They all have husbands and wives and children and houses and dogs, and, you know, they’ve all made themselves a part of something and they can talk about what they do. What am I gonna say? “I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How’ve you been?”
Don’t you think that maybe you’re just upset because I told you what I do for a living, and you got upset and *you’re* letting it interfere with *our* dynamic?
A thousand innocent people get killed every day! But a millionaire’s pet gets detonated, and you’re marked for life.
No, no. Psychopaths kill for no reason. I kill for money. It’s a job. That didn’t come out right.
No no no, I went the other road. Six figures, doing business with leadpipe cruelty, mercenary sensibility. You know… sports, sex, no real relationships with anyone. How about you, how have the years been treating you?
When I left, I joined the Army, and when I took the service exam, my psych profile fit a certain… “moral flexibility” would be the only way to describe it. I was loaned out to a CIA-sponsored program and we sort of found each other. That’s the way it works.
Yes, I mean no. I was before but I’m not now… but that’ all irrelevant, really. The idea of government, nations is public relations theory at this point.
Dr. Oatman, please pick up, pick up! It’s Martin Blank! I, I’m standing where my, uh, living room was and it’s not here because my house is gone and it’s an Ultimart! You can never go home again, Oatman… but I guess you can shop there.
Hi. I’m, uh, I’m a pet psychiatrist. I sell couch insurance. Mm-hmm, and I – and I test-market positive thinking. I lead a weekend men’s group, we specialize in ritual killings. Yeah, you look great! God, yeah! Hi, how are you? Hi, how are you? Hi, I’m Martin Blank, you remember me? I’m not married, I don’t have any kids, but I’d blow your head off if someone paid me enough.
Debi, I’m in love with you! And I know we can make this relationship work.
There’s a contract out on your life. Believe me. I was hired to kill you, but I’m not going to do it. It’s either because I’m in love with your daughter or because I have a newfound respect for life.
Oh, the reason I called… Could you find out who else is in town? I’ve made two spooks and a ghoul already, so if they’ve double-booked the job, and/or they’re going to kill me, I’d like to know. If you could find that out, that’d be great.
Do you really believe that there’s some stored up conflict that exists between us? There is no us. We don’t exist. So who do you wanna hit, man? It’s not me. Now whaddya wanna do here, man?
I was sitting there alone on prom night, in a goddamn rented tuxedo, and my whole life flashed before my eyes. And I realized finally, and for the first time, that I wanted to kill somebody. So I figured since I loved you so much, it’d be a good idea if I didn’t see you anymore.
They’re right behind us. So I was in the Gulf last year, I was doing this thing anyway. And I came up over this dune, and I saw the ocean… and it was on fire. The whole thing, on fire, and it was beautiful. So I just sat there and watched it, and that’s when I realized there might be a meaning to life, you know, like an organic power that connects all living things, God, Yahweh, I dunno.
Some of these guys need some kind of ethical philosophy to justify it, some guys like “live free or die,” but that’s all bullshit, I know that now, that’s all bullshit. You do it because you were trained to do it, because you were encouraged to do it, and because, eventually, you, you know… get to like it.
I know that sounds bad…
Ah, Budro, yes, Budro, Jesus Christ! Yeah, I was out there tryin’ to whack these junk bond fuckos and these idiots were flushing game with sticks of dynamite! And the dog that they borrowed, little Budro, was a retriever, get it? Budro was never a target, Budro was acting on instinct. I would never hurt an animal and I’m offended at the accusation…
Oatman? Don’t hang up. Listen, I didn’t kill anyone – except some guy tried to kill me, so if I see that guy again, I’m definitely gonna kill him, but I’m not going to kill anybody else. I’m on my way to the reunion now with Debi, but I’m just a little nervous, and I’d like to do a phoner.
