02x06 - The Satanic Piano

[bunniefuu]

[theme music playing]

NARRATOR:
Man lives in the sunlit world

of what he believes
to be reality.

But... there is,

unseen by most, an underworld.

A place that is just as real

but not as brightly lit.

A dark side.

[piano playing simple tune]

[strikes discords]

[tune resumes]

[playing wanders off-key]

[tune resumes]

[pounds keys]

[resumes tune]

[pounds keys]

[sighs]

[beat playing]

MAN #1:
Hey, Pete, what key is this in?

MAN #2:
Just play the thing.

MAN #3:
Tape's rolling, guys.

♪ ♪

[pop-rock playing]

[cap clatters]

Where the hell is he?

[piano playing]

[tape rewinding]

I like it, Daddy.

It stinks.

Well, maybe it's a little
too straight.

Feels better this way.

[plays deep chords]

It feels... sexy.

[laughs]

What the hell you know
about sexy?

Don't-don't even answer.

I don't want to know.

[music stops]

[clears throat]

[piano playing ballad]

Daddy, will you help me
with my song?

Please.

I wrote it
for you.

It's about you and...

how much I love you.

I love you, too, babe.

♪ ♪

[door closes]

Well?
Well.

It's not great, B.

What are you talking
about, Tony?

TONY:
Just what I said.

They'll renew

your contract, but at the same
royalty rate.

And no bonus for signing.

Now-now hold
on, Tony.

Now, I'm standing here staring
at platinums, golds.

I got a Grammy
in my bedroom.

I'm Bancroft, man.

Bancroft!

I've made millions for
that two-bit company,

and I want what
McCartney gets.

I want what
Richie gets.

You're my manager.

You get it.

Knock it off,

Justine!

[playing stops]

TONY:
B, there's
something else.

They, um-- they don't like
the new tracks.

They what?

Hello, sweetheart.

Hey, Tony.

They want you to come up
with some new material.

You tell those
Tin Pan Alley jerks

that they got a lot of great
stuff out of me, Tony,

and they're gonna pay plenty
or we're going elsewhere.

Oh, come on, B.

You still owe them
an album.

Tony, you know how much
I love you, man,

but I moved over a million units
last year!

No more talk

till you get the ink.

Okay.

I'm gonna make myself
a sandwich.

That was beautiful,
sweetheart.

Thanks.

He should listen.

Yeah.

Guess you're not gonna help me
with my song, huh?

Not now, Justine.

Daddy, what's wrong
with getting older?

You sound just like your mother.

Yeah, well, I'm not her, okay?

I'm not her!

[phone ringing]

Yeah?

Bancroft?

Is this Bancroft the composer?

Who is this?

My name is Wilson Farber.

We've never met,
but I feel as if I know you.

Wait a minute.

How did you get this number?

No one has my number.

I have an instrument
you must see.

Listen, pal, I get pitched stuff
all the time.

I don't have time to be...

Bancroft, this instrument
can help you

in your present crisis.

The one with your record
company.

This instrument will make what
Cristofori did for the piano,

what Moog for the synthesizer

look like insignificant
tinkering.

No one has ever seen
anything like this.

You could be the first.

I must see you by 9:00
this evening.

111 North Washington
at 55th Street.

Uh, look-look, man,

I-I'm really tied up.

I'm busy.

[dial tone]
Look, maybe I...

Hello?

Too bad you didn't measure up.

But I found someone better.

Much better.

And soon we'll try again.

FARBER: I had a
feeling you'd come.

BANCROFT:
You poked my curiosity,
so here I am.

But it's 9:00.
I got a daughter at home,

I got a recording
session tomorrow.
I know.

[melodious beeping]

Cute.

Some people consider my tastes

eclectic.
Yeah, well, um,

music and magic go together,
right?

So?

My design pays

a distant deference
to tradition,

but it's an extremely
sophisticated instrument--

as you can see.

You brought me down
here for this?

It's limited

only by the imagination
of the player.

It can store everything
for playback later.

[classical piece plays]
It can transpose.

[synthesized tune plays]
Just enter the corresponding
key change,

alter the tempo,

sequencing.

You some kind of joker?

It's just another variation

on a thousand digital
processors.

I've got 'em all.

This is nothing special.

Nothing!
Oh, yes,

it is, my friend.

It is something very special.

You've wasted enough of my time.

I didn't ask you here

to waste your time,
Bancroft, or mine.

I asked you here to see

the future--

your future.

Inspiration is such
a fickle vamp.

Without a warning

she'll come for you.

A melody right in the eye
of the mind.

You rush
to your instruments.

It should be easy.

The music should

surge through
your instruments--

like the blood
through your veins.

But it's always painful instead,
isn't it?

You work it and work it

trying to get
it down.

Trying desperately

to capture that
vanishing moment

the muse loaned you only
a split second ago.

Look at my invention.

Think about
that song.

The one
you couldn't get

this afternoon.

Go ahead.

[piano playing simple tune]

No! No!

The way you wanted
to play it.

Relax.

[electronic keyboard
playing tune]

[arrangement grows more complex]

[music stops]

Not one of your more inspired
pieces, my friend.

It read my mind.

[laughs]

It-it played my thoughts.

Exactly.

Okay, how much?

Not for sale.

But I gotta have it.

Farber, I don't
want to know

about your secrets.

I-I don't even want to know
about the mumbo jumbo

that's going on here.

No mumbo jumbo.

At least not the way
you mean it.

Okay.

I'll make you famous.

I'll make you more famous

than you could ever
possibly believe.

I've been counting on you
for that, Bancroft.

Well?

I will not sell it.

But you take it.

Create with it.

When you've had time to fully
comprehend its beauty

we'll find a way

so you'll never have
to part with her.

Is that fair?

Yeah.

[electronic keyboard playing
Bancroft's composition]

♪ ♪

[laughing]

♪ ♪

[police sirens wailing]

[chuckling]

[piano playing]
Stay away from that!

[sweet melody plays]

I didn't touch this.

Dad, that's my song.

It's playing my song.

Um, I must've forgotten
to turn it off.

[music stops]

What is this?

Um, just some toy
a guy laid on me to try.

Justine, you look terrible.

Yeah, well,
I couldn't sleep.

I couldn't get my song
out of my mind.

Hey, I know the feeling.

It happens to the best of us.

I made you breakfast.

Oh, I can't, babe, I'm
already late for the studio.

Uh, Justine, I don't want you
messing with this thing

while I'm gone, okay?

Justine, it's very complicated.

You might mess up
some of my work.

Don't touch it.

Now, promise me.

Yeah, I-I promise.

All right, I'm gonna
be a little late

so, don't wait up, okay?
Yeah.

[switches clicking]
[beeping]

[electric keyboard playing
Bancroft's composition]

[ominous whooshing]

[Justine's ballad plays]

FARBER:
It's not him, it's her!

She's the one.

TONY: Wilson Farber, why do
I know that name?

Ah, he's just a slide-through
and some mumbo jumbo--

Tony, don't even be
concerned with the cat.

Wait till you
see the keyboard.

I knocked off five
new tunes last night

just messing with the
thing and each one

better than anything
I've ever done before.

Tony, we're headed for
triple platinum, man.

At least!

Hey, Justine?

Hey, babe?

Justine?

It's a little late for
her to be out, isn't it?

Ah, damn mother probably
came and got her.

It's just like her to come and
get her and not let me know.

Hey, wait a minute.

Wilson Farber, of course.

Why, he managed one of those,

uh, those heavy metal
groups years ago.

Into Satanism

and Voodoo,
that kind of junk.

And one night
his lead singer

croaked right on stage.

What?
Yeah.

They were doing their act

with, uh, all that
ritualistic crap, you know?

And the guy just,
he just fell over.

[laughing]:
Tony, forget it, man.

Farber's just
some lame weirdo.

It's the keyboard.

And we're on the verge
of making history, baby.

Farber, I'm sure of it.

Oh, no! It's gone!

It was right here,
now it's gone!
W-Wait a minute!

Wait a minute,
B, calm down.

There's gotta be
an explanation.

The sucker came
and took it back!

Hey, what about Justine?

[melodious beeping]

Oh, my God.

FARBER:
I knew you'd come.

After all, it was
going to be you.

[door closes]

[Justine's ballad plays]

Don't touch her!

If you touch her she'll die.

What the hell are you
doing to her?

I am immortalizing her.

Are you nuts?

I overestimated you,
I'm afraid.

You lack the one
essential element

I need to truly
reach the majestic.

To put it bluntly, Bancroft,

you have no soul.

This lovely child, however,
has the divine within her.

And I am draining it

note by exquisite note.

When that song is finished,

pure and unfettered spirit

will reside in my invention

where it will be free.

Free to compose the
most beautiful music

we have ever heard!

Farber, you-you're delirious.

Delirious?
Oh...

Yes!

I am delirious!

I am about

to join the pantheon!

The name of Farber

is about to be
linked eternally

to the very
essence of music.

No!

FARBER:
Beethoven, Mozart,

Stravinsky!

[yelling]

[gagging]

Ah, you feeble toad!

The world should applaud me
for getting rid of your noise!

[yelling]

[chanting]

[groaning]:
My hand!

[sobbing]

[Farber chanting]

[Justine's ballad continues]

[shuddering]

[electric keyboard plays
Bancroft's composition]

Stop it, you fool!

Stop it!

[distorted music]

Stop it!

You don't know
what you're doing!

[distorted music]

Oh, no!

Look out, look out, sweetie!

[mutters]

[wails]

No, please!

Don't die on me!
Justine?

Hey, baby!

[weak sigh]
[Farber yelling]

Dad... ?

[Farber yelling]

Oh, no, Justine!

Please don't die.

[chanting]

Please, don't do this to me!

Don't do this to me! Oh!

[sobbing]:
Please, don't do this!

Come back! [screaming]

[Justine sighing]

Dad!

Dad?!

[coughing]
Daddy?

Daddy, are you okay?

[groaning]

My God, Daddy, your hand.

Try to unlock the door.

I don't know
the combination!

[electrical buzzing]

F, A,

E, B, B.

[melodious beeping]

Come on!

Dad, it's open,
it's open, let's go!

Can you get up?

[groaning]

[panting]

Dad, your hand!

Baby, it doesn't
matter anymore.

[panting]

You're the only
thing that matters.

You will be the music now.

[Justine's ballad plays]

[electrical buzzing]

[electrical buzzing]

NARRATOR:
The dark side is always there.

Waiting for us to enter.

Waiting to enter us.

Until next time, try
to enjoy the daylight.