Fiction

MEMORANDUM, or The Comeback of Buddy Boyd and The Sons of the Stratosphere

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MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Stephanie McNary, Director of Special Projects, Universal Pictures

FROM:            Robert James, V.P. of Special Projects, Universal Pictures

DATE:             August 12, 2009

SUBJECT:       Where did you find this Buddy Boyd Story?

First, how the hell did this end up in my office?  You know I don't read screenplays.  I don't look at treatments.  I don't even hear pitches.  I'm not creative.  Everyone knows that.  Second, I love it!

If this story is real, who are Buddy Boyd and the Sons of the Stratosphere?  Get the Research people on this.  Fred Boyd is the fiddle player and the writer?  Oh Jesus.  The music, the career, the bottom fell out, the comeback show, the prison riot—this would have been major news, all over the tabloids, if it's true.  You know we're not big on prison gang rape though, support skews low.  We'll have to cheat out on that one.  But country music!  I'm sure it's still hot.  Mass appeal there, right?

Now, what's the angle?  Walk the Line was a big money maker, but Johnny Cash did the prison thing already.  Twice.  That line in the script where Buddy said—this was poetic—"he found himself rescued from oblivion when a prison in Wyoming agreed to let him play a show" is classic.  Suffering from chronic heart disease and he wanted to do a prison show?  He was desperate.  And American.  That's the angle.  There's our fucking movie! 

But we have to make him younger.  Nobody likes old people.

Sign Fred Boyd.

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Universal Pictures

1000 Universal Center Dr.

Universal City, CA 91608

August 28, 2009

Benjamin Schneider, Production Coordinator

Spyglass Entertainment

10900 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90024          

RE: The Buddy Boyd Story

Dear Ben:

Attached is the screenplay we spoke about.  I see this project as anthropological exploration through a concave mirror—blown up.  When you're close to being "somebody," your life seems huger than it really is, and that's this story.  I have high hopes for this film.  I know you can bring it to life. 

There are a few things we need to see happen though. 

County Music is on the downswing.  I listened to it for maybe 20 minutes yesterday driving in from Pasadena.  It's shit.  We need this story to be fun, hip, sexy, so let's make it a period piece, late 50's/early 60's, tops.  Flashy suits, rhinestones, very ornamental, I Googled the look.  Even the men look like they wore perfume.

The songs that got Buddy in trouble have to be changed, obviously.  But I'm thinking maybe there won't be any trouble.  Maybe this is a story of acceptance at the time, with none of the 90's reality.

We'll have to drop some of the characters to make a tight four-piece band.  No fiddle player.

Fred Boyd has an eagerness to explain anything which might be misunderstood though, so get some of the early details—ask him about The Texarkana Hootenanny days on radio.  That era's a goldmine, the energy we need here. 

With some retooling, I swear this will be an Oscar winner in 2011.

Stephanie McNary

Director of Special Projects

Universal Pictures

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Spyglass Entertainment

10900 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90024

September 15, 2009

Joshua Levin, President

South Bronx Street Life Records

446 E 149th St

Bronx, NY 10455

RE: Buddy Boyd Is Yours

Dear Josh:

The Production Team decided—of all our subsidiaries, South Bronx Street Life has the vision to see The Buddy Boyd Story come to life!  Your commitment to remaining faithful to the core of a project is what we're looking for.  Your devotion to music created by the people who live it will, we are convinced, allow you to flush out the truth in Boyd's story. 

This is the tale of marginalized music, the underground hero who makes it, and the ultimate rise to prominence of both.  You know how to sell the truth in rap music, and we are impressed with your accompanying music videos.  The vision your in-house director la Roq brings to Bomb Diggity's "F That, Byotch" video is nothing short of iconic.  He's redefined rap music videos in the 21st century.  He's the man!  We're sure his edgy, genuine production capability will translate to the big screen, regardless of the musical genre.  In all actuality, how far is rap music from country and western music?  "Hotlanta"—Texarkana—geographically speaking, there you are.  The rickety, backwoods cabin approach is fine—pull all the pink, sequined suits out of the closet you can.  Keep it real.

Remember, the path to Hollywood stardom is a distance never measured in miles, but in minutes.  This is your time to be "Da Bomb"!

Benjamin Schneider

Production Coordinator

Spyglass Entertainment

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MEMORANDUM

TO:                  la Roq

FROM:            Joshua Levin, President, South Bronx Street Life Records

DATE:             September 21, 2009

SUBJECT:       Your Next Project

I heard you on the radio.  NPR, Fresh Air, good publicity for you.  But you didn't mention us.  I saw you, Jay-Z, and the paparazzi last week.  You're partying, smoking things, drinking—don't disgrace South Bronx.  Remember, you're just a kid from Queensbridge.  I know we haven't seen eye to eye lately, but you lose the big head, and I won't call you on it. 

The country music movie we emailed about is your next project.  I don't want to hear word one.  This is a glass-half-full opportunity—you're making a movie.  Don't act clumsily.  This can be big, but these Hollywood guys are bigger, and the immortals have their ashcans, too.  Don't put us there.

Here's Buddy Boyd's story at a glance, so we're on the same page:

Almost big time; 20-year career; country music went downhill; him with it; heart trouble; drove a Nashville cab in the 90's; grandson convinced him to go on a reunion tour; one and only show at the Wyoming State Pen; bad song choices: "Ebony and Ivory," "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," "Stand By Your Man"; prison riot; grandson raped by 13 prisoners; legacy defiled; had a stroke; died a broken man; grandson wrote screenplay.

We got this for a reason.  You're going to make this movie.  This movie will be good.  Don't make me go Svengali on you.  Do this.

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This was a guided piece written for a local reading series, 1,000 Words. 

Here were the rules:

Each Monday night for four weeks (in a row) in December, five writers were sent that week's prompt: a list of words and a phrase.  Over the course of the week, we wrote very close to 250 words, employing all of the prompts and keeping in mind the theme—in this case, Recognition.  We could alter person, number, tense, and/or grammatical function for any/all words and the phrases.  The challenge was making use of the given materials, the same materials each writer used, in only 250 words.  We could write four pieces that were contiguous or four entirely disparate vignettes.  The genre was up to each writer.  Each week's 250 words were due by the Sunday night after we received each prompt.

Prompt 1:
Words: cheated, chronic, suffering, tabloid, and mass.
Phrase: he found himself rescued from oblivion.

Prompt 2:

Words: anthropology, perfumed, concave, ornament, and swear.

Phrase: An eagerness to explain anything which might be misunderstood.

Prompt 3:

Words: rickety, faithful, closet, icon, and flush.

Phrase: a distance never measured in miles but in minutes.

Phrase 4:
Words: glance, disgrace, glass, radio, clumsy, and defile.

Phrase: The immortals have their ashcans, too.