Pulp Fiction

Butch and Marsellus look up at Maynard, who's brandishing a pump-action shotgun, aimed at the two men.

BUTCH

Look mister, this ain't any of your business –

MAYNARD

– I'm makin' it my business! Now toss that gun!

Butch does.

MAYNARD

Now you on top, stand up and come to the counter.

Butch slowly gets up and moves to the counter. As soon as he gets there, Maynard HAULS OFF, HITTING him hard in the face with the butt of the shotgun, knocking Butch down and out.

After Butch goes down, Maynard calmly lays the shotgun on the counter and moves to the telephone.

Marsellus Wallace, from his position on the floor, groggily watches the pawnshop owner dial a number. Maynard waits on the line while the other end rings. Then it picks up.

MAYNARD
Zed? It's Maynard. The spider just caught a coupl'a flies.

Marsellus passes out.

FADE TO BLACK

FADE UP:

INT. PAWNSHOP BACK ROOM – DAY

TWO SHOT – BUTCH AND MARSELLUS

They are tied up in two separate chairs. In their mouths are two S&M-style ball gags (a belt goes around their heads and a little red ball sticks in their mouths). Both men are unconscious. Maynard steps in with a fire extinguisher and SPRAYS both guys until they're wide awake and wet as otters. The two prisoners look up at their captors.

Maynard stands in front of them, fire extinguisher in one hand, shotgun in the other, and Marsellus' .45 sticking in his belt.

MAYNARD

Nobody kills anybody in my place of business except me or Zed.

A BUZZER buzzes.

MAYNARD

That's Zed.

Without saying another word, Maynard climbs up the stairs that lead to red curtains and goes through them.

WE HEAR, on the other side of the curtains, Maynard let Zed inside the store.

Butch and Marsellus look around the room. The basement of the pawnshop has been converted into a dungeon. After taking in their predicament, Butch and Marsellus look at each other, all traces of hostility gone, replaced by a terror they both share at what they've gotten themselves into.

Maynard and ZED come through the curtains. Zed is an even more intense version of Maynard, if such a thing is possible. The two hillbillys are obviously brothers. Where Maynard is a vicious pitbull, Zed is a deadly cobra. Zed walks in and stands in front of the two captives. He inspects them for a long time, then says:

ZED

(to Maynard)

You said you waited for me?

MAYNARD

I did.

ZED

Then how come they're all beat up?

MAYNARD

They did that to each other. They was fightin' when they came in. This one was gonna shoot that one.

ZED

(to Butch)

You were gonna shoot him?

Butch makes no reply.

ZED

Hey, is Grace gonna be okay in front of this place?

MAYNARD

Yeah, it ain't Tuesday is it?

ZED

No, it's Thursday.

MAYNARD

Then she'll be fine.

ZED

Bring out The Gimp.

MAYNARD

I think The Gimp's sleepin'.

ZED

Well, I guess you'll just wake 'em up then, won't you?

Maynard opens a trap door in the floor.

MAYNARD

(yelling in the hole)

Wake up!

Maynard reaches into the hole and comes back holding onto a leash. He gives it a rough yank and, from below the floor, rises THE GIMP.

The Gimp is a man they keep dressed from head to toe in black leather bondage gear. There are zippers, buckles and studs here and there on the body. On his head is a black leather mask with two eye holes and a zipper (closed) for a mouth. They keep him in a hole in the floor big enough for a large dog.

Zed takes the chair, sits it in front of the two prisoners, then lowers into it. Maynard hands The Gimp's leash to Zed, then backs away.

MAYNARD

(to The Gimp)

Down!

The Gimp gets on its knees.

Maynard hangs back while Zed appraises the two men.

MAYNARD

Who's first?

ZED

I ain't fer sure yet.

Then with his little finger, Zed does a silent "Eenie, meany, miney, moe..." just his mouth mouthing the words and his finger going back and forth between the two.

Butch are Marsellus are terrified.

Maynard looks back and forth at the victims.

The Gimps's eyes go from one to the other inside the mask.

Zed continues his silent sing-song with his finger moving left to right, then it stops.

TWO SHOT – BUTCH AND MARSELLUS

After a beat, THE CAMERA MOVES to the right, zeroing in on Marsellus.

Zed stands up.

ZED

Wanna do it here?

MAYNARD

Naw, drag big boy to Russell's old room.

Zed grabs Marsellus' chair and DRAGS him into Russell's old room. Russell, no doubt, was some other poor bastard that has the misfortune of stumbling into the Mason-Dixie pawnshop. Whatever happened to Russell is known only to Maynard and Zed because his old room, a back room in the back of the back room, is empty.

As Marsellus is dragged away, he locks eyes with Butch before he disappears behind the door of Russell's old room.

MAYNARD

(to The Gimp)

Up!

The Gimp rises. Maynard ties The Gimp's leash to a hook on the ceiling.

MAYNARD

Keep an eye on this one.

The Gimp bows its head: "Yes." Maynard disappears into Russell's old room. There must be a stereo in there because suddenly The Judds, singing in harmony, fills the air.

Butch looks at The Gimp. The Gimp giggles from underneath the mask as if this were the funniest moment in the history of comedy.

From behind the door we hear country MUSIC, struggling, and:

MAYNARD (O.S.)

Whoa, this boy's got a bit of fight in 'em!

We the HEAR Maynard and Zed beat on Marsellus.

ZED (O.S.)

You wanna fight? You wanna fight? Good, I like to fight!

Butch pauses, listens to the voices. Then, in a panic, hurriedly struggles to get free.

The Gimp is laughing wildly.

The ropes are on too tight and Butch can't break free.

The Gimp slaps his knee laughing

In the back room, we hear:

MAYNARD (O.S.)

That's it... that's it boy, you're goin' fine. Oooooooh, just like that... that's good.

(grunting faster)

Stay still... stay still goddamn ya! Zed goddammit, git over here and hold 'em!

Butch stops struggling and lifts up on his arms. Then, quite easily, the padded chair back slides up and off as if it were never connected by a bolt.

The Gimp sees this and its eyes widen.

THE GIMP

Huhng?

The Gimp FLAILS WILDLY, trying to get the leash off the hook. He tries to yell, but all that comes out are excited gurgles and grunts.

Butch is out of his chair, quickly dispensing three BOXER'S PUNCHES to its face. The punches knock The Gimp out, making him fall to his knees, this HANGING HIMSELF by the leash attached to the hook,

Butch removes the ball gag, then silently makes his way through the red curtains.

INT. PAWNSHOP – DAY

Butch sneaks to the door.

On the counter is a big set of keys with a large Z connected to the ring. Grabbing them, he's about to go out when he stops and listens to the hillbilly psychopaths having their way with Marsellus.

Butch decides for the life of him, he can't leave anybody in a situation like that. Se he begins rooting around the pawnshop for a weapon to bash those hillbillies' heads in with.

He picks up a big destructive-looking hammer, then discards it: Not destructive enough. He picks up a chainsaw, thinks about it for a moment, then puts it back. Next, a large Louisville slugger he tries on for size. But then he spots what he's been looking for:

A Samurai sword.

It hands in its hand-carved wood sheath from a nail on the wall, next to a neon "DAD'S OLD-FASHIONED ROOT BEER" sign. Butch takes the sword off the wall, removing it from ist sheath. It's a magnificent piece of steel. It seems to glisten in the low-wattage light of the pawnshop. Butch touches his thumb to the blade to see if the sword is just for show. Not on your life. It's as sharp as it gets. This weapon seems made to order for the Brothers Grimm downstairs. Holding the sword pointed downward, Takakura Ken-style, he disappears through the red curtains to take care of business.

INT. PAWNSHOP BACK ROOM – DAY

Butch quietly sneaks down the stairs leading to the dungeon. Sodomy and the Judds can still be heard going string behind the closed door that leads to Russell's old room.

INT. RUSSELL'S OLD ROOM – DAY

Butch's hand comes into frame, pushing the door open. It swings open silently, revealing the rapists, who have switched positions. Zed is now bent over Marsellus, who is bent over a wooden horse. Maynard watches. Both have their backs to Butch.

Maynard faces the CAMERA, grinning, while Butch comes up behind him with the sword.

Miserable, violated, and looking like a rag doll, Marsellus, red ball gag still in mouth, opens his watery eyes to see Butch coming up behind Maynard. His eyes widen.

BUTCH

Hey hillbilly.

Maynard turns and sees Butch holding the sword.

Butch SCREAMS... with one mighty SWING, SLASHES Maynard across the front, moving past him, eyes and blade now locked on Zed.

Maynard stands trembling, his front sliced open, in shock.

Butch, while never taking his eyes off Zed, THRUSTS the sword behind him, SKEWERING Maynard, then EXTRACTS it, pointing the blade toward Zed. Maynard COLLAPSES.

Zed disengages from Marsellus in a hurry and his eyes go from the tip of Butch's sword to Marsellus' .45 Automatic, which lies within reach.

Butch's eyes follow Zed's.

BUTCH

You want that gun, Zed? Pick it up.

Zed's hand inches toward the weapon.

Butch GRIPS the sword tighter.

Zed studies Butch.

Butch looks hard at Zed.

Then a VOICE says:

MARSELLUS (O.S.)

Step aside, Butch.

Butch steps aside, REVEALING Marsellus standing behind him, holding Maynard's pump-action shotgun.

KABOOM!!!!

Zed is BLASTED in the groin. Down he goes, SCREAMING in AGONY.

Marsellus, looking down at his whimpering rapist, EJECTS the used shotgun shell.

Butch lowers the sword and hangs back. Not a word, until:

BUTCH

You okay?

MARSELLUS
Naw man. I'm pretty fuckin' far from okay!

Long pause.

BUTCH

What now?

MARSELLUS

What now? Well let me tell you what now. I'm gonna call a couple pipe-hittin' niggers, who'll go to work on homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch.

(to Zed)

Hear me talkin' hillbilly boy?! I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'm gonna git Medieval on your ass.

BUTCH

I meant what now, between me and you?

MARSELLUS

Oh, that what now? Well, let me tell ya what now between me an' you. There is no me an' you. Not no more.

BUTCH

So we're cool?

MARSELLUS

Yeah man, we're cool. One thing I ask – two things I ask: Don't tell nobody about this. This shit's between me and you and the soon-to-be-livin'-the-rest-of-his-short-ass-life-in-agonizing-pain, Mr. Rapist here. It ain't nobody else's business. Two: leave town. Tonight. Right now. And when you're gone, stay gone. You've lost your Los Angeles privileges. Deal?

BUTCH

Deal.

The two men shake hands, then hug one another.

MARSELLUS

Go on now, get your ass outta here.

Butch leaves Russell's old room through the red curtains. Marsellus walks over to a phone, dialing a number.

MARSELLUS

(into the phone)

Hello Mr. Wolf, it's Marsellus. Gotta bit of a situation.

EXT. MASON-DIXIE PAWNSHOP – DAY

Butch, still shaking in his boots, exits the pawnshop. He looks ahead and sees, parked in front of the establishment, Zed's Big Chrome Chopper with a teardrop gas tank that has the name "GRACE" on it. He climbs aboard, takes out the keys with the big Z on them and starts up the huge hog. It RUMBLES to life, making sounds like a rocket fighting for orbit. Butch twists the accelerator handle and SPEEDS off.

WE CUT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN...

INT. BUTCH AND FABIENNE'S HOTEL ROOM – DAY

Fabienne stands in front of a mirror wearing a "Frankie says, Relax" tee-shirt, singing along with MUSIC coming from a BOOM BOX.

EXT. CITY STREET – CHOPPER (MOVING) – DAY

Butch drives down the street, humping a hot dog named "GRACE." He checks his father's watch. It says: 10:30.

The SONG in the motel room PLAYS OVER this.

EXT. MOTEL ROOM – DAY

Butch rides up on Grace. He hops off and runs inside the motel room, while we stay outside with the bike.

FABIENNE (O.S.)

Butch, I was so worried!

BUTCH

Honey, grab your radio and your purse and let's go!

FABIENNE (O.S.)

But what about all our bags?

BUTCH

Fuck the bags. We'll miss our train if we don't split now.

FABIENNE (O.S.)

Is everything well? Are we in danger?

BUTCH

We're cool. In fact, we're super-cool. But we gots to go. I'll wait for you outside.

Butch runs out and hops back on the bike. Fabienne exits the motel room with the boom box and a large purse. When she sees Butch on the chopper, she stops dead.

FABIENNE

Where did you get this motorcycle?

BUTCH
(he kick-starts it)

It's a chopper, baby, hop on.

Fabienne slowly approaches the two-wheel demon.