Original subtitles

Good times, anytime you need a payment. Good times, anytime you need a break.

Good times, anytime you're up and under.

Not getting hassled, not getting hustled. Keeping your head up for water.

Making a way when you can.

Temporary layoffs. Good times, easy credit ripoffs. Good times, scratching

ass.

I am pooped.

Girl,

that bus was so packed, it was packed tighter than a chitlin' bucket.

What a hassle.

I know what you mean.

I stood up so long, my support hose got cramped.

I got it.

Hello?

Oh. Well, she's not here right now.

Who?

Oh, okay, Don.

It was some cat for Thelma.

I thought it might be somebody else.

Oh, we figured that. You ran for that telephone like it was the last pork chop

on the plate.

Michael, is something wrong?

No, Mom, I'm all right.

I'll put up the groceries.

Well, I better get on home. Oh, Lord, my feet hurt. Don't mention them.

Lord, my feet feel like they've been mugged.

after I soak these numbers. Okay.

Don't be long now. I won't.

Ma, why is Walona bringing you her punch bowl? Are we having company?

No, just a concern. Parents are having a meeting here today.

Meeting? Mm -hmm.

Uh, are you going to use the oven?

Oh, not unless we run out of chairs.

barbecue beef pizza.

Mmm.

Got an extra special hot chili sauce on it. You know it's hot when your breath

disappears as your eyes fill with tears.

Thanks, JJ.

Yeah, I tell you, me and old Rawhide had a tough day today.

Got bushwhacked by a bunch of ghetto rustlers.

What do you mean?

While I was making delivery, the Junior State Knights came in here, ripped off

my truck, took 14 boxes of spare ribs,

Man, not insane.

I tell you, the kids in these gangs, they just ain't civilized.

Well, the Junior Satan Knights look like altar boys compared to the warlords.

The warlords got another way of ripping off ribs.

What's that?

They rip them out of your chest.

Well, I'm just glad you didn't get hurt.

I got it!

I knew it was for me anyway.

Hello, this is your sweet sugar daddy of love.

With a thin candy coating for your heart.

High and polyunsaturated love.

What'd you say?

Look here, man.

Next time you get a message from Thelma, call Western Union.

You know, Ma, this has gone too far. Every time the phone rings, it's for

girl. Pretty soon we'll have to get our own area code.

to work something out.

Yeah, we're going to have to work something out, all right, because this

getting to be too much, and I'm getting to be... Whoa!

Look who's here.

Well, girl, we're going to have to straighten this phone business out once

for all.

I have any time for your foolishness today. You see all these books? I have

homework in biology, psychology, mythology.

All those subjects explain you perfectly.

Biology explains your body, psychology explains your head, and mythology

explains your face.

were in college, you would be a one -man fraternity. Sigma, Delta, dummy.

Oh, yeah? Well, we'll see how dumb I am when I stop taking your phone messages.

Phone messages? Who called?

You. Don.

Yeah. And Bob and Bill and Terry and Jerry.

You know, these weird dudes must think you're Miss Fine.

Yeah, you know, what can I say?

Hi, Thelma. Hi, Ma.

Oh, you had some phone calls today.

Let me see. Harold, Johnny, and, um... Maurice.

What you doing? Write your number down on phone booth walls?

I got it!

Something's going on.

Hi, Michael. How are you? Oh, Clara, Mr. Parker. Come on in and take a seat.

Hello, Mrs. Evans. Oh, Clara, that's a nice sweater. Thank you.

Wow.

everybody. Well, Nettie's got her sisters.

And Mr. Turner and Mrs. Mitchell aren't coming.

He's having labor trouble.

And she's having labor pain.

You know, this'll be her night.

That woman has more deliveries than chicken delight.

Ladies, ladies, I didn't come here to yak about no babies.

I'm here to talk about the gang problem in our school.

Well, that's why we're all here, Mr. Parker.

Then why aren't we doing it?

I think we should wait for Nettie. Right. Nettie's being here ain't

The junior warlords are what's important.

They're getting straight A's in violence, vandalizing the schools,

teachers, beating up students.

The question is, what do we do about it?

Well, what do you suggest we do about it, Mr. Parker?

My solution is simple, Mrs. Evans.

You see these peanuts here?

They're the junior warlords.

And this, this is us.

Ah,

I get it.

Make them into peanut butter.

Excuse me.

late, but I was feeding my sister's kids while she's at the hospital.

The hospital?

What's wrong?

Well, Tommy, her son, got beat up today by the junior warlord.

Tommy? Mm -hmm.

That's Michael's best friend.

Michael, did you know that Tommy had been hurt?

No, Ma.

Oh, Nettie, you gotta tell us about it. What happened?

Yeah, is he hurt bad? Well, I don't know. The last word I got, they were

running tests.

Ladies, what we got to do is break up that gang.

And the only way to break up a gang is to break up each member.

Mr. Parker, you belong in a shell with the rest of those nuts.

Now, I got two daughters going to that school, and I want to make damn sure

those hoodlums don't attack them. Mr. Parker, I've seen your daughters. You

ain't got a thing to worry about.

Hello? Oh, hi, Brenda.

Yeah, Nettie's here.

Nettie, it's Brenda.

Thanks. Hey, Brenda. How's Tommy?

Oh, no.

Oh, well, thanks for calling. And hey, try not to worry.

Tommy's got a fractured skull. Oh, my Lord.

All right. The junior warlords hang out in that boarded -up building across the

street. I say we catch them one by one, and even up the score.

With a baseball bat.

Mr. Parker, we are concerned parents, not vigilantes. We should be both. I

somebody's got to do something about those kids.

I mean, the schools can't and the law won't. Well, the school and the law

shouldn't have to.

Controlling those kids is up to the parents.

Now, we wouldn't have any gangs if parents took responsibility for their

kids.

You're just in time. I think we all can use some refreshments. Oh, yeah.

Why don't you fill Wilona in on what's been happening? Would you do that, Mr.

Peanut?

Ma, I put up all the groceries.

Oh, good. Now you can help me with the punch.

Go get the sugar.

All right.

Hey, Ma, need any help?

Well, you can warm up the oven for the pizza.

All right. Hey, JJ, I'll warm up the oven.

Don't worry, Michael. I can warm it, darling. No, well, I can do it, JJ.

Michael, I asked JJ to do it. Mama, I can do it. Hey, Michael, take it easy.

the prince of mozzarella.

I can handle this. Let's back off, Jack.

All right.

Don't worry, Michael. This oven heats up quick.

I'll have that oven all heated up quicker than you can say, pasta velours.

Michael, get the ginger ale and the lemons out of the refrigerator.

Michael, the ginger ale and the lemon... Michael, are you all right?

Yeah, Ma.

I'll get it for you, Ma.

Okay, honey.

Hey, Ma.

I could swear I smell something burning.

I do, too.

I've been smoking.

Stay cool.

Don't panic. Don't panic. It's harmless. The smoke might be harmless, but the

fire is.

jacket. What is the jacket doing in the oven?

I don't know.

Beats me. First we were picking cotton, now we're cooking it.

What little jacket is it?

According to the back of this, it belongs to the junior warlords.

The junior warlords?

Don't look at me. I ain't no junior.

Michael, whose jacket is this?

Michael, I ask you a question. Whose jacket is this? It ain't mine. It ain't

mine.

I need to hear one more, it ain't mine.

Well, it ain't mine.

That's not the bell I meant to buzz.

Michael? Yeah, Mark, my jacket. Oh, my God.

Well... Mrs. Evans says parents

should control their kids, but she can't seem to control her own.

Cure the fever in your own home, Mrs. Evans, before you start writing

prescriptions for everyone else.

And in case you're interested, my medicine works.

Come on, Nettie, we better be going.

Nettie, I don't know what to say.

I'm sorry.

Poor Tommy. That's all right. I know how you feel.

Goodbye. Bye -bye. Take care.

I will.

All right, Michael.

What's with the jacket? Flo.

Owning that jacket doesn't mean Michael's a warlord. Any more than

means he's an Eskimo.

Right, Chris?

Wrong. He's an Eskimo.

I thought you were too smart to get hung up in a gang.

Thelma, it's not a gang.

It's a social club.

They got a great way of socializing.

They got coming out parties for your teeth.

Please tell me what you're doing hanging around with the warlords.

Well, Ma, we got a lot in common. They're black and tough, and I'm black

tough.

I'll buy the black, but the tough you're not.

Well, not around here, but in school I'm known as the mayor of Knuckle City. My

fists bring urban renewal to dudes' heads.

Is that what happened to Tommy?

I don't want to talk about it. Why not? You're tough.

Stay out of it, honey.

Now I know why you were running to the phone.

You thought it was Tommy's mother calling about you.

Ma, please.

Michael, I want to know why you were with that gang.

Because I'm tough.

The real reason, Michael.

The real reason.

Well, Ma, they asked Philip Smith to join the gang, and he said no.

So they broke his jaw.

Then they asked Ernest Williams to join the game, and he said no.

So they broke his arm.

And then when they asked me, they were

looking at my neck.

My, you're right.

I only joined the game because I was afraid.

Take it easy. I'll go in there and talk to him. I think I know where he's coming

from. Thanks, JJ, but go easy on him.

JJ, get out of here, man.

Hey, Michael, take it easy.

I mean, me being man of the house now, I got to do exactly what Dad would have

done. JJ, you hit me with a belt and I'll bust your lip.

Come down, Michael. Sit down. Just come in to rap for a little while.

Now, I didn't say nothing out there, because I knew exactly where you was

from. Because when I was in high school, the same thing happened to me, and I

did exactly what you did.

Because my bronze, beautiful body is allergic to pain.

J .J., what you're saying is I joined a bunch of turkeys because I'm a chicken,

huh?

No, Michael, it ain't nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, when I was in high

school, I majored in fear.

Oh, Michael, I know where these warlords are at.

And when they offered you a piece of the rock, I know they was talking about

going upside your head.

Did you help him get Tommy?

I was there, but I didn't do anything.

Michael, you didn't warn him of the impending disaster?

I mean, even in jars they yell, here come the teeth.

J .J., it all happened too fast.

When I was supposed to be hitting Tommy, I was just punching the air.

Then he went down.

I couldn't stay any longer, man. That's why I ran home.

JJ, I don't belong in that gang. I gotta get out.

Don't worry, Michael.

We'll get you out of there somehow.

I guess I better go to the hospital, see how Tommy's doing, huh?

No, Michael, you've had a long day out.

I'll go do that for you.

JJ?

Yeah, Michael.

Thanks, man.

Hey, what do you think big brothers are for?

Hey, Ma, the kid and I put our heads together, and now his head's together

like mine.

Poor Michael.

Well, he wanted to go to the hospital to see Tommy, but I told him I'd go do it

for him.

Oh, J .J., that's nice.

Yeah, okay.

Well, sign off.

Bye -bye.

Oh, how I wish James was here. There'd be no way in the world Michael would be

in a gang.

Ma, I've been thinking.

My being in the gang has hurt you.

I apologize.

Oh, Michael.

But I'm going to make it up to you.

And the first thing I'm going to do is throw this jacket in the incinerator.

That's where it should have been in the first place.

I got but three words to say about that jacket. What? Burn.

Wait a minute.

What is it? You know, something's wrong.

What?

I don't think Michael's putting that jacket in the incinerator. Why do you

that? Well, Ma, he took his coat. And you don't need your coat to go to the

incinerator. It's right down the hall.

He's not there, Flo.

Well, where is he going?

No, and Michael, he's probably taking that jacket back to the junior warlords

and telling them where they can put it.

Oh, no.

Then I got to stop him. Oh, no. Ma, you can't go barging in on a gang.

Thelma, I can't stay here knowing he might get hurt.

Well, Flo, I'll go with you.

Man, brought her onto his purse so tight, she almost got her fingers

Way back. How much we get, that bone?

Seven measly six.

Oh, wow, man. At that rate, we got to snatch the bone 30 % to earn the minimum

wage.

Man, the people in this neighborhood are so poor.

You almost hate to rob.

Then maybe we should just punch out their lives.

Well,

if it ain't old Fleetfoot Evans.

Ran out in action today, huh, bruh? I didn't run out, Ratbone.

I just left early.

He didn't run out, Radbon. He just left early.

I'm gonna cook you your head and your hair will leave early.

He's one of us now.

You don't have to hurt him.

Radbon, I want to get out of the club. What?

You crazy.

You know, I think fellas, I think we should do it again when we did the

Right on. That was all right. I punched that sucker's head in.

Why you want to get out the club?

Blood, you just joined.

Yeah, what's the matter, Evans? You don't like us no more?

I hope he don't like me.

Then I won't feel guilty when I drive on him. Right on. I heard that.

Evans, nobody leaves the club.

Yeah, we're like a farm team for major league crime.

I'm glad you just have more history than the Chicago White Sox.

Well, y 'all can have all that, because I got too many other dreams.

Dreams? Evans got dreams.

Ain't that a blip. You have dreams, Earl?

Do I? I have dreams like you ain't never had.

But even my dreams are dreams.

What about you, Ratbone?

To see my dreams, they are widescreen, technical, and 3D. They are daring,

distinctive, and destructive.

Evans, you're the star.

I don't mean those kind of dreams, Ratbone. He don't mean

those dreams.

What dreams do you mean? Jelly beans?

I mean dreams of being something to somebody.

You don't have those kind of dreams because they never come true. Well, mine

going to come true. Yeah, we'll see. Because you're going to be a member of

club forever.

Right on.

Yeah, lady, what do you want?

My son.

I'm Michael Evans' mother.

Oh, what can we do for you, mother?

Mom, what are you doing here?

I came to get you. Come on, Michael. Yeah, Michael, she came to get you. Now

if you go.

Yeah. Well, lady, we're taking care of business here. We're sending Michael

through. I said now. Come on, Michael.

Lady, he can't go, so why don't you just beat it? Yeah, right on. Hey, man,

watch out how you talk to my mother. Hey, blood, your mother shouldn't have

here in the first place.

Yeah, she must be a mighty bad lady.

Maybe she's a wonder woman with soul.

Hey, man, don't touch my mother.

Hey, I haven't touched your mother yet.

Hey, get your hands off me.

Lady's got a wedding ring. Yeah. Yeah. You gotta snatch a hundred purses to get

with that car. Right on. Hey, rap on, don't touch that ring. And my father

that to her, so leave my mother alone.

Shut up, chump.

Lady, I want that wedding ring. I told you to leave my mother alone.

Come on, it's all right.

It's all right, baby.

It's all right.

We can go home now.

Just looking out of the window, watching the asphalt grow,

thinking how it almost can be done. Good times, good

times, keeping your head above water,

making a wave when you can.

Temporary layoffs, good times.

Good times is videotaped in front of a studio audience.