Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
DUKE PULLS OFF THE ROAD and parks. Gets out and walks in.
INT. HARDWARE BARN – BAKER, CALIFORNIA – DAY
DUKE enters the DARK, CLUTTERED INTERIOR. Scattered all about the store are BITS OF AMERICANA… OLD BARRELS, WAGON WHEELS, WOODEN YOKES. A STUFFED HORSE HANGS FROM THE RAFTERS. The sunlight shafts through high windows. AN OLD MAN is repairing an iron pot-bellied stove near the wooden bar. A NORMAN ROCKWELL PAINTING… ONLY REAL.
PROPRIETOR What’ll you have?
DUKE can’t quite believe this place — too good to be true.
DUKE (doubtfully) Ballantine Ale…?
THE PROPRIETOR serves the ale up ice cold. DUKE SMILES AND RELAXES.
DUKE Hard to find it served like this anymore.
As he drinks, DUKE toys with a rack of key chains — LITTLE AMERICAN ICONS… A REMINGTON COWBOY, A BUGS BUNNY, A TWEETY PIE, BETTY BOOP, A BASEBALL PLAYER. The logo on the rack reads: AMERICAN DREAM KEY RINGS. 109.
PROPRIETOR Where ya comin’ from, young man?
DUKE Las Vegas.
PROPRIETOR A great town, that Vegas. I bet you had good luck there. You’re the type.
DUKE I know. I’m a triple Scorpio.
PROPRIETOR (trustingly) That’s a fine combination. You can’t lose.
A LOVELY GIRL appears. Seeing DUKE, she smiles. CAN THIS REALLY BE HIS LUCKY DAY? She approaches him… and… KISSES THE PROPRIETOR.
DUKE (caught off guard… muttering) Oh, my God!…
PROPRIETOR (not understanding) This is my granddaughter…
DUKE (recovering) Don’t worry… (leans forward in confidence) … and I’m actually the District Attorney from Ignoto County. (winks) Just another good American like yourself.
A MOMENT. THE PROPRIETOR’S SMILE DISAPPEARS.
Wordlessly the PROPRIETOR and his GRANDDAUGHTER go to the back of the store — GET ON WITH THEIR WORK — IGNORING DUKE.
WHO FEELS ASHAMED.
DUKE puts some money down on the bar and SLOWLY LEAVES.
EXT. HARDWARE BARN – DAY
A CHASTENED DUKE approaches the vomit streaked WHITE WHALE. Gets in — sits there — deflated — miserable… 110.
A state bus draws up across from the Hardware Barn.
Somberly, DUKE watches as TWO YOUNG MARINES with duffel bags step off — chatting like TRUE BROTHERS…
DUKE switches on the ignition. Something rolls off the trembling dash… DUKE catches it…
ONE SINGLE BEAUTIFUL AMYL CAPSULE…
DUKE CRACKS THE AMYL — INHALES. THE RUSH MAKES HIM GASP — TEETH BARED LIKE A MADMAN.
DUKE HOLY SHIT!!!
DUKE GUNS THE ENGINE with a laugh — leans out — YELLS AT THE MARINES.
DUKE GOD’S MERCY ON YOU SWINE!
DUKE ROARS AWAY. AN AMERICAN FLAG FLIES UP FROM THE DEBRIS IN THE BACK SEAT, MADLY UNFURLING ITSELF AS IT SNAGS ON THE CONVERTIBLE-TOP FRAME OF THE TRASHED WHITE WHALE!
AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
The TWO MARINES look after him CONFUSED.
EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY
DUKE drives fast — TEETH GRITTED IN FROZEN ECSTASY!!
DUKE CRANKS UP THE TAPE RECORDER.
DUKE (V/O) My heart was filled with joy. I felt like a monster reincarnation of Horatio Alger… a man on the move… and just sick enough to be totally confident.
The WHITE WHALE WIPES THE SCREEN BLACK.
AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
END
