(2 of 2)
The contest begins as "General" Zimmer commands six players to guard the flag and orders two attack squads to seize the enemy's standard. At first, all is silent save for the desert wind whipping through the brush. Then the defenders spot an infiltrator 40 ft. away. Rotholz opens fire. Splat. "I got him. I got him," he yells. Meanwhile, three of the Hollywood 17 penetrate their opponents' defense and grab their flag. First round to Hollywood. Much gloating follows.
The second round also goes to Hollywood, when a why production executive grabs the flag while under fire and sprints back to his own lines as Mad Dog Kanew supplies blood-curdling war whoops. Even though they have clinched victory, General Zimmer gives his troops a pep talk before the third game. "We'll stay back and ambush them, get into the car and go home to work. We haven't made any deals yet today, have we?" His men growl with anticipation.
All the participants agree that their on-field behavior mirrors their off-field style. Says Zimmer: "We love competition. We love action and tension. All the guys I know in this business work all week, all weekend. Doing the job is a rush, and the Survival game is a concentrated rush." They take the game seriously, themselves slightly less so. Even Mad Dog, who says, "To me this is just playing cops-and-robbers or cowboys-and-Indi-ans." Hmmm. An idea.
INTERIOR. HOLLYWOOD OFFICE. DAY.
HOWIE (on the phone): It's high concept. A bunch of young moguls play this simulated war game every Sunday, and suddenly it turns ugly when a frustrated screenwriter packs a real pistol and shoots his agent. I'm talking blockbuster.