Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Page #9

DUKE and GONZO approach the entrance with elaborate care-

taking one step at a time -- trying to keep ahead of the drug.

DUKE (V/O)

You approach the turnstiles and

know that when you get there, you

have to give the man two dollars or

he won't let you inside... but when

you get there, everything goes wrong.

THE ETHER KICKS IN:

DUKE and GONZO BOUNCE off the walls, CRASH into OLD LADIES,

GIGGLE HELPLESSLY as they try to pay -- HANDS FLAPPING

CRAZILY, unable to get money out of their pockets.

DUKE (V/O)

Some angry Rotarian shoves you and

you think:
What's happening here?

What's going on? Then you hear

yourself mumbling.

DUKE:

(mumbling)

Dogs f***ed the Pope, no fault of

mine. Watch out!... Why money? My

name is Brinks; I was born... Born?

GONZO:

Get sheep over side... women and

children to armored car... orders

from Captain Zeep.

The ATTENDANTS indulgently escort them through the TURNSTILES.

35.

DUKE (V/O)

Ether is the perfect drug for Las

Vegas. In this town they love a

drunk. Fresh meat. So they put us

through the turnstiles and turned

us loose inside.

INT. BAZOOKO CIRCUS CASINO - NIGHT

Flames shoot up from below the casino. Above, a HIGH WIRE

ACT with FOUR MUZZLED WOLVERINES, SIX NYMPHET SISTERS FROM

SAN DIEGO, TWO SILVER PAINTED POLACK BROTHERS, and THREE

KOREAN KITTENS.

The WOLVERINE chases a NYMPHET through the air. TWO POLACKS

swing at it from opposite sides and they are instantly

locked in a death battle.

All plummet to the nets suspended over the GAMBLING TABLES

and SLOT MACHINES. No one looks up. The GAMBLERS REMAIN

INTENT ON THE SPINNING ROULETTE WHEEL, THE TURN OF THE CARD,

THE ROLL OF A DICE.

DUKE (V/O)

Bazooko Circus is what the whole

hep world would be doing Saturday

night if the Nazis had won the war.

This was the Sixth Reich.

Something causes DUKE to look down. A dwarf carrying drinks

on a tray is tugging DUKE's pants leg trying to get him to

move out of the way.

DUKE (V/O CONT'D)

A drug person can learn to cope

with things like seeing their dead

grandmother crawling up their leg

with a knife in her teeth but,

nobody should be asked to handle

this trip.

GONZO and DUKE go upstairs walking past funhouse booths.

One of them is manned by an orangutan in costume. A

FAIRGROUND BARKER grabs DUKE.

FAIRGROUND BARKER

Stand in front of this fantastic

machine, my friend. For just 99

cents your likeness will appear 200

hundred feet tall on a screen above

downtown Las Vegas.

On a TV monitor a 200 FOOT HIGH DRUNKARD looms over the Las

Vegas skyline screaming OBSCENITIES.

36.

FAIRGROUND BARKER

99 cents more for a voice message.

Say whatever you want, fella.

They'll hear you, don't worry about

that. Remember, you'll be 200 feet

tall!

ANOTHER BARKER:

Step right up! Shoot the pasties

off the nipples of this ten-foot

bull-dyke and win a cotton candy

goat!

INT. BAZOOKO CIRCUS REVOLVING MERRY-GO-ROUND BAR - NIGHT

DUKE and GONZO sit on the revolving platform. GONZO

stares -- glassy eyed -- coming apart.

GONZO:

I hate to say this, but this place

is getting to me. I think I'm

getting The Fear.

DUKE:

Nonsense. We came here to find the

American Dream, and now we're right

in the vortex you want to quit.

You must realize that we've found

the Main Nerve.

GONZO:

That's what gives me The Fear.

DUKE:

Look over there. Two women f***ing

a Polar Bear.

GONZO:

Please, don't tell me those things...

Not now.

(signals the waitress

for two Wild Turkeys)

This is my last drink. How much

money can you lend me?

DUKE:

Not much. Why?

GONZO:

I have to go.

DUKE:

GO?

37.

GONZO:

Yes. Leave the country. Tonight.

DUKE:

Calm down. You'll be straight in a

few hours.

GONZO:

No. This is serious. One more

hour in this town and I'll kill

somebody!

DUKE:

OK. I'll lend you some money.

Let's go outside and see how much

we have left.

GONZO:

Can we make it?

DUKE:

That depends on how many people we

f*** with between here and the door.

GONZO:

I want to leave fast.

DUKE:

OK. Lets pay this bill and get up

very slowly. It's going to be a

long walk.

(signals waitress who

comes over)

GONZO:

(suddenly to waitress)

Do they pay you to screw that bear?

WAITRESS:

What?

DUKE:

He's just kidding.

(to GONZO)

Come on, Doc -- lets go downstairs

and gamble.

GONZO trembles with fear -- walks to the edge of the

turntable.

GONZO:

When does this thing stop?

38.

DUKE:

It won't stop. It's not ever going

to stop.

DUKE carefully steps off the turntable.

GONZO, eyes staring blindly ahead, squiting in fear and

confusion, rooted to the spot, is carried away.

DUKE:

Don't move you'll come around.

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