♪ Operator ♪
♪ Give me ♪
♪ Information ♪
♪ Give me ♪
♪ Long ♪
♪ Distance ♪
♪ Long distance ♪
♪ Give me ♪
♪ Heav... ♪
♪ Heaven ♪
♪ Operator Operator ♪
♪ Information ♪
♪ Give me Jesus ♪
♪ On the line ♪
♪ Operator Operator ♪
♪ Information ♪
♪ I'd like to talk to ♪
♪ A friend of mine ♪
♪ Prayer is the number ♪
♪ Faith is the exchange ♪
♪ Heaven is the street ♪
♪ And Jesus is the name ♪
♪ Operator Operator ♪
♪ Information ♪
♪ Give me Jesus on the line ♪
♪ Operator operator ♪
♪ Information ♪
♪ Give me Jesus... ♪
Give me operator!
What?
Yeah, that's right.
There are an estimated 8 million people
in the 5 boroughs of New York.
12 million in the greater metropolitan area.
There are almost 10 million telephone exchange lines.
Over 50 phone services.
3 million New Yorkers are cell phone users.
It used to be a mark of insanity
to see people talk to themselves.
Now it's a mark of status.
And speed dial
is quickly replacing the drop of a coin.
Despite increased usage of cellular devices,
an estimated 4 1/2 million residents
and 2 million visitors
still utilize pay phones on a regular basis.
This is the telephone booth
at 53rd and 8th,
perhaps the last vestige of privacy
on Manhattan's West Side.
It is the last booth of its type
still in regular operation.
Up to 300 calls daily originate here.
This location has been burglarized 41 times
in the last 6 months.
Verizon has scheduled this structure
to be torn down and replaced with a kiosk
as of 8 A.M. tomorrow.
Hardly 2 blocks away,
meet the man who is to be the final occupant
of that booth.
Donny. Donny, Donny, listen to me.
I said I'd get you magazine coverage,
and I'm getting you in a magazine.
Look, you gotta trust me.
No means yes to these people.
Get What's up? Magazine on the line.
Yeah, I heard you. Yeah, Donny,
I got What's up? Magazine on the other line.
They want to know about you, so I'm hanging up.
This is Erica or Lars. I can't tell the difference.
You got Stu. We said no.
And I didn't hear you,
so I'm giving you a second chance.
We don't do magicians.
Magicians? Donny G. Is an artist
who happens to look like a supermodel.
The new guys is offering him the cover.
New guys wants him?
And I haven't told my client--
my favorite client--
that I am making this call, all right?
He wants new guys.
I want you guys.
And I can make him come around,
but you're gonna lose us
if I don't hear from you by end of business.
Get Ricky at new guys.
Tell him what's up? Is offering a cover.
Ok. Big Q.
Adam. Adam.
I know 3 people looking for dog walkers.
That could be you.
"Sit. Stay. Don't worry, Fluffy.
I'll clean up your shit and wipe your ass."
You got Stu.
Yeah, what's up with my party, Stu?
Yo, Q, I was just telling my assistant
to get my favorite client on the phone
and here you are. Nice.
But, uh...
But listen. Seriously, Q, we gotta look
at a new night for your release party.
Yeah, there's 2 premieres, a fund raiser.
All the happening places are booked.
If we move the date by 2 nights--
voodoo on you-do, motherfucker,
from Big Q to big Stu!
All right, Big Q, be reasonable.
Motherfucker, I'm a gangsta!
I don't gotta be reasonable!
You're cutting out. Hello? Big Q?
I'll kill your ass you keep talking about me like that!
Right?
N.Y.P.D. Blue, 11 o'clock.
Stuey, the hardest working P.R. Guy.
How's business?
How many times I have to tell you, Wyatt?
I'm a publicist. Tickets.
4 for Britney Spears, right?
You know, you put the "ho" in show business, Stuey?
It's Stu. What you got for me?
Uh, they just checked Mrs...Uh...
Mrs. Sharp into Bellevue again.
Page 6.
Tell Britney I send my love.
Enjoy the show.
Hold on a second.
Page 6. This is Lana.
Ah-choo!
Bless you. Lana, it's Stu Shepard.
Ah-choo! Bless you.
Is it you or your boss calling?
It's me. Listen, I'm looking
for some mutual back scratching.
You get my privileged N.Y.P.D. Blue info,
and I get you to save my ass.
Not now, Stu. I'm a sick woman.
Well, this is gonna make you feel better.
Tony award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp
tossed his wife back into drug rehab today.
How nice.
What do you want for that little tidbit?
Well, you better be nice to me while I'm still on the way up
and taking your calls.
You know what they say,
the higher the monkey climbs,
the more you see of his ass.
Oh, have a heart, Lana.
Listen, earlier today, my half-wit assistant
faxed you regarding my favorite client.
Great singer about to turn great actress.
Oh, another little miss tits and ass?
Look, I'm on cell. No names.
That was strictly in-office information.
You didn't print it, did you?
I got it.
All right, well, tell me Richard didn't see it,
and he didn't put it in the column.
Stu something's on the phone,
scared he's gonna lose his job.
His office sent you something by mistake.
He wants it back.
Get lu Ann.
You tell him T.F.B.
Put that at the top of the column.
Yeah. Stu, it ran. Sorry.
Oh, God. No, no.
Yes!
Erica from what's up? Magazine.
They offered Donny g a photo
in "what's hot and happening."
Fuck 'em. Make 'em sweat.
He's on a conference call. He could take a while.
Uh, yeah. Can he call you back?
Ok. All right. Bye.
Pretty smooth, Adam.
Thank you.
Now if you can absorb everything
I'm trying to teach you, focus,
and get a new wardrobe,
you can make it big in public relations.
I got a sense.
Cool, cool, cool, cool.
What's up, T?
How ya doin'?
Mario's.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Not so fast, Stu.
How come you run every time you go past my place, huh?
Because I'm busy, Mario.
Yeah? Yeah?
Well, no more drinks or free meals, OK?
One lousy mention in the post,
you expect to eat for 6 months? No!
Maybe--Mario!
Just maybe I could throw the hippest party
this month your way--
Stu. No, I couldn't.
My clients would kill me.
What? What? What hip party?
It's just Big Q, the hottest new rap star.
There'll be local TV coverage,
9 and 11. 9 and 11.
MTV, B.E.T., VH1.
But I promised other clients, Mario.
People who actually pay me money.
Look, you owe me, Stu.
It's gotta be the night of the 18th.
You toss in the buffet for 80 people,
the record company will pick up the booze,
and I will deliver you a truckload of celebrities.
Anything you want, OK?
Expand the menu, wallpaper
those bathrooms, for God's sake.
And lose the chain. You only get one shot
with celebrities.
Thank you. Thank you, Stu.
Brilliant. That was fucking brilliant.
Call Big Q. Tell him we got him into
the hippest place in town on his date.
All right.
Call what's up? Magazine. We'll take their offer.
And messenger a bottle of Jameson's over to Lana
at page 6 with a note saying-- write this down.
Got it.
"Irish chicken soup. Love, Stu."
All right. No harm being gracious.
Yeah. Ok.
Actually, better off, deliver it over yourself.
Get to know the players.
Yeah, yeah. No. I'll do that. Definitely.
Thank you so much for teaching me.
And, Adam, don't you have a suit?
Uh, actually, no.
Here. Get yourself one.
I'm gonna have to start paying you pretty soon.
Yeah, I hope so.
Stu, listen, you got a bunch of messages.
Listen, I'm already late for a meeting. Hold 'em.
All right. See you, Stu!
See you, Adam!
Excuse me.
I'm trying to make a call here.
This is for you. Half pepperoni,
half mushroom, extra crisp.
You ever heard of delivering a pizza
to a fucking phone booth? I don't think so.
"Gentleman occupying phone booth,
53rd between Broadway and 8th."
It's a mistake.
What am I supposed to do with the pie?
It's all paid for.
Look, there's a homeless guy just around the block.
Give him the pizza and say, "you can turn away from it,
but you can't make it go away." How's that?
He'll think I'm trying to poison him.
They always get that idea--
get off the fucking pizza, all right?!
That language is uncalled for.
Holy shit!
I'm sorry.
Please return to sender
and fuck off.
There you go. $5. Eat the pizza yourself.
You look like you could use a good meal.
Hello?
Pam.
Could you believe some nutcase just tried
to deliver me a pizza to a phone booth.
Why are you always in the same phone booth,
same time, every day?
Well, it's quitting time, right?
Thank God. We were mobbed for lunch today.
So how's your day?
It's getting better by the minute, sweetheart.
Who's the most famous person you've publicized today?
You.
Oh, really?
I told a few gossip columnists that Mel Gibson
was looking for actresses for his latest film.
And I said the possibilities were Cameron Diaz,
Julia Roberts, and my favorite client, you.
You didn't really do that.
First step towards being noticed
is being mentioned, Pam.
Look, I just got out of a press conference
at the city hotel and I was thinking
maybe you could come down here, you know?
There are a couple of people
and a few Martinis I'd like to introduce you to.
Stu, I--
listen, Pam, Pam, Pam.
It's about time we really talked
about your career. Come on.
Look, I feel awful always saying no,
but I promised my scene partner
that I'd rehearse for class.
We're doing a scene from Jerry Maguire,
and I'm playing Renee Zellweger's part.
That's great. Well, look,
I rescheduled a meeting to see you,
but I guess--I guess I could reschedule it back.
Are you mad?
Don't worry about it.
No, I'm not mad.
Maybe tomorrow.
Yeah. Later.
Look, Stu? What?
Big kiss.
You, too.
Ahem. Yeah.
Isn't it funny?
You hear a phone ring, and it could be anybody,
but a ringing phone has to be answered,
doesn't it?
What?
I hope you realize how you've hurt my feelings.
Who the fuck is this?
Don't even think about leaving that phone booth.
Wrong number, pal.
It was a perfectly delicious pizza,
and you're certainly going to wish
you had accepted it.
I imagine this is part of the same gag--
the pizza bit. That was some funny shit.
Yeah, well, it's purpose
was to keep your strength up
for what's coming next.
What's coming next is I'm hanging up.
Oh, no, you won't.
You're going to learn to obey me.
Obey you? Who is this?
Someone who enjoys watching you.
Watching me?
Yes, I love the suit you're wearing today.
The black on raspberry sorbet.
Very Italian.
Where, uh--
where are you?
There are hundreds of windows out there.
Why don't you check them out?
Yeah?
So what am I doing now?
You're scratching your head.
Now you're brushing your hair back.
That's not very nice, Stu.
Did you call me Stu?
Who's Stu? I don't know any Stu.
Why, do you prefer Stuart?
Look, a lot of people in this neighborhood
know who I am.
Stuart Shepard, 1326 West 51st street,
third floor front.
Go mind fuck some other guy, pal.
I know Pamela McFadden, too.
It's not in your best interest
to disconnect me.
Someone could get hurt.
Oh, what's the matter, Stu?
Listen, if you're some fucked-up failed actor
I wouldn't handle or some prick intern I fired,
I will hunt you down and I will crush you.
You will never work in this town.
All right, trust me.
I can turn people into gods,
and I can turn you into a total fucking loser
if you weren't one already.
Do you hear me? Am I upsetting you?
Hello?
You think I'm gonna what, pay you off or something?
Tell me what you want.
Oh, now you want to talk to me.
Look, did Adam at my office put you up to this?
No. I thought this up all by myself.
All right, well, keep thinking.
I'm hanging up.
I'll say hi to your wife Kelly for you.
Talk to you later.
The callback feature cannot--
motherfucker.
Tell me what you want.
I want your complete attention.
Are you an actor?
Yes, one of your pathetic failed ones.
Yeah, well, it's tough when you're not known.
Tell me about it.
You don't have to hunt me down
and crush me. I can't get work
in this town as it is.
I've done some off-Broadway,
some off-Manhattan plays, but that dried up.
Now I wait tables, clean toilets.
Anything I can to make the rent.
I'm a walking cliche.
Yeah, well, listen, I--I can help you.
I can get you auditions.
How can you get me auditions?
You're not an agent. You're a publicist.
Of course I'm a publicist, but I have contacts.
I know agents. I can get you an audition.
Really?
Yeah.
Wow. There is someone I'd like you to call.
Name it.
Try the number you dialed
when you first got into the booth.
I don't know what you're talking about, pal.
No? Lucky you, then, because I wrote it down.
I can see every number you pressed.
Let's see if Pam is still at work.
No!
Then I guess I'll have to do it.
Look, don't!
Too late. It's already ringing.
I'll put her on speaker so you can hear.
You're fucking kidding me.
Stu, I never kid.
Hello?
Well, hello, Pam.
Hi, who's this?
It's a good friend of Stu's,
and he hasn't got many.
You know Stu?
I know he lies.
Who is this?
Don't worry about that.
Stu's listening in.
He can hear what we're saying about him.
Stu, is that true? Are you there?
Look, Pam, just hang up the goddamn phone.
She can't hear you, Stu.
Pam, I'm afraid Stu
hasn't been totally honest with you.
What do you mean?
Don't fucking do this.
Stu has been lying to you.
Pam, hang up.
Now, why would a man who has a cell phone
call you every day from a phone booth?
Because he said it's quiet.
Pam, that's just stupid.
It's because his wife checks his cell phone bills.
No record of his calls to you.
Jesus Christ.
He said he wasn't married.
Oh, he's married. Her name is Kelly.
I've never seen her, but she sounds lovely.
Why do you think he invites you
to the city hotel?
Cheap rooms for cheap girls.
He's a fucking asshole.
He's telling you all this
so you'll sleep with him.
Look, he's lying, Pam. Don't listen.
I know that, OK?
I may be from Montana,
but we have men there also.
And I--I wasn't planning on sleeping with him.
I just don't know a lot of people
right here right now, and he's cute,
and he said that he would help me.
Pamela, he's never made anyone a star.
Good-bye now. Big kiss.
Hello?
You done in there, daddy?
Back to you again, Stu.
Gotta hit this trick back
'fore the next bitch take my score.
Go away. Go away?
Hang up the fucking phone, nigga.
This motherfucker.
You don't eyeball me, bitch.
Why are you doing this?
Huh? Did I ever harm you? Did I ever--
Now, let's call Kelly.
She's not home.
Oh, but I'm sure she's at the shop on Columbus.
How the fuck do you know all this shit about us?
Speed-dial her.
Press auto one. That's her button.
And what am I supposed to say?
Why don't you try telling her the truth--
you're cheating?
I'm not cheating on Kelly. I never have.
Then what do you call it?
Look, you're a guy.
Sometimes you just want to know
it's a possibility, all right?
You know, it's like having a beautiful home,
but you still dream of that quick vacation now and then.
You know, some nice hotel room with a great view.
You know, maybe a pool.
But it's just a fantasy
because you'll never really leave home.
Do you hear what I'm saying?
Kelly is a home
and Pam is a motel.
I'm sure they'll both appreciate that.
Oh, fuck you!
Hey, that kind of language is uncalled for.
Come on, man!
You can't take up the whole fucking booth!
This here's about business.
Look, this is not the only phone in New York.
This ain't no-- it's the only one
on eighth Avenue that's working now.
Bullshit! Go in a restaurant or someplace, but get lost!
Motherfucker, this is my phone!
Get--goddamn it, man!
You done made me hurt my dick hand.
Oh, I'm sure you're just as good
with the other hand. Yeah, go away.
I will be back, motherfucker. I will be back, bitch!
Get out of my way!
I was worried there for you, Stu.
I thought she was gonna put an eye out
with that--that hand.
Look, whoever you are,
you're obviously a very intelligent man.
And I know what stress does to you.
It's all I can do from going crazy myself sometimes.
You're calling me crazy?
No. What I'm saying is you're going through
a difficult time. Please don't call my wife.
Look, let me give you my office number.
Come in, we'll talk.
I know a reasonable photographer
who'll do some head shots.
Stu, do you really think that I'm an actor?
I'm not an actor.
I have no use for you, Stu, none.
I would just like you to tell Kelly
the truth about yourself.
So, are you going to call Kelly
and tell her about Pam, or do I have to?
No! Jesus, no. I'm doing it.
Feeling kind of nervous, Stu?
Hello?
Hold it close to the receiver
so I can hear.
Stu? Yeah.
Where are you?
I'm in a phone booth.
Baby, I just got this call from this guy
who said you'd be calling me from a booth
to tell me something important.
There's a lot of prank calling
going on today, baby.
Tell her you call women from your little phone booth...
Shut up!
And invite them to drinks at discreet hotels.
Look, I'm not talking to you, baby.
Come on!
Someone's got company.
Get the fuck off our phone!
Honey, who is that woman?
Oh, the bitch got a cell phone.
Just some hookers trying to use the phone.
He just called me a hooker.
Hookers?
Uh-uh, uh-uh!
Stu, are you sure
there's nothing wrong?
We are escorts. Escorts.
Tell her you want to sleep with other women.
Look, Kelly, there is this person
and he's saying things about me, all right,
things that might not be true.
And if he calls you...
Look, get the fuck out of here--
Repeat after me--
honey, I want to sleep with other women.
Look, Kelly, whatever he says,
don't believe him.
I haven't done anything, all right?
I haven't done anything.
Only because Pam had to rehearse
with her scene partner.
Shut the fuck up!
Stu, I don't know what you're talking about.
But you're scaring me.
Look, I'm sorry, baby.
Can you come over to the store
so we can talk in person?
I--I feel kinda weird.
Yeah. Look, I'll try, don't worry.
Come on!
Yeah, bitch!
I love you.
Yeah, love you, too.
I love you.
Get the fuck out of here before I call Hillary
and have you deported to Jersey, OK?
You know what? You're a fucking asshole!
Yeah, and you're a dirty skank.
What are you gonna do about it?
Ooh, you motherfucker!
Fuck you!
Your mama is the skank, bitch!
You didn't tell your wife the truth,
did you, Stu?
And you can tell she really loves you.
Must be nice to have a pretty girl care for you.
Look, why screw up her life?
She never did you any harm.
Everybody does harm.
Look, that's it. This mindfuck is over.
Stu, if you hang up,
I will kill you.
What are you gonna do about it
up in your fucking high window
with your goddamn binoculars?
I never said I had binoculars.
I have a highly-magnified telescopic image of you.
Now what kind of device
has a telescopic sight mounted on it?
What, you mean... Like a rifle?
A .30 caliber bolt-action 700
with a carbon-one modification
and a state-of-the-art Hensoldt Tactical Scope.
And it's staring straight at you.
Yeah? How's my fucking hair?
At this range, the exit wound
ought to be about the size of a small tangerine.
Nice try, pal. Go to hell.
Now...
Doesn't that just torque your jaws?
I love that.
You know, like in the movies,
just as the good guy is about to kill the bad guy,
he cocks his gun.
Now why didn't he have it cocked?
Because that sound is scary.
It's cool, isn't it?
Look, you shoot a gun here
and there'll be pandemonium.
All right, do you hear me?
There'll be cops swarming all over this block.
You think so? Let's see.
1...2...
That won't help you.
3.
Oh, Stu, look at everybody.
Look at all of the people screaming, Stu.
Here come the cops.
Sniper on the roof. Gunfire. Hit the deck.
Stu, you still with me?
Stand up and be a man.
So, what are you--
you mean you'd whack me for no particular reason?
Oh, I have plenty of reasons,
and you keep giving me more.
Shall I take care of him?
No! Shit no.
It would be so easy.
Stu, you just gave that gentleman
$10 to walk away. You saved his life.
You do have a sensitive side.
How much to let me go?
Let's see how sensitive you really are.
I'm aiming at you right now.
Can you feel it...
The heat of it?
Come now, Stu, you can feel it.
Concentrate.
Take a look at where I'm going.
You're doing so much better than the others.
You read about the German porn-king
shot 10 days ago, didn't you,
at 38th and eighth?
He thought he was an artist
and wouldn't admit that he was just a pedophile.
Believe me, he had plenty of chances to come clean.
And of course you must have read about
the corporate executive
shot in the head at 47th and tenth.
What you probably didn't read
was that he cashed in all of his stocks
just before the bottom fell out
while all the little guys lost everything.
Now, if he had been willing to make amends,
share the money, things might have been different.
Please, tell me,
where am I aiming now?
Below the shoulder.
Which one?
The right shoulder.
Love to love you, too, baby!
That's phenomenal, Stu.
You're doing so much better than the others.
What do you remember about those killings, Stu?
I--I don't know.
Well, you think of yourself as a smart guy, Stu. Try.
Look, they got shot.
I don't fucking know, all right?
Ok, I'll give you a hint. Wallets, watches--
everything was left on their bodies.
'Cause they weren't robberies. They were executions.
They didn't have to be.
What did I do to deserve this?
Huh? Why me?
If you have to ask,
then you're not ready to know yet.
Never let us use the phone.
Right here. Shit.
Jesus. Yo, in the booth.
Now what?
You got any idea how much a pain in the ass
you're making my life? Hey, look at me.
Look, I hear you!
Look me in the eye.
Hang up the phone and walk away.
Don't do it.
I--I got my own problems.
I'm your fucking problem.
You know why I'm your fucking problem?
My girls keep running 'cross the street,
yapping at me, "Leon, he won't share the phone.
"Leon, he's tying up the phone.
"Leon, he told us to fuck off.
"Leon, we're gonna make you nuts
"unless you get over there,
make him get off the fucking phone."
All right? I'm trying to run a fucking business here.
I absolutely sympathize, but I can't get off the call.
You don't understand me, all right?
I got the g-string union over here.
They're breaking my fucking balls.
I gotta live with their shit,
but I ain't gonna put up with yours.
So I'm saying this once nice, all right?
Hang up the phone. Walk away.
He did say it nicely.
Got cell phone up in there, too, precious daddy.
Yeah, like he even need a phone!
Look, I can't get off the call, all right?
Hey, shut the fuck up.
You hear that shit?
It's like nails on a chalkboard,
and they ain't gonna fucking stop
till I get their fucking way.
I'm--I'm getting a fucking headache, pal.
All right, look-- look, all right!
I'll pay you to go away. How's that?
I don't want your fucking money.
I want you to hang up the phone
and get the fuck out of here.
$120. It's all yours.
Everybody has their price, right, Stu?
You're gonna give me $120
to rent the phone booth
the bums piss in every fucking night?
I'm--I'm a nice guy.
Something ain't right with him.
Look at all that sweat pourin' off
that son of a bitch.
Just one sick mother
we have started with right here.
It's probably catchin', too.
Yo, yo, yo.
He got the aids.
How long you want to rent the booth?
Indefinitely.
Indefinitely? What do I look like,
a fucking asshole? Let me tell you something.
Hey! $500 gets you indefinitely.
Wait up! Hold the fuck up!
How come he defyin' you, huh?
What, you got him bitch in you now?
Let me know!
I said shut the fuck up!
Yeah, now talk to him like that!
Come on, get the fuck out!
Jesus Christ-- are you enjoying this?
Do you need help?
Look, I'm handling it.
Come on!
I can help you, Stu.
I wasn't gonna kill you before,
but you just changed my fucking mind.
I'd take off if I was you.
He gonna kick your ass.
Uh-huh.
♪ He gonna kick your ass ♪
will you get the fuck out of here?
Will you go away, please?
He looks very angry.
Aw, come on-- hey, look.
Get rid of him.
Hang up the fucking phone.
Look, we can work this out.
Get rid of him!
Hang up the fucking phone.
I got a watch. It's a Solaris.
$2,000 retail.
Yeah? I got a fucking gold rolex, motherfucker.
You got 5 seconds to get off the fucking phone.
Batter up.
4...
I can stop him.
3...
Just say the word, Stu.
2...1...
No, don't--don't!
Oh, fuck.
This will count as a hang up.
I can make him stop. Just say the word.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
What? Yes!
Who runnin' this? Whose street is this?
Oh, my God.
Baby, you bleedin'.
You must've cut yourself--
What's wrong? What's wrong?
Baby? Leon?
Leon? Unh.
He was fucking shot!
Oh, my God!
Motherfucker!
Somebody call an ambulance!
Call 411!
911, dumb bitch!
Yo, he ain't breathing.
Call the meat wagon!
Shut the fuck up!
You shot him.
Why'd you fucking shoot him?
You said yes. I--
that was "yes, I can hear you"
not "yes, kill him," motherfucker.
You ought to be more careful with what you say.
Oh, my God.
Motherfucker, why?
It wasn't me!
Where's the gun? Do you see a gun?
Fuck you!
You pumped one into him!
Hey, I saw it! He's got a glock!
Get down! Get the fuck down!
Daddy got a glock!
What glock?!
I don't have a fucking glock! It's a telephone!
You shot my man, daddy!
Yo, come on, he'll fucking shoot your ass!
You shot my baby-daddy!
Mr. motherfucker. Mr. motherfucker!
Bitch, come on! Get in here, bitch!
Better run, motherfucker!
The cops is comin',
and I hope they gun your ass down!
I'm not going anywhere, am I?
If only you had dealt with the man decently,
this might not have been necessary.
Look, I offered him money. I offered him my watch.
But not your respect,
which is what he really wanted.
You were dismissive
like you dismissed the nice pizza guy.
Fuck.
You are guilty of inhumanity
to your fellow man.
Look, I'm not guilty of a goddamn thing--
oh, take responsibility for what you've done, Stu.
Be a man.
Oh, I love this fucking spin.
You shoot the guy and I'm fucking responsible?
Well, looked that way from up here.
I don't know what I ever did to you,
but whatever it was, I'm glad.
All right? I wish it'd have been worse.
I wish you'd fucking died!
Yes! Finally some honesty.
Just tell me who you are.
No one you'd ever notice.
I don't run in your circles.
Yeah, and what is it you do?
I watch.
You watch?
Yes, well, what else is there to do
when life turns on you and you've retreated
into some small room?
You look out your window.
You see people come in and out
of this phone booth, the same ones every day.
You make up names for them.
You imagine their stories.
But eventually you get tired of imagining
and one day you follow one of them.
And you hear all of his lies,
and you decide that his sin should be punished.
Some guy shouting into his cell phone
full of self-importance isn't gonna notice me,
but I noticed that German porn-king,
and I noticed that corrupt executive.
And I noticed you, Stu.
I'm flattered.
Police operator 553, what is your emergency?
Will you please respond?
Look, what was so interesting
about a guy in a phone booth
on 53rd and eighth?
The Stu show. Better than TV.
Look, how'd I get so lucky to be picked up
by a killer with a rifle?
Are you in need...
You had it made.
Kelly at home. Pam on the side.
I saw Pam once.
I followed her to a restaurant.
Lovely. Life has given you
more than your fair share, Stu,
but it appears you don't appreciate it.
Look, look, look, listen.
Appearances can be deceiving.
I mean, I may look confident,
but I'm really actually
just crying out for help!
Help! You know?
I'm trying to help you, Stu, but you won't help yourself.
Ah! Fuck!
What's the matter, Stu?
You shot me.
It's time you learn, Stu.
Deception can't go unrewarded.
Deception? What fucking deception?
"Are you in need of immediate
police or medical response?"
Shit. You bugged the fucking booth.
That's how you knew.
That's how you knew about Pam and me.
You picked the wrong person to lie to.
Look, I didn't pick you.
Right. It must have been your flashy suit
that attracted me.
I get fucked on account of my clothes?
Huh? That why you killed Leon?
I didn't kill Leon because of the way he was dressed.
Yeah, and those other 2 guys as well, huh?
Did they dress too nice?
You must feel really expensive
when you walk out the door.
Look, here come the cops.
What are you gonna do-- go out
in a blaze of glory, or are you gonna run?
No, I'm not a coward like some people I know.
Look, you can get away if you run now.
I suppose you'll blame me for Leon.
No, no, no, I'll confess I shot him
with my fucking phone.
Well, then I urge you
to keep one thing in mind, Stu.
Take a look at your chest.
You saw how accurate I can be, how lethal.
You kill me now, and you give yourself away.
Not with a silencer.
It would take these guys the rest of the day
to figure out it wasn't one of their own men
that did it.
You know you can be shot 41 times
for just pulling out your wallet.
You in the booth, throw down your weapon
and come out with your hands raised.
Ignore him.
W-what if they open fire?
They won't. Look around you, Stu.
Do you see the tourists with the video cameras?
The ones just hoping the cops will blow you away
so they can sell the tape
to the most gory police shootouts?
Don't worry,
they'll keep the police on their best behavior.
So long as you don't take
what would be interpreted as a hostile action,
you should be safe.
Safe? You call this safe?
I got a whole fucking precinct here
with guns pointed my way.
With both hands raised,
moving slowly, step out of the booth.
If we see any signs of a weapon,
we will respond.
You won't because there isn't any!
Put down the phone and raise your hand!
Look, I can't.
I'm on an important call.
Verify this information for me.
The guy in the booth shot that guy over there
and Stuck around to make a phone call--
is that correct?
Yeah, yeah, that's what the hookers are saying.
All right, give me the horn.
Sir!
I'm ordering you to fully comply.
Look, I'm busy.
All right? Come back later.
Very good, Stu.
Step out of the booth
and raise your hands.
I am giving you an order.
I give the orders here, Stu, don't I?
This guy's looking for us
to kill him, Captain.
Suicide by a cop? That's not gonna happen.
Get that body out of here fast.
Yo, somebody get the body.
Tell the ambulance to get the body.
Thousands of people die every day,
but you put one dead body
in the middle of a busy street,
and it makes people crazy.
Look at these guys.
You can smell the fear.
Fuck. 10 cops.
This reminds me of 'nam.
Vietnam?
Yes, Vietnam.
I was too young to go,
but I've seen pictures.
Well, pictures can't do it, Stu.
You can't imagine the fear, the stench,
pigs eating napalm-charred bodies,
children leaving grenades in your boots.
And you got blamed for the war.
I came home, and people spit on me.
This country owes you an apology.
Look, I just had this vision of you, of a kid,
coming back from the war, you know?
Inured to the killing,
not able to get work, isolated.
I think that could be made into
a pretty affecting story
and, you know, one that everyone understands.
And I think cops--
I think they're on the side of vets.
You are pathetic, Stu.
Why don't you wake up?
Napalm-charred bodies?
I'd have to be 50 to be in that war!
Look, stop fucking with my head, please.
Cover me. I'm going to go talk to him.
Shouldn't we wait on the E.S.U. Negotiator?
They could take 20 minutes.
I'm not gonna take a chance on this one.
I'm not. I'm gonna handle this.
Sir! I'm taking out my weapon.
Putting my weapon down on the car.
The Captain's going in.
I'm not armed.
Yeah, neither am I.
My name is Ramey. Captain Ed Ramey.
What's yours?
Look, I don't want to be friends.
I don't know,
it looks like you could use a friend right now.
Tell him you've already got a friend.
I already got a friend, OK?
Is that who you're talking to on the phone?
Look, I just want to hear your side of it.
That's all.
I ain't got no side of it.
And I didn't shoot anybody.
You see a fucking gun anywhere? Look.
It's in your back pocket!
I see it! He been feeling it!
Sir, do you have the weapon in your pocket?
No. I got a cell phone, and I got cigarettes.
I got no fucking weapon.
OK. Then what are you doing
in a phone booth making calls?
Look, you want to see it? Here--
hey! Don't reach for that!
Hold your fire! Jesus.
I don't need to see it.
I already know it's there.
I got plenty of witnesses over here
who saw you use it.
Look, they didn't see it because it didn't happen!
Shut them up!
He's dead, but it didn't happen.
Then who did it?
Mustn't tell him, Stu.
I don't know.
Hey, you were the closest one to him.
You must've saw it happen.
Come on, help me out here.
This guy is getting on my nerves.
Look, stay the fuck out of this.
Who do you keep talking to on the phone?
Nobody.
Your friend, your parent, your lover--who?
Careful, Stuart, careful.
My psychiatrist.
Excellent.
I should have thought of that.
I see. What's this doctor's name?
It would be really helpful to us if we knew that.
He says not to tell you.
It's privileged information.
Very good, Stuart. See, now you're having fun.
Yeah, whatever you fucking say.
I respect your right to privacy.
I've been through therapy myself.
The department-- they provided it for me.
I know it's not good form for a cop to be saying that,
but you know, sometimes, hey, the circumstances--
stress--I had issues.
I lost my marriage over it.
Tell him not to come any closer.
Look, don't come any closer.
Stop right there. Go back a few steps.
Go back to where you were.
OK, OK. Hey, no problem.
So you got some intimacy issues.
I got those, too.
All I want to know is, what happened, man?
Tell him to read you your rights.
I want you to read me my rights.
And stop asking questions.
You have the right to remain silent.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one,
an attorney will be provided for you.
All right?
So now, can you at least give me your first name?
Just your first name.
Don't tell him.
It's my right not to have any first name.
No gun, no name.
That's right.
You're a highly underprivileged person, sir.
Demand your lawyer.
And go get my lawyer, too.
I want an attorney brought down here
to negotiate my surrender.
Just brilliant, Stu.
I understand that, but, uh,
it's gonna be very difficult
to get a lawyer to come down here
and risk his life,
but once you hand over the gun--
how can I hand over the fucking weapon when
you won't let me put my hand in my pocket?
Oh, no, we'll take it out for you.
All you have to do is just step out of the booth
with your hands raised-- nothing will happen to you.
It's not gonna work.
Stu, Stu, please.
What?
Ask him a question for me.
Ask him if his wife got tired of sleeping with him?
I, uh--fuck.
I can't do that.
Oh, sure you can, Stu.
Ask him if he couldn't get it up,
if he couldn't satisfy her.
Sir, are you going to step out of the booth?
I can't--no. Is that a "no"?
You're not stepping out of the booth?
Ask him.
Is that a "no"?
Ask him!
Both your lives depend on it.
Sir?
Captain, you, uh,
you couldn't satisfy your wife sexually?
Excuse me?
Ask him if he abuses himself now that she's gone.
Does he masturbate on those lonely nights?
For God's sake!
Say it!
Say it or I will blow him away!
So do you wack off now?
Hey!
I'm going to see about that lawyer for you, OK?
Yes.
Just relax.
Stu, I think you hurt his feelings.
I want to know who he's on that phone with.
I want a techie here.
I need to talk to somebody about that phone.
Do you think we went too far, Stuart?
Should we give ourselves up?
You know, maybe I'd like someone
to negotiate my surrender, too.
Look, I'm sure we can work that out.
Well, I don't want to just spill my guts to anyone.
Could you get me national news?
I mean, you've got connections, right?
Sure.
Larry King? Could you get Larry King down here?
Larry--why the fuck would Larry King
come down here?
Because you're friends.
Who else could you get, huh?
Could you get Tom Brokaw?
How 'bout Dan Rather? Diane Sawyer?
Look, I--I don't know. They're busy.
"I--I--I--busy."
How 'bout Mike Wallace, Ted Koppel?
Peter Jennings, Katie Couric,
Al Roker, anybody?
Nah! Nobody.
Face it, Stu, you're small-time,
and you've got a credibility problem.
Listen, don't fucking worry
about my credibility, all right?
What about yours?
Look, it's our friends
from channels 2 and 5.
You're local news, Stuart.
You could never do this for any of your clients,
not if your life depended on it,
but me, I've made you famous.
Stick your head out a little
so they can get a better angle on you.
They're here for coverage of me
dying in the gutter.
How ungrateful.
Those cameras will make the police
very careful, Stuart, so come on,
smile a little for them.
Can you tap into that phone call?
Should be no problem.
Except we'll need a warrant
if he's on the line with his shrink.
Fuck that, I'm not gonna jeopardize this
on a technicality.
Look, tracing--
that's not a violation, right?
As long as we don't listen in.
Ok, this is what I want you to do.
I want you to find out who he's talking to
and their current location.
All right.
We get that,
I want somebody to get over there
and find out what the hell is going on.
Look across the street
and see what everybody in New York is looking at.
You're the man, Stuart.
You're the center of attention.
Wait till this goes national.
ABC, CBS, CNN, UPN--
you're gonna hit the whole alphabet, Stu.
Listen, I'll be forgotten about
in a week.
No one ever remembers the name of the victims.
It's the killers that get the cover
of Time magazine.
All right? Think about it.
You'd be famous.
Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy,
fucking Jeffrey Dahmer.
Name a victim. You can't.
And anyway, I don't deserve to be
the center of attention.
It ought to be you they're covering.
No, all that attention would embarrass me.
I know exactly the spin to put on this.
How your terror inspires your creativity?
This could be a media frenzy.
All right, you'd get Barbara Walters,
Larry King--if you still wanted him.
See, that approach seems predicated
upon me surrendering myself without killing you.
No.
Listen, we can make you sympathetic.
Sit down with a writer, bang out a book.
You know, movie of the week.
Get America on your side.
Right, you killed Leon
because he was gonna kill me.
You killed Leon to protect me.
All right? Now, in a city where nobody
looks out for anybody, you took a stand.
I'm your best witness to that.
So you want me to trust you to get me out of this?
Y-yes, I do. I want you to trust me.
Trust me.
Stu, you must think I'm crazy.
Oh, shit. Here comes Braman.
I'll take care of him.
Hey, you should've waited for me
to initiate contact with the suspect.
I already established some rapport with him.
I'll let you know if I need any help, OK?
What, are you grandstanding for these TV cameras?
You want to leave this to a professional.
Until a professional gets here,
I'll handle it.
You're a funny guy. All right.
You get somebody else killed,
it's on your head. Got it?
Hey, look, this is what I want to do, OK?
This is the city hotel right here.
I want to put 3 guys in the lobby over here.
And give me 5 sharpshooters up here.
Ok? See if you can get me 2 over here in the subway.
What the fuck?
Not going to answer it?
I can't. I reach for the phone,
the cops will think it's a gun.
Hmm, I'll bet it's Kelly.
She's probably heard what you did,
she's sick with worry.
And I'm not gonna make her feel any better, am I?
Well, you could ask her to forgive you, Stuart.
You could confess your sins and beg for absolution.
Come clean.
Stuart, you're in this position
because you're not telling the truth.
I'm in this fucking position because you've got a gun.
No. Stuart, that is the sin of spin.
Avoidance and deception.
You are being given a chance here
to make things right.
Now, talk to her.
Look, I can't. Please.
I am telling you to answer that phone.
Excuse me! Excuse me!
Ma'am, you can't cross in front of here!
Answer it!
Look, I can't. Please.
Don't make me hurt you! Talk to your wife!
It's not her calling.
How can you be so sure?
It's you.
It's you, you miserable fuck!
Damn, you got me.
You continue to impress.
Yeah, you could shoot me,
but you want them to do it.
Yes, well, that's an option.
Captain, this lady says the perp's her husband.
Here's her I.D.
I couldn't believe it when I saw this.
Who do you think he's talking to on the phone right there?
I--I don't know.
I spoke to him earlier today,
and, um, I told him
that there was a man who called me.
A man?
Did this upset him,
that you were talking to other men?
Yes, he did seem a little upset,
but, no, it's not like that.
I didn't even know who this guy was.
Who's his psychiatrist?
He doesn't have one.
That you know of.
I've been with him for 3 years,
married for one.
I think I'd know if he was in therapy.
I wish to God he had been.
I saw somebody after my divorce.
It kept me from picking up a gun,
doing something I probably would've regretted.
Look, Stu didn't kill anyone.
Ma'am, under the circumstances,
you need to consider whether your husband
is exactly who you thought he was,
because according to these witnesses
right over here, he has a gun,
he has used that gun,
and let's pray to God that he doesn't use it again.
Captain.
If you can think of any disputes
he's having currently, please tell me.
We're clearing the first floor of the City hotel.
I can stage an assault unit within 10 feet of the booth.
We've also got sharpshooters securing rooftop positions.
Ok, let me know when you're in position.
Absolutely.
What about that wire tap? We got something on that?
No. We're working on it right now.
Just gotta hold tight a while, all right?
Yeah, no problem. No problem.
Mrs. Shepard. Mrs. Shepard.
Everyth--
does he like being called Stuart or Stu?
No, Stu. Call him Stu.
Stu, OK.
Come with me, please.
Stu!
I have your wife here with me.
So that's how you knew she wasn't calling.
You deceived me.
Stu!
She's not my wife.
Are you OK?!
Can you just talk to me?
Yes, talk to her, Stu.
Look, she's not my wife.
All right? She's some fucked-up failed actress
I wouldn't handle. She's stalking me!
You're not making this up. You are his wife, right?
Yes, here's a photograph of us together.
I don't know what he's talking about.
Stu, listen to your wife.
She only wants what's best for you.
Look, she's not my wife!
Stu, nobody wants to hurt you.
We just--we just want to know what happened.
Yeah, very good. Go home,
you fuckin' lunatic.
You hear me?! Go!
Please don't make things worse.
Just come out.
Do what they tell you to do!
So your wife is a crazy actress stalker
and you don't know her. That's an interesting marriage.
Look, get her out of here, all right?!
That's it. That's enough.
I don't want to agitate this.
Are you guys having some marital problems?
Come on! Get the woman out of here.
No! I don't know what's going on.
He's--he's bleeding.
We--we--we're fine.
This morning everything was fine.
You just stay right here, all right?
Stay here, OK? Ok.
I think she did some good.
You got a number where that lawyer could be found at?
No, we don't have a lawyer.
He specifically asked for his lawyer
to come down here to negotiate his surrender.
Well, we never needed one.
Well, you need a good one now.
Look, you'll do me best by staying near here, OK?
Ok.
I'm gonna get your husband out alive, all right?
I'm not gonna let you fuck this up
with this amateur-hour bullshit!
Get Mrs. Shepard out of here.
You know, get her some coffee or something like that.
You're gonna lose this guy, too.
You need some kind of redemption,
do it on the couch.
What are you seeing a shrink for anyway, huh?!
Get the fuck out of here!
Don't fuckin' touch me!
I'm not steppin' down for you.
You OK?
Yeah, I'm fine.
You'd think she didn't know she was being watched.
What?!
But beautiful women always know.
You talking about Kelly?
That false, indifferent, superior air,
it's just a tease.
They want eyes on them.
Why does she put on her makeup,
do her hair, dress so nicely?
Not for her husband that she hardly ever sees.
No, it's for somebody else to notice.
I noticed.
What the fuck are you doing?
You stay away from her. Leave her alone!
I'm giving her what she wants.
I'll bet you've never looked at Kelly
the way I am right now.
Don't you dare fuckin' hurt her.
Don't I dare?!
I'm not the one who has hurt her, Stuart.
What they can't know
is what we do to them in our minds, right?
You sick fuck.
Perfect violation.
Look, leave her out of this.
How many times have you had sex with Pam
in that hotel bedroom... In your head?
Would you really miss Kelly if she was gone?
That's it. Not another word.
I'm not talkin' to you.
Your choices put other people in jeopardy, Stuart.
When are you gonna learn that?
This is funny.
Stuart, look uptown.
These geniuses are still at the juncture box
trying to tap in.
Only I have installed an encryption device
at both ends of the line.
There's no chance of a trap trace,
so now they've got to try some fancy lojack instrument.
It's really sad.
I hope you weren't pinning your hopes on those morons.
Truth is, I'm on a wireless A.D.S. With a cloned number.
It'll take them at least a half an hour to find out
that I've call-forwarded it through Philadelphia.
And let me tell you, this will all be over
before they can get a dial tone.
We can't get a trace
or break into the line.
It's like a ball of rubber bands.
I knew there was somethin' weird about this.
You guys keep workin' on it.
Stu?
Stuart, come on.
You're behaving like a child.
Still gonna give me the silent treatment? Hello.
Stuart, don't do this, please.
Come on. My sainted mother used to do this.
She used to dish this out.
Stuart, please don't do this.
Stuart, you're bringing back my unhappy childhood!
Stuart, talk to me, please!
Talk to me! I can't take it, Stu!
Please! Aah--
ha ha ha! I'm kiddin'.
I had a very happy childhood.
Hey...
There's our girl again.
I wasn't planning on killing her,
but plans change.
Just tell me what the fuck you want from me.
Anything you want.
Oh. Hello. There you are.
I thought I was talkin' to myself again.
Anything you want, I'll do it. Just tell me.
Tell Kelly about the real Stu,
about your little motel.
And then you'll let us go?
Why not?
Kelly?!
That's a start.
Baby?
Hold her back! Hey!
I want you to talk to me!
Keep her back! Yes?
Keep her back! Grab her!
I'm listening!
Kelly, I called some woman.
Every...Day.
Every day. I--I was attracted to this other woman.
I called her, and...
I wanted to fuck her.
And I wanted to sleep with her.
No...
I wanted...
To fuck...Her.
Say it.
Say it!
And I wanted to fuck her.
I'm sorry.
Whatever you did... I don't care.
Please...Just...
Come out of the booth. Ok?
That's all I did.
I'm sorry.
All right, look, I--I've done what you asked.
That's it. I've had enough of this game.
I haven't.
You said you'd let us go.
I changed my mind.
You miserable fuck.
You can't do this! You can't do this to me!
Look, I took all your shit!
I did everything you fuckin' asked!
Ha ha ha ha ha!
You lied to me. Now I'm done with this game.
I've fuckin' had enough. You go fuck yourself.
Later. Ha ha ha--
he hung up.
Maybe they already got a trace.
E.S.U. E.S.U.
I'm givin' myself up!
First the gun! Heads up!
I want to see you toss away your weapon!
Throw the weapon outside the booth!
You stay where you are!
Hey! First--
don't hurt him! Please don't hurt him!
There is no fucking gun!
You stay right where you are!
I want you to turn around, interlock
your fingers behind your head.
Ok?
Please! Give them the gun!
Kelly, no!
Get back! Kelly!
Hey! Back her up!
Freeze!
Get back! Get back!
Baby!
Freeze!
I gotta answer it.
Freeze!
Don't move.
Hold your fire!
Hold your fire.
Hold. Hold.
Go ahead. Answer it.
Whoa, whoa! What the fuck are you doin'?!
He's comin' out!
Answer the phone.
You fuckin' coward.
Hi, Stu.
Now...You've had your little tantrum.
And you said some things in anger
that I am willing to forget.
Get her back in the car!
You're acting like he's not the fuckin' perp.
If he's not the shooter, who the fuck is, huh?!
Captain, what the fuck is up
with the phone calls, man?
So, can we start over?
You lied.
Well, you can't know the pain of betrayal
until you've been betrayed.
Sniper up in one of these buildings,
so I want you to talk to E.S.U.
I want you to get one of these guys over here--
this building.
Start looking up here from window to window to window
until you find the perp, OK?
I want you to do it quickly.
I want you to do it quietly. All right?
All right.
Yo, where's the E.S.U. Sergeant?
You said we could go.
You said you'd let us go.
Relax, Stuart.
Nobody gets it right the first time.
You've done much better than the others,
and you will get another chance to end this.
I'm just not finished yet.
Yeah, well, I am.
There's nothing keeping me here.
You mean besides the fear of death?
Look, I dive out now, you got one shot,
and I'm gonna be fuckin' dancing.
You think you can get me?
Well, I could go for some target practice.
One shot, they'll be looking for you.
A second shot, you'd give yourself away.
Go on, Stuart. Hang up.
Trust your fate to the friendly men in flak jackets
with automatic weapons.
I'm sure you can patch up that little misunderstanding
about the dead body.
The cops can't prove I killed anyone.
You had motive.
No weapon.
Plenty of loud-mouth witnesses.
No gun, and I walk.
Are you sure?
Yes!
Yeah. You murder a guy,
and you forget where you stashed your gun.
Why don't you lift the plastic ceiling panel
and feel around?
Peekaboo.
What's up next to the florescent bulb?
Check it out, Stu.
Cops see me reach for something,
and they'll blow me away.
There's only one way to find out.
Look, the slugs from that dead guy,
they came from your rifle.
They're not gonna match any handgun.
I've seen enough cop shows to know that.
Hollow points fragment on impact, Stuart.
There's nothing to match.
Only there's no gun up there.
Don't take my word for it. See for yourself.
There are rounds left in it.
I totally couldn't give a shit.
Come on, Stuart. Don't disappoint me!
Use your imagination. You'd shoot me
if you got the chance, wouldn't you?
With a big fuckin' smile on my face.
There's the spirit.
Now, what if I told you
I was just above the theater, 4 floors up?
See the pink curtains?
There you go, Stuart. Yes.
Yoo-hoo.
Why would you do that?
Because it's fun.
The odds are even now, Stuart.
Isn't that what you wanted?
You know where I am, and you have a gun.
If you have it in you, you can take me down.
Fuck. They'd kill me
before I got off a shot, you--
aw, you're probably right.
I'm not really there anyway.
You would've just spoiled some nice lady's curtains.
Looks like someone watches the news.
Who?
The motel.
Oh, God.
I think she could use a new head shot.
Don't!
Then take down the gun!
But this has nothing to do with her.
She has everything to do with this, Stuart.
You're here because you called her.
She's here because you called her.
Now, take it down!
Don't make me hurt Pam, Stuart.
Take down the gun.
Everybody get ready.
Hold on. Let's just see what he does, all right?
Let's just see what he's doing. Hold on.
There's nothing there.
Nothing but your fingerprints
on the finest cop-killer money can buy.
Come on, Stu.
Let's see it.
Fuck, no. It's staying there.
Fine, then someone will have to take your place.
Come on, Stu! You're in a perfect position!
How do you figure?
You get to choose between them--
Pamela or Kelly, or should I choose for you?
One of them can take your place.
Don't do this!
Stuart, you've got to be
more in touch with your feelings.
I thought you only loved Kelly.
It's true.
But you lie to her.
It--it's complicated.
Then I'll uncomplicate it, Stuart,
by removing temptation!
I say Pam.
No! Look, this isn't Pam's fault.
This is all my fault. She's--she's innocent.
Oh. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Time's running out.
Ok, Kelly, then. You decide.
No! Please!
Come on, Stu!
Don't you get the game yet?
You're a selfish guy. Pick one and save yourself.
Blonde or brunette?
Time's running out.
You or them? Kelly or Pam?
Kelly or Pam?
Come on, Stu.
Stop this.
I can't take this anymore.
What are you doing? Get up.
I was looking for my ring.
Get up, Stuart!
I--I--
stand up and be a man!
You're embarrassing yourself!
Captain, yeah, I got it.
The rifleman on the east side of the street
reports the subject pulled a small, dark object
out of his pants pocket.
All right. You're lookin' at a suicide
now on national fuckin' TV.
You gonna let me take this over, Captain?
Tell everybody to hold on, all right?
Tell everybody to hold their fire.
Everybody hold. Stay ready, but hold.
Stuart, you're beginning to annoy me.
Y-y-you can't do this.
Stu, no more spinning, no more excuses.
Oh, what are you doing? Look, listen.
Listen, please listen to me.
No more delays, Stuart.
I--I--I'm on my knees begging you not to kill me.
Well, I will if you keep up this pathetic spectacle.
Hey, look, from up in your high window,
you could kill anyone on the street.
Yes, I know that, Stu.
And, uh...
Y-you can pick off any of the cops like Ramey
with your rifle.
Shut up and stand up!
Look, why threaten Kelly?
You said you liked how she sounded
on the phone at the store.
Please don't hurt her.
Please don't fuckin' hurt my wife.
This doesn't have to end with me shooting you,
but you're leaving me no choice.
Now get up!
Ok, how does this end?
Tell me how this ends.
The stage is almost set.
People are gonna be eating dinner
watching you die.
We got a sniper situation here.
What about that phone call earlier
to your store?
I got a phone call this afternoon from somebody.
I think it was a prank call.
He told me Stu would be calling me from a phone booth.
How long will it take to bring up a record
of Mrs. Shepard's incoming calls?
If he's using that secure line,
we won't know anything more than we know now.
Say he didn't.
Let's just assume that he's human,
makes mistakes just like all of us.
I need to get that number.
I've been waiting for that number.
It was a guy.
He--he sounded like mid-thirties.
Mrs. Shepard, you know it would be safer
if you got back in the car, OK?
Please get back in the car.
I want you to divert
the incoming E.S.U. Units
to Broadway and just hold them there.
You want me to start clearing the streets?
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
No, no, no.
I don't want the sniper to be aware
of any of our movements.
He's already got position on us.
Let's not let him know we know too much, OK?
I got you.
Jonah! Yeah?
Don't look up.
Give me sharpshooters looking at those windows.
You got it, Captain.
I'm gonna buy us some time here.
All right.
Stu, is it OK if I come out
and talk to you for a second?
I don't know.
This guy is so lonely.
All he wants to do is talk.
You're walking through a bad dream,
and you can't wake up.
Ok, now he's really testing my patience.
You want to wake up, Stu?
I want to, but...
I--I-- I got issues
I can't talk about.
That your psychiatrist on the phone, Stu?
Yeah. I, uh, I'm paying him overtime.
That was pretty brave, what you did.
Admitting all that Stuff to your wife.
It was liberating, right?
Should've been.
Maybe if I could be more honest with my wife,
you know, then... Then I don't know,
maybe something would've turned out different.
Oh, please.
Trust is the key.
You trust me, Stu?
Get this man a seat on Oprah.
I want to, but I got, I got...
Issues I can't talk about.
Yes. Lethal issues. Tell him to stay back.
Look, don't come any closer.
Hey, I don't want to cause
or make anything harder for you.
Pam, Ramey, Kelly, people on the street.
You've got a lot of lives in your hands, Stu.
Look, I already told you
this is a private conversation.
Now, what the fuck do you want?
I want to let you know that it's safe
outside the booth.
No, it's not.
Always get out of the booth. You can't stay--
I like it in the fuckin' booth!
All right? It's my whole world.
Now, this is my booth, and I'm not coming out
ever, all right? Never!
We're not gonna try to force you to come out
because then there could be some kind of miscalculation,
and then I would never find out why this happened.
Stu...
I'm afraid.
I'm afraid that I'm gonna be standing by
and my men are gonna shoot some guy,
and when we find out what he has in his hand
once we turn over his dead body
and we see the thing
that he was threatening people with,
we realize that it was just a little black Bible.
Or a cell phone.
Don't push me, Stu.
I'm not gonna let that happen here.
All I wanted to make was a phone call.
One lousy phone call.
That's enough, Stu.
You got some bad news on that call, right?
The worst.
It made you want to jump off the edge.
I've been falling ever since.
I'm gonna push him over the edge.
Just say the word.
It's time to land, man.
When you hit bottom, you die.
I'm your safety net.
Oh, please say the word.
If I tell you what you want to know,
you'll die, too.
Exactly.
I'm going.
Good.
Look, Stu.
Um, we put a call out to your lawyer.
Your wife, she gave us the number.
And I got my best men working on
bringing him down. Ok?
That's it. The Captain gets a bullet.
Go on, get out of here!
D-d-did you hear what I said, asshole?
Get out of here! Go on, now! Go!
Enough of this sideshow, Stu.
No problem.
Your sins have finally caught up to you.
Oh, so this is all some religious thing, huh?
Ah, that would explain it. Bible-crazed killer picks on
fashion-obsessed P.R. Guy.
Tell me what you want, then.
What everyone wants--
for the bad guy to get what he deserves.
Go for the gun.
Kill myself?
Yes. It would be a rare, unselfish act.
Uhh.
We got hostile action.
Hey, hey. Nothing is hostile until I say it is.
I--I can't find it.
Kelly, Pam-- bam, bam!
All right, all right. Look. I found it. I got it.
Then let's see it.
Let everyone see it.
The cops will kill me.
Yes. You're talking prime-time material now.
All this shit just to watch me die, huh?
No. To get you to do what's right.
If you want to save yourself, confess.
I already told Kelly everything.
Everything?
No. No more excuses and half-truths, Stuart.
You look out into those cameras and you bare your soul.
TV seems to help bring out the worst in people.
You should be fine.
How those techs doing? We got anything?
No, not yet. Not yet.
We haven't found your lawyer yet, Stu,
but we're getting close. Ok?
Stuart,
I'm offering you a chance to redeem yourself.
Come on, Stu.
Humble yourself in front of your loved ones
and millions of strangers
and me.
It's do-or-die time.
What, you couldn't find anyone worse than me?
I'm not, not a murderer or a child molester
but a publicist who has fantasies
about pretty little actresses,
who spends all his money on Italian suits
and dry-cleaning so people will think he's important,
who doesn't waste his time being nice to people
who aren't any use to him. These are my crimes?
Stuart, I know your crimes.
Tell them.
I've never done anything for anybody
who--who couldn't do something for me!
I string along an eager kid
with promises that I'll pay him money.
I only keep him around because he looks up to me.
Adam, if you're watching, don't be a publicist.
You're too good for it.
I, uh, I lie in person and on the phone.
I lie to my friends.
I lie to newspapers and magazines
who, who sell my lies to more and more people.
I-I-I'm just a part of a big cycle of lies.
I should be fuckin' president.
I wear all this Italian shit because underneath,
I still feel like the Bronx.
I think I need these clothes and this watch.
My $2,000 watch is a fake, and so am I.
I neglected the things I should've valued most.
I valued this shit.
I take off my wedding ring to call Pam.
Kelly, that's Pam.
Somebody got a 20 on this Pam?
Don't blame her. I never told her I was married.
And if I did, she, she would've told me to go home.
Kelly, looking at you now,
I'm ashamed of myself.
All right?
I mean, I--I work so hard on this image,
on Stu Shepard,
the asshole who refers to himself in the third person,
that I only proved I should be alone.
I've been dressing up as something I'm not
for so long...
I'm so afraid you won't like what's underneath.
But here I am.
I'm just flesh and blood
and weakness.
I, uh...
I love you so fucking much.
I, um, I take off this ring
because it only reminds me of how I failed you.
And, uh...
And I--I don't want to give you up.
I want to make things better,
but it may not be my choice anymore.
You--you deserve better.
You're not gonna let me go.
No.
You never were.
I know a thing about lies,
and I know a thing or two about liars as well.
Then why the confession?
I didn't do it for you.
Captain, Captain.
The call to his wife originated 2:17
at a hard line from the Old Barkley hotel.
You got a room?
604.
Second window from the corner.
All E.S.U. Units still holding.
Bring 'em in from the 52nd street side.
Cover the windows, the doors,
the fire escape, every goddamn point of exit.
Right.
Stu!
52nd street side...
Your lawyer's coming down now!
Now.
At least you'll die with a clean conscience.
No. You're the one that's gonna fuckin' die.
Listen. Listen. You can hear them right now.
They're coming up the stairs. They're coming to get you.
And you know why? Because I sent them.
Stuart, you can't stop lying, can you?
What, I can't stop lying?
They're coming up the fucking stairs.
They're coming to get you. Look around you.
That room's getting fuckin' smaller every second,
isn't it? Inch by inch. You know what?
Until it's not gonna be any bigger
than this fuckin' goddamn booth.
They're in position. They're in position.
Move! Move! Move!
No, Stuart. There's nobody out there.
There's nobody there? Listen,
they're coming through that fuckin' door
to put you out of your misery.
You only got a couple of seconds left.
What are you gonna do? Are you gonna run?
If this is true, Stuart, then I have to take
someone with me, don't I?
And since Kelly is the most important thing
to you in your life, I'll take her.
Take me! Take me! This is about me!
I'm the fuckin' one you want. Take me!
This is about me! Come on!
Take me! It's me you want!
Me you want! This is about me!
I'm the fuckin' one you want!
Come on! Take me!
This is Captain Ramey. Somebody talk to me.
We're too late, Captain. Son of a bitch psycho
heard us coming and slashed his throat
with a carpenter's knife.
What's his condition?
Critical. He's lost a lot of blood.
Get him down here now.
I don't want nobody dying on me.
All right.
Kelly, where's Kelly?
Your wife's fine, all right?
Now try not to sit up.
What hit me?
Rubber bullet. Figured if someone
was gonna shoot you, might as well be us.
Heh heh. Thanks.
Uhh, did you get him?
You did.
I didn't do anything.
Gotta give yourself some credit.
You got yourself out alive.
Doesn't always happen that way.
- Stu! - Kelly!
Stu!
Are you OK? It's OK.
I'm OK.
Oh, God.
I was so afraid.
I thought I wasn't ever gonna see you again.
Me, too.
A lot of things we got to talk about.
I only want to talk about what you want to tell me.
I want to tell you everything.
Everything.
Get that gurney over here, please.
Get over here.
We lost him.
Hey.
I want to stand up.
I got him.
Yeah, I got to see him.
You don't wanna see this, Mrs. Shepard.
Yes, I do.
Ok, take it easy.
Yes, I do.
Allow me. Allow me.
Go ahead.
You recognize him?
Yeah. He--he was down there
trying to deliver me a pizza
10 minutes before I got the call.
I, uh, told him to fuck off.
That's enough these days.
Just give it a minute.
We'll be driving, and you'll be flyin',
my friend.
Whatever you say.
Nice shoes.
Italian.
You hung up, Stu.
I didn't get a chance to say good-bye.
I feel bad about the pizza guy.
But I couldn't miss seeing you and Kelly reunited.
You don't have to thank me. Nobody ever does.
I just hope your newfound honesty lasts.
Because if it doesn't...
You'll be hearing from me.
Help.
Isn't it funny?
You hear a phone ring,
and it could be anybody.
But a ringing phone has to be answered, doesn't it?
Doesn't it?
Hello?