(thunder crashing)
(phonograph powers up)
(slow ragtime jazz playing)
(mechanical creaking)
(chimes tinkling)
(thunder crashes)
¶ ¶
Damn.
Tommy, you got the most luck of anyone I know...
All bad.
Maybe it's not bad luck.
Maybe he's just that stupid.
Looks like you've got lady luck on your side.
Yeah.
That's it.
I got lady luck on my side.
I can't believe this.
I've never had such bad luck.
Believe it, tommy.
You're a loser.
Wonderful.
Tommy chen comes through for all of us again.
(chuckles)
Here.
Buy yourself a present, courtesy of the big loser.
(assorted shouts, chatter)
No... No...
Stop it.
(grunts) stop.
I was expecting you to come see me.
I'm a little short right now.
You are always a little short, tommy.
My luck is gonna change. I know it.
I don't run my business on luck.
I got lots of expenses...
My grandfather...
And my sister...
Tommy, tommy, that's not my problem.
The meter is running interest.
But it keeps doubling every week.
Yes. I know.
But that didn't bother you when you borrowed the money, did it?
I'll pay it back. I swear.
All of it. You'll see.
I know you will, tommy.
You're a good kid.
Sorry if I'm hard on you,
But, uh, you don't want me to look bad, do you?
I can't keep letting you off like this.
I understand.
Really, I do.
Cut off his thumb.
No! Please! Do it now!
Please!
One more week...
Just give me... One more week.
(shouts)
(yelps)
It's going to be a short week, tommy.
24 hours.
Tomorrow night, midnight, I want it all.
Every penny. Understand?
(pans clattering)
(woman whimpering)
Tattoos are lucky, don't you think?
Well, maybe not for you, but for me.
Hey, don't move.
I don't want to hurt you more than I have to.
See these needles?
They're magic.
They let me win...
And they let you win.
(whimpers)
(rattling)
(muffled screaming)
(whimpering)
(muffled screaming)
(insect chittering) (muffled screaming)
(grunting)
(groans)
(overlapping chatter)
(distant horn honking)
(grunts)
Your luck is gonna be my luck, my friend.
¶ ¶
(chimes tinkle)
You're late.
I'm sorry.
I got detained, grandfather.
You lost again, didn't you?
Losing is in the past.
From now on, you're looking at a winner.
I heard that many times before.
Well, this time it's gonna be different, grandfather.
You'll see.
Every winner has a bad streak.
You know, frank wong once lost $10,000 in a single game...
I don't want to hear any more about frank wong.
You know what he is.
Yeah, I know what he is.
He's a big man.
And tommy chen is gonna be just as big,
If not bigger.
I know what you're going to say...
And you can skip it.
I hear it enough in my own head.
But you don't listen.
This rotten life you are leading,
Running with these lowlifes from the street,
Gambling every night--
This is a shameful thing.
In america, the only shame is to lose.
But I'm going to win.
I can feel it.
Just wait and see.
The only thing I see, brings shame to my heart.
What's this?!
At the club...
One of the girls broke a glass and cut her hand.
I'll wash it off.
(sighs)
He'll be all right, grandfather.
You'll see.
He'll settle down.
I have seen this before, child.
He has the seeds of your father...
My son.
Fruit either ripens and falls to earth...
Or it rots on the branch.
¶ ¶
Guys, do we really have to inventory this right now?
I'm bushed.
Hey, the independent businessmen
Must work long hours to turn a profit.
Oh, so where is the profit?
(phone ringing)
Hmm.
(phone ringing)
Curious goods.
Vendredi's antiques?
Uh, yes, that's what it used to be...
I beg your pardon?
What kind of needles?
Tattoo needles.
Uh, you... Would you hold the line
Just for a moment, please?
Tattoo needles-- in the manifest.
Uh, yes, we're just, uh, checking that, mr...?
Mr. Chen.
Uh, c-h-e-n?
Yes.
Uh, yes, mr. Chen, if you have those needles,
We'd be more than happy to buy them back from you.
And the address is, um...?
(snapping fingers)
Uh-huh.
Yes, I've got that.
On the east side-- yes, I'll... I'll find it.
Uh, mr. Chen, could you describe the...
Hello?
Mr. Chen?
Tommy: Those are mine.
Where did you get them?
I bought them on the street.
Do you know what these are?
This writing, it means great evil!
I will not allow them in my house.
And who are you to say?
They're mine.
Give them to me.
I have made arrangements to return them.
Return them?
To who?
To the people who sold them in the first place.
It will end before it begins.
No, grandfather.
You can't do that.
I need those needles.
Those needles are my life!
They are your death.
Give them to me.
(grunts)
(groaning)
Are you all right, grandfather?
Oh, the... The needles...
What happened to the needles?
What needles?
(exhaling)
(chimes tinkling)
(gasps)
This is it.
(knock at door)
(chimes tinkling)
We're closed.
Uh, lum chen called us.
Uh, excuse me.
Uh, mr. Chen, I'm the man
That you spoke to on the phone.
(quietly): Oh, yes.
What happened?
(sighs)
The needles.
Mr. Chen, remember? What happened to the needles?
(sighs)
Gone.
A robber came and took them.
Linda: Please,
You must leave now.
You're just upsetting him.
Jack: Forgive me, mr. Chen,
We must get those needles back.
Lum: Please,
I am an old man, and my world is in flames.
You must go now.
Do you think he was robbed?
I didn't see any sign of a break-in.
No, but he certainly didn't hit himself over the head, did he?
Well, maybe he's covering up for somebody, protecting 'em.
I want to know who.
Come on.
(indistinct chatter)
(gasps)
(whimpering, gasping softly)
(whimpers)
(screams)
(laughing)
Aren't you forgetting something?
I'll take that.
Aw, please, frank,
I'm really hot.
I'm on a roll like you've never seen before.
Can't I keep something to play with?
You won all this in one sitting?
You should have no problem paying me back.
You're a good boy, tommy.
I like you.
I like you, too.
Maybe someday I can work for you.
First things first.
Here. Go have fun.
Ten dollars?
If you are as lucky as you say you are,
That should be more than enough.
Anyone ever talk to you about your sales resistance?
The only way to get the guy to talk.
Turns out our friend, lum chen,
Has got a grandson named tommy.
He's your basic compulsive gambler,
Except he never wins.
He owes everybody in chinatown.
And the old man's probably protecting him.
Micki: Maybe.
Or maybe not-- I mean, it could be the girl
Or somebody we don't even know about.
Well, lum chen is the only lead we've got.
Well, maybe we can find some common ground.
Micki, you could talk to the daughter. Mm-hmm.
Now, you've got more room
In back for all this stuff-- why don't
You take it, hm? Ew!
(chimes tinkle)
Turn the light on.
I'm sorry for what happened, grandfather.
But you were gonna give the needles back.
Look, grandfather.
Cash.
(groans) touch it-- it's real.
And it's all for you.
For you.
I did it.
I'm gonna make good-- you watch.
This is just the beginning.
I don't want money that shames me!
I want a grandson I can be proud of!
This is america.
Everybody wants money.
People here don't ask you where you got your money from,
They just want to know that you've got it.
Get out of my sight!
(siren wailing in distance)
Ryan: Hey, jack, micki.
Who is that?
Yeah, he's in the picture-- that's tommy.
Ryan. Got him.
Uh, be careful.
¶ ¶
Hey, tommy.
Heard about the big hit you made.
It may sound strange, but I can't lose.
I've got tattoo needles that guarantee my luck.
(chuckles) get out.
It's true.
I'll show you.
Excuse me. Sorry.
Where did you learn how to tattoo?
I told you.
It's magic.
Okay. Now, just relax.
Wait down here for a while until it dries.
Then you'll see.
You're going to win big.
Big.
(overlapping chatter)
I can tell you nothing.
My grandson does what he wills, goes where he wants.
Doesn't it matter that he may be involved in something dangerous?
Good night.
Is tommy really in danger?
If he has the needles, yes, he is.
He gambles at sam ah's place, by the river.
(clanking)
No!
Who the hell are you?
What are you doing here?
There... There's a dead girl back there.
What did you do?
I didn't do anything.
You're trying to steal the secret of the luck.
And you killed her to keep her quiet.
(groaning)
(karate yell)
Don't.
Say good-bye.
(choking)
(screaming)
Sweet little man.
Uh-huh.
Do you think tommy hit him?
Well, desperate people do desperate things.
Tommy's a gambler.
He may have found some way of making those needles pay.
Yeah. But that was his grandfather.
I mean, I can't believe anybody would do such a thing.
Or that his grandfather would cover for him like that.
Well, to the chinese, the family unit is sacred no matter what.
Not to tommy, it isn't.
Better luck next time, guys.
There will be no next time.
What do you mean?
We don't allow cheating.
What are you talking about? I don't cheat.
You win 11 hands in a row without cheating?
No one's that lucky.
Oh! So it's okay if I lose here,
But once I start winning, then it's no good!
Big deal!
Who needs this joint?
There are plenty of other games in town.
Hey, frank. What's up?
You tell me.
You ran into a bit of bad luck, didn't you?
It's just a temporary setback.
You'll get your money. Don't worry.
I am not worried. It is you who should be worried.
Oh, come on, frank.
You know I'm good for it.
I'm on a lucky streak.
There's not much time left.
Hey, you're looking at a guy who can't lose.
I hope for your sake, you are right.
Janna.
Have you seen him? Tommy! Did you see him?
No.
It's the tattoo needles.
The tattoos come to life.
They kill the people that they're on.
If he doesn't kill, he doesn't win.
They stopped him from playing.
A couple of goons took all of his money.
Well, he's not going to quit now.
He's going to need to find some more money
Before he goes looking for another game.
What are you doing with the ming vases?
Stay out of my way, grandfather.
They are worth money.
They've been in the family for generations.
I was going to get them someday.
Today is as good as any.
No! This has gone far enough.
No. Lee, listen.
I just need a game.
Lee, you know me better than that.
Lee?
Lee!
(ringing)
Frank?
What?
Mr. Wong? Look, I...
I need some more time.
I can't seem to get a game.
Nobody will let me play.
This does not make me happy, tommy,
And I still do not have my money.
I'll do anything.
Please, mr. Wong.
I see.
I want you to go home and wait for me.
I'll be in touch.
Okay.
We have a player.
The game is on.
(knock at door)
Frank. Come in, come in.
Hello, tommy. I want to talk to you.
I know of a game that's looking for some new blood.
Are you interested?
Sure am. Are the stakes high? Very.
Well, then I'll be able to pay you back everything I owe you.
In fact, you might say
It's the ultimate game of chance.
Frank, with the roll that I've been on,
There's no such thing as chance.
Here's the address. They're expecting you.
Oh. Be there at 11:00.
Not early, not late.
You miss by one minute, and you blow it.
And I will be very unhappy.
You don't know how much I appreciate this.
There he is.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Hey, we're just going for a walk.
That's a bad idea. You never know
Who you might meet up with in this part of town.
There's something I don't understand.
What brings you to a part of town
Where you're not wanted?
We had no idea that we weren't wanted.
Trust me. You are not.
We have our own customs,
Our own ways of doing things.
Leave tommy to do what he must.
This is chinatown.
We will entertain you here a while,
Until tommy chen returns with what he owes me.
And then I will decide what to do with you.
Bad mistake.
This isn't small-time anymore; this is kidnapping,
And you're in over your head.
No, I'm okay.
Linda?
Tommy?
¶ ¶
Jack, you want to take a look?
Jack: Hm?
Oh, yes.
(quiet crackling)
Jack: Go.
(quiet popping)
(fireworks exploding and whistling)
(rapid knocking)
Lum chen, where is tommy?
Where's your grandson?
Please go.
My grandson is none of your business.
What happens to you and your family is your business.
My family is my business!
He's going to kill someone.
Hey! Huh? Huh?
What do you want, huh? Let me go!
Linda: Tommy!
Linda?
What are you doing?!
Get out of here.
I want to help you.
Help me?
You just cost me my life!
Please, tommy,
I love you.
We're family-- whatever trouble you are in, let me help you.
You want to help me?
All right.
I'll let you help me.
(linda whimpers)
Don't, tommy!
(linda sobbing)
(moans)
Do you know where he is?
If linda's with him, she could die.
There is a game there.
Uh, wait.
I know nothing about tattoos,
But this needle is from the monastery at chan shi.
It carries the mark of a healer,
My grandfather.
Thank you.
Micki, go to this address,
And if tommy comes in keep an eye on him.
Don't try and stop him, just watch him. Right.
We'll go to sam ah's.
(doorbell tinkles)
(rapid knocking)
Frank wong sent me.
Ah, yes. Come in.
(indistinct chatter nearby)
Am I late?
You are precisely on time.
What are we playing?
Life or death.
Sit down.
Mr. Wong said you were willing to play anything.
I am.
You are familiar with russian roulette?
No problem.
(linda sobbing)
(sobbing continues)
Jack!
Oh, my god!
(indistinct chatter)
(cylinder spinning)
We will spin to determine who goes first.
(indistinct chatter continues)
You first, mr. Chen.
(indistinct chatter continues)
(gasping breaths)
Jack: Ryan, for god's sake,
Don't move!
Is it poisonous?
(whispering): Coral snake-- it's absolutely deadly.
(hammer clicks)
(gasping breaths)
Don't move.
(linda whimpering)
I'm afraid you get the last shot.
Tommy!
Don't!
(gunshot)
Oh, my god.
Tommy tried to kill me.
Well, those damn needles are locked away in the vault,
Where they'll never hurt anyone again.
(doorbell tinkles)
Lum chen!
And linda! How are you?
I'm fine.
I come to thank you for saving my granddaughter.
And to offer you this token of my appreciation.
Lum chen, your grandfather's.
We are very honored.
You know, I think I might have been mistaken.
About what?
In our rush for progress,
I thought we had lost the time-honored values
Of family honor and tradition.
But when I look at you three,
I realize
That I was wrong.
You are very much
A part of the old world.
No, we didn't lose those values.
We might have...
Put them aside for a while.
This is very interesting.
You are a healer.
No, not a healer.
But I've always been very interested in the art.