El Mariachi Page #3

CREDIT SEQUENCE:

EXT. AZUL / MARIACHI ON HIGHWAY - DAY

The blue truck barels down the highway and the camera pans with

the truck as it passes a hitchhiker, MARIACHI, standing in the

sun with a thumb in the air. The truck passes him up so he

continues walking. Mariachi is carrying a guitar case in one hand

and a black jacket in the other. He is wearing a white T-shirt,

black pants. The camera pans to a sign that reads "ACU�A 18

miles".

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY

Mariachi is walking around downtown Acu�a. He notices a bar

across the street and, liking the way it looks, he puts on his

jacket and crosses over to it. He stops to read a sign on the

building that says "MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS ONLY". He prays

silently to himself before confidently walking inside.

INT. CORONA CLUB - DAY

Mariachi enters the club, greeting the PATRONS as ge makes his

way to the bar. No one seems to greet him back. He sits on a

barstool near some OTHER DRINKERS, laying his guitar case down

lovingly beneath his stool. He looks around the place, as if

sizing it up.

BARTENDER:

What do you want to drink?

MARIACHI:

Refresco.

The other drinkers stare at him.

Glancing around the room, Mariachi notices a small, table-shaped

object draped with a cloth in one corner of the room.

Sitting directly behind him are four mean-looking dudes. Mariachi

is served his drink.

MARIACHI:

No hay musica?

BARTENDER:

(cleaning a glass)

Why?

MARIACHI:

I'm a mariachi. A good one. I play beautiful ballads, old classic

ballads, on an old-fashioned guitar.

BARTENDER:

So what?

MARIACHI:

I could add a little class to this place. I work for fairly

cheap, I live mostly off tips. But I need steady work, and I can

guarantee bringing in more customers.

BARTENDER:

(nodding)

Tell me, why would I need one little guitar player when I've

already got a full band?

Mariachi gives him a silent "what" look.

The BARTENDER motions to a YOUNG MAN sitting near the small

draped table.

The Young Man removes the drape revealing a keyboard. Puts on his

mariachi hat, dips his fingers into his shot glass and rubs his

fingers together (as if warming up for the big show). He hits a

few switches in EXTREME CLOSEUP as...

... Mariachi adjusts himself to the seat.

The Young Men gently taps one switch and the keyboard sounds like

an accordion, pulsing out a beat. He then presses another switch

and a horn section swells to a crescendo and waltzes the familiar

riffs. He adds the string and horns accents by banging on the

keys. He sounds awful.

Mariachi grimaces slightly then turns back to the Bartender who

seems to enjoy it.

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