THE HYPNOTIST By Gabriel Justin Lapuz

9321 Alameda Harbor Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89117 702.858.2417 lapuzg@unlv.nevada.edu

FADE IN: EXT. CITY - NIGHT BRANDON, a 26 year-old man with short, curly, brown hair, and a slouched posture. He slowly walks home from work and gazes at couples holding hands and businessmen with sleek suits walk by. Brandon turns the corner and stops. He stares at his apartment door for a brief moment. INT. APARTMENT ENTRANCE - NIGHT Brandon locks his door, sets his suitcase down, and hangs up his jacket. He hears his cat, BERRY, meow. BRANDON Did I forget to feed you again? Im sorry. BERRY Meow. Brandon grabs a can of cat food and opens it. He empties it into Berrys bowl. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Brandon takes off his glasses and sets his alarm to 9:00 AM. He gets into bed and closes his eyes. He tosses and turns. Brandon wakes up from a nightmare. Brandon kicks the covers off of him and places his feet into his slippers that are at the side of his bed. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT Brandon opens the refrigerator and grabs a carton of orange juice. He takes a big swig and throws it back into the fridge. He leans up against the center island and presses his hands on the counter and closes his eyes. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Brandon turns on the television and grabs his laptop from the table and falls back into the firm couch. He opens the laptop and immediately starts looking for a local psychiatrist or group therapy class that could help him with his insomnia. After surfing the web for an hour, Brandon comes across an address that is around the corner. He writes it on a piece of paper and dozes off on the couch.

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INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY Brandon wakes up as he hears the sound of his alarm clock from the bedroom. He yawns, wipes the sides of his eyes, and gets off the couch. INT. BATHROOM - DAY Brandon spits the remaining toothpaste and rinses out his mouth. He looks into the mirror and laughs. BRANDON How did you sleep good lookin? Excellent! Am I actually talking to myself... He wipes his face and walks out. EXT. APARTMENT - DAY Brandon steps toward the door and looks at Berry. BRANDON Wish me luck! I need it. BERRY Meow. Berry watches the door the close. EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY There are several PEDESTRIANS on the sidewalk. He spots a taxi and flags it down. Brandon enters the car. INT. TAXI - DAY Brandon enters the cab. BRANDON Can you take me to 6th and 9th Avenue? TAXI DRIVER Sure thing boss. BRANDON Thank You.

3. The taxi starts moving. Brandon looks at the windows and spots out several beautiful women holding hands with businessmen. EXT. TAXI - DAY Brandon exits the cab and hands the money to the taxi driver through the window and walks toward the a white building and through the double doors. INT. BUILDING LOBBY - DAY Brandon sees a hallway with small signs titled "Insomnia", "Schizophrenia", "Alcoholics Anonymous", and "OCD" pointing towards a door. He walks towards it and stops at the door before entering. BRANDON Here we go. Brandon opens the door slowly. INT. THERAPY ROOM - DAY The door opens and several PATIENTS are sitting in a circle. PATIENT 1, PATIENT 2, and the GROUP LEADER stop what they are doing and look over at Brandon. BRANDON Good thing I didnt interrupt! All of the patients stare at him in silence. Brandon sees the last remaining seat and sits down. GROUP LEADER Continue. PATIENT 1 I dont understand why these sex demons wont leave me alone. I know that its just a dream, but I can feel them in me... GROUP LEADER Can you think of any reason for why they are sex demons, and not just ordinary ones? Brandon pretends to listen and keeps nodding. He stares at a room full of patients and smiles. Brandon gives his attention back to the group as Patient 2 begins to share.

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GROUP LEADER Good job Patient 1! I can see that you are changing immensely. PATIENT 1 Thank You! GROUP LEADER We, as a group, are doing so well today! Who wants to share next? How about you? The group leader looks over at Patient 2. PATIENT 2 Id love to...My nightmares have been recently changing. I dont know what is making it do this. GROUP LEADER Please share. PATIENT 2 Well...instead of having nightmares about having multiple kids... GROUP LEADER Yes. Go on. PATIENT 2 I am killing multiple kids. GROUP LEADER Oh..um..I think your in the wrong room. The Schizophrenia room is next door. PATIENT 2 No..Im in the right room.. GROUP LEADER Oh..Im sorry then..What about you over there? The group leader looks over at Brandon. Brandon does not look back. He is still focused on Patient 2. GROUP LEADER Hello? Brandon looks over at the group leader.

5. BRANDON Oh, yeah whats up? GROUP LEADER What brings you here? Are you not able to sleep because of a certain event? Stress? Dreams? BRANDON Well, I hate my life so, I guess all of them! (laughs) Everyone in the room keeps staring at him with a distinct look. BRANDON I was just kidding...I have a dream that happens practically every night. I sleep for about two to three hours and then wake up... GROUP LEADER Are you willing to share this dream with us? BRANDON In this dream I am constantly falling. GROUP LEADER Thats it? The group leader and Brandon stare at each other. Brandon begins to smirk. EXT. BUILDING - DAY Brandon walks out the double doors and throws away some pamphlets that were given to him by the group leader. He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and reads the address from the psychiatrist. He looks at the street sign and starts walking towards 7th avenue. EXT. 7TH AVENUE - DAY Brandon waits to cross a street and spots a beautiful woman on the other side. The light turns red and the pedestrians start walking. As the woman nears, he widens his eyes. Brandon pulls up his hood and shoves his hands in his pockets. Without saying any word, Brandon passes her and reaches the other sidewalk.

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BRANDON Im such a pussy. He turns another corner and slowly walks the rest of the way. EXT. PSYCHIATRIST OFFICE - DAY Brandon walks up to the door and reads a sign to make sure that he is at the right place. He pulls off his hood and opens the door. INT. PSYCHIATRIST OFFICE - DAY The RECEPTIONIST looks up from the computer and greets Brandon. RECEPTIONIST Hello there! BRANDON H..Hi, there. Im here to see Dr. Sentir...is he available? RECEPTIONIST Do you have an appointment? BRANDON No...Im just a walk-in. RECEPTIONIST Oh. One second, let me make sure that he is not with a patient. The receptionist rolls her chair back and gets up. She walks towards a hallway and disappears. Brandon takes a seat and grabs a magazine from the table. He flips through the pages and spots an advertisement for a tempurpedic bed. He laughs to himself and looks up as he hears people in the room. DR. SENTIR greets him. DR. SENTIR Hey Im Dr. Sentir and youre? BRANDON Jones...Brandon Jones. (smirks) DR. SENTIR Nice to meet you Brandon. What can I do for you?

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BRANDON I know that this is such a short notice and I didnt make an appointment, but can you just tell me what the hell is wrong with me? DR. SENTIR I have an another appointment in 30 minutes, but Ill be more than happy to hear you out. INT. DR. SENTIRS OFFICE - DAY Brandon takes a seat on the couch and waits for Dr. Sentir to start talking. DR. SENTIR Relax Brandon...make yourself at home. Brandon starts to lean back and put his feet on the table. DR. SENTIR So tell me about this problem your having. BRANDON Well...I only get about two hours of sleep each night because I constantly dream of falling. DR. SENTIR How does that make you feel? BRANDON Uhh...tired? DR. SENTIR Mhmm. I understand. What does this mean to you? BRANDON I need to sleep? DR. SENTIR Right, I can see that. Do you think you have a problem? BRANDON Really?..of course. Thats why I am here...

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DR. SENTIR And how does that make you feel? BRANDON Can you ask me something else? DR. SENTIR Does asking you this make you sensitive? BRANDON No..asking me that is pissing me off. DR. SENTIR Hmm..I see. Well, how do you feel now? Brandon looks at him starts to grow more angry. He looks up at the clock and sees that he has only been there for 7 minutes. INT. PSYCHIATRIST OFFICE - DAY Brandon gives the receptionist some money and she prints out a receipt. He turns around and starts to walk out the door. RECEPTIONIST Thanks for coming! Would you like to schedule your next appointment? BRANDON Nope. RECEPTIONIST I hope everything works out! BRANDON Yeah, it worked wonders. Brandon opens the door and walks out. EXT. 7TH AVENUE - DAY After leaving Dr. Sentirs office, he walks a different way home. The shortcut takes him through a series of run down business offices and restaurants. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a small sign pointing towards a cold, dark alleyway. The sign has the words "Hypnotist Therapy" written on it. He squints his eyes and looks around.

9. BRANDON I might as well. Brandon starts walking towards the alley. EXT. ALLEY - DAY He enters an alley. He sees dogs chewing on garbage, a bum sleeping on cardboard, and one door that is lit up from an "Open" sign. Brandon walks towards the door and opens slowly. He peaks in and sees an OLD MAN staring directly at him. INT. HYPNOTIST THERAPY BUILDING - DAY Brandon opens the door a little bit more and is startled by the voice of the old man. OLD MAN I see you. BRANDON Oh...Im sorry is this the hypnotist therapy place thing? OLD MAN Yes. No appointments needed. Are you ready? Brandon hesitates to talk. BRANDON Right now? I guess so... INT. HYPNOSIS ROOM - DAY The old man grabs Brandon and leads him into a back room behind the front desk. The room is filled with flowers and incense. In the middle of the room is a three inch thick mat. OLD MAN Sit there. (points to mat) Indian style. Brandon begins to sit down and cross his legs. OLD MAN Now, close your eyes and relax. Listen to my voice and feel your blood rushing through your veins.

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Brandon listens to the old man as he speaks and starts to imagine every little detail about what he is saying. OLD MAN The waves pass through your eyes leaving the warmth of sunshine. The wind passes through your body as air rushes in. Within ten minutes, Brandons mind falls asleep and his body is in deep meditation. EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT Brandon is stands outside of the building and realizes it is already dark. He walks out of the alley and turns around the corner. Brandon can see his apartment complex from where he is standing. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Brandon does the same exact motions that he had done the previous night. He locks the door and hangs up his jacket. He looks at Berry and then looks over at his empty bowl. BRANDON I know, I know. Im sorry. BERRY Meow. He grabs a can of cat food and opens it. He pours it into the bowl. INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT Brandon dries off his face and looks in the mirror. BRANDON See you in two hours. He hangs the towel up and walks out the bathroom. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Brandon walks over to his bed, sets his alarm, and drops onto the bed. He closes his eyes and immediately falls asleep.

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INT. BEDROOM - DAY He wakes up and looks at his clock. He widens his eyes as he reads that it is noon already. He yawns and stretches. He pulls the covers off and smiles. Brandon gets out of bed and walks towards his closet. He puts on some torn jeans and a plain white shirt. INT. KITCHEN - DAY Brandon opens up a can of cat food and dumps it in Berrys bowl. He throws away the can and washes his hands. He grabs his jacket and walks out the door. EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY Brandon signals over a taxi and climbs in. BRANDON Oakfield Theater please. TAXI DRIVER 2 Yes sir. BRANDON Thanks man! The taxi drives off. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - DAY Brandon gets out of the taxi and stares up at all the movie billboards. He turns back around and pays the driver. He walks up to the counter and talks to the CLERK. CLERK Hi there, sir. How may I help you? BRANDON Can I please have one ticket to the next showing of"Eyes Wide Open"? CLERK Of course! Your total is $9.50. Brandon hands her a ten dollar bill and leaves without taking his change. He buys a large popcorn and walks towards his theater.

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INT. MOVIE THEATER - DAY He finds an open seat. He shoves pieces of popcorn in his mouth as he stares intensely at the screen. A scene with a beautiful girl in lingerie results in a WHISTLE from a member from the AUDIENCE. This whistle immediately triggers Brandon to throw his popcorn in the air. He gets out of his chair and starts running up and down the isle while making several duck-like NOISES. BRANDON QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUUUAAACCCCKKK! AUDIENCE MEMBER 1 Shut the hell up! Youre in a movie theater! BRANDON QUACK! Brandon runs to the front of the screen and starts jumping up and down. He spreads his arms and pretends like hes flying. A person from the audience throws his drink at him in anger. AUDIENCE STOP! Brandon immediately stops what he is doing and runs out the emergency exit. EXT. EMERGENCY EXIT - DAY Brandon punches the wall. He paces back and forth and starts talking to himself. BRANDON What the fuck just happened...How is this even possible...I knew what I was doing but I couldnt stop it. What?! (laughs) Im going crazy. A MOVIE EMPLOYEE opens the emergency exit door and shines a flashlight at Brandons face.

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INT. BEDROOM - DAY Brandon wakes up in his bed the next morning from blinding light that shines on his face through the window. He unblurs his eyes and looks at the time. He smiles. Brandon then feels a sudden movement on the bed. He slowly rolls over to see what it is. He sees a naked woman and realizes that it is the one that he saw crossing the street the other day. He quietly pulls off the covers and gets out of bed without waking her up. INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY Brandon stumbles into his living room. He drops his mouth as he stares at the room. The carpet is filled with beer cans and stains. The sex demon patient from the group therapy class is passed out on the couch. INT. KITCHEN - DAY He goes into the kitchen and sees three empty kegs stacked on top of each other. BRANDON Holy fuck... He starts to pick up some trash but realizes that he is going to need to buy more cleaning supplies. He quickly gets dressed and leaves his house. EXT. APARTMENT - DAY Brandon exits his apartment building and starts walking towards a nearby drugstore. As he walks, he scratches his head and mutters to himself. PEDESTRIAN 1 walks by and starts talking. PEDESTRIAN 1 Whats up, dude! Youre the coolest man I know! BRANDON Me? Brandon points to himself and then looks to his left, right, and behind him. PEDESTRIAN 1 Yeah, man! Epic! (laughs)

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Pedestrian 1 pats him on the back. Brandon smiles and keeps walking towards the drugstores entrance. INT. DRUGSTORE - DAY Brandon enters the store and finds a mop, broom, and some paper towels. He closely looks for the cheapest price and then heads toward the cashier. As he waits in line, TWO WOMEN and a MAN stand behind him. He overhears them murmuring. WOMAN 1 Isnt that him? WOMAN 2 No, he was cuter. MAN Thats definitely him. I remember the jew fro. WOMAN 2 Ohhh, youre right. I guess I was just too drunk. Brandon turns around. BRANDON Am I the jew fro? MAN Yeah dude. My bad. She didnt believe that you were the guy who threw that sick ass party last night. BRANDON Thats the second time hearing that today! (smiles) I dont know, am I that guy? I dont remember a thing since yesterday afternoon. MAN DAMN! Youve been drunk since then!? We really cant remember anything either! BRANDON Not like me...

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WOMAN 1 All I remember is that you asked me to take a shot with you...8 times! WOMAN 2 I think we kissed? MAN Me..nevermind. BRANDON Huh? MAN Nothing. The CASHIER asks Brandon to hand over his items. CASHIER Is this all you want for today? BRANDON Yes is is. CASHIER Your total is $18.56. Brandon hands the cashier a twenty dollar bill. She looks for the watermark and pushes the button on the register. The register makes the "cha-ching" sound and immediately triggers Brandon to start dancing like a champion salsa dancer. He uses suave moves and begins to circle around the two women. BRANDON Ustedes dos son de pago hermosa! (spanish - You two are so beautiful) WOMAN 1 Excuse me? WOMAN 2 I think hes speaking french or something. Brandon starts touching their faces. The women try to back away but he keeps moving towards them. BRANDON Je tiens a te deshabiller. (french - I would like to undress you)

16. WOMAN 1 Uhhh.. WOMAN 2 I think he is speaking Spanish now. BRANDON No? alors je vais me dshabiller. (french - No? Then I will undress myself.) Brandon takes off his shirt and unbuttons his pants. He starts to slide them off his legs. WOMAN 1 AND WOMAN 2 STOP! The two women and man walk over to another cash register. Brandon stops what hes doing and busts out in laughter. BRANDON Was I speaking Spanish? CASHIER Yes, and French. BRANDON I know another language? Thats awesome! Brandon starts to walk out. He takes a step and trips from the pants around his ankles. His head hits the floor of the drugstore. INT. PRIVATE JET - DAY Brandon wakes up from a little turbulance. He immediately freaks out and tries to get up but the seat belt is restraining him. He looks out the window and sees the sky. He looks to the left and sees a butler(BARRY). Brandon then realizes that he is on a private jet. BARRY Would you like some more champagne, sir? Brandon stares at his eyes for a second. BRANDON Uh..Sure... Barry pours the champagne.

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BARRY Would you like anything else, sir? BRANDON Why are you calling me, sir? BARRY Youre such a comedian. BRANDON No for real...who am I? Who are you? BARRY If you insist master. You are among the wealthiest people on earth. I am Barry, your butler. BRANDON The fuck? BARRY Pardon me? BRANDON How did I become so rich?! BARRY You invented a high tech machine that served meals to people and animals three times a day. BRANDON This just keeps getting better and better! Brandon takes his glass of champagne and gulps it down in one swig. BRANDON Where are we headed to? Barry points to the television screen in the front of the cabin. BARRY We are nearing our destination, your private oasis in Barbados. Brandon laughs and smacks his knee.

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BRANDON Thank god for Berry! BARRY Did you say my name sir? BRANDON Oh. No, not you. (laughs) The cabin is filled with a deep voice from the cockpit. PILOT This is your pilot speaking. We are an estimated 20 minutes from landing. Please buckle your seatbelts when the seatbelt sign is turned on. Thank you. The seatbelt sign turns on and makes a ring noise that triggers Brandon to start mimicking everyone around him. BARRY Please sit down, sir. We are about to land. Brandon stands up from his chair and clears his throat. He begins to talk in an English accent. BRANDON Please sit down, sir. We are about to land. BARRY The pilot advises you to take a seat. We might be experiencing some turbulance soon. BRANDON The pilot advises you to take a seat. We might be experiencing some turbulance soon. Barry looks at Brandon at scratches his head. BARRY Are you mimicking me? BRANDON Are you mimicking me? BARRY Stop it.

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BRANDON Stop it. The butler pauses and thinks to himself before saying another word. BARRY I know what you are, but what am I? BRANDON I know what you are, but what am I? BARRY Im dumb. BRANDON Youre dumb. BARRY HA! I got you! Wait, you called me dumb. The jet starts shaking from the turbulance and both Barry and Brandon start to lose balance. Brandon holds onto a chair but luggage from the storage unit above falls out and hits him in the head. EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY Brandon is sitting on a piece of cardboard on the sidewalk. He gains consciousness and looks around. He sees a BUM next to him. BRANDON Dude, what the fuck! Get away from me! BUM Calm down man... BRANDON Do I know you? BUM Uh...yeah? Weve been talking for the past hour. BRANDON What the fuck is that smell?!

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BUM Us. (laughs) BRANDON I should not be here. What is going on? BUM Look, are you going to help me find soda cans or what? The trash cans arnt gonna dig themselves up. BRANDON No really. I should not be here. I invented a meal serving machine and became one of the richest men on earth. I have a jet and private oasis in Barbados. The bum looks at Brandon in disappointment. BUM Yeah and Im the Queen of Scotland. BRANDON Fine then...dont believe me. Brandon gets up and starts walking away. He looks down at himself and sees dirty torn up clothes. He hears the bum speak. BUM Youve gone crazy! Brandon turns around to speak but keeps walking backwards at the same time. Before the car has a chance to honk, it hits Brandon. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY A NURSE holding a clipboard walks down a hallway and towards a patients room. She places a folder in the container on the door and proceeds to open it. INT. BRANDONS HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY The nurse looks at Brandon and checks his vitals. Brandon looks up at her and then at the tubes that are inserted through his nose and veins.

21. NURSE How are you doing today, Brandon? BRANDON How long have I been here? The nurse looks at her clipboard and checks off a box that is titled, "Loss of Memory". NURSE You have been here for about two weeks now. Brandon glances underneath the covers. BRANDON Is this tube keeping me alive? NURSE No...they were helping you pee while you were in your coma. BRANDON Oh. That makes sense. When can I leave? NURSE When the doctor says you are ready to go. Brandon rolls his head over and starts to tear. INT. BRANDONS HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT The day goes by and it becomes night. There is still no sound that makes his life change. Brandon falls asleep and wakes up two hours later from the same dream that he had before. He takes a piece of paper and a pencil from the side table and starts listing events that occur in a typical day at the hospital. He then starts a separate list of noises that triggered him to do things before. INT. BRANDONS HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Brandon is already awake and waits for the nurse to come into his room. BRANDON Can you take me outside? I want some fresh air. The nurse looks at him strangely.

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NURSE Sure, why not. The nurse helps him out of bed and hands him a walker. EXT. COURTYARD - DAY Brandon holds himself up with a walker and sees a GRANDPA sitting on a rocking chair. Brandon struggles as he makes his way towards him. BRANDON How are you doing, sir? GRANDPA Im in the hospital. How do you think Im doing. BRANDON Im sorry to hear that. Why are you here? GRANDPA God damn stroke. BRANDON Dont you hate that. Grandpa stares at Brandon. GRANDPA Youre young. What you know about having a stroke? BRANDON I know that you once you have one, you will never be able to whistle again. GRANDPA Thats nonsense. The grandpa starts whistling and it does not trigger anything. Brandon becomes disappointed and walks away. INT. HOSPITAL CAFETERIA - DAY Brandon looks at his plate of food and slowly walks himself to CASHIER 2.

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BRANDON How much is this going to cost me? CASHIER 2 Uh, nothing. Youre a patient here. BRANDON Please, just let me pay. CASHIER 2 Its against hospital regulations. You will be billed when you leave. BRANDON Ill give you twenty dollars to open the register. CASHIER 2 Huh? BRANDON Just fucking open it! Cashier 2 opens the register and stares at Brandon. BRANDON God Damnit. Brandon forces the walker into the ground as he walks away. INT. HOSPITAL REC ROOM - DAY Brandon looks through the cabinet and finds a movie. He stops the present movie and takes it out. The other PATIENTS start to complain. PATIENTS Hey, we were watching that! BRANDON Shut up, fuckers. Brandon puts the movie in and immediately presses play. The title shows up, "Air Force One". Brandon fast forwards it to a scene where the seatbelt light is turned on. The he presses his hear up against the speaker and waits for it. The ring plays and nothing happens. BRANDON You have got to be kidding me! He throws the remote and lays back on the floor.

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INT. BRANDONS HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Brandon lays in his hospital bed. He looks at the list with crossed off items and rips it. He closes his eyes but quickly opens them widely. Brandon looks over to the left and sees defibrillators. He flips the switch to on and turns the dial to maximum voltage. He takes both of the handles and smashes them into his chest without hesitating. BRANDON Please work. Brandon holds down the triggers and a RINGING sound starts. Several doctors and nurses run in and Brandons eyes roll back into his head. EXT. HYPNOSIS ROOM - DAY Brandon opens his eyes and sees an old man staring at him. Brandon falls back. BRANDON Who are you?! OLD MAN The hypnotist. Dont you remember? Brandon looks around the room and yells with joy. BRANDON I cant believe it was all a dream! OLD MAN What was it about? BRANDON Its a long story... OLD MAN Go on... BRANDON Well...I quacked like a duck, woke up to a naked girl, spoke french, became one of the wealthiest men, had champagne on my private jet, got hit by a car, and killed myself with a defibrillator. OLD MAN Do you have trouble sleeping?

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BRANDON Yes from a reoccurring nightmare. OLD MAN According to the dream you just had, it is not the nightmare that is keeping you from sleeping. It is your life. BRANDON How so? OLD MAN The naked girl was a symbol of loneliness. The extravagant lifestyle with the private jet represents your hatred towards your job. You got hit by a car because your life is slowly dying...and you killed yourself because you have the will to change it. BRANDON So what your saying is...the first thing I need to do have sex? OLD MAN Youll figure it out. (smirks) Brandon stands up and puts his shoes on. He walks out the room and towards the entrance. INT. HYPNOTIST THERAPY ENTRANCE - NIGHT Brandon pushes the door open and bumps into a girl that is about to enter. He looks at her and sees that is the BEAUTIFUL WOMAN that he saw crossing the street. BEAUTIFUL WOMAN Im so sorry. BRANDON Hi. (smiles) FADE OUT.