The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Page #2

ANGLE ON...20

STAR SURGEON:

Jesus Christ...how does the man find enough hours in the day?

RAWHIDE:

We help.

The surgeon curious, studying the big TV monitor, Rawhide sensing an

explanation is in order:

RAWHIDE:

Dr. Banzai's using a laser to fuse artificial nerve fiber to the

original, bypassing massive stroke damage. A subcutaneous microphone's

gonna allow the patient to transmit verbal instructions to his own

brain.

STAR SURGEON:

What, like "raise my left arm"?

RAWHIDE:

Or "throw the harpoon," depending on cultural differences. People are

gonna come from all over. This guy's an Eskimo.

INT. OPERATING ROOM - DAY21

Buckaroo winding down the surgery. A BRILLIANT BUT ERRATIC JEWISH

PHYSICIAN at his side whispering through a mask...

JEWISH PHYSICIAN

Okay...right...okay, I see...next time I'll be able to...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

There may not be a next time.

JEWISH PHYSICIAN

Look...I'm sorry...calling for help in the middle of an operation...but

I just lost my nerve...I panicked...again.

Buckaroo picking a NIKON up off a table, snapping some pictures of his

handiwork...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

You've got the God-given tools to be a success in any field of

endeavor, Dr. Zwibel. Ever thought about joining me full-time?

JEWISH PHYSICIAN (DR. ZWIBEL)

Are you serious? Have you have an opening?

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Can you sing?

DR. ZWIBEL

A little. I can dance.

Buckaroo glancing at the clock on the wall...

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY22

PROF. HIKITA

Inertial Control positive. T minus seven zero and resume counting.

MISSION CONTROL:

All systems righteous. Professor Hikita says we have to go.

General Catburd and other VIPS happy to observe on their TV monitors

the sight of a MAN IN BLACK COMMANDO PARACHUTE SUIT, carrying a

BATTERED OLD BRIEFCASE, climbing into the cockpit of...THE JET CAR.

INT. JET CAR - DAY

THE DRIVER'S POV, a curious combination of airplane dials and switches

and personal touches like a big four-on-the-floor gear shift and a

snazzy pearlized Brodi knob with snowflakes and a coochi-coochi girl...

24

ANGLE ON the driver as he removes a strange GRYOSCOPIC DEVICE from his

briefcase, plugs it into a cradle near his head...

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY25

Professor Hikita standing at a special monitor as a light pops on,

indicating "Overthruster Armed"....he covers it with a hanky...

EXT. JET CAR - DAY26

...all quiet suddenly, the car poised, waiting...

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY27

General Catburd grabbing some coffee and doughnuts...the Secretary of

Defense peering out through a viewing slot...

GENERAL CATBURD:

I've got a budget meeting on the hill, John. What's this thing

supposed to do anyway?

SENATOR CUNNINGHAM

Three hundred miles an hour, General.

GENERAL CATBURD:

Senator, you are so fulla sh*t.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

May not...

EXT. JET CAR - DAY28

The Jet Car undergoing an amazing transformation: TWO STABILIZER FINS

AND A JET ENGINE suddenly appearing on its rear deck...

INT. JET CAR - DAY29

CLOSE ON THE DRIVER TO REVEAL BUCKAROO BANZAI, world famous figure in

every field of endeavor as he withdraws a beautiful KAMIKAZE SCARF from

his flight suit...wraps it like a warrior's headband around his

helmet...

30

ANGLE ON Buckaroo's hand as his fingers flip a row of toggle switches,

THE PULSATING POWER OF THE JET ENGINE INCREASING DRAMATICALLY with each

successive switch...the vehicle a caged beast, taunting us, as Buckaroo

flips the last switch...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Final contact is made.

EXT. JET CAR - DAY31

No kidding. A TWENTY FOOT SHEET OF FIRE ROCKETING FROM THE BACK OF THE

JET CAR...THEN ANOTHER...THEN ANOTHER...

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY32

The Cavaliers at their monitors, calm...Hikita making minor adjustments

on his instrument bank...the Secretary of Defense and General Catburd

both now at viewing slots in the blockhouse wall...

PROF. HIKITA

Point of no return...five, four, three, two...

INT. JET CAR - DAY33

PROF. HIKITA'S VOICE

...one.

As Buckaroo Banzai twists his steering-wheel mounted TWIN ACCELERATORS,

the sudden forward lurch of the Jet Car slamming him back against the

headrest...

EXT. PROVING GROUNDS - DAY34

THE JET CAR BLASTING OFF! MORE FIRE! MORE SMOKE!

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY35

Technicians and VIPS eye their monitors.

36

AND SO DO WE:
the rugged JET CAR raising a cloud of dust, viewed from

high above us it blasts ahead!

ANGLE ON37

GENERAL CATBURD:

Too bad war ain't Indianapolis. It's fast, I'll give Banzai that.

SENATOR CUNNINGHAM

Perhaps an idea whose time has come, General? Scoot over.

Catburd moving aside as Senator Cunningham takes her turn with the

viewing device.

GENERAL CATBURD:

It'll never work. It's too simple.

INT. HELICOPTER - DAY38

HIGH OVERHEAD, manned by a TV NEWS CREW.

39

AN OVER-THE-CAMERAMAN'S SHOULDER POV as the JET CAR'S EXHAUST TRAIL

CHOKES THE LANDSCAPE BELOW...

INT. JET CAR - DAY40

BUCKAROO'S POV as the highway races underneath him...

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY41

ALL EYES glued to those TV monitors, Rawhide and Reno

watching...Perfect Tommy slapping his hand on the desk.

TV ANCHORWOMAN:

Now twenty seconds downrange...Perfect Tommy, how on earth is Buckaroo

able to keep that thing on the ground?

PERFECT TOMMY:

She's just a damn road hugger, Allison. Plus the man can drive.

EXT. PROVING GROUNDS - DAY42

Talk about a road hugger...the JET CAR SCREAMS PAST A BANK OF HIGH

SPEED CAMERAS...THE EARTH SHAKING...

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY43

PROF. HIKITA

Approaching thirty seconds downrange Three zero. Course steady. Speed

three one seven nautical-four hundred...

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

He's gonna do it! The man is gonna do it!

GENERAL CATBURD:

So what? Big deal. Anybody can drive fast in a straight line.

INT. JET CAR - DAY44

...as if in response to Catburd's comment, Buckaroo does an amazing

thing, NOW FLICKING HIS DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL...

EXT. JET CAR - DAY45

LEAVING THE PAVED SURFACE FOR OPEN TERRAIN! BEGIN INTERCUTTING

BLOCKHOUSE AND JET CAR...

INT. JET CAR - DAY46

A FIRE breaking out on a dashboard gauge, Buckaroo quickly snuffing the

SPARKS with his gloved hand...DANGER LIGHTS FLASHING!

EXT. JET CAR - DAY47

...as AWESOME PHYSICAL PRESSURES take their tool on car and driver...

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY48

PROF. HIKITA

Buckaroo, do you read?

MISSION CONTROL:

Advise you abort. Over. Repeat: advise abort.

INT. JET CAR - DAY49

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

That's a big "no can do".

INT. BLOCKHOUSE- DAY50

Buckaroo's voice through STATIC AND CRACKLE. Professor Hikita white-

knuckled...determined.

INT. JET CAR - DAY51

Buckaroo STILL ACCELERATING, struggling with his mighty

machine...fierce vibrations, OIL AND SMOKE filling the cockpit...as he

wipes hot oil off his goggles...

INT. HELICOPTER - DAY52

In the NETWORK HELICOPTER, a NEWSMAN and CAMERMAN catch this shocking

turn of events:

53

THEIR POV OF...the JET CAR flaming along across the desert. A SONIC

BOOM!

INT. BLOCKHOUSE - DAY54

A TV MONITOR...A HELICOPTER SHOT revealing that the course thus far

traveled by Buckaroo is ON FIRE, the ground literally set ablaze by the

incredible speed of his JET CAR:

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