All language subtitles for The.Connection.1962.1080p.ENG.02

This is J.J. Burden,
New York City.

[piano playing]

FREDDIE: Cowboy back yet, Solly?

JIM: Well, go, man.

LEACH: I'm hungry.

Like, uh, this is my pad,
why shouldn't I eat, huh?

These creeps never eat.
Don't they know it's nutritious?

Come on, Ernie, move over.

Ow! My boil!

Dream word, huh?

Narcotics...

Look here, I live comfortable.

I'm no junkie bum.

Just look at my pad; it's clean.

Yeah, it's clean except
for these creeps that come here

and call themselves my friends.

My friends, wow.

Like, they come here
with a little money, see.

And then they expect me to use
my hard-earned connections

to furnish them
with heroin, see.

But then when I take
just a little for myself,

they cry and they scream,
the bastards.

Come on, man!

They just wait here,
making me nervous.

Sleeping.

That's all they do is sleep.

[ship horn blows]

JIM: Um, Leach, will you please
just say who you are?

LEACH: All right, man.

Me?

I'm Leach.

[knock on door]

Jackie and Larry, man.

What do you say, baby?

JACKIE: is Cowboy here?
LEACH: No, man, he's not here.

LARRY: Hey, have they
just started jammin'?

LEACH: What do you think,
baby, huh?

LARRY: Hey, Jackie.

[indistinct greetings]

LEACH: This is Mike.

MIKE: Cowboy back yet?

LEACH: Ah, come on, man.

Freddie, turn around.

And over here is Sam.

Ah, come on, man,
wake up, come on.

You're in the movies, baby.

Sam: Oh.

Uh... Don't fire until you see
the whites of their eyes.

LEACH: Solly, say something.

All right, don't say something.

And last but not least, Ernest.

[plays fanfare on mouthpiece]

JIM: The light bulb!

LEACH: All right.

You see that light bulb?

Do you realize that light travels

at 186,000 miles per second
per second?

Come on, Solly, wake up, baby,
I want you to hear this.

SOLLY: I haven't slept
since that night I met you,

two years ago.

But for once pretend
that I'm asleep, huh?

LEACH: Yeah.

So light travels at 186,000
miles per second per second.

Now, we, the human race,

is constantly being bombarded
with light particles.

MAN OUTSIDE: I'm gonna
cut you up, you son of a bitch!

[man shouting]

LEACH: And now the question is,

like, why aren't we dead,
you know?

I mean, man, at 186,000 miles
per second per second,

we should all be annihilated!

But we aren't.

Why?

I'll tell you why.

Dig.

Man is transparent.

You know what I mean,
transparent?

And that's why the light
flows through them,

and it doesn't hurt me or you.

And now for the interesting part.

Look, if man is transparent,

then how do you account
for his shadow?

Okay, man, to tell you the truth

I don't have
the whole answer yet.

What do you think about it, Solly?

[Solly yawns]

LEACH: Yeah.

Hey, Freddie?

Pineapple.

Freddie?

Oh, come on, man, wake up!

FREDDIE:
Hey, what's happening, Leach?

LEACH: Oh, no...

FREDDIE: Jackie, what tune
are we playing, baby?

What tune are we playing?
Is Cowboy back yet?

MIKE: Is Cowboy back?

LEACH: No, Cowboy's not back, man.

JACKIE: Man, Cowboy went to cop
and got copped.

LEACH: That's good, Jackie, eat it.

JACKIE: Ah, man, no, I can't, man.

LEACH: Thanks a lot, pal.

Come on, Larry,
here you go, baby.

Come on, it's good, baby.

LARRY: I'm sick.

SOLLY: I'm hungry, Leach.

[children playing outside]

LEACH: Go on, man,
take it all, will you?

SOLLY: Sweet.

LEACH: Come on, take it.

SOLLY: Hey, Ernie?

ERNIE: Yeah.

SOLLY: Ernie, don't you see
where you make your mistake?

Ask and you shall receive.

ERNIE: I'm not much for tact.
I guess I never will be.

[sirens and bells]

SOLLY: A fire.

Well, Ernie, it's
a very rotting black shadow

that seeps through your body.

LEACH: Oww!

Boil!

So you were listening,
Solly, eh?

Man, I guess you know now
that you're not the only person

who thinks about things like that.

Oh, my neck.

SOLLY: Put some hot water on it.

LEACH: Yeah, I guess I should.

Maybe I ought to shave, too.

ERNIE: Cut your throat.

LEACH: Oh, yeah look.

I've invited a couple
of chicks over.

Our boy there thinks
it'd be a swell idea

to have a little battle
of the sexes.

Oh, man, where do you
get your ideas?

Oh, yeah, Solly.
SOLLY: What?

LEACH: If anybody knocks
on the door,

answer it for me, will you?

I don't feel like
getting busted today.

I haven't had dinner yet.

Or my fix.

[urinating]

SAM: Solly, now, I used to think
that the people

who walked the streets
every day-

the aspirin addict
and the vitamin pill addict-

those people are hooked
worse than me.

Worse than me, hooked.

SOLLY: They are.

Man, they sure are.

You happen to have a vice
that's illegal.

SAM: Yeah, I guess so.

SOLLY: You're fed up
with everything for the moment.

And like the rest of us,

you're a little hungry
for a little hope.

So you wait and worry.

"Fix of hope."

A fix to forget, to remember,
to be happy, to be sad...

to be...

To be.

So we wait
for the trustworthy cowboy

to gallop in on a white horse.

Gallant white powder.

SAM: Man, there ain't nothing
gallant about heroin!

ERNIE: Why don't you cats
stop talking about it?

You know you're a drag, huh?

SAM: Why don't you
talk about it, man?

ERNIE: It's tough enough
I got a gig tomorrow.

I got to get straight.

What happened
to that bastard, anyway?

He could have took
all that bread

and burned us, anyway, right?

J.J.: Hold it, Ernie,
come on, Ernie, hold it!

[cymbal crash]

JIM: All right, all right!

Oh, I'm sorry, Larry.

Sorry, man.

Uh, uh, uh, I just-

let it run for a while, J.J.,

because this will only
take a minute.

All right, now, gentlemen,
gentlemen,

let's not get hostile.

Huh, you see?

I mean, the minute I put
a camera on you, you change.

Now for instance, Leach,
where is he?

Where's Leach?

Leach, would you come out
of the toilet, please?

Leach?

ERNIE: What do you want, man?

JIM: That's fine, that's fine.

You see, we haven't been using
any lights yet,

because we didn't want you
to stiffen up.

[taps on microphone]
Testing, testing.

SAM: Testing, testing.

JIM: Ha, thanks.

But that's
what you're doing now.

You see, you're stiffening.

Just act naturally.

The stuff that you do every day
is just fine.

See, I've told you
over and over again,

I'm not interested in making
a Hollywood picture.

LEACH: Yeah, that's
very nice of you.

JACKIE:
♪ We're going Hollywood! ♪

JIM: Come on, now,
will you stop that?

Will you please just, uh,
just stop that?

See, I know something
about Eisenstein and Flaherty.

LEACH: Go on,
drop those names, man.

JIM: Oh, no, man,
well, J.J., you better cut,

because this has got to be
settled right now.

JACKIE: Hey, J.J., you sure have
changed since Harlem, man.

J.J.: So have you, Jackie.

JACKIE: I'm my own man.

Is your name going to be
on this film?

JIM: See, I don't want you
to be worried

about anything, because...

LEACH: What are you doing, man?

JIM: See, I don't want you to be
frightened of anything

because, you see,
you know how I...

SAM: It's collapsible, man.
[laughter]

JIM: You see, we don't want
anything extraordinary, you see.

LEACH: Yeah, good.

JIM: I mean just get up there
and say who you are

and how you came to be here.

ERNIE: You really expect us
to do that, huh?

You know something,
if your cameraman and Jackie

hadn't gone to school together,

we wouldn't even let you
come up here.

JIM: Oh, come on, man.

LEACH: Hey, Jim.
Come here, man.

You're not giving us that
much bread for this movie, see?

I mean, the camera, baby,
they're taking pictures of us.

What happens if the fuzz sees,
huh, man?

Not doing us any favors, baby.

Just relax and take it easy
and take what you get.

JIM: Come on, now, you guys
have got me all wrong.

J.J., explain to them.

What are you... what?

What are you doing?

Are you still shooting?

J.J.: You told me to.

[Ernie laughs]

JIM: I told you to stop shooting!

Now, dammit, I'm not gonna
put up with this!

I mean, I've given you
a real break.

We were going to make a great
picture together, right?

Anybody would be ecstatic
to work with me on this

and take my direction.

I haven't pushed you around,
have I?

Just remember I can always
get another cameraman.

[laughter]

All right, all right.

Um, I'm sorry, J.J.,

but this thing was getting
out of hand, you see.

Well, I shouldn't
take it out on you.

J.J.: Okay, don't worry about it.

JIM: Okay, but just keep me
out of it, okay?

J.J.: Check!

SOLLY: You are out of it.

J.J.: Check!

SOLLY: You know, that's right.
Get the freaks, but not you.

Some humanitarian.

JIM: Ah, come on, now,
what are you worrying about?

Look, I gave Cowboy enough money

to keep you high
for a week, right?

I'm giving you what you want,
you give me what I want, huh?

[knock on door]

JIM: Who the hell is that now?

SOLLY: It's Harry.

I saw him coming down the alley.

He's got a suitcase.

JIM: Tell him to wait a minute.

LEACH: Wait a minute, Harry.

JIM: You see,
all I'm trying to do-

LEACH: I hope he doesn't want
to flop here, you know?

SOLLY: Come off it.
JIM: I'm just trying to...

LEACH: Come on, man.

JIM: I'm just trying to make
a honest, human document.

ERNIE: Oh, yeah, excellent:
New York Times.

JIM: Aw...

J.J., would you-
No, no, no!

J.J.: Hold it, hold it!

Can't shoot the door from here.

Let me get on the other side
of the room.

JIM: Well, all right.

J.J.: Okay, you can go on.

JIM: Wait a minute,
wait a minute, man.

Does this cat know
we're making a movie?

LEACH: No, man, he hasn't been
on the scene

since you've been around.

[Jim snaps fingers]

JIM: All right, we'll use it, huh?

We'll use it!

Okay, let's go to work,
everybody,

we haven't got all day.

You can open the door.

[jazz record playing]

[record skipping]

ERNIE: Man, that needle's
gonna ruin that record.

JACKIE: I sure wish I could have
heard that Bird record.

FREDDIE: Yeah, me, too.
I feel like playing.

SOLLY: Give our guest
a little background music.

[band starts playing]

LEACH: Come on, man, will you?

SAM: Go away, go away
from me, huh?

Come on, I don't like that.

J.J.: Come on, Jim,
we're running out of film!

JIM: Just hold it.

Damn thing is falling apart.

I'll set up the other camera for you.

[music concludes]

JACKIE: Man, you know something,
you shouldn't do that, man.

We're trying to rehearse
these tunes.

FREDDIE: Look, man, If Jim Dunn
doesn't pay us off,

let's hock his camera, you dig?

JACKIE: Good idea.

JIM: What is so tough
about being photographed?

SOLLY: Mr. Dunn...

You know, I admire
your attitude.

So why don't you get
in the movie with us?

JIM: All right, take it easy.

J.J., it's all right,
just let it roll.

It doesn't do any harm.

Now, gentlemen.

LEACH: Hey, man, you call
these peeps gentlemen?

JIM: All right, all right...
junkies, huh?

LEACH: Yeah, very funny,
very funny.

JIM: You happy?

Look, you junkies don't seem
to understand, see,

that when a hand is photographed

it becomes something
other than just a hand.

See, it's a matter
of cinematic selection.

JACKIE: Hey, man, don't speak
Spanish, I don't understand.

JIM: Oh, come on, now, baby,
just act natural, huh?

I mean, it's not like you're
talking to someone

who doesn't dig you, you know?

I read you cats.

Solly, Solly, come on, baby,
where's all your philosophy?

SOLLY: It went up in smoke!

JIM: Come on, Ernie, man,
come on now, where's your story?

Your capsule comments.

ERNIE: Where's my...
capsules?

[laughter]

SAM: You've been telling us
to act natural,

and now we don't even own
our own hands.

JIM: Now, look, you cats
may know more about junk, see,

but let me swing
with this movie, huh?

LEACH: Hey, baby, you want
to swing with this movie?

JIM: Yeah.

LEACH: Then swing your ass
in back of the camera, will you?

JIM: Listen, I want those chicks
that you were going to invite

to show up.

I was even hoping
that the big connection

would get wind of this
and make it down here.

You know what I mean?
The man behind the man.

LEACH: Hey, baby, you want
to see the big connection,

the man behind the man?

JIM: Yeah, is he gonna be here?

ERNIE: Sure.

LEACH: No, baby,
he will not be here.

Now, look, why don't you just
sit down and relax?

Be quiet and relax. Dig.

[Jim laughs]

LEACH:
You will not see the man...

the man behind the man,
because there is no such man.

JIM: Ah, now, wait a minute,
if there's an organization, see,

there's got to be a head.

ERNIE: We don't think
it's got a head.

[Leach laughs]

SAM: How many times
do I have to tell you?

I'm the man, if you come to me.

You're the man if I go to you.

JIM: I don't understand that.

SAM: Because you're simple.

SOLLY: That's all right,
nobody understands that.

Anyone coming to Leach

feels that he's the central
actor in his own drama.

An artificial and
melodramatic organization,

but that's the set-up.

Surely, it starts in the ground
and grows up as a poppy.

But after that it's
a mundane game, that is, for me.

Come on, Larry, you don't
have to do that, now, baby.

J.J.: Come on, out of the way.

SOLLY: The man is you.

You are the man.

You are your own connection.

It starts and it stops here.

You come here to make a movie,

and now you're getting involved
at your own risk.

LEACH: Hey, Solly?
SOLLY: Yeah.

LEACH: What do you say
when Cowboy gets back

we turn Jim and J.J. on?

SAM: I'm not donating a thing.

LEACH: Nobody's asking you
for nothing, man.

SOLLY: Well, don't look at me.

Ask them.

LEACH: What do you say, baby?

JIM: Well, they say one shot
and you're hooked, huh?

ERNIE: It's horrible, man.

LEACH: Is that
what they say, man?

JIM: J.J., is that camera
still rolling?

I mean, film is expensive.

J.J.: You say hooked.

You've been talking
about being hooked every day.

Why don't you try something
that's not habit-forming like pot?

JIM: What's pot?

J.J.: You know, mari-juana.
JIM: Oh.

LEACH: Yeah, mari-juana, yeah.

JIM: Okay, yeah,
you got any pot?

LEACH: No, baby, I don't have
any mari-juana.

But how quaint of you to ask.

JIM: Well, they say
that marijuana

leads to the stronger stuff, huh?

J.J.: For a guy who's making
a movie about drugs,

you don't know
very much about it.

JIM: Okay, then what do you say
we go back to work, huh?

I'll use the handheld camera.

LEACH: Why don't you try
a little taste, baby.

SAM: Don't you just want
a little bit?

LEACH: Hey, Ernie, we got
to turn Jim on, man.

Like he'd be crazy, you know?
I got to see that.

ERNIE: Man, I want to turn
the other one on-the hip one.

[Leach laughs]

ERNIE: He'd be helpless,
at first, that is.

SAM: You certainly are
a mean bunch of boys.

LEACH: Just mind
your own business, Sam.

Ow, my neck!

Oh.

ERNIE: Solly, can't we, like,
make something happen?

You know I'm sick and tired
of sitting around and waiting.

[train passes]

SOLLY: Gentlemen, gentlemen.

Do you realize
that there isn't a day that-

J.J.: Okay, Jim,
I'm going to stop shooting.

SOLLY: Hardly a day goes by

without some item
in the daily press

concerning narcotics?

Now, in order to do right

by this little authentic
slice of life,

we've gone out and bribed
a few natives.

[whispering]
Actually I'm the only white man

the natives trust.

LEACH: Cool it, Solly.

He might take
his bread back, man.

SOLLY: You have a point there,
Leach.

But imagine anyone wanting
to use real junkies

just to make a movie.

Wow, believe me,
we're not here for the money.

ERNIE: Why don't you just
talk to yourself, man?

SOLLY: Come on,
it's not that much.

We're waiting.

We've waited before-
the connection is coming.

He's always coming.

But, so is education.

For example, the man who will
whisper the truth in your ear.

What do you want to hear?

That we're a petty, miserable,
self-annihilating microcosm?

That's what you want to hear.

Dope fiends!

Hurry, hurry, hurry,
the circus is here!

Suicide is not uncommon
among us.

The overdose of heroin

is where that frail line
of life and death swings

in a silent breeze
of ecstatic summer.

Who else can make so much
out of passing out?

But existence on another plane
is sought,

whether to alleviate
the suffering from this one

or to wish for death.

Doesn't matter.

Ah, I hate oversimplification.

Sam.

Sam is, Sam is simple.

Sam?

Someone?

Come on, say something.

Say something for posterity.

SAM: I ain't much
for that sort of stuff, Solly.

SOLLY: Pay your dues.

Pay your dues.

SAM: Okay.

But who's to say?

I mean, who's there to squeeze
the ball into his own shape

and tell me this is right?

You know that.

What do you want, Jim Dunn?

A soft shoe dance?

I don't need burnt cork,
you know.

[band starts playing]

SAM: Now, Solly, you know Leach.

I remember you slept here.

Leach is a queer
without being queer.

LEACH: Come on, man, will you?

SAM: He even thinks like a chick.

You know, sometime I wish
he would stop fighting it

and make the homosexual scene.

That's right, it would be
a lot easier on all of us,

and he would swing more himself.

But, nah, he's undependable.

Just like a woman.

Cowboy treats him like a woman
and everything is fine,

but I can't do it.

I just look at him!

I can't do it.

Solly. Now there's a cat
that's hard to figure.

Educated?

Shit, he knows an awful lot.

But yet he's here waiting
for the same stuff I am,

and he ain't rich.

He only gets high
when he's happy.

Most cats get high
when they're down.

Not him.

I can never figure that out.

You know, I see him in my mind
as dancing on the street.

You know, dancing
through the people.

Yelling, sometime whispering
in people's ear.

Always with his book.

And he watches everything.

Like I was playing
with this hoop here,

and he comes talking
about the Roman symbol of death

or some crap like that.

[laughs]

He cracks me up!

But I like him, though.
Stand-up cat.

Ernie, you don't want much.

Your horn, a little dope.

I don't trust you.

ERNIE: Well, the same, Sam!

LEACH: Come on, Ernie.

Your confession is next, man.

SAM: You know, as long as Ernie
is straight with me,

I'm with him.

You see, I hold back,
but he has no willpower

when it comes to not having
anything to get high with.

Hey, Jackie, you got any beer?

JACKIE: No, man.

LEACH: My boil is killing me.

I'm going to put
some hot water on it.

SAM: Yeah, you do
that little thing now.

You know, they got a saying
in this word:

"It isn't the shit that will do you in,

it's the lack of it."

Now, I steal.

But I only steal
from people I don't like.

You see, I wouldn't take
a matchstick

from a friend of mine.

Look, Mr. Dunn.

Mr. Dunn.

I like telling stories best.

But, well, right now
I'm kind of sick.

I mean, you can understand.

You've seen a lot of movies
of fellas like me.

It's torturous.

Look, I could use
five more bucks.

Only until I get paid.

I'm supposed to see this fella
about a job next week.

Solly introduced me.
Hey, didn't you, Solly?

Well, anyhow, I'm going to be
rolling in the bread then.

But now I'm sort of down.

I got some powerful stories in me

when that shit is flowing
through my vein.

So, how about it,
huh, Mr. Dunn?

JIM: Not now, Sam, I'm busy.

See me later.

SAM: Oh. Yeah, okay.

Well, I'm going to go
and lay down a while, I guess.

[music continues]

[footsteps]

[band stops playing]

JACKIE: It's cool, man.

SOLLY: Want a drag, Ernie?

ERNIE: Not me.

SOLLY: What's the matter, Ernie?

ERNIE: I don't want to say.

SOLLY: Ernie, I know you, baby.

ERNIE: Did you hear
what he said?

SOLLY: I'm in this gig, too.
Nothing's going to happen.

Why don't you just take it easy?
Look, you want to cop out?

ERNIE: All right, uh,
all right, listen, Sam.

Sam.

Well, Sam is right about me,
in his own way.

I mean, like...

like, I only care to play.

A little dope
makes life enjoyable.

Well, I play the same with
or without it, that's the truth.

And no jive mother
is gonna change me, either, man.

Yeah, well, I've had
to hock my horn.

Do you know
what that feels like?

Well, that's where the horn
is now, in a pawn shop,

I got a job tomorrow, no horn.

Maybe somebody
will borrow me theirs.

I don't know, I guess...

Let's see, I guess
you could say I'm lonely.

Well, not for you or anybody
on this scene.

Listen, I know these people.

I've known them for a long time,
too long.

Hey, Jackie?

JACKIE: What?

ERNIE: Why don't you let me
use your horn tonight.

JACKIE: Man, why don't you
dig yourself.

ERNIE: You see what I mean?

JACKIE: Everybody's
looking at you.

ERNIE: Well, Sam...

Sam isn't too bad, you know?

I mean, like...
he could have told

some really rotten bits
that people tell about me.

Yeah, thanks.

Listen, these people say I threw
a kid out the window once

after I took an overdose.

Don't believe it.

Hey, man, J.J.

J.J.: Hey!
What are you doing?

ERNIE: Make a speech.
Help me with this thing.

J.J.: Like this is your life.

Like.

ERNIE: You're a very funny cat.

Leach, Leach...

Leach is an orphan.

Yeah, the poor kid, huh?

You know, he always pretends
to be so hip.

But you know what
his real story is,

he's nothing but a petty,
conniving businessman.

How about that, Leach?

Yeah, well,
get this straight anyway.

You know, like me,
I admit when I've sinned.

And that's more than you get
from most.

LEACH: Come off it.

ERNIE: Oh, yeah,
you know, Leach?

You know, sexually speaking...

Sexually speaking, Leach,

Leach can't be with a girl
for more than one night.

What he likes is the courtship
and the playing up

and the making out,
not it itself.

You don't like hearing
the truth, do you, Leach?

Yeah, and he uses junk
that way, too.

Leach doesn't enjoy junk, ever.

I'm suspicious of people who
never enjoy getting high, man.

What he likes is the excitement
of getting it.

SAM: Oh, come off it, man.

ERNIE: Uh, yeah,

well, Solly, uh...

Solly and Sam
are very much alike.

I mean, they're
really different people.

Like Solly can read
Greek and Hebrew,

and I don't think Sam
can read English.

But they are alike.

They both swing with being high,

and as for Solly,
Solly was born hip.

You know, he don't even act
like a junkie,

God knows what he's doing
on this scene.

Sam...

Sam is going to be
around a junkie,

and junkies the rest of his life,

he don't have no choice.

I really don't feel that way
about Solly, though,

but they're alike.

They both dig music,
in the same way.

They dig music, they have a kind
of emotional digging, you dig?

[Jackie playing saxophone]

ERNIE: Which brings us
to finding out the Cowboy.

Yeah.

Where is he, huh?

The Cowboy, what can you say
about him?

He's a good businessman, I mean,
uh, he's a good businessman.

Sure.

These cats say...

These cats call him
a sweetheart,

I mean, they say, like,
he's noted for his honesty.

Personally I hope
he gets back here soon.

Because chances are that he is
the one cat that won't run out.

The thing to remember
about the Cowboy

is that with him...

with him, it's like
it's good business.

Not a kind heart.

And Cowboy used to play alto
like me.

JACKIE: Ah, man.

ERNIE: I mean, I still
play alto, but he used to.

I don't have a horn anymore.

You know, I've got the horrors,
what are you trying to say.

Solly.

Listen, I don't trust any one
of these bastards anyways,

you know that?

All right, listen.

I've tied everything up
in nice small packages for you.

Why did you all
go out and mouth?

And tell everybody, like
"Ernie really knows,

he really ripped things apart."

I was shit.

Because I don't trust one
son of bitch here in this pad.

Why did you want to come here
in the first place,

you know you're stupid?

You want to see somebody suffer,

like you want to make a movie,
you want to laugh at me.

You don't want to know me.

These people-Sam don't care
about me or my music.

He's for number one: himself.

Solly wouldn't even
be on the scene.

Solly's going to be
so proud of himself

that he would never
have to listen

to all the rotten stories
being told about him,

by thieves and misfits.

Cowboy wants to screw me,
it's his business to screw me.

Leach... Leach wants me begging.

He wants my guts out.

What am I supposed to do?

[mumbling]

All right, listen...
listen, my father...

You know, my father
made me work on his farm,

every day until I was 17.

And he never paid me a dime.

Like all I ever got
was like a slap in the face.

Thanks, Solly,
I can't cut this shit.

What am I supposed to do?

I'm supposed to get high
before this happens.

SOLLY: Come on, take it easy.

ERNIE: Jim, come here, man.

Listen, I want my bread now.
I done it already.

Bullshit, I talked
for 20 minutes, man!

You're looking at me,
you're laughing at me,

you son of a bitch!

I'll kill you!

He's leaving, Solly,
we'll never get-

That's what the confession
was for.

Listen, man, they make movies,
what am I supposed to...

[muttering]

[band continues playing]

You guys got a match?

[music continues]

JACKIE:
Freddie, let's split, man.

I don't want to get hung
on a hanger.

He probably got copped.

FREDDIE: Look, man,
let's stick around,

Cowboy's got to show up.

JACKIE: Is Leach still in here?

Man, how about giving
somebody else a break?

LEACH: All right, man.

Turn the light out
when you leave, will you?

JACKIE: Yeah, yeah.

[urinating]

LEACH: Okay.

Who threw that match
on my floor, huh?

What do you creeps think
I'm running here anyhow,

a hotel for slobs?

I feed you, I even give you
my clothes.

And what do you do?

Look at this place,
it's a pigsty!

It's a pigsty!

What else can I expect
from you pigs anyhow?

My neck!

Solly?

Solly, what do you think
I ought to do?

Ernie?

Ernie, be a good boy and take
a look at this for me, will you?

What do you think
I ought to do, baby?

Easy!

ERNIE: Ah, poor Leachy,
that looks bad.

LEACH: Yeah?

ERNIE: Yeah, I'd see a doctor.
Does that hurt?

LEACH: Yeah!

ERNIE: You know something?
I threw the match on the floor.

LEACH: Let go!
ERNIE: I want my money back.

LEACH: Ow!

Oh, man!

SOLLY: Now what did you
do that for?

ERNIE: He did it himself.

LEACH: All right, all right.

SAM: Lay him down.

Just lay down.

LEACH: You squeeze it, Fred.

JACKIE: I'm going to squeeze it.

SAM: Yeah, you squeeze it.
I'll get a towel.

J.J.: What are you fellas
doing here?

SOLLY: All right, all right,
come on.

J.J.: You think your doctors
ought to wash their hands?

SOLLY: Go back to your peephole,
go ahead.

LEACH: Easy!

Ow!

JACKIE: This is disgusting stuff
coming out of here.

SOLLY: Don't throw it around.

FREDDIE: Out of him
it may be anything.

LEACH: Come on,
that's enough, man.

Eek!

SAM: Squeeze it hard.
FREDDIE: It's wide open.

LEACH: Ow!
JACKIE: One more time now.

LEACH: No, man, that's enough!

SAM: Oh, man, that looks bad.

JACKIE: This cat is corroded, man.

SOLLY: Go wash up, Jackie,
come on.

LARRY: Solly, when it pops,
what is that?

SOLLY: I don't know, baby,

it's in the blood, it's internal.

Imagine if it's spiked.

SAM: Well, it couldn't happen
to a nicer fella.

So, look.

LEACH: Ernie...

Ernie, I'm a man of principle.

I want you to pick up that match

or whatever else you threw
on my floor

or cut out of here.

ERNIE: Listen, you know,
I'm a musician, man.

I blow my horn,
I'm no goddamn housekeeper,

not for you or anybody.

LEACH: Well, you better
just get out of here.

ERNIE: I'm waiting
on the Cowboy, you know that!

I got my money in his pocket.

I'm not leaving until I get my fix.

LEACH: Yeah?

Now, look, man, how many times

have I turned you on
for nothing?

ERNIE: Ah, yeah.

LEACH: How many times
did I let you flop here,

did I ever throw you
out in the cold?

You're selfish, you're ungrateful,
and don't forget it, man.

Now, come on, get out of here.

ERNIE: I'm just going to vomit.

Why don't you get my money back
and I'll leave.

LEACH: Look, buster,
I haven't got any money.

Besides, you didn't give me
any money.

ERNIE: You've got enough
on you, though.

You've always got enough on you,
you miserly bastard.

And whatever happened
to the dollar caps

you used to push, anyway?

The three-dollar bags?
That was good shit, too.

LEACH: Now, look here, buster,

you've been living
in another time, you know.

That was years ago, huh, Mike?

Now don't go on blaming me
for what it cost.

ERNIE: Who else is there to blame?

As far as I'm concerned,
you ain't nothing but a creep

who's playing
the small businessman.

LEACH: All right, come on,
get out of here, man!

ERNIE: Why don't you give me
my money?

LEACH: Now, look, man, what do
you keep on pretending

that you're a musician for, huh?

What do you keep on carrying
that stupid mouthpiece for, man?

You're never going to use it
no more, you can't play anymore.

You've got to practice,
now get out of here!

Come on!

ERNIE: What am I supposed to do,
drop my pants and bend over?

I'm waiting on the Cowboy.
I'm not leaving until he gets back.

LEACH: Get out!
SAM: Fellas! Fellas!

LEACH: What did you do, man?

[horn honking,
man shouting outside]

SOLLY: I hate petty arguments.

Besides, Cowboy's coming.

LEACH: What do you mean?

SOLLY: Cowboy's coming!

LEACH: Who's that he's got
with him?

I can't make it out, Solly,
what is it?

Somebody in uniform.
It's the fuzz!

SOLLY: Some kind
of Salvation sister.

LEACH: You don't think
he's going to bring her

up here, do you?

JIM: How far away is Cowboy?

SOLLY: He's here.
JIM: Huh?

SOLLY: He's here,
he just came in.

JIM: This is it,
what we've been waiting for.

J.J.: You going to turn on, too?

JIM: [laughs]
That would be interesting.

No.

No, of course not.

SOLLY: About time you got here.

LEACH: Where you been, baby?

We've been waiting all day
for you, man.

SAM: Hey, Where's Leonard, man?

JACKIE: All right, man,
let him up.

J.J.: Hold it.

Camera's jammed.

JIM: Okay, J.J.,
I'm shooting now.

JACKIE: Cool, just cool,
wait for your turn, man,

you know I'm first, man.

You know I'm first.

SAM: I know you're first.

LEACH: Ma'am.

Sister, uh...

why don't you sit down
over there, baby?

SISTER: I'm waiting
for Brother Cowboy.

LEACH: Okay, sister.

[band starts playing]

JIM: J.J., get her out
of the way and keep her quiet.

Get these bathroom shots.

J.J.: Sister Salvation?

I'm J.J. Burden,

I'm going to tell you
what it is we're doing here.

We're making
some home movies, you see?

That's Mr. Dunn over there.

Right, right, right.

Come over and meet
some of the boys.

SISTER: Thank you.

J.J.: This is Freddie,
playing the piano here.

And there's Mike,
over there on the bass.

That's Larry, Sam.

Why don't you sit over here
right next to Solly?

Have a seat.

Comfortable there?

SISTER: Very, thank you.

J.J.: Tell me, where did you
meet Brother Cowboy?

SISTER: He asked me up to
the apartment for a cup of tea.

J.J.: Yes, to meet
all his friends.

How do you like this place?

SISTER: Very much. Very much.

J.J.: Isn't it pleasant,
isn't it pleasant?

SISTER: Very pretty.

J.J.: And did Brother Cowboy
join you

in one of the street corner
services?

SISTER: Yes.

JIM: Hey, J.J.

J.J.: Well, I've got to go.
Bye-bye.

[music continues]

JIM: Hey, J.J., follow them
as they come out

and I'll stick
with the bathroom.

J.J.: Check.

[music concludes]

COWBOY: Sam.

SAM: Coming right now!

SISTER: Shh!

One can say things in a tiny
voice as well as a big one.

COWBOY: Thank you,
Sister Salvation.

You're a great help
to all of us.

SISTER: Thank you,
Brother Cowboy.

Brother Cowboy,
is there a bathroom?

COWBOY: Yes, ma'am,

but Sam hasn't had a bath
in a long time.

I thought I'd help him
wash away those sins of his,

you understand?

SISTER: Surely,
Brother Cowboy, surely.

You look very pale, son.

Is something the matter?

Are you hungry, son?

ERNIE: Why don't you
leave me alone?

I'm in no mood for conversation.

SISTER: The soul, my dear child.

The soul, I'm sure of it.

ERNIE: Listen, Sister, you know
you've invited yourself

to a den of vipers?

There will be enough sinners
crossing your path today.

Leave me alone.

COWBOY: You understand this.

Brother Rat...

Brother Eel...

Brother Sun.

Now, yes, Sister.

I'm going to sit you down.

You're welcome, Sister.

Now, Leonard the Locomotive and I

met this fine woman
not too far from my house.

You know where
the central police station is.

Well, not far from there.

Alone.

A single voice
in the wilderness.

Under a flag symbolizing
the American freedom

of speech and religion.

I stopped...

to hear the word of the Lord.

SISTER: Amen.

COWBOY: Amen, Sister, amen.

SISTER: Amen.

COWBOY: A few gentlemen
we all know

began a conversation with me.

And they asked
the all-important questions.

Where were you,
what have you been doing?

And how was the rodeo
and horse tricks?

Leonard the Locomotive succeeded
in attracting some attention

with his famous locomotive yell.

And this worker of the Lord.

SISTER: Amen!

COWBOY: Amen, Sister.

This good worker and I engaged

in the most enlightening
discussion.

We took a quiet walk here,

and then, men, I invited her up
for a little tea.

LEACH: Orange Pekoe.

SOLLY: Come off.

LEACH: Shut up, will you, man?

COWBOY: Now, possibly she,
Leonard the Locomotive

and the power of the Lord
saved us all.

For the moment, that is.

SISTER: Amen,
devout Brother Cowboy!

COWBOY: Amen, Sister Salvation!

Now excuse me a moment.

SOLLY: Uh, Sister Salvation?

Why don't you make yourself
comfortable?

Sister Salvation,

just when did your record
of saving souls start?

LEACH: Cool it, Solly.

SOLLY: Have a little faith
in the Lord, friend.

SISTER: Brother, I began
in the service of the Lord

14 years ago.

But I've only been active
for the past 7.

If you could see the hundreds
of faces lined up

when one holds out
a helping hand,

it would warm your heart.

Do you know Harry McNulty?

LEACH: Baby, we don't know anyone.

COWBOY: Solly, you're next!

SISTER: Something strange
going on here.

SAM: Save yourself, you sinners!

Brother Cowboy has
a potent medicine.

Brewed from the rarest, finest
witch doctor white flower

that ever grew, shit!

SISTER: Ooh!

LEACH: Come on, man.
[laughter]

SAM: Oh, excuse me,
Sister Salvation.

COWBOY: Wow, man.

Leach, why don't you make
Sister Salvation

a nice cup of tea
while you're waiting?

LEACH: I'm waiting to get on,
man, I'm sick.

SOLLY: I don't take long.

You start the tea,
I'll finish it.

LEACH: Yeah, sure, man,
hurry up, will you?

COWBOY: He'll make it
for you, Sister.

LEACH: Why don't you make
the tea, man?

[Ernie playing mouthpiece]

Come on, man.

Come on, Ernie,
will you, man?

SISTER: ♪ There is
a fountain filled with blood ♪

♪ Drawn from Emmanuel's veins ♪

♪ And sinners plunged
beneath that flood ♪

♪ Lose all their guilty stains ♪

SISTER: Oh, but you boys
are too high for me.

SAM: You too, Brother Eel,
shall be saved by Brother Cow

in just one...

You see before your very eyes
Brother Sol.

How you feeling, Brother Sol?

SOLLY: You weren't kidding, Sam.
That sure is powerful medicine.

SAM: Mm-hmm.

SISTER: Brother Cowboy, have you
finished in the bathroom?

COWBOY: Well, there's just
Brother Leach, ma'am.

LEACH: Excuse me, Sister.

COWBOY: And then our little
baptism will be all over.

SISTER: All right,
Brother Cowboy,

you just keep working.

COWBOY: Thank you, ma'am.

Come on.

SISTER: Where do you-

Where do you come from, son?

ERNIE: Uh, yeah.

SISTER: Are you all right?

ERNIE: Oh, yeah, baby,
sure, I'm all right.

Where do I come from?

See, I can remember.

SISTER: Yes, where do you
come from?

ERNIE: Huh? California.

SISTER: Oh, that's marvelous.

ERNIE: What's so marvelous
about that?

SISTER: No, it's so clean
and healthy there.

The trees and everything
are so green.

ERNIE: Oh, that's ridiculous.

All right, it's green.

I want to sleep...
a while.

All right, that chick
is too much.

COWBOY: Poor boy hasn't slept
in days, Sister.

SISTER: Perhaps we should
leave him alone, Cowboy.

He looks like a good prospect
to save.

COWBOY: Why don't you
go in the kitchen

and get yourself
a nice cup of tea?

SISTER: Oh, I'd like that,
Cowboy, thank you.

LEACH: Cowboy?

I'm not high, man,
I don't feel a thing, baby,

I really don't feel a thing.

SAM: Well, if you don't feel
a thing, man,

you're higher
than the rest of us.

LEACH: How much did you
give Ernie, man?

He's zonked out,
and I don't feel a thing!

COWBOY: Ah, cool it, man.

I gave him the same as you,

you just got a higher tolerance,
you dig?

LEACH: Nothing's happening, man.

COWBOY: Hey, Mr. Dunn.

You never made it, huh?

Why don't you see
what it's all about: jazz.

Eh, Mr. Dunn?

Eh, Mr. Dunn?

LEACH: You're like, uh, baby,

you're supposed to know
all about it.

I mean, I mean
don't be afraid, man.

This is just your movie,
it's not real.

I mean, really real.

COWBOY: Ha.

JIM: I just...

I just don't know.

COWBOY: Don't know about what?

JIM: About...

about drugs.

LEACH: What about you, baby?

J.J.: No, I know
all about that scene.

LEACH: Yeah.

JIM: There is something dirty

about just peeking
into people's lives.

Huh!

SAM: You don't have to
make up your mind right now.

JIM: What, will you stop just...

looking at me.

[Ernie laughs]

LEACH: Hey, I want to watch.

COWBOY: Stay, Leach.

SISTER: Do you know
Harry McNulty?

SOLLY: There are some questions
I can't answer.

That's one of them.

SISTER: He's got a bald head,
and he doesn't eat well.

SOLLY: What makes you think
I would know him?

SISTER: Oh, Harry loves
jazz music.

[Freddie bangs piano]
I was sure he'd be here.

I guess I was mistaken,
God willing, that is.

[thud]

SAM: Oh, man, Jackie.

JACKIE: Sam, why you
playing around?

Don't push me over like that.

Don't do that no more, man.

SAM: Yeah, okay.

[bell tolling outside]

Speaking of religion...

That remind me of one
that happened not so long ago.

Hey, Larry?

LARRY: Hmm?

SAM: You remember Abdul,
the drummer?

LARRY: Yeah, he played
the drums?

Yeah.

SAM: Abdul is from Harlem.

He recently had taken up
the Muslim faith.

A religious man,
if there ever was one.

[Solly snaps]

SOLLY: Hey, what's happening,
Sam, where's your story, baby?

SAM: Huh?

SOLLY: Come on.

SAM: Hey, yeah.

Hey...

[thump]

Hey, dig Mr. Dunn.

SOLLY: Welcome back, Jim.

COWBOY: Sister Salvation,
the bathroom is all yours.

SISTER: Thank you,
Brother Cowboy.

COWBOY: Man, what have you been
doing to that woman?

JIM: What... have you...
been doing?

COWBOY: I don't want her
to leave here

with a suspicious thought
in her head!

LEACH: Look, Cowboy,

you shouldn't have
brought her here, baby.

COWBOY: Man, don't you tell me
what to do.

LEACH: It's my pad, man.

JIM: It's his pad, man.

Huh?

LEACH: Hey, Jim.

JIM: Huh?

LEACH: What's happening, man?

JIM: Don't be a drag, man.

[laughter]

LEACH: Yeah.

[Jim retching]

He's sick! Come on, man,
in the john!

Come on, get in there!

SISTER: They are heathens!

[Jim vomiting]

SISTER: Drink! That's what
you've been doing in there.

COWBOY: What do you mean,
Sister Salvation?

SISTER: What do you mean,
Brother Cowboy?

There are at least 10 bottles
of wine in that bathroom,

all of them empty.

Oh, Lord,
before my very own eyes,

I've been deceived.

JACKIE: Hey, J,
what about that party?

J.J.: Come on, Jackie,
out of the way!

SISTER: Wine is a mocker,
strong drink is raging,

whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise.

SOLLY: A false balance

is an abomination to the Lord,

but a just weight
is His delight.

SAM: I swing, baby.

SISTER: Be not
among winebibbers,

for the drunken and the glutton
shall come to poverty.

Who hath woe?

Who hath sorrow?

They that tarry long at the wine.

They that go to seek out
the mixed wine.

At last it biteth like a serpent

and stingeth like an adder.

SOLLY: Who hath invented
that uniform?

SISTER: What?

SOLLY: Ah, come on, baby,
who invented

that very pretty little uniform
you're wearing.

SISTER: No, I don't-

That has nothing to do
with what we were talking about.

You can't get out of this
that easily.

You'll pay for this.

SOLLY: Foggy day...
in London, London, London...

[music playing]

[snaps]

The War Congress.

1878... winter.

The flock is assembling.

Coming back to you now,
Sister Salvation.

Elijah Cadman stood up and said,

"We need a military-type uniform.

"War to the teeth...

"and salvation to the word!"

SISTER:
I made this uniform myself.

[laughter]

SOLLY: The rest shall be
according to climate.

And all-embracing salvation.

SISTER: But I'm not one
of the Salvation Army.

SOLLY: Don't surrender now.

Or do.

It was just, just, just, just,
just one of those things.

SISTER: This is always
happening to me.

[laughter]

Where are they?
I don't understand.

SOLLY: No more war.

You better leave

while the spirit of brotherhood
prevails.

SISTER: I don't want to leave.

I know I'm a burden, Cowboy.

I...

I went to see about my funeral.

The man at Morgan's
Funeral Parlor said

it would cost 300 dollars
to open and close the grave.

85 dollars for the headstone.

I'm getting old, Cowboy.

My eyes... my eyes are going.

I've been in the hospital,
and I...

I don't want to leave, Cowboy.

SOLLY: Cowboy.

Go ahead, Sister Salvation.

Before we tell you
who Harry McNulty is.

SISTER: You are not alone.

You are not alone.

You are not alone.

[band stops playing]

You are not alone.

LEACH: That's a bring-down,
huh, baby?

Come on, Freddie.

Why don't you
blow something, baby?

FREDDIE: Stay on it.

JACKIE: How about me?

[band playing]

[music concludes]

JIM: Hey, J.J.

What you been doing, man?

J.J.: Don't you want me
to go on?

JIM: Yeah.

Yeah, I guess so.

I think you need
more light, man.

J.J.: I could finish it.

JIM: No.

I don't feel nothing.

I, uh...

I shoot, too.

Where's my camera, man?

[laughs]

Where's my camera, man?
Crazy.

LEACH: Keep your shirt on.

Cowboy, I'm not high, man.

COWBOY: Ah, take it easy, man.

Why don't you relax?

Enjoy it, baby.

LEACH: But I didn't get
a flash, man.

COWBOY: Leach, it's 10 years
since I got a flash.

Relax, man.

LEACH: Yeah, relax,
that's all I got to do, man.

COWBOY: Take a look at a book,
or something.

LEACH: Yeah.

[Ernie playing mouthpiece]

Come on, man, will you?

COWBOY: Nah, not while I'm here.

No, man, no, no, no.

ERNIE: I just put
the kettle on, Cowboy.

COWBOY: Practice
in your bathroom, will you?

ERNIE: Yeah, right.

COWBOY: Hey, Solly.

SOLLY: Yeah?

COWBOY: What happened
to your White Sox today, man?

SOLLY: They made it, baby,

they're going to cop, man,
you know that.

COWBOY: Yeah.

LEACH: Why, you bastards.

You square, daytime bastards.

You know baseball ain't hip.

SAM: What?

Well, I ain't hip.

You call it hip spending
half of your time in jail?

LEACH: I haven't spent
any time, man.

SAM: Good luck, you hear?

COWBOY: Well, you sure better
expect it!

Besides, what's wrong

with a daytime scene
of being square?

Man, I got nothing against it.

They got lousy squares,
and they got lousy hipsters.

Personally, I couldn't make
a daytime work scene.

I like my hours
the way they are,

but that don't make me
no better, man.

Nah.

LEACH: You know what I'd do
if I had a daytime job, Cowboy?

COWBOY: What would you do, man?

LEACH: I'd work about six months,

just to establish credit, you dig?

And then I'd go out and get me

every type of charge card
that there is.

Food, liquor, travel.

You know, man?

I could fly all over this word,
baby, and what could they do?

Throw me in debtor's prison
or something?

No, man.

Like, we're living in
the United States of America, baby.

We're free here.

COWBOY: Oh, Leach, what movies
you been seeing, huh?

LEACH: It's possible, man,
it's possible.

COWBOY: Sounds like
a lot of work, man.

An awful lot of work.

Besides, where could you work
for six months, huh?

At what?

LEACH: Come on, man, I have
some good gigs going for me.

COWBOY: Huh?

♪ I'm dreaming
of a White Christmas ♪

♪ Just like the ones
I used to know ♪

Ha ha, yeah.

Do you know we're living
in a white society?

The man!

Now, have you ever seen
black snow?

SAM: Snow?

[cup shatters]

Who said snow?

We gonna get high again, man?

LARRY: Sit down, man,
sit down, sit down.

SOLLY: I've seen brown heroin
from Mexico.

COWBOY: That's Mexico, baby,
that's Mexico.

JIM: Ah, wait a minute,
wait a minute!

Is this all there is to it?

Just sitting around
and making jokes?

Why don't somebody do something?

COWBOY: You don't expect
to learn everything in one day,

do you, man?

LEACH: Cowboy,
I'm not high, man.

I really don't feel a thing,
nothing, man.

COWBOY: Give it time, man.

Go in the kitchen and
get something to eat, Leach.

SAM: Say, say, I got one!

Hey, this should be worth
five dollars, Jimmy Dunn.

Listen, about three or four
years ago...

Are you comfortable?

JIM: Go, man, swing with me.

SAM: Yeah, yeah.

Well, anyhow, me-

You remember when me
and Cowboy and Leach

had this pad
down near the waterfront?

JIM: Sam.

SAM: Yeah.

Well, last I remember
when it first began, it-

Hey, you're interrupting
my story, man.

JIM: I'm sorry, man.

Go.

SAM: Yeah.

Well, anyhow, it was-

What the hell
was I going to say then?

Hey, you know something, Cowboy?

This is some powerful shit
you got here.

Ooo-wee!

I'll tell you, it's talking.

Oh, I know.

Cowboy cooked that night.
That's right.

Some collard greens
and ham hock, you hear me?

JACKIE: Yes, yes!
Yes, yes!

SAM: Collard greens
and ham hock!

JACKIE: Man, stop it, man,
stop it.

JIM: Sam, stand still.

SAM: Yeah.

The phone rings.

It's some chick that don't
exactly knock Leach out,

but he makes a date

and tells us that he would
be back at 11 o'clock sharp.

JIM: Come on, man,
that's not what I meant.

SAM: Yeah, well, he leaves.

Cowboy pulls out some marijuana.

We get high and have a couple
of laughs about Leach.

Well, I started sleeping.

JIM: So am I, man, I mean, there
is nothing happening visually!

SAM: Visually?

Huh, visually.

Visually?

Huh?

Yeah, well, anyhow, wham!

The door was busted down

and two guys with guns
are standing over Cowboy and me.

They throws us against the wall,

and a couple of whacks
on the head and all that.

[sirens]

Ha!

Yeah, well,
a funny thing happened.

Now they could have thrown us
under the jail

for those long snakes
of old needle marks.

But no, it seems they find out
that Leach rented the apartment,

and they wanted him.

Well, Cowboy told them that we
were supposed to meet Leach

in this bar, not too far.

[footsteps]

Well, it's nearing 11 o'clock.

They fall for it.

We leave, we're walking
up the block,

arm in arm, of course.

When here comes Leach,
straight towards us,

and he's got this chick with him.

Well, Cowboy drops
his cigarette,

bend down to pick it up,

the cops step back to watch him,
and I started coughing.

Leach gets the idea
and kicked this chick

who's about to scream out
"hello" to us.

Heh, they walk right on by.

You know, we didn't see Leach
for two years.

Well, we go into this candlelit bar,

and Cowboy looks around
very carefully.

The cops rushes him.

So Cowboy gets mad and picks out

a rather well-tailored-looking kid.

Bang!

[cymbal crash]

[sirens]

JIM: Oh, no, I mean,
come on, man,

I just give up,
this is impossible.

SAM: Well, they collared him

and takes him
to the station with us.

That kid screamed all the way
down to that station.

They had to put him
in the observation room.

They let us go.

You know, I don't think
they ever let that poor kid go.

JIM: Hey, Sam?

Did you ever think
about becoming an actor?

COWBOY: You think
we're acting, man?

JIM: No.

No, I don't.

But I've noticed that you cats

don't seem to like having
the camera on you.

And I thought maybe you'd just
take a little while,

you'd get used to it.

I guess nobody ever really
gets used to it.

[Ernie plays Looney Tunes theme
on mouthpiece]

LEACH: Come on, man.

COWBOY: I feel great,
how about you, man?

ERNIE: Th-th-that's all.

COWBOY: Solid.

JIM: Man, I don't know.

I just don't know
what happened to me.

[laughs]

You know something, Cowboy?

I was gonna make you
the hero of this film.

Yeah, I was.

You see, when you make a film,
you're supposed to have a hero.

But maybe it's still
not too late.

J.J., what do you say, man,

what do you say we get
some shots of Cowboy, huh?

I mean, I turned you on
for something, didn't I?

Yeah, yeah, come on, J.J.,

let's get some shots
of this hero here, Cowboy!

J.J.: You're in no shape
to do anything.

JIM: Never mind that!

I'm the boss!

Go on... like,
like say something.

COWBOY: It's too much risk!

To go out and score every night.

I mean, man, I'm followed
every night!

And I have to scheme a way
to get back here.

I'm tired!

Man, I've been moving
my whole life.

Now, is that
what you wanted, Jim?

Nothing more to say!

I'm sick of the sight
of you fake beboppers!

Get out of here!

I'm sick of the sight
of you, too!

Worrying about
your precious camera!

Expect to learn anything
about anything

by flirting with people, huh?

Man, what do you think we do,
live in a freak show?

Now you be the hero!

Relax, baby.

Nobody's gonna run out
on you, man.

Just high, man.

You're just high.

LEACH: I'm not high, Cowboy.

ERNIE: Oh, what?

LEACH: I'm not high at all,
you know what I mean?

Look here, Cowboy.

Man, you got some left,
and I want some more.

Like I mean, strictly speaking,
it's mine, and I want more!

Everybody's high and I'm not!

You gave them more
than you gave me.

COWBOY: Now why should I
cheat you, Leach?

LEACH: I'm not high, Cowboy.

COWBOY: You are high.

That shit's in your system!

LEACH: I want more!

COWBOY: All right.

It's your life.

JACKIE: Hey, Freddie?

What was that tune you were
playing yesterday, man?

Let's try it.

FREDDIE: I got the ivies, baby.

MIKE: I got the intro.

JACKIE: Okay, solid.

[starts playing]

[snapping]

[music abruptly ends]

COWBOY: That bitch.
My last spike, Jackie.

JACKIE: I'll see if there's
some salt, man,

give him a salt shot.

COWBOY: You can't, baby,
that was my last spike.

Sam, come over.

SOLLY: Watch out, baby,
watch out.

JACKIE: Hey, Cowboy,
I'm cutting out, man.

COWBOY: Yeah, all right.

FREDDIE: See you tomorrow,
Cowboy.

COWBOY: All right, Fred.

SOLLY: You think we can
walk him, Sam?

SAM: Nah, this guy is snoring.

COWBOY: Sam, put him
on the couch.

All right, Michael.

SAM: Take the chair.
I got him.

LARRY: Cowboy, baby,
I'm going to see you tomorrow.

COWBOY: Yeah, all right, Larry.

LARRY: Take care of yourself.

JACKIE: Hey, look, Cowboy,
what can I do to help out?

Anything, man?

COWBOY: I got it, baby.
Go on, Jackie.

JACKIE: I'll see you tomorrow,
then, yeah?

COWBOY: All right.

JACKIE: Take it easy, brother.

ERNIE: Jackie.

Man, you know that's a drag.

It's like a bring-down, man,
I don't dig this at all.

Yeah, well, listen I got a gig
I got to make anyway,

I got to get uptown,
get a horn, get my...

All right, listen,
I got to make it anyway.

I got a meet.

I'll see you cats
later on in the week.

I hope nothing happens with him.

I got to make it,
I'll see you later.

SAM: Chicken shit bastard.

SOLLY: How is he?

COWBOY: Not too good.

SOLLY: Should I get a doctor?

COWBOY: No, not yet.

No use all of us
getting in trouble.

SAM: That bastard Ernie
turns my guts.

I remember when he threw a kid
out the window

after taking an overdose,

without even looking to see
whether he was dead or not.

SOLLY: We never found out
for sure, Sam.

SAM: Well, I always believe
he did it.

[Leach groaning]

COWBOY: Yeah, that's it.

Come on, now.

Yeah, come on, baby.

Come on, baby.

Atta baby, come on, now.

Atta baby, come on.

[Leach moans]

COWBOY: Yeah, come on.

LEACH: Three... eight... four.

Three eight four!

My number's up, I can see it!

Ahhh!

My God, they're coming!

Hide!

Please don't let them get me.

SOLLY: Don't worry, Sam,
he'll probably live.

LEACH: Don't let them get me.

SOLLY: Whatever that means.

SAM: Hey, Solly?

When did they make heroin illegal?

SOLLY: 1928.

SAM: Why?

SOLLY: I really don't know.

To protect people
from themselves.

Public opinion.

Maybe the liquor lobby.

I was once heard
it was a plot of the rich.

SAM: I wish I knew.

COWBOY: Man, who cares, huh?

They got a bomb, don't they?

Protect us from ourselves.

Man, I bet those Japanese cats
don't feel that way.

It's your theory, isn't it, Solly?

Just a theory,
nothing to do with us.

SOLLY: Well, Leach doesn't need
any theories,

if that's what you mean.

COWBOY: Man, I believe
that anything that's illegal

is illegal because
it makes more money

for more people that way.

SOLLY: That may be right.

But junk does take its effect.

COWBOY: Man, we all pay
our dues, whatever we do.

[knock on door]

[jazz record playing]

JIM: It's all over.

Yeah...

it's all over.

It's all yours now.

[jazz record continues]

[jazz record concludes]

MAN: Okay, play that back, please.