From Dusk Till Dawn

 

 

 

Story by             Robert Kurtzman

 

Screenplay by          Quentin Tarantino

 

Produced by          Gianni Nunnari

               Meir Teper

 

Directed by          Robert Rodriguez

 

 

 

Cast List:

 

George Clooney       Seth Gecko

Quentin Tarantino      Richard Gecko

Harvey Keitel        Jacob Fuller

Juliette Lewis       Kate Fuller

Ernest Liu       Scott Fuller

Salma Hayek         Santanico Pandemonium

Tom Savini        Sex Machine

Fred Williamson         Frost

Cheech Marin       Chet Pussy

Carlos

Border Guard

 

 

 

"I earnestly wish an end would come to this bloody race I am forced to run."

 

 – Countess in Jess Franco's "La Comtesse Noire"

 

 

 

 

FADE IN:

 

 

EXT. LIQUOR STORE – DAY

 

A convenience store in a Texas Suburb. No other businesses surround it.

 

CLOSEUP: A light switch is flipped on.

 

The sign on top of the store lights up. It reads: "BENNY'S WORLD OF LIQUOR".

 

SUBTITLE APPEARS AT BOTTOM OF SCREEN:

 

"BIG SPRING, TEXAS

109 MILES WEST OF ABILENE

345 MILES EAST OF THE MEXICAN BORDER"

 

A Texas Ranger patrol car pulls into the parking lot and a real live Texas Ranger, EARL MCGRAW, steps out. McGraw is in full ranger uniform – button shirt, cowboy hat, boots, mirrored shades, tin star and a colt revolver on his hip.

 

It's about an hour and a half before sundown and McGraw is off duty for the day.

 

The only other car in the parking lot is a 1975 Plymouth

(Charley Varrick's car).

 

 

INT. BENNY'S WORLD OF LIQUOR – DAY

 

A young Hawaiian Shirt wearing man named PETE sits on a stool behind the counter.

 

A few CUSTOMERS fiddle about.

 

A MAN wearing a black suit, black tie, and wire rim glasses holds hands with a PRETTY BLONDE GIRL in cutoffs and bare feet. They look through magazines.

 

Another black suit wearing MAN holds hands with a RED-HEADED GIRL in a prep school uniform. They look through the beer cooler in the back of the store. Both girls are around seventeen.

 

MCGRAW enters the store.

 

MCGRAW

Hot goddamn day!

 

PETE

Haven't felt it a bit. Been inside with the air conditioner blastin' all day long.

 

MCGRAW

Not even for lunch?

 

PETE

I'm by myself today, ate my lunch outta the microwave.

 

McGraw walk over to the beer cooler, as if done ritually every night (it is), takes out a beer, pops it open and joins Pete by the front counter.

 

MCGRAW

Jesus Christ man, that microwave food'll kill ya as quick as a bullet. Those burritos are only fit for a hippie high on weed. Pull me down a bottle of Jack Daniels. I'm gettin' tanked tonight.

 

PETE

Whatsamatter?

 

MCGRAW

Awww, it's just been a shit ass day. Every inch of it hot and miserable. First off, Nadine at the Blue Chip got some sorta sick, so that mongoloid boy of her's was workin' the grill. That fuckin' idiot don't know rat shit from Rice Krispies. I ate breakfast at nine, was pukin' up pigs in a blanket like a sick dog by ten thirty.

 

PETE

Isn't there a law or something against retards serving food to the public?

 

MCGRAW

Well, if there ain't there sure oughta be. Who knows what goes on inside a mongoloids mind?

 

PETE

You could sue the shit out of her, ya know. That kid belongs under a circus tent, not flippin' burgers. You could own that fuckin' place.

 

MCGRAW

What the hell would I do with that grease pit? Besides, Nadine's got enough of a cross to bear just taking care of that potato head. Then all this Abilene shit happened. You heard about that bank robbery in Abilene, didn't ya?

 

PETE

That's all that's been on the box all day. They killed some people, didn't they?

 

MCGRAW

Four Rangers, three cops, and two civilians. And they took a lady bank teller as a hostage.

 

Pete doesn't say anything.

 

MCGRAW

They'll probably make a run for the border, which would bring 'em this way. And if we get our hands on those shit asses, we're talking payback time. We'll get 'em all right. I gotta piss. I'm gonna use your commode.

 

PETE

Knock yourself out.

 

McGraw drops his last drip of beer, crushes the can and exits in the bathroom.

 

The black suited man by the beer cooler turns around and, with the prep school girl in tow, walks rapidly toward Pete. We see that the girl is crying.

 

BLACK SUITED MAN #1

(to Pete)

Do you think I'm fuckin' playing with you, asshole?

(points to the tearful prep school girl)

Do you want this little girl to die?

(pointing to the blonde with the other guy)

Or that little girl? Or your bosom buddy with the badge? Or yourself? I don't wanna do it, but I'll turn this fuckin' store into the Wild Bunch if I even think you're fuckin' with me.

 

The two men in black suits are the notorious Abilene bank robbers, SETH and RICHARD GECKO, "The Gecko Brothers." And the other customers are all being held hostage. Seth is the one with the prep girl. Richard is the one with the blonde. Everybody speaks low and fast.

 

PETE

What do you want from me? I did what you said.

 

SETH

Letting him use your toilet? No store does that.

 

PETE

He comes in here every day and we bullshit. He's used my toilet a thousand times. If I told him no, he'd know something was up.

 

SETH

I want that son-of-a-bitch outta here, in his car, and down the road or you can change the name of this place to "Benny's World of Blood."

 

Richard, holding tightly the hand of the terrified girl, leans next to Seth's ear and whispers something. Seth looks at Pete.

 

SETH

Were you giving that pig signals?

 

PETE

What? Are you kidding? I didn't do anything!

 

Richard whispers something else in Seth's ear.

 

SETH

He says you were scratching.

 

PETE

I wasn't scratching!

 

SETH

You callin' him a liar?

 

Pete controls himself.

 

PETE

I'm not calling him a liar, okay? I'm simply saying that if I was scratching, and if I did scratch, it's not because I was signaling the cop, it's because I'm fuckin' scared shitless.

 

Richard speaks for the first time in a low calm voice to Seth.

 

RICHARD

The Ranger's taking a piss. Why don't I just go in there, blow his head off and get outta here.

 

PETE

Don't do that! Look, you asked me to act natural, and I'm acting as natural – in fact, under the circumstances, I think I ought get a fuckin' Academy Award for how natural I'm acting. You asked me to get rid of him, I'm doing my best.

 

SETH

Yeah, well, your best better get a helluva lot fuckin' better, or you're gonna feel a helluva fuckin' lot worse.

 

The toilet flushes.

 

SETH

Everybody be cool.

 

Everybody goes back to what they were doing.

 

McGraw steps back out of the back. He appears to be unaware of the situation.

 

MCGRAW

Yeah, and I'm gonna be right back at it tomorrow. So tonight I'm gonna sit in front of the box and just drink booze. How much is the bottle?

 

PETE

Six-fifty.

 

Out of nowhere Richard WHIPS out his forty-five automatic and SHOOTS McGraw in the head.

 

McGraw goes down screaming.

 

Richard stands over him and SHOOTS him twice more.

 

Seth charges forward.

 

SETH

(to Richard)

What the fuck was that about?

 

RICHARD

(in a low monotone)

He signaled the Ranger.

 

PETE

(hysterical)

I didn't.

(to Seth)

You gotta believe me, I didn't.

 

RICHARD

(to Seth)

When they were talkin', he mouthed the words "Help Us."

 

PETE

You fuckin' liar, I didn't say shit!

 

Richard SHOOTS Pete and Pete falls down behind the counter.

 

Seth grabs Richard and throws him up against the wall.

 

SETH

What the fuck is wrong with you –

 

RICHARD

Seth, he did it. You were by the beer cooler with your back turned. I was by the magazines, I could see his face. And I saw him mouth:

 

Richard mouths the words "Help Us."

 

While Pete lies on the floor behind the counter bleeding from his bullet wound, he opens his floor safe and pulls out a gun from it.

 

Seth releases his brother.

 

SETH

Start the car.

 

RICHARD

You believe me don'tcha?

 

SETH

Shut up and start the car.

 

Richard walks away from Seth and crosses the counter...

 

... when Pete SPRINGS up, gun in hand, and SHOOTS Richard in the shoulder.

 

Richard FALLS to his knees, howling.

 

Both Pete and Seth SPRAY the store with gunfire.

 

Seth DIVES down an aisle. He reloads.

 

Pete DUCKS behind the counter. He reloads.

 

Richard has crawled to safety behind an aisle.

 

The two girls have run out screaming.

 

SETH

(yelling)

Richie? You okay?

 

RICHARD

(yelling)

I'm not dead, but I'm definitely shot! I told you that bastard said, "Help us!"

 

PETE

(yelling)

I never said help us!

 

SETH

(yelling)

Well that don't matter now, 'cause you got about two fuckin' seconds to live! Richie!

 

RICHARD

(yelling)

Yeah?

 

SETH

(yelling)

When I count three, shoot out the bottles behind him!

 

RICHARD

Gotcha!

 

SETH

One... Two... Three.

 

The two brothers start FIRING toward the counter.

 

They HIT the bottles of alcohol on the shelf behind Pete.

 

Pete is crouched on the ground as glass, debris and alcohol RAIN down on him.

 

Seth grabs a roll of paper towels from off a shelf.

 

Richard keeps FIRING.

 

Seth douses the paper towels with lighter fluid, sets it on fire with his Zippo, then tosses it.

 

The flaming roll of paper towels FLIES through the air.

 

The fireball lands behind the counter.

 

The entire counter area immediately BURSTS INTO FLAMES. Pete screams from behind the counter.

 

Seth smiles to himself and stands.

 

Richard shakes his head in amusement and stands.

 

Pete runs out from behind the counter, ENGULFED IN FLAMES, still holding his weapon and FIRING.

 

Seth and Richard hit the ground FIRING their .45's.

 

Pete, the human torch, FALLS like a tree into the Hostess Pastry display.

 

Seth and Richard rise from the rubble.

 

 

EXT. BENNY'S WORLD OF LIQUOR – DAY

 

They exit the store squabbling. The store is bursting into flames.

 

SETH

What did I tell you? What did I tell you? Buy the road map and leave.

 

RICHARD

What am I supposed to do, Seth? He recognized us.

 

SETH

He didn't recognize shit.

 

Both Seth and Richard stand on opposite sides of the car.

 

RICHARD

Seth, I'm telling you, the way he looked at us – you especially – I knew he knew.

 

They both climb in the car (Seth behind the wheel). Seth starts it up. The souped up engine ROARS to life. We can hear Seth mumbling under the motor.

 

SETH

Low profile. Do you know what the words "low profile" mean?

 

 

CLOSEUP: SETH'S FOOT PUNCHES GAS

 

The Plymouth tears out of the parking lot backwards, hits the street, and speeds off down the road.

 

We CRANE UP HIGH to see the car leaving a trail of dust behind it, as the store burns out of control.

 

 

"MIRIMAX PRESENTS"

 

 

TITLE SEQUENCE

 

Raunchy, honky-tonk MUSIC fills the theater.

 

CREDIT SEQUENCE ENDS

 

CUT TO:

 

 

EXT. EMMA AND PETE'S GRAVY TRAIN – DAY

 

Emma and Pete's Gravy Train is a truck stop of Highway 290.

 

SUBTITLE APPEARS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN:

 

"FORT STOCKTON 238 MILES FROM THE MEXICAN BORDER"

 

 

INT. EMMA AND PETE'S GRAVY TRAIN – DAY

 

Emma and Pete's PATRONS are made up of regulars, truckers, cowboys and road-weary travelers. The CAMERA DOLLIES through the maze of tables, patrons, and waitresses.

 

It stops when it gets to a table occupied by the FULLER FAMILY. The Fullers definitely fall into the road-weary category. The members of the unit consist of the father, JACOB, age 44, an ex-preacher, a good man with rough edges, and his two children, KATE, age 19, is a young beauty who possesses what can only be described as an apple pie sensuality. She is dressed like a nice Christian girl, complete with crucifix. SCOTT, age 16, is a Jacob's Vietnamese adopted son. Scott is a likable, long-haired kid who always wears a T-shirt with the name of the heavy metal garage band he plays guitar for, "Precinct 13". The three of them are wolfing down a late lunch.

 

JACOB

We got about two more hours of daylight left. That'll get us into El-Paso, which is right next to the border. We'll stop at a motel –

 

SCOTT

Stop? We're not going to actually stop at a motel, are we?

 

Scott and Kate speak together, obviously repeating something that Jacob has said about three hundred times.

 

SCOTT AND KATE

We've got a Winnebago. We don't need those overpriced roach havens. We're self contained.

 

JACOB

Okay, Okay, maybe I was a little overzealous, but give me a break, I just bought it.

 

Scott and Kate continue the impersonation.

 

SCOTT

Why, just look at all this. You got your kitchen –

 

KATE

– you got your microwave –

 

SCOTT

– you got your sink –

 

KATE

– you got your shower –

 

SCOTT

– see this, television!

 

KATE

Feel this, real wood paneling. That's real wood, too, not that fake stuff.

 

JACOB

Unless you two wiseacres wanna be introduced to the joys of hitchhiking, what say we drop this?

 

SCOTT

(to Kate)

The truth hurts.

 

KATE

(to Scott)

It's the bitterest of pills.

 

JACOB

You two ought to start a stand-up act, because you're just wasting your humor on me.

 

KATE

Ain't it the truth.

 

SCOTT

Why do you want to stop?

 

JACOB

I'm exhausted.

 

SCOTT

Lie in the back, dad, I'll drive us into Mexico.

 

Jacob gives Scott a look that says, "You aren't touching my new motor home."