Chili is scribbling something on a piece of paper as Karen comes into the room. Chili looks up at her as he hangs up, smiles at her.
CHILI: Hey . . . Karen. How ya' doin'?
KAREN: What're you doing here?
CHILI: I wanted to come by, apologize for coming into your house like I did last night.
KAREN: Lemme get this straight, you broke in again to apologize for breaking in before?
CHILI: No, no . . . you let the patio door open. You gotta stop doin' that, all the nice things you got around here.
KAREN: Yeah, well make sure you lock it on the way out.
CHILI: Rough day on the set?
KAREN: I spent all day crawling out of a grave. The costumer kept bitching 'cause I was ripping my nylons --
CHILI: Ripped nylons work. Makes the shot more real.
KAREN: (regarding him) . . . That's what we finally decided.
CHILI: Like in Bride of the Mutant, when you played the whole end with that torn top.
She looks at him.
KAREN: You saw that one?
CHILI: Yeah. When you turn to the camera to tell the alien mother that her time on earth is finished . . . when you give us all that look, Joan Crawford wishes on her best day she had that much presence. Not even in Mildred Pierce -- which by the way was a better book than a movie -- did Crawford even touch the intensity you had in that look.
KAREN: (beat) Yeah . . . that was a good scene. I mean, for a horror movie.
CHILI: For any movie.
KAREN: I know I'm better than what I've been doing the last ten years, walking around in a tank top and fuck-me pumps, waiting till it's time to scream.
CHILI: Man, can you scream.
KAREN: Yeah. It's a real gift. (beat) I'm just saying it'd be nice, one time in my career to get the chance to say one great line. You know, like in that Bette Davis picture, Cabin in the . . .
CHILI: Cotton.
KAREN: Yeah, you know when Bette comes up to the guy on the porch, gives him a flirty look and says, 'I'd kiss you, but . . .'
CHILI/KAREN: 'I just washed my hair.'
KAREN: Yeah.
CHILI: That is a great line.
Chili looks at her.
CHILI: How come you stopped making movies with Harry?
KAREN: I married Martin. That was a full-time job.
CHILI: You read Harry's new one? He says it's the best thing he's ever read.
KAREN: He must mean after Slime Creature 3.
CHILI: That why Harry came over last night? See if you could help him get Martin in his movie?
KAREN: Harry's dreaming of a forty-million-dollar production he'll never get off the ground with a star he'll never sign. With or without my help.
CHILI: Harry told me Martin loves it, he flipped.
KAREN: Yeah, well Martin is known for his flipping. He flips over a script, and when the time comes to make a deal, he flips out.
CHILI: Tell you what, I'll stop by Harry's office and pick up a copy for you.
KAREN: Don't go out of your way.
They consider each other a moment . . . until Chili finally checks his watch.
CHILI: Well, I gotta have a talk with Leo, my runaway dry cleaner.
KAREN: Right. See how your story ends.
CHILI: Yeah. Right. (then) Listen, Touch of Evil's playing near my hotel. You wanna go check it out? Watch Charlton Heston play a Mexican?
Karen looks caught, doesn't answer right away.
CHILI: Maybe some other time.
He turns to go, then turns back to her . . .
CHILI: 'He tried to make love to me and I shot him.' (then) Another great Bette Davis line.
Karen looks at him. Surprised. He smiles at her.
CHILI: See you around.