Sample hook



                    LETHAL WEAPON
                    by Shane Black







     FADE IN:
     
     CITY OF ANGELS

     lies spread out beneath us in all its  splendor,  like  a
     bargain basement Promised Land.

     CAMERA SOARS, DIPS, WINDS its way SLOWLY  DOWN,  DOWN,
     bringing us IN OVER the city as we:

     SUPER MAIN TITLES.

     TITLES END, as we --

     SPIRAL DOWN TOWARD a lush, high-rise apartment complex.
     The moon reflected in glass.

     CAMERA CONTINUES TO MOVE IN THROUGH billowing curtains,
     INTO the inner sanctum of a  penthouse  apartment,  and
     here, boys and girls, is where we lose our breath,
     because --

     spread-eagled on a sumptuous designer sofa lies the
     single most beautiful GIRL in the city.
     Blonde hair. A satin nightgown that positively  glows.
     Sam Cooke MUSIC, crooning from five hundred dollar
     SPEAKERS.

     PASTEL colors. Window  walls.  New  wave  furniture  tor-
     turned into weird shapes.  It looks like robots live here.

     On the table next to the sleeping Venus  lies  an  open
     bottle of pills ... next to that, a mirror dusted with
     cocaine.

     She rouses herself to smear some powder  on  her  gums.
     As she does, we see from her eyes that she is thoroughly,
     completely whacked out of her mind...

     She stands, stumbles across the room, pausing to glance
     at a photograph on the wall:

     Two men.  Soldiers.  Young, rough-hewn, arms around each
     other.

     The Girl throws open the glass doors ... steps out onto a
     balcony, and there, beneath her, lies  all  of  nighttime
     L.A.  Panoramic splendor.  Her hair flies, her expression.
     rapt, as she stands against this sea of technology.  She
     is beautiful.

     On the balcony railing beside her  stand  three  potted
     plants.

     The Girl sees them, picks one up.  Looks over the balcony
     railing ... It is ten stories down to the parking lot.
     she squints, holds the plant over the edge.

                         GIRL
               Red car.

     Drops the plant.  Down it goes, spiralling end over end
     -- until, finally ... BAM --  !  SHATTERS.  Dirt  flies.  A
     red Chevy is now minus a WINDSHIELD.  The Girl takes
     another plant.

                         GIRL
               Green car.

     She drops it.  Green Dodge.  Ten stories below, BAM
     Impact city.  Scratch one paint job.  Grabs the final
     plant and holds it out, saying:

                         GIRL
               Blue car.

     POW.  GLASS SHATTERS.  Dirt sprays.  A blue BMW this
     time.  The Girl loves this game ... her expression is
     slightly crazed.  She reaches for another plant --
     There aren't any.  Her smile fades -- And for a moment,
     just a moment, the dullness leaves her eyes and she is
     suddenly, incredibly sober.  And tears fill her eyes as
     she looks over the edge --

                         GIRL
               Yellow car.

     And jumps the railing. Plummets, head  over  heels  like  a
     rag doll. Hits the yellow car  spot  on.  She  lies,  dead,
     like an extinguished dream.  Still beautiful.