Apocalypse Now Page #5

CLEAN:

Yeah -- you can really get hung

up on them like the cat in the

Delta.

CHIEF:

What cat ?

CLEAN:

One that went up for murder -- he

was an Army Sergeant.

CHIEF:

I never heard about that.

CLEAN:

Yeah -- he really dug his Playboy

mag, man -- I mean like he was there

when it arrived -- He just knew.

CHEF:

So what happened ?

CLEAN:

He was working A.R.V.N. patrols

and had one a them little cocky

gook a**hole Lieutenants -- anyhow,

the Lieutenant took his new Playboy

one day, sat on the end of the dock,

and wouldn't give it back.

CHEF:

Yeah -- typical A.R.V.N.

CLEAN:

Then went too far -- he sat

there and starts mutilating the

centerfold. Poking pins in her an'

all that. Sergeant says, don't do

her like that. You leave your

shitty little hands off that girl.

Gook Lieutenant says F*** you in

Vietnamese -- Sergeant says, don't

do that again. You'll wish you

hadn't. Then he stood up, flicked

his iron to rock and roll and gave

the little zero a long burst

through the Playboy mag. Man, it

blew him clean off the dock --

Hell, just the magazine was floatin'

there all full of holes.

CHIEF:

They nail him for it bad ?

CLEAN:

He's in the L.B.J. -- didn't

give him no medals or nothing --

In the b.g., we begin to HEAR a SWELL of TWO THOUSAND

MALE VOICES; the ENGINES of four helicopters approaching.

All heads turn skywards while one descends onto the

pedestal kicking up a lot of dust and general resentment.

On the nose amd doors of the black Huey are painted large

Playboy rabbits. Finally the blades are trimmed and a

strange silence descends over the men. The door of the

copter slides partially open -- two young Green Berets

step out with M-16's to varied catcalls. When this

abates a young, extremelly well-dressed man emerges. He

is the epitome of a Hollywood AGENT. Hair is combed

impeccably and free of dandruff -- clothes are formal

but hip -- shoes are shined -- Quite some dude -- his

presence causes some stirring but seems to strangely

quiet the man.

He walks over to the microphone.

AGENT:

I'd like to say hello from all of

us up here, to all of you out there.

All of you who've worked so hard

during Operation Brute Force --

Paratroopers -- Infantry -- Airmen

-- Medics -- Marines -- and Sailors.

And I want you to know that we feel

proud of you and know how hard your

job is. To prove it -- we've brought

some entertainment we think you're

gonna like:
The Playmate of the Year

and her two runners up !

He pulls open the door and three unbelieveably beautiful

sex playmates in fringed go-go outfits leap out and start

dancing to the Creedence Clearwater Revival singing

"Suzy Q."

30 MONTAGE ON THE GIRLS AND MEN

VARIOUS SHOTS as the girls dance in an incredibly erotic

manner -- smiling.

The faces of the G.I.'s pass -- their jaws drop -- some

look almost horrified. Chef is hypnotized -- Mr. Clean

cries. Chief mouths unspoken obscenities with sentimental

tenderness.

Others grab the air in front of them. With each movement

their need increases by the square.

31 FULL SHOT - PEDESTAL - GIRLS - MEN

They crush forward starting to scream -- men fall on the

wire -- the guards in the "riot control positions" forget

-- the attack dogs are trampled. The mob as one surges

forward onto the wire. Men scream and fall into the moat,

which is filling up fast. The Agent sees this all as he

has seen it before. He casually pulls the pin of a smoke

grenade; the girls retreat into the copter -- he follows,

then the two Green Berets. The ROTARS WHINE -- the black

Playboy Huey lifts off just as the first crazed men reach

it. They grab frantically for the wheels, but miss. The

Huey wheels up into the blue sky, leaving them all below.

Such are the ways of war.

CUT TO:

32 EXT. FULL VIEW - DAY

The P.B.R. moving further up the primitive coastline.

There are few signs of civilization; no villages, no

boats -- just the overwhelming presence of the jungle.

WILLARD (V.O.)

Two days out of Hau Fat, there was

nothing but us and the coastline.

I felt like I had set off for

the center of the earth...

Suddenly, Chief looks out, ahead.

CHIEF:

Smoke !

WILLARD:

Where ?

They all turn. Chief points up the coast.

33 FULL SHOT - THE COASTLINE

A thick train of black smoke rises from the green jungle.

WILLARD:

Black smoke ... secondary burning.

The Chief grabs field glasses.

CHIEF:

Yeah -- fishing village --

helicopters over there. Hueys,

lots of 'em.

WILLARD:

First Air Cavalry. They're the

ones gonna get us into the River.

34 FULL SHOT - THE BEACH AND VILLAGE

A vast field of devastation -- smashed and smoking palm

trees -- deep, ragged craters -- gutted and burning huts

-- shattered sampans and bodies washing around in the

surf.

35 MED. SHOT - BEACH - WILLARD AND CREW

They wade through the water to the beach where they are

met by a heavily armed group of men.

Overhead jets swoop by FIRING ROCKETS, the NOISE drowning

out Willard's attempt at conversation with some of the men.

We can't hear any of the talk, but we notice that the

Sergeant turns up to a particular Huey, and points to it.

36 FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS

Three Hueys swoop in low -- they are heavily laden with

machine guns -- rockets and loudspeakers. The two out-

side copters hover, while the center copter lands, raising

a lot of dust. It cuts its rotors and the other copters

pull up and off to the side. Two armed soldiers jump

from the doors and stand with guns ready. Then a tall,

strong looking man emerges. He wears a well-cut and

neatly-stretched tiger suit. It is COLONEL WILLIAM KILGORE

-- tough looking, well-tanned, with a black mustache.

He crouches over, holding his hat in the rotor wash. It

is no ordinary hat but a L.A. Dodgers baseball hat. He

walks out, and then stards to his full immense height and

with his hands on his hips he surveys the field of battle.

His eyes are obscured by mirror-fronted sunglasses.

KILGORE:

(bellowing)

Lieutenant:
Bomb that tree line

back about a hundred yards -- give

me some room to breathe.

A Lieutenant and radio man nod and rush off.

37 CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD

He was not quite prepared for this.

38 VIEW ON KILGORE

turning to his GUARDS

KILGORE:

Bring me some cards.

GUARD:

Sir ?

KILGORE:

Body cards, you damn fool --

cards !

The soldier rushes over and hands him two brand new

packages of playing cards wrapped in plastic. Two other

soldiers get out of the copter and walk over. They are

well-tanned and carry no weapons. They seem more casual

about the Colonel than anyone else. The Sergeant walks

up, leading Willard, the Chief and Lance.

WILLARD:

(formally)

Captain B-L. Willard, sir -- 4th

Recon Group -- I carry priority

papers from Com-Sec Intelligence

11 Corp -- I believe you understand

the nature of my mission.

KILGORE:

(not looking up)

Yeah -- Na Trang told me to

expect you -- we'll see what we

can do. Just stay out of my way

till this is done, Captain.

He cracks the plastic wrapping sharply -- takes out the

deck of new cards and fans them. The Colonel strides

right past Willard with no further acknowledgement. The

others follow,

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