any one know who Andreas Lasse is?”
“The Swedish cinematographer?”
“That’s him. Best there is, easy to work with, creative in what he calls guerilla film making and got his start shooting American porn…he’s interested, just waiting for a call. Will work cheap, if I give him a deal to direct his own masterpiece.”
Jeremy was practically in the floor. “Holy shit! This is going to happen; it’s really going to happen.”
“One more thing. Ian, you know I adore you and everyday your abilities astonish me, you remind me a lot of myself at your age, but I agree with you. You are not right for the best friend but I have talked with the perfect candidate. I gave him the script, told him who was involved…and I think he’s interested.”
“Who?” Jeremy asked.
“Would you like to meet him?”
“Sure” Ian piped in, “Set something up.”
To their surprised David Turner reached in his pocket and flipped open his cell phone. “You there…good...still pretty pissed off…well come on back…” Turner closed his phone and stood. “This may get ugly, so I’ll leave you to fight it out. I’m going to kiss Mr. Shores lovely wife and those precious children goodnight and wait patiently fro your phone call telling me whether or not I get the job…”
Turner left the four of them staring blankly at each other, suddenly a copy of the script came barreling through the shrubs and landed in the patio. The trees rustled and suddenly an angry voice boomed, “Who the fuck decided not to count me in? You mother fuckers!”
They turned to see Trampus Scott standing before them, nostrils flaring…and the part was cast.
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