02 February, 2007

Going Underground: Mulholland Drive TV Pilot (3)

Back at Aunt Ruth's apartment, Rita explains that she thinks her name is Diane Selwyn. Looking through the phonebook, a number is found and she calls it. Unfortunately, the voice on the answering machine is not hers.

We then cut back to Adam's house where a big mobster tough guy enters looking for Adam. The pilot adds several shots here that are not present in the film. To begin with, there's cuts to Lorraine and Gene lying unconscious on the floor after Kenny, the big guy, is finished with them.



We also see Lorraine's attempt to clean her jewelry.



Before Kenny leaves, he breaks some golf clubs over his knee. We also witness him return to the limo and tell the passenger in the back seat of Adam's absence.



It is noteworthy that the song "Bring It On Home" by Sonny Boy Williamson plays during this scene in the film but not in the pilot.

It is now night and we find Adam at a sleazy hotel and he is told by Cookie that two guys have been looking for him. After this conversation, he calls Cindy where is finds out the The Cowboy wants to speak with him. Cut then to Betty and Rita looking at a map trying to find out where Diane Selwyn lives. Another cut to the outside of the apartment and a boom shot which takes us to the apartment above where Wilkins lives with his hound. Adam calls seeking a place to crash and Wilkins offers his.



This scene is completely missing from the film and is replaced with the one featuring Louise coming to Betty's door and telling her that she isn't Betty. Also, Coco delivering the fax is missing from the pilot. Presumably this was shot in 2000.

Next up is Adam's encounter with the mysterious Cowboy. This scene is the same here as it is in the film except that the shots of Adam driving and approaching the corral are backed by a martial snare drum instead of the eerie music in the film.

Back in Hollywood, Rita helps Betty rehearse her lines for her audition. Missing here is the scene with Coco coming to the apartment and noticing Rita. A scene then follows that is absent from the film. Detective Domgaard enters McKnight's office bearing the wallets of the men from the wrecked limo. They are hand-stitched Italian full of phony credit cards and no IDs. Domgaard offers that 1 of the men is still alive and under the care of a Dr. Scott and he proceeds to go into this great Lynchian description of the guy's wounds and makes Scott out to be rather odd.




The next day Betty goes to her audition. The pilot features some old movie music while the film has what I noted as "generic strings". Missing here is Betty's cab ride to the studio.

The penultimate commercial break enters here.

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