The Salton Sea Page #10

QUICK FLASH BACK: LOW ANGLE SLOW-MOTION CLOSE-UP of Pooh-Bear staring

down at something OFFSCREEN, a menacing look on his face.

POOH-BEAR (V.O.)

You should have heard him howling.

BACK TO PRESENT:
Pooh-Bear lights a cigarette

POOH-BEAR

Then I took a Saws All and I cut

His skull open

QUICK FLASH:
CONTINUE SLOW MOTION CLOSE UP. Pooh-Bear reaching for

something OFFSCREEN.

POOH-BEAR (V.O.)

(calmly)

You know, those Saws All really do

cut through everything.

BACK TO PRESENT:
Danny getting nervous.

DANNY:

Look, you don't have to ...

POOH-BEAR (cont'd)

So I'm standing there looking at this

dude's brain and I'm thinking to

myself, you know, this guy doesn't

really need this thing. I mean,

anyone stupid enough to jam me up

doesn't really use their brain to

begin with. You know what I'm

saying?

(beat, dead serious)

So I took it.

Pooh-Bear makes a POPPING SOUND as he illustrates with his hands.

QUICK FLASH BACK: Pooh-Bear looking down at SOMETHING in his hand, his

face blossoming into a sick smile.

BACK TO PRESENT:
Danny listens somberly.

POOH-BEAR (cont'd)

Hell, I make better use out of it

than he ever did. Got it up in my

freezer. I take it out from time-to-

time, mix a little of it up in my

dinner ....

(looks at the plate of eggs)

... of breakfast.

ON THE PLATE - little chunks of gray matter mixed in with the eggs.

Pooh-Bear smiles knowingly. Danny turns pale.

POOH-BEAR

10,000 a pound

Danny decides to nerve it out

DANNY:

Now you're insulting me. Nice

talking business with you.

Danny gets up to leave. One of his hands shaking uncontrollably. He

steadies it with the other hand.

POOH-BEAR

9,000. Take it or leave it.

Danny stops.

DANNY:

I'll leave it. Eight is as high as

I'll go. See ya'.

Danny goes to leave again.

POOH-BEAR

All right, all right. Don't get your

knickers in a knot. I can live with eight.

Pooh-Bear stands up.

POOH-BEAR (cont'd)

You got a deal.

They shake hands.

POOH-BEAR

God damn, Danny, you got some nerve.

Pooh-Bear respects that.

(beat)

Oh, by the way ...

Pooh-Bear takes something from the kitchen counter and tosses it on the

table ...

... a store-bought package of COW BRAINS.

QUICK FLASH BACK: REVEAL that Pooh-Bear has been standing at the meat

section in a GROCERY STORE. He is looking down at the package of COW

BRAINS in his hand.

POOH-BEAR

(in the grocery store)

Hmm. Good price.

Pooh-Bear tosses the package in his cart and walks away, whistling.

BACK TO PRESENT:

POOH-BEAR (cont'd)

You want to stay for lunch?

Danny has been had. Pooh-Bear laughs uproariously.

INT. VEGA - DAY

Danny slouched in the passenger's seat.

Jimmy holds out a bullet dispenser of crank.

JIMMY:

You want a hit?

DANNY:

No. I'm good.

Jimmy pockets the drugs.

JIMMY:

Can I ask you something?

DANNY:

Sure, Jimmy.

JIMMY:

What does J.F.K. stand for?

DANNY:

John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

JIMMY:

Was he the president?

DANNY:

Yes, Jimmy

Jimmy drives for a while, then ...

JIMMY:

Danny?

DANNY:

Yes, Jimmy.

JIMMY:

Thanks for not laughing at me.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

A DAPPER OLD MAN in a wheelchair crooning a Muzak-like version of Lou

Reed's WALK ON THE WILD SIDE on a cheapo Karaoke set-up in the back of

the bar.

OLD MAN:

(softly, a la Perry Como)

Sugar Plum Fairy never once gave it away.

Everybody had to pay and pay ...

Danny, Jimmy, Kujo and Creeper sitting in a booth.

Jimmy and Creeper are amped, jaws grinding, eyes bugging.

Kujo rambles on but Danny isn't listening. He looks exhausted, his face

is pinched, there are bags under his eyes. He scans the bar, stopping

on ...

... Colette AND HER TRASHY DUDE BOYFRIEND

Colette sees Danny looking. Smiles at him. Danny returns the smile

until the trashy dude looks over. Danny looks away.

KUJO:

Danny, listen up. Here's the deal ...

my wife's pimp knows a guy who works

at Cedars Sinai medical lab. They're

getting a very special delivery a

week from this Friday.

JIMMY:

What is it, drugs?

KUJO:

Better than drugs.

Kujo leans in and lowers his voice

KUJO:

Bob Hope's stool specimen

(beat)

We're gonna boost it.

DANNY:

Why in God's name would we want

to do that?

KUJO:

So we can sell it.

DANNY:

To who?

KUJO:

I don't know. A collector. F***

Danny, it's Bob Hope.

CREEPER:

He is a national treasure.

Danny shakes his head in amazement, then looks back at Colette again.

She sneaks another look at him.

ON THE TABLE - Kujo slides a drink glass in front of him.

KUJO:

Check it out. This is the lab.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY (FLASH FORWARD)

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