# Help Me Script a Scene: Guns/Hostages **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503 "2015-10-23T02:42:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/21 "2015-10-23T16:57:03Z")
Hostage elbows bad guy, who drops gun. Hero grabs gun. Depending on the story flow, hero either shoots bad guy, or turns bad guy over to the authorities. Either way, hero and hostage (who after all, is a beautiful woman) go arm in arm off into the sunset. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/22 "2015-10-23T17:04:45Z")
Bad Guy: “Drop…” [Good Guy shoots Bad Guy in face] [Bad Guy drops where he stands] [Good Guy walks over and shoots him in the head two more times] Hostage: “Win!” Fade out on Hostage fellating Good Guy. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/23 "2015-10-23T17:38:57Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Bad Guy: “Drop…” > [Good Guy shoots Bad Guy in face] > [Bad Guy drops where he stands] > [Good Guy walks over and shoots him in the head two more times] > Hostage: “Win!” > > Fade out on Hostage fellating Good Guy. As seen in the first episode of [Firefly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP9eiXMPLcQ) (except for the fellating part). ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/24 "2015-10-23T18:01:48Z")
Bad guy “Put the gun down or your girlfriend gets it.” Good guy “Oh, this isn’t a gun. It’s just a cell phone, and your mother has heard every word you said.” Bad Guy “Why, you son of a…” Mother “Larry! I taught you better then to ever use such language!” ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/25 "2015-10-23T18:15:54Z")
Once the bad guy has expounded sufficiently, the good guy staggers towards the bad guy and hostage and pukes on them (or at least, at them). Nobody is going to remain holding a person when puke is coming at them. Then good guy shoots bad guy. “But nobody can puke on cue.” I hear you cry…but Sandy Dennis did it for over a year while starring on Broadway in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? I’m not saying Sandy Dennis should be your good guy. Only that the talent of throwing up can be a learned skill. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/26 "2015-10-23T18:30:50Z")
Bad guy “Drop the gun or she gets it. In the head. With a bullet, if that wasn’t clear. A bullet from my gun.” Good guy “Oh, this isn’t a gun. It’s my music player.” He presses play and the Disco hit “A Fifth of Beethoven” comes blaring out. They can’t resist the music and it’s not long before their shoulders start grooving and their feet start moving. They find themselves in a dance off, the girl going back and forth between them. Then it gets intense and they are face to face, slaves to the rhythm. The good guy suddenly remembers why there are there and punches the bad guy in the face. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/27 "2015-10-23T18:41:31Z")
The Good Guy lowers his gun just enough and lets the Bad Guy back up so he can release the hostage and get a running start. That’s what Police are trained to do, and it works. Then the sniper drops him, if you like, or the cops partner gets him. ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/28 "2015-10-23T19:14:34Z")
They did a great take on this in the last Die Hard movie. The bad guy has a gun pointed at the hostage’s shoulder area. The hostage braces himself, reaches up and pulls the trigger himself causing the bullet to go through his body into the bad guy. Good guy with gun then finishes the bad guy off. My original idea would be, if the cop/hostage are married or dating then have them get into a big argument… Wife: Don’t you shoot me Harold. Husband: I’m not going to shoot you. Wife: Don’t you freaking shoot me Harold. Husband: I’m not going to shoot you Lois. Wife: I know what you’re thinking and you’re not that good of a shot Harold. Husband: Just be quiet, will you. Bad Guy: Everybody be quiet or I’ll shoot. Wife (to bad guy): He’s going to shoot you. Husband: I’m going to shoot you both if you don’t shut up. Bad guy starts backing towards exit, trips. Husband shoots bad guy. (waits 5 seconds) Husband shoots wife. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/29 "2015-10-23T20:35:12Z")
Lots of fun responses! Thank you, everyone! > [@chappachula](#): > > ummm…am I the only one who thought of this: use a second gun. > > 1. Bad Guy grabs hostage. > 2. Good Guy, after drawing his gun from the holster on his belt, is forced to throw it way without shooting. > 3. Bad Guy starts talking, gets distracted for a fraction of a second. > 4 At the moment when Bad Guy is distracted, Good Guy reaches under his jacket, and pulls another gun out of his sholder holster > 4. Good guy shoots Bad Guy, saves hostage, and music plays. Well, this is almost what I had originally; the GG drops his gun…but when the BG gets distracted, the GG throws a knife. > [@Aquadementia](#): > > Shoot the hostage. That’s why \*\*Speed \*\*was brilliant. BRILLIANT! Judge Dredd did that once: shot the BG right through the hostage. The hostage gets a nasty lung wound, but lives. The BG dies instantly. Only Judge Dredd! > [@Biotop](#): > > The good guy lowers his gun to the floor and slowly places it on the rug. Then, with a swift pull, he tugs the rug sending both villain and hostage tumbling. Good guy picks up his gun before the stunned bad guy can find where he dropped his gun in the spill. Not bad! I could work with this! > [@TriPolar](#): > > The best way to end any scene is to have everyone run over by a truck. Unless you are in England, in that case have everyone run over by a lorry. An “outside distraction” is a possibility. During the standoff, a rogue elephant rampages into the room. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > . . . The answer isn’t to toss the gun and throw a knife, or pull a backup piece, or whatever. If you don’t believe you can talk down the perpetrator, the correct thing to do is maintain your aim, keep talking, and wait for him to get careless or tired and expose his entire head, then shoot him in the head aiming at the base of the nose. . . . It wins for realism. I’m afraid, though, it would be a slow, many-page scene, with lots of dull, pointless dialogue. A real excitement-killer. You’re right, this is how it should go. (Remember that this evolved out of “You understand why they do it but it takes you out of the movie anyway.” I’m hoping for a third option!) > [@kunilou](#): > > Hostage elbows bad guy, who drops gun. Hero grabs gun. . . . Pretty, and still believable. > [@TV\_time](#): > > . . . the good guy staggers towards the bad guy and hostage and pukes on them . . . Or the hostage could puke. That would certain distract the BG. (Some rape prevention strategies suggest that victims vomit, urinate, and defecate, to repel the rapist.) > [@RadioWave](#): > > . . . My original idea would be, if the cop/hostage are married or dating then have them get into a big argument . . . Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin do this a number of times: they pretend to be fighting with each other, thus getting the BG to underestimate them. [QUOTE=RadioWave] . . . (waits 5 seconds) Husband shoots wife. [/QUOTE] Okay, I didn’t see that coming! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/30 "2015-10-23T20:45:08Z")
Bad guy has hostage. Good guys throw guns into crevasse. Bad guy monologues a while, and lowers the aim of his gun. Good guy shoots bad guy with [hat gun](http://strangeinventions.com/tag/hat/). End of problem… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/31 "2015-10-23T20:50:08Z")
There’s gotta be a way to write in a shark with laser eyes into this. And can’t we just nuke them all from orbit? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/32 "2015-10-23T22:56:36Z")
**Boyo Jim** : You’re actually closer than you might have thought, as it is a fantasy story, and there was a supernatural monster in a preceding scene. Not a shark with lasers, but something kinda Lovecraftian. Kinda. Oozy. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/33 "2015-10-24T16:21:12Z")
Bad guy has hostage. Good guys throw guns into crevasse. Bad guy monologues a while, and lowers the aim of his gun. Good guy has a tiny gun in the sleeve of his jacket. He lowers his arm and the gun slips into his hand, unseen by the Bad Guy. Good guy shoots bad guy to disable him, picks up bad guy’s gun, and finishes the job End of problem. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/34 "2015-10-24T16:55:07Z")
The good guy keeps the bad guy talking, all the while correcting his grammar, word choice and pronunciation. The bad guy will soon get tired of this, and since he has a gun out already, will shoot the good guy. This will give the hostage a chance to disable or escape the bad guy. The good guy will probably be dead, but after that will anyone really miss him? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/35 "2015-10-24T17:11:43Z")
_“If you shoot her, NOTHING in this world is going to keep me from shooting you. Your ONLY chance to survive is to let her go. You may or may not believe that I will not shoot you at that point, but if you do anything other than let her go, you are certainly going to be dead.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/36 "2015-10-24T17:56:35Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > They did that once on _Star Trek: Enterprise_. But they were using phasers, so the hostage was only stunned! 🙂 Figures that would happen on Enterprise. But if you can stun them all and sort out the bad ones later it’s not a bad idea. I seem to remember someone getting out of being a hostage by reprogramming a phaser to backfire or something. I can’t remember who that was though. Maybe Beverly. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/37 "2015-10-24T18:10:31Z")
The good guy drops the gun and it goes off shooting the bad guy in the knee who reacts and falls. The hostage grabs bad guy’s gun and finishes him with a head shot. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/38 "2015-10-24T23:25:06Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > The good guy keeps the bad guy talking, all the while correcting his grammar, word choice and pronunciation. The bad guy will soon get tired of this, and since he has a gun out already, will shoot the good guy. This will give the hostage a chance to disable or escape the bad guy. The good guy will probably be dead, but after that will anyone really miss him? Definitely a promising story arc! > [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > _“If you shoot her, NOTHING in this world is going to keep me from shooting you. Your ONLY chance to survive is to let her go. You may or may not believe that I will not shoot you at that point, but if you do anything other than let her go, you are certainly going to be dead.”_ That actually sounds like a line of negotiating that could be used in the real world. > [@Wile\_E](#): > > The good guy drops the gun and it goes off shooting the bad guy in the knee who reacts and falls. The hostage grabs bad guy’s gun and finishes him with a head shot. Or the GG drops the gun, which goes off and shoots him in his own knee, and the BG laughs so hard, the hostage punches him in the googlies and escapes on her own. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/39 "2015-10-25T00:23:01Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > ummm…am I the only one who thought of this: use a second gun. Well, I did, right before you. > [@Wile\_E](#): > > The good guy drops the gun and it goes off shooting the bad guy in the knee who reacts and falls. The hostage grabs bad guy’s gun and finishes him with a head shot. _Hot Fuzz_ had the scene where the bad guy tells the good guys to throw down their guns, they do and it goes off and shoots the bad guy in the foot. Although probably not terribly realistic, as it [looks like it’s a Winchester 1300](http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Hot_Fuzz#Winchester_1300_Defender), which is almost certainly drop-safe. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503/40 "2015-10-25T02:21:37Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > The good guy lowers his gun to the floor and slowly places it on the rug. Then, with a swift pull, he tugs the rug sending both villain and hostage tumbling. Good guy picks up his gun before the stunned bad guy can find where he dropped his gun in the spill. I really like this one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-script-a-scene-guns-hostages/735503.md?page=1)