(girl) Swords and staves.
Tough road you got this year.
Judgement... Death...
...and Mr Devil.
I'm glad it's your birthday reading and not mine.
Now here's your card, Fool. See?
- That's where I got your nickname. - (boy) Don't remind me!
Here you go. 13 today.
The golden-haired birthday boy is settir off on life's big adventure.
I ain't no golden-haired nobody! All I'm goir on to is seventh grade.
Well, you're the Fool, and you can't escape that. That ain't bad.
- No? - No. Ain't the stupid kind of fool.
The ignorant kind, cos you're just startir out.
That's better, I guess.
Ah, but look here. Already he's got a problem, see?
One step in front - the drop-off.
- What about the dog? - That's Fool's companion.
See his spirit barking?
"Fool! Don't go marching over that cliff, now."
"Do the smart thing. The high thing."
So what Fool gonna do if he ain't gonna go off the cliff? Fly?
He gonna do what he have to, Fool.
Turn around and walk the other way, right through the fire of the sun.
He'll get burned up if he do that.
Just the boy part get burned up.
The rest come out the other side a man.
And no one calls him "Fool" again.
(woman coughing)
(girl) Just try to sleep, Mama. There's nothing you can do.
- Sh. - (coughing)
Sh.
Just rest, Mom.
Oh. (coughs)
I don't know what to do with this, Ruby.
I didn't think the landlord would do this.
Not now.
- Fool, you shouldn't be here. - Fool, go back to reading your book.
- What's wrong? - Nothing you can do. Go on.
(lighter clicks)
Who are you?
Leroy. A friend of Ruby's.
You the little brother she call Fool?
My real name's Poindexter, but Ruby's hung up on them tarot cards.
Why Mama cryir?
Y'all been evicted. You gotta be out tomorrow at midnight.
I guess Ruby didn't see that one in the cards.
But why?
You're three days late with your payment.
The fine print in the lease says you gotta pay triple or else get out.
Your mama and Ruby ain't got triple.
Well, don't the landlord know that... that Mama's sick...
...or Ruby got babies? - Yeah, sure. He knows. He don't care.
He wants to tear down the building. You're the last family in it.
You got some money you can kick in?
I know where you can earn some.
You game?
One last family in the Lenox Avenue building, then it's clear to tear down.
We build a nice neat condominium, we get clean people in there.
Lots of nice wood for my fireplace, lots of nice...
- Money. - And money.
For me.
Mama, what happens to the people when you make them leave their home?
I don't believe I was speaking to you.
Speak when spoken to, that's what good girls do.
- You getting them out soon? - By tomorrow midnight.
Damn buckshot.
(man #1) Hey, Fool. I hear you're gettir evicted, man.
(man #2) Your ass will be out on the street like the rest of us!
Hey, come back here!
(savage barking)
Hi, Fool.
(Ruby) He don't need that kind of opportunity. He's a good kid.
He'd do better than the rest of you. Out of seven, three's already dead.
Then there's you, baby, turnir tricks on the strip.
Willy's a crack addict, and what's the other one's name, in jail?
- Washington. And he didn't do nothir. - He tried to put food on the damn table.
That's what I'm tryir to teach the boy to do.
- He wants to be a doctor. - You can't even afford to pay rent!
How are you gonna afford to send him to medical school?
- It ain't right anyway. - Oh, that right?
Your mama got a cancer in her she can't afford to have taken out.
Leroy!
A thing any doctor could take out just like that.
But you ain't got no money! And you ain't gonna have no money unless...
Ow! You little snot!
Don't touch me. Don't touch me!
You listen up, you little punk. Listen up!
Now, this is the big one, and somebody deserve to be robbed...
...somebody who don't care about families or the neighbourhood.
He just wanna bring the wreckir ball in so he can line his pockets.
Who you talkir about?
The landlord, that's who.
- The landlord of this building? - Yeah.
I found the treasure map last night in the liquor store, me and Spenser.
A letter addressed to the owner, along with the name of his company.
- So? - So the name of the company...
...is the same as the name on your eviction notice.
Same guy who owns the liquor store owns half the buildings in the ghetto.
I know where your landlord lives.
No.
Leave him alone. I heard things about him.
- Bad things. - You heard about the gold?
This is from the company that wants to buy the coins the landlord collected.
- Gold coins. - You wanna be stupid, Leroy...
...you don't need Fool for that. - We got a plan for him, baby.
Foolproof.
Or you want your family eatir beans out in the street?
One day I'm gonna buy you a Cadillac for each foot, Mama.
And you're gonna skate around town lookir so bad.
Just take care of the kids, Dexter.
You the man of the house now.
I'm tryir, Mama.
I'm tryir.
(coughs)
You didn't lick this, did you?
No, ma'am.
Stand up.
I hope this fits. I worked all day.
Turn around. Stand still.
- Do you love your mother? - Yes, ma'am.
"Yes, ma'am" what?
Yes, ma'am, I love you, Mother.
Good girl.
Where's your fork?
- Fork? - I gave you a fork with this.
Where is your fork?
Well, it must have fallen... somewhere.
- On the floor, maybe. - You don't know?
No, I'm sure it's on the floor. I mean, I know I dropped it.
You know the punishment for losing silverware.
I'm sure it's right here.
I knew it was there.
Some niggers robbed the store.
Again? May they burn in hell.
I'm very tense from this.
- You have one of your headaches? - Ooh.
I'm very, very tense about this.
Alice has been bad.
She's been feeding that thing between the walls again.
- No... - (wailing)
Remember not to bruise her face.
Bad girls... burn in hell.
(Leroy) There.
- (man) Jesus. It goes on for ever. - No bars on the windows.
No car in the driveway. Maybe we lucked out. Where's Fool?
He's goir in. Takir it cool.
May I help you?
Good afternoon, ma'am. I'd like to show you some of these cookies we're selling.
I'm sorry. We watch what we eat very carefully here.
I know it's a bother, but so is... cerebral palsy.
- And if we don't do all we can... - I'm sorry.
Well, do you have, like, a bathroom I could use?
They leave us out here all day without anywhere to take a leak.
- Sorry. Run along. - That's all right.
No. Run along.
That's OK.
Heavy wire screens on the back windows.
- They been hit before, you think? - No, probably just the neighbourhood.
- How are the screens held on? - Padlocks on the outside.
Padlocks on the outside? Jeez. What else?
- Any alarms? - I don't know. She wouldn't let me in.
- I told you to tell her you gotta piss. - She wasrt buyir that.
- I wanna take a look. - Don't be stupid, Spenser.
The kid told us all there was to see.
- We go in Sunday as planned. - What if they got an alarm to the police?
I'm not going in Sunday without checking out the security.
Just look at the doors... the basement, maybe the connector boxes.
How the hell are you gonna get in? She wouldn't even let him up on the porch.
You send a boy to do a mars job, that's what you get.
Anyway, if you thought the Bear Scout disguise was good, watch this.
- Help you? - Gas company, ma'am.
Got an emergency. Got an emergency. I need to check your meter.
You passed it on your way up the drive.
Oh, that one we've already got. There's one inside the house I need to check.
There's none in the house. I'm quite sure of that.
You're probably not even aware of it, ma'am, but it's on the list.
We got a leak on the block, and it could be very dangerous.
Identification?
We do have a legal right to come in, even if we do have to call the police.
Not that we ever have.
It's just there have been a lot of robberies lately.
The neighbourhood's changing. It has us all a bit on edge.
I completely understand.
Better this little bother than a chance of danger, though, right?
(Fool) I don't know how he got past that woman. She's got x-ray eyeballs.
(Leroy) Spenser's as slippery as a snake.
- I think he's up to somethir. - Somethir like what?
Like grabbir that coin collection for himself and cuttir me out.
Cuttir us out. Spenser mess with you, he gotta deal with me, too.
You somethir, Fool.
- She leave him alone? You're kiddir. - There has to be someone else in there.
Old folks, kids or something.
Maybe Spenser should stick his ugly head out and give us a signal.
Maybe he lookir around a little bit, to make sure it's safe.
Maybe the president is gonna make me Secretary of Pussy.
Now, he's probably in there hiding the best for himself.
Come on. We're goir in.
Spenser said we gotta stay out here, Leroy.
So he can get all the good shit for himself?
Why not throw your mom out in the street along with Ruby and the kids?
See?
(grunts) They in Fort Knox or what?
Listen, Leroy. This breakir and enterir might not be so smart.
I mean, it's the first day of my 13th birthday.
- Could be unlucky. - 13th birthday is unlucky anyway.
Too old to get tit, too young to get ass. You're fucked either way.
Lord, now look at this.
The mother of all doors.
They ain't messir around.
Spenser.
Spenser!
(squeaking)
Uh, so, Leroy...
...you think I got what it takes to be a doctor?
Doctor of burglary, maybe.
You're lucky I'm teachir you a trade, kid.
Ain't no door stands up to Leroy.
I done busted this house's cherry.
It's opened right up now.
Get off him!
Leroy!
Hey, fuzzball! Your mother sleeps with cats!
Run, Fool!
That's one mean motherfucker. You see that?
- He came at me like an airplane. - I saw him all right.
He gone?
He's waitir right there.
Been trained to wait there, probably.
He'll stay out there, and we stay right in here.
(fly buzzing)
This place is weird.
"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."
Every cabinet has a lock on it.
Why do you think they do that?
Somebody need a bath, bad.
(banging)
Nice to see the rich folks got rats too.
Listen, Leroy, let's just get outta here. Out the front.
First we find out what's up with good old Spenser.
Man, the hell with Spenser. Let's get outta here.
The hell with those gold coins too, huh?
Maybe you're too stupid for this kinda work, or maybe too chickenshit.
(scurrying)
Oh, there's that bastard now.
He's upstairs.
We'll surprise him. Come on.
- You comir or what? - I'm comir.
(click)
(clock chimes)
I don't think we should go up there, Leroy.
Oh, that's fine, girlfriend.
I tell you what. You stay down here, and you keep an eye out.
You think you can do that? (blows a kiss)
Yeah, I can do that.
Man, there's enough room for ten families in here.
(Leroy) Spenser! Spenser, are you up here?
(clanking)
(scrabbling)
Spenser!
Spenser, you back in there?
(eerie whispering)
I ain't stupid.
"Or maybe you're just too chickenshit for this kinda work."
- (door locks) - (eerie voice) Fool.
Spenser?
(man) How can you say that of me? I've never been unfaithful to you.
(woman) I'm not talking about another woman, John.
- What's that supposed to mean? - Connect the dots, John.
Everyone else has. Ever since Paris. Ever since Cybill killed herself.
(man) Cybill's death was a sailing accident.
- That's what I am - a survivor. - Tiffanyç!
I'm sorry, John. Sorry for the both of us. Sorry for the child that... we never had.
- And never willç! - Tiffany, don't get...
(gunfire)
Now the anti-aircraft batteryç! They're firing.
- Where? - I think it's the barracks.
They're over by the barracks.
We can hear the staccato firing, and now here it comes. Baghdad is lighting upç!
Tracers flaring up like... like angry hornets from every rooftop now.
We cannot see the bombers, but the fire of their munitions is shaking the city.
It's shaking our hotel. Oh, lookç! See it?
Thereç! Right over there, flying just over the rooftops.
Spenser, you back in there?
(bang)
(eerie voice) No!
(groaning)
Spenser!
(groaning)
You can't do that, you miserable stinkir thing!
(gibbering)
Come on, Spense. I'm gonna get you outta here.
Man... this ain't right.
Who are you?
Leroy, we gotta get outta this place!
(gibbering)
(groaning)
Hello? Miss?
Leroy. Leroy!
Leroy?
- Leroy? - Jesus!
- You scared the shit outta me. - I thought you were dead!
- You was just layir there. - A man ain't dead...
...just cos he's layir on the floor.
I was listenir. Something's in there.
As a matter of fact, why don't you crawl in there and see what it is?
Turkey-brain! Are you hittir on me like I'm here to save your ass?
You're gonna stick your dumb head in there and lose it, like Spenser!
- What kinda shit you talkir? - I'm talkir we gotta get outta here.
The x-ray lady's back. She's out back right now by the van.
She got a man with her the size of Detroit!
Damn. You seen Spenser?
- I seen Spenser all right. - He find anything?
Somethir found him. He's dead, Leroy.
I think scared to death.
- You sure? - You thought he was white before?
You should see that sucker now!
There is somebody in there. The door's been pried.
- I told you there'd be another one. - Out the front.
Wah!
Oh, shit!
Oh, my hand!
(woman) Pry it open at the bottom, enough so Prince can get in.
(snarling)
- Come on, Fool! - Agh! What are you doir?
Stay here in the open so the fuckir dog can see you.
You think I'm crazy? He's got teeth he ain't even used yet!
Do like I say, or I'm gonna take your head off.
I'm gonna nail that sucker, don't worry.
- I'm worryir. - (barking)
(man) Kill him!
Uh-oh.
- Where'd he go? - (growls)
Shit!
- Leroy! - What the hell are you doir, Fool?!
Come on!
I'm gonna take your fuckir head off!
(woman) I heard him yell! I heard him go down!
- I told you, don't mess with me. - Man, that saved your body.
- Are these people crazy or what? - You ask 'em!
Get in there, Daddy! Get in there and get 'em!
Make it safe for Mommy!
Ow! Damn!
Little doggy baby! Someone is in here.
The people under the stairs got the so-called gasman.
- The other one must be upstairs. - Princey... Daddy'll get him.
That's a big-calibre automatic. Did you ever see the holes they tear?
- We can hide under the bed. - I ain't goir in there, man.
No room. Find your own.
- (banging) - (locks clicking)
Aha!
Run, Fool!
Fool... Yee-ha!
Got him! (laughs)
Oh, Daddy!
- See that? He came at me like a bull. - Just like a bull!
A big one!
- Did you hear what he called me? - He called you a fool.
(man) He's the fool!
(woman) The only good fool's a dead one.
- (woman) Upstairs might be a mess. - I don't want a mess. I better go look.
We might have to mop up a little.
Thought I heard something. Stay there.
Get back in the cellar, you little bastard.
(echoing) You little animal shit! I get the dog up here, you'll be sorry.
(creaking)
My... my name is Fool.
- What's yours? - Alice.
Don't be scared. You... you never seen a brother before?
- I never had a brother. - No, I mean a black dude.
There's black folks in the neighbourhood.
Neighbourhood?
The neighbourhood.
You know, outside?
Well, that's outside, not in here.
So you get outside, don't you?
- Are... are you sayir never? - Can't get out. No one ever has.
Well... well, I'm gonna get out.
I'm a whole other thing.
People have tried.
You... you mean the... the people in the cellar?
Who are they?
Mommy and Daddy looked a long time to find the perfect boy child.
But each one they found turned out bad.
Some saw things they werert supposed to.
Others heard too much, others talked back.
Daddy cut out the bad parts and put the boys in the cellar...
...one by one.
When they get flashlights and food of some kind...
...they're happy in their own way.
Yeah, right.
(bolts door)
What about you?
How come they haven't put you in the cellar?
I do not see, or hear, or speak evil.
It's the only way.
(agonised yelling)
- What is that? - What?
- That yellir. What is that? - Well, that's Roach.
- Roach? - That's who Daddy's hunting.
See, Daddy hates Roach cos he got out of the cellar and into the walls.
And Daddy can't find him.
(Roach yelling)
- There must be another way out. - Further into the house. Here.
Father's too big to follow, and he's afraid of what's in there.
- I don't want in, I want out. - Sometimes in is out.
(Roach yells)
Forget it.
(Roach laughs)
(man) I hear ya! I hear ya!
(gunshot)
Yes.
- OK, I'll get in there. - (gunshot)
(gunshot)
(taunting laughter)
(man) I'm gonna get ya!
- (gunshot) - Yes!
(laughter)
I've got something for my Princey. Yes!
Come on. Come on. Come on.
Good appetite.
Healthy Prince... a secure home.
(tyres squeal)
Stay.
(radio) The vehicle registration matches that of a van used in a 211 last night.
Daddy. Police out back.
Damn.
(growls)
Hey, police! Police!
Police! Police!
Hello. What can I do for you, gentlemen?
- Good afternoon, ma'am. - Is this your van?
Goodness, no. It was just standing here when we got back from shopping.
- Did you see anybody around? - Trouble?
Well, as a matter of fact we did see a couple of men -
one black, one white -
walking away as we approached.
We thought they were service people of some sort.
- They were working on your door. - No harm done.
- We'll check the house. - Just checked it.
Even looked under the beds. Clean as a whistle.
Well, let's recon the neighbourhood.
- Do you get a lot of this? - It's as if we're the prisoners...
...and the criminals roam free. - I know what you mean.
You're lucky. This van was used in a liquor-store robbery last night.
- Oh, goodness. - Liquor store?
I'd advise you to stay inside, keep your doors locked for a while.
You can count on it.
Hope you catch 'em.
- Catch 'em in hell. - Oh, my God.
- What? - There's not just the two.
There's a boy.
He's in there right now...
...with our little angel!
(snarls)
God! What are they feedir you?
(man) What is it, boy?
(man groans)
You come in here and I'm gonna kick your ass!
Gonna kill you!
Kill.
Kill them!
(boy grunts)
(grunts)
Is this your place?
(snarls)
- What hit you? - The damn Bear Trooper.
But Prince is after him. He'll kill him before he gets to Alice.
Let's do somethir!
(laughs hysterically)
(howling)
Do you hear something?
The boy's gotten to Alice.
Thanks.
He doesn't talk much, does he?
His... his tongue's cut out.
(whispers) Oh, man!
My mother caught him trying to call for help one day, and...
...Daddy had to teach him... - Speak no evil, right?
Your father's one sick mother, you know that?
Actually, your mother's one sick mother, too.
Sh!
You're speaking evil. They'd kill you if they heard a word you just said.
Roach. Roach is my friend.
Roach?
I'm Poindexter. Everybody calls me Fool.
Fool?
We sure got the names, huh?
Is this Leroy?
You did this? Why do you make these?
To hold the souls of burglars when they died.
Or salesmen, workmen... other people who saw too much.
There she is!