Wax Manequin (2009) | Something to Hide What we made instead...

Rejected by VideoFact: 04/02/2009

Approach

The video begins like a short film complete with ambient noise as Chris makes his way to an outdoor performance in the middle of nowhere. The music will not begin until Chris’ character begins to perform in the story. Additionally, there will be dialog overlaid in subtitles as three characters attending the show chat during his performance.

Synopsis

We open at sun-set. Wax Mannequin walks across the huge gravel parking lot of the Chandelier Place Banquet Hall in Hamilton. The stones crunch under his boots. He wears a black suit and is carrying a burgundy suitcase. Ahead is a bonfire of wasted food the hall’s management have set alight. In front of the the fire is theater seating for about 20 people. Littered around the area are small trays of burning fuel. Wax approaches the scene; he pulls decorative invitation card from his pocket double checking the address. Wax arrives at the velvet rope stanchions surrounding the seating. A scruffy looking young man in yellow t-shirt greets him; he is wearing Italian leather shoes and no socks. He smiles warmly at Wax and ushers him up the isle to the bonfire. Awaiting the musician there, is an amp and an old fashioned microphone stand. The young man in the yellow shirt takes a seat beside a bearded fellow and young girl in the front row; clearly they are friends. The bearded fellow’s date is a tween-age girl wearing a sequin dress, heavy amounts of cheap make-up and sparkles. She looks extremely excited to see the show.

Even though there are only three people in the audience, Wax begins to set up his equipment tensely. He opens his suit case revealing a guitar that’s been folded in half by way of a hinge. Wax unfolds the guitar and plugs it in to the amp. At he moment he hits the microphone the music kicks in. Wax begins delivering a thunderous performance to the small group. As he plays Yellow Shirt and the Bearded man strike up a conversation:

BEARDED MAN

How did you get Wax Mannequin??

[the Bearded Man wraps his arm around the Tween girl. She look beside herself with excitement.]

YELLOW SHIRT

We promised him a chest tattoo.

[As Yellow says this we cut to a vision of Wax’s chest. Tattooed roses and vines snake across his skin.]

[We cut back to Wax performing. He kicks a flaming melon that has rolled out of the bonfire.]

YELLOW SHIRT

He also asked to see the Leviathan.

BEARDED MAN

that old thing??

YELLOW SHIRT

Yeah it’s weird. People still love it.

TWEENIE BOPPER

Where is it?

YELLOW SHIRT

Stuffed in the trunk.

[We see the rear of a bronze Cadillac parked off to the right of the audience. An ethereal pink light is spilling out from the seam of the trunk and the car bouncing softly to the beat of the song.]

[More Wax performance. At his side, in the distance, a group of bats drift by.]

BEARDED MAN

Jesus you’ve got bats out here??

YELLOW SHIRT

They aren’t bats.

[The Tweenager sings along with the song]

YELLOW SHIRT

Check this out…

[Yellow pulls a sliver snub nose revolver from his waste-band.]

BEARDED MAN

Whoah, that’s sexy.

[Yellow shirt aims carefully in the sky and fires a shot. A white and pink animal falls to the ground. Upon inspection it looks like some kind of albino bat, except with much larger eyes. The Bearded Man looks on without comment. Wax stares intensely.]

[Nudging his Tween date, the Bearded Man encourages her to pick up the fresh kill.]

BEARDED MAN

Shame to let the little guy go to waste. Go toss it in the back of Mr. Nathaniel’s car.

[The Tween looks at the Bearded Man uneasily, but stands up as if she has no choice but to comply. Wax rocks on, keeping a close eye on the bat. Delicately, the Tween picks up the kill and walks towards the trunk rocking quietly nearby. We see a wide shot from the side as the girl opens the trunk. At a distance we see a snake like monster squirming around in the trunk snapping it’s jaws. It’s emitting a pinkish light. The girl tosses the bat to the beast and runs back to her seat.]

[Wax Mannequin looks disturbed by the scene. We close on a shot of his face as he raises a hankerchief to his mouth.]

Cut to black.