Original subtitles

[BIRD COOING]

[GHOST DOG READING] "The Way of the Samurai is found in death.

Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily.

Every day when one's body and mind are at peace,

one should meditate upon being ripped apart

by arrows, rifles, spears and swords,

being carried away by surging waves,

being thrown into the midst of a great fire,

being struck by lightning,

being shaken to death by a great earthquake,

falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease

or committing seppuku at the death of one's master."

[CONTINUES READING]

[GONG CHIMES THREE TIMES]

[DEVICE WHIRRING]

[CAR ALARM CHIRPS]

[DOOR UNLOCKS]

[DEVICE WHIRRING]

[CAR BEEPS]

[CAR ENGINE STARTS]

["FROM THEN TILL NOW" BY KILLAH PRIEST PLAYING]

[RAPPING] ♪ Yo, I wanna know what's going on ♪

♪ Ever since that Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth ♪

♪ I wanna know What you gonna do for us right now ♪

♪ It's been a while, baby, we waiting ♪

♪ I've just been chilling I been in the lab writing and stuff ♪

♪ I just been on my You know what I'm saying, on some ♪

♪ Guns, shoot-outs and crack sales ♪

♪ Black males who pack jails Trapped in Hell ♪

♪ No peace, cold streets Surrounded by police ♪

♪ This whole week, buildings with no heats No lights and gas pipes with slow leaks ♪

♪ Dog fights and lowlife throw dice ♪

♪ The whole night thieves Creeping in the midnight evenings ♪

♪ We saw through the misty regions ♪

♪ Go to your house Take a vial for the demons ♪

♪ Moonlit, the lunar eclipse ♪

♪ Prophets stand in the midst Of the seven candlesticks ♪

♪ I can't take it Beauty that was once sacred ♪

♪ Is now getting face-lifts, fake tits And fake lips, cold embraces ♪

♪ Memory erases, from the slave ships ♪

♪ My princess I used to spot her from a distance ♪

♪ Holding my infant, burning incense ♪

♪ The moment intended for her To step into my white tents ♪

♪ Now we step in precincts For your ebony prince ♪

♪ The smell of frankincense ♪

♪ Once treated like a pharaoh With royal apparel ♪

♪ Anointed with myrrh and aloe We used to wallow amongst the mallows ♪

♪ We had herd sheep and cattle Now we battle ♪

♪ Used to pass over brooks of Kidron Towers of Lebanon, the pool of Gechron ♪

♪ We used to sing songs Upon Mount Hebron ♪

♪ How is gold turned to bronze and shh How is gold turned to bronze ♪

♪ We was the wisest and the richest Now we turned to snitches ♪

♪ Women turn to bitches ♪

♪ In the time of harvest We was the smartest ♪

♪ Worshipped wisdom like a goddess ♪

♪ Now we act retarded Forsook the wisdom of the fathers ♪

♪ We used to have A thousand flagons of wine ♪

♪ In Palestine, now we drink Ballentine ♪

♪ And raise up in the violent mind ♪

♪ From then till now What goes up must come down ♪

♪ What goes down comes back around again ♪

- ♪ Where it all began, began, began ♪ - ♪ From then till now ♪

♪ From then till now, from then till now ♪

[GHOST DOG READING]

I'll get you the rest tomorrow.

No problem.

[DEVICE WHIRRING]

[CAR BEEPS, ENGINE SHUTS OFF]

[STATIC ON RADIO]

- [JOE ON RADIO] Listen, Frank. - [FRANK] Yeah.

[JOE] Rule number one, don't fuck around with the boss's daughter.

[FRANK] Don't break my balls right now, Uncle Joe.

[JOE] Frank, you asshole, listen to me.

She's been in and out of fuckin' hospitals for psychiatric evaluation.

- She's a real fuckin' wacko. - [FRANK] Yeah, yeah.

[JOE] And now Vargo's put all the family's money in her fucking trust fund.

- Tell me something I don't already know. - [JOE] You're gonna get clipped, Frankie.

Are you finished yet, Uncle Joe?

- You're gonna get whacked! - Well, I'm not fu —

I'm not fucking dead yet,

so let's get off the goddamn phone already.

Frankie, are you fucking listening to me? That girl's a fucking wacko.

- [FRANK] Yeah, I know. - [JOE] And Vargo, he's crazy about her.

And you know what I mean when I say "crazy."

[FRANK] Yeah, I know, I know, Uncle Joe.

[CLICKS]

[COCKS GUN]

[KNOCKING]

Excuse me, Mr. Vargo. Sonny, uh...

Louie Bonacelli's outside, said you told him to come down.

Thanks, Angie.

Excuse me for a minute, I'll be right back.

Okay.

- I almost hit the number last week. - What number did you play?

I played my license plate number.

- You know what? - What?

My fucking house address number came out!

[BOTH LAUGH]

Hey...

- Louie. - What's up, Sonny?

Come on, let's take a walk.

- So everything's set up? - Yeah. It's gonna go down tonight.

I'm using my special guy.

What about the girl?

Morini says he put her on the bus... to the seashore.

- Good. - I don't feel good about it though.

Handsome Frank's a made guy and all. A good soldier.

- I feel... I feel a little bad. - Forget about it.

Handsome Frank fucked up.

You can pay your respects at the funeral with the rest of us.

Yeah...

[UPBEAT MUSIC FROM CARTOON ON TV PLAYING]

Home in!

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Have some more wine, Louise.

I don't want any more wine.

[FRANK] What the fuck?

What do you want? You want my Rolex? Whatever the fuck —

[SILENCED GUN SHOTS]

Did my father send you here to do this?

It's a good book.

Ancient Japan was a pretty strange place.

You can have it. I'm finished with it.

[GHOST DOG READING]

[BIRD COOING]

[LOUIE] I've got a bad feeling, Vin.

First Valerio calls me in for a sit-down with Vargo himself.

And now the bird.

Come here, birdy-birdy. Come here, you little fucker.

[SIGHS] Goddamn it, Vin, this is ridiculous.

I can't write this fucking small.

- [WINGS FLAPPING] - [VINNY] Here, little birdie.

You sure we can't swag a fax machine and somehow get it to this guy?

It's not the Middle Ages.

- [BIRD COOING] - Come here, birdie.

I got him, Louie! Louie, I got him.

- [LOUIE] Terrific. - I got the sucker.

You little fucker, here we go.

Easy now, Mr. Chicken, easy.

Mother of Jesus, Vin, hold the damn thing still, will ya?

I don't want to hurt him.

- Ready? - Yeah, okay.

Go home, little birdie, go home.

[GONG TOLLING]

[MAN] Shit! Shit!

[LOUIE] What's going on? What's the problem here?

[GUNSHOT]

[BIRD COOING]

[GHOST DOG READING]

[GHOST DOG WHISTLING GENTLY]

[WHISTLING]

You little brat!

You want us to come up there? Is that what you want?

- [BOY] Fuck you! - [LOUIE] Then you're really gonna get it!

- You little prick! - [BOY] Eat me!

Cocksucker.

Hey, Louie. What the fuck are you guys doing?

The kid says his mother went to work and locked him in the apartment.

Now he's mad as hell.

Louie, Vargo's waiting for us.

I think you've got bigger problems than this, don't you?

Johnny, you said the girl was on the fucking bus last night.

- What happened? - She was.

I don't know what happened. Let's go. We're already late.

Come on, Vin, let's go.

[MAN] Know what I mean? Fucking New Jack or something?

You know what I'm saying? Niggas are buggin' the fuck out, man.

Ghost Dog! Knowledge to knowledge, baby.

[GROANS]

Shit!

[GHOST DOG READING]

How you doin'? How are you? How you doin'? How are you?

They're inside. They're inside, waiting for you.

- Condolences on Handsome Frank. - Thank you.

My thoughts are with you, Joe.

They're waiting for you.

- I'm sorry about Frank. - Thank you. Thank you.

Sorry about your nephew, kid.

Ah, they whacked him. What are you gonna do?

That's the way it goes.

[SIGHS]

Hey, Johnny. Go inside. They're waiting for you.

[JOHNNY] Thanks.

Louie, how's it going?

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

I'm sorry we're late, Mr. Vargo. Sonny.

Mr. Bonacelli here was, uh, delayed on his way over.

Sit down.

Johnny, why don't you step outside, have yourself a smoke.

Sure, Sonny. Mr. Vargo.

We got a really big problem here, Louie.

Seems like you're directly responsible for it.

Your mystery man fucked up.

Morini told me he put the girl —

Mr. Vargo's daughter, on the bus.

He did. But she got off the bus and went to Handsome Frank's house.

You wanted Handsome Frank whacked.

So he got whacked from outside.

I set it all up. No traces, no nothing.

Morini said that she was on the bus.

Jesus, I mean, it's lucky he didn't do her, too. Right?

If he had, you would be fucking dead.

This is not a good situation, Louie.

Where is she now? I mean, is she all right?

Don't worry about Mr. Vargo's daughter.

What we need to do is eliminate the scumbag who whacked Frank.

Frank was one of us.

His killer needs to be...

neutralized.

Erased from the face of the planet.

For the past four years, this guy's done maybe 12 perfect contracts.

Perfect. Like a ghost.

He's very valuable. He's totally untraceable.

I'm sure he didn't realize anyone was gonna be there

when he did Handsome Frank, or he woulda backed off.

He sure as hell didn't know that she was gonna... be there.

Louie, unless you wanna be buried next to Frank,

now is the time to tell us everything you know

about this mysterious, ghost-like, untraceable fucking button man.

Okay, okay. Uh, let's see, uh...

I don't pay him by the job.

He'll only work if I pay once each year, always on the first day of autumn.

That's the way he wants it.

First day of autumn,

I settle up for whatever contracts he's done for that past year, see.

The first day of autumn. Okay, okay.

Let's just skip that part for now. Where does he live?

Fuck if I know. That's the next strange thing.

I can't just call him up, 'cause...

well, he contacts me only through a bird.

You see, since I first started contracting stuff out to this guy,

the bird comes every single day.

Hold it, hold it, hold it.

Did you say he contacts you through a fucking bird?

Did I just hear you say that?

What particular species... of bird?

It's a pigeon.

It must be like a carrier pigeon or whatever.

Passenger pigeon!

Passenger pigeons have been extinct since 1914!

Am I fucking dreaming here or what?

All right, Louie, forget about the bird. Okay? Let me ask you this.

Tell me, what does this mysterious guy look like?

Could you maybe tell me that much?

He's a big guy, a big black guy.

- He's what? - He said the guy's a nigger!

Well, see, maybe about eight years ago, I saw a guy, this guy.

He was more of a kid really, in a bad situation.

Stupid-ass motherfucker!

Get his ass up here!

Boom, you motherfucker!

What's going on? What's the problem here?

[LOUIE] So I, uh... straightened things out.

Anyway, then about four years ago, this big guy comes to my door.

This black guy, he's got a fucking pigeon on his shoulder.

Fuck if I know how he found me, but he said he owed me.

I only saw him once after that and, well, we made this arrangement.

That's very touching, Louie.

Let me just backtrack here for just a second.

You're saying this fucking bird comes to your house every day.

Did he come today?

Yeah, Sonny, the bird was there this morning.

[SONNY] Did he have a message?

Yeah, the usual "mission accomplished" message.

Uh-huh. And did you send a message back?

No.

No, uh, you would call me in,

so I figured it was best to leave things alone.

Did you try to follow this bird?

Put a bug on it? Anything like that?

Well, no. I never had a reason to do anything like that.

Like I said, I realize the arrangement I made with this guy is pretty weird,

but he's always shown me complete respect.

Well, a whole new century is coming, Louie,

and Mr. Vargo wants every member of this family

to make it a priority to erase this weirdo.

This guy is a professional.

Going after him could be very dangerous.

Handsome Frank was one of us,

so now we're gonna peel this nigger's cap back.

Better him than you, right, Louie?

Now, what the fuck is his name?

- Ghost Dog. - What?

Ghost Dog.

Ghost Dog?

He said Ghost Dog!

Yeah, he calls himself Ghost Dog.

I don't know, a lot of these black guys today, these gangsta type guys,

they all got names like that they make up for themselves.

- [MR. VARGO] Is that true? - [SONNY] Sure. He means like the rappers.

You know the rappers, they all got names like that —

Snoop Doggy Dogg, Ice Cube, Q-Tip, Method Man.

My favorite was always Flavor Flav from Public Enemy.

He got the funky fresh fly flava.

♪ Live lyrics from the bank of reality ♪

♪ I kick da flyest dope Maneuver technicality ♪

♪ To a dope track ♪

I love that guy.

I don't know anything about that, but it makes me think about Indians.

They've got names like, uh, Red Cloud, Crazy Horse,

Running Bear, Black Elk...

[IMITATES ELK CALL]

That kind of shit.

Yeah. Indians, niggers, same thing!

Johnny!

Sonny? Mr. Vargo?

Go outside. Get Sammy the Snake, Joe Rags, Big Angie.

- Get 'em in here, will you? - Right away.

[GULPS]

[BIRDS COOING]

[BREATHING DEEPLY]

[MAN SPEAKING FRENCH OVER SPEAKER] This is the Ice Cream Palace!

[IN ENGLISH] Ice cream sandwich! Ice cream cone!

Yes!

[IN FRENCH] Now they say ice cream is really good for your health.

It's no joke! I even heard it this morning on the radio.

Rich in calcium! Rich in calcium!

[MEN CHATTERING]

[RAPPING] ♪ Yo, yo, we on a conquest A mercenary strike force ♪

♪ Another life lost Murdered on the ice cross ♪

♪ Vengeance Black ninjas with monkey wrenches ♪

♪ Multiple gunshot wounds From nine inches ♪

♪ 2010, cyborgs with heat sensors ♪

♪ Astro, my ghost dogs That climb fences ♪

♪ Hey, yo, check this ♪

♪ License plate state Texas White Lexus, my diamond necklace ♪

♪ Got me livin' reckless Got me wiping cats out on my shit-list ♪

♪ I move with the three six So my cream flow ♪

♪ Sixpoint triple zero Black mafia mind, De Niro ♪

♪ In my hood I'm a hero ♪

- [MAN] Ooh! - [MAN #2] That's what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about that!

♪ Homie Blacks Two for five for the fix ♪

♪ Ba bam go the shots cause I'm liqqed ♪

♪ Trick six, ooh, easy pick ♪

♪ Bullets made out of steel Blows out your bricks ♪

♪ Trigger happy mafio-star pappy ♪

♪ A buncha thug-lookin' weed dudes nappy ♪

G.D.! Peace.

- You the man. Peace, Dog. - Ghost Dog!

What up, Dog?

That's my nigga.

Is that your dog?

No.

I thought maybe it was your dog.

What?

What?

He's really staring at you.

- Maybe he wants my ice cream cone. - I don't think so.

[CLATTERS]

[SNEEZES]

If he's bothering you, why don't you just tell him to go away?

Go on.

I've seen you before...

'cause you always carry that briefcase.

And you live in the shack on the roof of the building down the way from me,

where the birds fly out from.

My mom says you never talk to nobody and you got no friends.

- I don't know your mom. - Is that true though?

What?

That you never talk to nobody and you got no friends.

- No, I'm talking to you, right? - Yeah.

Right.

You got your lunch in that box?

- What you got in your briefcase? - I asked you first.

No. Not my lunch.

I got my books. You wanna see?

Books? Yeah, okay.

The Wind in the Willows.

I read that.

- You did? - Oh, yeah.

Yeah, Toad Hall, all that stuff. Man, it was great.

You did read it.

The Souls of Black Folk.

I read that, too. Where did you get that?

From Ms. Andrews, my teacher.

I didn't read all of it yet, but I plan to.

You got time.

Night Nurse.

- You read that? - No, I just like the cover.

Right...

Frankenstein. That's a good book.

- I know. Even better than the movie. - Yeah, you thought so, too?

Yeah.

- Can I see it? - Yeah.

"He sprung from the cabin window

upon the ice raft, which lay close to the vessel.

He was soon borne away by the waves,

and lost in darkness and distance."

Hey, that's the very end! Don't give away the ending.

The monster Frankenstein.

Rashomon.

What's this about?

[WOMAN] Pearline?

You can borrow that, you know.

You just gotta promise that when you read it,

you come tell me what you think, all right?

Okay, I will.

Well, is it true you got no friends, then?

No. My best friend's right over there.

- You wanna meet my best friend? - I don't see anybody.

He's right over there in that ice cream truck. Right over there.

What do you think, I'm a chump?

I'm not going over there 'cause I hardly know you.

Whatever.

Well, all right.

[WOMAN] Pearline, where do you think you're going?

I'm going to get ice cream. I'm coming right back.

[ICE-CREAM VENDOR, IN FRENCH] Hey, come over!

Come over here to the Ice Cream Palace.

Come on over.

This is my best friend, Raymond. Raymond, this is, uh...

- Pearline, right? - Yeah, Pearline.

[IN FRENCH] How are you?

You see this guy right here?

He's really my best friend.

[IN ENGLISH] My best friend.

[CHUCKLES]

[IN FRENCH] Here. A nice cone will do you some good.

Here you go. For my friends.

It's chocolate, like his. Go ahead.

Well, okay. Thanks.

Chocolate's my favorite.

Yeah. Me too.

[IN FRENCH] Blessed chocolate!

Even if vanilla is the most popular flavor in the world,

the fact is chocolate is still the best.

- What language is he talking in? - French.

- He only speaks French. - Do you understand French?

No, just English. I, uh, I never understand a word he says.

- And that's your best friend? - Yeah.

[RAYMOND LAUGHS]

[IN FRENCH] You see this guy, my best friend here?

He's just like a big bear.

Wait. I want to show you something.

You see?

- Bears? - Yes! Bravo!

[IN FRENCH] In this book, it says...

"The bear is a solitary animal,

adaptable to all sorts of climates, environments and foods.

In groups, they share food when quantities are abundant,

despite their limited social interaction.

The bear is a formidable adversary

with no predatory instincts at all.

But when surprised or wounded,

a bear may attack and becomes very dangerous."

- What's he talking about? - Bears, I guess.

Look, I gotta go. I got some business to take care of.

[IN FRENCH] I don't know what he said, but I guess he's gotta go.

Must have some business to take care of.

Bad move.

For the ice cream.

[IN FRENCH] No, my friend, out of the question!

You never have to pay here. You know that.

You know that book I gave you?

You read it and tell me what you think, okay?

- Okay. - Okay.

- [IN FRENCH] Take this. - Take it easy, Raymond.

Do you speak any French?

Because if you did, it would be much easier for me to learn English.

I took a course, but, damn, it was too hard.

Maybe I have no ear for languages.

Check it out. I also tried to learn Spanish.

But that was just impossible for me too.

Shit!

You play chess by any chance?

Is that fucking thing loaded?

- Yeah, okay. - Come on, let's do it.

- Ready? - Go ahead.

- That could be him right there. - Should I shoot him?

No, that ain't him. Vargo said it was a black guy, remember?

So, what's this guy? So what are you, Puerto Rican?

I think he's some sort of an Indian or something.

Yo, what the hell are you?

Cayuga.

Cayuga? What the fuck is Cayuga?

Puerto Rican, Indian, nigger... same thing.

I think we should waste him anyways, just to be sure for Mr. Vargo.

Well, it ain't authorized. So come on, let's go.

I wanna get the right son of a bitch anyhow.

Stupid fucking white man.

What did you say?

I said, "Stupid fucking white man."

Why you red nigger-looking Sitting Bullshit motherfucker!

Hey, hey, Sam, you're losing control over here.

Come on, let's go.

- Let's get the hell out of here. - Cayuga, my ass!

Listen, you. You better learn to keep your fucking mouth shut,

or I'll blow your fucking brains out myself, you dumb fuck!

["FAST SHADOW" WU-TANG CLAN PLAYING]

[METHOD MAN] Did I hear it? Nigga and bang your head, punk!

♪ And it don't, it don't, it don't It don't, it don't, it don't stop ♪

♪ It all starts with the pad and pen ♪

♪ Shall we begin to burn bush In this rap session? ♪

♪ Once again on the run Be the Black Stallion ♪

♪ Now you fuckin' with Ticallion ♪

♪ Iron Lung, boy, me can done Army of one, blaze yo' bun ♪

♪ I'ma get you none, accept challenge ♪

♪ Run a mile wit' a racist They iced it, I aced it ♪

♪ Placed it right up in their face Till they faced it ♪

♪ Hard to the dome Like a chrome microphone ♪

♪ I'm ba-ba-ba-ba-bad to the bone To the bone ♪

♪ Danger zone That's my life and my song ♪

♪ Keep it movin' Hop along, little doggies! ♪

♪ Fuck that! Drive the Mack Cadillac ♪

♪ Dark shaded windows All sunny and black ♪

♪ Pitch antenna back of the car Inside is a TV, even a bar ♪

♪ Bulletproof down, safe and sound Chauffeur in the front ♪

♪ Just to drive the Lexus all around ♪

♪ Give ya, give ya, give ya body a ride Nice and warm inside ♪

♪ Come to the Dirt Dog as the tummy rise ♪

♪ Yo, who got that nigga gassed Like he can't get ski-masked ♪

♪ Abducted from his doorstep ♪

♪ Duffel-bag his head For the price of nothin'', he's a glutton ♪

♪ What I'm manifestin' Each day is a lesson ♪

[GHOST DOG READING]

Hey, what the heck is going on, fellas?

What? What?

Ah, shit. I don't think that's him.

How the hell do you know? Could be him.

I don't know. It doesn't feel right.

Well, now he's got his own wings,

he can fly around with his pigeons over there.

Look, Vargo says if he even looks like the guy,

shoot him immediately, right?

- So... - [MORINI] I know, I know.

Come on, let's go.

I gotta take care of something personal for Sonny.

[WINGS FLAPPING]

[BIRD COOS]

Fuck. I knew that was gonna be you.

You gonna kill me? You might as well kill me.

I'm your retainer.

I follow a code.

I've always given you my respect.

So that's why you got that big fucking gun to my head?

Forgive me. I don't mean you no disrespect.

How the fuck did you find me here?

- You called me in for a meeting. - Yeah.

Everything seems to be changing all around us, huh, Louie?

You can say that again.

When you did that guy the other night, was there a girl there?

- I wasn't instructed to eliminate no girl. - Yeah, I know, it's just that...

things have gotten all complicated now.

They're gonna whack you, Ghost Dog.

If they don't find you, they're gonna whack me instead.

- Probably gonna whack me anyways. - Ray Vargo?

Yeah, the whole fucking family's looking for you.

And the underboss, Sonny Valerio, he's looking for me?

Of course. He pulling all the...

Hey, how the fuck do you know so much about our organization?

- Who's the girl, Louie? - She's...

Forget about her, I can't talk about that.

I'm trying to warn you that they're gonna kill you.

- And maybe me, too. - Better me than you, Louie.

Well... right now, I'd have to agree with that.

Hey, Louie! Sorry I'm late.

And I'm real sorry about this.

Jesus Christ!

You just shot Morini.

He's Valerio's fucking brother-in-law!

- He had a gun, he was gonna shoot you. - What?

See if he's dead.

Well, I don't think he's getting any older.

Roll him over.

[GROANS]

Well, now you really better shoot me.

There's no way I'm ever gonna explain this.

Fuckin' Morini!

Okay, shoot me. Go ahead, kill me now.

I'm your retainer.

It's against the code of the samurai to kill you.

Look, if you're my retainer, whatever the fuck that is,

then do what I'm telling you and fucking shoot me!

[MOANS]

Ow.

- What the hell did you that for? - You told me to.

I don't mean you no disrespect.

Anyway, now you've got an excuse. You can tell them I attacked you both.

You better watch your back, Ghost Dog!

Like you said, everything seems to be changing around us.

Nothing makes any sense anymore.

[IN FRENCH] Take these.

Man, I saw a really cool thing that I gotta show you.

You won't believe your eyes.

I don't know why, but it made me think of you.

I'm gonna take your knight.

Shit.

Come on. Let's go.

Come on.

You know what?

Now they say that ice cream is really good for you.

[GHOST DOG] You're talking about ice cream, right?

[RAYMOND] Yeah, I heard it this morning on the radio.

Some nutritionist guy said it's exactly like food.

I don't usually go up on the roof.

I never go up there,

but I went up there earlier today for the very first time.

Just to see the light of the dawn,

the color of the sky.

And then I discovered this thing so incredible

that I said to myself, you gotta see this.

Come on.

Check this out, man.

I love this.

Check this out.

It's completely crazy, right?

What a beautiful thing.

But how in the hell is he ever gonna get it down from there?

That's completely crazy!

This guy's a genius!

[LAUGHS]

It's amazing.

How the hell is the guy ever gonna get it down from there?

[IN FRENCH] How's it goin'?

What a beautiful boat!

When you're finished, will you just sail away into the clouds?

[IN SPANISH] I don't understand.

I gotta keep working.

[RAYMOND] Ah...

[IN FRENCH] I guess you got some business to take care of,

'cause soon the sun's gonna be coming down.

I gotta go. I got some business to take care of.

And soon the sun's gonna be coming down.

[GHOST DOG READING]

[COOING]

Yeah.

There is something you can do for me.

Yeah.

And now, my newest invention.

I can turn diamonds...

into jelly beans!

But do you think I'm happy?

No! I'm frustrated, frustrated, frustrated, frustrated!

You ask why? Felix the Cat and his bag of tricks.

- It's magic! - I'll make a canoe.

Magic and more magic!

[BANGING ON DOOR]

I thought we discussed this yesterday.

[MAN] I'm supposed to get my money.

[SONNY] There's people here. We can discuss this another time.

[MAN] Every single time I gotta come looking for my rent.

Every three months. It's every three months.

[PROFESSOR ON TV] I'll try to get the bag like this!

It tickles! [LAUGHS]

[SONNY] This is not a good time, Sanchez, I got bigger problems at the moment.

- I'll clear it up in the morning. - You pay me that money tomorrow

or I swear to God I'm gonna call the city marshal.

- Okay, okay. - Three months' rent!

What kind of operation are you guys running here anyway?

[WHISTLING]

What? What?

I don't think the boss completely buys your story, either, Louie.

Morini was family. He was also my fucking brother-in-law.

Sonny, I'm sad about what happened, but I got fucking shot!

What, you think I'm making this up?

Right now, I don't know what I fucking believe!

Joe, Snake. Go to the garage, get some cars.

First thing in the morning, I want you to take Mr. Vargo and the whole crew

up to his castle in the woods.

- Right now? - No, next fucking week!

Let's go!

[BOTH MUTTERING]

Jesus!

[OLD MAN] Passenger pigeon!

[SONNY] Somebody grab the goddamn thing!

- Grab him, Vinny. - Yeah.

I got him. Here you go.

Get out here with that flying rat. I don't want him anywhere near me.

Just get the message off him.

Send him home, Vinny.

It says, "If a samurai's head were to be suddenly cut off,

he should still be able to perform one more action

with certainty."

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

It's poetry.

The poetry of war.

[GHOST DOG READING]

[DEVICE WHIRRING]

- [CAR ALARM CHIRPS] - [DOOR UNLOCKS]

- [DEVICE WHIRRING] - [ENGINE STARTING]

["ARMAGIDEON TIME" BY WILLIE WILLIAMS PLAYING]

♪ A lotta people Won't get no supper tonight ♪

♪ A lotta people going to suffer tonight ♪

♪ 'Cause the battle is getting harder ♪

♪ In this Iration, it's Armagideon ♪

♪ A lotta people Won't get no justice tonight ♪

♪ So a lot of people going to Have to stand up and fight, yeah ♪

♪ But remember to praise Jahovia

♪ And he will guide you in this Iration ♪

♪ It's Armagideon, yeah ♪

Excuse me, excuse me!

- Step into the alley, please! - [WOMAN GASPS]

♪ A lotta people will be running And hiding tonight ♪

♪ Said a lotta one gonna run And hide tonight ♪

♪ 'Cause it's your action You must get your fraction ♪

♪ In this Iration, it's Armagideon ♪

[MUSIC FADES]

- [WOMAN] Okay! - [KIDS LAUGHING]

[GHOST DOG READING]

[SCREWDRIVER RATTLING]

[SCREWDRIVER RATTLING]

[BIRD CALLING]

[WOODPECKER POUNDING]

[LAUGHING MANIACALLY]

[CHIRPS]

[CHIRPS]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Plan B.

- [DEVICE WHIRRING] - [GATE BEEPS]

[GHOST DOG READING]

Hello, I'm Bob Solo. I'm with West Side Realty.

I have an appointment with Mr. Vargo.

How the hell did you get in the gate, Mr. Solo?

Oh, Mr. Valerio, he gave me the code.

This is a very important meeting and I may have a buyer for the estate.

You know what? Go inside, Sammy, and check this out.

I'll stay here with our Mr. Solo.

You mind if I get out and stretch my legs for a second?

No, you stay in the car, Mr. Solo.

Okay. All right.

Hey, why don't I give you my card?

[GROANS]

- [SILENCED GUNSHOTS] - Jeez...

Ah.

- You son of a — - [SILENCED GUNSHOT]

Son of a bitch!

[SILENCED GUN SHOTS]

[MUFFLED YELLING, GUNSHOTS ON TV]

[DOOR OPENS]

Jesus, it's the fucking birdman!

[GASPS]

Jesus. Ah...

I've been expecting you.

[GUNSHOTS]

It's you again.

You borrowed my book.

- [BULLET RICOCHETS] - [GUN SHOT]

[GROANS]

[TOILET FLUSHING]

[ZIPPING]

- [GUN SHOT] - [MOANS]

Goddamn it! You fuckin' shot me in the same exact place as last time.

I'm your retainer. I don't mean you no disrespect.

Besides, I don't want to put too many holes in you.

Where's Sonny Valerio, Louie?

I'll see you later, Louie.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[LOUIE] Vinny? Vinny?

[VINNY] I'm in here, Louie.

Wow!

That's a hell of a big bear you killed there.

Yep. The fucker weighs about 300 pounds.

[GHOST DOG] Yeah.

You now, it's funny because...

I didn't even know it was bear-hunting season.

What are you, a game warden? Some kinda Fed or something?

No, no. I'm just, you know, I'm just asking, you know? Just asking.

Well, I'll tell ya.

You see, there aren't too many of these, uh, big black fuckers left around here.

So when you get a good clear shot at it, you sure as hell take it.

Huh. That's why you shoot 'em...

'cause there's not that many left?

I don't think I understand your question.

You know, there ain't all that many colored people around here, neither.

Maybe you oughta get back in your fancy car

and go about your own business.

Yeah. [CHUCKLES] Maybe you're right.

[GROANS]

[GROANS]

[MUFFLED] Jesus Christ. You fuck, you hit my knee!

You know, in ancient cultures...

bears were considered equal with men.

This ain't no ancient culture here, mister.

Sometimes it is.

[GHOST DOG READING]

[MAN COUGHING WETLY]

[SCREAMING]

You know, Louie...

There's one good thing about this Ghost Dog guy.

What's that, Vin?

He's sending us out in the old way. [COUGHS]

Like real fucking gangsters.

Hang on, Vin. You're gonna make it. Just hang in there.

[SIRENS BLARING]

Aw, Christ! Fucking five-0.

[SIREN STOPS]

[OFFICER ON PA] Remain inside the vehicle.

How come when you're in the city, you never see a single cop,

but every time we're out here,

they're all over us like the fucking Gestapo!

Like we're in some fucking foreign country or something!

My friend here is real sick, we gotta get him to a hospital.

What happened to your arm?

I'm fine, Officer. It's my friend here. I gotta get him to the hospital.

[OFFICER] License and registration, please.

Look! We don't have time, lady!

Don't push me, mister! I'm not in the mood.

Remain inside the vehicle.

[VINNY COUGHING]

[LOUIE] Oh, yeah. This is terrific.

[KNOCKS]

What's the situation here, sir?

Now let's get the fuck out of here, Louie!

[ENGINE STARTS]

[TIRES SQUEALING]

Jesus, Vin! You just iced a woman, you know that?

[COUGHS]

You know what you are, Louie?

You're a fucking male chauvinist pig.

What do you mean, I'm a male chauvinist pig?

- You just shot a broad! - A cop!

I just shot a cop.

They wanna be equal...

I made her equal.

[GASPS, GAGS]

Vin?

Hey, Vin! You with me over there?

Oh, no. No...

[ICE CREAM TRUCK MELODY PLAYING]

[RAYMOND SPEAKING FRENCH ON PA]

[IN ENGLISH] Ice cream sandwich! Ice cream cone!

Yes!

[IN FRENCH] New findings show that ice cream is actually good for your health.

I'm not joking!

I heard it on the radio!

Come to the Ice Cream Palace.

[RAYMOND, IN ENGLISH] Ice cream sandwich! Ice cream cone!

Yes!

[IN FRENCH] Rich in calcium!

Hey, Raymond.

[IN FRENCH] Hey, my friend.

I haven't seen you around for a while.

I ain't seen you in a while, man.

[IN FRENCH] That little girl was here. She was looking for you.

You know, Pearline.

She's so funny, walking around everywhere with that little lunch box.

She reminds me of you with your briefcase.

That little girl, Pearline?

Oui, Pearline.

She had a book to give you, or return. I didn't understand.

But she wouldn't leave it here.

She probably wanted to give me that book back.

I wonder what she thought about it.

Hey, man...

It's a little big, but I figure you could get some of those Haitian tailor guys,

they could cut up, fit it for you.

What a cool suit!

For me?

Yeah, that's for you.

Man, that's great.

It's kinda big, but I know some Haitian tailor guys that can take it in, you know?

[GHOST DOG] "There is surely nothing other than

the single purpose of the present moment."

[CONTINUES READING]

Hi, guys!

[TIRES SCREECHING]

My fucking Jaguar! Shit! Fuck!

You got a phone? Oh, man.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

["NUBA 1" BY A. CYRILLE & J. LEE & J. LYONS PLAYING]

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[GHOST DOG READING]

Shit!

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

["COLD LAMPIN' WITH FLAVOR" BY PUBLIC ENEMY PLAYING]

♪ No more music by the suckers No more music by the suckers ♪

♪ Yo, man, what do you mean by suckers, man? ♪

♪ Yo, we only trying to put A black eye in the game ♪

♪ Yo, we gonna let you put a black eye in the game, boy ♪

♪ You know what I'm sayin'? ♪

♪ Yeah, boy, cold medina ♪

[MUSIC CONTINUES, MUFFLED]

[SINGING] ♪ I'm lamping, I'm lamping I'm cold cold lamping ♪

♪ I got Louie's boy, I'm not tramping ♪

♪ I just came from the crib, you know? ♪

♪I'm on the go Throw your tank into metro ♪

♪ Live lyrics from the bank of reality ♪

♪ I kick the flyest dope Maneuver technicality ♪

♪ To a dope track You wanna hike get your backpack ♪

♪ Get out your wack pack ♪

♪ I'm in my Flavmobile cold lamping ♪

♪ I'll take the dopest beat you got And I'll rock it ♪

♪ Like chocolate, even vanilla Chocolate, strawberry, sarsaparilla ♪

♪ Lifestyles of the living dead First you live then you're dead ♪

♪ Died trying to clock what I said ♪

♪ Now I got a murder rap 'Cause I bust your cap with Flavor ♪

♪ Pure Flavor ♪

♪ Cold lampin' ♪

Shit!

What the fuck?

[SILENCED GUNSHOT]

[LOUD THUD]

♪ Come and ride the Flavor wave ♪

[GHOST DOG READING]

Ghost Dog. Power and equality.

Always see everything, my brother.

Raymond! Raymond, man. Hey.

You look worried, man.

[IN FRENCH] I'm worried, man.

Earlier, there was a strange guy here.

A strange white guy.

I don't know if he was here to deport me, or what.

In any case, I got a bad feeling.

He had his arm in a sling.

Don't worry, man. It's okay.

It's all right.

I need to get inside, okay? I need to get inside the truck, all right?

Let me get in the truck.

[IN FRENCH] And more bad news.

Now on the radio,

they say that ice cream isn't good for you after all.

Too much sugar.

Not enough calcium.

Turn around, man.

What?

Turn around, turn around.

What?

Oh, that?

It's for my security, you know?

To protect my business.

Don't I live in America now?

Here.

No, no... No, thanks. I'm not hungry.

Here, I wanna give you this.

I don't want you to worry, Raymond.

I don't want you to worry about nothing.

Everything happens for a reason.

You know that guy who was here before, with his arm in a sling?

Yeah, the guy with his arm in a sling. What?

Yeah. I know that guy.

His name's Louie.

I'm his retainer.

See, once, a long time ago,

he helped me out.

Boom, motherfucker!

What's going on? What's the problem here?

[GHOST DOG] And I owed him for that.

See, a samurai must always stay loyal to his boss.

No matter what happens.

Anyway, me and him, we're from different ancient tribes.

And now, we're both almost extinct.

Sometimes...

you gotta stick with the ancient ways.

The old-school ways.

I know you understand me.

I know you understand me.

[PEARLINE] Hello? Anyone home in there?

[IN FRENCH] How is little Pearline today?

Here.

A double for you, on the house.

No, but thank you. I'm not really hungry right now.

Ghost Dog, I brought your book back.

I finished it a few days ago, but I didn't see you around.

What'd you think?

Well, I liked all six different stories.

Ancient Japan was a pretty weird place, I guess.

But I especially liked the first story.

Where it's, um, like one story,

but each person in it sees a completely different story.

- That was really good one. - " Yabu No Naka."

That's my favorite, too.

Well, you know, thank you for returning it,

and thank you for your comments.

- Will you do me a favor? - What?

Take this book and you read it sometime.

I mean, you don't gotta read it right away though.

Okay.

Is it good?

Yeah, well...

I liked it a lot.

It's not exactly a story, though, it's kind of a...

[LOUIE] Ghost Dog!

It's him.

[BELL TOLLING]

You should go home now.

What is this, Louie?

High Noon?

This is the final shoot-out scene?

I guess it is.

Yeah...

Well, it's very dramatic.

It's very dramatic.

And I understand.

You have to avenge the death of your bosses, right?

Well, okay, then.

[WOMAN SCREAMING]

[IN FRENCH] Don't shoot him!

Stay back!

His gun isn't even loaded!

It's not fair! His gun isn't even loaded!

Raymond! Stay back.

Now you're gonna be the boss of your own clan, right, Louie?

'Cause... ain't nobody else left.

Ain't that right, Louie?

No, not exactly, Ghost Dog.

Stay there!

It's like you said, better you than me, right?

Nothing makes any sense anymore.

It's okay, Louie.

I've seen everything I need to see.

Do me one favor, though. One favor.

What do you want me to do?

You take this book...

and read it sometime.

Then, later on...

you can tell me what you think.

Yeah, sure.

[COOING]

[CLICKS]

[OMINOUS CARTOON MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]

Let's go! Let's get out of here!

This is my book.

No, it isn't, Miss Vargo, I got it from the guy,

from Ghost Dog!

- Can we please get out of here? - It takes place in ancient Japan.

You should read it.

[SCREAMING]

We can go now.

[BIRD COOING]

[WOMAN] Pearline, you're in the way, honey.

Why don't you go in the other room to read your book, darling?

[GONG CHIMES]

[PEARLINE READING]

["SAMURAI SHOWDOWN (RAISE YOUR SWORD)" BY RZA PLAYING]