Jungleground (1995) - full transcript

[music playing]

Hey, Joey. How you doing, brother?

- Good to see you, man. - Yeah, you too.

Take care.

[inaudible]

Hey, Nico.

You two watch your asses now, huh?

Piece of cake.

Come on, kid, you drive.

What is it, kid?

Huh?



What?

What are you looking at? What are you looking at, kid?

Tell me.

Nothing.

All right?

Just never been down here before.

I worked uptown.

We didn't need any guns.

Yeah, well, this is a promotion, kid.

You got a raise, right?

Look, at least give me a gun.

I mean, if the cops don't even go into Jungleground,

I ain't going in there without a gun.

Kid, do me a favor, will you?



Just drive. All right?

Just drive.

You know, I heard what's going on down here.

Oh, yeah?

What'd you hear?

Someone's trying to take a piece of Mr. Plasetti's action.

I know about the hits.

Well, that's why you got me, kid.

I'm insurance.

This place is fucked.

I don't know about this.

You know what this is going to be?

This is going to be a slice.

Get it?

Kid, you got to lighten up.

Ah, just pull over here to the brownstone.

Wait, wait, wait!

What?

Shhh!

It's just a kid.

Hey!

You got to watch out for everybody around here.

You got it?

The place is crawling with psychos.

Jesus.

Jesus don't get down here much.

This is a war zone.

These punks want what we got.

All right, it's clear.

Get going.

And remember, with Papa's pizzas, the smiles are free.

[inaudible]!

I'm not going to stand here forever.

[explosion]

[gargling]

Mr. Dope Dealer, come on down!

You're the next contestant on the Price is Your Life.

Don't-- don't shoot, kid.

Bzzt.

Wrong answer.

[gunfire]

Dragon warned you.

[explosion]

Thanks for playing.

Thanks, partner.

Be safe.

[music playing]

[inaudible] for now.

Freeze, Lieutenant.

That's for the guests.

And since you helped Caitlin talk

me into this little affair, you got to behave yourself.

Hey, Sammy, how you doing?

Good.

How are your reflexes?

Good catch.

Aren't you supposed to be hosting a party?

You haven't been paying attention to Caitlin.

It's not a party.

It's an exhibition.

Gallery owners and critics and local snobs.

Sounds important.

She seems to think so.

How about you?

Know where the bedroom is?

$1.40.

[inaudible]?

$4.29.

OK, just take it.

Take it and go.

Ring it up.

Huah!

Huah!

Huah!

Huah!

Put it on the counter.

Open the safe.

I have no money in the safe.

Get up.

I said open the safe!

There's no money here!

Oh!

Oh.

Here.

Take the money here.

Take it.

You can't do this.

I have protection.

Protection in Jungleground?

Not anymore.

Thor, do you want to come over here and talk

some sense into this guy?

OK, OK!

Please.

Hi, Caitlin.

Suit and tie, Jake?

Well, you must be getting serious about Sammy.

How's the exhibition?

Well, she's an absolute smash.

Not that she cares.

Oh, my god!

Sam's talking to Louis Brising.

Is that good?

Yeah.

Oh, well, Louis owns a gallery uptown.

It's absolutely perfect for Sam's work.

Come on!

Before she blows it.

Samantha.

Full of light and texture.

[inaudible]

Louis, you know Caitlin Dean from "Art and Anarchy"

magazine.

She arranged tonight's party.

Hello, Caitlin.

Hello, Louis.

And this is my guide to the mean streets.

Lieutenant Jake Cornell, Louis Brising.

Pleased to meet you, Mr. Brising.

Pleased to meet you too.

I was just remarking on Samantha's

ability to find inspiration in the most contemptible

of subjects.

Decay, corruption.

I suppose it's bewildering for you

to see the horrors of your job transformed into art.

Well, art doesn't have to be pretty.

It just has to be truthful, doesn't it?

Quaint philosophy.

Samantha tells me you grew up on the streets.

Yes, I did.

You chose to join the police.

Extraordinary.

The state of denial you live in must

come with its own zip code.

Louis.

Oh, it's OK, Samantha.

Of course it is.

Jake is a lawman.

He's trained to ignore mockery.

You don't really believe I'm trying to offend you,

do you, Jake?

I just figure you're like a kid that

hasn't been toilet-trained yet.

He doesn't mean to offend with the load of shit

he's saddled with.

Ouch.

Congratulations on your first exhibition.

Perhaps it won't be too, too long before your second.

What the hell am I thinking about?

Goddammit, Cornell.

Samantha, I'm sorry. I--

I mean, do you believe that guy?

What an idiot.

Samantha finds inspiration in the most contemptible subjects.

What a flake!

Yeah, but, Sam, he owns a art gallery.

Yeah? So what?

The only people that are going to see my work

there are some fat cat collectors.

I want to provoke people, force them to think.

All don't need a gallery for that.

I'm going to make it, Cornell.

Grab me now, lose me forever.

WOMAN: Lieutenant Cornell!

Someone named Nielson is here looking for you.

Robert Nielson?

WOMAN: He said he'd be up front.

You're frowning.

Is Nielson a friend, foe?

Fed.

He's a sleaze with the government's

task force on organized crime.

Sp you'll be leaving?

No, not a chance.

I'll wait up.

I love you.

Hello, Nielson.

How's it going?

You'll excuse me if I don't shake hands with you.

Sure, no problem.

Here, I got something for you.

Look at that.

Three more of Plasetti's cocaine drops were hit last night.

Lost another 14 people.

I heard.

Pizza van.

Next you'll be opening up a drive-through.

Why am I looking at these?

Look, Plasetti is very, very eager to end this little war.

And no one knows the players down there like you.

I want you to tell me, who do you

think has got the kind of muscle to force Papa B into a truce?

The Ragnarockers.

The what?

The Ragnarockers.

It's a gang.

Top of the Jungleground food chain.

Their leader Odin takes the war on drugs literally.

Yeah, what does he want?

He wanted the whole market for himself?

Maybe.

Maybe the Rockers are really hoping to clean up their turf.

Two of Plasetti's guys are on our payroll.

So if your little gang has gone vigilante,

I'm going to have to arrange for protection.

I want to see your Rockers, or whatever they're called,

in action tonight.

Find yourself another pull toy.

I guess you didn't hear that one of the guys in that pizza

van was an undercover cop, did you?

Apparently, he went up like a torch.

Come on, Jake.

All I got to do is make this part of some big official

investigation and I can place you and your team

under my supervision for weeks.

Now, you really weren't doing anything tonight, were you?

Just a little partying, wasn't it?

So how long your people have been in Jungleground?

Look, they've only been working

Jungleground for a month.

OK.

Blackjack, Whitney, Nielson.

Yeah.

I might probably welcome both of you.

Nah, save it.

Whitney, fill him in on what's happened, would you?

Well, we've spent weeks trying to convince

this Rocker Gull named Ferret that we're connected.

It was short notice, but we managed

to set up a face-to-face with his lieutenant,

a dude name of Dragon.

We go in there posing as suppliers, dangled a deal,

see if they bite, and that way we know whether they're

in the game or not.

So where is this face-to-face?

Kirk Street bus terminal.

ROBERT NIELSON: That's neutral territory?

Ain't no such thing in Jungleground, baby.

What a toilet.

They should just bulldoze this to the ground.

Yo, Dragon!

Showtime.

All right, let's rock.

Get in and get out.

Understand, little brother?

There you go.

Have a good day.

Hey, mister.

How you doing?

Nice night, huh?

You just passing through?

Yeah.

So you want to, you know?

Hey, kid.

Take off.

Nice guy.

Get the fuck away from me.

Dragon, these are the citizens I told you and Odin about, man.

Solid.

How you doing, Dragon.

[inaudible] here is a friend of mine.

Cut to the chase.

What do you want?

Tell him what you want, man.

I just want to thank you, man, for clearing out

my competition.

Oh, yeah?

Why do you think I'm doing it?

Maybe you're civic-minded.

Maybe I don't like what I see.

Oh, I like when I see.

Go off, Pretty Boy.

You know something, Dragon?

You don't have to like me.

All you got to like is the product I carry.

Quality controlled, Grade-A cash and carry merchandise.

Look, I'm going to tell you exactly

what I told the Colombians and Plasetti's wise guys.

We don't want you peddling your poison in our world.

You sell anything on our turf and we'll kill you.

Nature hates a vacuum.

You talk to your dude, Odin.

Maybe you'll come to your senses.

Ferret here knows how to sniff us out.

Let's go.

You bitch.

Gun!

He's got a gun!

[gunshots]

Shit, Nielsen, no!

[gunshots]

Ah!

Ah.

[gunshots]

Stop!

[gunshots]

- Jake! - Go!

Go! Run.

[gunshots]

MAN: Gah!

Huah!

I got you, sucker!

[gunshots]

[yelling]

Uh-oh!

[whistling]

[inaudible] Huh? Where is he?

No letter, no guess.

Shut up, punk!

He's on the street.

Gameshow, go round up some soldiers.

He's not going home.

I thought you said they were solid, man.

They seemed solid.

Dragon!

I'd like to buy your fucking car.

- Ooh! - Huah!

Ooh!

[gunshots]

- Oh, ah, ah! - Oh!

Huah!

The fucker's dead.

It's Odin's car.

Cop.

Your chickenshit war chief was talking to the cops.

Your brother's going to lose his colors for this one, kid.

I got you now, sucker.

How's it feel, huh?

Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh.

Do you know what a straw death is, Mr. Policeman?

A straw death is a shameful death.

Death of invalids and old men, for traitors and prisoners

taken in battle.

Hello, Odin.

You have me at a disadvantage, I'm afraid.

Yeah, I can see that.

His name is Jacob Richard Cornell, vice cop.

Lieutenant Cornell.

You killed six of my people tonight, Jacob?

Slow day.

Huh, huh.

Look at this.

It's tiny, but tasteful.

What's her name?

Fuck you.

Gah!

Huh.

Well, she must be native to the city.

Or really Miss Fuck You's name is Samantha Wood.

Maybe she had an RSVP [inaudible]..

Dragon, bring our guest to [inaudible],, please.

So you're the [inaudible],, huh, kid?

Do you walk his dog for him too?

You won't find much sympathy with Dragon, I'm afraid.

You see, a bent policeman was supplying

his little sister with heroin.

And she had a bad experience.

Permanently.

Jacob, I'm going to show you something

that not a lot of uptown people get a chance to see.

May I present Valhalla.

Do you know what Ragnarok means, Jacob?

The Viking word for apocalypse, Armageddon.

The children of the gods rose from the ruins

just as we have risen from the streets.

Yeah, well, I'm sure they'll be a force to reckon

with when they hit puberty.

My friends, we have been invaded.

Our borders violated.

Our citizens harmed!

We have the man responsible for this.

What can we do with him?

He is a friend, the police.

He's a murderer!

Yes, a murderer.

And what does justice, even police justice,

demand of murderers?

[crowd yelling]

Execution, yes. We have no choice.

[window breaking]

[brakes screeching]

We can trace our injuries to one man.

And upon this man we have passed sentence.

Execution!

[inaudible]

[screaming]

Let this be a guide for those who weaken our ranks.

You speak with outsiders, you die as a traitor.

What about the cop?

The cop.

Well, I decided to let our little friend,

Lieutenant Cornell, go free.

[crowd yelling]

[sirens]

Captain Purdy?

What do we have here?

Looks like a gang hit.

We lost two cops and a fed.

They lost four, maybe five.

Maybe.

OK, so the two officers.

Who's the commanding officer?

It was a Lieutenant Jacob Cornell.

Well, wake him up.

Find out why his people were down here babysitting a fed

and tell them they won't be coming back.

And Ivan?

Let's get them off the floor as fast as we can.

Hello?

Hello!

Jake?

Jake, is that you?

Hello, Samantha.

I thought I'd stay and give you another chance

to discuss the terms of your gallery opening.

Wasn't that too, too sweet of me?

Odin, this is crazy.

Trusting you to stop him is crazy?

Look, if he gets away, you know he's going

to come back with 100 cops.

His people died tonight too.

This isn't a game.

Everything is a game, Dragon.

Now, we lost five soldiers and I will grant you five hunters.

Take Shades and Loki and Thor.

What is your name?

Spider.

Spider.

Take Spider.

And last, but not least, take Gameshow.

Young warriors should have a chance in the field.

No.

No?

OK, we'll now play your game, but I'm

not going to risk my brother.

Dragon, who could you find to be so dedicated, so devoted?

I'll take VP.

He's your right-hand man.

Who could be more devoted to your whims?

You send me up there, you jeopardize

everything we've planned.

Fine.

VP is a fine choice.

My office should be represented on this little adventure.

What about me?

I caught him.

And he killed two of my men in the alley.

This is true.

Dragon, take Diesel as well.

Your chances just fell to zero, shithead.

Louis, it's getting really late.

But not too, too late, Samantha.

It's in my interest to nurture young artists.

My gallery survives on their innovation and intensity.

Yes, well, my intensity is flagging.

Samantha, if your work was really important to you,

invite me to spend the night.

Louis, there is a word for what you're suggesting.

Yes, there is.

Success.

Oh.

Oh, I'm sorry, Louis.

Please don't be too, too angry.

I expected something more adult from an artist

of your caliber.

[gunshots]

Ah, Jacob, I know you're going to do your very best to get

home.

But as an added incentive, I've sent the twins to keep

Miss Fuck You company.

So if you don't make it there by dawn

or they catch a glimpse of the police,

well, I leave it to you to imagine

what they might do, huh?

You snake-eyed fuck.

Jacob, Jacob, Jacob, don't spend all your passions on me.

Save it for the game.

Now, you'd better get going.

I grant you fair passage.

Hey, kid.

You really think King Shit here has the best interest

of your people at heart, huh?

Come on, you're not that stupid.

Jacob.

Please Samantha's waiting.

And dawn is not.

[crowd yelling]

[explosion]

Well, the prey is full of surprises, isn't he?

Listen, I want you to bring me back his ring finger, please.

Let's get him!

Go!

[explosion]

Where the fuck is he?

Maybe he hasn't come down yet.

Everybody split up.

We'll go in different directions.

No!

What do you want us to do, leader?

Divide the block.

We'll search in teams.

Don't let him pick us off one by one.

Pick us off?

Not a fucking chance, war chief.

Keep yakking, Diesel.

He's getting farther away from you by the minute.

Dragon, I found him.

Where?

Up there on the fire escape.

Huah.

Huah!

Come on.

Gun?

Everybody in the city carries a gun.

He's fine.

Man, you still think this is a game?

Here.

OK, let's go.

VP, give me that gun.

You be careful.

Any reply yet from Lieutenant Cornell?

[sirens]

Wait!

Wait!

They won't touch you, cop.

You're marked.

Damn straight you are.

Ain't life fucking grand?

Stupid bitch.

Back off, Diesel.

We've got a job to do.

Here pussy, pussy, pussy.

Meow.

Well, well, well, now, look what we have here.

A sample bag.

Black and Whitney had you pegged.

Screw you.

Ooh, bad suggestion.

[whimpering]

Mmmh!

Kill this piece of shit.

No.

You can't kill him.

He's Odin's man.

Yeah, he is, isn't he?

Kill him. - No.

No! No.

No. No!

No!

No!

No!

No.

No.

No!

[gunshots]

The survey says.

[gunshots]

[yelling]

[screaming]

Diesel!

Oh, god.

Help me get this off.

[screaming]

The kid's done and the cop's getting away.

Then go after him.

Go!

Go!

I can't feel my legs, Dragon.

Shhh.

- Don't want [inaudible]. - Hush, [inaudible].

That's Odin's crap.

Please help.

Dragon, we got to get him out of here.

Please, Dragon.

[gunshot]

- Watch. - I made it out.

I'm here to help.

Really I ain't packing.

You can frisk me if you like.

Oh.

Well, I got a business proposition for you.

Do you want help or not?

[screaming]

Oh!

Huah!

So I get you out and the city pays me, right?

That's the deal?

It's not negotiable, as far as I'm concerned.

Listen, how are you going to get me out of here?

You got a car?

Well, no.

You got a phone?

In this place?

We got messenger coppers.

Then what's your plan?

I'm working on it.

Geez.

Now, straighten up and look interesting.

I got a reputation to keep.

Odin.

VP's dead.

Dragon had him shot.

Dragon's been a fuck up since the beginning.

His little brother's dead too.

And where's Cornell?

He stopped at the Winchester for a little action.

Looks like we're going to need a new war chief soon, huh?

Where's Dragon?

Here.

We had a pact.

We take our turf back from the pushers.

He had nothing to do with Viking fairy tales and games.

Have I violated that pact?

I took this off VP, your right-hand man.

You used us.

You used me and Gamey.

And you used the rest of us, too,

to get rid of your competition.

We were supposed to kill pushers, not become pushers.

Now, if you really believe that I betrayed you,

you would have pulled the trigger.

It should be so clear to you.

You know who your enemies are and you

know who your family is.

What about the coke?

I can't be responsible for everyone.

I need your help, Dragon.

We started this thing together.

Help me.

Gamey.

What about Gamey?

Cornell killed your brother, and it's time

to take him out of the game.

You're going to owe me for that sheet.

Why don't you put it on my bill, hon.

Roach won't like it.

Roach?

Pimp?

My manager.

He gave me this place.

He sounds like a prince of a guy.

At least the pimps and gang lords are better

than the landlords around here.

I got a chance with them, not like you

cops or social workers or uptown Johns looking for a girl

to beat up.

You don't get it, do you, cop?

Down here, you're one of the bad guys.

[music playing]

So where's Roach?

Did he go into the home?

But is he alone?

Who cares, man?

[inaudible]

That's seven years.

I should last so long.

All right.

We don't have a phone and we don't have a car.

I suppose a gun's out of the question, huh?

Round Ruby has a gun.

Where's she?

Upstairs.

Come on.

[moaning]

That's Round Ruby.

Yeah.

I guess I'll have to sneak the gun.

I don't think she's going to notice.

Knowing her, she's probably reading her horoscope.

You got an old lady?

Yeah.

A few more hours.

[moaning]

ROUND RUBY: Oh!

Oh!

Oh!

Oh, yes!

Oh, yes!

Yes! Yes!

Yes!

Yes!

Oh!

Where is he?

ROUND RUBY: Oh, yes.

Are you done?

Oh!

Oh!

Oh.

Now things are looking up.

Come on.

[gunshots]

Follow him!

Come on!

Keep going!

Is there another exit?

Butch has them sealed.

I'll check.

No, I'll go.

Elevator.

It don't work!

Come on.

So now you're wasting time.

We got to go.

We got to go!

Wrap it around your hands.

Come on.

Let go of me!

Grab the cable or grow wings, kid.

[gunshots]

Hi ho, Silver.

What are you up to, Jacob?

Up here.

He got Cowboy.

He went down the elevator shaft.

Try the basement.

You'd make a good repo man.

No keys.

On second thought, maybe not.

Does everybody in this town know how to do that except me?

Give you a lift, cop?

Anyplace north of the bridge, ma'am.

Thank you very much.

Let's get out of here.

[tires screeching]

- Get out of the car! - Hey.

Whoa. What are you doing?

You had all those Rockers pissed off at you?

They got my girlfriend hostage.

They're going to kill her at dawn.

I helped you back there, didn't I, Jake?

Yeah, you were great, kid.

But now everybody knows I helped you.

If I go back, they'll kill me.

The other side of that bridge there?

That's my turf.

You and I, we can get there together, I promise you.

Besides, you can add it to my bill.

Damn straight I will.

So what do we do?

Well, I was hoping that maybe you had some ideas?

Matter of fact, I do.

Anyone seen him?

It's the only way home, Jake.

Come to me.

Come on!

There he is!

Oh, no, you don't get off that lightly.

After him!

[gunshots]

Hmm!

Huah!

Be vewy, vewy quiet.

Ho-ya!

Oh!

[grunting]

Oh!

[grunting]

He's doubling back.

Ba-ba-bah!

Ba, ba-ba.

Bah!

Hold on!

[brakes squealing]

Jump!

Come on!

Get in!

[tires screeching]

[gunshots]

Take the wheel! - What?

The wheel!

[gunshots]

We're going to make it.

[gunshots]

Oh, shit!

[gunshots]

Come on.

[inaudible]

[gunshots]

Oh, oh, ahhhh!

Jacob, fancy meeting you here.

You're under arrest, Snake Eyes.

Looks like I did you a favor now, didn't I?

Pity.

Because I don't think Dragon would have approved

of you being in the drug trade.

Dragon wanted to take Jungleground back

and I want to keep it.

I can't do that with no money.

And who was going to supply you?

Papa Plasetti wants a truce.

He got to-- he has turn his trade to me.

[gunshots]

[explosion]

Yaaaaaa!

Get up! Get the son of a bitch!

He's just on the other side!

We can't get through!

He's gone.

No!

Diesel, you're war chief now.

We're going after Lieutenant Cornell.

Get on the radio.

Call an ambulance.

Now!

Help her.

[inaudible]

Jake?

It's on its way, kid.

I never been out of town before.

We're still partners, right?

Damn straight.

Yeah, you're damn straight.

You watch her.

Where are you going?

I'm going to steal your truck.

The keys are in it.

Oh, yeah.

He's one of the good guys.

[screaming]

[gunshots]

Samantha.

[gasping]

Oh, cut me loose.

Oh, cut me loose.

Oh, god, I've been praying.

We've got to get out of here.

OK.

Lieutenant.

Lieutenant.

You thought you left me for dead on the bridge, didn't you?

Here I am.

I've come to get the fuck responsible

for my little brother's death.

Is he coming?

I heard you and Odin talking on the bridge.

Lying shit.

You know, I thought about killing both of you?

Thanks for thinking twice.

Couldn't find my gun.

[gunshots]

Ahhhhh!

[gunshots]

Come on!

Let's go! Come on.

The roof.

On the roof.

Good morning, boys.

No, no, no, no.

The sun's about to come up.

You said if I made it home before dawn, it was over.

I only made that promise because I never thought

you'd make it back to the lair.

So it was a lie.

Jacob, lies are for politicians.

You and I are warriors now.

I gave you my word.

I won't kill you.

But my soldiers will.

[gunshots]

Ah.

Ahhhhh!

[screaming]

[gunshots]

Enough of this shit.

[gunshots]

[explosion]

Sam!

Sam!

You OK?

Yeah, we got to talk about the company you keep.

You wait here.

You wait!

I can't move my arms, my legs.

Jacob, you can't.

Please, please, please, Jacob!

Jacob, come on, man.

Please, Jacob, I don't want to die.

Aw, come on, Odin.

A straw death's for invalids and old men, not for a warrior.

Jacob, please, please, Jacob.

You call it.

Please, Dragon.

Please.

He's done.

Let him live a straw life.

Thanks for playing.

Jacob.

That kid you brought in came through surgery.

She said something about a bill you owe her?

Lieutenant, if we'd known that you were down there--

That's what you think, man.

I'm out of here.

Hey, Cole, let him go.

So you think you can find your way home now?

You did.

We'll be seeing you, Lieutenant.

You can count on that.

You're going to keep going back there, aren't you?

How can you look at those burned out tenement buildings

and see something worth fighting for and dying for?

Sammy, the same way you look at that

and see part of something better.

It might change me.

I see something better right here.

What's that?

Nothing.