Original subtitles

Oh, hi.

I'm Ella Joyce.

I see here, I'm supposed to come out here

and talk about the news, you know

to prove that this is a live show.

You know, say some things about...

...that hurricane in Hawaii, Hurricane Iniki

or talk about Dr. Mae Jemison

the first black woman in space.

But I don't wanna talk about this bein' a live show.

I wanna do my own thing.

And since this is a live show...

...they can't stop me.

Don't you just love life?

So, I give you

"Macbeth"

by William Shakespeare.

Act one, scene five.

Lady Macbeth enters.

"Come...

"...to my woman's breasts

"and take my milk for gall

"you murdering ministers

"wherever in your sightless substances

"you wait on nature's mischief.

"Come...

"...thick night

"and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell

"that my keen knife see not the wound it makes

"nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark

to cry, hold, hold!"

Don't you be messin' with Lady Macbeth, child.

I'm scared of her.

♪ Them that's got shall have ♪

♪ Them that's not shall lose ♪

♪ So the Bible says ♪

♪ And it still is news ♪

♪ Mama may have ♪

♪ Papa may have ♪

♪ But God bless the child that's got his own ♪

♪ That's got his own ♪ Them that's got shall get ♪

♪ Them that's not shall lose ♪ God bless the child ♪

♪ Them that's got shall get ♪

♪ Them that's not shall lose ♪

- Hey, pop. How's it goin'? - Alright, son.

There's somethin' I don't get.

I've been eatin' cereal all my life

and I've seen 'em all.

Cap'n Crunch, white.

The Lucky Charm Leprechaun, white.

Snap, Crackle and Pop, white, white, white.

They're always white.

Oh, pop, what about Count Chocula?

Now, he's brown, that's a start.

Oh, sure. The first cereal person of color, and what is he?

A blood suckin' vampire.

- Mornin', everybody. - Hey, baby.

- How was work? - Mmh, great.

Matty, the head nurse, announced today

that she's gonna retire in six months.

And I think the hospital's gonna let her choose

her replacement, and I think she gonna pick me.

Now, baby, I hope you get it but aren't there other people

on the staff who are just as qualified as you are?

Yeah, but they're doctors.

Well, what about Sophia? Doesn't she have seniority?

Yeah, but can anybody stand her.

And besides, I don't think Matty's gonna promote somebody

just on seniority.

Well, what about your friend, Helen?

She's a good nurse, and everyone likes her.

Yeah, but I got seniority.

- Hey, mornin', everybody. - Hey, son.

- What's for breakfast? - Uh, correct me if I'm wrong.

But doesn't your condo come with a kitchen?

Well, yeah, but all I got in my fridge is a head of lettuce.

And it's got more hair on it than you do.

Well, I'm goin' to bed.

My next shift starts at three o'clock.

- Night, baby. - Mmh, night, sweetheart.

You know, I sure wish I could join you.

No, you don't.

Roc, I'd only fall asleep...

...and hurt your feelings.

Say, uh, either one of you know where I can find somebody

to paint a condo?

In this economy, any expressway off-ramp.

Yeah, my man Kenny left me $1000

he wants me to have it painted before he gets back.

Ooh, that's a nice chunk of change.

Hey, you know, I just spent a fortune on a car?

I sure could use the money.

Alright, Roc, you're hired, $500, you can start tomorrow.

No, he just said he left you 1000.

Hey, Roc, look now, I know guys who'll take this job

just to get high on the paint fumes, you know.

Hey, Joey, I'm not doin' it for less than 900.

Eight. Not a penny more.

Okay, eight. But I'll do it my way.

No comments, no opinions, no interference.

- Okay, 1000. - Well, alright.

♪ Yeah keep on rockin' ♪

- 'Hello.' - Hey, Joey, it's me.

'Oh, uh, hey, Roc, uh..'

'...I got Corinne on the other line. Hold on.'

Oh, man! Joey!

Joey!

- 'Hey, Roc.' - What?

'Corinne says hi.'

Joey, open up, now.

Joey!

Hey, Joey, I missed it.

'Man, I hope you paint faster than you walk.'

Hey, well, look, buzz me in again.

- Joey! - 'Psych.'

No, no, baby. Don't-don't worry, don't worry.

I know what I'm doin', yeah, yeah see

my brother has been pushing me around my whole life.

Today, I'm his boss, and I can't wait. Yeah.

W-w-when he gets mad, his eyes bulge and his veins pop out.

It's-it's sort of like, you know, the end of "Total Recall"

when Arnold Schwarzenegger is up on that mountain top

they don't have any oxygen and his head's about to explode?

Yeah, oh, you never saw it? Well, you need to come over.

My brother will be paintin' all night.

- Yeah, we-- - 'Hey, Joey, open up.'

Oh, it's time to get this party started. I gotta go, baby.

Yeah, who is it?

- 'Roc!' - Roc, who?

'Open the damn door!'

Oh, Roc Emerson.

Gimme a hand with this stuff, man.

So, uh, what're you gonna do first?

Well, spackle.

You know, you got to fill in the holes

before you lay on a new coat.

Uh, no. I want you to paint first.

Joey, that doesn't make any sense.

Now, let me do what I came here to do. And stay out of my way.

Hey. Hey, now, that attitude might play when you

workin' for the city, but, we here in the private sector

we're not goin' for that, okay?

Okay, I get it, you tryin' to make me crazy

well it's not gonna work. You want me to paint first?

Fine, I'll paint first.

No, on second thought, I want you to spackle first.

- Excellent choice. - Well, thank you.

Joey, when are you goin' to learn, huh?

I've worked for bosses meaner than you could ever be.

I ever tell you about No Neck Kelly?

- My old boss on the docks? - No.

Now, he was mean.

If we got there late, he'd make his mother fill in for us.

Well, I'm new at this. Gimme a chance.

Oh, man, I'm missin' m-my putty knife.

Look, uh, can you bring me a spatula?

Uh-uh, now way, before Kenny left, he made me promise

not to let anybody spackle with his spatula.

Come on, Joey. Where I'mma get a putting knife at this hour?

Well, a hardware store is five blocks away.

If you hustle, you can get there before they close.

Mm-hm, okay, Joey, you win this round.

But when I get back, no more Mr. Nice Guy.

Yeah, let that be a lesson to you.

Next time you're babysitting your little brother

you let him stay up and watch "The Mod Squad."

'You've reached Kenny Sills' place.'

'Kenny has asked me to watch his place while he's away.'

'But I'm not here right now.'

'So, I guess I'm not doin' a very good job, am I?'

'Well, c'est la vie.'

Hey, Joey, pick up.

Joey, let me in or I'm leavin'.

Joey!

Hey, Joey, I'm warning you.

Hey, Joey, I'm not takin' this anymore. Joey!

Joey!

'Hey, partner, what's up? Is there a problem?'

Um, no, sir, officer.

I'm just trying to get my brother's attention.

This a nice neighborhood, you sure he lives here?

- What's your brother's name? - Ah, Joey Emerson.

But, uh, he's house-sitting for a friend of his, Kenny Sills.

Why don't you go check it out!

Uh, there's something wrong, officer?

We've had some break-ins in the area.

Oh, so you're checkin' everybody out?

- Good! - No Joey Emerson listed.

Well, I told you, officer, the apartment

is listed under Kenny Sills.

I'm gonna ask you not raise your voice, please.

I'm not raising my voice. I just wanted him to hear me.

Can I see some identification?

Bring it out slowly, please.

Officer, all you have to do is buzz--

- Simmer down. - Take it out of the wallet.

Please.

- Charles Emerson. - I'll run a check.

I'm gonna have to frisk you, now, would you step over

to the wall and assume the position, please?

No, why? I haven't done anything.

- I'm just-- - Nobody said you did.

Come on, man, get your hands off, I'm just--

Move! Come on, move.

Come on, man, come on, man, what you hassling me for, man?

Come on. You're just harassing me 'cause I'm black, man.

Come on, I haven't done anything, man.

- Get down, get down. - Alright, alright.

Down on the ground. On the ground!

- Put your hands on your back. - I haven't done anything, man.

Just call the buzzer, you'll hear my brother on the phone.

Oop. Well, well, well. What do we have here, huh?

'Ah, doing a little breakin' and enterin'?'

Hey, man, it's a putty knife.

I'm doin' some painting, dammit.

Right, we're taking you in.

Oh, come on, man. This is crazy man.

Hey, Joey! Joey!

'Hey, Roc.'

'Hey, sorry for the wait, man. I was in the john.'

'Hey, Roc!'

'Hey, Roc!'

- In there. - I'm tellin' you, man.

- I didn't do anything, man. - Just wait inside.

We'll check your story out.

Don't I get a phone call or soemthin'?

You'll get your phone call.

Well, thanks for your help, my brother.

What was that?

Nothin'.

Oh, dammit.

Hey, man, what's the word on him?

I don't know, man, but that brother is rough.

No, man, I know him. He run numbers for Schoolboy.

Get out. He ain't no runner. He's an enforcer, man.

'Yeah, that's right. That's right.'

I saw him ice Melvin. It was cold-blooded.

You've seen that too, right? I was next to him when he did it.

Excuse me. I'm a garbage man.

Yo, garbage man. My name is Icepick.

- What up? I'm GO. - Yo, man. My name is Junebug.

Hold on, hold on, man. No, no, I'm Junebug.

Man, how you could be Junebug, if I'm Junebug, man?

Hey, man, I was Junebug before you even thought of it, man.

It's on my birth certificate.

Yo, yo, let the garbage man decide.

Yo, garbage man, who look more like a Junebug, me or him?

I really don't care.

- I told you he was rough. - Man, he don't even scare me.

Oh, he don't? Well, he should, man.

He did the dumpster murder.

How you think he got the name, garbage man?

That's not my name. It's what I do.

I'm a garbage man.

I pick up trash and I dump it in the back of a truck.

Whoa! Man, that's cold.

Man, get outta here.

Uh... m-mind if I sit?

Well, it's a free country. At least that's what they say.

Yeah, yeah.

So, uh, w-what are you in for?

- I really don't know. - Yeah.

Everyone in this cell is innocent, huh?

Oh, you think I'm guilty too?

If you say you're innocent, I believe you.

Uh, well, thank you.

What're you in for? Some high-class white-collar crime?

Yeah, embellishment, it's so dorky.

Don't tell the guys.

Ah, don't worry about it.

Man, this place gives me the creeps.

I've seen a lot of movies about prisons.

I know what happens to little guys like me.

Ah, you'll be okay.

Look, uh, I-I-I don't know how this kind of thing works

but, uh...

...if you'll like... watch out for me, uh...

...protect me...

...I'll be your girlfriend.

What?

Look, uh, I'm not-not gay or anything.

I-I probably w-wouldn't even be good at it.

- I'm just-- - Just get-get away from me.

Oh, man. Get me outta here.

- Oh, hi, Eleanor. - Hi, daddy.

Well, I did it.

I officially told Matty

to consider me for that head nurse job.

So, I'm gonna be workin' long hours...

...givin' it everything I got for the next six months.

Oh, yeah, I know what that's like.

I remember when I was workin' on the railroad...

...there was this certain fella who vowed

that he would work his way to the top, no matter what it took.

Was that certain fella you, daddy?

Nah, I just sat around and made fun of that guy.

- I wanted to see my kids. - Oh, daddy.

- Hey, you two. - Hey, Joey!

Hey, Roc. Come on!

Get your temperamental butt down here, please.

You know, a man should be able to go to the bathroom

without incitin' an employee walkout.

- Hey, Roc. - What's goin' on?

We thought Roc was at your place.

No. I thought he was here, he left my place

about three hours ago.

Well, he hasn't been here all night.

Are you sure it's been three hours?

Yes. It's, it's been over three hours.

That's not like Roc to just disappear like that.

Oh, I'm sure he just went to Charlaine's.

No, I was just down there.

I-I'm gonna call emergency.

Yo, Junebug! Yo, Junebug! Hey, man!

Squash that before I bust you in your head.

Yo, man, you ain't the man. You ain't runnin' the joint.

Oh, fine, well, let's ask the man then.

Uh, yo, garbage man.

Is this noise workin' your nerves like it is mine, man?

Yeah, it's putting a damper on an otherwise delightful evening.

Hey, where's my phone call?

It's been six hours.

Oh, damn. Damn. Damn.

It's almost daybreak, my wife's probably worried sick.

My family doesn't know what happened to me or where I am.

I don't even know what happened to me.

Whoa, the garbage man is on edge.

Yea, man, there ain't enough room in here

for a big guy like that to start trippin'.

Word. Yo, garbage man. You got to take it easy, brother.

Hey, listen, I don't belong here.

Hey, man, nobody belongs here.

No, man, some of us do.

You break the law, this where you belong.

But I didn't anything, they have no right to keep me here.

Man, chill out, money, it'll be alright.

'Cause you'll be out of here in a couple of hours.

Look, I shouldn't even be here.

I'm a citizen, I go to work, I pay my taxes.

I'm the guy they supposed to be be protectin'.

But when they look at me t-t-they don't see that.

All they see is another nigga.

Some crackhead who's gonna steal their money

and rape their women. Doesn't matter what we do!

'Cause just when you think maybe things are getting better

and we don't have to put up with this stuff anymore

they whack you over the head to remind you nothing's changed.

Hey, hey, hey, but then that's a good thing, man.

I mean, because we all need a dose of reality.

No, not this kind of reality. this shouldn't be reality.

Alright, Emerson, let's go.

Oh. So I finally get my phone call, huh?

You can do whatever you want. Your story checked out.

- You're free to go. - What?

You mean, I spent six hours in this cage

and all I get is, "You're free to go?"

- What about an apology? - Fine, I'm sorry.

Yeah, right.

You stay out of trouble.

We'll be keepin' an eye on you.

So where could he be?

I don't know but I'm gonna call emergency again.

Yeah, that's a good idea, sis.

I'm gonna scan the neighborhood again.

- Okay. - It's him. Here he comes.

'Oh, thank God. Roc.'

Roc baby, you home. Are you okay?

- Where were you? - Yeah, man, you had us worried.

- I'm fine. I'm fine. - We called everywhere.

- I was in jail. - What?

- Well, what happened? - What happened?

Joey lives in a white neighborhood.

- Oh, man. - Aargh!

Some things never change.

- Aah, are you alright? - Yeah, I'm okay.

I'm just, just, just a little hungry, that's all.

They didn't hurt you, did they?

Well, you should sue for false arrest.

Oh, come on, pop, we saw that video with Rodney King's

them four cops got off, what makes you think anything is--

P-pop, Joey, I just want to put this thing behind me, okay?

- And forget it ever happened. - Son.

That'll just make it easier for them to do it us again--

- Pop, pop, it never happened! - Okay, okay.

It's gonna be alright, okay? It's alright.

Well, is there anything I can do for you, baby?

Yeah, can you make me a sandwich?

Oh, baby, I make you five, six sandwiches.

There's more live "Roc" coming up next.

Hey, Joey, is that you? You're supposed to be helpin' me paint.

No, baby, it's me. I brought you some dinner.

Oh, well, good. I'm starvin', baby.

What did you bring, a sandwich?

No.

Well, what, turkey, chicken?

No.

Okay, I give up. What's for dinner?

Me.

Mamma's home cooking.

So what's in that basket?

Oh, my outfit.

Oh, how very stylish of you.

Oh, baby, I'm gonna give you your own private fashion show.

Well, you know what I like.

Love you.

So, Roc, I see you decided to spackle first, huh?

♪ Yeah keep on rockin' ♪

♪ Oh lord ♪

♪ Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah well well well ♪

♪ Oh good God now ♪

♪ Oh oh ♪

♪ Whoa whoa ♪

♪ Keep on rockin' on ♪

♪ Whoa good God now ♪

♪ Whoa whoa ♪

♪ Keep on rockin' on ♪

♪ Oh good God now ♪

♪ Oh oh oh ♪

♪ Whoa whoa ♪

♪ Keep on rockin' on ♪

♪ Oh good God now ♪

♪ Oh oh ♪

♪ Whoa whoa ♪

♪ Keep on rockin' on ♪

♪ Whoa yeah ♪