"THE BOONDOCK SAINTS"
An original motion picture screenplay by
TROY DUFFY
Shooting Script: White August 28, 1997
Pages Blue July 9, 1998
Pages Pink July 13, 1998
Pages Yellow July 27, 1998
Pages Green August 12, 1998
(5_5A,6,7,26,40,42,52_2A,55,68,72,73,74,76,77,89,93,102,103,
104,104A,111,114,117,118)
Registered WGAw
TROY DUFFY
INT. GOTHIC CHURCH 10:00 A.M. ST. PATRICK'S DAY
DOWNTOWN BOSTON
As we open we see the inside of an enormous church. A young
looking PRIEST in his mid-thirties is finishing the delivery
of the Lord’s Prayer. In the back of the church, in the last
pew, there are two who kneel on the cold, stone floor.
They do not stand to sing, nor do they offer signs of peace
when told, but they pray. They grip and rub their rosaries.
They mutter their words in Latin.
CONNOR and MURPHY MacMANUS (mid-twenties) are shrouded in
thick waist length navy P-coats, worn leather boots and the
hungry clothes of the poor. The boys heads are shaved and
they have facial hair.
MONSIGNOR
(dismissing young
priest)
Thank you Father Macklepenny, for
coming all the way across town to be
our guest speaker today. I hope you
found our little parish to your
liking.
Macklepenny takes his seat on the alter along side the regular
priests of the church. The MacManus brothers suddenly stand,
as all others remain seated. Each church goer between them
and the aisle shifts his/her position to allow the boys
passage, as if on command. The two turn and begin to stride
for the alter, eyes down, determined.
ANNABELLE MACMANUS (V.O.)
(thick Irish accent)
They've never been like anyone else.
From the moment they were born, of
the same womb, on the same day, they
just had their own way, my boys did.
And I always knew that one day they
would do something of true greatness.
I just never expected they would
bring about such a... such a
reckoning.
The MacManus brothers are fraternal twins. As Annabelle
MacManus speaks, Macklepenny is taken aback as he scans the
congregation amazed to find that he is the only one who thinks
this out of the ordinary.
The monsignor begins his sermon. Macklepenny rises to stop
the boys from this disgraceful disturbance.
The elder clergyman finds Macklepenny's arm, keeping him
seated while shaking his head. Macklepenny's confusion gives
way to awe as he watches the brothers step onto the altar,
brush by the six seated priests, and approach the enormous
crucifix.
They both fall to their knees and kiss the feet of Christ.
They rise and as abruptly as they came, they turn and head
back down the aisle for the front door. They stop at the
rear of the church, turning to listen to the sermon.
MONSIGNOR
(loud, authoritative)
...and I am reminded of this holy
day of the sad story of Kitty
Geneviese. This poor soul cried out
time and time again for help but no
person answered her calls. Though
many saw, not one so much as called.
Her assailant wiped the bloody knife
off on her lifeless little body.
They watched as he simply walked
away. Nobody wanted to get involved.
Nobody wanted to take a stand... We
must fear evil men and deal with
them accordingly but what we must
truly guard against, what we must
fear most
(beat)
Is the indifference of good men.
The MacManuses turn and walk out the door.
EXT. CHURCH STEPS SUNNY MORNING
The boys put on their dark glasses and pause at the top of
the steps to light up their cigarettes. They both roll their
cigarette butts along their tongues and screw them into their
lips. In this unique way they light up, seemingly oblivious
to their synchronicity and mimic.
CONNOR
(Irish accent)
I do believe the Monsignor finally
got a point.
MURPHY
(Irish accent)
Aye.
They leave.
INT. NOLAND'S MEAT PACKING PLANT 4:00 P.M. SAME DAY
Murphy, wearing a white blood soaked smock and apron stands
around the corner of the entrance to the loading dock. He
grips a gigantic, bloody slab of meat and smirks. Connor
flips his cigarette out the loading dock and passes his
brother's hiding place. He notices the workers have stopped,
and are looking at him.
CONNOR
What?
Murphy slaps Connor square in the face with the bloody slab.
Connor's face is caked with blood as he stands stunned. He
then leaps on Murphy, sending him into a pile of nearby
hamburger. He grabs a large cow tongue from a nearby heap
and begins slapping Murphy in the face with it as they both
laugh and the workers cheer.
Their boss, McGERKIN approaches with a very large woman.
Her head is clean-shaven. The two are still laughing, out of
breath, they turn.
MCGERKIN
Boys this is Rose, Baum, Gurtle...
Gurtle.
ROZ
Rozengurtle Baumgartner.
MCGERKIN
You'll be training her today, and do
a good job.
BOTH BOYS
Aye.
CONNOR
(wipes hand and extends
it)
Pleased ta meet ya Rozie.
She points to a tattoo on her neck that reads untouched by
man.
ROZ
I prefer to be called Rozengurtle by
men.
CONNOR
(taken aback)
Okay then... let's get ya started.
Connor exits with Roz.
MURPHY
Christ, that's the largest woman
I've ever seen.
MCGERKIN
It's self-imposed affirmative action.
If we hire big, fat, angry lesbians,
then the leftist groups representing
big, fat angry lesbians, won't think
we're violating their rights.
MURPHY
Well, how politically correct you
are. That's good stuff.
MCGERKIN
Hey, those people can shut ya down.
They'll sue you into the ground
claiming they were put under mental
duress, inner pain. and sufferin'.
MURPHY
Well, as long as we're hirin' fat
lesbians, give your ma a call.
Murphy laughs as he jogs away.
MCGERKIN
Fuck you Murphy.
INT. NOLAND'S MEAT PACKING PLANT CUT STATION SAME DAY
Rozengurtle and Connor stand in front of a bunch of co-workers
who are cutting meat as it goes by on assembly.
CONNOR
Okay, just cut off as much fat as
you can as it goes by and the rule
of thumb here is...
ROZ
Rule of thumb?
CONNOR
(questioningly)
Yeah?
ROZ
Do you know where that term comes
from? In the early 1900's it was
legal for men to beat their wives as
long as they used a stick no wider
than their thumb.
Connor holds up his thumb and stares at it.
CONNOR
Can't do much damage with that.
Perhaps, it shoulda been the rule of
wrist. Ha!
(he elbows her)
Rule of wrist.
She returns an icy stare. He hands her the knife. The co-
workers all seem wary of Roz.
Murphy stands on one side of Roz, Connor on the other,
surrounded by a tight group of workers. Everyone is within
ear shot of one another, cutting meat as it goes by. Knowing
glances are shared by everyone. It is an uncomfortable mood.
CONNOR
Hey Murphy?
MURPHY
Aye.
CONNOR
(slight smirk)
How many feminists does it take to
screw in a light bulb?
MURPHY
How many?
CONNOR
Two. One ta screw it in and one ta
suck my cock.
Everyone burst out laughing. Rozengurtle jabs a knife in a
piece of meat and turns to Connor. She pushes him and starts
walking toward him. He starts backing up, laughing.
ROZ
(angry)
I knew you two pricks would give me
problems. Give me shit cause I'm a
woman. I'm not gonna take your male
dominance bullshit!
CONNOR
(trying to calm her,
but still chuckling)
Oh, come on now Rozengurtle. I was
just tryin' ta get a rise outta ya.
MURPHY
Yeah. Just tryin' ta break the ice
is all.
ROZ
(to Murphy)
Fuck you...
(to Connor)
...and fuck you!
MURPHY
Oh, come on its St. Patty's Day.
It's all in good fun.
Employees gather around all the excitement.
ROZ (V.O.)
Baumgartner sound Irish to you, fuck
face?
CONNOR
Now look Rozengurtle, we're sorry.
Just relax.
She reaches back and punches Connor full force in the face.
He takes the hit very well. He stops backing up.
CONNOR
Why don't you save all your aggression
for protests and marches and what
not.
She suddenly drives her boot into his crotch, sending him to
the floor reeling with pain. Two female co-workers leap to
his aid.
ROZ
You fuckin' slaves. Kowtowing to the
needs of men! Get up! Get the fuck
up! Leave him there.
Rozengurtle begins to turn, raising her fist to Murphy.
Murphy winds up and punches her square in the face. She lands
on her back. The on-lookers are stunned as he walks over and
stands above her.
MURPHY
Guess you'll have ta change that
tattoo now, won't ya Rozie!?
INT. HALLWAY MACMANUS' TENEMENT APT BUILDING DAY
The brothers get to the top of the stairs. Connor is hunched
over and moving slowly. Murphy giggles.
CONNOR
Fuck you.
Connor flicks his cigarette butt out the large open loading
doors at the end of the hall. The red brick buildings stretch
down the alley both ways. The glowing butt falls to a filthy
resting place, directly next to a dented green dumpster with
half the paint job scraped off.
INT. CONNOR AND MURPHY'S APARTMENT EARLY EVENING
This is a decrepit, illegal loft. The boys enter, hang their
rosaries by the door and begin taking off their clothes.
Connor sits naked on the couch and gently places a bag of
ice on his crotch. Murphy stands naked in the open quantity
shower. Murphy turns on the water and sticks his hand in the
stream.
INT. CONNOR AND MURPHY'S APT EARLY EVENING
Connor, still seated, cracks open a Guinness and sips it
lovingly. The phone rings.
CONNOR
Hello.
MOM (V.O.)
Connor, is that you?
Something is obviously wrong in her voice.
CONNOR
(interested)
Mother, is that you?
MOM (V.O.)
Is that worthless brother of your
there? I want you both ta hear this.
CONNOR
Ma, what's wrong?
Murphy shuts off the water.
MURPHY
No fuckin' hot water man. That...
CONNOR
Shut it. It's Ma.
Murphy sees the concern in Connor's eyes and takes a step
closer.
MOM (V.O.)
It's all your fault. Both you little
bastards. I was a fool to believe
you would bring me any peace. The
day your Da left us when you were
almost too young to remember, he
said the two of you would do me right
and make me proud, but he was wrong
and I got nothin' ta live for.
CONNOR
Mother, what are you sayin'? You're
talkin' crazy here.
Murphy is drawing closer with concern.
MURPHY
What's the matter with her?
INT. ANNABELLE MACMANUS' HOUSE IRELAND NIGHT
A wrinkly female hand grabs a large revolver resting next to
a half empty bottle of Hennessey.
MOM
I finally found your Da's army
revolver, Connor.
INT. CONNOR AND MURPHY'S APT EARLY EVENING
CONNOR
What the hell are you doin' with
Da's gun!?
MURPHY
(widening eyes)
What the...?
MOM (V.O.)
I got it ta my head now.
I got it ta my head now.
CONNOR
What?! What are you doin'?
MOM (V.O.)
I want ta tell ya one last thing
before I pull the trigger.
CONNOR
(screaming)
Pull the trigger?! Have ya lost it
woman?! Now just calm down here.
MURPHY
(eyes widen)
Oh my god!
MOM (V.O.)
I...
CONNOR
No ma! No!
MOM (V.O.)
BLAME...
CONNOR & MURPHY
Oh Jesus, No! No! Oh God! No Ma!
MOM (V.O.)
YOU...!
Connor and Murphy are both screaming in panic.
EXT. ANNABELLE MACMANUS' BACK STOOP NIGHT
Mom stands on the back stoop holding the door ajar with her
hip. She holds the phone receiver up in her left hand and
the gun directly next to it, in her right. She squeezes off
a loud shot toward the heavens.
INT. CONNOR AND MURPHY'S APT EARLY EVENING
As soon as the deafening sound pierces through the receiver,
Connor instinctively jumps up to a standing position. The
bag of ice bursts as it hits the floor and spreads across
it. He throws the receiver and covers his ears with both
hands.
The phone then falls to the ground, skipping through the
cubes as the boys dive for it screaming. The two naked,
hysterical boys fumble for the phone, flailing on their
stomachs in the field of ice. They finally catch it and both
put their ears to the receiver in panic. As they scream MA
intermittently, the pauses get longer and longer.
INT. ANNABELLE MACMANUS' APARTMENT NIGHT
Mom's got her hand covering her mouth, face red from holding
back laughter, as she walks back into the house. She can
take it no longer and she bursts out with hearty guffaws.
INT. CONNOR AND MURPHY'S APARTMENT EARLY EVENING
The boys are relieved, but angry.
CONNOR
(grabs his balls,
rolls over)
Aaaww, shit!... evil woman!
MURPHY
Lord have mercy. That was a good one
ma.
MOM (V.O.)
Oh, Jesus! No ma! Christ ma! No!
Murphy holds the receiver in the air. Mom's still laughing.
MURPHY
(to Connor)
Oh, she's quite proud of herself.
MOM
Okay, seriously, both you listen ta
me now.
They both put an ear to the phone.
CONNOR
All right, we're both here.
Mom pauses and cackles endlessly once again.
MOM
(finally)
It's only 11:00 here boys so I got
lot's more drinkin' ta do with your
worthless relatives down at the Anvil.
MURPHY
Just called ta torture us did ya?
CONNOR
How's Uncle Sibeal?
MOM
Well, you know how it is with him.
Always complainin' he's never turnin'
a profit on St. Patty's. Whole damn
family goes down there with no money,
cause we know he can't bear ta charge
us.
They all laugh.
MOM
But he's been havin' himself a nip
or two as well... Been up the
waitress' skirt all night, poor girl.
MURPHY
Well you tell him ta take it easy
with that. He's gotta learn ta respect
women the way Connor does.
CONNOR
Oh, Jesus.
MURPHY
I gave him his first lesson in
sensitivity toward the fairer sex
just today.
CONNOR
Don't even do it, ya bastard.
MURPHY
(laughs)
He got beat up by a girl.
CONNOR
If that was a girl I want ta see
some papers. She had ta be just
preoperative for Christ sakes.
MOM
(dogmatically)
Lord's name.
BOTH
(genuflecting,
impassionate)
Mother Mary, full of grace.
MOM
What did you do, Connor?
CONNOR
Well, we tried ta make friends and
she gave me a shot ta the nuts.
MOM
(aghast)
What... the dirty bitch! I hope ya
trounced her a good one!
CONNOR
Well, I didn't but...
MURPHY
(shaking his fist)
Don't worry, I respected the hell
out of her for ya, Ma.
Mom laughs.
MOM
Well listen, I know how my boys take
ta scrappin' when they take ta
drinkin'.
BOTH
(semi-condescending)
Yes mother.
MOM
(light-hearted anger)
I mean it now. I carried the two of
you little bastards around in my
belly at the same time you ungrateful
pissants. Ya ruined my girlish figure
in one fell swoop, and then ya sucked
me dry.
(grabbing her breast)
My tits are saggin' down ta my ankles.
I trip over em for Christ sakes, now
ya listen ta me, NO FIGHTEN!
The boys laugh.
MOM
Promise me boys.
MURPHY
We promise.
CONNOR
Yeah, we promise.
MOM
Well, there's my boys.
(pulls back curtain,
looks out window)
Shit. I gotta go. Looks like I caused
a ruckus with that shot. Half the
damn neighborhood is comin'.
MURPHY
All right, love ya ma. Listen, before
ya go just give us the goods, eh?
CONNOR
Yeah. It's been twenty-seven years.
MOM
Still bickerin' over that, huh?
CONNOR
Come on, ma. Out with it. Who came
out first?
MOM
All right, I suppose you have the
right ta know.
The boys stand shoulder to shoulder, naked. They peer into
the distance, ears to the phone, awaiting this most important
information.
MOM
Are ya ready?
BOTH
Aye.
Slight pause as mom slams a shot of Hennessey.
MOM
(yells)
The one with the biggest cock!
Mom slams down the phone and lets out a throaty laugh. The
boys sign angrily. Connor walks over and hangs up the phone.
CONNOR
Crazy woman.
When he turns, he notices Murphy is fixated on his brothers
crotch. A triumphant smile spreads across his face.
CONNOR
Don't start. I've had ice on mine.
EXT. AN ALLEY MORNING
PAUL SMECKER, F.B.I. agent, is lead by the Boston Chief of
Police through a jungle of ravenous reporters, police lines
and uniformed officers. He is impeccably dressed in a deep
red suit. He is smiling, confident as he walks. He is a very
good-looking, slender man.
He looks intently, for a moment, at four uniformed officers.
They approach two dead bodies, laying next to a dented green
dumpster with half the paint job scraped off.
One man, IVAN CHECKOV, lays on his stomach, closer to the
dumpster than the other. The ass of his pants has been burnt
out and a large cotton bandage is in its place.
The other, VLADDY, has a blood soaked bandage around his
head and is on his stomach as well. There are hundreds of
pieces of porcelain of various sizes everywhere. Three plain-
clothed homicide detectives, DUFFY, DOLLY and GREENLY hover
close to the bodies. Dolly and Duffy listen to GREENLY, an
obvious rookie, give his over-confident theory of what took
place.
The chief is about to interrupt them, but Smecker holds him
back with a smile. The two wait and watch in a position,
where the unsuspecting detectives have their backs to them.
GREENLY
(thick Boston accent)
...so these guys are just kickin'
the shit out of each other. This guy
(points to Vladdy)
Picks up an old kitchen sink that
some one threw out and crushes this
guy
(Checkov)
With it. All right, so it makes a
big bang and alerts their friend,
who's standin' look out around the
corner. So he comes over and gets
into it with this guy,
(Vladdy)
He's angry at him, right? They get
into an altercation in which the
look out guy crushes this guy by
jumpin on him. And look at the damage
here.
(Vladdy)
I mean this guy's fuckin' hamburger
man. His spine is crushed. He's all
twisted and shit. That guy had to be
one big mother fucker. Huge, 3-400
pounds, fuckin huge.
Smecker listens.
The Chief is embarrassed.
GREELY
Or, okay. Check this out. Say these
two don't even know the huge guy.
They're just staggerin' home from a
bar this morning, still all fucked
up from St. Patty's last night. So
they figure they'll take a short cut
down the alley and this big mother
fucker, he's just waitin'. And what
could be more perfect for strong arm
robbery? Two drunk guys all bandaged
up. They're already injured for Christ
sakes. He takes a blunt object and
whacks the guy with the bandage on
his head, right? Cause he's smart.
He knows the guy with the bandage on
his ass, he ain't going nowhere.
Matter of fact, this guy's probably
helping his friend with the rectal
problem along. They're limping around
like a couple of decrepit old broads.
So once this guy's out of the picture
(denotes Vladdy)
this poor asshole, he tries to run.
But look how far he gets fore the
huge bastard catches up with him.
Only a few yards. And what does he
do? He gets creative. He picks up a
sink and crushes the poor mother-
fucker. Then, he ain't done yet. He
comes over here, jumps on this guy's
back and crushes him to death.
(Vladdy)
He steals their shit and beats it!
Thanks for comin' out!
(beat)
And look at this print...
Greenly points out a large foot print on Vladdy's back.
Some detectives nod in agreement. Smecker chuckles as he
shakes his head.
GREENLY
That's one big fuckin' shoe!... and
think about it. Of all the ways to
kill a guy, crushin' him to death.
That's very particular. You don't
get many of those. I dunno. I feel
something big here. I wouldn't be
surprised if we see more of these
turning up.
SMECKER
(stepping into the
open)
Brilliant. So now we got a Huge guy
theory and Serial crusher theory.
Top fucking notch.
(to Greenly)
What's your name?
GREENLY
Detective Greenly. Who the fuck are
you?
Smecker saunters up to Greely and pulls his I.D. out of the
breast pocket of his sport coat and lets it hang. The large,
light blue letters, F.B.I. can be easily seen.
SMECKER
That's who the fuck I am.
All the detectives seem disgruntled and look to the Chief
for an explanation.
CHIEF
Listen, I gotta go by the numbers on
this one. I.D. just came back on
these guys. They've got connections
to the Russian mob. That makes it a
federal matter and Agent Smecker,
here, is heading up the investigation
with our full cooperation.
SMECKER
(transfixed on Greely)
Why don't you get me a cup of coffee.
GREENY
What the fuck?
SMECKER
Café latte.
GREENLY
Who the...
SMECKER
Twist of lemon!
GREENLY
(to Chief)
Chief, what the fuck is this?
SMECKER
Sweet-n-low!
Greenly looks helplessly to the Chief, who simply nods. He
storms off the scene, upset. Smecker turns his back on
everyone and puts earphones in. He reaches down and hits
play. The choir song "Agnus dei" overtakes. He begins to
investigate. He kneels at the bodies for a moment then stares
at the opposite brick wall. He picks up a piece of porcelain
and scrapes it with his thumb.
He quickly cocks his head toward the sky and begins to chuckle
as he says Jesus Christ, under his breath. He brushes some
paraffin on each of the dead men's hands. Duffy and Dolly
watch defiantly. They start to smile at one another as they
collectively realize his homosexuality. He is slightly
effeminate buy not overly fey.
SMECKER
(loudly)
Mitchell, Langley!
Two uniformed officers approach.
MITCHELL
Yes sir.
SMECKER
Find the manager of this building.
See if he has had any complaints of
water coming down in any apartments,
starting just this morning. If he's
not there, knock on every door
starting from the third floor up.
Langley, you take this building,
same thing.
Mitchell and Langley exit.
SMECKER
Chaffey, Newman.
Two more uniforms approach.
CHAFFEY
Yes sir.
SMECKER
(to Chaffey)
Look in the trash around their hands.
See if you can find me two bullet
casings. 45's, if my eye serves me
right. Don't disturb them. Mark them
as they lay. Newman, root through
this shit.
(points to the mountain
of garbage)
If this was a sink find me some metal
parts. Gimme a faucet or a drain
cover or something.
The two begin their tasks. Chaffey finds a casing near
Checkov's hand, hidden under the edge of the pile.
CHAFFEY
Got it. It's a 45.
The homicide detectives are surprised as Chaffey looks for
the second shell. Smecker lights up a smoke.
SMECKER
Chief, could you get ballistics down
here and tell them they have to dig
a 45 slug out of a brick wall.
He points to a bullet hole in the opposing and tattered wall.
SMECKER
...and locate another that's been
fired through a dumpster.
He points to another bullet hole at the dumpster's base.
CHIEF
I got the best ballistics guy in the
world. He's mobile. Got all his stuff
right in the van. Can have him down
here in 10 minutes.
DOLLY
How did you know that?
SMECKER
Paraffin came up positive. And bullet
holes are usually a big clue.
CHAFFEY
I can't find the second one, sir.
SMECKER
Look under the body.
CHAFFEY
(obeys)
Got it.
Smecker turns to detectives with a smirk.
SMECKER
You guy's ready for this?
They both nod.
SMECKER
This was no gangland assassination.
Though creative, it was way too
sloppy. Something went wrong here.
This has personal written all over
it. Now, these men were crushed and
the first natural reaction the body
has to such trauma is to tense up.
So now the two shots fired here were
reflex rounds. These guys weren't
shooting at anything, but they were
just about to.
Mitchell returns.
MITCHELL
Agent Smecker,
(pointing to MacManus
building)
This is all illegal loft housing so
there's no manager on the premises
but I found a lady on the fourth
floor said she's had water dripping
down on her whole place. Started
just this morning.
SMECKER
Fourth floor huh? Then we're heading
to the fifth. Let's go up and see
just how right I am.
INT. MACMANUS' APT. BUILDING FIRST FLOOR MORNING
The detectives pile into the elevator, Smecker last. Greenly
has rejoined them. Smecker sips his latte.
DUFFY
So what are you thinkin' here?
SMECKER
Really want to know?
All the detectives chant the affirmative. The doors close.
INT. MACMANUS' APT. BUILDING ELEVATOR FIFTH FLOOR MORNING
As the doors open, all the detectives chorus their disbelief.
GREENLY
No way. You know how big a guy's
gotta be to do that? Fuckin' huge.
Smecker turns to Greenly in disbelief.
SMECKER
(beat)
Oooo. I might be wanting a bagel
with my coffee.
Smecker exits the elevator leaving the three silent detectives
with that thought.
GREENLY
(to Dolly)
I ain't getting him no fuckin' bagel.
The detectives exit the elevator.
INT. MACMANUS' DOORWAY INSIDE APT LOOKING OUT TO HALL
MORNING
Smecker appears first, glancing in momentarily. The detectives
pile in behind him. They survey the situation in total awe.
SMECKER
(to Greenly)
We'll start the ass kissing with
you.
EXT. MACMANUS' APT. BUILDING FRONT STEPS MORNING
Smecker saunters out, detectives on his heels.
MITCHELL
(approaches Smecker)
Agent Smecker. I know this
neighborhood pretty good. There's a
bar called McGinty's down the block.
It's a good bet they were there last
night.
SMECKER
(turns to detectives)
Good work, Mitchell. I'll check that
out myself.
Duffy starts walking down the street. A REPORTER is hot on
his heels.
REPORTER
Hey, Duffy. What the fuck happened
here? You owe me. This is the one I
want.
DUFFY
Let's go get a cup of coffee. You
ain't gonna fuckin' believe this
one.
Smecker is standing on the front steps in front of uniformed
officers and homicide detectives.
SMECKER
I want A.P.B.'s put out. I want more
uniforms on the streets. One thing's
for sure, wherever these guys are
they're hurting.
INT. EMERGENCY ROOM DAY
A potent song takes our ears as The MacManus brothers sit in
the E.R. They have already received care. Their faces are
beaten and there are bandages and dried blood in various
spots. Connor's injuries exceed Murphy's. They are both clad
in only their leather boots, boxer shorts and worn out old
bathrobes.
Young kids wait for medical attention, as their knife wounds
bleed. Two nuns in the corner console a third, whose robes
are ripped and face is beaten. A woman toward the end of the
hall is so badly beaten she is unrecognizable.
As the song builds to a more harrowing chorus, a man enters.
His clothes suggest he's a pimp. He is not injured. He looks
around as he stands, perturbed, at the end of the hall.
He reaches over and grabs the beat up woman by the hair and
begins to drag her out. She is kicking and screaming from
the floor, grabbing at his wrists as he hauls her away.
(Slo-mo) The boys, instantly furious, stand and begin to go
toward the action, but Connor's legs give out on him and he
falls to the floor. Connor, still trying to go after the
pimp, crawls towards him. Murphy helps his brother to his
chair and hold him tight.
MURPHY
Okay. Just calm down. Take it easy.
He'll have his day. He'll have his
(turns)
FUCKIN' DAY!
Music fades.
INT EMERGENCY ROOM DAY FEW MINUTES LATER
An old Irishman enters the E.R. DOC (70 yrs.) has a serious
facial twitch and is prone to blinking uncontrollably. He
has a mild stutter. He also has Tourette's Syndrome and is
apt to yell his two chosen swear words every now and then,
first fuck! and after a slight pause, ass! He rushes up as
they stand to greet him. Murphy holds Connor up.
MURPHY
Thanks for comin', Doc.
DOC
(Irish accent, squeaky
voice)
J-Jesus. What the fuck happened? Are
ya b-boys all right?
CONNOR
We're alive.
DOC
An F.B.I. agent came by the bar. He
left me his c-c, he left me his c-c,
he left me this.
He hands them a card with Smecker's name on it. They survey
it with interest.
DOC
(extremely loud)
Fuck!..........Ass!
Everyone in the E.R. looks at Doc in shock. Connor and Murphy
don't even avert their eyes from the card.
DOC
What are you going to do?
CONNOR
We're going to turn ourselves in. It
was self defense.
DOC
y-y-yeah that's what he said.
MURPHY
How the fuck's he know that? We
haven't spoken to anyone yet.
DOC
Don't know. He didn't say.
The boys look puzzled. Murphy helps Connor down to his seat.
MURPHY
Listen Doc, we need a favor.
DOC
A-anything.
Murphy hands Doc a partially filled garbage bag.
CONNOR
Hold this shit for us, Doc. We'll be
comin back for it when we get out.
DOC
Right.
Doc exits, say one more "Fuck,...Ass", on the way out.
INT. BOSTON POLICE STATION PRECINCT OFFICE DAY
The station is abuzz with the story. Connor and Murphy's
names are on all tongues. A legend starts. Every available
officer is in the room along with the homicide detectives.
Smecker walks right down the middle.
SMECKER
First of all, I'd like to thank
whichever one of you donut munching,
barrel-assed dip-shits leaked this
to the press. That's just what we
need now, some sensational story in
the papers making these guys out to
be super heroes, triumphing over
evil. And let me squash the rumors
now. These two aren't heroes.
(rolls his eyes)
They are two ordinary men who were
put in an extraordinary situation
and they just happened to come out
on top. Yes, nothing from our far
reaching computer system has turned
up jack shit on these two. All we
know is what we found out from their
neighbors. And the general consensus
is that they're... angels.
(pause)
But angels don't kill and we got two
bodies in the morgue that look like
they've been...
Smecker looks to Greenly. Dripping with sarcasm.
SMECKER
...serial crushed by a huge fuckin'
guy.
Some of the cops and homicide detectives laugh and chide
Greenly.
CHAFFEY
Are these me considered armed and
dangerous?
SMECKER
Well, not armed. If they had guns,
they'd have used them. But dangerous?
Oh yeah.
MITCHELL
What makes you think they're
dangerous? They were just protecting
each other.
EXT. BOSTON POLICE STATION STEPS DAY
The two are limping up the precinct stairs. Connor is draped
over Murphy who helps his brother along, they are still
attired as in the E.R.
INT. BOSTON POLICE STATION PRECINCT OFFICE DAY
SMECKER
Look, look! I'm not saying one way
or the other. Just be careful and go
by the protocol on this one.
CHAFFEY
Any tips on where these guys may be?
SMECKER
(to Officer Mitchell)
Any word back from the E.R.s?
MITCHELL
No help at all. Swamped from St.
Patty's. Packed with drunk, bloody
Irish.
SMECKER
Just hit the bricks nice and hard.
Grunt police work is going to bring this one in.
GREENLY
(talking loudly)
These guys are miles away by now.
The brothers quietly enter in the back of the room. All the
officers are seated with their backs to them. Smecker and
the brothers make eye contact. He knows who they are. They
don't interrupt Greenly.
GREENLY
But if you want to beat your head
against a wall, then here's what you
look for. These guys are scared like
two little bunny rabbits. Anything
in a uniform or flashing blue lights
will spook them. So the only thing
we can do is put a potato on a string
and drag it through South Boston.
There is light chuckling from the police at this crack.
MURPHY
(loud)
You'd probably have better luck with
a beer.
Everyone turns and looks.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM BOSTON POLICE STATION LATER
The boys sit in two chairs at a plain table with a recording
device on it. They are very serious and alert. Mitchell enters
with coffee for them. He shakes their hands and says he really
respects what they did. Surprised, they thank him. Chaffey
enters with donuts and a repeat performance of respect. Slowly
officers start to gather around the interrogation room door.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM BOSTON POLICE STATION DAY LATER
There are at least 20 officers and detectives packed in the
tiny room. The MacManus' visit with the excited cops. All
are in high spirits.
The room is loud as Smecker walks in.
SMECKER
What the fuck is this!? This isn't a
fuckin' tea party. Get out! Only
thing I want in here is them.
They all file out. Smecker and the boys look each other over.
SMECKER
This conversation is going to be
recorded. Just answer to the best of
your knowledge.
Smecker reaches for the record button. Murphy puts out his
hand to stop him.
MURPHY
(politely)
Excuse me, sir.
Murphy turns to his brother and speaks in Latin, in hushed
tones. It is subtitled in English.
MURPHY
"What do we tell him about the guns
and money?"
CONNOR
"We just got up and left. Bum musta
rolled them before the police got
there."
MURPHY
(to Smecker)
Okay. We're ready.
Smecker in intrigued with this tiny display. He hits the
record button.
SMECKER
You guys are not under oath, here. I
am assuming you knew these two guys
from before, huh?
CONNOR
We... met them last night.
SMECKER
They had some pretty interesting
bandages. Know anything about that?
They look at each other.
FLASHBACK. INT MCGINTY'S PUB NIGHT ST. PATRICK'S DAY
McGinty's's is packed to the walls with drunken Irish. A lot
of faces are recognizable from Noland's Meat. Connor is in
front of the bar. He and Doc are staring at each other as if
waiting for one man to give in. Connor has his arms across
the chests of Murphy and some friends, holding them in place.
They are interested in the competition.
PRESENTLY...
CONNOR
(presently, imitating
Doc's voice)
Would someone please come over here
and...
DOC
Fuck!
CONNOR
me up the...
DOC
Ass!
Everyone falls down laughing. Doc is angry and starts throwing
ice at them. DAVID DELLA ROCCO makes his way through the
crowd. Rocco is thirty-two years old. He has shoulder-length,
dark hair and a full beard and mustache that wrap around his
big smile. He charges up to the bar and yells to Doc.
ROCCO
Hey! Fuck! Ass! Get me a beer!
This sends everyone even further into laughter. Doc throws
two huge fists full of ice at him. He backs away laughing.
The boys get up off the floor and have a huge group hug with
Rocco as they all scream each others names.
They all laugh and commence drinking.
INT. MCGINTY'S PUB NIGHT
The bar is trashed. It's mostly empty now except for the
brothers, Rocco, Doc and four friends. Everyone is very drunk,
including Doc.
ROCCO
(trying to connect
with Connor)
...It's not that I'm homophobic. I'm
just afraid of faggots.
Connor pauses then bursts out laughing. Doc calls everyone
to gather round.
DOC
I got some bad news. Looks like I'm
gonna have ta close d-down the bar.
The Russians have been buying up
buildings all over town, including
this one... Fuck!... Ass! And they're
not letting me renew my lease. I got
'til the end of the week to come up
with 26,000 dollars, or they take
the place. I left them a note telling
them not to show their faces t-
tonight. They been pressuring me ta
close and take the last few days ta
get all my shit outta here but it's
my right to stay open ta the last.
Long pause as everyone absorbs. They are upset.
ROCCO
Let me talk to my boss, may I can...
He is cut off by everyone who obviously opposes Mafia
involvement.
DOC
L-l-listen I don't want anyone ta
know until the last possible moment.
So you guys keep your traps shut. ya
know what they say; People in glass
houses sink ships.
Everyone has quizzical looks on their faces.
ROCCO
Y'know Doc, I gotta get you a, a,
like a proverb book or something.
This mix and match shit's gotta go.
DOC
What?
Everyone chuckles.
CONNOR
(imitating Doc)
A p-penny saved is worth two in the
bush.
MURPHY
(imitating Doc)
Don't c-cross the road if ya can't
get out of the kitchen.
Everyone laughs heartily. Just then, three large Russians in
suits enter. The obvious leader, CHECKOV, stands in front
with VLADDY behind one of Checkov's shoulders, with another
guy behind the other shoulder. They mean business. The
laughter fades.
CHECKOV
(thick Russian accent)
I am Ivan Checkov. You will be closing
now.
MURPHY
(after a long pause)
This is McCoy... we find Spock and
we got enough for an away team.
Everyone laughs. Ivan is angry.
CHECKOV
Oh, how extraordinary. A bunch of
Irishmen... and they are being drunken
idiots. You are killing the
stereotype. I'm in no mood for
discussion.
(points to Doc)
You! You stay. The rest of you go
now.
DOC
Why don't you make like a tree and
get the fuck outta here!
The locals roll their eyes at Doc's blunder.
CONNOR
Calm down, Doc. I'm sure they're
reasonable fellows.
He and Murphy each grab a Guinness and a shot of Hennessey
and they approach the Russians with the peace offering.
CONNOR
Listen fellas, Y'know he's got 'til
this week's end. Ya don't have ta be
hard asses, do ya?
MURPHY
Yeah, it's St. Patty's day. Everyone's
Irish tonight. Now, why don't ya
pull up a stool and have a drink
with us?
CHECKOV
You insult me. I would never drink
that sewage. Especially with you
people. You are fools.
Checkov slaps the beer to the floor.
CHECKOV
This is no game! If you won't go, we
will make you go!
The boys look at each other, remembering what Mom said.
They still hold the shots.
CONNOR
If ya want a fight, you can see you're
outnumbered. We're trying ta be civil
here, so I suggest you take our offer.
CHECKOV
I make the offers, ass-hole.
Rocco pushes off the bar. He's had enough.
ROCCO
(standing between the
two brothers)
Hey, there Boris. What would you say
if I told you that your pinko, commie
mother sucked so much dick...
Wham! Ivan punches him in the face. He is quickly down and
out. Connor and Murphy's faces turn to stone as they speak
the next few lines in flawless fluent Russian with English
subtitles.
CONNOR
"Now, that wasn't too polite, was
it?"
MURPHY
"I'm afraid we can't let that one
go, Ivan."
Checkov is completely taken aback. All the Irish are fairly
impressed as well.
CONNOR
I don't think Ma would mind.
They clink the glasses together, throw back the Hennessey,
ball up the thick glasses in their fists, drop to one knee
and both deliver a devastating blow to each of Checkov's
quads. Murphy on the left, Connor on the right. He's down
for the count, writhing on the floor.
The boy's each take a Russian guy and start fighting as the
others start kicking and spitting on Checkov. This is a bar
brawl, lots of punches don't connect. Connor dismantles his
man quickly. Murphy is still fighting as all the Irish try
to jump in and help Murphy but Connor goes into psycho mode,
pushing them all back.
CONNOR
Let the boy go. He knows what the
fuck he's doing!
They all back off and start to cheer him on. Murphy and Vladdy
are ripping each other apart. Vladdy backs him against a
wall and pulls back, exhausted, for one good punch. Murphy
reaches up behind his head with both hands and pulls two
bottles of wine from a wall rack. He swings them toward each
other with Vladdy's head as the mid-point. The bottles
haphazardly connect, one on each side of his head. He crumples
to the ground in an explosion of glass and wine.
There is shock and silence.
CONNOR
Nicely done, boy!
INT. MCGINTY'S PUB NIGHT A FEW MINUTES LATER
They have Ivan Checkov tied down to the bar on his stomach.
Connor stands with an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips
next to Ivan. He pours Hennessey all over Checkov's buttocks.
They all cheer. Ivan's face is battered as Rocco wakes and
approaches. He punches Checkov in the face in complete rage.
Two friends subdue him as all chuckle.
CONNOR
Now, like my fine brother says, on
St. Patty's everyone's Irish. And
this piece of shit is about to be
initiated.
As they cheer, Connor lights up his smoke and tosses the
match on Ivan's butt.
The Hennessey is instantly ablaze and Checkov is screaming
and wiggling in horror. Some just stand there stunned, but
most of the remaining onlookers leap to Ivan's aid. They
furiously pat him out and turn on Connor.
FRIEND #1
Are ya tryin' ta kill him, ya fuck?
INT. CONNOR AND MURPHY'S APT EARLY NEXT MORNING
Connor and Murphy, fairly beat up, sit up on their beds.
They wear tattered bathrobes and boxer shorts. They put their
feet down into their leather boots. The boys examine the
extent of one another's injuries and reflect on their
hangovers. They both laugh and grab their heads in pain.
Boom! The door breaks open and in hobbles Checkov and Vladdy,
guns drawn. Checkov is all beat up and the ass of his pants
is burnt out. A bulky bandage covers his buttocks. Vladdy
has a large bandage around his head. The boys stand in
surprise.
Ivan smashes Connor in the forehead with his gun, sending
blood gushing down his face as he falls to the floor. Murphy
helplessly yells his brother's name as he is brought to his
knees by Vladdy. Ivan positions Connor on his knees before
the toilet, which is open to the room. Checkov puts his foot
on Connor's head and proceeds, as he struggles, to hand cuff
him to the old toilet. So now Connor is bleeding and hugging
the commode with his hands cuffed behind the bowl base.
CHECKOV
(almost whispering)
I was going to kill you. But I'm
not... I'm going to kill your brother.
I'm going to take him down to the
dumpster and I'm going to shoot him
in the head. Then I'm going to throw
his dead body in the garbage.
(looks at this watch)
Trash guys are coming in 10 minutes,
gotta go.
Checkov walks towards the door and says "let's go" to Vladdy.
MURPHY
It was just a bar fight. You guys
are fuckin' pussies!
Vladdy pulls him to his feet and leads him away following
Checkov.
Connor, blood running from his face, listens to absolute
silence for just a moment. Suddenly his face reads the gravity
of the situation. In a split second he turns into an animal.
He's yelling, pulling, tugging and growling.
His body is a whirlwind of motion. The skin on his wrists
bleeds profusely.
EXT. ALLEY MORNING
Vladdy and Checkov lead Murphy out back into the alley.
Murphy is on his knees next to the dumpster. Checkov has his
gun to the boy's head. He acts like he's going to pull the
trigger, but he stops. Vladdy is standing twenty feet away
with his back to them keeping a look out, gun in hand.
INT. CONNOR AND MURPHY'S APT. MORNING
Connor becomes so venomous, that he pulls the entire toilet
right out of the floor.
INT. TO EXT. MACMANUS' TENEMENT LOADING DOORS MORNING
(slo-mo) Connor steps out onto the sill of the huge, open
loading doors. He is five stories up. His muscles ripple
with the weight of the toilet. His face is barbaric.
EXT. ALLEY MORNING
From his kneeling position, Murphy can see his brother perched
50 feet overhead. He does not let his face betray him.
CHECKOV
I hope your conscience is clear,
Irishman.
EXT. MACMANUS' TENEMENT LOADING DOORS MORNING
(slo-mo) Connor bends his knees and heaves the toilet upward
and swings one arm directly beneath it. He is no longer
tethered around the basin. He holds it at a cocked angle.
The heavy porcelain tank cover slips off the toilet.
He tosses the toilet in a left and outwardly trajectory,
then he jumps off the sill to the right. He is sailing through
the air about twenty feet behind, and to the right of the
toilet, cuffed hands above his head, robe up like a cape
behind him. Murphy screams
EXT. ALLEY MORNING
(slo-mo) Checkov begins to laugh heartily. The tank top lands
pristinely on a garbage bag just behind Murphy. Ivan's look
turns to one of terror. Bam! He is crushed by the toilet.
Boom! His gun goes off, punching a hole in the dumpster near
the bottom. Vladdy hears the bang and crouches as he turns
to see a wave of tiny porcelain bits.
Connor lands squarely on Vladdy's back. His gun discharges
firing a hole in the brick of the opposing wall. He is
savagely crushed against the ground. Connor bounces off and
hits the wall, landing in the garbage completely unconscious.
Murphy takes his hands from his head. There is dead silence.
He runs to his brother, pulls him from the trash and checks
his vital signs. He seems okay. Vladdy, still alive, slowly
crawls for his gun, inadvertently covering his own bullet
casing. Murphy goes over, picks up the tank cover and clubs
the man to death with two hard and fast blows, then throws
it up and behind him. It lands in the dumpster with a
resonating boom.
Murphy quickly takes everything from the scene; guns, money,
wallets, watches and a pager. He shoves it in a garbage bag
and throws Connor over his shoulder and runs out of the alley.
BACK TO PRESENT. INT. BOSTON POLICE STATION INTERROGATION
ROOM AFTERNOON
Smecker stares astounded at Connor and Murphy. The boys
examine Smecker for a reaction. He slowly builds to a chuckle.
The brothers join in.
SMECKER
(gathering himself)
So, how is it that you guys are fluent
in Russian?
CONNOR
We paid attention in school.
SMECKER
Know any other languages?
MURPHY
Aye. Our mother insisted on it.
French.
Murphy speaks flawless French with subtitles.
MURPHY
(subtitled)
How do you think he figured all this
out without talking to us?
CONNOR
Italian.
Connor speaks flawless Italian with subtitles.
CONNOR
(subtitled)
I have no idea. Maybe someone saw
and talked.
MURPHY
German.
(subtitled)
Not in our neighborhood, man. A
hundred percent Irish. No one talks
to cops. Period.
CONNOR
Spanish.
(subtitled)
Then I guess he's just real... real
good.
SMECKER
What are you guys doing working at a
fucking meat packing plant?
The brothers laugh. Chaffey enters.
CHAFFEY
Ah, Agent Smecker, we have a problem.
SMECKER
What?
CHAFFEY
The press is everywhere outside.
They're going nuts for these guys.
What do you want to do?
SMECKER
You're not being charged. It's up to
you. Do you want to talk to them?
CONNOR
Absolutely not.
MURPHY
No pictures, either.
SMECKER
Well, we could try the bag over the
head thing. Walk you right out the
front.
CONNOR
Our mother can see through bags.
MURPHY
Aye, she can.
(beat)
Any way we can stay here?
CHAFFEY
Sure, we have an empty holding cell,
They can... can they stay?
SMECKER
Well, we'll have to check with your
mother, but it's ok with me if your
friends sleep over.
They all chuckle. Chaffey is embarrassed. Smecker stands.
SMECKER
Time to feed the dogs.
Smecker leaves.
CONNOR
He's a nice guy.
Murphy speaks with the characteristic gay man's lingering
"S".
MURPHY
Yes... he is.
They laugh.
EXT. BOSTON POLICE STATION FRONT STEPS EARLY EVENING
The police chief is standing on the front steps of the police
station making a statement to the ravenous press: cameras
and pushy reporters. Agent Smecker stands slightly behind
him.
Rocco stands amidst the sea of reporters as the chief begins.
CHIEF
This is our official statement. The
MacManus brothers are not being
charged with a crime. It was a clean-
cut case of self defense. We have
thanked them for their cooperation
and we thank you, the media, for
your tireless pursuit of the truth.
The press is ablaze with questions. Smecker turns and walks
down the precinct steps, passing Rocco, who carries a bunch
of folded clothes, and heads for the police station. Smecker
glances in Rocco's direction, barely noticing the man who
has already passed him.
INT. MACMANUS' CELLS EARLY EVENING
Rocco approaches the wide open cell as Chaffey and Mitchell
play cards with the brothers. Happy to see each other the
boys and Rocco embrace. He hands them their clothes.
INT. MACMANUS' CELL NIGHT
The boys are in a tight cell with a bed on each side. They
are in their own clothes now. The brothers are fast asleep.
Suddenly, they lurch forward, throwing their chests out,
lips tight, still asleep.
INT. POLICE STATION BATHROOM NIGHT.
An officer turns on the faucet of a sink and begins to wash
his hands. We go down to the pipes beneath the porcelain
basin. An old leak seeps water through a crack in the floor.
INT. MACMANUS' CELL NIGHT
A water leak starts on the ceiling. It drips faster and
faster. The water begins to follow a water damaged crack
along the ceiling. It slowly spreads in two directions.
The brothers struggle for air in their sleep. Then slowly,
and at the same time, they each reach up one arm apiece and
simultaneously curl their hands as if grabbing something.
Their straining faces are brought from darkness to light as
they sit up quickly, face to the ceiling.
Their eyes open wide and they each draw their first breath
as drops of the creeping water land on their foreheads.
They look at each other across the room in shock as the drips
of water still fall between them.
CONNOR
Destroy all that which is evil...
MURPHY
...so that which is good may flourish
INT. MANMANUS' CELL NEXT MORNING
Murphy and Connor sleep. Murphy awakes to a beep, beep, beep.
He removes Checkov's pager from the pocket of his bathrobe.
INT. PRECINCT OFFICE MORNING
Connor and Murphy enter as Greenly, Dolly, Duffy, Chaffey
and Mitchell are having coffee and donuts. They greet each
other warmly. Connor grabs a pen and walks to the hallway.
CONNOR
Be right back...
DUFFY
We would be honored, sir, if you
would join us peasants, in a donut.
Duffy hands Murphy a jelly donut and a cup of coffee as Dolly
spreads a copy of the Boston Globe in front of Murphy. The
headlines read "The Saints of South Boston." All the
detectives chuckle as Murphy is momentarily absorbed. He
takes the paper.
MURPHY
Saints?
(beat)
I will not accept this pizzle until
my feet have been properly anointed.
They laugh.
INT. PRECINCT OFFICE MORNING
Connor cradles the receiver of a pay phone between his cheek
and shoulder. He pockets the pager. As the phone rings, he
readies his pen. The other end of the line picks up and a
thick Russian accent instantly begins speaking. Connor
responds by speaking a few words in Russian before he realizes
it's a recorded message. He begins writing. He hangs up the
phone and smiles as he lights up a cigarette.
INT. POPPA JOE YAKAVETTA'S OFFICE DAY. A.K.A. THE JOKE.
Rocco, still sporting a shiner, enters an office. There are
papers everywhere and it is a cluttered mess of telephones,
filing cabinets, lamps and chairs. Rocco clutches a brown
paper bag as if it is made of gold. POPPA JOE YAKAVETTA,
Rocco's boss, is on the phone. He is in his late forties.
He's always comfortably dressed; sleeves rolled up, collar
unbuttoned.
VINCENZO LIPAZZI swaggers across the office to Rocco. He is
in his late thirties. He goes out of his way to look like
Elvis; open shirt, gold chains and medallions. He is
overweight and has a bouffant hairdo, accompanied by Elvis
shades. Vincenzo flips a half dollar in his hand constantly.
Rocco and Vincenzo hate each other. Yakavetta talks on the
phone.
VINCENZO
(hushed)
Well, it's the funny man. Give it
here, package boy.
ROCCO
(a bit defiant)
Joey Bevo said it was important.
Said I had to give it to him myself.
VINCENZO
(snatching the package)
Gimme the fuckin' thing. Now sit the
fuck down!
Rocco obeys like an angry child. Vincenzo puts it in front
of Yakavetta. He sits on a filing cabinet and flips his coin.
Vincenzo giggles and whispers as he pokes fun at Rocco.
The two of them resemble kids behind the teacher's back.
VINCENZO
(hushed)
I'm Rocco. I'm the funny man. Heee
Hee. I'm so fuckin' funny. Hee Hee.
ROCCO
Fuck you Vincenzo.
VINCENZO
(hushed)
Tell me a joke funny man. Hee Hee.
ROCCO
I caught your show down at the velvet
room at the Holiday Inn, loved it
when you busted into Viva Las Vegas.
Vincenzo's face drops he gets up and starts walking toward
Rocco. Roc points at him from a seated position. He's scared.
ROCCO
Hey, hey, hey...
Suddenly Yakavetta jumps to a standing position. He yells.
YAKAVETTA
Fuck you! I could snap my fingers
and have you dead in four hours,
rotting in a truck off of Boyleston!
You insignificant little fuck! I
always get my fuckin' money!
He slams the phone down. Rocco and Vincenzo are shocked but
try to look composed.
YAKAVETTA
Fuckin' 90's are killin' me. I
shouldn't a done that. You're not
supposed to tell a guy you're gonna
kill him anymore. I gotta tip-toe
through the tulips with these
assholes. I prance. I'm a prancer.
It's what I do... sucked all the fun
right out of this job.
As he speaks he unwraps the wax paper in the bag. Rocco looks
over his shoulder. It's a sandwich. He's embarrassed.
Vincenzo smirks at him.
ROCCO
Poppa Joe, you want me to go now?
YAKAVETTA
Yeah. Thanks, Rocco. See ya.
Rocco starts for the door. Vincenzo begins whispering in
Yakavetta's ear.
YAKAVETTA
Hey, Rocco, wait. Come back here.
ROCCO
Yeah boss?
Vincenzo continues whispering for a few more seconds, long
enough for Rocco to see. Vincenzo's lips are tight. His teeth
grind.
YAKAVETTA
I always see you talking to the boys
and making them laugh. They always
come around telling me what a crack
up you are. What is it they call
you?
ROCCO
(totally intimidated)
The... The funny man.
YAKAVETTA
The funny man. Well, I got a new job
for you, just for now. Roc, I'm having
a real shitty day. I'm depressed.
Tell me a funny story or a joke.
ROCCO
(terrified)
Uh. Okay... um... you hear the one
about the, no fuck that one... uh...
oh! oh! Well... shit. Okay, there's
a white guy. He's walkin' along the
beach and he finds a, a pot, y'know
and ah, he rubs it and this genie
pops out. But this genie, he's a
ni... he's a black guy.
YAKAVETTA
He's a nigger.
ROCCO
Yeah. And uh, he's pissed off. He
says, "Why you crackers always gotta
find my mother fuckin' pot? And he
tells him he's gonna grant all his
three wishes but he's gonna give all
the black guys...
VINCENZO AND YAKAVETTA
Niggers!
ROCCO
Sorry! Sorry! All the niggers on the
planet get double what he wishes
for. "I'll take a million dollars,"
he says. Genie give it to him and
says every nigger on earth just got
two million. "I don't care gimme a
yacht." Poof there it is.
(intimidated, losing
steam)
E-every bl... every nigger just got
two yachts. Genie goes...
(gives up)
I'm sorry Poppa Joe. I can't. This
joke sucks.
Yakavetta takes a long pause.
YAKAVETTA
Continue the joke.
ROCCO
(deflated)
He says, "What's your third wish?"
And the guys says, "I-I want you to
beat me half to death."
There's a long tense pause. Suddenly, Yakavetta throws his
head back and roars with laughter. Vincenzo joins in. Rocco
lets out a semi-audible sign of relief and gradually starts
laughing himself.
YAKAVETTA
(still in guffaw)
Very good stuff, Rocco. Very good
stuff. Tell me another one.
Rocco returns to terror. Yakavetta erupts again pointing at
Rocco.
INT COMMON BOSTON HOME ANTEROOM TWILIGHT
Connor and Murphy give a huge Irishman guns, money and gold
watches. He hands them two big black duffle bags and motions
for them to help themselves as he counts the money. They
enter a well equipped arsenal. They are giddy as they go on
their first shopping spree. They toss in masks and gloves.
They toss in four identical black finished 9mm handguns with
silencers.
CONNOR
Know what we need, man?... some rope.
MURPHY
For what?
CONNOR
Charlie Bronson's always got rope.
MURPHY
What?
CONNOR
Yeah, these guys always got a lot of
rope strapped around em in the movies
and they always end up using it.
MURPHY
Oh, you've lost it, haven't ya?
CONNOR
I'm serious.
MURPHY
Me too. That's stupid. Name one thing
we're gonna need it for.
CONNOR
I don't know they just always need
it.
MURPHY
What is all this "they" shit? This
ain't a movie.
Connor pulls a large hunting knife from Murphy's bag.
CONNOR
Is that right, Rambo?
MURPHY
All right, get the stupid fuckin'
rope.
INT. SMECKER'S BEDROOM NIGHT
Paul Smecker lies in bed with his young lover, Reuben (mid-
twenties). He has an innocent, feminine look and a GQ air
about him. The two have just had sex and Reuben is far more
excited about it than Smecker.
Reuben pants and gestures that it was a wonderful experience.
Smecker watches TV.
Reuben reaches over and affectionately places a hand on
Smecker's chest. Paul tosses it off with indifference.
Reuben has a pouty look. The phone rings.
SMECKER
Uh,huh.
(pause)
Room number.
Reuben throws an arm over Smecker's abdomen and places his
head on Paul's bare chest as if to now force affection.
SMECKER
We got a time of death?
He is visibly miffed with Reuben's sudden display. He tries
to pull the arm away but Reuben holds tight.
SMECKER
(sighs)
What's the body count?
Smecker is annoyed. He slaps Reuben semi-gently once on his
exposed cheek. Reuben closes his eyes and holds even tighter.
SMECKER
Uh, huh.
He bites his lower lip in anger and smack Reuben again on
the same cheek, hard. Reuben jumps to a sitting position
holding his cheek. He is shocked and hurt.
SMECKER
I'll be down there in a bit. Keep
the press out.
He hangs up. Immediately to Reuben, semi-angry.
SMECKER
What are you doing?
REUBEN
(beat)
I was just trying to cuddle.
SMECKER
Cuddle?...
(yelling)
What a fag!
INT. PLAZA HOTEL HALLWAY NIGHT 12:30 A.M.
Smecker saunters down the hall, his usual confident smile.
He is impeccably dressed in a brightly colored suit. Greenly
stands directly outside an open door at the hall's end. A
steady flow of detectives and forensics filter in and out.
Smecker halts before Greenly and looks straight into his
eyes.
SMECKER
(intrigued)
He's struck again, hasn't he, Greenly?
GREENLY
Why do you always disrespect me like
that?
SMECKER
Respect is earned, Greenly, never
given. Guys like you should have to
follow me around squabbling for the
scraps from my table.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE LIVING ROOM NIGHT
Smecker and Greenly walk into a large sunken living room
with high ceilings. There is a huge white shaped pit couch
in the center with seven dead bodies draped across it. All
the bodies have been turned so they are either seated or on
their backs and bright new pennies have been place in their
eyes. There is one corpse directly in the middle of the living
room, making eight. This victim (THE FAT MAN) is overweight
and is lying in debris made up of sheet rock and broken wood
which spreads thinly for a five foot radius around him.
The victims' body positions are in a circle with the fat man
as the hub. Smecker is instantly engulfed. The regular
homicide detectives are on hand with their I.D.s hanging out
of their breast pockets. They see Smecker and back off.
Duffy wears an especially loud tie. Smecker lights up a smoke.
He circles around and sees another body behind the couch,
which makes nine. The victim is on his back, with pennies
stuck in his eyes.
SMECKER
How many bodies, Greenly?
GREENLY
(still Dejected)
Eight.
Smecker's eyes widen as he turns to Greenly.
GREENLY
(catching himself)
No! Shit! I didn't see that one.
Nine! Nine!
Smecker takes a beat. He addresses the detectives.
SMECKER
While Greenly's getting coffee,
anybody else want anything?
GREENLY
(as he walks to the
door)
Shit! Shit!
Smecker surveys the scene.
SMECKER
So Duffy, got any theories to go
with that... tie.
DUFFY
(looks down)
These guys were pros. I think they
were coming for one target, the fag
man, he was the...
SMECKER
The what man?
DUFFY
(surprised)
The fat man.
SMECKER
Well, Freud was right. So you think
they came for the fag man, huh? And
what do you base this upon?
DUFFY
He was the only one done right. Two
in the back of the head.
SMECKER
And the pennies?
DUFFY
New hitman wants to leave his mark
SMECKER
That's a possibility. Y'know you
Boston cops are perking up. That's
two sound theories in one day, neither
of which deal with abnormally sized
men.
(pause)
Another possibility is that they
were placed there with religious
intent.
DUFFY
Yeah. Some cultures still put pennies
in the eyes of the dead, or silver.
SMECKER
The Greeks. The Italians.
DUFFY
The Sicilians.
DOLLY
What's the symbology there?
Smecker tosses the Idiot glance to Dolly.
SMECKER
Symbology? Well, now that Duffy has
relinquished his King Bone Head crown
I see we have an heir to the throne.
I'm sure the word you were looking
for was symbolism. What's the
symbolism there? Let me explain it
to you. In Greek and Roman mythology
when you died you would have to pay
the toll to Charon, the boatman who
ferried you across to the gates of
judgment. This made sure the dead
came to atone for what they did during
their lives, Detective...
Smecker looks at his I.D.
SMECKER
Dollapoppaskalious.
The detectives are impressed.
DOLLY (DOLLAPOPPASKALIOUS)
Holy shit. You're the first one that's
ever got that.
SMECKER
(aside)
Yeah, well... I'm an expert in name-
ology.
The detectives chuckle.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE LIVING ROOM NIGHT
Smecker is chain smoking. His clothes appear unkempt. His
eyes show emotion at every new found clue. The detectives
watch closely. He is hunched over the body of the fat man
probing his wounds with his gloved fingers. Greenly has re-
entered. He defiantly holds a cup of coffee but is too
intimidated to interrupt Smecker. He sets it down and folds
his arms.
SMECKER
I've seen burns like these before.
They used silencers. Look at these
entry and exit wounds. They're
identical.
He stands up and gives a lesson to the now eager detectives.
He points his two index fingers to the back of his own skull.
SMECKER
The two bullets went in here, through
the top of the skull, criss-crossed
and exited through the eyeballs.
This one clue tells us three distinct
facts. Number one... Duffy.
DUFFY
They shot him at a downward angle.
(makes connection)
They put him on his knees.
SMECKER
Excellent! Number two. Greenly.
GREENLY
Uh.
(thinking hard)
Shit, I, uh...
SMECKER
It tells us that he was the last to
die. All these men
(fans across the
corpses with his
hand)
Were carrying. They came in, dropped
all in seconds and then took their
time with fag man. Didn't they,
Duffy?!
(psychotic laugh)
They sure as fuck did!
A wide-eyed Duffy joins with Smecker, by nodding his head.
Smecker is seducing all of them.
SMECKER
And number three, Dolly.
DOLLY
Uh... two shooters!
SMECKER
Fan-fuckin-tastic!
Greenly and Duffy want to know how.
SMECKER
Now stay with me, boys. What did
they do to make two such identical
wounds? Did one guy put him on his
knees, pop a cap in, sit him back up
and shoot him again the same way?
No. Two men of similar height dropped
this guy down, each put some iron to
his head and boom! That's all she
fuckin' wrote!
DUFFY
What about one guy with two guns?
SMECKER
Possible, but unlikely. The angles
are too extreme. A guy holding two
guns to the back of your head is
gonna shoot straight ahead. He
wouldn't cock out his elbows, makes
no sense. Besides, you telling me
one guy came in here and killed eight
men with eight extremely well aimed
shots in just a few seconds? No way.
Had to be at least two.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE LIVING ROOM NIGHT LATER
Smecker is now a complete mess. His hair is totally frazzled.
He is sucking on cigarettes long and hard. His clothes are
completely disheveled.
SMECKER
Television,... television is the
explanation for this.
Smecker points toward the ceiling revealing a huge gaping
hole in it just above the living room.
SMECKER
You see this is bad television.
(again pointing out
the hole in the
ceiling)
The little assault guys creeping in
through the vents and coming in
through the ceilings. That James
Bond shit never happens in real life.
Professionals don't do that. So we've
got this up here, which has novice
written all over it. And all this
down here that's simply a perfect
textbook assassination. So here's
our two possibilities. We either
have rank amateurs that got lucky or
consummate professionals that fucked
up.
The detectives nod in agreement. They are now completely
taken in by Smecker's spell.
SMECKER
Join me in a drink, gentlemen.
They go over and grab seats at the bar. Smecker mixes himself
a gin and tonic on the other side. He is calming down now
and going back into cool mode. He starts to tuck his clothes
back in and fix his hair. He leans over the bar and sips his
drink. The three detectives lean in.
SMECKER
With the exception of my coffee boy,
you Boston detectives are starting
to show signs of intelligence. So, I
am going to make you privy to some
information that you would not
normally be. These men are all Russian
mob. Not like those two peons in the
alley the other day. These guys are
all syndicate bosses and underbosses.
I have a dossier on every man in
this room. Since the Iron Curtain
has gone down, the Russian syndicates
have started to come here. And in
the spirit of Glasnost the Soviets
have opened their borders to the
mafia. But the Italians, they're not
convinced that the grounds in mother
Russia are fertile enough for
organized crime yet. So they ain't
ready to commit. The Russians are
coming here anyway. They are
unwelcome. What we have here,
gentlemen, is possibly the beginning
of the first international mob war...
unless I've totally missed something.
All their faces read the gravity of the situation.
SMECKER
Now, what is this going to look like
to those who do not know what I just
told you?
DUFFY
It's gonna look like the bad guys
are killing each other.
SMECKER
And is there an American, shit is
there a man seated among us that
hasn't thought about it many times,
let's just put them all on an island,
give them guns and let them kill
each other. This is our wet dream
come true. You can expect federal
and local law enforcement to go only
deep enough to satisfy the law, then
bury it from here on out.
DOLLY
So, what do we do now?
SMECKER
That depends. You either do your job
or get ethical.
INT. ROCCO'S APARTMENT NIGHT
Rocco comes out of the bathroom. He storms out to his small,
round, living room table at which the boys are seated. He is
wearing a white, polyester shirt with gold trim that is a
uniform of some kind for perhaps a chain of restaurants. It
is unbuttoned all the way down and his white t-shirt is
hanging out. He is wearing a name tag that reads "Jaffar".
He is upset. He slams down a chair across from the brothers
who are sitting there cleaning guns and silencers. All the
accouterments of death are sprawled before them. They are
smoking as they carefully disassemble their firearms.
ROCCO
This better be good.
(viciously ties his
hair back)
Talk!
The boys look at each other.
FLASHBACK EXT. SIDEWALK DOWNTOWN BOSTON NIGHT
The boys are walking across Copley Square. Connor looks at
the note he wrote at the police station. They stand on the
sidewalk and light smokes. They are in their regular garb;
thick naval P-coats, jeans and leather boots. They each carry
a mid-sized, black, duffle bag. They are serious and business-
like. They scan the Plaza Hotel from across the street. The
elite exit and enter the hotel. Connor glances at his pocket
watch. It's 8:45.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL ELEVATOR NIGHT
They enter. They look ahead, stone-faced, as the elevator
climbs.
MURPHY
Nervous?
CONNOR
A bit.
MURPHY
Me, too.
The elevator stops at the lobby level. Nine, well-dressed
men enter. Their faces are not shown. The boys move to the
back wall.
One guy says something quickly to another in Russian. The
other gives a one word Russian response. They boys look at
each other. As the elevator climbs, their eyes focus.
The door opens. As the men exit the elevator, each face is
seen individually, all are victims from Smecker's crime scene.
The elevator goes up half a floor. They hit the stop button
and rummage in their bags. They suit up; black gloves and
black masks. They strap on four 9mm. pistols with silencers,
in shoulder holsters, one under each arm. Connor takes a
large coil of black rope and drapes it around himself. He
looks at Murphy and at the rope in his bag. Murphy is too
excited to argue.
MURPHY
You and your fucking rope.
He puts it on. They drop to their knees, making the sign of
the cross. Then, up through the ceiling they go.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL ELEVATOR SHAFT NIGHT
They stand on top of the elevator before a long air shaft.
CONNOR
(smiling)
See. I told you there'd be a shaft.
MURPHY
(smiling)
Just like on TV.
They jump into the air shaft.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL AIR SHAFT NIGHT
They start crawling with Connor in front and Murphy behind.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE NIGHT
The plump boss is standing in the middle of the sunken living
room.
His eight Russian comrades are around him seated on the U-
shaped pit couch. They speak Russian, but no subtitles are
seen. The fat man yells. He's mad about something.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL AIR SHAFT NIGHT
Connor is taking lots of random turns, left and right. He is
starting to look a bit confused.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE NIGHT
The fat man is really yelling at them now. He is screaming
and pointing at each man.
They seem to be taking it seriously.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL AIR SHAFT NIGHT
Their brows are drenched with sweat. Murphy crawls up next
to Connor. There is only enough room for the two to lie on
their sides facing each other.
MURPHY
Where the fuck are you going?
CONNOR
We'll find it. Just calm down.
MURPHY
No, fuck you. This rope is bullshit.
I'm sweatin' my ass off draggin'
this stupid thing around. Must weigh
30 pounds.
Murphy takes off the rope.
CONNOR
We're doing some serious shit here.
Now, get a hold of yourself, asshole.
MURPHY
Asshole!? I'm not the rope-totin'
Charlie Bronson wanna-be that's
getting' us lost!
CONNOR
Sh, sh! Fuck you!
Connor grabs Murphy's shirt.
MURPHY
No, fuck you!
The boys get into a close quarters battle. An occasional
insult is thrown as feet kick and fists fly. They begin to
get tangled in their own rope. The seam of the duct breaks
and a tangled mess of rope and MacManuses pour out.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE NIGHT
They crash through the ceiling right above the fat man's
head. The rope gets caught and slams the boys to a halt,
hanging them upside down, back to back about six feet above
the floor. They are turning in circles. The boss is balled
up in the fetal position on the floor. The shocked Russians
say only a word or two in panic before the MacManus brothers
react, reaching for their guns. The Russians start to reach
for their guns. It's too late. The boys draw and fire as
they spin. Taking four shots apiece.
There are eight dead Russians. Chests explode as they fall
back on the couch in a loose circle. One victims is blasted
over the couch.
They notice the fat man directly beneath them. Murphy grabs
his Rambo knife, reaches up and cuts the rope. They land in
a heap, scramble over to the doomed man and place him on his
knees. They each put a gun to the back of his head and recite
this prayer in perfect unison.
BOTH
And shepherds we shall be. For thee,
my Lord, for thee. Power hath
descended forth from thy hand that
our feet may swiftly carry out thy
command. So we shall flow a river
forth to thee and teeming with souls
shall it ever be. E nomini patri, et
Fili e spiritu sancti.
With the silenced pop from their guns we cut the sound and
go to black and white. (Slo-mo) Choral music starts with
Latin script being read in the background. They take their
rosaries out. They slowly walk around, mumbling prayers as
they care for the dead. They gently turn over the bodies
that were on their stomachs. They brush the hair back from
the victims faces. They place pennies in the eyes of al the
corpses. When they finish their ritual, they pull off their
masks and look at each other. They start to grin and look
around. They work each other into a healthy chuckle.
CONNOR
(looks up)
That was some good fuckin' rope.
They both laugh.
MURPHY
That was way easier than I thought.
CONNOR
Aye.
MURPHY
On TV ya always get that asshole
that jumps behind the couch.
CONNOR
Yeah, and ya gotta shoot at him for
ten minutes.
MURPHY
Oh, we're good man.
CONNOR
Yes, we are.
They are already striding for a suitcase full of money.
Murphy picks up a wad of bills.
MURPHY
I love our new job.
Just then, there's a knock at the door. They snap into action.
They stand at each side of the double doors, looking through
the peepholes. They see Rocco on the other side dressed as a
hotel employee. He wears a polyester shirt with gold trim
and a name tag that reads Jaffar. He has a good cart in front
of him.
They look at each other and grin. Murphy nods. As they open
the door, Murphy grabs the food cart and pulls it in.
Connor seizes the mortified Rocco and pulls him in, slamming
the door shut behind him. They run, dragging him and then
throw him in the midst of the bodies. They put their guns
right in his face.
ROCCO
Oh, God! Don't kill me! We're on the
same side! The boss musta sent you
in as back up, huh? Oh, shit, please!
I'm Rocco. I'm the funny man.
(almost crying)
They call me the funny fuckin' man!
CONNOR
(attempting to hide
accent)
Where's your gun?
ROCCO
Chest pocket.
(they take it)
Shit!
CONNOR
This is a six-shooter.
MURPHY
(hiding accent)
Nine bodies.
CONNOR
Oh, you're good. What were you gonna
do? Laugh the last three to death,
funny man?
ROCCO
Poppa Joe said there was only two.
In and out.
(trying to make friends)
Boy, you guys sure did a good job.
You're good, huh? Cool masks. Where'd
you get them?
CONNOR
Let's do him right here.
MURPHY
Right now.
ROCCO
(screaming like a
baby)
Don't kill me. Oh shit, please no.
I'm Rocco. I'm the funny man!... the
funny man... the funny.
The boys put their faces close to his and demask. They start
laughing but Rocco just lays there, wide-eyed, in shock.
They boys saunter to the bar. Rocco takes a long beat.
ROCCO
What did you do?! Fuckin'... what
the fuckin' fuck! Who the fuck, fucked
this fuckin'? fuck. How did you two
fuckin', fucks?......... FUCK!!!
CONNOR
Certainly illustrates the diversity
of the word.
The brothers laugh.
ROCCO
What the fuck are you doing here?
What, huh!? WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? ANSWERS!
I WANT FUCKIN' ANSWERS!
CONNOR
(slaps his face)
Get a hold of yourself, man.
Rocco is silent and surprised. Murphy, also surprised, looks
at Rocco. All is quiet.
MURPHY
Yeah, get a hold of yourself.
Murphy jokingly slaps Rocco a second time. Rocco instantly
jumps on Murphy, cursing and punching. The brothers burst
into laughter as they subdue Rocco. As he calms down, they
release him.
CONNOR
Listen, we gotta get outta here now.
We'll take separate exits and meet
at Rocco's.
Murphy puts the two suitcases in his duffle bag and the two
brush by Rocco who is still unsatisfied with his explanation.
ROCCO
Fuck!
BACK TO PRESENT INT. ROCCO'S APARTMENT NIGHT
Rocco has removed his hotel jacket.
ROCCO
Anybody you think is evil?
CONNOR
Yes.
ROCCO
Don't you think that's a little
psycho? A little weird?
CONNOR
Weird, huh?... Know what I think is
weird? Decent men with loving families
go home every day after work. They
turn on the news and see rapists,
murderers, and child molesters all
getting out of prison.
MURPHY
Mafiosos getting caught with 20 kilos
and walkin' on bail the same day.
CONNOR
Little girls catchin' stray bullets
in their heads, playin' hopscotch in
their front yards. And everyone thinks
the same thing... Someone should
just go kill those motherfuckers.
MURPHY
Kill em all. Admit it, even you've
thought about it.
Rocco ponders this as the boys continue to clean their
weapons.
ROCCO
You guys should be in every major
city.
The boys chuckle. Rocco steadily works himself into a humorous
frenzy.
ROCCO
This is some heavy shit. This is
like Lone Ranger-heavy man. Fuck it!
There's so much shit that pisses me
off. You guys should recruit 'cause
I am sick and fuckin' tired of walkin'
down the street waitin' for one of
these assholes to get me, y'know?
MURPHY
(chuckling)
Hallelujah, Jaffar.
ROCCO
So you're not just talkin' mob guys.
You're talkin' anyone, right? Even
like pimps and drug dealers and all
that shit?
The boys look at each other and nod.
ROCCO
Well fuck, you guys could do this
every day.
MURPHY
We're like 7-Eleven. We ain't always
doing business, but we're always
open.
CONNOR
Nicely put.
INT. ROCCO'S APARTMENT NIGHT ONE HOUR LATER
The three are partying hard. There's a pizza surrounded by
Guinness cans as they whoop it up, sitting at the round table.
Rocco wears one of the masks. They're all drunk. The house
cat is lounging on the table comfortably.
ROCCO
You fuckin' guys. You ruined me. I'm
fuckin' done. Permanent package boy.
MURPHY
Who says that? You could take credit
on it.
ROCCO
What are you serious?
MURPHY
Yeah, fuck it. If you think about
it, it's all you can do really. You
can't tell him it was us. Go in
braggin' and shit.
CONNOR
Climb the corporate ladder, boy. Don
Rocco.
ROCCO
Fuck it! I'm doing it. I deserve it.
I've been working for those fat
bastards since I was in high school
and look at this place.
The boys nod in agreement.
ROCCO
(working into a frenzy)
They're fuckin' me man! Hey, they
can suck my pathetic little dick.
And I'll dip my nuts in marinara
just so the fat fucks can get a taste
of home while they're at it. That's
it, it's done, I'm doing it.
Rocco slams his fist down on the table next to Murphy's gun.
The gun goes off with a bang! and blows the lounging cat
right off the table. A softball-sized hole is blasted in the
wall as a large splatter of blood sprays the area surrounding
the hole. Everyone is in shock for a second.
MURPHY
I can't fuckin' believe that just
happened!
INT. ROCCO'S APARTMENT NEXT MORNING 11:30 A.M.
The three are passed out all over the apartment. Rocco
awakens. He stumbles past the wall with the large, round,
pink stain on it. There is a crooked picture hanging in the
middle of it.
Rocco staggers to the kitchen and throws water in his face
over a sinkful of dirty dishes. Connor awakens, grabs his
jacket and follows Rocco out.
EXT. ROCCO'S FRONT STEPS CONTINUOUS
CONNOR
(hung over)
Donna's gonna be angry about her
cat.
ROCCO
Shit. She's on every drug know to
man. She'd have sold that thing for
a dime bag. Screw her.
(beat)
But I do kinda feel like an ass-hole.
CONNOR
(chuckles)
You sound real remorseful.
Connor lights up two smokes and hands one to Rocco.
ROCCO
She ain't been around in weeks anyhow.
CONNOR
(beat)
Listen. Something's been bothering
me about last night.
ROCCO
What?
CONNOR
Well... what if your boss knew how
many guys were supposed to be there...
in that room?
ROCCO
What are you saying?
CONNOR
Think about it man. Nine men, six
bullets.
ROCCO
You think they sold me out? No way.
CONNOR
He probably knew you'd end up nailing
the fat guy, maybe one or two more,
but he had to know you weren't walking
out of there. Figure it out. Shooter's
dead on the scene. No in-depth
investigation. It'd slide right off
his back. 'Cause as much as I love
ya, you're not exactly Don Corleone.
What would he be losing? A thirty-
five year old delivery boy?
ROCCO
No, no. That's just not the way things
are done. Besides, how's he know I
don't just get in there see there's
too many and just serve em their
fuckin' food and beat it?
CONNOR
He knows you, man. He knows all you
want is to move up. That's all. A
smooth hitter woulda gone in there,
seen it was a wash and slipped out.
But a guy like you? Knowin' this is
your only chance? Waitin' eighteen
years?
ROCCO
No. No man. That's... that's... you
don't know what you're talking about.
That's bullshit. I know these guys.
I mean, thanks for your concern, but
that just ain't the thing of it.
CONNOR
Do me a favor and roll it around for
a bit on your way in.
ROCCO
No, look. No rolling. Nothing needs
to be rolled.
Murphy stumbles enters scene with Rocco and Connor.
MURPHY
(to Rocco)
Where are you goin'?
(to Connor)
Did you tell him?
CONNOR
Yes.
MURPHY
(to Rocco)
Then what the fuck?
ROCCO
Hey. You don't know that shit for
sure.
MURPHY
Oh, Jesus. You're such a fuckin'
retard!
ROCCO
Fuck you!
MURPHY
Use your brain for once. Is it so
unbelievable they don't care about
you? You are fuckin' dead, you go in
there today. Dead!
ROCCO
Oh yeah. You two fuckin' Micks know
what's going on, huh?
(flips them off)
Fuck you!
CONNOR
(trying to calm him)
Hey, this ain't a thing you should
gamble on, Roc.
A girl rides by on a bicycle, they pause as she rides between
them.
MURPHY
Fuck it! What kind of flowers ya
want at your funeral? Ya dumb Wop.
This is the last time I'll see you.
Bye-bye ya stupid son of a bitch.
ROCCO
(walking away)
I'll be back at 9:00.
CONNOR
Hey. You get in there and start
getting a bad vibe, get the fuck out
quick.
INT. ROCCO'S APARTMENT LATE AFTERNOON
Connor picks up the place as Murphy watches t.v. The phone
rings.
MURPHY
Hello?
ROCCO (V.O.)
Hey Murph.
MURPHY
Roc. You okay?
ROCCO (V.O.)
Yeah. Anybody call for me?
MURPHY
No. You sure you're okay?
ROCCO (V.O.)
I'm fuckin' fine.
(beat)
Catch you on the flip side.
Rocco hangs up. Just then DONNA and her friend RAYVIE enter
the apartment. They are consummate junky sluts who are very
doped up and giddy.
DONNA
(trying hard)
Here kitty, kitty...... kitty.
INT. SIN BIN SMALL ROOM NIGHT
Smecker ascends the three, small steps up to the round room.
A NUDE DANCER sits there on the couch in a robe. She is crying
as she is being consoled by Detective Duffy. This small room
is where men watch girls through a large glass window.
In this room a dancer performs on a floor a few feet above
the three private booths where each man watches from his own
booth. She appears as if on stage. All three windows are
shattered and there is blood on the wall of all three booths.
We see assorted body parts in each booth, but no faces.
DOLLY
(approaches Smecker)
She was in here when it went down.
SMECKER
Can she I.D. them?
DOLLY
They were wearing masks.
SMECKER
Of course they were. How many?
DOLLY
Three.
Smecker looks at Dolly surprised.
DOLLY
Only two did the shooting.
(beat)
So what are you thinking, Russian
retaliation?
SMECKER
Nah, too quick half their
infrastructure got taken out at the
Copley plaza. Besides, if you're a
hitter, you're either working for
the Russians or the Italians. There's
no riding the fence. Our little theory
from last night just got blown to
shit. Something... new is going on
here.
Smecker sits next to the girl. He has Compassion. She Cries.
SMECKER
Probably shouldn't work another shift
for awhile.
DANCER
Fuck this job. I'm getting out of
the porno business and I don't care
who I gotta blow to do it.
INT. SIN BIN SMALL ROOM NIGHT
The bodies have been removed and chalk outlines replace them.
The bullet holes in the walls have been marked either A or
B. The detectives watch Smecker. He is a mess. His clothes
are disheveled and his hair is frazzled.
SMECKER
After talking to the dancer we know
that their mark was the guy in the
middle booth. After she watches them
whack him, she passes out.
(pause)
Why the two extra victims?
GREENLY
Witness?
SMECKER
No way they could have seen it.
Smecker hits an orange button on the wall and a black steel
door with a money slot comes slamming down in front of the
first booth. He does the same thing to the last booth, leaving
the middle one open. Both doors possess peep holes.
SMECKER
(sarcastic)
Allow me to enlighten you gentlemen
to the protocol of the porno industry,
as I'm sure you've never been in one
of these places before. A man goes
into the booth, puts the money in
the slot. The dancer gets it on the
other side. She hits the button,
door goes up, now there is only glass
between you and it's
(makes a masturbatory
gesture with hand)
little fireman time.
DUFFY
No way they could have seen it?
SMECKER
Those doors were down... which means
this. They looked down in through
the peep hole, saw these guys and
opened the doors from the inside.
Pop, pop, pop, right through the
glass. Why?
DOLLY
Maybe the three of them had something
in common.
SMECKER
No. This guy is big time.
(points to middle
booth)
These two are street-walking scum.
GREENLY
(kidding)
Then that's what they had in common.
They were all bad guys... now they're
all dead bad guys.
Smecker seems side-tracked and ponderous at Greenly's
observation. He hits the orange buttons and raises the doors.
SMECKER
We got another thing to think about
here. We got us a genuine Kennedy
assassination style bullet theory.
Two guns were used here, guns A and
B. The guy in the middle was done
with both. But this guy...
(denotes right booth)
...he was killed with bullets from
gun A only. And this guy...
(denotes left booth)
...gun B only. But ballistics dug
two slugs out of the wall from over
here where the victim was done with
A.
Smecker points to two bullet holes in the wall of the booth
on the left. Each is marked "B". He walks over to the right
booth where in the exact location are two identical holes
marked "A".
SMECKER
And it's the same story over here.
Why the crossover?
(beat)
Theories.
DOLLY
That's just fucking weird. I have no
idea.
DUFFY
Jesus. I just can't think anymore.
That scene over at the coffee shop
today tapped me out.
SMECKER
What?
DUFFY
A guy went nuts over off of
Commonwealth today. Shot three guys
to death in a coffee shop in broad
daylight. Fled the scene. Don't have
much on him.
SMECKER
(angry)
Why was I not informed of this?
GREENLY
They weren't related. The guy used a
38. No pennies. Totally amateur.
SMECKER
Who were the victims?
GREENLY
A couple of peons for the mob and...
SMECKER
(livid)
Oh that's just BEAUTIFUL! All the
scumbags in the quiet city of Boston
start dropping dead and you think
it's unrelated?! Greenly, the day I
want the Boston Police doing my
thinking for me, I will have a fucking
tag on my toe! Now, get me a squad
car and get me over there. I want
the crime scene photos and any witness
statements. NOW!
Smecker storms from the room. The detectives begin to follow.
Smecker comes barreling back in, shoving them out of the
way. He looks at the bullet holes in the walls marked "A and
B" again. Something has clicked.
SMECKER
(wide-eyed)
Oh... it looks like we got us a
cowboy.
INT. LAKEVIEW LUNCH NIGHT
Smecker surveys photos and papers, as he smokes profusely.
He stands next to a table in the back where chairs are knocked
over. Body chalk and blood stains are everywhere. The
detectives seem like they don't want to be there, again.
SMECKER
The shooter knew these guys, huh?
DOLLY
How do you figure?
SMECKER
Friends, Gentlemen. They were friends.
Smecker flashes them a photo of a dead body. The victim is
shot in the head and face down in his plate of food. His
hands are on the table in front of him.
SMECKER
These guys were packing. Not one
hand near a gun. It's simple human
behavior. Someone you don't know
approaches you, you put your hand on
it. This guy's got his hands on the
table. He's eating his food, for
Christ sakes. They were friends.
Smecker looks over the bar.
SMECKER
These two fucking scenes are related.
Too many coincidences. Same day?
Five hours apart? Dead mobsters on
both scenes. Now, why did he kill
the bartender?
DUFFY
Crime of passion. He just went nuts.
He would have shot everyone in here.
He just ran out of bullets.
SMECKER
Duffy. This look like a fucking post
office to you? This guy came in here
with intent. Maybe he didn't know
exactly what he was gonna do but he
had a pretty good idea. The bartender
wasn't a fucking accident.
DUFFY
Well, we didn't get any help on that.
A lot of people saw it. Nobody's
talking.
SMECKER
Fucking figures. Look, are you guys
seeing the pattern here? We got big
questions at both of these crime
scenes, with no answers. WHY did
they kill the guys in the other two
booths? WHY did he do the bartender?
It would seem unnecessary, even
stupid.
(angry)
God, I hate cold crime scenes! I'm
fucking leaving now. And do me a
favor, tell me when the next guy
dies, cause these guys are not done
yet.
He storms to the entry way.
INT. LAKEVIEW LUNCH ENTRY WAY NIGHT
Smecker walks across the street, still angry, and goes to a
payphone. There's an extreme close-up on his hand as he puts
in a quarter. As the quarter jingles in...
FLASHBACK EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF LAKEVIEW LUNCH DAY
...there is a close-up on a hand pulling back from the coin
slot. The hand moves up to pull a cigarette from its
possessor's mouth. It is Rocco. He dials the phone.
MURPHY (V.O.)
Hello?
ROCCO
Hey, Murph.
MURPHY (V.O.)
Roc. You okay?
ROCCO
Yeah. Anybody call for me?
MURPHY (V.O.)
No. You sure you're okay?
ROCCO
I'm fuckin' fine.
(beat)
Catch you on the flip side.
He goes across the street and enters Salamone's.
INT. ROCCO'S APARTMENT DAY
Donna and Rayvie are laying on the couch. Connor is spit-
shining his boots by the window. Murphy lights his cigarette
on the gas stove and pours some salt in a pot of water with
a handful of pennies boiling to a shine in it. Rocco bursts
through the door, hysterical. Tears are streaming down his
face.
ROCCO
Pack your shit! We gotta get outta
here! We gotta get out!
CONNOR
(hopping into his
boots)
What happened?
ROCCO
I killed em! Oh, Jesus! I killed em
all!!
DONNA
Rocco?
MURPHY
Hey, hey. Just calm down. Tell us
what happened!
ROCCO
No! Fuck you! You start getting
excited! We gotta fucking go!
DONNA
Rocco!
CONNOR
(packing up gear)
Who did you kill?
MURPHY
(packing up gear)
Holy shit. Who? How many?
ROCCO
(rummaging through
his drawers)
Hurry the fuck up!
MURPHY
This is some crazy shit, man!
ROCCO
Those cocksuckers sold me out!
CONNOR
Did I fuckin' tell ya, Rocco? They
pull on you first?
DONNA
ROCCO!
ROCCO
What did I fuckin' do?... in the
middle of the Lakeview.
CONNOR
Lakeview the deli? Oh, shit!
MURPHY
Ha! Ha! Roc, you got a jumbo set of
coconut balls man!
DONNA/RAYVIE
ROCCO!
ROCCO
(turns in rage)
What?
DONNA
(softly)
Where's my cat?
ROCCO
(slight pause)
I killed your fuckin' cat, you druggie
bitch!
DONNA
(shocked, hurt)
You... oh god, why?
ROCCO
I felt it would bring closure to our
relationship!
DONNA
(crying)
You killed my... my...
She stops, unsure of the cat's name.
ROCCO
(screaming)
Your what?! Your fuckin' what?!
DONNA
My, my...
ROCCO
(puts his gun to his
own head)
Your what, bitch? I'll shoot myself
in the head, you can tell me that
cats name! Go ahead... Your what?
Your precious little...
(waiting for her
response)
DONNA
(flustered, crying)
Pee...Per...Man.
ROCCO
Peeperman? WRONG? What color was
it?!!!
DONNA
It was... It was...
ROCCO
Male or female, bitch?!!
RAYVIE
Don't you yell at her you fuckin'
prick!
ROCCO
Shut your fat ass, Rayvie! I can't
buy a pack of smokes without running
into nine guys you fucked.
DONNA
Don't you yell at her!
Rocco rummages through her purse and finds her car keys.
ROCCO
All right, let's get the fuck outta
here!
They exit. Rayvie and Donna are hugging each other, crying.
RAYVIE
Is my... I mean it's not really...?
DONNA
No. No. It's not fat.
INT. CAR EARLY EVENING
Rocco is in the back. Connor is driving.
ROCCO
Those rat fucks! All of them were
all laughing at me man!
MURPHY
You sure you killed them?
INT. FLASHBACK SALAMONE'S DAY
Rocco is standing at the back table while his cohorts remain
seated. They are OLY, and VINNIE.
ROCCO (V.O.)
Fuckin-A-right I did. I had a goddam
turkey shoot over there.
VINNIE
I'll bet it was a test. Vincenzo
came in here shooting his mouth off.
He was makin' sure we knew. But we
did what we were supposed to, eh? We
kept our mouths shut. You did your
part. They know we're goodfellas
now. We'll get taken care of.
ROCCO
What? Did everyone know? Next thing
you'll tell me Sal was in on it.
Rocco looks at Sal the bartender who reaches for the phone.
OLY
Fuck. Vincenzo told Sal first. That
fat fuck knew before we did.
They all start laughing together.
OLY
At least we got our funny man back.
They all laugh as Rocco pulls his gun and shoots Oly in the
head. He lands face down in his plate of food. He shoots
Vinnie in the chest then turns on Sal. He yells "Funny, funny,
funny" as he pumps the remaining rounds into him.
INT. BACK TO PRESENT DONNA'S CAR
CONNOR
Anybody see ya?
ROCCO
Fuck, man! I may as well have posted
flyers. Right out in public, man.
MURPHY
Liberating isn't it?
ROCCO
(smiles at last)
Y'know it is, a bit.
The boys laugh.
ROCCO
Stop the car!
Connor pulls over directly in front of a pink neon sign that
says The Sin Bin.
ROCCO
Vincenzo, that fat motherfucker,
Yakavetta's right hand. He's the one
who set me up. Then he went around
shooting his mouth off, telling
everyone I was as good as dead. He
goes in there every Wednesday night
around 10:00, he jerks off in the
same booth to the same titty dancer.
Never misses.
MURPHY
So?
ROCCO
So let's kill the motherfucker. I
mean, what are you guys... like that's
your new thing right?
CONNOR
(looks at Murphy)
Yeah, well...
ROCCO
Oh, what the fuck? How do you guys
decide who you're... I mean, who
makes the cut? Is there a raffle or
something?
MURPHY
Well, truth be known, those first
ones just kinda fell into our laps.
ROCCO
Well, what'ya do?
CONNOR
I guess we really don't have a system
of deciding who.
ROCCO
(excited, yelling)
MEEE! ME! I'm the guy! I know
everyone, their habits, where they
hang out, who they talk to. I know
where they fuckin' live. We could
kill everyone!
MURPHY
(to Connor)
So what do you think?
CONNOR
I'm strangely comfortable with it.
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND SIN BIN NIGHT
Rocco, Connor and Murphy are looking very serious as they
smoke outside the rear door, in the alley. A drug dealer in
a hooded Boston Bruins jacket emerges from the opposing alley.
He stops a 13 year-old kid. The kid is scared as the drug
dealer slaps him. The kid give him money and the drug dealer
stuffs a small baggie in the boy's shirt. He lets him go and
withdraws into the alley.
As the boys and Rocco watch this from the opposing alley,
they begin to head for them, but Vincenzo's car pulls up
across the street. Rocco stops the boys and denotes Vincenzo.
The boys head in the front door. Rocco moves back into the
alley.
INT. SIN BIN NIGHT
Vincenzo enters and shuffles past the bar where the brothers
stand. He walks through a bead curtain at the back of the
busy porno house. The boys follow him.
INT. SIN BIN HALLWAY NIGHT
They go to the back, open the exit door and let Rocco in.
The three wind down long dark hallways with Rocco leading
the way until they reach a green door. The boys stand, side
by side, directly in front of it. Rocco is just behind them.
The three pull identical 9mm.'s and the boys pull on their
masks. Rocco puts on a mask that he made from a dock worker's
cotton hat. He looks ridiculous.
MURPHY
Okay Roc, this is...
He turns and is instantly taken with laughter at Rocco's
appearance. Connor turns, and has the same reaction.
ROCCO
What? You guys got masks.
They are now pointing and laughing.
MURPHY
(through laughter)
You look like Mush Mouth from Fat
Albert.
ROCCO
(takes off mask)
Fine! Fuck it! When we're done she
can I.D. me. I don't care. Just tryin'
to be professional, but no...
CONNOR
(still laughing)
No. No. It looks good. C'mon, put it
back on. It's good.
He begrudgingly puts it back on. They reassume their position.
CONNOR
(imitating mush mouth)
Okay Roc. You sure you're O-B-kay-B?
INT. SIN BIN SMALL ROOM NIGHT
They burst into the room, climb up a few steps and are in a
small round room with a couch in it. A topless dancer sits,
smoking and drinking coffee, on the couch in front of three
big black steel doors with money slots in them. Rocco seizes
her, puts a hand over her mouth and a gun to her head.
ROCCO
Which one is he in?
She points to the middle door.
ROCCO
(takes his hand off
her mouth)
What's his routine?
DANCER
H... h... he jerks off in there.
Th... then he puts money through the
slot and I raise the door.
MURPHY
How?
She points to an orange button. Each door has a button to
the left of it.
ROCCO
Then what?
DANCER
He watches me do my thing and f-
finishes himself off.
INT. SIN BIN CENTER BOOTH NIGHT
We see the fuzzy reflection of a cheap porno movie being
reflected in Vincenzo's Elvis style sunglasses. He is shaking
as he masturbates.
VINCENZO
(grunting, muttering)
Don't you talk to me like that, you
dirty little... give it to daddy...
give it ta da King... garbage mouth,
garbage mouth.
INT. SIN BIN SMALL ROOM NIGHT
Rocco is looking through the peep hole down on Vincenzo. He
still holds the terrified, crying dancer.
ROCCO
Oh man. He is some sicko.
They back up and focus on the money slot. A hundred dollar
bill comes through. Connor gives it to the dancer.
CONNOR
You've earned this.
The boys begin to recite their prayer. Rocco is smiling and
excited, he still hangs on to the now hyperventilating dancer.
They press the button. The door goes straight up. Vincenzo
has one moment of shock before the MacManuses decimate him
through the glass with silenced bullets. The glass silently
spiders and begins to fall in spots. His chest explodes,
sputtering medallions and bits of gold chain inside the booth.
The dancer faints and Rocco lays her down gently.
The boys step down in the boot and begin their ritual.
Rocco watches intently, intrigued. They finish and turn around
to see Rocco is immersed in grabbing one of the unconscious
dancer's breasts. They pull up their masks.
CONNOR
What the fuck are you doing?
ROCCO
I-I'll tip her.
MURPHY
We've teamed up with a sex offender.
CONNOR
So, when are you getting a plastic
fuck doll?
ROCCO
All right. I'm sorry. I'm pathetic.
He gets up and starts tossing money on her as the boys giggle.
Just then two more bills come through the slots of the other
two doors, which have remained closed. Murphy looks through
left peep hole, Connor the right. Smiles spread across their
faces and they look at each other. They switch and each looks
through the other guy's peep hole.
ROCCO
What? What is it?
CONNOR
This place is like a scumbag yard
sale.
MURPHY
We gotta come down here once a week
and clean house.
Rocco looks in one. He says "Oh, wow" as he crosses and checks
out the other one.
ROCCO
You sure about this guy?
The boys look at each other affirmatively.
ROCCO
Oh man. You gotta let me do these
guys. I'm such a moron. I gotta make
up for the tit thing.
CONNOR
No way. I've been waitin' for this
asshole.
ROCCO
Aw, c'mon. I gotta clear my family
name here. I've brought shame to the
house of Della Rocco.
MURPHY
Give the guy a shot.
CONNOR
(thinks it over)
Rocco, this is the real deal. We
must kill without hesitation, without
guilt or remorse. Evil man, dead
man.
Rocco gets serious and nods his head. Connor replaces the
clip in his gun and hands it to Rocco. Murphy does the same.
He stands with one in each hand, aiming one gun at each door.
The boys both place a finger on the appropriate orange
buttons, as Rocco slowly cocks his head back. With wide eyes
he thrusts his head forward. The doors fly up. Rocco fires
both guns yelling "Yeah, take it, take it!" Both the drug
dealer from outside and the pimp from the emergency room are
destroyed. Rocco then crosses his arms and fires two more
shots from each gun. On the opposing walls of each booth two
identical bullet holes appear.
ROCCO
Wyatt-fuckin'-Earp, man!
INT. SIN BIN JUST OUTSIDE THE PRIVATE BOOTH MINUTES LATER
Rocco shuts the door.
ROCCO
You guys gotta teach me that prayer,
man. That's some good shit.
CONNOR
Forget it. It's a family prayer. My
father, his father before him that
sort of shit.
ROCCO
C'mon!
INT. RITZY RESTAURANT BATHROOM NIGHT
An old man appears to look at himself in the mirror of an
empty but very upper class bathroom. His eyes are very glazed
over. He puts a large leather case on the counter near the
sinks. A red and white blind stick hangs off his right
forearm.
Yakavetta enters, crosses behind him and stands next to him.
AUGUSTUS (72 years) sniffs the air. A look of angry
realization overtakes his face.
AUGUSTUS
Fuck you.
YAKAVETTA
Hey, Augustus, I need your help, I
got a serious problem here. I'm not
screwing around.
AUGUSTUS
I bounced you on my knee at family
reunions, for Christ sakes. Your dad
and me ran the whole east coast
syndicate you snot-nosed little prick.
And when you took the wheel, who was
beside you?
Augustus begins to remove items from his suitcase. First a
plate. He sets it down next to the sink. Then assorted
colognes, cigarettes and chewing gum. He begins arranging
them in neat rows, always feeling with his guiding hands.
YAKAVETTA
Hey, I just...
AUGUSTUS
Don't start with your shit. Don't
you talk to me. Oh, hey Uncle Gussy,
thanks for years of service. Here's
a gold watch and a job sniffing other
guys' shit eight hours a day. What
am I, a retired bus driver?
YAKAVETTA
I need Il Duce.
AUGUSTUS
The Duke?
(beat)
What did you do?
YAKAVETTA
This kid, this package boy could
bring down the whole east coast. If
he decides to turn states he could
dismantle us... totally. But it looks
like for now, he's content with just
killing us one by one. And even worse
the kid is good at it. I mean I had
a prodigy on my hands the whole time
and didn't even know it.
Yakavetta puts an envelope of money in the plate.
AUGUSTUS
Listen kid, I think you better
understand who you're dealing with
here.
YAKAVETTA
Yeah. I was only twelve or thirteen
when you guys used to talk about
him, like he was a ghost or something.
AUGUSTUS
Your dad and I used him three times
over twenty years, only when
everything went totally fucked.
Believe me kid, you don't want this
guy unless you are 100% sure you
need him. He is... a fuckin' monster.
INT. PRISON PROCESSING ROOM DAY
This is a gigantic three tiered room with guards on all tiers.
They all cock their shotguns.
A PRISONER is shackled barefoot to a small metal cart on
wheels. His hands are cuffed before him with a chain linking
his hands and feet. A guard is pulling the cart through the
prison to the parole board room by a long chain. The cons
have their mirrors out to get a better look. His face is in
shadow as he bows his head.
A metal cage is lowered around him from the ceiling. The
parole board looks him over. A stenographer sits poised
MR. COBB
(English accent)
Do you feel you have been
rehabilitated?
No response is given by the prisoner. The stenographer looks
at MR. COBB who gives her the nod. She begins typing though
no words are spoken.
INT. RITZY RESTAURANT BATHROOM DAY
AUGUSTUS
I've had this guy in front of me,
and I couldn't tell you what he looks
like, sounds like. He is the Picasso
of assassins, kid. He plants hair
samples, blood. Puts skin under
fingernails. He is a fucking genius.
Only one problem. He's been rotting
in prison for twenty-five or thirty
years. Don't even know if he's still
alive. Or if he's even up to it.
Augustus hands him a piece of paper he scribbled on.
YAKAVETTA
There's ways around that.
AUGUSTUS
Go find one.
INT. PAROLE PROCESSING ROOM DAY
A large piece of paper is placed on the table and stamped
with the words parole granted across it.
INT. HOTEL ROOM BOSTON DAY
The prisoner, Il Duce enters. He is clad in a long dark trench
coat with the collar pulled up, dark round glasses and a
dark hat. He puts a suitcase on the bed.
He walks over to the window. He slowly puts his hand outside
and watches the sun bounce off it. Tears begin to flow from
beneath his glasses as he breaks down. He begins to take off
his clothes as he weeps, casting them aside.
EXT. HOTEL ROOM FIRE ESCAPE BACK ALLEY DUSK
The Duke is fully naked, except for a hotel blanket which is
wrapped around his waist, sitting on the fire escape. He
smiles and is still misty-eyed as he beholds the sun setting.
Scattered around him are all the furnishings of freedom;
Snickers bars, all kinds of empty candy wrappers, Coke cans,
and many assorted magazines.
INT. COFFEE HOUSE NIGHT 2:00 A.M.
Rocco and the brothers sit in an old Boston coffee house.
ROCCO
Let's talk some business here. I
know a sick fuck... makes the ones
we been doing look like altar boys.
Worst night of my life when I met
this guy.
FLASHBACK EXT. SUBURBAN BEAVER CLEAVER-TYPE HOUSE DUSK
Rocco waits in a late model Chevelle in front of a white
house. A man exits the house and walks across the sprawling
front lawn. Rocco leans over and says How ya doin', man?
The man doesn't respond and sits in the passenger seat.
During the following scenes we FLASHCUT between bits of
Rocco's experience that night to the coffee house and catch
bits of dialogue as he explains.
ROCCO
The guy never says a fuckin' word to
me. We're driving for 25 minutes.
Never a sigh, no throat clearing,
nothing. And his face, blank man.
Just nothing there.
EXT. DECREPIT HOUSE NIGHT CONTINUED
FLASHCUT: They pull up to a house in a scummy, Boston Logan
Airport neighborhood. Rocco gets out and sits on the hood
smoking as the man makes his way up the walk.
INT. DECREPIT HOUSE CONTINUED
Two tough looking wiseguys walk across a hallway cocking
shotguns. They disappear into a room.
FLASHCUT : He quietly enters the house and pulls a large
bright-blue plastic tarp from his coat and spreads it across
the floor in the hallway. We hear the sound of Sega video
games being played. He pulls out two pistols with silencers
and walk.
He disappears into the living room. Two white flashes and
the sounds of silencers. A hookerish looking mom enters frame
in the B.G. in the kitchen. She is talking on the phone. She
disappears from view. The man reappears and walks to the
kitchen. A white flash and the sounds of silencer.
He walks right down the hall and halts right in front of us
and listens. He goes into the room the wiseguys had entered.
We hear a second of male voices in protest. Two flashes of
light and the sounds of silencers. A dog is heard barking.
The man reappears in the hall and walks to its end, through
the kitchen. He opens a pair of sliding doors and steps out
of our view. A flash of white light and the sound of a
silencer.
EXT. DECREPIT HOUSE NIGHT CONTINUED
Rocco is out front listening as the barks abruptly cease.
INT. DECREPIT HOUSE NIGHT CONTINUED
FLASHCUT : The man drags a dead dog across the kitchen floor,
leaving a streak of blood. FLASHCUT : He drags the bodies of
two kids, two men and the woman down the hall toward us
leaving the hall carpet streaked with blood.
ROCCO
I didn't see what he was doing while
he was in there.
FLASHCUT : The man pulls out a large hunting knife and
disappears into each room. The sounds of hacking are heard.
He reappears holding different pieces of bloody debris. A
telephone, a piece of carpet, pieces of drywall. He takes a
mop and cleans off the blood on the linoleum of the kitchen
floor.
He walks toward us and stabs the mop in right before camera.
It stays standing.
FLASHCUT : We see from his p.o.v. a pile of broken bodies,
bloody debris and a dead dog with a mop sticking out the
top.
EXT. DECREPIT HOUSE NIGHT CONTINUED
FLASHCUT : The man steps outside and motions Rocco in.
FLASHBACK EXT. BACK FACTORY LOT NIGHT
Rocco's face is now expressionless as the two load the last
body in the furnace and toss the dog in, unloading from
Rocco's trunk. They shut the furnace door and there is just
the low hum of a furnace and the light wind blowing.
THE MAN
I have a poker game at the house
every Saturday with a couple of guys
you know. Why don't you come down?
Wife makes a hell of a bar-g-que.
ROCCO
(pause)
Yeah... yeah, I'd like that. Tell me
something. What did they do?
THE MAN
I don't know.
BACK TO PRESENT INT. COFFEE HOUSE NIGHT
Rocco is looking down in silence.
ROCCO
Worst day of my life, man.
MURPHY
(pause)
Well, I'm sold.
CONNOR
Don't worry, Roc. We'll do this guy
right and you'll feel a lot better.
INT. ROCCO'S MOM'S KITCHEN NEXT DAY 1:00 P.M.
The three burst in, all yelling at each other. They are all
bleeding profusely from gun shot wounds. Connor turns on the
gas stove and slams a new clothing iron down on the burner.
He has wrapped the cord around the handle so it won't burn.
They have all ripped their clothes haphazardly and have made
tourniquets to nurse their wounds.
CONNOR
Who the fuck was he, Rocco? I know
you fuckin' know!
ROCCO
Fuck you! I told you I never saw him
before!
MURPHY
Well he sure as fuck knew you!
ROCCO
Fuck you both! Ya ask me, he was
aiming at you!
The scene fades into total silence as they viciously argue.
They then take turns hold each other down as they cauterize
their wounds with the hot iron. Two guys will hold a third
down and force a wadded up pillow case in his mouth, as they
burn him
EXT. BOSTON SUBURBAN BEAVER-CLEAVER TYPE HOUSE SAME DAY
5:00 P.M.
Smecker sits on the balls of his fee on a sprawling front
lawn. He looks out to the street and sees a forensics
technician kneeling before a new, gray Ford Taurus riddled
with bullet holes. The man marks a sea of different-sized
bullet casings that stretch for thirty-five feet down the
sidewalk. He circles two blood stains on the side walk with
orange chalk.
Smecker turns and looks at the front of the house. It is
peppered with bullet holes, all seemingly concentrated on
the front stoop area. Men try to lift blood samples off the
white paint around the door. He stands and Dolly, Duffy and
Greenly are ready with pens and notebooks behind him.
SMECKER
Okay. Here's what happened.
FLASHBACK INT. PARKED FAMILY VAN SAME DAY NOON
Connor, Murphy and Rocco sit in a parked van, down the street
from the Beaver Cleaver house. The three are sitting next to
each other in the longer back seat. They have a counter in
front of them with all their guns and accessories on it.
The clicking of bullets into clips, and smacking of clips
into guns are heard. Smecker sits in the captain's chair
directly across from them, calmly smoking a cigarette. They
finish their preparation. Rocco holds up his guns.
SMECKER
They waited in a parked car down the
street for the kid to leave.
Murphy spies a young boy peddling his bike out of the
driveway. He goes to the front of the van.
MURPHY
There he goes.
(turns back to them,
pulls his guns)
Okay, gentlemen. Are we ready to
bring this man into the light? Are
we ready to truly do the work of the
Lord?
CONNOR
(cocks his pistol)
A-fuckin'-men!
ROCCO
This is so fuckin' cool!
EXT. SUBURBAN BEAVER CLEAVER TYPE HOUSE DAY
Connor, Murphy, and Rocco make a frenzied exit from the van
and walk across the front lawn, each carrying a black duffle
bag and clutching a mask. The garage is opened a crack.
They pull it up all the way. The sun shines in on Smecker
who stands there smoking.
INT. SUBURBAN "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE GARAGE DAY
They enter and close the door behind them
SMECKER
They went in through the garage. The
kid says he leaves it open when he
takes his bike out.
They dive into their bags and suit up with leather gloves,
masks, navy P-coats and their guns.
INT. SUBURBAN "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE DAY
The three open the door and enter the house and walk
deliberately down the hallway.
SMECKER (V.O.)
Now, they know the wife is the gate
keeper. She knows the code.
EXT. SUBURBAN "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE BACKYARD DAY
They walk with the terrified woman around the pool to a steel
door pool house entrance. There is a number pad next to the
door. Rocco positions her in front of it.
ROCCO
Don't fuck with me lady. I'll kill
you.
She slowly punches in the numbers. Smecker is standing there
smoking.
SMECKER
The wife says she doesn't know what
happened after she hit the code. She
just remembers going down. But,
judging by the burn mark on her back,
I think what they did...
Rocco pulls a stun gun and zaps her with it. She goes down.
SMECKER
...was use a stun gun on her.
Connor reaches for the knob but Rocco stops him. They wait,
guns drawn and focus on the door knob.
SMECKER
Now the guy knows a friend is coming
to the game. And they know that this
door can only be opened from the
inside. So they wait... and when
that door opens, man...
The knob turns and they kick it in.
INT. POOLHOUSE - DAY
They burst in and line up shoulder to shoulder, guns aimed.
Smecker stands beside Rocco with his thumb and forefinger
extended to mimic guns. Five mafiosos sit around a poker
table in front of time. Two men are playing pool to their
left. Rocco quickly scans the room.
ROCCO
All of them.
They begin firing. Men are dying, their chests exploding.
Smecker moves his hands like firing guns and yells over the
noise.
SMECKER
Nobody was ready for it. Devastation,
panic! This was like shooting fish
in a fuckin' barrel!
Smecker points to the pool table as the two players dive
under it.
SMECKER
Now these guys dove under the table.
The trajectory on the bullets show
they came from straight across. So
this means one of our shooters...
dropped to his knees...
Smecker drops to his knees in perfect synchronicity with
Rocco. They are side by side and leaning back.
Rocco fires and the men under the table skip around as they
are riddled with bullets. Smecker's mimicking hands follow
him perfectly with each shot. The boys and Rocco demask.
Rocco goes around to all the bodies and looks earnestly at
each one, as Connor and Murphy pick up bullet casings.
ROCCO
Shit!... Shit! He ain't here.
MURPHY
What the fuck do you mean?
ROCCO
I mean he ain't here.
CONNOR
Look again for fuck sake!
ROCCO
I know what the fuck he looks like!
SMECKER
Something went wrong. Right here.
INT. POOLHOUSE BATHROOM DAY
The man they came for gets off the toilet and pulls up his
pants. He is expressionless. He pulls a towel rack from the
wall.
INT. POOLHOUSE DAY
The door behind Rocco begins to open outward. As the door
swings open, Rocco tries to angle a gun around to shoot the
man who is opening it. But as soon as the man sees his hand,
bam! he comes down on it with the towel rack. Rocco pulls
back in pain dropping his other gun but the gun fires, as
the man's blow connects. The shot pierces his stomach and
sends him against the wall. He holds his abdomen in pain.
There is a moment of recognition between the man and Rocco.
Rocco is terrified as the man dives on him and they begin
fighting. Murphy jumps to help, but Connor pulls him back.
They both stand in front of the pool table about thirty feet
from Rocco.
CONNOR
Let the boy go!
He is now being choked, as he glares at them in disbelief.
MURPHY
C'mon Roc!
SMECKER
Now, one of these guys is a real
sicko. He knew this man. He wanted
him to suffer, to feel every second
of a painful death.
As Rocco is wrestling and punching on the floor. He looks
up.
ROCCO
Help me you assholes!
(they continue to
cheer)
He's gonna fuckin' kill me!
(he fights harder)
SMECKER
This guy is one bad motherfucker.
ROCCO
I don't wanna die!!!!!
Murphy is aching to help but Connor is more steady. A man
who has been shot starts to regain consciousness. Connor
turns his back to shoot him (slo-mo). Murphy sees his
opportunity, pulls the cue ball from the table, and rolls it
silently across the carpet toward Rocco.
Connor fires with his left hand and as the casing ejects
from the gun he catches it in mid air and makes the sign of
the cross. Rocco is on his back, the man is straddling him.
They both have each others throats and are trying to strangle
one another. When the ball is within arms reach, Rocco slams
his hand down on it and knocks his assailant in the skull.
He straddles him and begins to mercilessly beat his face in
with the cue ball, yelling "You sick fuck!"
He finally stops, gets up, runs toward the boys, and throws
an exhausted punch at Connor who just lays Roc down on the
pool table and says, "Nicely done, boy". Murphy tends to
Roc. Connor checks out the man and seems surprised.
Murphy takes the bloody cue ball from Rocco's hand and
polishes it off on his jacket, making sure Connor cannot
see. He replaces it perfectly on the table. Smecker now stands
in front of the table with the cue shining in the background.
SMECKER
I've never seen wounds like these
before, but whatever he used on this
guy, it was a blunt object and they
took it with them.
Smecker exits to the left as Greenly enters from the right,
following Smecker out. He walks by the table furiously
scribbling in his notebook. Connor, Murphy and Rocco exit
the room, pennies in the eyes of all the corpses in the
background. Rocco holds two duffle bags full of poker money.
Greenly stops, picks up the cue ball and looks at the dead
man. He shakes his head and says, "Nah".
EXT. SUBURBAN "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE FRONT LAWN DAY
Smecker stands in the middle of the front lawn. His hair is
a mess. He's chain-smoking. His clothes are disheveled.
His eyes are psychotic. He points to the parked Taurus as
six men in dark suits appear in a fuzzy, out-of-focus shot.
They line up shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalk.
SMECKER
They exited out the front door. And
they had no fucking idea what they
were in for.
EXT. SUBURBAN "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE FRONT LAWN DAY
Rocco, Connor and Murphy walk toward the front door.
EXT. SUBURBANK "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE SIDEWALK DAY
(Slo-mo) Two black leather boots slowly walk up the sidewalk
and stop in front of the new, gray Ford Taurus then turn
toward the house. Il Duce removes a white balloon filled
with a few ounces of fluid from the pocket of his black trench
coat. He throws it on the walk, the blood splatters. He picks
up the remnants of the balloon and puts them back in his
pocket and stands there waiting, looking at the house.
EXT. SUBURBAN "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE FRONT STOOP DAY
The boys come out, Rocco in the middle and slightly ahead of
them. They look out to the walk, stunned.
SMECKER
Now they are staring at six guys
with guns drawn. It was a fucking
ambush.
Our three heroes stand, their jaws dropping as their point
of view reveals the Il Duce, standing alone, his hands folded
in front of him.
Suddenly, he throws open his trench coat to reveal a special
leather vest beneath. Six guns, all different, are holstered
on the front of it: three on each side extend from just below
his collar bones to his abdomen. Connor and Murphy don't
hesitate. They each draw one of their now unsilenced guns
from their shoulder holsters and aim, one arm over each of
Rocco's shoulders. The Duke draws his top two weapons and
aims.
SMECKER
And this was a fucking bomb dropping
in Beaver Cleaverville! For a few
seconds this place was Armageddon!
There was a fire fight!
They all start shooting at once. The noise is deafening.
The Taurus is being pierced and the front of the house is
splintering as it is riddled with bullets. Smecker is still
in the middle, hands raised to the heavens, turning circles.
Rocco's pinky finger gets shot off, sending blood splattering
against the house. He dives in the bushes reeling. He pulls
a gun and starts firing.
Murphy catches a bullet in the arm and dives for the bushes
as well. Il Duce with lightening speed, drops the guns and
pulls the next two down as he walks to his right about ten
feet. He commences firing and the casings hit the sidewalk,
all different calibers and sizes are dropping down the walk.
It's him and Connor and nobody is backing down. They both
grind their teeth as they fire rapidly at each other. At the
same moment, The Duke gets hit in the arm and Connor takes a
bullet in the leg. The firing ceases for a moment.
Connor remains steady and Il Duce looks down at his arm and
his own blood splattered on the sidewalk.
IL DUCE
No!... No! No!...
He drops the guns and pulls the last two as he moves to the
right. He fires with wrath as he screams the word No over
and over. Rocco and Murphy return fire from the bushes yelling
and swearing, as Connor does the same from his position on
the stoop.
The Duke turns and runs, leaving a sea of casings, and guns
that extend for 35 feet down the walk. There are also two
blood stains.
In a frenzy the boys and Rocco get up and withdraw some spray
bottles from their bags. The begin spraying all their own
blood stains on the stoop and the front of the white house.
They then pick up their things and run off.
EXT. SUBURBAN "BEAVER CLEAVER" TYPE HOUSE FRONT LAWN DAY
Smecker comes back to reality and lights a cigarette in front
of Dolly, Duffy, and Greenly.
GREENLY
What if it was just one guy with six
guns?
SMECKER
Why don't you let me do the thinking,
huh, genius?
He turns to the forensics guys at the front of the house and
begins to walk over to him.
SMECKER
What is taking so long with those
blood samples?
FORENSICS WOMAN #1
I can't get a good sample. There is
variable here I'm not seeing.
Smecker puts his finger through a big blood stain on the
door and smells it.
SMECKER
(in shock, and rage)
They used ammonia... none of this
shit is any good... Fuck... You know
what this means?! Even if we get
suspects in this case, we got
nothing... Nothing!
He starts kicking the bushes and trying to tear them with
his hands as he rages. The police and forensics all back
off.
SMECKER
(screaming)
Who the fuck are they?! I've never
seen any-fucking-thing like this in
my whole fucking life. Who the fuck
are they?!!
He backs against the building and slides down to a sitting
position in the bushes as if he has given up. He raises his
head and there he sees Rocco's pinky finger lying undiscovered
in the bushes. He pulls a small plastic bag from his pocket
and scoops it up. He shoves it back into his pocket and races
off.
DUFFY
What? That's it?!
INT. ROCCO'S MOM'S KITCHEN NIGHT
Rocco, Connor, and Murphy are sitting around the table.
They are numb with pain and silently sipping beers. Suddenly,
Smecker comes on the news making an announcement that he is
heading up the investigation to find the three of them.
Rocco shuts it off.
CONNOR
Shit.
ROCCO
What?
(points to TV)
What, that guy?
MURPHY
That's the guy that got us off the
hook with the "Checkov" thing.
CONNOR
And he is one smart man.
ROCCO
They got nothing.
CONNOR
This guy is very sharp. If he hasn't
figured us out yet, he will.
MURPHY
You bet your ass he will.
ROCCO
Well, I'd say that makes him a lia-
fuckin-bility.
The boys look at each other.
CONNOR
He isn't to be touched.
MURPHY
He's a good man.
ROCCO
Okay... whatever.
(looking at the bloody
mess)
My Mom's gonna kill me.
INT. SMECKER'S BEDROOM NIGHT
Smecker is sitting at a computer terminal. He has just hooked
into the F.B.I.'s computer network with his authorization
code. He is disgusted as he puts on surgical gloves and finger
prints the severed finger onto a scanner. He waits for a
moment. Rocco's face and rap sheet come up on his screen. He
is in disbelief.
SMECKER
No. This is all wrong. David Della
Rocco?
FLASHBACK EXT. POLICE STATION FRONT STEPS
Rocco on the steps of the police station when Rocco brought
the boys their clothes.
BACK TO PRESENT INT. SMECKER'S BEDROOM NIGHT
He picks up the phone.
MARIA (V.O.)
Boston Police Department.
SMECKER
Yeah. Maria, this is Smecker. Could
you find me the visitor's list for
the day the MacManus brothers were
in and read me all the names?
She reads a few names then hits David Della Rocco.
SMECKER
Okay, thank you.
He hangs us, puts in a smoke, and knocks his head back in
deep thought.
INT. GAY BAR NIGHT
Smecker is drinking like a fiend. He is disturbed and rowdy.
He's a bad drunk. He downs a shot and motions for another
one. The BARTENDER comes over.
BARTENDER
You've had quite a bit, Paul. Are
you sure you...
SMECKER
Pour the drink, faggot-ass!
He obeys. A good looking gay man comes up and whispers in
Smecker's ear and points to the back room.
SMECKER
Okay... But I don't cuddle.
They proceed to the back. Smecker is stumbling.
EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF CHURCH EARLY MORNING
Rocco pulls Vincenzo's car to the curb and the MacManus'
exit.
ROCCO
Hey! We gotta talk about this early
morning church shit.
MURPHY
We have to go now.
(giggles)
We're on the lamb.
EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF THE GAY BAR EARLY MORNING
Smecker staggers out of the bar. He is an absolute wreck.
Rocco exits a package store just down the street. He is
opening a new pack of cigarettes. He is surprised when he
sees Smecker at the other end of the block. He follows the
stumbling agent, fumbling for his gun.
EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF CHURCH EARLY MORNING
Paul sees a church and reflects for a moment before crossing
the street and going in, Rocco a safe distance behind.
INT. CHURCH EARLY MORNING
Connor and Murphy are at prayer in the back of the church.
It is mostly empty because of the early hour.
Connor looks up and sees Smecker and Rocco way up in the
front. His eyes are ablaze. He is up and walking and does
not bother Murphy, who remains penitent. There are two
confessional booths with a priest booth in the middle.
Smecker goes in the booth on the far left. Rocco tries the
door, it's locked. A middle-aged PRIEST slips a key in the
priests booth and opens the door. Rocco shoves him in and
goes in behind him. Connor has quickened his pace. He tries
both doors. They're locked. He goes into the confessional on
the right.
INT. CHURCH PRIEST'S BOOTH EARLY MORNING
Rocco puts his gun to the priest's head.
ROCCO
You gonna do what I say, got it?
PRIEST
Yes.
ROCCO
I'm sorry you're gonna hafta see
this. Don't look at me!
PRIEST
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't see.
ROCCO
Shut up! Shut the fuck up!
INT. CHURCH CONNOR'S CONFESSIONAL EARLY MORNING
Connor is furiously working his fingers through the lattice
work to open the slider to the priest's booth from his side.
INT. CHURCH PRIEST'S BOOTH EARLY MORNING
Rocco takes the priest and puts his face in front of the
slider to Smecker's booth, gun to the back of his head.
PRIEST
Don't do this my son.
ROCCO
Open it!
PRIEST
Have you no fear of God?
ROCCO
That's who I'm doing this for, now
open the fuckin' thing.
Connor gets the slider open. Rocco's long hair hangs just
inches from Connor's face. Connor puts his thumb and
forefinger through, desperately reaching for a lock of Rocco's
hair. Rocco jostles the priest and puts the gun hard to his
head.
ROCCO
Father, I'll do you right here.
PRIEST
(slowly obey,
whispering)
God have mercy on my soul.
Rocco starts to move the priest aside and put his gun to
Smecker's now open slider.
Just then Connor snags a piece of Rocco's hair and pulls him
back hard and fast by it, until his head slams into the
lattice work. Rocco grabs the priest back into position.
Connor grabs a nice wad of Rocco's hair with his left hand,
so that the side of Rocco's face is now pressed to the
lattice. Connor then puts a gun to Rocco's head.
CONNOR
(hard whisper)
You little fuck. Let him go. I'll
drop you right here.
ROCCO
Okay, just calm down. He could hurt
us, brother. He could ruin the whole
thing.
CONNOR
Let him go or I will deliver you,
right now.
(pulls hammer back)
ROCCO
You won't do it Connor, you won't.
You love me man.
INT. CHURCH CONFESSIONAL BOOTHS EARLY MORNING
Smecker wakes up from a drunken stupor. He looks through the
slider window at the barely discernible face of the now crying
priest.
SMECKER
(slurred, loud)
Hello? You there?
PRIEST
Y-Yes my son.
ROCCO
(whispers)
Do your thing Father. Don't fuck
this up.
PRIEST
(whispering to Rocco)
What do you want me to say?
ROCCO
Just be natural, goddamit.
PRIEST
How long since your last confession,
my son?
SMECKER
Oh, Christ, uh, I've never confessed.
The priest can hear Connor and Rocco whisper, but Smecker
cannot.
SMECKER
According to the dogma of the Catholic
church, I should probably burst into
flames right here in this booth. But
I've come here for advice, not
salvation.
Connor and Rocco stop and listen now.
PRIEST
Why have you come to a church for
council if you're not religious?
SMECKER
(ponderous)
Why have I come to a church? I never
have before. I guess I just... felt
I should.
PRIEST
What is it my son?
SMECKER
It's ethics. I put evil men behind
bars, but the law has miles of red
tape and loopholes for these...
cocksuckers to slip through. I've
found out there are these two young
men who fix the situation with an
iron fist. As if they have God's
permission. But what they do is wrong
and I should arrest them...
technically.
PRIEST
God's permission? God doesn't...
Rocco shakes the priest.
SMECKER
But in this day and age I believe
what they do is... necessary. I feel
it is... correct.
PRIEST
You believe?
SMECKER
Yes.
PRIEST
You feel?
SMECKER
Yes.
PRIEST
You feel? A soul is what gives you
feelings. Happiness, guilt, right or
wrong. It is a conduit through which
the Lord speaks to us. You felt that
your answers would be here in the
house of God today. You feel these
men are necessary. The Lord has spoken
to you twice this day.
Rocco and Connor show their individual looks of surprise.
SMECKER
(sarcastically)
Has he now?
PRIEST
You have entered the house of the
Lord of your own free will speaking
of beliefs and feelings. Is it so
much to believe that God has brought
you here?
SMECKER
I guess not.
PRIEST
It is easy to be sarcastic about
religion. It is harder to take small
hints from God, your feelings and
listen to them... to take a stand.
The look of surprise on Rocco and Connor's faces show that
the priest is doing a hell of a job.
SMECKER
You're right.
PRIEST
Those who do not act are in a constant
state of ethical indecision.
SMECKER
I want to stand for what I believe
in, father.
PRIEST
Then you must find out what your
beliefs are.
SMECKER
I believe these young men are right.
PRIEST
You know them personally?
SMECKER
Yes.
PRIEST
Do you think they would harm an
innocent man, for any reason?
SMECKER
No. They would never do that.
The priest starts to show signs of anger as he starts turning
to Rocco.
SMECKER
Well, the two Irish guys wouldn't.
But the Italian guy, he might. He's
kind of an idiot.
Fear returns to the priests face. Rocco presses the gun hard
to the priests head and jostles him.
ROCCO
(whispers to priest)
Goddam right, I am.
SMECKER
I'm beginning to see. I've been doing
my job... well for fifteen years and
it's just not enough. All the things
I wish I could do, these guys are
doing. Millions of dollars in tax
payers' money wasted on shit like
wire taps and surveillance. Theses
boys go in and take care of it for
the price of a bullet.
(looks up)
Ww-what do you think I should do?
Because I'm a law man.
Rocco jostles the priest again.
PRIEST
The laws of God are higher than the
laws of man.
SMECKER
(the clouds have lifted)
Yes! Yes! I was thinking that, too.
No. I was feeling it. All I needed
was to hear you say it! Amen! I'll
help them.
PRIEST
(whispers)
Forgive me father.
SMECKER
Thank you, Father, thank you.
(he attempts the sign
of the cross but
screws it up)
Whatever. Goodbye, amen.
Smecker exits and they all let go after a brief pause. Rocco
turns and starts fixing up the priest's ruffled suit.
ROCCO
I wouldn't have, uh, killed you,
Father.
(signs cross)
Dominus Ominus. Remember, you're
bound. You can't talk about this...
to anyone.
PRIEST
Just go!
INT. CHURCH EARLY MORNING
Rocco exits the booth and shuts the door behind him. Connor
is standing outside, hands on his hips. Rocco smiles at him
as Connor fumes.
ROCCO
(giggling)
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Connor slaps him in the back of the head and kicks him in
the ass. Rocco's still giggling as they exit.
INT. PHONE BOOTH UPTOWN LATER
SMECKER
That's all you can give me?
INT. PHONE BOOTH DOWNTOWN CONTINUOUS
We shoot alternating coverage between the two locations.
CONNOR
Well, the light caught the side of
his face for a second. And it looked
like he had a gray beard, maybe...
late fifties, early sixties.
SMECKER
So you're telling me it was one guy
with six guns? A-and he was a senior
fucking citizen?
CONNOR
I think it's better if we find this
man before he finds us again.
SMECKER
I'll see what I can do. How do I get
in touch with you?
CONNOR
We're going to hit Poppa Joe tonight,
right in the comfort of his own home.
Then we move on to New York. It's
getting a bit hot for us here.
SMECKER
Be careful.
CONNOR
I'll call you tonight, afterwards.
(hangs up)
INT. RITZY RESTAURANT BATHROOM NIGHT
Smecker stands beside Augustus, just the way Yakavetta did.
AUGUSTUS
I don't know who he is. Nobody does.
Smecker tosses an envelope of cash in his plate, just as
Yakavetta did.
SMECKER
What did he bring him in for?
AUGUSTUS
Needed an outsider. The package boy
knows everyone. He'd spot our hitters
a mile away.
SMECKER
Just for him?
AUGUSTUS
Well he's the one shooting up all
his guys, right? He's scared of the
kid. Says he's real good, got every
available gun in the city up there.
SMECKER
Up where?
AUGUSTUS
Up his house. I don't know what's
going on but I know it's gotta have
something to do with this kid.
SMECKER
Oh fuck!
(runs out)
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE BASEMENT HALL NIGHT
There are several bodies in the hall, some with pennies in
their eyes, some without. Down the dark basement halls there
is more gore. The boys and Rocco can be heard screaming from
a room in the basement. Yakavetta's voice is heard yelling
and in command.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE BASEMENT ROOM NIGHT
Connor, Murphy, and Rocco are all hand cuffed to chairs in
the seated position. Their clothes are ripped and they have
been beaten severely. Blood covers them. Rocco has been
uncuffed and two men hold his open hand up as Yakavetta puts
a pistol at the base of his remaining pinky finger. Several
other hold him down as he and the boys scream in tough
protest.
YAKAVETTA
(yelling)
You gonna tell me what's going on
here?! Huh! You little fuck! Gimme
some answers!
They all yell for him to fuck off. Although Rocco is
terrified, he is holding out. Yakavetta fires and Rocco's
finger is gone. The blood splatters on Connor's face. Rocco
screams in pain saying fuck you through his sobs. After re-
cuffing Rocco, Yakavetta and his goons exit.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE BASEMENT HALL NIGHT
Yakavetta is in the hall with four men. GENO (35 yrs.) very
big. CHAPPY (22 yrs.) wears sunglasses even in the dark,
trying to look cool. HOJO (28 yrs.) is slick and good-looking.
Another Mafioso cohort is with them as well.
YAKAVETTA
What do you guys think?
GENO
They're tough. No way they're gonna
talk.
HOJO
I know Rocco. He ain't smart enough
for this shit. These other guys are
the brains. He's just a player.
YAKAVETTA
There's only one way to get them to
talk.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE BASEMENT ROOM NIGHT
He walks back into the room. He saunters up to Rocco very
nonchalantly and shoots him in the chest. His chair is blown
back to the floor. The boys are screaming and crying as
Yakavetta walks out.
ROCCO
(struggles to talk)
You guys?
CONNOR
(crying)
We're here brother.
ROCCO
You gotta keep going.
MURPHY
(sobbing)
We'll keep going, Roc.
ROCCO
You'll make it outta here. You can't
ever stop, not ever.
As Rocco dies, they fall into prayer.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE FRONT FOYER NIGHT
Yakavetta lights up a cigar and talks to his men.
CHAPPY
Once you set him in motion, you can't
call him off. He thinks it's still
on.
Yakavetta stops as if terrified with a thought.
YAKAVETTA
Oh Jesus Christ!
HOJO
What? I...
YAKAVETTA
Hey, I don't have my name spray
painted on the front of this house.
There are no big pictures of me
anywhere. If this guy thinks the job
is still a go then I got green money
says the mother fucker's out in the
bushes already. I'm fucking gone!
I'm leaving you guys to deal with
this.
The four guys are left alone. They all look far from confident
except for Geno.
GENO
One fucking guy, so what.
HOJO
Why don't you take the front.
(points)
You guys cover those other exits and
if you see him, don't flag him down,
just kill the mother fucker. I'm
going back down to work on these
pricks.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE BASEMENT ROOM NIGHT
Murphy has scootched his chair in front of Connor's. He has
his back to Connor.
He stretches his neck over and bites at the collar of his p-
coat. He gathers as much of the material in his mouth as he
can. He starts to yell, "Do it!" but it is muffled.
Connor, still sobbing, begins to kick his brother's left
hand repeatedly. He turns it into a bloody piece of broken
meat as Murphy screams through the shirt. Finally, it is
broken enough and Murphy pulls it through the cuff.
He stands and breaks the chair into pieces and grabs the
sharpest piece. Hojo enters and Murphy shoves the sharp stick
up through the bottom of his chin into his head. He drags
him around the room yelling mumbo jumbo into his face as
Connor jumps up and down in his chair in rage, wanting a
piece of the action.
Murphy throws the man down and Connor proceeds to viciously
kick his dead body. The two have turned into barbarians.
Murphy removes the man's two guns, shiny nickel-plated 45s.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S FRONT FOYER NIGHT
There is a knock at the door. Geno jumps with fright and
then looks out the peep hole. He sees a well-formed pair of
woman's breasts in a cheap dress. He opens the door. A
stunning blonde stands before him. She looks like a hooker.
She wears a short, hot pink dress and a white scarf around
her neck, as well as six inch platform heels.
SMECKER AS WOMAN
Joey Bevo sent me over. As
entertainment.
The woman speaks and it is apparent that this is actually
Smecker in drag.
GENO
Listen baby. Tonight ain't the night
for this shit.
(beat)
Bevo's so great. Always sending us
hot girls.
SMECKER
You look like you could use a quickie.
Smecker kisses him full on the lips and rubs up against him.
Geno is convinced. He brings her inside.
GENO
Hey, Chappy!
CHAPPY
(Chappy, emerges way
down the hall)
What the fuck?
GENO
I ain't been laid in a week. Take
five minutes.
CHAPPY
If I die cause you're getting a piece
of ass, I'll come back and beat you
to death with a big rubber dick.
GENO
Don't worry about it.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE NIGHT
He takes Smecker into a small bathroom adjoining the foyer.
They are instantly in the throws of passion. They grope each
other and Smecker cleverly avoids any contact with his crotch.
Smecker lies down on the floor and starts to wiggle and
seductively touch himself. Geno stands over him, straddling
Smecker's hips as he undoes his pants. Suddenly, Smecker
grabs both of Geno's ankles and has him locked in position.
He repeatedly kicks Geno in the balls from his lying position
on the floor. The guy falls on his back unconscious. Smecker
uses a silencer, shoots him in the head.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE HALL NIGHT
He starts to whisper, "It's on now. It's on now. Too far."
as he walks down the hall, striding in his high heels, wig
back in place. He thoughtlessly blows Chappy away as he passes
his position and runs down a long hallway. He turns a corner
and points his gun at the Mafioso cohort but pauses.
He is already sitting with his throat cut. Smecker looks
puzzled as Il Duce withdraws from the shadows behind him.
The Duke pistol whips Smecker. He's out.
INT. YAKAVETTA'S HOUSE BASEMENT ROOM NIGHT
Connor and Murphy are on their knees in front of Rocco, whom
they have sat back up in the chair. They are gently placing
pennies in his eye and sobbing as they begin to recite the
prayer. As they speak, Il Duce watches. He then begins to
whisper the prayer right along with them. Their words match
up perfectly. He leans against the wall, holsters his guns,
and withdraws a cigarette.
He rolls it along his tongue and twists it into his lips.
The boys are still reciting as he strikes a match. They react
instantly. Still kneeling they each point a nickel-plated 45
toward The Duke. They turn in time to see the light from the
match illuminate his face. Il Duce pauses then he strides
into the room and proceeds to recite the last half of the
prayer.
He stops between the kneeling boys and finishes off the
prayer. The boys are stunned as they realize this is their
father. He makes the sign of the cross over Rocco. Then he
looks down to the upturned faces of his sons. He places a
hand on each of their cheeks.
INT. CHEAP BOSTON HOTEL ROOM NIGHT 3 MONTHS LATER
Both sleeping boys throw their arms out, mimicking a crucified
Christ. Their father turns, sees this, turns back.
The boys wake with a start. Connor looks to his father, who
is already staring at him.
CONNOR
How far are we going with this, Da?
FATHER
The questions is not, "how far?" The
question is, "Do you possess the
constitution, the depth of faith to
go as far as is needed?"
INT. COURTHOUSE BACK FOYER AREA MORNING
Smecker opens the door from the inside and lets the MacManus
father and sons in. He walks one way they walk the other
through the grand courthouse halls.
INT. COURTROOM MORNING
The media, with their cameras and notebooks, are at the back
of the courtroom. Yakavetta is testifying on the stand. He
is cocky. The judge warns Yakavetta that he will have no
more of this behavior in his courtroom.
MEDIA MAN 1
(whispering to #2)
Look at his charisma. He's the next
John Gotti.
MEDIA MAN 2
He'll walk. Even with all this
evidence.
MEDIA MAN 1
Look.
(points to the left
and right sections
of courtroom seating)
All Yakavetta's people are on the
right. All the families of the men
he has killed are on the left.
Everyone wants some justice.
MEDIA MAN 2
Look at him. He doesn't have a care
in the world. He's gonna walk.
INT. FOYER TO COURTROOM DAY
The MacManusus stand in the foyer. There are a pair of doors
that go to the outside hallway and a pair that go to the
inside courtroom. There is an armed guard directly inside
the courtroom, in front of the doors.
The door opens a crack and Connor waves the guard into the
foyer and starts talking to him. Then dad zaps him with a
stun gun. The guard is on the floor, incapacitated and
drooling as the boys handcuff him.
Connor pulls out a length of chain and drapes it through the
door handles that lead from the hall into the foyer. He locks
them in with a padlock.
FATHER
How long do these put a man down
for?
MURPHY
Ten minutes.
The father zaps the incapacitated man a second time as he
lay.
FATHER
Twenty is a bit better.
They suit up, Connor and Murphy in their usual masks and
gloves, Dad is already in his usual dark hat and glasses.
The boys start for the courtroom door but dad gently holds
them back. He takes a moment, then slowly removes his hat
and glasses. His sons look at one another and then remove
their masks. The three look into each others eyes for a
moment.
INT. COURTROOM DAY
JUDGE
Due to the lack of hard evidence......
The three burst in, guns drawn, and are walking down the
aisle.
FATHER
All media to the back! Drop the
cameras! Drop 'em!
Terrified, they all obey. Connor and Murphy pull Yakavetta
from the witness booth by his hair and place him on his knees
just before the judge's bench. They face him toward the
occupants of the courtroom. The father walks up and motions
for the judge, who is now banging his gavel and shouting in
protest, to come off the stand.
As soon as he is within arms reach, dad takes him by the
collar and drags him down the aisle all the way to where the
media stands in horror. He turns and walks back down the
aisle.
FATHER
(loudly)
You people have been chosen to reveal
our existence to the world. You will
witness what happens here today and
you will tell of it afterwards.
All eyes to the front.
YAKAVETTA
(looking to his
comrades)
Fuckin' do something!
The father keeps them covered. He passes the front, he looks
and sees a VIRGINAL-LOOKING WOMAN with her head down crying
into her hands. She is on the left side. He gently tilts her
chin forward, her eyes fixated on a faded blue butterfly on
the back of his hand.
FATHER (WHISPERS)
(whispers)
You must watch dear. It'll all be
over soon.
(she obeys)
The father takes out a flask. He pours the booze on the judges
bench and set it ablaze. Fire alarms start to sound.
Connor and Murphy jump up on the lawyers' tables. Murphy on
the prosecution side, Connor on the defense. The father has
his sawed-off to the back of Yakavetta's head.
CONNOR
(yelling over the
alarm)
Now, you will receive us.
MURPHY
(yelling over the
alarm)
We do not ask for your poor or your
hungry.
CONNOR
We do not want your tired and sick.
MURPHY
It is your corrupt we claim.
CONNOR
It is your evil, who will be sought
by us.
MURPHY
With every breath we shall hunt them
down.
CONNOR
Each day we will spill their blood
till it rains down from the skies.
MURPHY
Do not kill, do not rape, do not
steal. These are principles which
every man of every faith can embrace.
CONNOR
These are not polite suggestions.
They are codes of behavior and those
that ignore them will pay the dearest
cost.
(points to Yakavetta)
MURPHY
There are varying degrees of evil.
We urge you lesser forms of filth
(pointing to
Yakavetta's people)
Not to push the bounds and cross
over into true corruption... into
our domain.
CONNOR
For if you do, there will come the
day when you look behind you and see
we three. And on that day you will
reap it.
MURPHY
And we will send you to whatever God
you wish.
Connor and Murphy jump off the table. They approach Yakavetta
and stand on either side of their father. All three men hold
guns to his head and recite the prayer. As they speak, the
right side of the courtroom screams in protest. The left
watches in wide-eyed terror, although some men encourage
them to do it. The MacManus' read the prayer. They do not
falter as the flames rage behind them.
Yakavetta, accepting his fate, closing his eyes. Peacefully,
he does the sign of the cross. The all fire at once. The
room explodes in confusion. The three exit the back.
INT. LONG CEMENT HALLWAY SUBLEVEL OF COURTHOUSE
The MacManuses are all shackled and in blue jumpsuits of the
Boston lock-up facility with bags over their heads. Duffy is
in full uniform with a shotgun behind them. Smecker is leading
the prisoners down the hall. He flashes his F.B.I.
identification to every cop he encounters.
INT. COURTHOUSE INSIDE GRANDE FOYER STEPS DAY
The media is in a frenzy. Little bits of the story are known.
The people from the left and right sides of the courtroom
are yelling and pushing each other as cameras and microphones
try to pick up the news. Finally all the focus comes to the
virginal woman who had been sitting in the front row. All
lights, cameras and microphones are on her.
REPORTER 2 (V.O.)
Yes! Were you in the courtroom miss?
Did you see?
WOMAN (FRAIL)
(frail)
Yes. I was there.
REPORTER (V.O.)
How do you feel about what they did?
(Slo-mo) She sees at the grande hall's end Smecker leading
the three out, bags still over their heads. She sees Dad's
butterfly tattoo. She knows.
WOMAN
I guess we all know what is right
and wrong. We all know. Nobody needs
to be convinced of what he was...
I'm going home now to have my first
real full night's sleep.
The people who had been on Yakavetta's side of the courtroom
threaten her and force their way through the crowd toward
her, thus causing the two sides to fight. Everyone, even
reporters are in it. The camera tilts up ending on the statue
of the Blind Lady of Justice.
FADE OUT:
THE END
