No More, Dear Brother, No More

By Archibald Grey

Seven screenplays set in near-future dystopias, the far-flung future of perfect human longevity, or the realm between dreams and waking life. No More, Dear Brother, No More is a collection of as-yet-unproduced films that explore deeply exitential themes of mortality, self-sacrifice, ambition, greed, and loneliness.

Includes the Screenplays:

• The Interview
• The Heart's Noble Sovereign
• Let Me In
• New Wine into Old Bottles
• Holding On, Letting Go
• Cutting Strings
• The Treasure Hunter

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hubris Books
• Release date: May 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223046615

Archibald Grey

Archibald Grey is the reasonably well selling author of the novels Muriel and The Inheritance, and the story collection The Crashing Tide. He has had his short stories rejected by many of the most prestigious conventional and science fiction publications in both print and digital, and he is noted for having won no awards. Archibald lives in Semolina, Canada and has no pets or children.

Book preview

No More, Dear Brother, No More

Archibald Grey

Published by Hubris Books, 2023.

Also by Archibald Grey

The Crashing Tide

The Inheritance

The Bielefeld Chronicle

The Magnificent Lightness of Being

A Real Loo-Loo of a Knock-Down, Drag-Out Fight

Muriel

The Institute for Better Speaking

No More, Dear Brother, No More

Watch for more at Archibald Grey’s site.

Copyright

This book and its cover are licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

Cover photo by Suzy Hazelwood

Cover design by Archibald Grey

Copyright © 2021 by Archibald Grey

No More

Dear Brother

No More

7 Short Films

The Interview

Chapter 1

Ext. Street

Open on SUTHERLAND’s back as he walks down a suburban street. He’s wearing some kind of military/police uniform/trench-coat. His gait has something of a lilt to it, the youthful swagger of a young, hot-shot inspector.

Flip forwards and backwards as he walks.

People disappear behind closing doors and fluttering curtains and peek out between blinds, all looking afraid of him.

SUTHERLAND cuts into an alley, rounds a corner, and emerges on a different street.

Behind SUTHERLAND again, we follow as he descends a set of stairs to a basement apartment.

Cut out wide as he knocks to establish the house and the apartment beneath.

Ext. Apartment

SUTHERLAND waits, nothing happens.

Getting impatient, SUTHERLAND rings the doorbell a couple of times and then knocks again.

SUTHERLAND turns and climbs the stairs.

Cut to view back up the stairs with SUTHERLAND in front of us.

He pulls out his PHONE.

SUTHERLAND

Yeah, Tinniswood, the old coot’s not answering, send them in…

Just as he gets to the top of the stairs, the door of the apartment opens.

SUTHERLAND pulls up short.

SUTHERLAND (CONT’D)

Oh no, wait. I’ve got him. Send the team in 10.

Ext. Apartment

SUTHERLAND puts his phone away and languidly comes down the stairs.

A wide lens from below at the bottom of the stairs.

An old man, PAULO, pulls the door open and squints out into the bright daylight from a sliver of under-lit darkness.

PAULO

Yes, what?

Stay in the wide from below.

SUTHERLAND stomps down the stairs and steps into frame.

SUTHERLAND

You are Javier PAULO Oxada?

PAULO

Yes, what?

SUTHERLAND

May I come in? We have something to discuss.

PAULO

Go away, I'm not interested.

SUTHERLAND

I’m afraid it’s not a question of your interest, Mr Oxada.

PAULO

Oh?

SUTHERLAND

Yes.

PAULO considers.

PAULO

Well, you’d better come in then, no?

Int. Apartment - day

We enter into a basement apartment that is essentially pitch black except for the single, dim lamp. It stands between two ratty, low-backed wing chairs at the front of the apartment. There is also a coffee table and a sofa.

PAULO shuffles like an aged hermit should, the hems of his bathrobe brushing the ground.

PAULO gestures at one of the chairs, but makes no effort to arrange it or to make SUTHERLAND comfortable.

PAULO

Sit.

PAULO continues shuffling off up the back of the apartment.

SUTHERLAND flaps his coat dramatically and sits. We see a gun on his belt.

Stay with SUTHERLAND sitting as PAULO shuffles somewhere up the back of the apartment and switches on another single, dim lamp.

We hear the sound of tinkling glassware and then the sound of a tap running.

SUTHERLAND sits, waiting, clearly impatient.

SUTHERLAND

(raises voice to be heard in the back)

Mr Oxada, I believe you know why I'm here.

PAULO doesn’t respond.

The tap continues to run.

SUTHERLAND (CONT’D)

Mr Oxada, are you listening?

SUTHERLAND, impatient, imperious, stands and strides towards the back of the apartment.

SUTHERLAND (CONT’D)

Mr Oxada!

As SUTHERLAND comes within three paces PAULO shuts off the tap and the lamp and, holding a glass of water, turns.

As he reaches SUTHERLAND he looks up as if surprised to see him there.

PAULO

I told you to sit.

PAULO shuffles back towards the chairs. SUTHERLAND whirls and grabs him by the arm. PAULO looks up again slowly.

SUTHERLAND

(quiet, menacing)

Mr Oxada, you are in very serious trouble.

They stare each other down for a long beat.

Chapter 2

Title card: five minutes earlier

Int. Apartment

PAULO sitting and chatting relaxedly in one of the wing-chairs with a small GROUP OF REFUGEES on the sofa and on the floor.

The room is well-lit and quite comfortable, but nothing fancy.

PAULO’s phone rings, It’s COMPTON.

(SOUND) Compton through