(chimes tinkling) (water burbling)
(film projector clattering)
(arcade game beeping)
(traffic whirring)
(siren wailing) (static hissing)
(horn honks)
(ominous music)
(crackling)
(suspenseful electronic music) (coin clattering)
(video game dings)
(intense electronic music)
- You guys know who I picked up at the airport?
- Who? - Tim Waters.
- Who?
- The Bill Clinton impersonator.
Not just any Bill Clinton impersonator,
the Bill Clinton impersonator.
He's the one who does the fancy dinners and the TV shows.
Sometimes with Clinton. Yeah.
(soft guitar music)
That's a big deal, you know?
- Uh-huh. - Yeah.
So I pick him up from the airport.
I'm looking at him my rearview and he looks familiar,
you know, but it's dark and it's,
it's been a while since he was relevant or whatever.
So I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it.
And he sees me looking at him and he goe
he goes full Bill Clinton.
He goes, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
(both laugh)
- Where was he going? - Um, Hilton on O'Farrell.
- Oh yeah? - Yeah.
Uh, he said he was in town over the weekend
and that he had a comedy show at a club in town
and he flew in from Vegas, so.
- Sounds like he's doing pretty well.
- Yeah, well, let's put it this way.
It's good thing for him Clinton won in '96.
- Hey, did you get his autograph?
- Nah. Who the hell cares?
Now if it were Christina Aguilera.
(chuckles) Oh.
You remember that song that she did that, that first one?
- "Genie in a Bottle." - Yes, that is the one.
♪ Genie in a bottle, baby ♪
Uh. You remember that video?
Oh, back in the day when that video came on
and I was by myself,
I just had these elaborate fa...
(crackling)
What time you got?
- 10:15. - Ah.
- Well, in that case I better get going.
- Come on, Marv, you just now got here.
- Double shift tomorrow.
Driving grand, brother.
- Driving gra, what are you short on cas
- Can't pay rent with smiles and dick jokes.
- Maybe if you work on your delivery.
(door opens and closes)
He's a theater actor.
He thinks I don't know but he's got a show tonight.
Artsy-fartsy.
- Hmm.
(slow blues music)
- What about you? - Mm?
- Done for the night?
Oh. Burning the a midnight oil.
Good for you.
Get your hustle on.
Mm, well...
I hope you have a good night, Dave.
Maybe I will see you around.
Okay.
(crackling)
(traffic whirring)
(slow blues music)
- More coffee? - Yes, thank you.
How have you been? - Okay, I guess.
You?
- I'm good.
- Okay, well it wasn't that good
since it was an inservice day today,
which just means that there's no school,
which means that I was home all day.
And I mean all day, which means
I'm running on three hours of sleep.
- Mm.
(soft blues music)
- Can I show you something?
- Sure.
What's that?
- This is a collection of random things
written on halls, stalls and walls of public bathrooms.
(chuckles) Okay, I know that sounds craz
but just give it a chance.
I wanna read you something. It's pretty short.
- Okay.
- "She dances carefree and loose
as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her.
She looked so happy, I couldn't look away, scared as I was.
And though the moment seemed to last forever,
she was gone the moment after."
What do you think?
- It's good. - Yeah? (chuckles)
- I like it.
- Me too. It's definitely my favorite on
This one always leaves me wondering, you know, who wrote it?
What they were thinking? What inspired them?
Who inspired them?
- Doesn't say who wrote it?
- No. Most of these don't have authors.
Graffiti and all.
(slow blues music)
(door opens and closes)
I gotta go. - Yeah.
- What can I get for you?
(indistinct chattering)
(upbeat rock music)
(traffic whirring) (indistinct chattering)
(ominous music)
(Dave exhales)
(keys jangling) (engine starting)
(engine revving)
(hard rock music) (button clicking)
(arcade game beeping)
(hands pound)
- Mm! (hands pound)
(Lenny sighs)
- What's his deal?
- Someone beat his high score.
- Really?
- Yeah. He's been here since last night.
Hasn't taken a break in hours.
- Oh. Should we maybe tell him to take a break?
- You wanna die? Be my guest.
But I heard some stories and...
Hey Lenny.
Look, I, I could just make it free play.
- Just give me the quarters. Hmm?
(hard rock music)
(button clicking)
(Lenny sighs) (hands pound)
(Lenny sighing)
(crackling)
(traffic whirring)
(phone ringing)
- Hello?
- Hi. I'd like to call a cab.
- Where are you?
- I'm at the Flamingo Motel in Alameda.
Do you know where that is?
- Yeah. - Great.
When can you get here? - Uh, 10 minutes.
Is that okay?
- I'll be waiting.
(traffic whirring)
(arcade games beeping)
(upbeat rock music)
(phone buzzing)
(cash crinkling)
(traffic whirring)
(car approaches)
(suspenseful music)
(door closes)
- [Dave] Where to?
- [Cara] Just drive.
- [Dave] Can I have your name?
- Cara.
(suspenseful music)
- [Dave] Do you have an address?
A specific place?
- [Cara] I haven't decided yet.
- [Dave] Look, I can drive you around all night.
That's not a problem, but the meter is gonna be running.
So if money is gonna be an issue.
- It's not. I've got money.
I just need you to drive.
- Okay.
(tires screeching)
(Lenny sighs)
(traffic whirring)
(package crinkling)
(siren wailing)
(package crinkling)
(crackling)
(tape clacking and whirring)
(ominous music)
- [Boss] Desperate people respond to fea
They've been condition that way all their lives.
Things were different before I came alon
Chaos, wretched place marred by decades of neglect,
A dying city, desperately hanging on
like the last leaf clinging to a dying tree.
Then I came along and took control.
I need you to do something for me.
There's a girl.
Find her and bring her to me.
(ominous music)
(soft dramatic music)
- Everything's changed here.
I can barely recognize this place.
- You from around here?
- I grew up here.
- What brings you back?
(siren wailing)
- Unfinished business.
Do you drink?
- Not while I'm driving.
- Obviously.
Do you like beer?
- Yeah, I like beer.
- What about Mortal Kombat?
(upbeat rock music) (arcade games beeping)
(customers chattering)
(bottles clinking)
(buttons clicking)
- You're really good.
- Anybody can beat it if they have a basic understanding
of the game and a decent combination
of critical thinking and mechanical prowess.
This is nothing compared to Quake or Road Wars.
Those games require skill
and you're competing against another player,
which makes it way harder.
To master the arcade version of Mortal Kombat,
honestly, takes above average memory
and pattern recognition.
(buttons clicking)
(arcade games beeping) You ever see
a perfect run before?
(buttons clicking)
Did you know that Mortal Kombat II
was the first ever fighting game to feature air combos?
Well, after Midway went bankrupt,
the development team was acquired by Warner Brothers,
but then later rebranded as NetherRealm Studios.
Originally, it was meant to be
a Jean-Claude Van Damme fighting game
featuring Jean-Claude's character in "Universal Soldier."
But then that fell through so I guess
the creators went with a fantasy horror theme instead.
Imagine if we got the Van Damme version.
(arcade games beeping) (customers chattering)
(upbeat electronic music)
You sure I can't get you a drink?
- I'm good.
- Just one drink.
- I don't drink and drive.
(Cara sighs)
- You know what StarCraft 2 pros do when they retire?
They stream Road Wars for fun.
They do. It's true.
- I believe it.
- You ever see an Uber driver and just have
the urge to kick his teeth in?
- No. - No?
Never? - Never.
- Not even from like a second?
- I'm not a violent person.
- "I am not a violent person."
Neither was the Dalai Lama.
- (chuckles) What's that supposed to mea
- Boom.
(crackling)
(customers chattering) (upbeat rock music)
So how long have you been a cab driver?
- A few years.
- Okay. What did you do before?
- A lot of things.
- Like?
- I was a cellar man.
- What's a cellar man?
- Beer maker.
- Really? - I mean, nothing creative,
mostly rolling barrels, cleaning hard lines,
checking CO2 levels, nothing special.
- No, you're basically a beer expert.
- No, I wouldn't go so far as to call myself an expert.
- How's this one?
- (chuckles) It's fine.
- Fine?
- It's a safe choice.
- All right, cellar man, what would you recommend?
What's the best thing they have here?
- Bitter Irony.
- Is that your final answer?
- Mm-hmm. Okay.
(upbeat electronic music) (arcade games beeping)
Hey. - Hey.
- Can I get a pin of your Bitter Irony, please.
- Coming right up.
Here you go. - Thanks.
- What's your verdict?
- It's really good.
It's not that bitter.
(ominous music) (phone ringing)
(voicemail beeps)
- Tell him I'm in.
And he's got nothing to worry about.
You'll see me once tonight
and once more when the job is done.
And then I'm gone.
(intense electronic music)
(mellow music)
- Level 256, kill screen. Do you know what that is?
- No.
- It's when you get to the 256 level in Pac-Man
and the game glitches and the whole right-hand side
of the screen becomes a jumble
of letters, numbers, and shapes.
The original Pac-Man's level counter was just a single byte.
So it was only capable of storing 256 distinct values,
zero to 255, so reaching level 256
causes a buffer overflow, meaning that the data
in all other areas of the stack have to be rewritten.
- Have you ever- - Yeah, three times.
At an arcade in Tokyo, a bar in Huntington Beach
and the bar we were just at.
- So you've played through 256 levels of Pac-Man?
- Yeah. - In one sitting?
- Standing.
- How long did that take?
- About six hours.
(Dave chuckles)
You ever see that photo of the homeless guy
holding that sign that reads,
"Ninjas killed my family. Need money for karate lessons."
- Yeah.
- Well, what's funny is that somewhere out there
at some point in time, they're really has been a person
whose family's been killed by ninjas
and needs money for karate lessons
so they can avenge their family years later.
- I'm sure that's been the case
at least a few times in history.
- Or maybe in lieu of lessons,
they're picked up by a rival ninja clan
and spend years and years training under the tutelage
of an old karate master until they're ready
to reign down their blood-soaked vengeance.
(soft dramatic music)
(crackling)
(soft jazz music)
(footsteps tapping)
(knock on door) - Hey, Judy, you're on.
(audience applauding)
(soft piano music)
♪ I've got the blues, I feel so lonely ♪
♪ I'll give the world if I could only ♪
♪ Make you understand ♪
♪ It truly would be grand ♪
♪ I'm gonna telephone my baby ♪
♪ Ask him won't you please come home ♪
♪ 'Cause when you're gone ♪
♪ I'm worried all day long ♪
- Midnight Judy.
♪ Baby won't you ♪
She sings here two nights a week.
♪ Baby won't you please come home ♪
Rumor has it, she has this rare skin disease
where she can't be exposed to sunlight.
Like even the smallest amount would kill her.
♪ Evermore to call your name ♪
However, a more popular rumor
is that she made up the rare skin diseas
to hide fact that she's actually a vampire.
She uses stage makeup to age herself as the years go by
in the hope to not draw attention.
And every few decades or so,
she moves somewhere new and starts all over again,
performing under a different moniker.
♪ Don't you understand ♪
Apparently there have been photos of her throughout history.
Most notably, one of her in the late 1800's,
performing at a opera house in Palisades
Most notably because it is clearly her face.
♪ Please come home ♪
- That's an interesting theory.
- Why do you think she's called Midnight Judy?
She arrives at midnight and she always performs
her set between 12:00 and 1:00 AM.
And nobody has ever seen her in the daylight.
♪ Please come home ♪
- That's pretty crazy. (Cara chuckles)
♪ Baby won't you please come home ♪
How does she get blood?
- How do you think?
(soft piano music)
♪ I've got the blues, I feel so lonely ♪
♪ I'll give the world if I could only ♪
♪ Make you understand ♪
♪ It surely would be grand ♪
♪ I'm gonna telephone my baby ♪
♪ Ask him won't you please come home ♪
♪ 'Cause when you're gone ♪
♪ I'm worried all day long ♪
♪ Baby won't you please come home ♪
(crackling)
♪ Baby won't you please come home ♪
(ominous music)
♪ Baby, ask him won't you please come home ♪
- Hey. You okay?
♪ When you're gone ♪
Here, let's go somewhere else. ♪ I'm worried all day long ♪
♪ Baby won't you please come home ♪
♪ I have tried in vain ♪
♪ Evermore to call your name ♪
♪ When you left you broke my heart ♪
- Hey, Lenny. It's Fred.
I'm at the club.
You gotta come see this. Call me back.
(traffic whirring)
(water running)
(Lenny sighs)
(ominous music)
(camera parts clicking)
(camera whirring)
- Desperate people respond to fear.
They've been conditioned that way all their lives.
And people like you and I.
Things were different before I came alon
Chaos, wretched place marred by decades of neglect.
A dying city desperately hanging on
like the last leaf clinging to a dying tree.
Then I came along and took control.
I'm afraid my time may be up.
I need you to do something for me.
There's a girl.
Find her and bring her to me.
You'll find everything you need in the envelope.
They say vengeance rides a swift horse.
That's why I need you to be faster.
(Lenny sighs)
(phone buzzing)
- Hey, Lenny. It's Fred.
I'm at the club. (Lenny exhales)
- Yeah.
- You gotta come see this.
(Lenny sighing)
(traffic whirring)
(soft jazz music)
- What do you like about this place?
Like what makes you stay?
- I don't know. (chuckles)
- You married?
- Uh, no.
- You got a lady friend or something?
- No. - Someone you wish
you could be with? (Dave chuckles)
- Okay.
So who's the girl? And how did she hurt you?
- How do you know I didn't hurt her?
- You? Come on.
I doubt it.
- I'm pretty tough, you know?
- Okay. (chuckles)
(horn honks)
(crackling)
Sometimes the greatest tragedy,
the saddest thing that you see
is the shell of a person staring back at you in the mirror.
(siren wailing)
"My God, what have I become?"
You happy?
- I do all right.
- You ever think about just leaving it all behind?
Just leaving it all behind and running off into the sunset?
- You mean sunrise?
- Same difference.
- Yeah.
- And what's stopping you?
(Dave sighs)
(soft jazz music)
(brakes squeaking)
(crackling)
(engine turns off)
(Dave sighs)
(traffic whirring)
- Is this the place?
- Yeah.
- It looks closed. What's in there?
- It's not important.
- Do you want me to come down with you?
- No.
Just wait here.
I'll only be a minute.
(Cara sighs)
(door opens and closes)
(crackling)
(suspenseful music) (muffled banging)
(glass shattering)
(phone buzzing)
(Morgan chuckles)
- Hello.
Oh my God. Don't tell me you're still driving.
Why am I even surprised?
I'm the one that kept feeding you coffee
(sighs) I'm bored outta my mind.
So when are you gonna come visit me?
I could use the company.
(muffled banging) (traffic whirring)
(glass shattering)
(crackling)
(knocks on trunk)
(trunk opens)
(object thuds)
(trunk closes)
- Let's go!
(engine starting)
(Cara sighs)
(soft jazz music)
(Cara sighing) (siren wailing)
- So what's in that duffel?
(Cara breathes heavily)
Huh?
(Cara exhales)
(suspenseful music) (engine rumbling)
(tires screeching)
- [Boss] They save vengeance rides a swift horse.
That's why I need you to be faster.
(hard rock music)
(sensor beeps)
- Dave.
What's going on, buddy? - Oh, hey.
(both chuckle)
Dude, you're never gonna believe this.
I'm here with these super hot models.
There's like three of them.
You know like big actual models.
And they're wasted, like having a real wild time.
Like if I play my cards right, maybe later on,
I can get 'em to my invite to the after party
at the hotel room, if you get my drift.
Hi. - Hi.
- Oh, you...
- Yeah. Yeah, we're together.
I'm Cara. - Pleased to meet you.
I'm Frank.
- Nice to meet you too, Frank.
Do you drive a taxi also? - Oh, yeah.
Actually I've, uh, it's been almost 20 years now, actually.
It's a grind, but I love it.
You get to meet all sorts of interesting people
and I'm a people person. - Mm.
- You know, like, uh, I'm very likable.
- Right. - I'm a smart guy.
Like I, I could do stuff.
Other things like, you know,
make maybe a little more money or whatever, you know,
but, um, yeah, I wouldn't trade this for, for the world.
(chuckles) I'm gonna die in my taxi.
(all chuckle) Right behind the,
right behind the wheel. (Cara laughs)
You know the Bukoswki quote?
"Find what you love and let it kill you.
- Oh yeah. - You know, that's me.
- That's good. - Yeah, yeah.
- Hey, where are you? - Ooh, did you hear that?
They need me. (chuckles)
It's nice meeting you. - You too.
- Go easy on him.
You know, I know he likes to look all,
you know, tough and stuff.
Like some sort of brooding badass,
but, um, he's a softy.
He's like the nicest, most gentle man
you're ever gonna meet.
Swear to God. (chuckles)
Oh. (Cara chuckles)
- [Woman] Hey!
(women chattering) (Cara chuckles)
(soft country music)
(traffic whirring)
(upbeat rock music)
(door opens)
- Hey, is there a bathroom here?
- I'm actually not suppose... (door opens)
It's, it's in the back. Just go for it.
- Okay. (door closes)
- Hey.
- Hi.
I didn't know if you were still up or...
- Yeah.
- Was she with you? - Yeah.
- You gonna tell me who she is? (chuckle
- Someone I picked up.
- Oh.
(crackling)
(soft rock music)
- What? (Cara chuckles)
- More coffee? - Thank you.
- Let me know if you need anything else, Dave.
- Well, she's really pretty.
What's her story?
- Morgan?
- You got like history or something?
- No, not really.
- You like her?
- It's not like that.
- Then what's it like?
- Well, I come here regularly and she works most nights.
- Oh, I think you like her.
And I think she likes you too.
I'm a pretty good judge of character.
- By what metric?
- By every metric.
The way you guys just looked at each oth
when she refilled your coffee.
- Oh. What way was that?
- All dreamily and shit.
She's single. Right?
- Kind of. She's got an ex-husband.
- Okay. And?
- It's complicated. - What's complicated?
- There is a kid.
So even if I was interested, which I'm not-
- Which you are.
Look, if you really want something, you gotta go for it.
- Is that what you do?
Just go for it?
(Dave sighs)
I need to use the restroom.
(Cara chuckles)
(soft rock music)
- Hi. - What can I get for you?
- Dave tells me you and him have known each other
for a while now.
- That's right.
- Well sit down. I wanna talk to you.
So, are you guys close?
- I guess you could say that.
- Do you ever do anything outside of her
- Not really, no. - Why not?
- We don't make time to, I guess.
(soft rock music)
- Dave tells me you have a kid.
- Wow. That is way too personal.
Who are you, exactly? - Cara.
It's really nice to meet you, Morgan.
- (chuckles) Okay, so Dave, he picked you up from...
- My motel room.
- And he's taking you... - On a drive.
- On a drive where? - Oh, just a drive.
- Right. So why are you here?
- I got hungry.
(Morgan sighs)
You know, I was thinking Dave,
we should do something fun.
- Like what?
- I don't know. Something different.
You're from around here. Any suggestions
- Hmm. No.
- No? Nothing comes to mind?
- You know at this hour your options are pretty limited.
- Right.
Okay, well in that case, then maybe we should
just go back to my hotel room and hang out there.
What do you think?
- You know what? I think I just the thin
(paper crinkling)
It's, um, it's starting pretty soon.
So if you wanna make it,
you better leave right now.
- Good to know.
(soft blues music)
(soft dramatic music)
(eerie music)
(intense music)
- What is this place?
- I don't know.
Something about it feels kind of familia
- What happened back there?
- Back where?
(Cara chuckles)
- You know what I'm talking about.
- Nothing happened.
- Didn't look like nothing.
(sword scrapes)
(tape clacks)
(soft blues music)
- I like you.
- I like you too.
- Well, what do we do?
- I don't know.
- Well, what happens when the night ends
- We could exchange numbers.
- Are you somebody that believes in happily ever after?
It's a nice sentiment, isn't it?
Happily ever after.
Imagine if we'd met under different circumstances.
Do you think...
Do you think maybe we could have worked out?
- I think so.
- Then I wish I'd met you in a different life.
(slow blues music)
(soft dramatic music)
- [Dave] Well, that's it.
- [Cara] One last game.
One final bit of unfinished business.
- [Dave] And after that?
- [Cara] Who knows?
(crackling)
(traffic whirring)
(door closes)
(siren wailing)
(footsteps tapping)
(engine rumbling)
(tires screeching)
(Lenny sighs)
(intense music)
(sword slicing)
(crackling)
(door opens and closes)
(door opens) (siren wailing)
You can set the duffle bag down anywhere
(Dave sighs)
Nice socks.
- Thanks.
- You wanna take your jacket off?
(Dave sighs)
What? - You have a tattoo
on your ankle.
What does it say?
- It says, "We all die someday."
You afraid to die?
- I try not to think about it.
- Mm.
I think there are worse things in life than death.
I think people only fear death
because it's seemingly permanent.
Nobody really knows what goes on in the afterlife.
But they're still scared of letting go.
I need to use the bathroom.
Don't go anywhere.
(door opens and closes)
(Fan whirring)
(Dave sighs)
(bag unzips)
(bag rustling)
(Dave sighing)
(toilet flushing)
(bag zipping)
(door opens)
(Dave sighing)
Hey.
What are you thinking about?
- Nothing.
(Dave sighs)
- Okay. Well, come here.
(traffic whirring)
I think I'm falling for you.
- Earlier tonight, when I picked you up,
I asked you where you wanted to go.
You told me you didn't know.
I think you knew exactly where you wanted to go.
I saw what's in the duffel.
Why do you have that?
- I don't want you getting involved.
- I am already involved.
- Well that's your choice, isn't it?
You didn't have to come down to the bar with me.
You could have left at any moment.
Yet here you are.
So what now?
Where do we go from here?
Do you trust me?
- I do. - Okay, let's go.
Let's run away together.
- Where would we go? - I don't know.
Anywhere we want, just say the word
and I'll book the next two tickets outta here,
but we gotta leave right now.
- You're serious. - I can't stay here, Dave!
I gotta leave!
Come with me. - I can't do that.
- Why not?
- I, uh, we only just met each other!
- So? - So, this is crazy.
What if it doesn't work out?
- What if it does? What if it does work out?
What if we can have happily ever after?
- I don't know. - What is there to know?
- Uh...
- There comes a time in your life where you're standing
at a fork in the road and you're face to face
with the hardest decision that you'll ever have to make.
And I've made my decision
and you can either come with me
and we could try figure this thing out,
or we say goodbye to each other right now forever.
(soft dramatic music)
- I've often wondered
how the sun would feel like on my skin.
Would it burn?
Or would it feel like moonlight?
It's been so long.
I'm sure you can relate, Mr. Taxi Driver
Night after night,
driving the familiar streets,
things start to blend.
Not so clear anymore.
And it started to wear you down.
And you ask yourself a question.
Am I dreaming
or am I awake?
- And if I'm dreaming,
what happens when I wake?
(soft dramatic music) (stairs creaking)
(soft guitar music)
(taper player clacks)
(intense music)
(crackling)
(film projector clattering)
(traffic whirring)
(Dave inhales)
(engine starting)
(soft dramatic music)
(crackling)
(traffic whirring)
- You made it personal.
That was your downfall.
That's how I knew you were going to fail
In the end, she was always one step ahea
Now here we are
at the end of the line.
- Where do we go from there?
- Me, nowhere.
- And me?
Where do I go?
- Well, that's for you to decide.
(coin clinks)
Godspeed, Lenny.
Godspeed.
(coin scrapes)
(intense music)
(arcade game beeping) (crackling)
(traffic whirring)
(Dave sighing)
(horn honking)
(Dave moans)
(Dave gasps)
(Dave sighing)
(faucet running)
(Dave breathes heavily)
(envelope crinkling)
(soft dramatic music)
(bright electronic music)