Hey Dreamscale,

Got to finish the script. Sorry for the wait. Been writing alot.

I didn't find how Tobias died satisfying for recompensation for the child. It's difficult to do something like that. I'll do something much worse. lol.

That whole fight scene btw Danny, Carlie, Janey, didn't seem true. Would someone stand there watching someone else beat te one they like with a pan? Or even make a escape? They can gather themselves later on, once out of danger, similar to Hostel.

That was something interesting in keeping the couple alive. I like those types  of stories but what makes these stories likeable is what the characters possess that the audience would like to possess. Like Dexter, or Tom Ripley.

I'm not sure if you can create that type of end credits like that. But I'm unsure. So, just bringing notice.

In the end, I enjoyed the tale. What I see you need to do is make the characters more life like through dialgoue mostly. Make Danny and Carlie likeable or sympathetic or both.  And cut down the pages minimum, 100.  

Hope this helps,
Gabe

Thanks for finishing it Gabe.

Sorry you didn't find Tobias' death worthy of what he did to Joey, but then again, we're not in torture porn land here, so basically he got what was coming to him, however short and sweet it was.

Sorry you didn't find the finale real either.  You're the first to say that.  I don't agree with you on this at all, as it all makes perfect sense to me, and I spent tons of time figuring out how this could play real.  Not sure what you're really saying here, but I think you're referring to when Janey came in and saw that Johnny had just been "panned".  He was already dead when she came in, and even though she saw Danny above him with the Le Creuset, shock took over and she didn't really know what was going on or what to do.  When Danny picked up the fire poker, she basically came to, and made a break for it, down the back hall.

Not sure what you mean about the "missing scenes" either.  If you're saying you aren't familiar with them, I can tell you that it's done every now and then.  Best example was "Wild Things".  If you're not familiar with that flick, you should check it out.

Take care.

Hey Dreamscale,

About the missing scenes, I've got the dvd of Wild Things. What I mean is if this should be included into a screenplay, the actual credits with the missing scenes. I thought that would be up to the director or later in production if rewrites are necessary. Hope this makes more sense.

Gabe

Well, whether they should be included or not in a spec script doesn't concern me.  You can probably tell that I don't like following the well beaten path, and as far as rules?  Hey, they're there to be broken, right?

Hey Ste, thanks for your valuable input.  I appreciate it for sure.  Sorry not to get back with you earlier.  Here're my comments.

I guess I'm going to have to listen to what I'm hearing and by that I mean, shorten the bar scene and add some initial suspense and horror.  Oiginally, I really wanted there to be no suspense in the buildup.  I actually liked the disarming calmness, but I see it's not appreciated.

I've gotten lots of great ideas from various people, but one thing that I have already decided to do, is take your suggestion to add some suspense and horror into the beginning.  I like your "toilet" kill idea, but I may tweak it a bit.  Bottom line is that I think I'll reveal Danny as the killer much earlier on...either before he meets up with Carlie in the store, or at the bar itself.  That shoud add suspense to every scene afterwards, and definitely place uncertainty on Carlie.

I think you (or was it Abe?) mentioned on the Script Club thread about having some characters leave the group and go off somewhere (like the bathroom).  I actually had a scene like that in mind early on, but scrapped it.  I think it's coming back.

Likes -

Thanks for not only for your compliments here, but also for picking up on them, as each and every thing you mentioned is also a personal favorite of mine, and I really thought more would pick up on them or mention them.

I wanted to use the falling snow (and snow in general) as a theme or the like throughout the script.  The snowflake transitions worked well I thought and would be really cool visual ways to bring on the next scene.

Danny's wierd whistling of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" has always been something that I really thought was cool...and creepy.  Some of my initial readers said they hated it because it was so evil to use that wonderful song in such a creepy way.  Exactly what I was going for!

That's also my favorite Seinfeld episode and I thought it was pretty funny the way Lisa and Carlie eluded to it...twice!

Jill's demise was an original idea I had before I figured out how and where I was going to use it.  I like the visual here of the 5 big dogs taking her for a ride, and her inevitable collision with the rock.  I decided to have her live in the end, cause I didn't think it was fair that there were no survivers.  She will have a brief role in the sequel also, BTW.

The transition from the police SUV to the passing Lexus is also something I thought really worked well.  It shows time well and let's you know that help is on the way and not far behind.

Dislikes -

Someone else mentioned the same thing about alot of characters ending their lines in "also".  I think they also end in "you know" alot.  I'd say that may be an American thing or then again, it may just be a BushWorld thing!

"The screen fades to white" things are obviously an ongoing theme again, relating back to the title.  Personally, I like the visual here again, as apposed to the usual fade out or fade to black stuff.  How do you recommend that I format this?  I'm not sure I follow why you found it to be distracting.

"Mr." compared to "Mister" for me at least is not only an accepted abbreviation, but it also saves me 3 spaces, and since I'm obviously a bit on the wordy side, every 3 spaces sure helps!

As for the "missing scenes", a few have commented already.  For me, they're a great way to keep the viewers in their seats while the credits role.  I also think they're a cool way to fill in gaps or questions that may have arisen during the movie.

The initial missing scene, which first introduces us to Xavier and gives some motivation for Danny and Carlie's killing, is meant to come as a shock and surprise.  The real story here though hasn't been touched upon yet by anyone.  Abe had some ideas but I don't think he quite "got it" either.  It's ambiguous and intentially done that way to let each viewer have their own theory, so to speak.  I think it needs a bit more development, and I'm not going to explain it yet, but if you reread that scene, and focus in on Xavier himself, you may see where I was going here.  In the actual movie, the visuals would make things alot clearer.

Thanks again so much for reading my script and giving such useful commentary.

I owe you some reviews and will get on it ASAP!

Well, I finally had a chance to look this over -- 124 pages is asking an awful lot of your readers -- and I skimmed over several of the comments, too.

I need to begin with something that kind of blows my mind.  Maybe not everybody noticed this -- but I am sure you did -- when I was ripping on your logline:

Quoted from Me, on August 20: ...it sure sounds like it could be "Wolf Creek" on skis.

Now I come to find virtually every reader comparing this to Wolf Creek -- and if I got that from the logline -- well, maybe your logline is perfect haha.  Sometimes I just don't know WTF, you know?

Anyway I will refrain from beating that dead dialogue horse that you have up front, but I would be remiss not to add my voice to those who found it tedious.  It was a slog, man, and everybody telling you to trim it down is right.

I will also say that holding up Wolf Creek as a template is not quite money in my book, as I found it to be a terribly flawed film for precisely that reason.  I know you liked it, but I fell asleep twice on that film before I finally made it all the way through, and I think I am in the majority.

So, enough said on that.  Otherwise, in the second half, I found lots to like here.  Your writing is crisp and descriptive without being overblown.  Nice kills, great tone that you maintained with consistency, and a decent batch of characters, although the leads could use a little work.

You also know that your endless song references will be frowned upon -- but if you insist on them -- well, such is the arrogance of the writer.  Sometimes I do not listen, either. But, technically, you only get that privilege if the song is integral to the plot.  Here, particularly in the bar, it seems that any number of classic rock tunes could be plugged in and work equally as well.

Now, as for Danny and Carlie, I do not like these guys for the same lovey-dovey reasons you have already heard several times. And it already sounds like you plan to scale that back, which is good.  I do get it, though, that we should not really like these anti-heroes too much.  But you can love to watch a character you despise, and you have not quite accomplished that here.  You need to work on these two, and that may be a topic for the script club thread.

Some bullets:
*  I did not care for shooting the child.  I see the point later, but you will lose a significant fraction of your audience right at the outset who will not see the story through because of the choice you are making there.  Be warned.
*  My favorite characters were Jill and Bobby.  I think the story would benefit with more of them.  Jill should return to the mayhem at some point, and Bobby should steel himself and hobble out into the snow for a bit of fun, as well.
*  I do not like that a fireplace poker is just sitting there in the kitchen.  Too convenient, and just weird.
*  I do not like that the policeman's radio suddenly goes on the fritz.  Too convenient.  They should just attack him, as they end up doing that anyway.  Have them surprise him and take the radio or something.
*  The whole motivation is skewed for me, and I do not understand.  Xavier is paying them to do this?  For him?  And why this particular group of people?  Leaving this "mysterious" is one way to go, I suppose, but it is not the most satisfying option.  Since you invest so many pages in tying up loose ends, I would encourage you to answer the biggest mystery at the heart of this story with some of your after-credits shenanigans.

This is competent work, D.S., and your talent shines on many of these pages once you finally open the faucets, but that front end is just killing you.  There is absolutely no reason for this script to exceed 100 pages.  Shoot for 90, but allow yourself 100, and see how close you can get.  It will be the absolute best thing you can do for this story.  

Hi All - I thought initially from what I read, that Dreamscale did want some help with the slugline...I like the one line written on a t-shirt in this movie...Durango, Heaven on Earth...the words get soaked in Megan's blood which offers an opposite picture.

Here's the slug line from Jeff: Fade to White by Jeff Bush (dreamscale) - Horror -

Danny and Carlie are in for a lot more than just skiing, the weekend after Christmas, in Durango, Colorado.  The white of the falling snow won’t be the only color they’ll see...

Could a slugline be developed with the "Heaven on Earth" line in it...someone mentioned before they knew there had to be a line that would stand out in this screenplay.

Just a thought

MBCgirl

Hey Bert, thanks so much for reading my script and giving your feedback.  I truly appreciate it.

OK, so here're my comments back...

Very funny about your original comments about "Wolf Creek on skis"...yes, I was laughing quite a bit and was looking forward to what you would say about that.  Obviously, I really do need some help in terms of my logline.  Funny, huh?  I don't like my logline and actually came up with it rather quickly, not liking anything I had come up with in the past.

Yeah, it is 123 pages as it stands now, but I really feel that it reads much quicker than you'd think.  Obviously, the last 70 pages read much quicker than the first 50, but I think that's due to the fact that in any script, the initial build up, or introduction, is going to take longer cause everything has to be set up and characters have to be introduced.  Yes...I know...there's alot of meaningles banter that I will attempt to trim out, but still, with a large cast of characters, the intros do take up page length and space...no way around that.

Going back to the "Wolf Creek" comparisons, here's my take on it, as I've said before.   It's not in any way a template that I wanted to use, or tried to emulate, but...question for you...did you end up liking "Wolf Creek" or not?  Did you think that McLean did a good job in disarming you into that somber state that you fell into?  When all was said and done, did you like or dislike "Wolf Creek", for what it was?  And more importantly, we can all easily say what we like and dislike in any movie, and how we think it could be better, but let's understand that "Wolf Creek, was made for under $2 Million, and made around $15 Million here at the NABO alone...it made a HUGE profit based on it's budget, anyway you look at it, and would have to be called a HUGE success.

Thanks so much for your compliments on the writing in the 2nd half.  Much appreciated!

The song choices..yes, I am arrogant...I guess!  OK, I am, damnit!  Sue me!  I like how they work though and if you've read my other responses, you will get some ideas as to why certain ones are there.  If they can't be, then OK, but for a spec script, I'm always going to throw out what I want to be in there.

Danny and Carlie are going to be scaled down...actually, Danny is going to be scaled down quite a bit...Carlie is Carlie, and I think that's the way she's going to be.  I think you (and everyone else) are going to appreciate her more once Danny is toned down.

Bullets - Joey being killed has garnered quite a bit of debate.  Actually, since I wrote this part in, I have heard lots of complaints, but that's actually exactly what I wanted.  It's way too far and few that we see anything that is contraversial in this nature...and again, I really wanted to say up front that no punches were going to be held back and no one was safe or sacred.  I stand by this and hope it stays in.

Glad you liked Bobby and Jill...I do as well.  I wish I could make them have a bigger part, but I don't see that happening.  Others have disliked them and found them to be wasted characters, which I don't agree with.

The fire poker sitting on the kitchen island is explained in the missing scenes section.  That's why it's in the missing scenes cause at first, it makes absolutely no sense.  Read it again, and I think you'll get it.

The radio going out only gives Danny and Carlie an extra few minutes. remember, it's snowing like crazy, and although I do find this to be one of the very few cliches in here, I like how it works.  On a side note, I actually did some research into police procedures and what would actually happen in this case, and the bottom line is that if an officer doesn't check in with either a normal respons or a code, dispatch would send in reinforcements within a few minutes...so it really doesn't come into play, as Danny and Carlie are out of there pretty quickly anyway, and the police station isn't that close, so they have some time to "get away".

As I've said before, I don't want to give anything away quite yet about the "real motivation" or what is really going on here.  It will come out though, and I am pretty sure that based on feedback, it needs to be played up quite a bit. I think with actual visuals though, it would be alot more clear.

Thanks for your compliments in my writing.  I did spend alot of time on this, and worked through everything over and over.  I don't see this as a movie that is under 100 minutes though.  I think based on the heavy dialogue (which is going to be trimmed a bit) it reads longer than it will play out.

Thanks again, Bert.  Let me know what you think about these comments.  Take care, bud.

  

Quoted from Dreamscale "The screen fades to white" things are obviously an ongoing theme again, relating back to the title.  Personally, I like the visual here again, as apposed to the usual fade out or fade to black stuff.  How do you recommend that I format this?  I'm not sure I follow why you found it to be distracting.

I didn't see any reason to have it in the action. I would personally have it as a transition on the right.

                                                                                                FADE TO: WHITE

Don't get me wrong it wasn't a massive problem. Just a bit quirky I thought. I did get the theme of the snow throughout and I thought that was a good idea.

Quoted from Dreamscale I don't like my logline...

I think the new girl up there has hit on something with her "heaven on earth" idea.  I like the irony there.  I would also shave off the Christmas reference, as the holiday itself really plays no role in the story.

Quoted from Dreamscale ...question for you...did you end up liking "Wolf Creek" or not?

I came away wishing it were better, and frustrated that (to me) it would have been easy to make it the better film it could have been.  Same thing applies to "Fade to White".

Quoted from Dreamscale ...yes, I am arrogant...I guess!  OK, I am, damnit!

I think you have to be arrogant to be a writer -- to believe that what you have written deserves to be read -- that requires a great deal of confidence, really.  But you need to be aware that a pro reader will take those song titles as amateur, and then think less of your script because of it.

I mean, Zepplin?  Everybody knows that it is practically impossible to get one of their songs -- but if I were to include one, I think "No Quarter" is what actually fits the bill for this story.

Quoted from Dreamscale Joey being killed has garnered quite a bit of debate.

I am not saying it is right or wrong here, actually.  My only point was the risk that many readers may set this aside at that very early point, and never even see the remainder of the script.  You have to trust your instincts, of course, but it is a risk you do not necessarily have to take.

Quoted from Dreamscale Glad you liked Bobby and Jill...I wish I could make them have a bigger part

I think Bobby staggering through the snow and stumbling upon the carnage could be very compelling.  If you leash yourself, I'll bet it could be done in a page or two.  Those characters are only wasted if they do not live up to their potential.

Quoted from Dreamscale The fire poker sitting on the kitchen island is explained in the missing scenes section.

Sorry.  Missed that detail.  It may still lead to eye-rolling at the time, though.

Quoted from Dreamscale I don't want to give anything away quite yet about the "real motivation" or what is really going on here...it needs to be played up quite a bit.

I would not say big-time, but even a few hints would help.  I was genuinely confused.

Quoted from Dreamscale I think...it reads longer than it will play out.

That may be, but you still gotta get somebody to pick up that 124-pager and read it through.  A pro reader is going to be frowning before they even flip open the cover, and fair or not, you do need to think about that.

Quoted from bert That may be, but you still gotta get somebody to pick up that 124-pager and read it through.  A pro reader is going to be frowning before they even flip open the cover, and fair or not, you do need to think about that.

Before I start I just want to echo what Bert said, In my contributions on the script club thread I did say that I think this is a much shorter movie than the script length suggests. But this was based on what I would think is overwritten action. There are many cases of things that are said in 2 lines that can be easily said in 1. When I read professional scripts the first thing I notice is how tight the writing is, how not a word is wasted. It can be almost shorthand sometimes. I really think this script could be tightened up somewhat and you could shave quite a few pages from the finished screenplay.

Anyway, I don't want to say anything else I have already said in the Script Club thread, I just wanted to drop a quick review in here on this decent screenplay.

Getting past the first half and all the things you have already said you are going to take another look at I thought the climax to this script was excellent. As soon as they got to the house the pace was spot-on. Full of tension and some great moments of terror. I liked the way the story unfolded, the killings were all brilliantly handled and I especially like the final killings of Martin and Janelle, really good having the cop play such a big role in that. Bobby and Jill was a great side story and it maybe would have been good to have Jill somehow play a larger role in things, but I understand the importance of her being there and that was a good way to get the police on the scene, nicely handled.

I don't get the point of the scene in the store however, if you were looking for something to cut I would suggest this whole scene. Unless I have missed something important I fail to see what it brings us in terms of character development or moving the story along.

Reaching the end I was left pretty clueless as to what the point was however. It probably would be better to have some kind of motivation there for why they were being trained to kill. I guess at least if gives you something for the sequel, If that is what you were planning to do. But even a quick monologue from Xavier about how the young of the world need to suffer or the sinners need to pay etc.. etc.. Would certainly at least make us believe there is something deeper going on here.

On a similar vein, what was the motivation for Danny and Carlie to do this? It cannot be just because Xavier is paying for Danny's office. If this is their first time it would have been nice to have some crisis of conscience, some conflict about what they have done. How did they get involved in the first place?

Anyway, just wanted to try and point out some of the things I enjoyed about your screenplay as well as some areas I am not sure about. I feel a bit bad it is getting a ripping over at Script Club but am sure we will move onto some of the more positive elements soon.

It is a nice job and am confident that once you start work on some of the changes you want to make this will be an excellent screenplay.

Nice one,

Cheers.

Jeff,

This won’t be a blow-by-blow since we’ve already done that on the discussion thread.  I'll focus on the areas of concern.

SPOILERS:

Although Tobias’ kill scene seems gratuitous at first glance, I rather liked the way it came off. Especially after knowing the ending.  You write action very well.
But killing the kid bothered me and not for the obvious reason (hey, Cronenberg had a kid killed in “A History of  Violence."  Yeah, but he's Cronenberg...) What troubled me was that Tobias is punished by Xavier for murdering the boy.
Why should Lucifer care whether a little kid lives or dies?
Maybe Tobias spares the child and is punished for being weak.  That would be consistent with what he know -- be very careful about breaking certain rules.  It will only add confusion.

Having X give  the gun to Danny and Carlie  and having them blow Tobias away works on two levels: A demonstration of Xavier's power/control, as well as Danny/Carlie getting their first kill.  There needs to be an ice breaker for them to later have a comfort level  in the snuffing folks at the Schaefer House.

I think you are sacrificing story for the sake of being clever.  
The ending is a prime example.  You want to conceal Xavier's identity to give us the shock ending, but you don't give us any clues of his presence in the early part of the film.  So the clever reveal is wasted.
We should see Xavier at some point (maybe more than once) in the script early.
What if he is an eye witness to the Patterson killing.  We could see him interviewed on TV and describing the suspect (Tobias).  But he also says their was a Second Suspect, whom he couldn't identify by body type or gender (adding mystery).
SteBrown in the discussion thread mentioned throwing in a murder.  That's an excellent suggestion because until we get to the nitty-gritty kills around P 60, nothing exciting is going on.  There should be a trail of bodies leading to Durango.  
It would help if the murders seem to be following Danny and Carlie.   So what if we suspect them as the killers?    It's better to suspect them early and eliminate them as the killers.
I'm thinking if you are going to keep that store scene, maybe the clerk is murdered.  Police cars would be all over that place like ants.  That raises the tension right there -- we know the murderer is in town.

In High Tension, which I enjoyed despite the ending, we see everything from the victim’s perspective.  Since you want to go the unconventional route, have you given any thought to hiding the killers’ identity throughout the story and then using the flashbacks to reveal?

I still can’t make the connection between Blackbourn and Carlie/Danny?  Were they friends before Xavier entered their lives?  They seem to have a definite relationship as if it goes back a ways.

My two biggest problems are with Danny and Carlie, and Xavier.
The Allens are totally unconventional, to the point of being creepy.  They were so saccharin that I was sure they were simulacra. That was a red flag for me.  I thought they were programmed.  Are they supposed to be just that weird, or is that an act?
This definitely doesn't seem like their "first time."  They are way to at ease.  Before the first kill, I would think Danny and Carlie are on edge, anxious.  They come off like old pros.
Despite not liking Danny and Carlie, I think we should be following them more throughout the early part of the story.  They are your main characters.

Not sure why, but the whole setup seems like a game show?  Like Reality TV?
I know that isn't what's going on, but the way Carlie and Blackbourn converse on the slopes is... quirky.  Carlie tells "Blacky" of their experience offing the 20 somethings and then says to him, "you're up next...Telluride...same deal."
Why should Carlie know this information?  Because Xavier told her.  Doesn't seem to work for me.  Everybody taking turns??

What do you think of brining Jill and Bobby into the story earlier?  Maybe they were at the bar, introduced to D/C and then had to leave?

Here are the questions I have concerning Xavier.  The deal with D/C seems odd -- funding for his office?  Why not something that makes him wealthy, so he doesn't have to work?  They should be in a kind of paradise, to make babies and feed their cravings for murder. Who needs stinkin' work?
Is X protecting Danny and Carlie from the authorities?  A lot of people, including the waitress, saw them with the victims.  
And are we to think that Danny and Carlie will kill again?  There was a certain rush they got out of the murders, so why should they stop?  Right?
Personally, I'd rather have seen them get their comeuppance.

Not sure how these character find Xavier?  He doesn't have a website, haha.  Or does he find them?  How about a clue to set up your sequel.

We the audience should GET IT by the end.  Dump all the small talk in the bar, it serves no purpose.  Bump up the murders early.  Don't get toooo unconventional.  Work your cleverness within the lines of logic.  Make your CLUES distinct.
This is a horror story and so, speed up the action (writing action is your strength). Integrate Xavier more into the story, so his appearance in the end will have meaning. Spend more time with your main characters, so we get the feeling they are Victims; their POV.  Again, think High Tension.

Anyway, sorry to bust your chops on so much.  This is a case of you the too-clever story teller getting in the way of you the talented screenwriter.  
Hope everybody's comments have sparked a ton of ideas.  Good luck with the rewrites.

Hey GM, thanks for reading my script and commenting both here and over on the Script Club.  Your thoughts and comments are much appreciated.

OK, here're my thoughts back at ya...

IMO, just about any and every script you pick up, you can find words, phrases, entire paragraphs that "don't need to be there".  Obviously, some more than others.  I feel it's a matter of personal preference on what works and doesn't work in terms of how wordy, or how non wordy you are.  I like the flow of the writing here, and I don't think it's inflated very much at all.  Believe it or not, I have trimmed this script down a number of times, and feel pretty good about where it sits, in terms of the writing of action scenes, description, etc.  I do plan on cutting out some dialogue or shortening some lines, but I doubt I'll alter the writing of anything else.

Thanks for your compliments on the 2nd half of the script.  As I responded earlier, I really took alot of time to plan out each death and figure out how it could/would be accomplished.  Glad you thought they worked well.  I too like Martin's death and Janelle is my favorite character.  I wanted to give her a chance, and she did all she could with it, but in the end, Danny and Carlie needed to get away, so to move the story forward.

The store scene has been a pain in my balls since day 1, as no one has liked it from the very beginning.  It has been cut down quite a bit actually, and at less than 2 minutes, for me, I don't have a problem with it, but I agree that it would/will be at the top of the list of cuts.  What it does is 2 fold actually.  It's a place holder, so to speak, and allows me to start the "Jet Airliner" song inside the bar, and have the group leave their tables, and Danny and Carlie to sing along as they enter the bar.  Also, it was intended as some humor and the like when Danny gets caught looking at the clerks big cans (at the time, you don't know that he's a breast doctor, and when you find out, for me at least, it's kind of funny).  Agreed though, it may get the axe!

Ahhh, the ending...the real meaning...the motivation.  No one seems to get it yet, and I'm going to wait until everyone's had their say before I reveal what it's really all about, and why Danny and Carlie are doiing this.  The key is Xavier however, and if you reread his 1 and only scene, as the "missing scenes" start up, and concentrate on him and what he says, you might get a better idea.  It's obviously not developed enough, cause no one's getting it.  It does play into the sequel for sure, and will be fully developed and a much bigger piece in general.

Yeah, it's been a bit brutal at Script Club, but after the first few days, I got over it, and actually appreciate all the negativity even more than the positive things (but, I love hearing anything positive as well for sure!!).  Most of the negativity has focused on things that I purposely intended on doing, so the fact that they're being attacked is OK, as it let's me know how people think, and I can then make my mind up from there about how to go forward.

Hope you enjoyed it overall, and I appreciate your feedback and compliments.  I'll have to read and critique one of yours in the near future.

Thanks man!!

Quoted from Dreamscale Ahhh, the ending...the real meaning...the motivation.  No one seems to get it yet, and I'm going to wait until everyone's had their say before I reveal what it's really all about, and why Danny and Carlie are doiing this.  The key is Xavier however, and if you reread his 1 and only scene, as the "missing scenes" start up, and concentrate on him and what he says, you might get a better idea.  It's obviously not developed enough, cause no one's getting it.  It does play into the sequel for sure, and will be fully developed and a much bigger piece in general.

So he is Death or something? and maybe being a bit bored he has promised Danny and Carlie a longer life if they do some killing for him?  Something along those lines anyway. I missed the long pointy fingers first time around, If not Death then the devil and they have sold their souls.

Yes, GM, now you're onto something there.  Xavier is indeed Satan, and it's souls he's after.  He promises fame and power to those who haev the right midset...as in predisposed to do whatever it takes for the right price, at the right time.

This will all come out and be completely expalined and explored in the sequel.  In an actual movie, I think the visuals of X will make it much easier to follow.