Monday, May 14, 2012

Case Study No. 0321: Unnamed Male Librarian (Overdue)

Overdue
8:30
A student film from 2008 involving mysterious occurrences at the local library.
Tags: MVNU librarian SFG Student Film library overdue black aand white
Added: 3 years ago
From: SFGconnection
Views: 53

a film by Aaron Widmar

[scene opens inside a library, as a young male librarian places a "Librarian on Duty" sign at the front desk, then takes an old book and (hugging it) brings it upstairs to the archives and lovingly shelves it]
[cut to the librarian using some Windex to clean the glass door]
[cut to the librarian forcefully stamping a book]

overdue

[cut to a young woman ringing the bell at the front desk, as the librarian turns from shelving and addresses her]
LIBRARIAN: May I help you?
REBECCA: Yeah, I'm looking for a book.
LIBRARIAN: That's why I'm here. Do you have a particular title in mind?
REBECCA: Um, I'm not really sure, I don't know the exact title.
[he sits down]
LIBRARIAN: Alright then, what kind of book are you looking for?
REBECCA: I'm in the mood for a good horror book.
LIBRARIAN: Horror, fine choice. Are you looking for something along the lines of a psychological thriller, or perhaps something a little bit more sadistic?
REBECCA: Little bit of both. Something edgy, but something supernatural too.
LIBRARIAN: Now we have something to work with. And I'm assuming you want a real twist of an ending?
REBECCA: Yeah, and the lead character has to be a woman.
LIBRARIAN: Ah, I believe I have the perfect book for you. It's in the archives.
[cut to the librarian climbing the stairs by himself]
REBECCA: [in voice over] Really? Is it that old?
LIBRARIAN: [in voice over] No, in fact it's quite new.
[cut to the librarian pulling the book from the shelf]
LIBRARIAN: [in voice over] It's still being processed.
REBECCA: Well, does it have a good ending?
LIBRARIAN: I don't know yet.
REBECCA: Well, if you say so ...
[cut to the librarian returning to the front desk with the book]
LIBRARIAN: Here we are.
[she picks it up and reads the spine title]
REBECCA: "The death of Andrea Taylor."
[she opens it up and flips through the pages]
REBECCA: Hand-written.
LIBRARIAN: Do you have your library card with you?
REBECCA: Um, no I don't. Um, can I still--
LIBRARIAN: Certainly, child. All I need is an alternate form of ID, a driver's license?
REBECCA: Yeah, that I do have.
[she takes it out of her pocket and hands it to her]
REBECCA: Here.
LIBRARIAN: [reading] "Rebecca Petty" ...
[he smiles and hands it back to her]
LIBRARIAN: Well, Rebecca Petty, welcome to the Metro County Library ... Now, we have two rules here.
[he points to a placard on the desk]

METRO COUNTY LIBRARY
"We're here to serve you."
Loan Policy
* Treat books with respect. If you take good care of them, they'll take good care of you.
* Always return books on time. Heavy fines will result from overdue materials.
Books: 3 days
Library Hours:
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8:00 - 8:00
Tuesday: 8:00 - 8:00
Wednesday: 10:00 - 10:00
Thursday: 8:00 - 8:00
Friday: 8:00 - 10:00
Saturday: 10:00 - 8:00

LIBRARIAN: Treat the books well. Take care of them and they will take care of you. Second rule, and the most important, always return materials on time. There are very substantial fines for overdue materials, Miss Petty. Do I make myself clear?
REBECCA: Yes sir, I'll follow them exactly.
LIBRARIAN: I believe that you will ...
[he hands her a piece of paper]
LIBRARIAN: Sign here on the line.
[she signs it, and he takes it back]
LIBRARIAN: Thank you very much, that will be due in three days.
REBECCA: It'll be back in three days.
[she leaves, then the librarian takes a book and slams the book stamp into it]
[cut to Rebecca knocking at the door of the library]
LIBRARIAN: I'm sorry, child, we are closed for the night.
REBECCA: I just have this one book to return ...
[he opens the sliding window and takes the book, examining it with a concerned look on his face]
REBECCA: I didn't get to finish it, I didn't have a chance. But I got it back on time, right?
LIBRARIAN: This book was due three days ago, Miss Petty!
REBECCA: What, are you sure? 'Cause I didn't think that, I thought I had it back in time ...
[he angrily slams the book shut]
LIBRARIAN: You didn't take care of this book, look at its condition! What were my two rules? Take care of the books, and do not return them late! And you did not follow either of them! Now, you will have to pay!
[the lights behind him flicker and shut off]
REBECCA: I don't know how much it'll cost, and if you have to replace the book--
[he calmly places the book on the desk]
LIBRARIAN: Oh no, I won't replace it. I will just have to make a new one.
[the camera pans down to show he is holding a pair of scissor underneath the desk]
REBECCA: How much money is it?
LIBRARIAN: No, money won't do. We'll have to bleed it out of you ...
[he lifts up the scissors and swings them down at her, then quickly cut to Rebecca (scarred under the left eye) cowering in a corner of the room as the librarian stands over her]
LIBRARIAN: [calmly] Now, my child, you will have your ending. Oh yes, you'll make a nice addition to my collection. Right up there on the shelf next to Andrea Taylor.
[he slams the bloody scissors on the desk next to her]
LIBRARIAN: [calmly] Once we bleed you, you'll spend an eternity on the shelf next to the others.
REBECCA: [frightened] What do you mean?
LIBRARIAN: [calmly] The consequences for overdue material are quite severe, but as I recall you agreed to them completely when you signed the form.
[he picks up the form she signed and begins reading it]
LIBRARIAN: "I, the patron, do hereby agree to abide by all library policy, including but not limited to materials that are overdue, which shall be met by the abiding policy and penalty that I shall give up my God-given soul as the library sees fit."
[he points at the bottom of the contract]
LIBRARIAN: Signed, Rebecca Petty ...
[he suddenly grabs her and forces her arm into the paper cutter]
LIBRARIAN: You're going to be my masterpiece ...
[he slams it down, as Rebecca screams, then the screen goes black]
LIBRARIAN: [whispers] Shh, this is a library ...
[cut to Rebecca lifeless in a pool of blood, as the librarian dips a quill into the blood and begins writing in a blank book]
[cut back to the original shot of the librarian cleaning the glass door with Windex, only now we see that it was Rebecca's bloody handprint that he was wiping away]
[cut back to the original shot of the librarian forcefully stamping a book, only now we see that the ink well contains Rebecca's bloody finger]
[cut back to the original shot of the librarian reshelving a book in the archives, only now we see that the title on the spine reads "The Death of Rebecca Petty"]
LIBRARIAN: [from off camera] May I help you?

Directed by Aaron Widmar

Aaron Dusreh
Kristi Kammer

Concept by Aaron Widmar & Ben Boquist
Written by Aaron Widmar
Music by Patrick Doyle & Charlie Clouser
Consultant: Kristin Van Valkenburg
Thanks to: ERC & Film Guide

No comments:

Post a Comment