making a deal with steve buscemi
tongue and steak
VR
Phone
Hannah
Martha
Wes and Rob
MC
josh and meg loml
Here are some other fun materials I prepped!
Treatment:
The film opens on MC on the phone with a company about a product that broke in her store. While she’s on the phone call with the PR representative, a couple enters the store and begins browsing. After MC finishes her call, the couple makes their way to the front of the store, and then suddenly, their son enters on a date. The two parties begin arguing about the other being in the “shady” store and eventually MC steps in, taking the blame needed in order for the two parties to reach a resolution. After the two parties leave, MC begins checking her voicemail, revealing her itinerary for the day.
First, she receives a call from her boss reminding her about a delivery coming in, then from her son-in-law thanking her for offering to take her nephew, Ashberry, out to ice cream later, and finally a short call from an ex-lover, Barbara, begging forgiveness. While MC is finishing up her calls, a blimp passes the store advertising a skin restoration seminar. MC, seeing that there is nobody in the store, scans a code for the seminar and then enters the site via her VR goggles.
The seminar takes place in what seems to be a virtual abandoned church; the pews are dimly lit via colored light strips and the presenter, Benjamin, who is a literal can of beans, is wheeled down the empty aisles on a platform. When he gets to the stand, Benjamin fumbles with the paper for a bit before it finally unrolls itself. The seminar focuses on the importance of sheer will in bettering one’s skincare routine. Benjamin outlines the discipline of peeling away un-regenerated skin every hour and stretching out new layers early. MC absorbs every bit of the seminar, the text floating down the pews and into every orifice on her body. As she inhales the lesson, a foul scent hits MC’s nostrils and she takes off her VR goggles to reenter the real world.
In front of her, there is a woman with a mysterious box waiting at the counter. MC and the woman, Martha, go back and forth for some time—Martha trying to deliver fraud inventory and MC continuing to demand a password entry. Then, Martha pulls a gun out at MC, shoving the inventory box forward and backing up. MC has a new motivation to protect her skin, so she reaches for her own firearm. Martha fires, just barely skimming MC’s arm, and bolts from the store, leaving behind her box of illegal body parts. After MC has cleaned herself up, a group of teenagers enter the store attempting to purchase drinks with fake IDs. MC refuses their offer initially, but then falters and goes back to her old ways, negotiating a deal with the teenagers. MC makes sure to warn the teenagers of the dangers drinking can pose to their skin before they exit. As they’re walking out, Ashberry and his father enter the store. After Ashberry’s dad leaves him with his grandma, Ashberry begins whining for his ice cream. As MC and Ashberry are leaving the store, MC receives a call from her co-worker asking MC to cover for her at the store again. MC regretfully obliges and drags Ashberry back to the store. Ashberry throws a fit in the middle of the store and MC is so fed up with it that she cuts out his tongue and tells him to wait in the corner.
She goes to the bathroom to seek some pretense of solitude, and while she is peeing, she notices the same can of beans presenter from the seminar in the stall next to her. She confronts the presenter, Benjamin, about leading her down a dark path in life. Benjamin pleads not guilty, saying he is being wrongfully accused. MC grabs Benjamin and accidentally pops his can and kills the presenter in her rage. While MC is cleaning up the bean remains, Ashberry dials the police, the “poopie,” because of the noise. A policeman arrives at the store and demands to be let in. MC finishes cleaning up the crime scene just as he forces his way into the bathroom. The policeman scans the bathroom, looking for traces of a crime. MC scans the room, looking to see if she missed something, and spots a piece of bean guts on an “employee of the month” poster. She quickly drowns and disposes of the “poopie” body, runs out of the bathroom, and grabs Ashberry on her way out of the store. The film closes with the empty store’s “open” sign spinning.
