NATURAL BORN KILLERS

                         "NATURAL BORN KILLERS"  

                     SCREENPLAY BY QUENTIN TARANTINO,
                     DAVID VELOZ, RICHARD RUTOWSKI,
                     AND OLIVER STONE

     DRAFT FIVE
     MAY 11,1993

     EXT. NEW MEXICO DESERT HIGHWAY - DAY (PRESENT)

     A black scorpion crawls towards us on hot tarmac.  The sound of
     an approaching PICKUP.  A tire crushes the life from the
     scorpion, CAMERA rising from it to reveal a desolate DINER in the
     middle of nowhere.

     INT. DINER - DAY

     MICKEY KNOX, his back turned to us, is sitting at the counter
     finishing his meal. We hear the PING...BANG...of a pinball machine
     being played OFF SCREEN.

     MABEL, a waitress, comes over and fills Mickey's coffee cup.

                          MICKEY
                What kind of pies do you have?

                          MABEL
                Apple, pecan, cherry, and key lime.

                          MICKEY
                Which do you recommend?

                          MABEL
                Well, the key lime is great, but it's an acquired taste.

                          MICKEY
                I haven't had a key lime pie in ten years.

                          MABEL
                When ya had it, did ya like it?

                          MICKEY
                No, but that don't mean much.  I was a completely
                different person ten years ago.  Let's give key lime
                a day in court.  And a large glass of milk.

     Mabel turns to her right.
 
                          MABEL (to someone O.S.)
                Should I make that two pieces?

     CAMERA PULLS BACK and we see for the first time MALLORY KNOX,
     Mickey's wife, sitting on a counter stool next to him.  Her back
     is to the camera as well.

                          MALLORY
                Nada, Rosey.

                          MABEL (annoyed)
                My name's not Rosey. (points at name tag) It's Mabel.

     Mabel exits FRAME.

                          MALLORY
                Whatever.

     Mallory hops from the stool, walks over and grabs the JAR next to
     the cash register, then dumping out the coins on the counter, she
     selects a quarter.

                          MABEL
                Hey, what the hell do you think you're doin'?

     Mallory saunters past the COWBOY playing pinball.  As his eyes
     follow Mallory, he loses his ball.

     She walks to the jukebox in the back, inserts the quarter,
     selects a song, punches the buttons, a needle lands on a record,
     and a hard-hitting rockabilly TUNE cuts through the coffee shop.
     (Suggestions: "Let 'er Roll" by Sid King or "Red Hot"/"The Way I
     Walk" by Robert Gordon)

     Mabel brings Mickey his pie and milk.

                         MABEL (to Mickey)
               She ought not be doing that.  That's for
               Jerry's kids, not rock 'n roll.

     CAMERA moves around to a CU of Mickey.  This is the first time we
     see him.  As he takes a bite of green pie:

                          MICKEY
               I can't take her anywhere.

     Mallory starts doing a slow seductive fandango around the coffee
     shop.  She's really cooking and smoking.

     Pinball Cowboy and Mabel are starting to wonder just who the hell
     these people are.

     EXT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

     A dirty pickup truck, sporting a Confederate flag decal, pulls up
     to the coffee shop, a DEAD DEER in the back.  SONNY, OTIS, and
     EARL, three tough-looking rednecks, pile out.  Steam rises from
     beneath the pickup's hood.

                          EARL
                Goddamn this sonbitch is runnin' hot.  Y'all go
                inside.  I'm gonna check 'er out.

     INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

     The LOUDNESS of the Rockabilly song slaps SONNY and OTIS in their
     faces as they walk inside the door.  The sexy sight of MALLORY
     doing the ubang stomp stops them in their tracks.

                          SONNY
                Good God almighty.  What the hell is that?

                          OTIS
                That's a bitch outta hell, son.

     Otis and Sonny exchange looks.

                          OTIS
                Take a run at 'er, kiddo.

     Sonny heads toward Mallory.  Otis moves over to the counter next
     to Mickey.

                          OTIS
                Miller, Mabel.

                          MABEL
                Comin' up.

     Sonny stands in front of Mallory, trying to copy what she's
     doing.  Her eyes are closed at the moment, so she doesn't see
     him.

     Mabel sets the Miller down in front of Otis.  Otis takes a swig,
     enjoying the floor show.

                          OTIS (to Mickey)
                That's some sweet piece of meat, ain't it?

     Mickey turns from his pie and looks at Otis.  His expression
     betrays nothing.

                          MICKEY
                Her name's Mallory.

                          OTIS
                Mallory, whatever -- who gives a shit.  I call
                it pussy.

     The needle lifts off the record.  The song ends.

     Mallory opens her eyes and sees Sonny, grinding up against her,
     grabbing for her tits.

                          SONNY
                Hells Bells!  Don't stop now sugar.  I'm just
                getting warmed up.

     Sonny gives her his best shit-eating grin before turning to Otis.
     Otis gurgles out a laugh.

                          OTIS
                Hey, I think she's sweet on you.

     Sonny turns to Mallory.

                          MALLORY (sweet)
               Oh, are you flirting with me?

     She starts to sing "Shitlist" by L7.  Sonny doesn't understand as
     she punches him hard in the face, spinning him around.  More
     punches follow as she wallops him all over the diner.

     A new song automatically drops on -- Patti Smith's "Rock 'n Roll
     Nigger" or L7's "Shitlist" pumping the room to a new peak of
     murder and insanity.

     Mallory grabs the back of Sonny's head and SMASHES it down on the
     table, cracking the linoleum.

                          MALLORY
               Don't fuck with my dance! Goddamnit Mickey, why
               do they fuck with my dance, goddamn is it be-
               cause I'm so cute? Why are they fucking with me?

     Otis jumps off the counter stool, but Mickey's hand clutches hold
     of his shoulder.

     Otis spins around toward Mickey, loaded for bear, and points his
     finger at him, threateningly.

     Before any threat can be made, Mickey whips a large buck knife
     out from its sheath, and in a flash, SLICES off Otis' finger.

     Otis' finger drops on his boot.  He grabs his aching hand.  Blood
     flows from the wound.

                         MICKEY
               Just because my woman's mopping up the floor
               with your buddy is no reason for you to join in.

     Mickey makes five lightning quick SLASHING SWINGS.  The buck
     knife slips back into its sheath.  At first, there seems to be no
     difference with Otis.  Finally, blood flows from the slices made
     in his face and chest.  Otis collapses.

     The SHORT-ORDER COOK in a hairnet charges out of the kitchen at
     Mickey, wielding a meat cleaver and screaming.

     Mickey whips out a .45 automatic from a shoulder holster inside
     his jacket and FIRES.

     BULLET'S POV:  Heading fast toward Short-Order Cook's face.  It
     HITS.  Short-Order Cook puts his hands to his face and falls to
     the ground, screaming.

     Mickey spots Earl, who's standing outside the plate glass window.
     Earl's watched the whole shebang.

     Earl mouths "Fuck!"  He turns and runs for it.

     Mickey hurls the knife through the plate glass window, which
     SHATTERS.  The knife PLUNGES deep into Earls back.  He hits the
     ground dead.

     Mickey turns to Mallory.  She's sitting on top of Sonny, SLAMMING
     his head repeatedly on the floor. He's dead, she's still singing.

                          MALLORY
                ..."you made my ... shitlist!"

                          MICKEY
                Honey.

     Mallory looks up at Mickey.  She gets off Sonny and moves to
     Mickey's side.

     Mickey trains his .45 on Pinball Cowboy, who's shaking in his
     cowboy boots.  Mickey aims at Mabel, who's clutching the coffee
     pot, crying.

                          MICKEY (to Mallory)
                Pick one.

     Mallory does eanie, meanie, minie, moe, pointing back and forth
     from Mabel to Pinball Cowboy. Twice the jingle lands on the
     cowboy, but Mallory adds another phrase...

                          MALLORY
                Eanie, meanie, minie, moe, catch a redneck by
                the toe.  If he hollers, let him go.  Eanie,
                meanie, minie, moe.  My mom told me to pick the
                best one ... and you are it.

     ...so that she ends on Mabel.  Mabel's dodging around screaming.

     Mickey FIRES the .45.  The bullet CHINKS through the coffee pot
     Mabel's holding and explodes, THUNKING her in the chest.  She
     hits the floor dead.

     Mickey and Mallory join hands and walk over to the Pinball Cowboy
     who stands in a pool of his own urine.

                          MALLORY
                When you tell people what went on here, tell
                'em Mickey and Mallory Knox was here. Say it.

                          COWBOY
                Mickey and Mallory Knox.

                          MALLORY (to Mickey)
                I love you Mickey.

                          MICKEY
                I love you Mallory.

     They kiss.  Holding hands, Mickey and Mallory walk out of the
     cafe.

     TITLE SEQUENCE

     INT. CONVERTIBLE CAR - MOVING - DAY (PROCESS SHOT)

     "Rock 'n Roll Nigger"/"Shitlist" blends into a PROCESS SHOT of
     plates of the Southwest USA (Shiprock, buttes, mesas, Rio Grande,
     Indian Reservation), mixed with the Midwest, Alaska -- the
     country on the move.

     The Song Track acquires a second and possibly third song, all
     clashing on the track at the same time (possibly older fare like
     Duane Eddy's "Rebel Rouser" or Shangri-La's "Leader of the Pack"
     with some "Madame Butterfly" thrown in).  The TITLES splash over
     this with big Rock Hudson/"Giant" '50's-style block lettering.

     In the foreground (possibly grainy, black-and-white 16 mm,
     "Breathless" style cinema verite), MICKEY drives a 70's type
     American muscle car fast (Suggestions:  a Plymouth Cuda, Dodge
     Challenger, Coup de Ville Cadillac).  Buffalo grass blurs by.
     White clouds.

     Then some RAIN.  The top is down.  They are wet and laughing.  A
     bottle of tequila lays between them.  She turns the radio up
     louder...and louder.  Micket drives faster ... and faster.  The
     car feels like it's taking flight.  The wind, the music --
     everything merges.

     The CAR crashes off the road, through a barbed wire fence,
     fishtails -- races on, mowing through brush.

     Mickey floors it and howls to get 400 horses under control.
     MALLORY yells.  Can you believe?  Can you see Life in Death?

     EXT. NIGHT - STARS

     A vault of Southwest Stars, clean as milk, pouring down on the
     TWO LOVERS in the middle of nowhere.  Mickey peeing in the dark.
     Softer Music (Cowboy Junkies' "Sweet Jane" style).

                         MICKEY
               Goddamn!  Looks like the world's comin' to an
               end, Mall.

     Mallory is dancing barefoot on the hood of the car. As she
     sings/talks, the stars become light-moving explosions into the
     earth.

                         MALLORY
                         (dreamy, looking up)
               I see angels Mickey ... comin' down for us from
               heaven.  I feel their feathered wings ... I see
               you ridin' a red horse, drivin' the horses,
               whippin' 'em -- they're spittin', frothin' all
               over the mouth -- comin' right at us...I see
               the future...and there's no death
               Mickey...cause you and I are angels.

     She gets out of the car. Mickey, buttoning up, turns to look at
     her for a moment.

                         MICKEY
               That's goddamn poetry...damn I love you Mall.

     In the shadows, we see her little devil grinning back at him, as
     she pees.  Light on her flanks. She's singing "Ain't Nobody's
     Business" by Billy Holiday.