The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Page #5

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

(scrutinizing)

Too closely. Gotta be more than sheer coincidence. Rawhide, you're

keen on bugs. What do you think?

Rawhide takes a look as Reno hangs the phone up...

RENO:

Everything's copacetic at the Institute, Buckaroo. Sam's with the Jet

Car and she's under lock and key. He's retiming her valves.

Buckaroo nodding, as he's interrupted by Perfect Tommy who's now

brought over the female reporter...

PERFECT TOMMY:

Buckaroo, you got a minute--?

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Not really. This is pretty important.

PERFECT TOMMY:

She wants a picture.

Perfect Tommy quickly taking a place beside Buckaroo, smiling into the

camera, as Reno and Rawhide exchange disgusted looks...

110

...the shutter clicking...another commotion in the hallway...the

dressing room door opening to admit the club owner, ARTIE DUNCAN, a

fifty-year-old rocker who has to struggle to close the door behind him

on a herd of REPORTERS and FANS...

ARTIE DUNCAN:

I don't care who you are...when you play my joint, you're just another

band. I want some music outta you characters.

RENO:

You want it, Artie? You got it.

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Everybody ready? How do we look? Do we look okay?

PERFECT TOMMY:

I look great. Let's rock 'n' roll.

A pair of no-nonsense BLUE SHIELD IRREGULARS appearing to escort them

on-stage...as Rawhide returns the spectroscope to Professor Hikita...

RAWHIDE:

No question about it. Something very akin to arachnoid tissue. If I

hadda guess? A mutated species.

INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT111

Buckaroo, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, and their two Blue Shield escorts

hustling down a corridor.

INT. NIGHTCLUB STAGE - NIGHT112

Our boys arriving on stage...SHADOWY FORMS in the dramatically murky

light...a FAMILIAR VOICE BOOMING OVER THE P.A. SYSTEM...

ARTIE DUNCAN'S VOICE

Ladies and gentlemen, Artie's Artery is proud to present, for one night

only...the one, the only, the amazing Buckaroo Banzai and his Hong Kong

Cavaliers!

LIGHTS UP! AND A WAVE OF GOOD OLD FASHIONED ROCK 'N' ROLL CRASHES OUT

ON THE AUDIENCE, Buckaroo on lead guitar, joining the Hong Kong

Cavaliers in a number so primal your feet just won't sit still!

113

...while at the rear of the room, seated by herself, we find an

ATTRACTIVE YOUNG LADY...crying, for some reason exempt from the general

raucous good will. She pours herself another drink, but booze won't do

the job. She's all alone. She needs some help. Her name is PENNY

PRIDDY.

114

On-stage Buckaroo Banzai suddenly stops moving, stops singing and waves

the Cavaliers to cease as well. EERIE STILLNESS, the only sound

Buckaroo's lips on the silver mike.

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

I heard somebody crying.

(no response)

I said is someone out there crying in the darkness?

Yes, indeed...Penny's voice, weakly:115

PENNY PRIDDY:

Here...here at the back. I'm sorry...

116

Buckaroo squints, spots her. His voice comes mighty over the PUBLIC

ADDRESS SYSTEM.

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Raise your hand...where?

PENNY PRIDDY:

(raising her hand)

This is so embarrassing...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Somebody get her a mike? Can we manage that? And a spotlight. What's

your name?

PENNY PRIDDY:

Penny. I'd rather not reveal my last name or my age.

For reasons out of their control, Penny's name coming across to

Buckaroo and the Cavaliers as "Peggy," said name immediately eliciting

a surprised reaction from the Cavaliers...

...Buckaroo amazed as well...a not-too-distant pain deep in his soul

momentarily manifesting itself, although he makes a brave attempt at

nonchalance...as now Penny is given that microphone.

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Did you say..."Peggy"?

PENNY PRIDDY:

My name is Penny. Penny Priddy. There I've said it, but it won't mean

anything to you. I'm a nobody.

The business of the names settled, Buckaroo and the Cavaliers breathing

a bit more easily...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Nobody's a nobody. Why're you crying? What's wrong?

PENNY PRIDDY:

(blowing her nose)

Did I say anything was wrong? I just sponged up a little too much Vat

69, okay? I'm down to my last nickel in this lousy town, I can't get my

luggage outta hock 'cause I met this jerk who said he was a record

producer when all he had was a record. He offered to set me up for

life, and like a fool, well, I...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

He offered you money?

PENNY PRIDDY:

Do I look like that kinda girl?

(to tell the truth)

I lost my room this morning. I don't know where I'm gonna sleep

tonight, but I keep going. What the hell else can I do? I've still

got my figure, and like this bozo said, as long as there's a sidewalk,

I'll always have a job.

A few snickers...BUCKAROO shooting a disapproving look at those guilty

of laughing at another person's misfortune...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Remember it's always darkest just before the dawn. Believe me, I've

been there.

Buckaroo moving to a piano...starting to play...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

This song's for Peggy. And all you others out there a little down on

your luck.

PENNY PRIDDY:

(exasperated)

My name's, Penny! But who cares?

117

Buckaroo and his men start to SING ANOTHER TUNE...slower, sexier.

118

...and Penny opens HER BIG CLEAR PLASTIC PURSE, removes first a dog-

earned paperback entitled Beyond the Realm of Atomic Particles and

Massless Photons, by Buckaroo Banzai...then a BUCKAROO BANZAI COMIC

BOOK, its cover depicting Buckaroo locked in mortal combat with HANOI

SHAN, THE MANCHU TERROR! Penny lays both publications on the table,

continues to dig around, revealing next a SHINY SMALL-CALIBER AUTOMATIC

PISTOL...

119

ON STAGE...as Buckaroo pours it on, looking in her direction...

120

Penny takes the gun from her purse and lays it in her lap, tears

starting to flood her eyes...

121

BUCKAROO CROONING, all the women enraptured by his voice, his sultry

glance, his animal presence...a real heart-breaker.

122

Penny takes another drink, wraps her hand around the tiny pearl

handle...SLOWLY MOVING THE GUN...

123

ON STAGE, Buckaroo startled...

124

...as in the blink of an eye Penny ATTEMPTS TO SHOOT HERSELF, her arm

accidentally deflected by a passing WAITRESS, the SHOT going harmlessly

into the ceiling as...

125

...the crack Hong Kong Cavaliers whip out their GUNS, snapping back

hammers, forming a human barricade around Buckaroo...

126

...while BLUE SHIELD SECURITY MEN materialize and drag Penny screaming

from the room.

PENNY PRIDDY:

Let me go, let me go, you creeps...

BUCKAROO BANZAI:

Everybody okay up here?

ARTIE DUNCAN'S VOICE

Arrest the girl! Let's get this thing on the road, huh?

127

The Cavaliers holstering their weapons, resuming musical

postures...Buckaroo too...but his mind still half on Penny Priddy.

INT. CRIMINALLY INSANCE COORIDOR - NIGHT128

Recreation time. SEVERAL MADMEN playing video games, content.

Doctor Lizardo's Philco TV now sitting on a watch desk, the guard who

took it eating dinner, leaning back in his chair, his feet on the

set...so he can bash it now and then to improve the picture

quality...as a SHADOW falls across him...Doctor Lizardo...pulling a

RATTY SUITCASE on tiny travel wheels, wearing an ANCIENT SPORTJACKET.

Out for a stroll?

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