Dusty and Sweets McGee (1971) - full transcript

A "straight" couple dabbles in drugs and become heroin addicts.

(male #1)
'Suppose they're heading
places. They really are.'

'Like just standing by this
makes me feel better.'

'You get young,
you can't go back.'

'But you sure
would like to try.'

Like just looking
around really flashes.

Like this asphalt.

Used to play baseball
all summer on the asphalt.

You gradually
get some hot hops off asphalt

and let me tell you,
it burns.

And trying to play
football on the lawn

with the sprinklers is a trip.



Yeah...I don't know.

See them bikes?

I had a bike
when I was a kid, man.

It was a composite of about
twenty other guys' bikes.

There were five of us running
around all day ripping them off.

We used to strip them down
in this gully, man.

We had an assembly down there
for the whole neighborhood.

They got a police-station built
on top of that gully now.

On third street.
Brand new. Sure is ugly.

Kids.

What do you tell kids, man?

Didn't tell me nothing
when I was that age.

Fuck.

Pretty weird shit. Pretty weird.



- You got it then for free?
- 'Yeah, but shit it..'

(Billy)
'Don't do you any good.
It's just..'

- For looks.
- 'Yeah.'

- Looks.
- 'True.'

That's all I wanted.
For its looks.

- 'What about you?'
- Hmm?

(female#1)
'How come you're here?'

My mom wouldn't
let me have it.

(female #1)
'Why not?'

She said I couldn't afford it.
I traded my motorcycle.

I had it for one day
and had to take it back.

So why don't you get one now?

I plan to, one day.
I don't know what..

Couldn't get a hit.

And if I did,
then when I, I did the tie

and started to hit it

the vein would sink right from
out of the needle and I'd miss.

Uh-huh.

Ah.

* Gather around everybody *

* For ya'll are about to hear *

* The show
that's gonna make you *

* Smile from ear to ear *

* It's Arnie Ginsburg *

* On the Night Train Show *

* It plays the old and new *

* The swinging and the blue *

* It plays all the records *

* Especially for you *

* It's Arnie Ginsburg *

* On the Night Train Show *

* So come on honey
shoo-bee-doo-waa *

* Let's go *

* Go go **

(male on radio)
'Tune to Friday friendly
night on the Big K in LA.'

'Old aching adenoids,
Arnie Ginsburg, woo-woo.'

'for you-you
on the Night Train Show'

'with all the tops in pops
go to the past'

'on the a Solid Gold Weekend.'

'Kicking it off with
The Marcels in Blue Moon.'

[rock and roll music]

* Blue moon **

(female on radio)
'A car that stands
right up and says..'

* Hey look me over
say lend an ear *

* The proud country tourer
by Ford now is here *

* A new kind of compact
a new kind of flair *

* A personal kind of a family
car that stands out anywhere *

* C'mon today look it over *

* Say get the word *

* These compact cars
are not the Thunderbird *

* It's a personal
kind of a family car *

* That costs you less to run *

* Get your tourer
join the fun **

(female on radio)
'This is Morris,
the motorcycle rider'

'with the Weird Beard's
pick hit of the week'

'for all happy
motorcycle riders'

'and buddy seat sinners.'

'Say we gotta go.
There comes the fuzz.'

* Duke Duke Duke Duke of Earl *

* Duke Duke Duke of Earl *

* Duke Duke Duke of Earl *

* Duke Duke Duke of Earl *

* Duke Duke Duke Duke of Earl *

* Duke Duke Duke of Earl *

* Duke Duke Duke of Earl *

* Duke Duke Duke of Earl *
* As I *

* Walk through this world *

* Nothing can stop
the Duke of Earl **

* KLYF 1190 **

(male on radio)
'I'll trade you
one Weird Beard'

'for eleven hundred
and ninety mickey mantles.'

[rock music]

'Put on that
Weird Beard potion.'

'Let's get all set for
Illuminati, The Locomotion.'

* Everybody's doin'
a brand new dance now *

* C'mon baby
do the locomotion *

* I know you'll
get to like it *

* If you give it
a chance now *

* C'mon baby
do the locomotion *

* My little baby sister **

(male on radio)
'Everybody,
this is the Weird Beard.'

'KLIF 1190..'

'Here is this night's
bulls-eye.'

[instrumental music]

* Hey hey hey baby *

* I want to know *

* If you'll be my girl *

* Hey hey hey baby *

* I want to know *

* If you'll be my girl **

(male #2)
'I'm just a 20th century fact.'

'But I love my mother.'

'And my father.'

'My brother.'

'Really.'

(Pam)
'Um, when I first
met Larry I was 14.'

'That was last summer.'

'I had a lot of fun.'

'We really did.'

'We strayed around a lot.'

'Through all the shortcuts.
All of 'em.'

'We had a lot
of fun last summer.'

[instrumental music]

(male on radio)
'Russ Knight, the Weird Beard
here. It's three thirty in LA.'

'We're cookin' it up.
Just two hours away'

'from our Solid Gold Weekend.'

'Don't anybody move.'

* Seventy-three men sailed out *

* From the San Francisco Bay *

* Rolled off of their ship *

* And here's what
they had to say *

* We're calling
everyone to ride along.. *

'Baby, turn that down.'

* To another shore.. *

'How do you want your eggs?'

* We can laugh our lives away *

* And be free once more.. *

Baby..

(male #3)
'The usual way, broken.'

* No one came at all *

* 'Cause they were too busy *

* Watchin' those
old raindrops fall *

* As the storm was blowin' *

* Out on the peaceful sea *

* Seventy-three men
sent it off to history *

* Ride captain ride
upon your mystery ship *

* Be amazed at the friends *

* You have here on your trip *

* Ride captain ride
upon your mystery ship *

* On your way to a world *

* That others
might have missed *

[instrumental music]

* Seventy three men
sailed up *

* From the San Francisco Bay *

* Got off the ship *

* And here's what
they had to say *

* Ride captain ride
upon your mystery ship *

* Be amazed at the friends *

* You have here on your trip.. *

Fuckin' point's gone.

* Ride captain ride.. *

You got any more twenty fives?

'Do you have
any more twenty fives?'

* To a world that
others might have missed *

* Ride captain ride
upon your mystery ship *

* Be amazed at the friends *

* You have here on your trip **

[indistinct chatter]

(male #4)
'Yeah, it's in a rubber
between the books.'

[car honking]

Sure spend a lot of time
sitting slack-jawed

and stoop-shouldered in parks,
man. Noddin' sometimes.

Lot of people think dope fiends
have got horns on their heads

and snaggle teeth, running
around raping young broads.

That ain't the way it is.

I'm just an everyday dope fiend.

Registered, card-carrying,
first-class.

Like where I live, man,
dope is nothin'.

Just an everyday common thing.

Shootin' dope is weird.

You know like
it ain't nothin'.

And after you get off in it,
man, it's just, you know

rips your brain off
and sits down

on the bottom of your stomach
and that's you.

Dope, man, all the time,
every day, all day.

Hunting for bread.
That's what it is.

Goin' to supermarkets
and throwin' fits

while your partner's running
out the back with the stash.

I don't know, man.

And baseball was a big stick
of mine. I really dug it.

I played a lot of ball for..

All three years in high-school
I played on city champ..

Two years on city
championship teams

and three years on Southern
League championship teams.

I made honorable mention
and All-City.

Had some good years, man.
I had a lot of fun.

Had scouts lookin' at me,
but I was usin' dope.

Light-weight but
I was still usin' then.

Coach kept wondering
when I was gonna get serious.

Like what my bag was,
he didn't know.

The whole team was loaded.
We were city champs.

It was like all
our school ever produces

was baseball players
and dope fiends.

Like when I went to Salt Lake

the three years I stayed back,
I played professional softball

for General Electric.

We were state championship
teams, two year.

And Rocky Mountain region
champions, one year.

Went to one world tournament.

If you really think
somethin's happening

you oughta try playin' baseball
when you're loaded on stuff.

It's a heavy trip.

Didn't fuck with
my batting too much

but I sure was slow
behind the plate.

I used to catch..

I was wonderin'
who was catching who.

The ball or me?

I don't know, I like baseball,
fishing and shooting dope.

I think I'd put broads
in there too. They' re heavy.

But they're losers.

I paid my dues alright.

I went through two wives.

And I lost about
four cars to the state.

For transporting.

And like I said I blew about
eight, nine years of my life.

Like I keep thinking back..

'...I'm glad it's over.'

'I'm glad I'm still alive.'

'I went through all them cycles.
You know, the Rat Packer era.'

'Low riding them down
the Boulevard.'

I got scar tissue on my chest
from riding so low.

Tattoos all over it.

Burned out veins.

Sloop-shouldered.

And I still can't stand
or sit straight.

(male #5)
'Good morning.'

- You the guy here?
- 'Can I help you?'

Yeah, I, I want a tape.

- You know, the best.
- The best kind?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

I don't know
about the cassette.

What else you got?

Oh, I have Craig.

- Alright.
- That's the best system.

What about Sony?
I heard about the Sony.

That's, uh, Japs really
got it together.

Well, it's not bad
but, uh, we don't have it.

- You like Norelco, huh?
- Norelco's the best.

It's Swedish, isn't it?
Or something like that?

No, it's German.

German, huh?
I don't know.

Let me show you
one of the tape decks.

I'll show you.
Can you..

Can you, can you
order a Sony?

- No, it takes too long.
- Uh-huh. Well.

Let me show you
the, the set here.

We'll have somebody
take it in.

How come you don't
handle 'em anyway?

They should be on stock,
shouldn't they?

'It's had a lot
of problems with it.'

'Let me show
you this one.'

'Set it underneath
the dash there.'

It looks like a radio.

'We've had too much problems
with the, uh, say the Sony.'

- Yeah?
- 'Put it right in there.'

'You know you also
should have the radio removed'

'and, is there
a radio in there?'

- Yeah.
- 'Right in between the seats.'

'Right in between
the seats.'

- 'What do you think of that?'
- Sure looks little.

'Well, that's the whole
solid state. Compact.'

- Sure that's the best?
- 'That's the best.'

- 'Can we put it in for you?'
- That's what I'm here for.

- 'Okay.'
- 'Don't you got a bigger one?'

Why do you want a bigger one?
There's no room.

Or put it where
people can see it?

'You wanna show it?'

- Yeah.
- 'How about over there?'

Yeah, so that somebody
can tell I got it. You know.

'Wanna trust me?
I'll do you a real nice job.'

Okay.

That's my...job
to make sure that you--

Yeah, yeah, sure.
You go ahead.

You like it right there?

Well..

I don't care.
Yeah, that's good.

What do you think?

I'm, I'm partial
to Craig really.

- Craig? Think that's better?
- Yeah.

I had one, it got ripped off.
So I didn't buy any more.

How'd you like it?

Good sounds
came out of it.

Had some speakers
in the doors and the back.

Yeah, before you get started,
is the Craig as good as--

Craig's just as good. Sure.

Uh, what's the
difference in price?

- About ten dollars.
- Which one's more?

- This one is ten dollars more.
- Okay, put it in.

[engine revving]

[instrumental music]

(male on radio)
'...on the Big K'

'remember tonight
and all this weekend on..'

[engine revving]

I guess what we're here
about what I'm here about..

...is mainly talking about
a young boy's cock in America.

I've got one.

And it's not
particularly unusual.

And I do certain
things with it.

And other people do
certain things with it.

And sometimes we
do it in the road.

And sometimes we do
it in your son's bedroom.

And sometimes we do
it in your daughter's bedroom.

And you probably
wouldn't like it at all.

But I do.

It's not all of what I'm about.
And that doesn't matter

because that's none
of your business.

And I mean everything I say.

Or something not unlike it.

'It's no way for a kid
to come in out of the country.'

'You know if the country
were really a good place to be.'

'But the system sucks,
all of it, man.'

'Yeah, from the President
right on down.'

'They got little keys
in the back.'

'And you wind them up,
and they walk and they talk.'

'That's just..
the country's twisted, man.'

And unless,
unless something happens

unless we tear it all down
and start all over again

from the beginning...
it's not gonna work.

It's gonna burn out.

We're gonna go
right into the ocean.

And that's gonna
be the end of it.

And that's too bad.
Because we had a good chance.

If we got a chance now,we gotta
do it again and not blow it.

Next time we go to the shop
I'm gonna pay it for you.

- 'Good. I'll give you a call.'
- Send me the bill.

You ever down at the
Whiskey some evening?

- 'I..'
- C'mon down.

(male #6)
'I would love
to come down but the music'

'the noise, the kids--'

We've got a private room
just for people like you.

[indistinct chatter]

Family's alright, right?

- 'Great.'
- 'Great.'

But I need
to get to Minnesota.

'I took all that Minnesota money
and loved it.'

- You made a bundle?
- Right.

Save yourself money.

- 'We can't raise their price.'
- 'So what else is new?'

- 'Where did it come from?'
- 'Marseilles.'

- 'Marseilles? Like last time.'
- 'Right.'

'I even cut it
five or six times.'

(male #6)
'Rocco?'

It looks pure, it's white.

Same thing as before.
Same thing.

'Well, Mario...I love
doin' business with you.'

Hey, you're
a great guy yourself.

(male #6)
'Rocco.'

'They always have
to look at it, right?'

Looks good.

(male #7)
'It's a 140,000, Robert.'

(male #6)
'Mario, say hello
to the wife. Listen, Monday.'

- '11 o' clock.'
- '11 o' clock, fine.'

- 'Good idea.'
- 'Alright, fine.'

Fine, same place.

(male #6)
'I'll give you a call.'

Right. Say hello
to Kansas City.

- 'Say hello to the wife.'
- I'll do that.

(male #6)
'Rocco, get rid of that shit.
Will you take it in?'

[engine revving]

- 'So much better than you--'
- 'Listen to the bitch.'

I can get doped so quickly,
I certainly don't need you.

Then do it.

Fine.

I even paid for what
you're eating right now.

Look, you'd be so helpless
without me, man.

- Will I really?
- Yes, you really would.

Oh man. I know
you're saying it.

The way you're
fuckin' saying it

just really makes me feel
like getting myself together.

You wouldn't know
how to get yourself toget..

How exactly do you
want me to react?

You know, I hope
that by showing you

what an asshole
you are

maybe you'll get up
and prove me wrong.

Why not try doing something
besides what you're doing now?

- Like what?
- Get a job.

Get yourself together.
Stand on your own feet--

Don't you want me
in here every time you OD?

That would be
a good start, shit.

You got something else
to rank me about.

I wasn't making
tacos, huh? Shit.

You don't know how
it is to make anything.

You can't even make me.
You can't even fuck me.

- Oh, fuck you.
- You're totally incapable.

At least I keep you loaded.

All we can do is hold hands.

Totally incapable
of anything else.

Chicken, TV, crossword puzzles
and shitty hotels.

Our life.

I couldn't even have
a fucking kid if I want one.

- How does that make you feel?
- Is that what you want? A kid?

You're totally incapable
of giving me one.

You really think so?

Do I have one?

You burn so strung out
it'd probably die anyway.

If you didn't drop it
the next time

you passed out
in the bathroom.

Oh, fuck.

'You can't even fix yourself.'

There's one way
to learn, isn't there?

It feels great.

It really feels great
to hear you say that.

Just really makes me feel like
jumping up right off my ass.

There's one reason
why we're together.

There's one reason
why we're together.

'What is that?
What is that?'

- Dope.
- 'You really think so?'

'Listen, I'm really sorry
to get on your case but..'

'...there's nobody
else to blame but you.'

I'm sorry you
get on my case too.

Listen, just forget it, alright?
Just, you know.

Let's just go
to sleep and..

...what usually happens
will happen again.

I'm really sorry.
I really love you, man.

It's okay, baby.

I really don't
need the dope.

You know, I really love you,
that's really enough but..

...I guess our love
will just have to be enough.

Uh, it's the first time
I ever OD'd.

I just OD'd.
Well, I'm being a pig.

It isn't that I, I,
you know, got fooled

or I came across a better
quantity or it was stronger.

It's just that I was getting
off every hour, hour and a half

I was so loaded I forgot
that I had gotten off.

And I got off
about three or four times.

Right in a row. I didn't know
I'd gotten off each time before

and ended up ODing
for the first time.

And it scared me 'cause,
for two reasons.

Scared me because
I'd have to kick it.

And I've never kicked
a habit like that.

And..

And I was scared what'll happen
when the connection left.

When I lost,
what would I do then

if I was on the street.

It's just the
whole thing was a bummer.

Plus the way I started
to act, I never..

..I've never been
so cold blooded on the street.

Even when things
were really bad

and I was having a hard time
making money, it got so, uh..

...I just didn't think
about anything.

I swear..

Uh..

The $100 bags, if I was selling
it to people who deal

and if somebody bought
a $100 bag

what they'd do is probably take
half of it and cut it twice.

And they'd make about four times
their money back.

They'd make about $400.

I was, I was selling enough dope
that I was shooting

between 9 to 12 quarter Ts
of it before it was cut.

And when I added it all up
after I got busted in jail

and I was curious to know
what I'd been shooting

it's about 400 to 450,
around there I was shooting it.

I could've made, if I'd cut it,
sold it instead of shooting it

not including what
the other people were shooting

I don't know what that was.

Oh.

Oh, when I, no, when,
when I realized..

'Two people I was living with
had similar habits'

'and they were fixing my cop.'

I'd get two fix in, and I'd
leave nothing but a cot..

And they would fix
and get loaded

and nod out next to me.

That scared me 'cause
I realized how much I was doing.

It was almost like
I wasn't human.

I should've been dead
doing that much.

It was weird.

(man on radio)
'It's 9:05 on Saturday morning,
darlin''

'and our Solid Gold Weekend
is movin' right on.'

* The willow weeps and having
wept can weep no more *

* But still it cries for me
It cries in sympathy *

* It knows that you are gone *

* Don't leave me baby *

* There was a time
when you were mine *

* And not so long ago
I used to say *

* You'd never go away *

* You'd never leave me lonely *

* Don't leave me baby *

* Think about the happy times
the groovy times *

* Don't tell me they are gone
I just can't carry on *

* I know that you're not here *

* You're not near anymore *

* Whoa whoa *

* Don't leave me baby
Things are gonna work out fine *

* Don't leave me baby
think I'm going out of my mind *

* Don't leave me baby *

* Don't leave me behind *

* Babe babe babe baby yeah *

* Babe babe babe baby yeah *

* Babe babe babe baby yeah *

* Babe babe babe baby yeah *

* The willow weeps and having
wept can weep no more *

* But still it cries for me *

* It cries in sympathy *

* It knows that you are gone **

I was born and raised
in this city right here, man.

This is my town, my home.
Yeah.

Like no matter where I go I
always end up comin' back here.

This is where I was born, man.
This is where I always end up.

I'm a dope fiend. I get it.

It ain't no big thing to me.

Like where I live,
everybody is.

Like, you see, like,
you know what, like, just, just

just sit here cold, man,
and try and run it down.

It's just too heavy,
it's too much.

Like I get to thinking about it

I don't know where
to start my feelings.

Like every fuckin' wall
I look at, man

every fuckin' piece
of sidewalk, man

it springs back
too fuckin' much, man.

Like I'm goin' back to
when I was 8-9, 7-6 years old.

I can start then, man.
Keep on going, man.

Like every place
represents something.

Can you just make
a right here?

When you drive around here
and check out these houses

look at these people, you don't
know what you're lookin' at.

Like, you don't know
what's happenin' around here.

Like, you know, like all
these houses along in here

you know what,
like I have shot dope

with so many of these men

'and laid up
on so many of these lawns'

'and talked shit to so many
of these people.'

And ran all over this.

I know that sidewalk, man.
Every fuckin' ditch.

'You name it, man.
Right in here, this is me, man.'

'My blood runs up and down
these fuckin' streets.'

'Like, lot of these people, man.
Like, they're underpaid, man.'

'They ain't got nothin',
but three squares a day'

and a, and a fucking old,
old wooden pad, man.

And they're pissed off at life.

They just grow up
pissed off at life.

The cemetery over there
on the left?

That's where we used to ditch
all the heat, man.

'Anytime, everything happened
there all we had to do was run'

'jump that hedge, get off there.
They couldn't come get us.'

'They were scared or didn't know
where they were going.'

'All the Barrymores are buried
in there, man.'

'Lot of famous people, man.
It's a big place.'

Right here, man where this bus
is turning around in front of us

street cars used to come down
the middle of this street.

I bounced off the side
of one of them street car

'that turned in front of me
on a motorcycle.'

Jumped a curve, ran into three
old ladies waiting for a bus.

I ended up in a yard
full of headstones, man.

Fucked up, man.
Didn't know what was happening.

Got up and picked up my cycle
and started cryin', man.

(male #1)
'This is your
favorite chicken though?'

(male #2)
'Yes.'

'She, uh, she grew up with us,
you know.'

'She was a little chicken,
the only small one we had.'

'She was out by
the chicken coop. I went..'

I noticed one day
she was missing

and so I went back in the house
and I told them

we got a chicken missing.

Susan and Carol,
they got upset about it.

And we looked for her,
we couldn't find her.

I...I had two drinks
of hot chocolate

and, uh, I had
to go to the head.

And I went out to the old
outhouse, the shit hid there.

It's one of these
three-seat things, you know?

And I heard the noise down
there, flappin' or somethin'.

Couldn't figure out what the
heck down down in the hole.

The chicken was down
in the shitter?

Yeah, so I went on
to the house and I told dad.

I says, "Henny Penny's
down there."

And I was really upset about it.
My favorite chicken.

And he says,
"We'll get her out.

Get some rope and you can go
down there and get her"

- I wouldn't really want to.
- 'You go down there?'

I can go down there
and get her.

So he takes this rope
and puts it about here on me

and says, "Hold on.
I'll lower you down."

So I get down in the hole
like this.

It was a...you know the type of
rope you have for clotheslines?

- Oh, yeah, real thin shit.
- Yeah.

And I was down
gettin' ready to go in.

He's, you know,
standing here like this.

And I was kinda holdin'
on the edge balancing myself.

And I was about halfway
down this hole

and this rope 'cause he got it
off the clothesline, it snapped.

And I go holding
on the side like this

but I just kept on sliding down,
like "blatt."

Right into that shit.

Up to here?

Well, somewhere around here.

I was about 10 feet down looking
up there, you know, ugh.

Help, you know? And dad says,
"We haven't got any more rope

I gotta go downtown
and get some more.

- What?
- Downtown and get more rope.

And I gotta stay down that hole
with that smell all that time.

That chicken..

- You were stuck in that shit?
- So was the chicken, yeah.

And his wings are all messed up,
it's gettin' all over my face.

And so I'm stayin' down there
and people lookin' down there.

"What you doin'?"
You know?

"Have fun," "goodbye cruel
world" and all this stuff.

Uh-huh. "Don't make any waves,"
there's that one, too.

Yeah.

- So he got back anyway?
- He got back and hauled me up.

And I stunk. I had the chicken.
I had the chicken in my arms.

I gave him the chicken,
you know?

I gave him the chicken,
he put it down.

I came out and I says,
"I ain't keepin' these clothes."

Hell. I-I just took 'em off
right out in the yard

and we threw it
in the incinerator.

We had this old barrel
we burned stuff in.

Oh, my God.

[car engine cranks]

Want me to turn it off?

C'mon, man,
you're a crazy motherfucker.

- Cool it, man.
- Oh, man. C'mon.

- I'll do it again.
- Nice fuckin' outfit, man.

- Just a minute.
- Hey, what happened, man?

- Spike went down the drain.
- Oh, fuck, man.

- No, wait a minute, man.
- What do you mean?

- 'It went down the drain.'
- 'I'll take care of it.'

(male #1)
'Wait a minute, man.
Just wait a minute.'

Dumb motherfucker,
you're fucking with my high now.

You're too fuckin' much. Wait
a minute. I'll go get something.

- Just hang tight, man.
- Get something for what?

'Hey, wait a minute!'

(male #1)
'I got your points man,
I got you some 25 fivers'

'disposable DDs.
Out of sight, bro, good points.'

(male #2)
'Twenty fives, man?
You know I wanted twenty sixes.'

(male #1)
'Woah, man, you didn't say.
You told me you wanted points.'

(male #2)
'Twenty fives
and five-eighths.'

(male #1)
'Tell him it ain't
gonna clog.'

(male #1)
'I still want twenty sixes.'

(male #2)
'You want a fix
between your toes?'

'Then I'll get you
some twenty sixes.'

(male #3)
'Kick back, man,
you can get it in quicker.'

'It's got a bigger hole.'

(male #3)
'Blowin' it in with the hose.'

'They don't clog,they're sharp.'

- 'Surgical instrument.'
- 'Alright, yeah, well..'

(male #1)
'Next time if I can get some
stainless steel twenty sixes..'

Take care, man.

[laughter]

[tires screeching]

[tires screeching]

(male #4)
'Twenty before 11 o'clock.
No problem, correct.'

'Tell mama drive safe.'

'I'll be home.'

New car, black and gray.

Correct?

[indistinct]

'Anything happens,
just press the lights.'

I'm, uh, sorry, I had a little
business to, to work up.

What sort
of business are you in?

I'm a musician.

I, uh, play the viola with the
Glendale Symphony Orchestra.

Yeah?

What is that,
fuckin' Spiderman?

I'm talk, I'm talkin' serious.

Life..

...it's not just all shootin'
dope. People do things.

Talk to me, just say somethin'.
Do somethin'.

Anything.

Do you wanna give up
the outfit? Flush the stuff?

'Well, what do you wanna do?'

I just want to
do it proper.

[sighing]

I'm just fucked up.
Just fucked up.

But I need you, baby.

'Really need you.'

I'd be just fuckin'
nowhere, man, without you.

I'd be nowhere.

I'm sorry, man.

I just wanna taper off.

Well, what do you wanna do?

- 'Whack it, man.'
- 'Okay.'

'Okay, it's enough.'

Alright, man.

'The point's clogged.'

'We got those twenty sixes.
Want to do what we talked about?

I'm gonna go get this ready.

- Hey, I'm first.
- You think you're going first?

'I'm all ready.'

Why do I always have
to go through this?

'It's my turn.'

You got off first last time.

'I'm going first.'

I really don't wanna argue with
you. You can fuckin' go first.

'Just do me a favor.
Turn on the fuckin' radio.'

- 'Wait.'
- 'Just hold on, now.'

'I'll show it to you.'

[music on radio]

(man on radio)
'...on a Saturday night
Solid Gold Weekend.'

'You'll get your half,
don't worry.'

(man on radio)
'This is the
great Van Morrison.'

[Van Morrison singing
"Into The Mystic"]

'Stop.'

- 'Stop.'
- 'Okay, okay, okay.'

- 'Gimme your hand.'
- 'Put it on my knee.'

* We were born before the wind *

* Also younger than the sun *

'Please be careful.
Take it easy.'

- 'Hey.'
- 'Don't worry.'

Fucking tie yourself off
or I'm gonna do it.

* Hark now
hear the sailors cry *

* Smell the sea
and feel the sky *

'Do it some place else.'

'There's no vein
any place else.'

'Lemme do it up here.'

* When that foghorn blows *

'Okay, look here, look.'

* I will be comin' home *

Tilt.

* And when the foghorn blows *

* I wanna hear it *

* I don't have to fear and I *

* Wanna rock your gypsy soul *

* Just like way back
in the days of old *

* Then magnificently we
will float into the mystic *

I'm thirsty. Did we
bring anything to drink?

'What?'

[sighing]

We passed a chicken place
on the way.

* When that foghorn blows *

* You know
I will be comin' home *

* And when that foghorn
whistle blows *

* I gotta hear it *

* I don't have
to fear it and I *

* Wanna rock your gypsy soul *

* Just like way back
in the days of old *

Hey, what time is it?

* And together we will float *

Beverly, what time is it?

I don't know.

[music continues]

Do you know
where my crossword book is?

'Yes, it's in the backseat
of the car.'

Wait a minute, I'll go with you.
We gotta get the TV anyway.

'You know, I gave you a little
bit more dope than I had.'

Oh, fuck you.

[music continues]

* When that foghorn blows *

* You know I will be
comin' home *

* And when
that foghorn whistle blows *

* I gotta hear it
I don't have to fear it and I *

* Wanna rock your gypsy soul *

* Just like way back
in the days of old *

* And together we will float *

* Into the mystic *

* Come on girl *

[music continues]

* Too late to stop now **

- It's the same..
- No, they don't.

I just walked outta that bar.
How do you know what I want?

I don't know.

Wanna go home
and make some coffee?

Yeah, sure.

- A weird night.
- Yeah. It's--

- Cold.
- Yeah, it's cold too.

I come here sometimes..

...with freaks,
people gassing everybody else.

It's the same kind
of insanity, I guess.

(male #1)
'Oh, can you dig it, man,
like. like you know'

'like, a good LA dope fiend
spends half of his adult life'

'in that place waitin', man.'

'They got, marks laws,
they got paraphernalia laws'

'they got possession laws,
they got sales laws'

'they got laws on top of laws
in-laws and a bottle of law.'

'Like I spent eight months
up there at once, man.'

'Five of the eight were
as a mattress runner.'

'I was runnin' outfits
all over that jail'

makin' me half a grand a day,
and $25 a day for hustlin'

the outfits from the different
tanks on the different floors

but I could go on any floor
and do anything.

Like, you can't
imagine what it's like.

It's famous man, in the '50s
it was integrated

I mean, segregated.

They had the hypes broke up
in their in their own tank.

They had the money and action
in the whole fuckin' jail.

Did everything we wanted.

We had so much money

that we're bailin' each other
out so we could go score.

Like the guys would come in
with $500 marks bail, man.

We'd bail him out,
give him $500

then go get a piece
and come back.

Get him in the court line
and get him runnin' all over.

It's just a big trip.

I've had my ass whipped in there
so much you wouldn't believe it.

On that elevator, between
the ninth and tenth floor

They'd stop, four of 'em,
punch around in a circle.

A heavy trip, man.

Lot of people don't
know that goes on.

When they hear it,
they don't wanna believe it.

It's the truth.
It happens every day, all day.

I'll bet you now somebody's
gettin' his ass whipped

and ain't
gonna snivel about it, man.

You know, first of all
because the cops don't like it

and the guys don't like it.
You just gotta hold it.

Every time I go there, I still
duck my head involuntarily.

It's just
like a reflex, you know.

Like, even like,
I'm sitting here right now

'thinking about it, I think,
if they knew I was here now'

'they would be down here
kickin' the fuck out of me.'

'That would be alright,
man. You know.'

''Cause I could fight back now,
up there you can't fight back.'

'You just put your head
in some grate, man.'

'Can you imagine livin' in
a toilet bowl for eight months?'

'You cook in a toilet bowl,
wash in it, you shave in it.'

'You do everything including
shit in that toilet bowl'

'and it's the cleanest part
of the cell, man.'

'I can still remember sittin' on
that top bunk and facin' life'

for a sail, man, feeling like
diving off in that toilet bowl

the first couple of days.

I'd be sitting there
thinking about it

"just take a nose dive down the
shitter, end up in Long Beach."

That's a saying up there,
"send it to Long Beach"

'cause all the pipes lead
to Long Beach, man.

It's a heavy trip.

It's good to be here
talkin' about it

not up there
lookin' at it.

There's guys up there now
hanging on them bars

staring, wondering what the hell
I'm doing, man. You know.

[whistling]

Yeah, fuck it.

(male #1)
'Clean this.'

This thing really scoots,
don't it?

I'd like to be
right up here some time.

Just like this, kinda..

Waa!

[chuckling]

'You don't dig it, huh?'

Uh, I'm not really into it,
I guess.

'Huh.'

'Fuck.'

I don't know how you can't be
into that, you know.

Don't you like
second gear, you know

gettin' that feet, pushed
back the seat, all that?

Doesn't do nothin'
for you at all?

I'd get it off.

That's far out.

Sure looks bitchin',
don't it?

I could paint it.

Kinda like it
the way it is though.

Sure gets looked at a lot.

Damn, yeah,
I'd just drive down, you know

put my fuckin' arm
out there.

What the fuck do you do anyway?

Uh...I don't know,
just trip I guess.

Just hitchhikin' all the time,
is that the scene?

'It's time to walk.'

'Yeah.'

Do you get into that?

'No, I don't get into that.'

No. It's not my style.

'What do you think about mags?'

I never thought much about them.

- 'You're kidding.'
- No, I'm not.

'I could sure handle
a beer, man.'

Yeah, that is the best part
of Texas I think, man.

It's the beer.

I had nothin' but bad times
there, really.

Really shitty, actually.

How come?

Oh, I don't know, it was just..
Everything was just kinda weird.

Had a, had a really,
uh...kind of a..

That's about the only thing
I remember.

Was this, uh,
gangbangs ...trip we had.

You know, it was a,
it's a whole bunch of guys

and, uh...and this chick
in a car..

...and we just, uh, everybody
would just go in, you know

and, uh, I went in.

And, it, uh,
it didn't happen, you know

I just didn't wanna make it.

I couldn't get it together
or something. I don't know.

I stayed in 10 minutes
longer than anybody else.

And, uh, came out, you know,
I...had my hair all fucked up

buttoning my pants and shit..

...and then she
came out...cryin.'

Most of the people
I know in Texas are assholes.

(male on radio)
'...Arnie Ginsberg
on a Solid Gold Sunday'

'with the Monotones
and the "Book Of Love."'

* I wonder wonder
who oo-uu who *

* Who wrote the book of love *

* Tell me tell me tell me *

* Oh who wrote
the book of love *

* I've got to know the answer
was it someone from above *

* I wonder wonder
who be-do-do who *

* Who wrote the book of love *

* I love you darlin' *

* Baby you know I do *

* But I've got to see
this book of love *

* Find out why it's true *

* I wonder wonder
who be-do-do who *

* Who wrote the book of love **

'Oh, I don't know
what you mean.'

'I don't know
what you mean, it's not true.'

- I like you this way..
- 'What way?'

- The way we are right now.
- Really? Strung out?

Yeah.

- That's a burnout line.
- It's mysteriously romantic.

Hm.

No one else is like us, no one.

No one we know is like us.
That's good enough.

Oh, no. I don't know.
I guess you're right.

It's nice to think
about it though. Really is.

That's good enough for me..

...in any case.

You know, I remember,
when I first started high school

and I was taking dope

'always so paranoid
I was gonna get busted'

that I changed schools
about eight times

I went to about eight
different high schools.

I remember around
about the fourth high school

only time I had ever OD'd,
yeah, well, shit.

Other than the times
you've OD'd with me

did you ever OD,
I mean, really bad?

'I OD'd once, I was at
a friend of mine's house.'

And, uh, I had taken
some two ml's

then I shot some stuff,
and then I went out, oh God

I turned blue,
then I turned yellow.

'I turned every color you can
imagine. Blue, white, gray..'

- Like me, when I go out?
- 'Right, right.'

'But there I was,
gettin' slapped'

'walked around and pushed
for about six hours'

'and there was this chick there
who had given me the shot'

'who fixed it up for me,
I didn't know how big it was.'

What did she look like?

This fat ugly pig from New York.

- Why were you with her?
- I wasn't.

She was staying in the house.

When I woke up in the morning,
she was givin' me a hand.

- I couldn't even feel it.
- Did you like it?

- I couldn't even feel it.
- You had to feel it.

I could only see it,
I couldn't feel it.

[chuckling]

I woke up
and I saw it, you know..

I don't wanna
hear things like that.

I never did anything like that.

'You mean nobody ever did
anything like that to you?'

No.

'Oh...I'm not
so sure about that.'

- Don't you believe me?
- 'Mm-hmm.'

No really. You know that.

'If you say so.'

(Beverly)
'You never gave me
head when I OD'd.'

'All you did was have
all the neighbors stand around.'

We could've got righteously
caught behind that.

Behind what?

They knew I wasn't an epileptic
even though you told them I was.

Yeah. I didn't think they
were really gonna believe that.

Many of them were laughing.

"Help me put her in my
bathtub, she'll come out of it."

- She's just having seizures.
- She's just having seizures.

(Beverly)
'If we had enough,
if we had ten pounds'

'we could live for ever and we'd
never have to go out and cop.'

(male #1)
'We could sleep forever.'

No, with five, ten pounds,
I wouldn't wanna do very much.

'No matter how much dope
we have, it's not the answer.'

'Even though we've never had
anything like that'

no matter how much we have--

'Because you've never had
that much we can't figure

'that's not the answer
'cause we don't know. Right?'

No matter how much we have it
just gets fuckeder and fuckeder.

More fucked. Excuse me.

- 'Fuckeder and fuckeder.'
- 'It's more fucked each time.'

(Beverly)
'I see you're getting
more intelligent also.'

'I'll stop saying fuckeder.'

- 'More fucked.'
- 'Start saying more fucked up.'

(Beverly)
'More fucked up,
yeah, you know.'

Yeah, I know.

(Beverly)
'You need a shave.'

'Ooh.'

'Shave tonight.'

(male #9)
'On your hamburger,
you like what?'

(female #2)
'Chili and onions,
cut the mustard.'

(male #9)
'Okay.'

Do you want anything to drink?

Yeah, Coke.

We'll have a Coke too.

- 'How about a Fanta'
- Okay.

Okay with that?

(male #10)
'Next, next.
Somebody, anybody.'

Thank you.

I don't like onions.

- I love them onions.
- Want some of them?

Yeah, here.

I get a lotta onions.

- What're you doin'?
- Giving you my onions.

I don't like 'em.

I know, I got enough onions.

(male #11)
'They'll be
in a green Volkswagen.'

'If they see you coming..'

- 'You know the license plate?'
- 'No.'

(male #12)
'But it's green and they're
around the Whiskey a lot.'

- 'Are they armed?'
- 'No.'

- 'Okay, good.'
- 'Thanks a lot.'

(female #3)
'Morning, when I got up,
it took me an hour'

'to an hour and a half
to fix, be covered with blood'

'sometimes I get so pissed off,
I just squirt my hit'

'out all over the walls.'

'People I was stayin' with
would be sitting there'

freaking and bitchin'.

They were volunteering to fix
my blood and everything else.

It was groovy.
The dope was good.

[laughing]

But it really isn't groovy.

And my connection
turned out to be

a turning in all
the people he dealt to.

Used to front us
a lot of dope.

What a trip and then
he'd set 'em up I found out.

The most I ever saw was
about an ounce, one ounce.

Um..

The most I ever made was
when I was selling $100 bags.

You really make
a lot if you sell

small quantities
too on the street.

It's risky
and I don't wanna do it.

I'm not so scared of the police
as I am scared of the junkies.

You know, I gotta make sure
I know who I am selling to.

Is he a snitch or not?

Because that's when it gets
really treacherous.

You should know
who you are selling it too.

Then..

'Where were you, where were you
living when you were doing?'

In Berkley, in an apartment.

Sometimes, uh,
sometimes, whenever

I've dealt in the street I
stayed in hotel rooms.

Changed hotel room every day.

Changed hotels, rotate
between three hotels

changed rooms every day.

You know, get all my
different names and stuff

don't tell anybody
where you live.

Never tell anybody
where you live.

I liked it, you know
what I really missed when

when I am not using,
when I'm in jail?

Is hustling, trying to get
the money it's funny

but when you're on the street
and you're hustling

it's like it's a drag
because you're sick

and you're
working for the money

and it's a drag and you
always bitch about it.

But like, when I'm straight

and I don't have to
hustle I'm so bored.

There's a real thrill
about like getting

that bread like when
you trick somebody.

You know, it's a real trip.

Like when I used to cash checks.

I'd walk into that store, man,
and I'd just talk to them like

they were crazy like
I actually had the money.

And I talk to him about
the most ridiculous thing.

I couldn't believe and
then I get something

it's really
just a neat feeling.

I don't know,
I can't explain it.

It's kinda really horrible.

Kind of vicious or something.

[waves roaring]

LA was up there..
Right here in Hollywood.

and, uh, up in,
uh, Portland.

A friend of mine had little

we rushed to the hospital
and he had rat poison.

Rat poison?

Rat poison,
people get tripped out

they wind up
doing stupid stuff.

Yeah, man, lotta bad smack
comin' outta Portland.

That's right.

Really got to be dumb.

Very dumb to take anything.

Well, I don't know
about that.

Well, right now
I-I've got

this kick about being
kind of natural

with my own body. I don't.
I-I'd only smoke a J.

It ain't gonna hurt me
but, I, I don't want really..

- Yeah, but..
- ...do anything that..

- ...you could buy uppers--
- ...kills his soul you know.

Those uppers
will fuck you up too.

Yeah ,that's what I was on.
They really mess you up.

I had to take..
To get up in the morning

my joint. I had to get
three to get moving.

'Just don't give
it to him..'

[indistinct chatter]

What is it? Turn.

'Turn is good.'

'A good count?'

Good count, you dig it.

'Police, uh..'

If it ain't good,
you ain't gonna roll.

.. right now like,
they are trying to

I don't know if they passed it
or they are trying to pass

a No Narc Law
where they just come right in.

They just come
right in, you know.

- There's another thing.
- That's invasion of privacy.

'There's another thing
they're into is'

'is preventative detention.
You ever heard of that?'

'That's, that's when they,
they arrest you for something.'

And then they don't let you
out because they think

that you might create, you
know might commit a crime

or something like that so..

Yeah, right, so they keep you
in, can you believe that?

Just on their say so.

They say, you know, like
whenever they make up

their mind that you might
do something, you know.

Man, that's completely
against everything

that the country is
supposed to stand for.

'Right.'

A white beard
and a silver Mercedes

Yeah, silver.

Monday morning
at 11' O clock.

He's an older guy
with a white beard.

I can dig it.

- That's cool.
- Okay, man. See you.

Later.

It was a funny thing he asked me
to come back and see him

I went back to see him
a couple nights ago.

And I looked at him.

And he looked at me.

And, you know, he asked me
to come back to see him.

So I did.

But I realized that

I was violating
about the only rule

that I've got to preserve myself
in that kind of a situation.

And the rule is..

...don't try to build
any kind of relationship

on a lie or a fiction.

Because it's not gonna work.

And you can get screwed.

And somebody's gonna get hurt.

I don't care so much if..

...I do.

But I don't like to fuck up
other people's heads.

Not anymore.

So I reverse the jacket

and you know somebody different
is gonna pick me up this time.

'Cause it's, you know, a little
bit different this time.

The street is twentieth century.

And we are put on
the wrong end of the demand.

The numbers that..

...I'm only a freak
by the standards I reject.

I don't feel any more separate
from my family than I ever did.

I feel close to them.

I extended myself
a little bit further I guess.

But..

...you're no different than..

..my brother
or...maybe my father..

...or you or anybody else.

(man on radio)
'On Calla radio, and checkin'
the tops and pops'

'here's the number one song
on the number one station.'

'With Del Shannon.'

'Wind it up baby.
"Runaway".'

[Del Shannon singing Runaway]

* As I walk along I wonder *

* Of what went wrong
with our love *

* A love that was so strong *

* And as I still walk on
I think of *

* The things we've
done together *

* A-while our hearts
were young *

* I'm a-walkin' in the rain *

* Tears are fallin'
and I feel the pain *

* A-wishin' you
were here by me *

* To end this misery
and I wonder *

* I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder *

* Why why why why why why
she ran away *

* And I wonder *

* A-where she will stay-ay *

* My little runaway *

* Run run run run runaway **

(man on radio)
'You got it. Right on, baby.
Get your free truckin' T-shirt.'

'Let's go.'

(man on radio)
'Alright, babies,
alright, I'm..'

Turn that shit off.

Looks weird.

'Where's it from?'

Portland.

[engine roaring]

[instrumental music]

(Tim)
'Those are some
pretty groovy pads here.'

'You know these people
are makin' it, man.'

'They have a whole
different approach'

'to things over here man,
they are all makin' it.'

'Whole different
approach, eh?'

You know, they don't have 'the
same standards, man.

They're makin' it.

Yeah, this takes
a little more time.

[grunting]

[tires screeching]

Move in your car, motherfucker.

Up.

[engine roaring]

[tires screeching]

Hold it right there, asshole!

[woman screaming]

Turn around!

Hurt my girl
and I'll break your arm.

Turn around!

'Let her go, shit.'

Hold still.

You fuckin' asshole,
leave me alone!

Let her go.

Bob, there's two balloons
over there, grab them.

- Can you hold him?
- I got him.

Don't move.

Put her in the car.

Yeah, there's
two balloons up there.

There's some balloons
lyin' right over here.

Bastards, pigs!

Wake up, wake up, baby, wake up.

Wake up, wake up. God!

Wake up.

Wake..

[sobbing]
Come on wake up.

[James Holmes singing
"So Close"]

* Where's that smile *

* I hope you didn't lose it *

* Every now and again *

* And wear it once for me *

* Sure I know *

* It's been
some time between us *

* But I had to stand back some *

* To get the room to see *

* But it's alright now *

* Hold on tight now *

* I'll be stayin' *

* I won't go *

* Don't you cry now *

* We can try now *

* Just takes some distance *

* To know *

* So close *

* We almost couldn't make it *

* So close but it looks
like we're alright *

* So close *

* I almost couldn't see you *

* So close but it looks like
we're alright *

* Alright *

* Alright *

* What a day *

* I remember
it was even rainin' *

* And as soon as
I'd said goodbye *

* I didn't want to leave *

* One last look *

* You could see
my eyes were askin' *

* I could feel yours *

* Pullin' at my sleeve *

* But it's alright now *

* Hold on tight now *

* I'll be stayin' *

* I won't go.. **