"When your young and so in love as we

and bewildered by the world we see

why do people hurt us so

Only those in love know

What a town without pity can do

If we stop to gave upon a star

people talk about how bad we are

ours is not an easy age

we're like tigers in a cage

What a town without pity can do"

Buff? Yeah, I'll see you down there later. I just gotta finish some stuff I'm writing. Okay. 'Bye.

SOOZE? Yeah, so did you tell him that we couldn't afford twenty bucks a ticket and why didn't he put us on the comp list? No, no, there's always a comp list. Alright. Well, so then, just get your mother's car and maybe we'll all go do something. Yeah. I gotta get off. Okay. 'Bye.

Hey, Frankie! Hey, what are you doing? Sleeping? What, at six o'clock? Sleep when you are dead. Hey, man, I just got off work. Why don't you meet me down at the corner. So? Put on some clothes and come down, man, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I wanna see you, man. Alright. Yeah. Hey, why don't you bring that pot you just bought? What?! Yeah, fuck you man!

Later.

It started with a traffic argument, escalated to the firing of a legally carried handgun, ending with the death of the man it was aimed at. GORDON RIEDHALE claimed he couldn't escape an attacker who was punching him in the head. Concealed carry instructors say, "It's that fear..."

Just depends on the filter capacity. What size is that pool?

Fifty-five thousand.

Marlboros, chief. Hard pack.

In that case you need a heavy-duty filter.

Two-fifty.

Two-fifty? They go up?

Always two-fifty, my friend.

What that means is that every armed licensee faced with danger must make a split second judgment call.

Timmy-boy!

Buff, sit. You know what I mean though? Somebody ought to crack that guy with a baseball bat.

Yeah, well, he's from a Third World country. He doesn't have it easy.

What? What the fuck do you know about the third world? You been there? No? No, well, I have. Fuckers live like sardines in a can over there, you know. Everything stinks. It's true, there's no, you know, law, no order. No nothing. The assholes come over here, they think it's gonna be the same.

Hey, he's a human being you can give him that much.

Actually, the only thing I gotta give that guy is a one-way ticket back to Greaseball-land.

Yeah, well, that pizza could feed a family of four in Turkey or India or wherever the fuck he comes from.

Oh yeah? Oh, how'd you ship it over there, man? Federal Express? Hm? By the time it got there it'd be way cold and coagulated. Total waste. Cheese be stuck to the cardboard.

Buff, that slice is the difference between life and death for some half-dead Bangladeshi.

Yo, your gettin' me all upset here.

You should get upset. Everyone should get upset. When, when Hitler was greasing the Jews, people were saying, "Don't get me upset. Your bumming me out." My duty as a human being is to be pissed off. Jesus Christ, not that it makes a difference on the first fucking place. Nothing ever changes, man. Fifty years from now we're all gonna be dead and there'll be new people standing here drinking beer, eating pizza, bitching and moaning about the price of Oreos, and they won't even know we were ever here. And then fifty years after that those suckers will be dust and bones and there'll be all these generations of suckers trying to figure out what they're doing on this fucking planet and they'll all be full of shit. It's all so fucking futile.

If it's all so fucking futile, what the fuck are you so fucking upset about, fuckhead?

Because I'm alienated.

Hey! Hey, you like orgasms? Oh, yeah!

Oh, Hey, hey, I'm at work yesterday, bitch comes in, orders a twelve-inch pie with extra cheese. So I ask her if she wanted me, like, to carry that out to her car for her. Bitch is obviously in heat. "Yes, right away." So I carry the pie out to her car. We smoke a J. She blows me. We eat the pizza, I chase her with the beer. Smoke, babe, slice, brew. All four bases, fuckin' home run man!

Your ability to fantasize is only exceeded by your ability to lie.

Oh, untrue, Jeffster. I think, uh, two weeks ago we attended a concert where I had fucked two girls.

Hey, it's me. No, that's, that's the ultimate liar of liars.

And your mom.

No, I'm here. Where are you?

Where are youhoo?

No, no, no, no, I don't wanna be stuck with the guy. I want the tickets.

Stuck, who? What guy? Huh?

Shut up! Aw...

Happy birthday! Happy fuckin' birthday!

Um, is Sooze around?

Uh, yeah, she should be coming by.

Uh, well, what'd she say? Is Pony coming?

I don't know.

Want a beer?

Is Pony coming?

No, thanks. I don't drink. Um, well, what'd she say? I mean, did she talk to him?

Pony? What's a "pony"? You mean that geek who played the folk music at the senior prom? What's that guy's name? Neil Moynihan?

Oh, Pony's band "Dream Girls"? Been on the road opening for "Midnight Hore". Stadiums, man.

Wait, so Pony's coming by here?

Didn't you see their video on MTV?

No, I shot my TV.

But, so, Pony's comin' by here to the corner?

He's around and, you know, maybe he's coming by. Sooze told him to come by and hang out, whatever. It's no big deal. Me, him, and Sooze are gonna...

Oh, no, you wanted to get together with your close friend, Pony, the rockstar. I understand. So you, do you, want us to, leave?

No. We were just gonna go someplace or something to...

We are?

Alright. She told him to meet us here. Fuck.

Pony's coming here to the corner?!

Yeah, no, it wasn't even my idea.

Jeff, Jeff, if you want to be alone with Pony, you know, that's, that's fine with us.

Sooze wants to see him.

Well, you know, I wanna fucking see him. I gotta know what it's like to be on MTV.

Yeah, we all want to see him. So when's he coming?

Yeah, when's he coming?

I don't know. Later. I don't know.

Yes!

That was really great.

Was it okay?

Yeah!

What did you guys think?

Slides go with it.

Behind me. I'm making these slides out of these old pictures and paintings and stuff.

Was that supposed to be me?

No.

Yes.

It's called "Burger Manifesto, Part One The Dialectical Expression of Testosterone." Isn't that a great title?

Why is everything about you, Jeff?

No, not, not everything. This. I am the man in your life.

Man?

Yeah, man, male, significant other, whatever the fuck I am.

It's a piece.

Your sure as hell right about that.

I'm not doing it anywhere, Jeff. It's just part of my application to the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Ah, you know people there?

I'm just gonna go. I figure the worst I can do is starve to death.

"The worst I can do is starve to death." Listen to you.

I don't want to hear it anymore.

No, no, no. Y-you know what? Y-your packing your bags, you're jumping into the unknown because some conceptual artist who teaches at a community college is having a mid-life crisis and he wants to sleep with some girl half his age, so he tells you you have talent.

Mister Brooks has had shows in New York, Jeff. He's been reviewed in Art Forum. I think he knows.

Oh, well, then you better listen to him.

Well, fuck! Might as well not do anything! Let's just stick out thumbs up our asses and twirl.

Yes, that's right. You know what, honey? You should go to New York. You should go. Go show 'em. They need your unique point of view.

At least I have a point of view, you know?

Uh-huh.

I stand for something. And I'm trying to communicate something.

What are you trying to communicate? Tell us.

So you can give me more shit?

No, no. It's an honest question. What are you trying to communicate?

I'm trying to communicate how I feel, Jeff. You know raise consciousness. Make people think for a change.

Mn-hm.

"Burger Manifesto, Part One" is gonna make people think?

Yes, you asshole.

About what?

About things that are important to me.

Like what?

Sexual politics, racism, the environment, the military industrial...

Um-hm.

Wait. Racism? You don't know anybody who's black!

Of course I do!

Name one.

God, KAREN JOHNSON.

One!

Your completely missing the point.

Hey!

I'm talking about idealism.

Responsibility, progress.

Yes.

No, idealism is guilty, middle class bullshit.

No, sweetie. Cynicism is bullshit.

No, no, no. I'm not being cynical, I'm being honest.

But do you stand for anything?

Yes, I stand for –

What? What do you stand for?

I can't wait till Pony gets here, you know? Have a conversation with a human being?

Well, if you love him so much, why didn't you go see him play?

Um, because you didn't want to go.

Like I'm goito pay twenty bucks to see Neil Moynihan in some band that I helped start.

Okay. Well, you know, he's always been a nice guy and I like him.

He's a geek.

Hey, I've been, uh, making these tapes, videotapes. I ripped off a camcorder up at the mall. I thought, you know, it could be something that I do, be a video artist, you know.

Ladies and gentlemen, Buff, the postmodern idiot savant. He will outdo us all.

It's safe, come on.

That's it. That's it! I'm calling the police.

Why we're just standing here.

Look, your trespassing.

Hey, call the cops! Call 'em, call 'em right now, man. Maybe my cousin Jerry will show up. He'll definitely take your word over mine. You can tell him about the trespassing. I'll tell him about how you sell beer to minors.

Look, look, I'm not joking around now, okay? Come on, let's go, let's go!

We're just standing here!

Just go and stand someplace else, okay?

You stand someplace else, man. You stand someplace else. This is our corner. You don't fucking own it!

Yes I do. My family owns it. It's ours. You don't belong here.

No, you don't belong here. We were here before you.

Why don't you go back to where you came from?

Hey, Tim.

No, see, sweetheart, you don't want to stand up for parasite 'cause I can fuckin' smell him from here. You know what? Tow words, man: roll on.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, what are you, huh? You fucking drunk bum. Yeah, you good-for-nothing. You just, uh, hang around. On my property.

The Hare Krishna's calling me a drunk. Hey, listen, pal, you want us to go?

Yeah, please, go. Come on.

Make a move. Greasecake. Towel-head.

Hey, Tim, you know what? You win.

Fucking drunk, huh?

You have the largest penis. Can we go please?

Don't let 'em fight.

The dude wants it.

This is ridiculous!

Tim!

Hey, your gonna regret this.

Come on, Jeff.

Fuck her! Come on, let's go.

Jeff! Let's go!

Yeah, most nights I'm just sleeping on the couch.

Yeah, that sounds cool. Great.

He says we got to be at the radio station at seven a.m. Can you handle that?

Oh, sure.

Great.

Hi. I'm Erica.

Oh, Erica, this is my friend Jeff.

Hi, Jeff. Nice to meet you.

Jeff, Erica. God, it's so amazing to be back home.

Oh, wow.

I mean, we've been playing big places everywhere, but when we did that sound check at The Orpheum, it suddenly hit me. I'm playing The Orpheum, you know? I mean, the last time I played here was, uh, the prom.

The prom. That's funny.

Hey, I though you guys were coming to the show, man?

Oh, uh, yeah, we were, but, uh, Sooze, screwed up the tickets.

Oh, man, we were pretty on tonight.

Oh, you were excellent tonight, Pony.

We were?

Oh, yeah, it was a great show.

You guys missed it.

Sorry.

So how's college?

I dropped out. I mean, uh, you know, this semester I'm taking a, a class, you know, three nights a week. But I'm just try-trying to think and work on stuff., you know? I've been doing some writing, though. Short pieces, you know.

I love writing. A-Anne Rice? I love Anne Rice.

Short pieces, huh? You should try to write songs.

You know, I've thought about that, actually.

No, man, I mean it. You're a good writer. I remember those things you'd write during honors English. Funny shit.

Mm.

He wrote this thing about his dick once and he read it in front of the whole class.

I'd love to read that.

Funny shit, man.

So you think I should?

What?

Write. 'Cause I, I have written some things.

Like songs?

Yeah, they could be songs.

Yeah. You should show 'em to me.

Really?

Yeah, really.

Now?

Yeah.

Great.

Yeah, maybe later.

Hey! Hey!

Pony, oh my god!

Hey!

You showed up. Oh, my god! Holy shit! Look at this car, man!

Oh, it's stupid, isn't it.

Is that your driver?

It's stupid.

No, no, it isn't. It's cool.

Look at you!

Oh!

Wow. Hey, you look good. Like you, you know, head's in a good place, you know? You, are still doing your painting?

Sometimes, yeah. You know, I started to do performances.

Oh, yeah?

So? What's L.A. like?

It's pretty exciting.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Like?

Oh, uh... uh, the other night our manager Danny took us to this restaurant and there was Sandra Bernhard.

No, she was just sitting there?!

Oh, yeah, just sitting there eatin' a salad, you know. That kind of thing happens all the time in L.A. It's, you know... I met Johnny Depp.

You did? I love him. Yeah, you know, I'm thinking of moving to New York.

New York, huh?

Yeah. To go to school and, you know, paint, performances, paint.

You have to go. You always did such, uh, you know, great work. I still have some of those drawings that you'd do in study hall.

You do not!

I do. Jeff, don't you think Sooze should go to New York and, uh, you know.

Yeah, uh, that would depend, but yeah. She should.

Mm.

Hey, yes! Hey, Pony, man! Great concert tonight!

Oh, you were there?

No, but I heard it was great.

Oh, thanks. Thanks.

Hey, Pony, this is my friend Bee-Bee.

Hey.

Hi.

How're you doing? Nice to meet you.

So tell us, man. Party time, trashin' hotel rooms, babes around the clock?

Naw, naw, we don't have time for all that.

Oh, So what about her?

Hi.

Oh, uh, Erica? Erica is the publicist for the band.

Hi, I'm Erica.

Hey, I'm Sooze.

Yeah, right, publicist.

Nice to meet you Sooze.

Hi, I'm Erica.

Yeah, she, uh, works for the record company and takes care of interviews and, you know, shit like that, Uh, we were actually just doin' an interview and Erica said she's like to see Burnfield, so...

So, do you guys want to do something, go someplace or something like that?

So, we're all old friends of Pony's. We go way back to our childhood.

Yeah, he's told me. Burnfield. We all hear about Burnfield.

Mm. You know, does he telyou about how, uh, Jeff, Pony, started the band...?

Oh, you were in the band?

Yeah.

Well, I helped start it, but, you know, uh...

Well, not exactly.

For a while.

Well, I mean, we jammed a couple of times. You know, I mean, you play harmonica, but that was before we were really a band, you know, before Danny signed us.

Right.

Yeah, well, I, I came by more than a couple times.

So you came by to see how the other half lives, huh? Well, here we are, What do you think? Pretty fucking pathetic huh? Kind of like one of those documentaries on educational TV?

It's nice here. It's different.

Yeah, totally.

So, uh, what do they interview you about?

Well, uh, there's this benefit for Rwanda we're gonna do. And, uh, you know, my songs, uh, where I get the ideas for them, uh, you know, stuff like that.

Where do you get your ideas?

Leave him alone, Tim.

Uh, excuse me, I'd like to know where he gets his ideas.

Tim's jealous, you know? He wants to have ideas too.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm jealous of MTV faggots who are named after animals.

Jeff!

Your his publicist?

Sure I am. It's fun.

Mm. And your like, what else?

"Drove down the highway

there was a big jam

The family had died

There inside their minivan

There was a backup

It went on for miles

But as bad as it was

It was gone after a while"

Chorus here.

"You may think there's nothing to it

and the truth is hard to see

To be an invisible man is a remarkable

thing to be

thing to be

thing to be"

That was so great!

It's coming along.

Thank you.

Hey, I'm glad you put truth in your song, man. That's important.

Hey, thanks, man.

So who are you?

What do you mean?

Well, if we're, like, the man invisible, what are you?

I don't know. Uh, I'm an artist, I guess. You know, there's life and then there's the people watching the life, commenting on it.

Yeah, well, that's what I do too.

What?

Comment, say things, think. Whatever. Why are you so special?

Well, I, I didn't say I was special, but it's one thing, you know, and it's another thing to actually communicate it to people. You know what I mean? If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does that make a sound?

Of course it does.

You know, that is my worst fear. Making a sound and no one hears it.

Mine too.

W-wait a minute, wait a minute.

You know what I'm saying?

Sure. You make art and you want people to see it.

Wait, what happened to the tree?

Yeah, but that doesn't mean that your tree is not artistic if no one cuts it down.

Jeff likes to argue for the sake of arguing.

No, I don't.

Yes, you do.

No, I don't.

You do.

No, I don't.

FUCK! Pony, if we wanted to hear you sing, we would've gone to your concert!

Jeff!

So you sold ninety thousand units. So what? Does that mean you're a genius? You're a great artist? You're higher up the ladder? You got an extra gold star on your fuckin' forehead?

Wow, you're cute when you're angry.

Why don't you write a song about Sandra Berhard's salad, asshole?

Jesus, Jeff.

Hey, man, uh, look, if you don't like my stuff, uh, I won't sing it, okay? I'm sorry, you know?

No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I don't need a limousine to know who I am, alright?

Right on. You know what? He doesn't need the limo, man.

I mean, you know, at least I admit that I don't know. I know that things are fucked up beyond belief and I know that I have nothing original to say about any of it, alright? I don't have an answer. I don't have a fucking message.

Okay, great. Well, now he's crying. Are you guys happy?

Oh, shut up, Tim. This isn't funny, man.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

No, no, no, no, no. Uh, hey, man. You know I'm really sorry if I, if I said something wrong. I, I...

No, man. Hey. No, you know what? Hey, it's you, man. It's, you know what, you know what it is? It's this tarpit of stupidity that we're all stuck in. It's this cell. It's this void, you know.

Oh, no, man, look. Look, you know, it's me, okay? I come out here and I'm, so used to everyone, you know, kissing my ass and I think I'm a fucking star, man, and I'm really sorry if I'm full of attitude. I, I really...

No, you know what? It's not you, man. It's not anybody. It's me. Whoo! Hey.

Look, man, it... Shit. Why don't we get something to eat? I mean food?

We'd have to hurry.

China Gate's open till midnight.

George can drive us. There's plenty of room in the car. Jeff?

No. You know what? You guys go ahead and bring back something here. Yeah.

Why don't you come with us, man? I mean, I want to hear about those songs you've been working on. You too, Buff.

Limo ride!

Um, four for smoking, please.

Closed, closed.

Oh, man, no closed, we just got here!

No.

Midnight closed.

Oh, come on! We're hungry. Please?

Yo, do you know who this guy is right here? That's Pony Moynihan from MTV. Yeah look at his limo out there.

TV?

TV. MTV, what your going to turn him away?

Come on, man. Sh, sh, sh.

No man.

He's probably the most famous guy that'd ever come in this place. You're lucky he's here.

Take-out only. Wait, I get picture.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thanks. See man?

You know? I remember coming here with my parents.

Really?

You know, I should, um, make a video of this place. You know, bring the camera in.

You make videos?

Oh, yeah, all the time. That's what I do now.

You know what would be cool is, like, to do a music video, you know? But, like, you know, have it set in here. You know, like, like, like, with her and shit. You know, like, you know, like, "Closed, closed, closed, closed, closed, closed."

"Closed, closed, closed." But with your music.

You could do it.

I could.

Yeah!

Yeah.

I mean, do you have something I could show my manager? I mean, do you have a reel?

Yes!

Yeah!

A reel?