Jason and Shirley (2015) - full transcript

- Okay, Jason's late.

Jason's late.

Nico, how old are you now?

- Almost 25.

- Right.

So you know your mother met
someone that she really loves.

And I'm telling you,
learn a lesson from me.

Do not come between two
people in love, don't do it.

You can succeed in breaking
people up, but it's bad.

It's very bad.

Don't even try.



All right.

Oh, Mrs. Clarke.

Where's Jason?

Nico, just make sure there's
no crap on the carpet.

John, how are we doing over here?

Everything's ready to go.

Where's Carl?

- Yeah, where is Carl?

I hope he's at an audition.

Did you see Hamlet?

- I, I did, yeah.

- Look at that.
- Yeah.

Isn't he the most
handsome man you've ever seen?

He's very handsome.



- Yeah, his looks do a lot of
work for him, let me tell you.

Anyway.

If Jason fucks us over,
I'm gonna fucking kill him.

He's willing to work for
$40 a day, so it was like,

"All right, great."

This is Nico's first day on any film shoot

and we wanna get them turned on, okay?

I'm not a good housekeeper.

- Should I-

- Just straighten it out a little bit.

We don't want people looking at on-screen

and paying attention to
wrinkles on the bed, right,

- we want them to look at Jason.
- Okay.

- You know, Andy moved
into the Chelsea, right?

He couldn't handle it,

he just didn't fit in.

He tried to have a fabulous party

and bring all his little friends,

and it just wasn't right.

There's something phony there.

- With Andy or the-
- Yeah, with Andy

Jonas can't stand him and
Brakhage hates him too.

The boys!

Get, get John a cup of coffee, will you?

- How do you like it? Black?

Sugar.

- All right. Plan C.

We go home.

- No, we'll do your story.

Nico, have a seat.

I'm the director.

Or we could reschedule.

No, no, no.

- Rolling.
- Okay, Nico, go.

What do you love?

- Um...

I love, I love, um,

when, when my family-

- Get, get the door.

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Hey.
- Saul!

How are yoU?
- I, I should have remembered

you have to go outside to get inside here.

You can never get used to it,

it's called cockamamie
crazy maze craziness.

Hello, sorry,

is this guy okay?

Oh, come on, we've
done three films together.

- Oh good. Okay, well then it's fine.

- He did "Cool World,"
he did "The Connection."

- Well, then I'm a big fan of yours.

That's right.

- I'm a big fan of hers.

- This is Nico.
- Hey.

- You want some coffee?

- Yeah, I'm fine,

'cause I know I'm running a little late.

Okay. So,
John, can you help him?

- Oh, I see that you it to set up already.

I got some stuff coming, it's, you know...

The Porter will bring it
up as soon as he's there.

And maybe we can fill
in back a little bit.

It's just too shadowy.

You know what I mean is I
just don't like this look,

you know, it's just like,

it looks like some sort of
cheap photography studio

or something like that, you know?

I want to fill it out.

You know, if we're gonna have shadows,

I want conscious shadows.
- He's not there.

He's not answering.
- I want something with

a blend and a tact to it, you know, some..

That's just like, that's cheap.

I'm so glad we're finally
working together, you know?

I'm just from the Grand Concourse.

You know what I mean?

And you-

- Yeah, but you worked at MGM! Come on!

- But you come from different people.

You are a princess.
- Thank you, Saul.

- You are an Academy
Award winning princess.

- Yeah, it's right over there.

You ever seen a real Oscar before?

Oh yeah.

For a potato troll like me
to be working for someone

from your background-

What kind of subject is this?

I mean, I'm a little-
- Well, you know-

- I'm a little shocked
that you're shooting

in your living room.
- Do you know I've been doing

for the last few year?

- Well, I mean, I've seen the
Robert Frost film of course,

you know, I love Robert Frost.
- Oh okay.

Just listen for a second.

I wanna explain to you
what we're doing here

so that you understand.

- Okay please, I'm, I'm listening.

I'm listening.
- Okay. First I thought,

"Well, what's the most important
issue going on in America?"

It's the race issue.
- Oh yeah.

- My last two films have
been about black people

and this film is gonna be that too.

- Oh, I see.

Now I understand this.

So I'm not going to change anything.

I get what what you're going after.

- Okay, you guys, can you just get set?

Thanks, I've gotta call Carl.
- Yeah, if it's gonna be

like this I'll just
leave it the way it is.

- Nico.
- Yes?

- So is this your first shoot?

- This is my first shoot.

- Fantastic!

Okay, you're going places.

Go ahead and sit down there,

we'll work a focus with you.

You're gonna be a stand-in, okay?

- Okay, have a seat.
- Thank you.

- You're cute, Nico.

You're a good looking guy.

The question is, are you
going to be a nice guy?

So Nico,

what's your plan?

Are, are we, are
we working or are we just-

- This is stupid. This is stupid.

Yeah, I, I...

- Let me call Carl again.

- You know, you're in
a privileged position.

We'll figure it out.
- Thank you.

You want a Hydrox cookie?

Like when were kids?

I shouldn't be having
cookies, actually.

- What's that?

- Black guys, black guys who's
trying to pass for white?

We call them one of these.

- Hydrox cookie?

Never fear.

- Jason's here! Whoo!
- Jason!

Hun.
- Hey, baby?

- How are you?

- Swinging pad you got here.

- You forgot my stuff.

- Who's this crazy cat?

- This is Jason, our star.

- Ooh, who's this crazy cat?

That's some hot chicken
you got cooking, baby!

Pleased to meet you.

Nico.

Charmed, I'm sure.

This is Saul,
he's gonna be the DP.

Saul, how're you doing?

Nico, can you take his stuff?

- Just got some props.

Some some of my, some
of my swinging stuff.

That, you can take this,

- thank you very much.
- Okay, let's go.

- Service with a smile.

Come on, let's see that smile.

- I can work with him if you want me to.

- Okay, yeah, I want you to.

- But I, I really-

- I want you to work with him.

- I don't believe that
this is the right thing

for you, miss.

- That's okay.

- You're a lady.

You don't, you don't be in the same room

with someone like this.
- Jason is here!

Gonna get my Gloria Swanson together.

- This is a drug addict,

whore,

faggot.

This nigger is like
like 100% a degenerate.

You don't want him.

Are you
gonna do this job or not?

- I wanna work for you, but not this job.

Shirley, what time do we start?

Stay cool.
- I know you.

Yeah, I maybe cool-
- Yeah, I know you

and you know me,

and we are all together.

- No, no.

I'm not together with you.

- You can't make the scene
then you ain't clean.

- Oh, well, I'm clean, you're...

You're the one.
- Okay, Jason, I'm sorry.

I want you to get out of here.

- If you kick me out of here, I'm-

- Where's John?

- John, get him out.
- I'm taking my equipment.

- Whoo!
- You know,

I'm not gonna let you use this stuff.

- Somebody needs a Valium.

- Get out of here!

- I have not made my point.
- What's wrong with you?

- And you fucking get out of my face!

Nico looks a
little, a little shaken.

- Nico doesn't do-
- It's all right, honey.

- Let's go!
- So, um,

I don't know.

Close the door.

Thank you. Yeah, get Jason a drink.

- Vodka tonic.

Lesson number one:
- John, do you think

you can run the camera?
- Always remember the order.

- All right.

That guy sucked!

- I don't know.
- That was a drag.

Guess I'm gonna just make
myself homely.

- Yeah, okay.

Well, we'll be ready in a minute.

Thanks, John, okay.

- Shirley, where's Carl?

- Yeah, where's Carl.

- You told me Carl was gonna be here.

- It's nice to have you over.

- And you turn it on over here.

- Just-
- You got a lot of stuff here,

looks expensive.

- Yeah, you see that horrible painting

on the wall over there?

My ex-boyfriend painted that.

Your ex boyfriend?

Yeah, I have an ex boyfriend

who's a bad artist.

- An ex boyfriend?

And you're calling him
a bad artist?

Rolling,

when I do I say those things?
- Well, a fact's a fact.

- You don't say anything.

You just gotta keep an eye on the levels.

- So Carly ain't coming?

I don't know if I can
even do this without Carl.

Carl's my anchor.

- Let's try.

Let's try.

Nico, get him another drink.

- Get one bull yourself, Nico!

Thank you, honey.

Where's your drink?

- You want some ice for your drink?

- I'm fine. Straight up-
- You're fine.

- Straight Up Jason,

they call come downtown.
- Okay.

- Just one second.
- Okay.

Could you
do that fast, please?

And then let's go.

- One little thing that
we gotta talk about.

Why don't you sit down?
- Okay, okay.

- Sit down with Jason.

There's a little question of money

because I was talking to some people

that I know in the business.

Well, you know, these girl groups,

how they get cut out of the
rights to their own material,

how does that work?

- Well,

they get royalties.

I mean, you can get...

- Give me some royalties.

- Well, if you want royalties

then you have to take less upfront,

you know, that's how it works, right?

You just write out a
first draft of a contract

and then we'll go from there.

- So if you're gonna give me less,

is there a way to get a
little something upfront?

- Sure. How much do you want?

- Well, I was thinking
for today, another $50.

That would be a good price, I think.

- Okay, I'll pay you
at the end of the day.

- That's cool.

I trust you.
- Okay.

Okay, Jason.
- How are you doing?

You look a little nervous.

- I'm okay.

I'm ready go actually. I'm excited.

- Okay.

So-
- Are you ready to go?

- What if I say no?

- That's it. That's the end.

- Okay, I'm copping out.

Where's my stuff?

See what's worrying me

is everything that happens in my life

is all about other people's needs.

I get drained.

Now I'm approaching the
age where it's almost over.

We're gonna shoot this film.

- Yeah.
- You're going to tell us

where you've been, who you are,

you're gonna how people who you are.

We're gonna show it all over the country,

we're gonna show it all over the world,

you will be known.

- We wanna do something good,

and something we're good at,

and we wanna pick up a couple
of nickels here and there.

You know, when I look at you

I don't really think
of you as being white,

I think of you as a friend,

and more than that as a professional.

I l-

Hey, Shirley, what are you asking me?

- Like, just think of
it like an interview.

Okay, so let's start-
- Okay, I gotta warm up.

- Yeah, let's do a warm up.

- You know I got this
nightclub act going, right?

Cameras roll.

- Ooh Lord!

My mother always told me,

one person's trash is
another person treasure-

- Jason-
- Keep something

for seven years-

- Jason by Shirley Clarke,

take one.
- You'll find some use for it.

Problem with unemployment
is as soon as you wake up,

you're on the job!

Don't feel like you have to put on a show.

You know, just be yourself.

- Boom!

- Just like an interview.

- Ooh wee!

Why do Jewish divorces cost so much?

Because they're worth it!

Nico, why don't you light the cigarette

before you sit on my face?

- Light his cigarette.

It's show time!

You're giving
the audience what they want.

- What they think they want.

Cap your hands!

Every, come on, clap your hands!

Oh, shit!

Cut!

- Honey, I've told you
to get yourself a drink.

What'd you say your name is, Nico?

Nico.

- Yeah, just it's hot in here.

You got all these lights here, it's-

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Come on, come on,

just, just relax.

Here, here, why don't you
light it with your dick, huh?

Fuck!

Nico, here.

- I want everybody to be loose now.

- Well, what would be helpful to you?

- Let's smoke a joint.

- All right, let's smoke a joint.

Help yourself.

You know, I got married.

You know, my my real name isn't Clarke.

Did you know that?

Mm, what's your real name?

- Brimberg.

- That's a Jewish names.

- That's right.

And you know, I grew up on Park Avenue.

- Whoo!

Park Avenue?

- My father was an industrialist.

- So it ain't total ho-ing on your part.

- No, not at all.

- Did you love your husband?

No.

- Did you like him?

- Nico, can you get a match?

- That's why you can have
nice things in this house.

You bring a nigger in and the
whole place gets nigger-fied.

Hey, kid.

How am I

gonna doing

some crazy scene

in the Chelsea Hotel with
some white lady chick

who's living here,

who come from Park Avenue,

who ain't on Park Avenue,

who got her motherfucking Oscar,

but she don't see to wanna play the game.

- I don't need to.

- You lucky bitch.

- That's right. Well-

- An accident of birth.

- And we're gonna make a film together.

I can't make it without you,

you can't make it without me. Because-

- All right, I gotta, I gotta,

I gotta get, get off my feet here.

Yeah, have a seat, honey.

All right.

- [Shirley And we'll get you a drink

and then we're gonna start.

So this is your time to tell your story

about what it's like to be you,

what you've lived, what you know.

- This is living!

This is my life.

All right, well, here,

take your drink.

- Vodka, straight.

- Thanks, baby.

Where's your drink?

Nico, get on the sound.

Get on the sound and
then get on this.

Jason by Shirley
Clarke, take four.

Free love?

That's the only love
I can afford!

- Okay, we're rolling.

So tell us your name.

- You want me to do
this for the the camera?

Where's your camera?

- Right here.

- My name

is Jason

Holliday.

So Jason, what
do you do for a living?

- I'm a stone whore,

a prostitute,

a hooker!

Darling, I have balled
from Maine to Minnesota,

from Minnesota to Mississippi,

and balling every step of the way

all the way back.

Isn't it lonely
having sex with strangers?

- Having sex is never lonely, honey.

Having sex is the opposite of loneliness.

I'm tri-sexual. I'll try anything once!

I'm a seller,

not a buyer.

I'm a whore and I'm not ashamed of it.

- Jason, tell me about your old man.

- I can't do that.

Why didn't you do a movie about you?

Every movie
I make is about me.

- Sho'nuff, honey!

Roll out.

- Change nags. Nico, follow me.

- $50?

You gotta give me 75!

You're killing me!

- I'm going to pay you.

I have it.

- I wanna know what is

about this movie

that's gonna help my show.

You telling me it's a publicity angle,

but you saying that you don't care

whether it wins Academy Award or not.

- You know what, I have an idea.

Let's change the whole concept.

- Okay.

- Let's make it all be about your show.

I'll interview you about your influences,

the people you've met, your background,

how you came to be a singer.

You'll describes your show,

you'll give them a little taste,

and then they'll want more.

- You know what?
- What?

- Change of heart.

Okay, so we'll do it that way.

We'll talk about your work.

John, let's go!

Um, I've got
to switch audiotapes.

Okay.

Where's Nico?

Nico, keep rolling sound
no matter what happens,

I wanna get everything.

Rolling.

Jason by Shirley
Clarke, take five.

- What's a Jewish pedophile pick-up line?

Wanna buy some candy?

I don't see you laughing, Shirley.

- I'm laughing.

I'm laughing.

Just like,

I'm laughing.

Okay.

So what was your father like?

- Hmm.

Hold on, you told me that
this film is about me!

- No.

- Is this camera rolling?

- All the cameras are rolling.
- Yeah,

All the cameras are rolling.
- All right.

'Cause it sounds to me
like you want to come

with some motherfucking chitlin bit!

I'm just so itchy.

You know what it's like
to have that Carl Jones.

I think you and me have been there, right?

- When Carl comes he can save the day.

Take six.

- Tell me about your dream show.

- I see blue.

New York's finest nightclubs.

Only the best people.

Blue lights.

Blue smoke.

Hot musicians, dancing girls,

and I'll sing and tell jokes,

and be a fabulous star!

I'll sing blues and jazz,

and all the classics

Tiny little blue angles,
what do they call them?

Putti?

Hanging from the sky.

I'll be a star!

I'll be a star!

- So Jason, what's the
date for this cabaret act?

What's the date?
- Booking comes late.

I mean, when
are you gonna really do it?

- Well, that's the thing,
Shirley, I have the talent,

but the money, Shirley,

it's all about the money.

- I've seen you burn through
huge amounts of money.

- I ain't saying that I
didn't blow a lot of cash.

- Anyone who says that
they need money to make art

isn't telling the truth.

Art is about the relationship,

it's about having a
relationship with other people

where you tell the truth to each other,

and you change each other,

and then you produce something

that will change other people,

that's what it's about.

Money is just an excuse for you, Jason.

That must feel very strange,

like everyone's running
and you're standing still.

- What?

- I mean, look at Carl.

Carl just played Hamlet.

Darling, it
must have been wonderful.

Did he get all the words right?

- He doesn't let anything stop him.

And you, you let everything stop you.

Why?

What's it like to be lying all the time?

What's it like to be telling people

that you're gonna do this
and you're gonna do that,

and you're not gonna do any of it?

You hit the nail on the head.

The reason black people are in pain

is because they won't take
aspirin from the bottle,

it involves cotton picking.

- All right, cut!

- Jason by Shirley Clarke, take seven.

- Hey, baby.

You're a lot like these
white ladies I work for.

What are they like?

- They take control the whole galaxy

when the old man ain't around,

except for the ones that are
able to put the old man away

one way or the other.

But yeah, it's a lot of control.

What do you do for them?

- Pretty much whatever they want.

But a lot of times I
have to guess what it is

because most times they don't
know what it is they want.

So I fry a little chicken,
I scramble a few eggs,

but most of all I just make
them feel like they're wanted.

I give them, if not love,

something is close to as they never have.

And, yeah, I walk their dogs,

pet their cats,

water the plants,

whatever,

cook their greens,

do their shopping,

the whole nine yards.

Do you like working for them?

- Do I like working?

When it's work, you can
guarantee I don't like it.

So this is the trick of all tricks:

You make what you do what you like,

and then you make what
you like what you do,

and when they come
together it's all groovy.

And when it ain't groovy,

that's the time that you start
moving on to something else.

- And that's what I do.
- Jason-

- There's these rich white ladies-

- Jason-
- That I'm just like

waiting hand and foot on-
Jason.

Giving them
whatever it is they want-

- Oh, Jason-

- Vacuum their floor, which
is better than sweeping.

Jason.

And they just say in my head.

Jason!

Just think about how this feels.

- Oh, it feels so wonderful.

Just think about the feeling.

- You know, I never
much cared for niggers.

Jason, now, you've gone too far!

Once is quite enough.

So you think one nigger feel

is the same as another nigger feel?

- I don't know anything
about how a nigger feels.

Your services are not needed!

- So you say.

But you didn't say that last week

when I had these fingers up in your pussy.

- Jason, don't you know
how I feel about you?

- When I look at you, I see a phony,

aging,

white spoiled bitch

that has nothing to rely on but her money,

her so-called breeding and her reputation.

Well, you know, I didn't
mean it all that way.

What makes you feel good?

- Well, that you have a wonderful smile

and a terrific laugh.

Oh!

- Oh, Jason, I'm not here
to play games with you!

- Bend your knees like this.

- Throw your leg up!
- Whoo!

There you go!

- There you go!
- Whoo!

Oh, oh, honey, it's all right.

It will be fine.

Like this?

You like it?

And how many
times did you have to do that,

Jason?

I'm doing it now with you.

Cut!

- I'm getting a little
lost in my realities here.

Nico, can you
take everyone's lunch order?

Call the deli.

- Which one?

- Ben's Deli down the street.

Corned beef, pastrami,
whatever people want.

Just get a piece of paper and
ask everyone what they want.

- Sandwiches and stuff?

- Yeah, thanks.

- This is pure joy.

'Cause in this scene, Nico's the nigger.

So where that deli, boy?

Deli boy, I'm getting fed up.

Mrs. Clarke, is everything okay?

- Nico, you're gonna to
be a director some day

so learn from me.

Jason is doing everything
that we want him to do,

but don't let him know.

Got it?

And you're doing good too.

- Okay.

- Shirley, where's Carl?

- Where is Carl?

He works, you know?

He works it.

And you know that as well I,

'cause Carl's gonna do something for you,

Carl does something for me.

- Have you ever seen Carl show up on time?

I have not.

Okay.
- Honey,

Carl is supposed to be a
motherfucking professional!

He is

I thought,

I thought y'all were gonna teach me.

As far as fucks as I can see,

you would be a mess as I am.

- When he was a star,
he was there on time.

- You saying Carl ain't no star?

- No, when he did "Cool World."

- You said when he was.

When he was
the star of the film.

You wanna just hand out
everyone's sandwiches?

Okay, everybody, half hour.

- Carl's my engine.
- Jason, Jason,

let's go for a walk.
- Carl's my engine.

Croatian John?

- What? I'm now supposed to go
for walk like a fucking dog?

Let's go up on
the roof, it's beautiful.

You've been on the roof of the Chelsea.

Come on, get your coat, let's go.

We're climbing Jacob's ladder.

Whoa!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Nice, right?

You come up here all the time?

- Every day, every morning.

- Hmm, so this is how the other half live?

- It's not the half.

Jason, how do you think the movie's going?

- Like it means something to me?

Like I'm going to know?

How is the movie's going?
- Well-

- You tell me,
how is the movie going?

- All right, let me tell you.

I've shot five hours of you.

I have enough to make a feature film.

Is that how you wanna be seen?

I think you should listen
to what I'm saying.

- Honey, I'm listening.
- I have five hours of you.

- I'm listening.

I'm carrying this lunch
bag and I'm listening.

Okay.

- And I told you I'm hungry.

Is what you
want the world to see of you

already in that camera?

- Oh, it's a pride issue.

- No, it's about truth.

You want me to tell
you something about truth?

You want the story from Jason's side?

- No, don't want a story.

You wanna hear the
story from Jason's voice?

- No! I don't wanna hear a story.

I want you to listen to me.

Is that how you wanna
be shown to the world?

What you've given so far,
is that who you want to be?

- What am I trying to say?

What am I trying to say?
- You need to think about

what you want the world to see

and you need to give that to me,

because otherwise what you've done so far

is what's gonna stand in for you.

- Okay, okay.
- You know what?

You're not listening.

It's not about me.

I've got the footage. It's about you.

- My world.

is the jazz world.

Night after night,

swinging and listening to the be-bop.

To the

To the

I'm talking you smoking,
I'm talking drinking,

I'm talking hanging out.

I mean, look at this world.

Come with me.

Come on.

They say it's a whole new world.

And me digging on this beautiful scene-

- Okay, well, you think it over.

- It's just like I just wanna be here.

I just wanna be here in your
world just for a minute.

Why can't you see the beauty here?

I mean-

- Okay, so this is what I
wanna talk to you about:

how you became an artist.

Take 15.

- I wanna do that again, keep rolling.

Take 17.

- It's working for me.

Take 18.

- You are trying to open
me up like a Maryland crab.

You ever eat Maryland crabs?

No.

- It's a messy business.

Take 19.

Okay.

Hmm.

- Jason, I wanna move
you around a little bit.

Okay.

- Can you stand up, you know?

Do you need something?

- Jason by Shirley Clarke, take 20.

- Colored people have nothing.

And when I say people, I
mean power to the people!

Whoo, Jason, you are a fool's fool.

- It's okay, just keep rolling.

- Take 21.

- Jason by Shirley Clark, take 22.

- Can you tell that cop story?

So how did you feel
when they locked you up?

- What the fuck do you mean how do I feel?

How would you feel being
locked up like an animal

for not much reason except for
being what and who you are?

- No, I can't.

- Let me tell you, it's like this:

Have you ever had somebody you love

- turn their back on?
- Yes.

- Have you ever had
somebody who don't love

- turn the back on you?
- Yes.

- So how does that feel?

- I know that when you were
locked up you got very upset,

tell us about that...

What happened with your glasses?

Let's do that again.

Take 23.

So Jason,

tell me about your old man.

- Mm.

So I was brought up by
my momma and my sisters.

I was the baby princess,

they would put pajama top on my head

and the pajama tops,
they'd make a little braid,

and they would worship me
that the little princess.

My old man, they called Tough.

And they did not call
Tough tough for no reason.

Tough had muscles out to here.

Well, how
did he feel about you?

- I think he loved me.

He loves babies.

Except you gotta understand
with colored people,

a man's world is a woman's world

pretending that it's a man's world.

Once you get to a certain age,

say the time that you can talk,

Tough's over you.

Tough was beautiful man.

I remember it even from
the time I was young,

and Tough is standing there
and he's like shaving,

and I'm down here at the floor,

just to Tough's knees practically,

and what do I see?

This gorgeous long
thing just hanging down.

And of course, I'm only coming up to here,

and Tough's like standing
up, towering over me,

not paying no attention to me at all.

To me, everything is a toy.

And I turn around and I look and I see,

"Ooh, that's a pretty toy,"

and reached out for it.

And bam! Bam!

So that's Tough.

Man can't have a little
faggot boy running around

so he's got to do something about it.

Takes me by the scruff of
the neck like I'm a cat.

And that was that.

How did you feel?

- I didn't care.

I was just a baby, it
didn't mean nothing to me.

Okay, cut.

- What did the Trenton county sheriff

call the nigger that got shot 14 times?

The worst case of suicide he ever did see.

- Okay, cut.

I think we have 20 good minutes.

- Mm.
- Okay, so we need 90.

- Mm.

- Okay, so don't waste any more time.

- Okay.
- Just go for it.

- Okay.
- And the faster

you go forward and the truer it is,

the sooner we'll be out of here.

- Okay.
- Okay?

- All right.
- Great.

- Take 27.
- Hey!

So who's your first white boy?

- I count two as my first.

There's the first that's physical,

and then there's the first
that's coming from the heart.

Where is he, your white boy?

- Running around doing his thing, I guess.

Yeah.

Chickens come home to roost.

I miss him,

I really do.

So what do
you like about white men?

- What I like most about white men

is when you get into them,
you really get into them.

And I'm talking about the rectum

that's like a sweet, soft
peach.

Take 24.

- I want some sparkle plenty's.

Have you got any sparkle plenty's?

You know, you get the chemistry going.

- John, you have any sparkle plenty's?

- John?

I do not.

- You know I know this cat.

How do you know John?

- Well, it's not my job to
tell what shouldn't be told.

First time I met this cat,

this cat wanted to know if I
was a transsexual.

Why? What were you wearing?

- I'll show you.

- Do you know him?

No, do not.

- Okay.

- I miss him. I really do.

It's like a sweet soft peach.

Oh, fuck!

Oh, where have you been
Billy-Boy, Billy-Boy.

- Hi, Jason.

- Hey, come and sit over here.

Sit down with me.

- I can hear your pipes leaking.

- Honey, you look so good.

It's called the Frug, you ever seen it?

The Twist will never go out of style.

There's a little hardness in you, boy.

I'm not the
same boy before, Jason.

- I'm not the same Jason you met, boy.

- Yes, you are.

You're still working on the same songs,

still doing the same shows.

- And so what are you now?

- I'm free.

- Free?
- Free.

- Tell me freedom.

- Have you ever seen a
sunset on top of a mountain?

I've been to Brazil.

I've been to Africa.

I've been to London.

I've been to Taiwan.

- How are you gonna be
doing all that traveling?

Is your mommy still paying your way?

- No.

- Lucky white boy. No?

Oh,

I see.

So you have learned a
trick or two from Jason.

- I borrow.

- Mm-hmm.

And you pay back, I'm sure.

So now little Billy-Boy is all grown up.

- All grown up.

- And he's gonna show Jason what it's like

to live the of a grown white man, huh?

- Or should I live the
life of a grown black man?

What should I do?

Just be real.

stay in your groove,

dig what you're digging.

And give Uncle Jason a kiss.

You want more?

There's more left.

Let me get an ashtray before
we burn this place down.

You don't know me, Jason.

- I want you because you were
the only who ever wanted me

for what and who I am

without feeling that it was something

you had to make excuses
for, explain about,

or otherwise completely deny.

- Wow, that's really beautiful.

- Yeah, honey, you have changed.

You look tired.

- Why don't you come to bed?
- I don't,

I don't feel tired.

- Come one!

- Jason!

- You got me into this.
- Jason!

- Why are you backing off?

- Get off me, Jason!

Jason! Get off, Jason!

Just relax.

- Stop, Jason, please!

White boy!

Is that all you fucking see?

Fuck you! Get off me!

- This is not even my place.

- Shut up!

- I was gonna ask you to stay here.

I want you to be happy.

I don't want, I don't want
you to fight, you know?

- Come on.

- I'm not gonna sing it with you.

Jason.

I'm just gonna have Alka-Seltzer

if he wants some Alka-Seltzer.

I don't think
he wants any Alka-Seltzer.

- Hello, darling.

I wanna ask you something

but I want you to promise
me that you'll answer it

before I ask.

- My advice to you is to
ask and see what happens.

- Alright. I'll do it your way.

- Here's my last question for now.

Tell us about when you were raped.

- Mm, that might require

a little cleansing ritual.

This is when colored folks
bring in the Indian in them

'cause you know all colored
folks got Indian blood, right?

Or so we say.

Feeling clean?

- Uh-huh.
- Okay.

- Tell us about when you were raped.

Do you call it rape?

- Let me ask you,

what was it like on your wedding night?

Did you call that rape?

- I call that boring.

What do you want, Jason?

- I want Carl.

What else do you want?

- I want to be free.

Tell me what I need to do to be free.

Is this gonna be another Oscar?

You never know,

but I don't think so.

- So what about the Candy Man?

What about him?

- Is he coming?

- That's why you wanna see Carl?

You want dope.

That's so banal.

Why didn't you just
tell me three hours ago?

I'm just gonna make a phone call.

Jason, you're living in the past.

Everybody can get dope
not just black guys.

He lives just down the hall.

- Hey sweetheart, it's Shirley.
- It's crazy.

Hey, Miss
Lady, you need something?

- Yeah, come on over, you know.

Yeah, I can make
the scene, baby, all right.

- Yeah.
- All right.

- Yeah, just come over.

You don't need Carl for that.

- Now that I know the Candy Man is coming,

my energy has re-spiked.

You've been wasting
all my time over this crap?

- You gotta have fuel to make the fool-

- You're living in the past, baby.

- Act.
- You're living in the past.

He'll be right here.

- Excellent.

- Go ahead, Nico, have a drink.

- Okay.
- It's about time.

- You know, it's almost Hanukkah?

- I would hardly know
when Christmas is coming

except for the sales.

Well you and I

have that in common.
- And I don't even

buy anything.

All right then,

you probably shoplifted, right?

There you go.

- More than one time.
- Okay.

All right, just relax.

- You want anything?

- Hmm?

- You want anything?
- Mm-mm.

I did underestimate you.

You did?

What a surprise!

Do you think that happens to me

every single day fucking day of my life?

Yes.

- I know it happens to you
every day of your life,

but what I wanna know
is what happens to you

when the table turns,

when you become the
subject of interrogation.

- I'm a, I'm the director,

so that's not gonna happen.

There's enough movies about women,

there's not enough movies by women.

- My experience is very quickly becoming

everybody's experience.

They just don't call it the same thing.

It's the nigger story.

You think I'm joking when
I say everybody' a nigger.

Do you think everybody's a Jew?

- No, I don't.

I don't think that.

I don't.

- So,

not everybody's a nigger,

and not everybody's a Jew,

but everybody could be a Jew.

- Hey, baby.
- Hey, Miss Lady.

- How are you? Hi!

- Hmm, mwah!

- Come on in.
- Mwah!

- You know, Jason?

- Hey.
- What's happening, baby?

How you doing?

- What you look good?
- What's up?

- All right, all right, good.

Good, good.

Y'all making a TV show?

- Yeah.
- We're waiting for you.

- Shit!

- We're making a movie about Jason.

- A movie?

- You know I made movies.

- You're Harry Belafonte.

Shit!

That's lovely. That's absolutely lovely.

You know, I just got into Los Angeles. Ow.

What were you doing?

- Brother named Oscar
levant had a TV show.

This is just after Marilyn
Monroe turned Jewish, right?

Yeah.

- Everybody turning Jewish.

Shit!

Marilyn Monroe is kosher,

that mean Arthur Miller can eat her.

Without milk.

- Well, he don't need it.

She kosher, she cleans.

That's some clean people
them kosher people.

That motherfucker ain't on, right?

- No, don't worry about the camera.

It's not on.

- No?
- No.

No.

- What's this nigger doing
staring in the thing?

He's learning
how to use the camera.

- But it ain't on though, right?

No, he's
learning how to use it

when we're off on break,

he's a student.

- Oh, you a student.

Can you get this guy a drink?

- Yes, uh, what do you want?

- Courvoisier.

We have Jack
Daniels, we have some-

- Hell, yeah! Yeah!
- Okay, okay.

So how do you
like our house boy?

What you talking about?

- No, seriously, when I
saw you walk in the door,

- What?
- I thought you were Muslim,

black Muslim.
- Yeah.

- Like a Malcolm X.

- They're all right. They good people.

- But you ain't one of them?

- Why you gotta know so much about me?

- I'm just asking questions.

- All right now.
- Yeah.

- All right now.

What's this motherfucker doing?

That's Nico.

You know that we're making
a movie about Jason.

I'm a movie star.

It's all about Jason.

- It's all about Jason.
- All about Jason.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So what'd you bring me?

- What'd you need, baby?

She's doing a
movie, she wants me to talk.

The story of his life.

- "Portrait of Jason."

- Well, I got some of that.

Come here brother, let me rap to you.

Okay, let's see what you got.

Master of the ball.

- Look, look, look, look, here.

How much, how much are they
you paying you to do this shit?

Enough.

It's a residual, a residual arrangement.

- What the fuck is that?

- More money the movie makes,

the more money the player takes.

- Well, how much money
they're going to make?

It could be anything.

- How much are you making today?

How much you got right now?

- Today I already made $500.

- Show me some $500, nigger!

- This is-
- You got $500,

I give you everything I got.

What you got?

- I can't even tell you that

because I don't handle my own cash.

That's where it's at.

- Well, I saw the green in her hand,

I didn't see it in your hand.

- I'm gonna give you a little bit of this

because that's what's going
to work for you, baby.

'Cause Carl said

that you a stone cold,

cold babe.

That's what you're looking for, right?

- I'm tempted.

- I know you are, baby.

So I've come here to touch you up.

- Can we sniff it?

- No.

Sniff? Shit!

This go right up inside you, baby.

All the way up inside you

and make you feel good.
- Oh,

it's tempting.

- It's paid for.

It's yours.

You know what-

- Here, taste that.

- It's real. It's good.

- People like you and me,

we get said no to all the time.

Let me be the one to
tell you yes, all right?

You got your own shit?

You wanna use my shit?

You act like this is the first
time you've ever done this.

It's right here.

When was the last time
somebody paid for your shit?

- Okay.

How about this one?

- Oh, you like the white hose.

- It's pink. It's prettier.

You wanna do it?

- No.

- No.
- Come on, man.

- No.

Look, there are so many
things going on in my mind.

Do I want it?

- Yes, I want it.
- Yeah.

- 'Cause I need thins.

- That's right, baby.

You go back in there and make your movie.

Oh, no, no, come here, baby.

Come here, come here, come here.

What you need,

you need something inside you, right?

I don't usually do this for nobody,

but I'ma do it for you.

Pull your shirt, baby.

Pull your shirt.

Look at that right there.

- See it?

- There you go, baby.
- See it?

- That's all for you.
- Mm-hmm.

I got good veins.

- You got it good, baby.
- Mm-hmm.

That's
gonna make.

That's why they love me.

Who love you, baby?

- Honey, I thought I was
getting a sparkle plenty,

but after-

- You gonna shine, baby.

You gonna shine.
- Oh, yeah.

- This is gonna put you all way there.

- Mm-hmm.
- All the way there.

Who love you?

- Oh, Miss Lady.

He's good
and fucked up, right?

All right, you're a doll.

- Look here, I'll drop you now,

but I'll catch you later.

- Jason.

I only last a moment

then I'm gone, that's me.

Vacation home for wayward boys.

So do we have a movie?

- I think we have a movie.

Jason, I want you to use the mantle.

Nico.

Let's go.

Chair or drink?

- Both.
- Chair and drink.

- You are a fucking faggot!

- Use the mantle.

- Sure enough, honey.

This is it.

- I never much cared for niggers.

Rolling

Tell us the
story about the cop.

- Momma?

Momma, whoo!

Is this making you fell good?

Is this entertaining them?

Momma?

- What did I do?

What did I say to make you be this way?

Don't turn your back on me

like you're Miles, Momma.

Keep the energy moving.

How does a junkie dance?

A junkie dance like this.

I want you to go, Momma.

No matter what you do,

no matter what star you think you are,

you're still my child.

I love you, baby.

So tell us
the story about the cop.

- Once upon a time...

An the cop with blond hair

and blue eyes,

just like I said.

You know about my white boy fever?

Jason is a lazy cat.

Let's pretend that didn't happen.

Tell us about
the time you were raped

at Riker's Island.

- You're asking me questions

without any real

meaning.

Why did you break your glasses

and slit your wrists at Riker's?

- Is this it?

Is this the moment?

This is where Jason's supposed to break?

Is this where Jason the
puppet starts to dance

and do whatever the
director tells him to do?

Is with the director wants?

Is this what we're here for?

Jason, you wouldn't
have broken your glasses

if you thought you were gonna live.

- The voice in my head
that's driving me crazy

because you're fucking with me,

and I know you're with fucking my nerves,

and you're fucking with my endurance,

fucking with my consciousness-
- Sorry-

- And you're fucking
with my peace of mind.

- Tell them what the system did to you.

- You're fucking,

fucking me up!
- You broke your own glasses

and slit your wrists!
- You're fucking me up!

- And you wanted to die.
- You are fucking me up!

- Because the system fucked you over.

- What's the motherfucking system?

You want a system?

What do you got?

You got a schedule, you
got your fucking boom mics,

or whatever the fuck you call them.

You got this-
- You were entrapped,

you were humiliated.
- Camera!

- You were put in prison.
- And you're trying to get

something out of me.
- You were raped.

- No, I was raped?

You was raped.

- Okay, we now know,
now we know the truth.

- I'm a nigger.

You're a nigger,

He's a nigger.

She's a nigger.

We's a nigger.

They's a nigger.

Now we know the truth,

and you know what the truth is?

You won't tell the truth.

- You wanna hear the truth?

I'm a great big star,

but they will not admit it.

And this is where the scene changes

into a more classic Hollywood scene

where she says,

"You know how to whistle.

You just pucker up your lips and blow."

Roll out.

- Okay, everyone, take five.

- Shirley!

Shirley!

My point is why aren't the
cameras rolling all the time?

This a very, very, very difficult point

between what the Kuchar brothers call...

No, actually, not even
the Kuchar brothers.

It was, um,.

It was the moment of.

It's like theater with
the priorities reversed,

that's a quote.

So if the cameras are not rolling,

you're not-

- Bad, bad, bad, bad,
bad, bad, bad, bad you.

You gonna give
your man some sugar?

- Okay.

- Some real sugar?
- Okay.

- Yeah? A little bit?

Yeah?
- Okay.

- Thank you.

- He's playing the fool but he's acting.

I need you to make it real.

I need your help.

I've been shooting him for 10 hours.

- Where are you trying to get?

- I want you to break him.

- You want me to break him?

- I want you to break him.

Jason's my friend.

- I need you to break him.

Come on, you take the director's chair.

- All right.

- Hey, Jason!

John!

- Jason.

Damn, boy, you high as a Georgia pine!

- 'Tis a far, far better world I go now

than I have ever gone before.

- To be or not to be?

- That is rarely the question.

Oh yes, my man!

- You know the truth, I know the truth.

- Carl.
- You're my brother.

- You ar ere my lover.

Say it the right way.

I am your brother.
- You are my lover!

- She wants the same
thing all them ofays want.

- Did that. Did that. Did that.

- No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

No you did around that.

She wants a tour.

- A tour.
- A tour of nigger-town.

A tour of nigger-town.

- All aboard!

You got to do it.

You understand?

She wants the swanny river.

- Yeah.

- She's been wearing me down.

Apparently not enough.

Apparently not enough.

You must fix this.
- It's been a marathon, Carl.

I need you to wake up!

Kate May.

- Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I mean,

I would love to love your work, I don't.

But

at least you got the looks going for you,

a little bit.

You're going around everything.

Get to the heart.

What are you afraid of?

- Carl, what's real?

Teach me, Carl, what's real?

- What are you afraid of?
That's what I'm asking you.

- You know I ain't afraid.

- Well then cut to it.

Give me some real shit.

Give me something real.

For once in your life,

don't be anything other than who you are.

Do you know who you are?

Sit down.

Do you know what you are?

- Nigger, please!

Fuck that shit.

This is Jason,

faggot Jason that sucked your black cock!

Carl!

That could
be any number of Jasons.

You think you're the only one?

- You're just like the rest of them!

You want me to tap dance?

You want me to ask, and beg
and plead for my big chance.

Fuck that!

Carl?

You want me to be real?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Is this is real enough for you?

Not yet.

- Is this real enough for you?

Not yet.

- How about that?

No, no.

- How about that?
- Nope?

- Is that real?
- Nope!

- I want you to tell
me that I'm doing okay.

- I'll tell you you're doing
okay when you're doing okay.

I love you, Jason.

I'm not gonna lie to you.

I won't, I'm sorry.

- You love me?
- I do.

More than you love yourself.

You and me.
- You and me.

- No, no, no, no.
- Too much.

- It wouldn't be the first time, would it?

- Okay, okay.

- Oh, Carl.

- Watch your head, watch your head.

- Carl.

Carl.
- Yeah.

- Please.

I gotta go home.

- Who are you?

And in some other form of reality,

there was something,

some sense of another me.

- Jason by Shirley Clark, take 50.

- You like to sit back
and tell your stories,

and great-
- That's my material, man.

Love it.

- People love my jokes.
- Yeah, absolutely.

- People love my-
- Life of the party.

Life of the party.

- People see me come and they say,

- "Oh, here's Jason."
- Yeah!

- "He's got some stories to tell."

He'll tell some stories.

- Nico loves my stories.

Don't you, Nico?

Yeah.

You've been laughing with
Jason all day, right?

You love Jason, don't you? Yeah.

Oh shit!

You want to see violence?

That's violence!

You wanna see reality?

- All right, I think we've
all had enough of this.

- Baby, this is what you've all day?

All day?
- All right, cut.

- All day, you've been doing this?

- The end.
- All day?

- The end.

The end.

End. End. End.

This is my film, Carl.

You haven't been here all day

and you don't know what
the fuck's been on here.

This guy, he's just, he's drunk
everything we have, he's...

This is your friend.

- Yes, this is my friend.

- Yeah.
- My friend.

- Well, I'll fix it in the edit.

It's over now, I can't do...

This is the end.

- What?

- I'm sick of you controlling
me, you know that?

- Shut up!
- You shut up.

- Shut up!
- You shut up!

- I didn't hear that.

- This is my film.

- I didn't hear that.

- Yeah, well, no black girl
would this shit from you.

All right everyone, that's it.

John, that's the end.

Nico, it's time to go home.

- Jason, bye.
- Jason, Jason.

See ya.

You know what?
- I'm the one

directing these films.

I don't get credit for it,

but I'm the one that make these films.

She's the one who's got the Oscar.

- You do what you want and I'll just cut,

take it out in the edit.

Go ahead.

- All right, so let's go.

Let's go.

Right now.

Right now.

Stop crying.

Stop it!

If you believe-
- Show me.

Please show me, Carl.

If you believe I can show you.

- Just show me.
- What am I..

Show you what?

What am I gonna show you?

I love your freedom, Carl.

- You love my freedom?

I bang dope.

I look into death every day.

And you know what?

I smile.

You wanna be me?

Pay the price.

I'm a junkie.

- I'm sorry, Carl.

- Carl, if I love anybody-
- You don't love me.

- I love you.

- You might love somebody,

you don't love me.

You know what Jason is?

Jason' a liar.

He's a liar.

Nothing worse than a liar.

I want some truth, nigger!

- I need you to put the
words of my mouth, Carl.

- You're a grown man.

I ain't gonna put nothing in your mouth.

See that's the problem with you queens.

I don't mind a faggot,

I don't mind a faggot at
all, but a queen?

You can't trust them.

You say one thing, you do another.

Not to be trusted.

And you, my friend,

and I do say friend,

are a queen of the highest order.

- I have a heart.

You have a heart?

- I have a heart and I have love.

- Don't say that, you
don't mean it. Shut up!

The man is speaking to you right now.

You sit around and get loaded in bars,

tell the same old stories.

Why doesn't anybody love?

Why doesn't anybody loves?

My act, my cabaret.

Because you love nothing,

you give nothing.

You're a liar.

and you're a phony.

You're a fraud.

You don't love yourself.

You don't love your act.

You don't love your cabaret.

You don't love anything or anyone, anyone!

And that's why you are where you are,

nigger.

So now, so now tell me,

you fraud,

you idiot,

you fucking child,

now how does that make you feel?

Look in the abyss, my
friend, look into the abyss,

'cause that's all there is.

- So did you get the shot?

- Darling, we're running
out of room at my apartment.

Do you mind if we all come
over here with the skylight

and the prettiness?

Come on, Shirl, you're gonna
love it when they're all here.

- I'm sorry darling.
- Of course.

Look at, they're all having fun.

- Hey.
- Hello.

- Good to see you.

- How are you?

Dance. This is a great party.

- Where were you before?

- I was at, uh,

just like a couple of streets down,

it was really great.

But then, uh, just sort of...

My way here.

- You ain't been in to any parties

in this building?
- No.

- This is a lot.
- No.

Yeah.

- Let's go and have fun.
- Okay.