Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Page #5

DUKE moves ANOTHER RIGID STEP CLOSER to the desk -- the

tension almost snapping him in two. GONZO's FLAPPING

AROUND -- absolutely no success.

Something catches DUKE's eye... He REMAINS ROOTED -- his

eyes turning to the VEGETAL PAISLEY PATTERNS ON THE CARPET

WHICH ARE SHIFTING -- UNDULATING. THE CARPET PATTERNS ARE

INEXORABLY CREEPING UP THE WALLS...

DUKE (V/O CONT'D)

...ignore this terrible drug,

pretend it's not happening...

The LAST PEOPLE leave -- with A FINAL, STIFF MOVE, DUKE

comes face to face with the RESERVATIONS CLERK... AND

EXPLODES!

DUKE:

HI THERE. MY NAME... AH, RAOUL

DUKE... ON... ON THAT LIST, THAT'S

FOR SURE. FREE LUNCH, FINAL

WISDOM, TOTAL COVERAGE... WHY NOT?

I HAVE MY ATTORNEY WITH ME, AND I

REALIZE OF COURSE...

As DUKE stares at her, BABBLING, her FACE BEGINS TO MORPH.

He tries to stop it happening by TALKING FASTER.

DUKE:

... THAT HIS NAME IS NOT ON THE

LIST, BUT WE MUST HAVE THAT SUITE.

YES. JUST CHECK THE LIST AND

YOU'LL SEE. DON'T WORRY. WHAT'S

THE SCORE HERE? WHAT'S NEXT?

DUKE sags -- grips the desk -- WHITE KNUCKLES.

18.

RESERVATIONS CLERK

(hands him an envelope)

Your suite's not ready yet. But

there's somebody looking for you.

Her face is CHANGING -- SWELLING -- PULSING...

DUKE:

(shouts)

NO! WHY? WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING

YET!

The FACE OF THE RESERVATIONS CLERK TURNS GREEN & GROWS FANGS.

DEADLY POISON! DUKE LUNGES BACK at GONZO, who GRIPS his arm

intensely -- REACHES OUT to take the ENVELOPE.

GONZO:

I can handle this. This man has a

bad heart, but I have plenty of

medicine. My name is Dr. Gonzo.

Prepare our suite at once. We'll

be in the bar.

GONZO manoeuvres DUKE away from the desk. DUKE looks

back -- the RESERVATIONS CLERKS is now a MORAY EEL -- green

jowls and fangs.

INT. NAUTICAL BAR - DAY

The bar -- OILY PEOPLE -- quiet music -- nautical theme.

DUKE and GONZO at the bar, a marlin spike hanging on the

wall behind them. DUKE has turned to stone...

GONZO:

(to the bartender)

Two Cuba Libres with beer and

mescal on the side.

(opens the envelope)

Who's Lacerda, he's waiting for us

in a room on the twelfth floor?

DUKE:

Lacerda?

DUKE (V/O)

I couldn't remember. The name rang

a bell, but I couldn't concentrate.

Terrible things were happening all

around us...

DUKE is staring -- RAPT -- TERRIFIED. BLOOD FLOWS FREELY

onto the floor. DUKE keeps his voice low.

19.

DUKE:

Order some golf shoes. Otherwise,

we'll never get out of this place

alive. It's impossible to walk in

this muck -- no footing at all...

DUKE looks up -- GONZO has disappeared.

DUKE looks around him -- the entire room has TRANSFORMED

into a ROOM FILLED WITH REPTILES IN CLOTHES, DRINKING AND

GNAWING AT ONE ANOTHER.

DUKE (V/O)

I was right in the middle of a

f***ing reptile zoo. And somebody

was giving booze to these goddamn

things! It won't be long before

they tear us to shreds!

GONZO IS SUDDENLY BACK -- AT DUKE'S SHOULDER.

GONZO:

If you think we're in trouble now

wait until you see what's happening

in the elevators.

GONZO removes his sunshades and we see he's been crying...

as he speaks he seems to be floating. Duke struggles to

keep him in his line of vision.

GONZO:

I just went upstairs to see this

man Lacerda. I told him I knew

what he was up to...

(GONZO rallies --

turns fierce)

He says he's a photographer! But

when I mentioned Savage Henry he

freaked! He knows we're onto him!

DUKE:

But what about our room? And the

golf shoes?

A GROUP OF REPTILES AT A TABLE ACROSS THE ROOM stares at

them, BLOOD DRIPPING FROM THEIR FANGS.

DUKE (CONT'D)

(grabbing GONZO

trying to hold him still)

Holy sh*t! Look at that bunch over

there! They've spotted us!

20.

Cut to wider shot -- DUKE is holding on to a man standing

next to him at the bar. The room has returned to normality.

GONZO is sitting in his original position.

GONZO:

(downs his drink --

gets up)

That's the press table. Where you

have to sign in for our credentials.

Sh*t, let's get it over with. You

handle that, and I'll check on the

room.

DUKE:

No, no. Don't leave me!

Black screen.

INT. MINT HOTEL SUITE - DUSK

A TELEVISION shows the NIGHTLY NEWS. A BUDDHIST MONK,

protesting the war, sets himself on fire. A very nervous

BELL BOY is laying out GONZO's order. A marlin spike is on

the floor next to DUKE.

BELL BOY:

Four club sandwiches, four shrimp

cocktails.

DUKE:

There's a big... machine in the

sky... some kind of electric snake...

DUKE is curled by the window -- MESMERIZED by an unseen neon

sign outside the window. His eyes fill with a million

colored lights.

BELL BOY:

... a quart of rum...

DUKE:

... coming straight at us.

GONZO:

Shoot it.

DUKE:

Not yet. I want to study its habits.

BELL BOY:

... and nine fresh grapefruit.

21.

GONZO:

Vitamin C. We'll need all we can

get.

GONZO sees the BELL BOY out the door -- turns and lays into

DUKE.

GONZO:

Look, you've got to stop this talk

about snakes and leeches and

lizards and that stuff. It's

making me sick!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes