Skin Flicker (the Christ Complex)
Michael, an out of work bond salesman, does a porno film because he needs money (this is NOT an x-rated film, fyi. Any nudity at director's discretion).
He is paired with an attractive young woman named Sarah, and he becomes obsessed with here, being very unsatisfied with his relationship with his girlfriend Dolores.
As a result he starts calling all the local porno producers trying to figure out where she will be shooting so he has a chance to meet her again.
A producer promises to pair them up again but when he shows up the actress has been changed to Eve, a young black woman. She is nice and they talk, but Michael can't keep his mind off of Sarah. Michael meets his best friend Nathan at a restaurant, who tells him he is going through a bad divorce. Michael tells him about the filming and Sarah, and Nathan thinks he is crazy and tells him to watch himself. They talk about work and their frustrations with their lives. They imagine a scene where the men in the restaurant are acting out their most recent interactions with their bosses.
Then they get into a confrontation with a table of men nearby that are using racist language, and it erupts into a big fight.
Nathan refers Michael to a former priest friend of his, father Jack. He goes to his place for a counseling session and he is really quite an unconventional character, but Michael feels some relief.
Michael's agent Mr Thomas calls and tells him the producer is very mad at Michael's on set antics and won't work with him again. There is a large Porno Industry party happening and Michael goes dressed as Jesus dragging a cross hoping to see her and have her notice him, because of a conversation they had. Michael has something slipped in his drink and becomes way too wasted. Before that he talks to a young Greek actor and then a large Marylin Monroe impersonator that gives him information about Sarah. Some thugs take him outside and erect the cross and nail him to it.
Several people walk by him ignoring his pleas for help - a priest, a rabbi and one many that slaps him for blaspheming. Finally two young gay men stop and help him when no one else would,
Arnie and Willis.
Michael recovers from his wounds at home. Mr Thomas connects him with some disreputable porno producers that tell him he can shoot with Sarah again, though he advises against doing it.
Michael contacts them and it turns out they are from South America, and speak with thick accents, and do lots of coke. Michael still appears at the shoot and sees Sarah. They tell him they are shooting a fake "snuff film" where it will appear he has killed Sarah with a gun. He objects but they say that's the only way he can see her, and he can't tell her about his gun loaded with blanks before he uses it, to make her fear seem real.
He agrees and the scene starts. Unfortunately the gun turns out to be loaded with real bullets and it was a ruse to get him to kill Sarah for their film.
The film ends with two oil drums, containing their bodies, drifting down to the bottom of the ocean.
-
Project Type:Screenplay
-
Number of Pages:93
-
Country of Origin:United States
-
First-time Screenwriter:No
-
Student Project:No
-
Courage Film FestivalBerlin, Germany
October 13, 2023
Finalist Script competition -
White Rose Film FestivalDublin, Ireland
October 20, 2023
Finalist
David Raymer received his bachelors in English Literature from the University of California, then further studied Film and TV screenwriting at UCLA's Extension Film School.
He worked doing industrial films before moving to Friend Entertainment (Cat People) and then to NBC Television where he worked in the legal department and continued his writing, winning awards in two writing contests.
He lived in Europe for 12 years working as a chiropractor, and now resides in Phoenix Arizona where he is once again pursuing his screen writing career.
This film is reminiscent by David Lynch, Tarantino, and Big Lebowski, all of which he presaged with this script written during the earlier days of his writing. I always thought it would make a great black and white, indy film.
"If it ain't on the page it ain't on the stage." Good film start with good scripts, and you can't have one without the other.