THE STAGE 32 LOGLINES

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EMPTY CLIPS

EMPTY CLIPS
By Matt Hausmann

GENRE: Action, Comedy
LOGLINE:

Hugo Bishop seeks revenge for the brutal murder of his wife, unborn child, and dog. He strikes a deal with a notorious crime boss named Laz, employing Hugo as an assassin to reclaim his stolen home. As he completes his final mission, Hugo finds himself entangled with Tiff, another assassin with a vendetta of her own. Together, they face dangerous adversaries, confront their pasts, make sacrifices, and ultimately find redemption after a bloody confrontation in Laz's mansion.

SYNOPSIS:

A disheveled Hugo Bishop watches his house burn down. After the blaze is out, Hugo retrieves a partially burnt family photo from the remaining shell of his home. He dwells on the photograph of his adorable, pregnant, homemaker wife, Michelle, and their white Pomeranian, Duke. Realization hits Hugo. Passion and happiness drain from his eyes, and his pupils dilate and vibrate tension. Evil and revenge empower him now. His wife, unborn child, and dog have been brutally murdered by a group of mobsters. He’s a changed man. He answers his phone, striking a deal with a notorious crime boss, Laz, who wants to hire Hugo as an assassin, and upon the completion of 100 marks, Laz will return Hugo’s restored house along with all the fond memories that are attached to it. Hugo agrees as his path toward damnation begins.

A decade later, we find Hugo completing his 100th mark. He sustains a bullet wound during the otherwise successful mission. Finally, his debts are paid. He wobbles out to attend an anger management class where he admits the cause of his issues; the home invasion that took his family away from him and his remorse that he didn’t die with them. Back at his motel, while attending to his wounds, Hugo is bombarded by Vince, a Vietnamese hothead, Smalls, a stocky dwarf, and some other thugs. After his life is threatened, Hugo reluctantly agrees to complete one additional mission for Laz: a flat line for Max, a good-looking married man, and a snag n’ grab for Dusty, Max’s mistress and Laz’s abandoned daughter. Hugo heads to his friend, Pete’s, to fetch supplies and weapons for his mission.

Hugo tracks his first target, Dusty, to Diamond’s Dive Club. They have a history; Dusty has an unreciprocated crush on Hugo. Dusty refuses to be taken to her father and would rather die. After a brawl with henchman, Hugo takes Dusty into his custody and brings her back to Pete’s Pawn Shop, handing over a decoy body bag to Vince to deliver to Laz. When they realize that they have been fooled, Laz demands Vince kidnap Dusty from Hugo.

A hardened assassin with a motherly feel, Tiff, pursues her next target as she wishes her daughter, Adriana, a Happy Birthday. Their relationship is strained from years of Tiff leading a double life. Tiff completes her mission and Vince awards her a photo of her husband, Max, kissing Dusty, confirming her husband’s infidelity. Tiff’s beyond angry and agrees to make her husband, her next victim. When she returns home, Tiff attempts to assassinate Max as he sleeps, but her emotions cloud her judgment, and she backs down. Meanwhile, Hugo hides in the neighboring bushes with a sniper rifle, ready to take out Max, his next target. But when he sees the whole family in front of him become his family in his mind which brings up his tormented past, he struggles to follow through on his shot. He packs up his gear and decides that he’s done killing.

Hugo manages to swerve multiple assassination attempts put on him by Laz. He takes Vince hostage after an intense car chase. Hugo arrives at Laz’s mansion, where Laz is occupied with arranging his wedding to his unsuspecting bride, Tiff. Hugo offers an exchange, his daughter and Vince in return for his home. But to save his own life ends up revealing Vince’s location.

Tiff goes undercover as a Honey Nut Cheerio costume in Diamond’s Dive where she catches Max cheating. There’s a bar fight as Tiff kidnaps Max and interrogates him on the specifics of his affair before handing him over to Laz to meet his fate. She’s eventually convinced to spare the father of her daughter. Meanwhile, Laz sends a Russian assassin, Olga, to retrieve Adriana and reunite his “family”. Tiff and Hugo run into each other at a bar and they recognize each other. There’s tension and humor between them as they both threat one another. They’re forever changed after their encounter. Hugo looks different, a calm has washed over him, and he seems refreshed. Tiff has decided to stop being an assassin, spare her husband, pay off his debts to Laz, and rekindle a connection with her daughter.

Laz’s mansion is prepped for his wedding to Tiff and Adriana was kidnapped by Olga and is unwillingly in his possession. Furious at Tiff’s resignation, Laz threatens to execute Adriana unless she brings Max and the money he owes to the place where they fell in love, an underground fight club. Tiff calls Hugo for help before heading to meet Laz. Tiff and Max are forcefully taken back to the mansion. On the way, Laz forces a ring onto Tiff’s finger and fantasizes about their life together. He promises the world to her and Adriana. At the mansion, Hugo is waiting for them under the alter with a bowling bowl bag on a podium. Tiff fights off Olga as she’s searching for Adriana. Hugo unzips the bowling ball bag to reveal Dusty’s severed head. Heartbroken, Slade collapses and vows death to Hugo. Later, it’s revealed that Dusty isn’t dead. They cut a hole in the podium and made her up with gore makeup to make it seem like she was dead.

A blood bath breaks out and ultimately, all the henchmen die, Adriana is saved, and Dusty kills her father. Hugo gives his life to protect Tiff and Adriana, gifting them his restored family home. Tiff and Adriana happily paint outside Hugo’s house.

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