The Osterman Weekend (1983) Movie Script
And you will be telling me
you have to leave.
How do you know so much?
I don't know so much,
but I do know you are going to go.
I won't be long.
In fact, I'm only going
so that I can come back.
Why are you so cruel
to yourself?
No, I have to go
to Albertstrasse to meet...
some liar from Romania.
No.
No, no.
Man:
Nasty piece of film, Stennings.
I wouldn't like to think
of Fassett seeing it.
Stennings: He didn't know we had
a surveillance system in operation.
Man: What exactly
was the wife's category?
Stennings: She was a cipher clerk
in the Polish embassy.
- They ran her as a string on Fassett.
- And why did they terminate her?
We're not certain, but it did clear up
a potentially messy situation.
We were having trouble in that area,
as I'm sure you'll recall.
And Fassett?
Stennings: He never knew you made
a trade with the KGB, sir.
He didn't know
you sanctioned her killing.
He went wild
trying to find her killers.
And in the process
he uncovered Omega, did he not?
Stennings:
He uncovered Joseph Cardone...
stock manipulator with a low profile,
heavy clients, tax shelter expert.
Richard Tremayne...
prestigious plastic surgeon
with more than his share of patients
and a wife with a nose problem.
Bernie Osterman...
midnight financier,
TV writer/producer
with three series on the air.
Clean, but very liberal.
All, surprisingly enough,
connected with our old friend
Mr. KGB himself,
Andrei Mikalovich.
However, I think
that Fassett's premise is dangerous
because it's based on
the nonbenevolent ambition
of one man... John Tanner.
His whole plan depends
on their mutual friendship.
As you know,
Tanner's your number one critic.
My advice is to turn them over
to my section.
However, I might be wrong.
Being wrong, Stennings, is not nearly
as important as not admitting it.
Not these days.
Stennings: He's excellent,
there's no denying it.
- But you don't like him.
- He's too much of an individual.
Takes too many shortcuts.
Well, maybe the time for shortcuts
are upon us.
I think the way Fassett wants to handle
Omega is a high-visibility risk.
With your political prospects,
well, it's an unacceptable element.
You think I'll get where I'm going
without risk?
There are degrees
of acceptability, sir.
Omega in itself is a...
well, it's a highly sensitive matter.
If it were to become public,
I think it could be disastrous.
What if it became public
at exactly the right time?
I think Fassett seriously complicates
any such timing, sir.
The man, well, he's...
He's something you're not
and never will be.
He's a field operative.
I don't think nostalgia
is the right instinct at this time, sir.
Bring in Mr. Fassett.
Stennings: Mr. Fassett?
Mr. Passe.
I must tell you I was impressed
by your presentation.
- Most impressed.
- Thank you, sir.
Sit down.
I'd be giving away no secrets, however,
if I told you that Mr. Stennings here
has a less positive attitude.
Walter.
Well, you've uncovered three agents
in the Omega network.
Your data indicates
they're very high-level.
Probably the highest
below their KGB control,
our good friend Mr. Mikalovich.
I think they should be picked up
and turned over to debriefing.
You can't pick them up
without ringing a bell.
No, I think the best and the most
efficient way of unraveling Omega
is to turn one of these three.
Then you get
a very powerful reaction...
betrayal.
Even traitors feel betrayal.
And you propose to use
John Tanner to effect this?
Well, I've studied him
and they say that converts
make the greatest zealots.
Well, it's certainly true with Tanner.
He's more American than Americans.
He's a bigot about truth,
democracy, and justice.
If we can convince him
that his friends are spies,
and we can convince him,
then he will feel compelled,
compelled to aid us.
And with Tanner's help,
then we can break these three.
Break them and Omega.
Let's take a look.
Mr. Tanner should be getting
nicely warmed up by now.
Welcome back.
We're not talking about Agent Orange.
- We're just talking to General Keever.
- Ready two. Take two.
Stand by, camera three.
General, you have the responsibility
for American germ warfare research.
- Take three.
- I'm very surprised that you would
ask me questions on a subject
which you must know is restricted.
In last Friday's "New York Times,"
you said the Japanese...
That was a statement
by the joint chiefs of staff
and represents their official position
on the subject.
What about those secret experiments
the Japanese were trying...
Ready three.
In a little closer on Keever.
Let's see the sweat on his nose.
That, uh...
I can only say
what I've already said on that.
- Camera one, a little tighter.
- You said the Japanese
developed German
chemical warfare systems.
Keever: Well, you have to remember
the political climate at the time.
The Soviet menace was becoming
more and more apparent.
Tannen
You're just a figurehead?
Well, no. I mean...
You have the responsibility
for American germ warfare research.
I've already said that is not a matter
I can discuss here.
I don't...
I'm in the bedroom.
Oh, I have on that, um...
You... you know the black gown
you gave me?
Yeah.
What... what do you mean
underneath?
Oh, underneath.
Let me see.
- Excuse me, Doctor.
- Woman on phone: Oh, baby.
This just arrived.
- Can I open it?
- No, thank you.
- Woman: ...how much I need...
- Fine.
I got your picture back.
I think...
I think that you should hurry up
and come right home
because I'm very sick
and I need my doctor.
Aw, fuck.
What's the matter?
Hello?
No, no. Nothing.
I dropped the phone.
My poor little Dick.
Ginny, I'll... I'll see you soon.
Okay, and... and, darling,
don't forget my medicine.
...that whatever actions the...
uh, America took at the end of the war,
it was for the welfare
of the world at large.
Tanner'.
What about the...
Why in hell would they send
such a fool?
He must have been
the fool on duty.
Tanner: Can you confirm
there were American prisoners involved?
To the best of my knowledge,
very few.
- Director: Ready two. Take two.
- Then their wounds were infected...
with different kinds of bacteria...
- and intentionally left untreated.
- Stand by, camera three.
One, give me a close shot.
Most of these boys were American.
Most of them died.
Well, as I say, Mr. Tanner,
you had to have been there.
Director:
You've got a minute, seven, John.
You were probably too young
to remember.
Yes.
- Are you proud of your country, sir?
- Director: Ready one.
You're about to get
your military ass kicked, General.
Still, you're not seeing a single thing,
Mr. Osterman.
You're seeing possibility.
In that,
you're an imperfect machine.
Instructor:
For these last two moments,
we will engage conditions
of maximum equality.
That was a lot better, wasn't it?
Very well, sir.
Man: Hello. Telephone's for you,
Mr. Osterman.
Keever on TV: There are many reasons
for such actions.
What about the welfare
of the American prisoners?
Well, the American government
was not the one involved.
Shit.
Are we still on the air?
- We'll take a commercial break now...
- Director: Cue commercial.
...for germ free soap.
Next up will be
General Keever's service record.
We'll be right back.
Very good.
I'll be fascinated
to see you work on him.
Yes.
And I'll be interested to see
your progress reports, Mr. Fassett.
You'll see my requisition list first.
A moment, Mr. Passe.
In considering your proposal,
I have cross-read your files.
This, uh... this matter
of your wife...
Accidents happen, sir.
In this Omega business, there will be
no place for such indulgences.
It's a mistake I'm not likely
to make twice, sir.
Good, good.
Oh, in this matter of Tanner,
I'm sure that the evidence we have
will convince him intellectually,
but I think we might need
something more...
your presence.
Hi! Hi, boy.
Come on.
Tanner on TV: What about the welfare
of the American prisoners, sir?
- Keever on TV: That is not something...
- I think Dad's home.
- ...I can comment on.
- Tanner: Prisoners of war
- were deliberately wounded.
- Yeah, it looks that way.
Tanner: Then their wounds were infected
with different kinds of bacteria
and intentionally left untreated.
Most of these boys were American.
Most of them died.
Keever: As I say, Mr. Tanner,
you had to...
Boy:
Hi, Dad! Hi, Frank!
Hi, scout!
- Where have you been?
- Went hunting with Mom.
Camped out last night.
- Tanner: Get anything?
- No, couldn't get a clean shot.
Yeah, they were down
in this little ravine.
Then they caught wind of us.
We needed your help.
Mm.
Did you teach Mom to hunt?
We taught each other.
Gonna take a bath.
Mom says you're
a big trophy hunter.
What does she mean?
Is she just bullshitting?
Come here, you.
Come here, you.
Come.
Sit down and watch TV.
There's a war being fought now,
as we speak,
all over this country,
all over the world.
And, yes, we do have
troops there.
And, yes, they're dying.
What do you think of this guy?
- He sucks.
- Our way of life.
You up for this weekend?
Well, I guess so.
You used to think they were great.
Mm, times change.
Not for the better. Huh?
No.
Joe didn't used to worship money
and hate women.
And we used to think
that Bernie Osterman
could actually heal people
by making them laugh.
And Dick was a doctor
once upon a time.
Now he's a pussy-whipped mechanic
who repairs people.
Yes?
I have Maxwell Danforth
on the line for you.
Hang on.
John Tanner,
Maxwell Danforth.
To what do I owe the pleasure?
I need a favor of you, Mr. Tanner.
I'd like to hear what it is.
Well, I wonder, could we meet?
In person.
Face-to-face, as it were.
- When?
- Today.
Transportation is being arranged
even as we speak.
Your trophy buck just broke cover.
This way, Mr. Tanner.
Fourth floor.
I have an appointment.
Mr. Danforth won't be here.
You'll be talking to me.
My name's Lawrence Fassett.
- Please.
- Maxwell Danforth wanted to see me.
Are you, uh, expecting
houseguests this weekend...
Joe and Betty Cardone,
Richard and Virginia Tremayne,
Bernard Osterman?
The men were from
your graduating class at Berkeley.
This is the seventh such reunion,
events known among you
as "Ostermans,"
in honor of their original sponsor.
These people represent
a grave threat
to the security
of the United States of America.
Uh-huh.
It's my job to convince you
of the truth of these allegations.
We could arrest
all the conspirators now,
but it would be more helpful
to the interests of the nation
if we could have your assistance
over the coming weekend.
What the hell
are you talking about?
You could arrest who?
For what?
If after I've presented you
with the initial evidence
you're not convinced,
then of course you may go.
Keeping your mouth shut,
of course.
Man: All right, listen carefully.
First I wanna know
when the weekend is scheduled.
May 17th, at the Tanners'.
You have no apprehension
of Tanner?
Cardone: He knows nothing
of our business, suspects nothing,
can have
no possible danger to us.
Nonetheless, we think
it would be better if he were targeted.
Now, that's absolutely unnecessary.
This is not an area
in which you have a lot of choice.
This is our deal, Petrov.
Nothing happens to Tanner.
Otherwise,
we meet someplace else.
Petrov: Your partners
don't want to postpone this.
Cardone: Just remember,
we're calling the shots.
Petrov:
They'll be there if you need them.
Tanner: If I ever saw a setup
for doctoring tape, this is it.
Be my guest.
Man: Cut! Cut!
Fassett: The sound's not good
'cause we had them on a directional.
Tremayne: That's how long
some operations take.
Mikalovich:
We would like to see...
Ah, then we got lucky
with a concealed.
It would take me
considerable time to be ready.
You know, I have, uh...
I have patients,
not clients like Cardone.
Bernie, he has no loose ends.
- He just picks up and goes.
- These are not my concerns.
I don't wanna be in the country
when it comes down.
I think you will find
that when the time comes,
you will be able to leave the country
very quickly, indeed.
Who's the man?
Fassett:
Andrei Mikalovich, KGB.
Fassett: Russian passport...
...CIA report on Mikalovich,
Russian technology clearance file.
Tannen
You know him?
Fassett:
Personally.
If you can call tailing somebody
for three months personal.
Now, this next bit
with your friend Bernie
is a real gem.
I've seen some of his shows.
He's very good, isn't he?
Sure, I think the system's
in need of radical change.
Man:
How radical is radical?
Hmm.
Extreme, violent,
chaotic, apocalyptic,
somewhere in there,
I think, you know.
Are you willing to help create
such conditions,
or are you just a coffeehouse
revolutionary?
No. No, I'm not a revolutionary.
What I am is a nihilistic anarchist
who lives on residuals.
So money would help form
your decision?
Osterman:
Oh, yes.
Yeah, it always has.
Um, but what are you asking me?
Man:
For your talents and your time.
We would pay generously.
Numbered bank account.
Man:
Swiss?
Where else?
Man:
Very good.
I will bring you considerable details
next time we meet.
- Osterman: Fine.
- Man: And I promise you it is simple.
Fassett: There is more,
but it's of no consequence.
All right.
What's the bottom line?
This is the Official Secrets Act.
If you want to go for the jackpot,
then you must sign it.
But I warn you that after the signature,
then there is no walking away.
You sign it and your life
isn't gonna be the same.
I'm not your man.
Tanner: I'm cloak.
You must be dagger.
Mr. Danforth,
I won't betray my friends.
You don't have any friends, Tanner.
You're on intimate terms
with three Russian agents.
- I don't believe that.
- Oh, yes, you do.
That story you were pursuing
on your last program
about germ warfare...
What about it?
Danforth:
Why do you suppose it surfaced
after being submerged
for almost 40 years?
I had a reliable source.
Danforth: To whom the Soviets
conveniently leaked the story.
They knew that you
or someone like you would pick it up,
make a fuss, and, with luck,
there'd be a congressional investigation
and perhaps appropriations
would be held up.
You see, the Russians don't suffer
from the same restraints of our system
when it comes
to national security.
Tanner: I know how you'd make
the system work.
Tanner, you know nothing.
You're guessing.
And your guesses
are pathetically short of the mark.
Big Brother Max
knows everything.
Suppose I was to tell you
that our enemies are capable
of impairing rational thought,
of dismantling our willingness
to defend ourself,
of disassociating whole societies
from their value systems.
You mean they've got
television as well?
Danforth:
We have such substances.
It's only prudent to fear they do.
We believe that your friends
are in control of a Soviet network
and that they have a list of agents
whose task it is
to release these substances
on command.
Now, I'm asking you
as an American
to help us to protect ourselves
against them.
You want something from me.
I want something from you.
I want you on my program.
Ag reed.
Tanner: And if this turns out
to be more CIA self-abuse,
I'll have it out of you on the air.
- That's a promise.
- I would expect that.
I think Mr. Fassett is waiting for you
to sign the paper.
Comfort yourself with the thought
that you never did have a choice.
It's usually the case.
What is it you want me to do?
Just behave normally.
You don't have to do anything.
We do it all.
In this world that you have entered,
things are rarely as they seem.
To us, an enemy agent
is potentially our agent,
if we can turn him.
Why don't you just
have them arrested?
We don't want to arrest
your friends.
We want to turn them,
one or all of them.
In this you can help us,
believe me.
Fassett:
You shouldn't be so dramatic.
It's only two days out of your life.
Um, did you bring me something?
- In my inside pocket.
- Thank you.
You're not gonna do it right now,
are you, Ginny?
Mm, just a little bit.
Betty: I know she's old enough
to be your mother...
Don't tell me about business.
All right?
Okay.
I know how you feel.
- Believe me.
- Sure.
Betty:
What's that, Omega?
Who's Omega,
Mrs. Hazeltine's uncle or somebody?
Joe, what is that?
Betty:
What's going on?
I don't know!
What are you doing about it?
You gonna sit there?
Why don't you get off your dead ass
and do something, damn it?
- What's the trouble?
- Can I see your license, please?
Hey, I wasn't speeding, you know?
I've given that up.
You know, I've cut...
I've cut way back on speeding.
I've cut... cut it way down.
Oh, I thought that was you.
You write for TV, don't you?
Yeah, that's me.
Yeah, I'm on my way
to catch a plane, though.
Oh, don't worry, you'll make it.
I like your stuff, Mr. Osterman.
Only sometimes I think you tend
to, uh, be a little strident, you know?
Strident?
Oh, you're giving me a ticket
for strident writing, are you?
That means the death penalty
for Beverly Hills parking violations
is coming back, too, huh?
- Have a nice day.
- Yeah.
Cardone:
Bernie! Hey, paisan.
Yeah. Doc.
Well...
somebody's on to us, huh?
Well, who the hell wouldn't be on to us?
Look where we are.
Oh, now, wait a second.
I control this place.
I mean, those, uh...
those guards you saw?
They're mine.
Those gates are locked.
I mean,
this is a natural place here.
This area is all right.
Gentlemen, whoever's fingering us
has got a lot of pull.
Video hookups,
phony cops, the mails.
He's got a whole network.
And they know about Omega.
And that's government,
isn't it?
So if it's the government,
why haven't they stuck us before this?
Tremayne:
Why haven't they busted us?
How about your friend?
The interviewer?
Don't be mad at me.
Come on.
Why?
There's a man here
with a truckload of video stuff.
When did you order that?
Chris:
I was really looking forward to it.
Why do we have to go away?
Oh, uh, oh, weeks ago.
Ali: What?
State-of-the-art stuff.
Are you ready?
I'm packed,
if that's what you mean.
Believe me, Ali,
if I could explain, I would.
Would you?
Or would you just think,
"She doesn't need to know"?
Come on, it's... it's only
two days out of a lifetime.
There's a good boy, eh?
And what's your name, eh?
What's your name?
What's happening?
I'm, uh...
taking my wife and son out.
That's not very smart.
The object of the exercise is to make
everything seem as normal as possible.
I'm taking no chances.
We can protect them better here.
How are you going to explain
the fact that they're gone?
Well, I'm... I'll tell them
we had a fight.
Won't be hard
to make that sound real.
I'm sorry, John.
Just hang in.
You'll get through it.
Yeah?
Where are you putting
all these cameras?
Fassett:
Everywhere.
The whole house
will be covered.
This is Frank.
That's a boy.
Ali:
Just one thing, John.
I don't wanna come home
to an empty house
and find some kind
of long, logical letter.
You understand?
If you're bailing out on me,
tell me now.
I'm not.
I'll get the tickets.
Hey, mister.
We're looking for a place to stay, uh...
' - Mommy!
You know,
we're looking for someplace
with a bridal change suite,
you know...
- What the hell's going on?
- Get... move over!
- I need your help, God damn it.
- Woman: Oh!
- What is the matter with...?
- That is my wife and son!
I'm... I'm gonna count to three!
One...
you're in trouble.
Two...
Oh, shit!
Jesus Christ!
Tanner'.
Go on, get out'.!
Come on, come on!
Oh, my God!
Tannen
Come on, don't let him get...
Shit!
Oh, my God.
Honey.
Come here.
Help me.
Hey, take a breath.
Come on, then, son.
Come on. That's it.
- Take it easy. Okay.
- Chris!
That's it, Chris.
There's a boy. Come on.
Passe:
Here.
You all right?
I should've listened to you.
Luckily, we had it bugged.
But from now on,
we do it my way, okay?
Fassett: You're gonna be
all right, Mrs. Tanner.
I'm Fassett, FBI.
We'll have you back home
before you know it.
Come on.
Ali:
What... what the fuck happened?
He's dead.
So you're telling me that that man
didn't really mean to kidnap
Steve and me?
Tanner: The FBI thinks
he couldn't afford to be questioned.
The FBI... magic little elves
that, uh, drop right out of the sky.
How come they happened
to be there so quickly?
We're tailing him.
God, I thought you were dead.
I'm not dead yet.
Fassett:
John.
Time for a face-to-face.
I can lie to Ali.
Practice.
Look, I'm sending over a tape
oi your if lends
at one of their board meetings.
The kidnapping shows
they know something.
Mm-mm. That's Mikalovich
protecting his investment, KGB.
I'm certain that your friends
knew nothing.
But the closer you stay to the house
till this is over, the better.
No one's going to get in,
I promise you,
except your guests.
Then what?
We've been working on them.
They're getting a little unglued.
But you're gonna have to split
one of them off,
and you know which one you have
the best chance of getting close to.
Now, once you've made that contact,
then we're in business.
What if none of them break?
We'll think of something.
Are you enjoying this?
Let me show you
something that I keep
just in case I get
to enjoying myself too much.
Fassett: You got your wife back
from those bastards.
Puts you way ahead of me.
Sweetheart.
Mrs. Fassett: And you will be
telling me you have to leave.
- Hello, Doctor.
- Hello.
Osterman:
Yeah.
- Is your back all right?
- Yeah.
- Mikalovich: Hi. Hello.
- Yeah.
Tremayne:
Somebody's on to us.
Osterman: Well, I'll tell ya...
- Dick, who wouldn't...
- Come in.
They're here.
Well?
Come on, shake a leg.
It's what you've been waiting for.
Okay.
Betty: Hi.
Everybody out of the pool.
Hey, champ! How are you?
Let's see that left again, come on.
Oh, keep it up.
Come on, keep it up.
Raccoon. Hello, Christopher.
Look at you.
Mm, you're getting big!
- Hello, darling.
- Good to see you.
Tremayne:
Maybe he just wants to be cut in.
I'll cut him in.
In half.
Mikalovich:
This area is all right.
Gentlemen, whoever's fingering us
has got a lot of pull.
Video hookups,
phony cops, the mails.
Virginia:
Betty! Oh, Betty!
Tremayne:
And that's government, isn't it?
Osterman: So if it's the government,
why haven't they stuck us before this?
Tremayne:
Why haven't they busted us?
Mikalovich: How about your friend?
The interviewer?
John Tanner?
He has contacts.
He might have a motive.
He does!
No, no, no, what?
He's the king of the exposs,
the self-righteous hypocrite.
His friends slip, collapse,
they're gone.
I'll grant you
we're in a lot of trouble,
but John Tanner's
a friend of ours, right?
He's a friend of ours.
Well, so let's go to our friend
John Tanner's house and set him up.
Betty:
It's cocktail time!
Virginia:
How dumb of me.
- Hi, Doctor.
- Howdy. Same rooms?
Yeah, same rooms.
Okay, then we, uh...
we oughta cancel the weekend.
Osterman: No, I don't think
we oughta cancel the weekend.
John Tanner's
a friend of ours, right?
He's a friend of ours.
Well, so let's go to our friend
John Tanner's house and set him up.
Betty: Fake bricks
or whatever you have in here.
Set him up.
How you doing, John?
- How's your back?
- How are you?
You know.
Okay.
Hey, Uncle Bernie,
wanna go for a ride?
- Huh?
- Wanna go for a ride?
Sure, ride.
Bike, yeah.
See? I talk like you.
I miss you, Chris.
Forward!
Virginia:
"Gunga Din," yes.
Water boy, one of the great moments
in literary history.
Refreshments.
Oh, look, how beautiful.
- All right.
- Thank you.
- How sweet.
- A treat for the folks.
Ali: Uh-oh.
Cardone:
I got a toast.
Here is to John Tanner
kicking ass on TV.
- Tremayne: Oh, yes.
- Yes.
Here is to John Tanner
kicking ass anywhere.
- Whoa!
- Osterman: All right, let's hit it.
Here's to John Tanner's ass.
Betty:
You never stop, do you?
Not bad, not bad.
Hey, what's the name of that guy
that you, uh, grilled that day?
Keeler, Keever?
What's his name?
General...
- Keever.
- Cardone: General Keever.
Now, what I wanna know
is why these people,
a guy like that,
would sit still for that shit?
I wouldn't.
No way.
- Virginia: Bernie?
- Mm?
I really like your mustache.
Sort of makes me
wanna curl up in it.
- Osterman: I lick the ends of it.
- Go to it, Ginny-Ginny.
- She's serious.
- You want some vitamins, Virginia?
What, pills?
Oh, yeah, that'd be good.
- Betty: Put you right.
- Here, baby. Here, baby.
You want a vitamin, Dick?
Uh, no, thank you.
I, uh...
I had mine this morning.
You certainly did, darling.
This weekend could be fun.
Osterman: That was a new thing.
Betty:
You go in wet... all right.
- Osterman: Here comes the double fuck.
- Cardone: Come on, come on!
Virginia:
All right!
- Cardone: Move over!
- All: Whoa!
Ali: There he is.
Oh, there!
All: Whoa!
Ali: Boy, he would swim.
Virginia:
Bernie!
Great.
Ah!
Cardone:
Wonderful stuff, you know?
Nice, Virginia.
Ali: Ah, yes, there we are.
Virginia, what is it
that you're wearing there?
Mm, John, you look
real, uh, happy there.
He looks a little like Jesse James,
you know?
Is that a tie or pantyhose?
No, that's his argyle swimsuit look.
Cardone: Hubba-hubba.
- You weren't wearing a bathing suit.
- Betty: It's all the same, isn't it?
Oh, isn't she cute?
I need a drink.
Virginia: Betty, you look great.
Look at you!
Cardone: You weren't very drunk
that day, were you? That day?
- Need some help?
- Tanner: No, no.
Oh, Jesus.
Look, honey.
She just loves doing that stuff,
doesn't she?
Wait! Wait!
John, time for a face-to-face.
Would anyone like more coffee?
No. Interesting piece of film.
Could you roll that back
to the beginning?
- I'm gonna get a drink.
- I mean, right where John was, um...
- exactly how much we took off.
- Osterman: I'm gonna get a drink.
Ali:
You're good.
When you get a chance,
we must talk.
I'll meet you in the pool house.
Cardone: That was Omega.
He's on to us.
Come on.
Come, bloody thing.
Osterman:
Too early to start bribing friends.
Or is it?
State-of-the-art... damn it!
Shit!
Uh, the forecast calls
for continued good weather
through the weekend with
our current civic center temperature
at 68 degrees.
Can I get you guys anything?
- Nightcap?
- Look, I wanna know who the f...
Osterman:
Joe.
What we'd like to know
is who transferred the old movies
onto videotape.
Oh, I had it done at the studio.
Saves a lot of trouble.
And that, uh, sign at the end,
the Omega?
Lab QW-
Why?
Is something up?
No, I thought they were nice.
I like my walnuts that way.
Fassett: The air quality index
is rated for fair throughout the, uh...
I think I just have another... another
little, uh, bulletin come in here.
Uh, would you excuse me?
Oh, gee, it was great
seeing those movies again.
Fassett: ...and steady,
and relative humidity is, uh...
is... is 20 degrees, falling...
See you in the morning?
Yeah.
- Fassett: The air quality index...
- Yeah, let's, uh...
let's take care
of the ladies, huh?
- Yeah. Good night.
- Good night, John.
Good night.
Fassett: ...with gusts
up to 15 miles per hour
leveling off to a gentle five
to eight miles per hour
by... by... breeze tomorrow
where the "baromotic" pressure
is 30.18 and steady, um, the...
with gusts
of up to 15 miles per hour
leveling off to a gentle five to eight
mile per hour b-breeze tomorrow.
And the barometric pressure
is 30-point...
and in the central areas
it is possible that they will be
just hanging in there.
Um...
So why didn't we put it to him?
Because I believed him.
He didn't know anything
about Omega.
Yeah, I believed him, too,
I guess.
- You did?
- Maybe.
- Maybe.
- What, he's s-s-staring you
right in the face.
You didn't believe that crap
about the lab.
Look, it said Omega.
O-M-E-G-A, Omega.
Do you...
Won't be necessary.
We rely too much on sight,
don't you think?
Appearances being what they are.
- What's wrong?
- Oh, no, nothing. Nothing at all.
You're doing very well.
Just keep it moving along.
Tomorrow night, shortly after dinner,
I'll turn the TV on.
Just watch their reactions
to the program.
I think you'll find that
one of your friends might indicate
a willingness to confide in you.
Okay?
Tanner".
Who is W?
Hi.
Are you busy?
No.
So what are you worried about?
I'm not worried.
Well, it's not the same old
lighthearted Osterman
of yesteryear, is it?
No.
Yeah.
Well, we all got problems.
So who's your next victim
on the show?
Maxwell Danforth.
Oh, yeah, big one.
What did you have to give up
to get him?
Osterman: Oh.
You know, it's amazing to me
how you invite these gentlemen
on your show and then you rip them up
and spit them out, you know?
They keep coming back
asking for more, I don't know.
Why... why do you think people
would do something like that?
It's a ball game.
No. No, maybe they thought
they were right.
I think everybody thinks
they're right, deep down.
Don't we all?
No.
You know, there's a principle
I like to live by...
"the truth is a lie
that hasn't been found out".
Maybe you ought to
bear that in mind.
These are strange times, amigo.
Why only survive?
Tanner".
Yeah.
Osterman: Let's you and me
survive them together.
- Checking in, sir.
- Thank you.
That exciting, huh?
What's wrong?
A lot of bad shit going on.
Well, maybe I can
just help you
forget about all that bad shit
that's going on.
Ow.
First, the gum.
Why?
You need to ask?
Wanna shtup?
I bet I could get a little...
something out of Mr. Tanner.
I'd just coke him a little and...
stroke him a little.
It's all for a good cause.
You know...
I don't think that'll get it.
You're afraid of him,
aren't you?
Well, listen, darling,
he's only a man.
And what works for one
works for another.
You know something, Virginia?
I'm tired of you
talking through your nose.
Talk to me, Bernie.
"The truth is a lie
that hasn't been found out".
Oh, I like that, Bernie.
Oh, John, that's it.
You're getting into the swing of it.
Atta boy.
Feel better?
Thanks.
That was great.
Play, come on!
- Buddy...
- Knock it off!
- Joe.
- Are you gonna play or not?
Tannen
I didn't mean it, Joe!
Osterman: Dick... you'll kill him now.
Come on.
- You'll kill him, man.
- Tremayne: Don't! Don't grab me!
Cardone:
Throw it, Dick.
Get off my back, John!
- Come on!
- Throw it!
- Okay.
- Tanner: Throw it!
Tremayne:
Dunk that sucker!
You know, Ali, your old man
is really quite something.
I wish I could offer you
a better swap.
Uh, maybe I could give you Dick
on a three-to-one basis.
What do you say?
Virginia, don't you ever get tired
of playing the bitch in heat?
Come on, are we gonna play?
Let's play.
Okay.
- Hey! What are you talking...
- Don't hit me with the fuckin' ball.
- It was a mistake.
- Tanner: Come on, Joe.
- Come on.
- Cardone: No! Throw it!
- Osterman: Stop it, all right?
- Bitch.
- Martini time.
- Osterman: Joe, come on!
Tremayne: You got money on the game?
- Osterman: Hey, come on, will ya?
- Allow me.
Thanks.
- Joe, come on!
- Come on!
We got one more, come on!
- It's just a game, remember?
- Osterman: Come on, Joe.
Yeah, but it's my game
and I'm playing it.
Oh, "it's my game
and I'm playing it".
Tanner: Come on, just one more!
Come on!
Piss off.
Joe, what's wrong with you?
Osterman:
That's good.
Virginia:
Aw, let him work it off.
I love watching them get into it.
Cardone:
Told you I'd break your neck!
Osterman:
Mis... Mr. Real is under the water.
- Ali: Jesus.
- Stop it! Bernie, break them...
I'm trying!
Betty: Bernie, Dick,
somebody break them up!
Shall we sit here or talk?
No, let's talk.
Why don't you tell us
who done it, John?
Who's done what?
Well, it seems like some
of the bad memories from the past
are catching up to us, Ali.
Who's catching up with us?
Stop playing games.
I think that, uh, Dick is just...
- What is this Dick shit?
- Let him speak for himself.
And I'm gonna speak for myself,
and I'm telling you
I'm not gonna put up
with this anymore.
- Try being more specific, Joe.
- What are you talking about, specific?
You know what the hell
I'm talking about.
Why don't you try
to get along a little better?
- I mean, after all, you are friends.
- Why don't you just shut the fuck up?!
- Betty: Excuse me.
- For Christ's sake, Virginia.
The investigator is trying
to put these assholes
through a few
of his own hoops, right?
Narrator on TV:
Switzerland, land of enchantment.
Beautiful lakes, towering mountains,
delicious chocolate,
and the financial world's
favorite gimmick,
the numbered bank account.
International arms merchants,
drug dealers, and United States citizens
trying to evade Uncle Sam's taxes
all find a home in Zurich.
It is conservatively estimated
that over $12 billion
in illegal accounts resides
deep in the secret vaults
of the 520 banks of this,
the most money-oriented city
in the world.
But laundering money for Americans
is only one of the complex transactions
conducted daily
in this mountain paradise.
The son of a bitch
is mind-fucking us.
If you men had a pair of balls
between the bunch of you,
you'd take this bastard outside
and straighten his... ah!
- Ali: One more word out of you...
- Betty: Ali, nowjust calm down!
Joe, come on.
Let's just go.
- You okay?
- No.
Bravo, John Tanner.
It's getting tricky now,
isn't it?
It's a mystery.
Have you written
the ending yet, John?
Well, I'll tell you...
Ali shows promise
as a featherweight, but, uh...
I think you stepped out
of your weight class.
Good night, my friend.
You know something
about them, don't you?
You're threatening them,
manipulating them.
You're always so sure that you're right
sitting on your damn throne.
I know that something's wrong,
damn it.
And either you tell me what it is,
you tell me what I'm mixed up in,
or I'm leaving with Chris
right now.
You can't leave me now.
I need you here.
Mom! Dad!
- What?
- The fridge.
- What is it?
- Tanner: What is it?
Ali:
What's wrong?
Chris:
In the fridge.
What's wrong?
What is it?
Bastards!
Sick bastards.
I'm gonna...
Joe, I'm gonna kill you.
Betty: John! John, let go of him!
- Betty: Let go!
- Leave him alone!
Why don't you tell us
what happened, John?
Tanner'.
Bastards.
Sick bastards.
I wanna know.
Who did this?
It's... it's not real, John.
It's a fake.
It's not a very funny joke.
That is sick.
Why are you doing this to us?
I want you out
by tomorrow morning.
Please?
Tanner: Oh, he's fine.
We'll find him.
He's outside.
It's a ketchup bottle.
It's not even a good fake.
Maybe it'll be gone
in the morning.
We better be gone
in the morning.
Early.
It's okay, come on.
Listen to me.
Now you stay here
and do as your mom tells you.
I'm gonna find him, okay?
- Dad, I'm scared.
- Come on.
You're going to be fine.
Lie down.
John, what are you doing to us?
I'm gonna go for help.
You make sure
and lock the door, please.
Kelly, Tanner's coming out.
Let him through.
Don't want it wandering around
out there at night.
Well, what are we gonna do?
Pack.
I'm getting out of here.
Got any brains,
you'll do the same.
Right.
Fassett's waiting.
Follow me.
You don't need the gun, Joe.
It's Ali.
Don't worry about it.
I mean,
she knows something.
Chris, here.
Quickly.
Come on.
Quit screwing around, Ali.
- Open the door.
- Get away from my door, Joe Cardone.
Would you put that gun away?
Look, I'm tired
of getting stepped on.
She knows something.
I'm gonna find out what.
Somebody please tell me
what's going on.
Yeah, we're getting out
of here now.
Come on, Joe.
Come on.
Come on, Joe!
40$.!
Get your bow.
All right, Fassett.
That's me, I'm finished.
I've had it.
I want out.
And where might "out" be?
I'm fed up.
Do what you have to do.
Arrest them, I don't care.
Just get them out of my house.
We have a single male adult
out there.
Osterman.
Terminate on contact.
Son of a bitch.
Agent over radio: We've got one dead.
Hand-to-hand.
Tremayne:
Grab what's necessary, that's all.
Come on, move it.
Move it!
Go on.
Why don't you get them?
There's no need.
They're going nowhere.
All this activity and for nothing.
Betty: No!
Yes, that was nice.
- Cardone: Wait a minute.
- Tremayne: Wait!
Cardone:
Camper. Come on.
He's got my motor home.
- Tremayne: The keys in there?
- Cardone: Yeah.
I didn't leave my keys in it.
I did.
There's no need to worry, John.
Everything is under control.
They're just on a very long leash.
Betty:
What about Bernie?
He can take care of himself.
Who's pulling your strings?
Now, you must go home now.
They're pinning Osterman down
at the far end.
And straight home now.
Remember, out there you're
a single male adult, too, you know?
Kelly, follow him out of this area
and eliminate him.
Tremayne:
See where you're going?
Cardone:
Mm-hmm.
You want me to finish this now
or shall we talk?
You traitor.
I'm going to kill you
like a chicken.
But I'm not gonna let you die
so ignorant, John.
Now what is this traitor bullshit?
We're just saltin' some money away
for good times, that's all.
Now it ain't legal,
but it sure as hell ain't traitorous.
I'm gonna let you up, John,
'cause I want you to talk to me.
But if you make a move
for this bat,
you'll be wearing it in your ass
for a month.
- Ah!
- Do you understand?
Good.
I'm awfully tired.
Where's my (109?
Not in there.
Osterman: Who's in the van?
A CIA man called Fassett.
He says you, Dick, and Joe
are working for the Russians.
That's bullshit.
I saw a film on you
talking to the KGB.
I saw you make a deal
with a guy called Petrov.
Fassett on TV: You remember Petrov,
the independent film producer?
Petrov on TV: ...to help create
such conditions,
or are you just a coffeehouse
revolutionary?
No. No, I'm not a revolutionary.
What I am is a nihilistic anarchist
who lives on residuals.
Petrov: So money would help
form your decision?
Don't you feel better
now that you know
that all your old friends
are just tax evaders after all?
Or are you just a little disappointed?
You were setting us up.
Osterman:
Why?
We're in prime killing time.
All it took was to have
my wife murdered
while my employers watched
on closed-circuit TV.
It's just another episode in this whole
snuff soap opera we're all in.
Osterman:
Switch it off, John.
You know better than that, Bernie.
It's your business,
both of you,
addicting people
so they can't switch off.
Osterman:
Smash the set. Smash it!
Fassett:
Switch this one off.
What's the rush, Joe?
I got a lot of things to clear up.
Tremayne: You know
what we need right now?
A spaceship...
come right over those trees,
invite us in.
Coke-faced bitch.
Jesus loves me
This I know
For the Bible...
- Betty, get out there!
- Joe! Joe, get out!
Betty:
Virginia, come here.
Do you see what I see?
- Betty, get out!
- They can't hear us.
Joe, get out!
Dick?
Tremayne:
Things could be worse, right?
Cardone:
Right.
Fassett: Oh, I see.
You want to send them a message.
Just wait.
Betty , get out.
Dick?
Come here.
What the hell have you got
all over your face, Virginia?
Come here.
Come on.
Get out of the camper now.
Tremayne on TV: I don't wanna be
in the country when it comes down.
I think you will find
that when the time comes,
you will be able to leave the country
very quickly, indeed.
Joe.
This is our deal, Petrov.
Nothing happens to Tanner.
Petrov: Your partners
don't want to postpone this.
You've already been consulted.
Just remember,
we're calling the shots.
What the hell is he trying to pull?
I don't know.
We better get out of here.
Jesus loves me
This I know
For the Bible...
We're all gonna die.
- Tells me so...
- Tremayne: Get out!
Come on.
- Tremayne: Let's go. Come on.
- Little ones to...
Betty, get out!
Move now!
Come on!
Cardone: Come on.
Betty, come on!
- Jesus loves me...
- Cardone: Betty, come on, damn it!
For the Bible
Tells me so
Little ones to him belong
We are weak,
but he is strong.
And then there were two.
You crazy , murderous bastard.
Osterman:
He's mad.
Try to think of them
as fleas on a dog
that gets hit by a stolen car
driven by a drunk teenager
whose girlfriend had
just given him the clap.
It will help your perspective.
Fassett over radio: All agents move in
to execute termination procedure.
Repeat.
Execute termination procedure,
all agents.
' No!
Osterman:
It'd be nice if we had a weapon.
I do.
L... the bows.
Osterman:
Oh, bows, that's keen.
In the bedroom, go get 'em!
' - Shh!
Fassett over radio: Kelly?
Kelly, do you read me?
Kelly?
Oh, God, what's the matter
with this thing?
Kelly, it's urgent.
Checking in, sir.
Fassett over radio:
Kelly!
It's me.
Watch it!
I didn't get the gun!
Fassett over radio:
Kelly, it's me. Watch it!
Shit!
Kelly!
Go, go!
I know what to do.
Osterman :
What?
The pool house.
They're making for the pool house.
Oh, my God.
- No! God... wait!
- Sure.
I had bows in here!
- Is this what you want?
- Shh!
- I got it.
- Oh, that's good.
You're gonna shoot mice
with that, right?
See you later, John. Bye.
Bernie!
Tannen
Bernie!
There's someone out here
with a bow.
They got Agent Brick.
Fassett:
Damn. Blue-eyed bitch.
Mrs. Tanner.
Just keep them in the pool.
Don't move.
Fassett over radio:
Mikalovich, can you read me?
There's gasoline
behind the pool house.
Get it. Use it.
Fassett: Keep them in the pool.
Repeat, keep them in the pool
till further orders.
You're gonna be all right.
I'm Fassett, remember? FBI.
Chris?
Mrs. Tanner.
I'm Fassett.
Remember me?
I don't think we'll need the bow. Huh?
Gonna take a little trip,
the three of us.
Come on, come on.
Osterman:
Come on!
I... I think we got him!
Come on.
- Don't walk away.
- Uh-huh. Right.
Ah, next time, I'm gonna wear
my own clothes, babe.
Strident son of a bitch.
Ali on TV:
John.
Fassett on TV: Worshipping
graven images again, John?
Be of good cheer.
Salvation is at hand.
Ali: Fassett says we'll be all right
if you do what he wants.
John, to use your own words,
You want something from me.
Well, I want something
from you.
I want revenge for my wife.
Maxwell Danforth murdered her
and I will have him exposed.
Now, you have the power
and the audience
to do what we both want.
Why, John, I hardly think
you're in a position to negotiate.
Ali: John, I don't want you
to do anything wrong.
I love you.
I'll be in touch.
Fuck.
Stennings: He found out Tanner's friends
were funneling money out of the country.
Then he uncovered their bagman,
Mikalovich, and he tamed him.
Then he fabricated
a KGB dossier on him.
I told you he was
a very skillful operative.
But Why?
Why did he make us
try to believe Omega existed?
Stennings, Stennings,
the existence of Omega
has not been disproved.
Don't you understand that?
Omega is as real
as we need it to be.
We have enough evidence to convince
any congressional committee of that.
One thing our enemies fear
is that someone who knows them
for what they are
might come to power
in this country.
And they're right to be afraid.
Now you find Fassett
before that damn show tonight.
Um, just kinda wondering
how we got in this mess.
It's called
"being programmed".
Osterman:
Okay, get ready, three.
We got 30 seconds here.
Okay, cue Tanner.
- Man: Roll tape.
- Bring up the logos.
Man: Speed.
Take one.
Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to "Face-to-Face".
Tonight,
the title of our program
is "Alpha to Omega,
the First to the Last".
Take two.
First, we talk
to Maxwell Danforth,
arguably the most powerful man
in the nation,
if by powerful you mean
whoever has the greatest effect
on your privacy,
your personal well-being,
and your possible prospects
of survival.
Take one.
Do you have ambitions
to be president?
Osterman:
Cue Tanner, for Christ's sake.
Tanner: Some people
might consider that paranoid.
Osterman:
We're coming at you.
Here we come.
Mr. Danforth, you've gone on record
as saying that counterintelligence
and public accountability
make uneasy bedfellows.
- Would you, uh, explain it to me?
- Okay, you're good, one.
- Coming to you, one.
- Tanner: Sounds rather ominous.
Ready five.
At this point, I'd like to introduce
my mystery guest.
Man:
And 20 seconds, please.
Clear Danforth.
Man:
Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three...
Tanner: Good evening.
Welcome to "Face-to-Face".
The title of our program tonight
is "Alpha to Omega,
the First to the Last".
First, we talk
to Maxwell Danforth,
arguably the most powerful man
in the nation,
if by powerful you mean
whoever has the greatest effect
on your privacy,
your personal well-being,
and your possible prospects
of survival.
Mr. Danforth,
tell us your policy, please, regarding
the present Soviet missile buildup.
This is the end of the 20th century
in which we live
and no nation can expand further
without coming into conflict
with its neighbor.
We are being forced
into playing a game
in which there will have
to be a winner
and the Soviets intend
it will be them.
And you, sir, have
a solution to all this?
Our people must be educated
to the realities of this crisis.
We have always been ignorant
of our destiny,
and yet our destiny is simple.
Not easy, mind you,
but simple.
Our destiny is to survive.
Do you have ambitions
to be president?
That's a very pointed question,
Mr. Tanner,
and my answer is no.
My ambition is to continue
to serve my country
with all of my talents
and energies.
However, if it is my destiny
to be called on by the American people
to assume that exalted office,
I should feel compelled
to accept.
I have always sought out
my country's enemies
and foiled their designs
against us.
As President of these United States,
I would continue to do so.
At this point, I'd like to introduce
my mystery guest.
A man until recently employed
by the CIA,
a man who has worked closely
with Maxwell Danforth
on a covert operation that cost
the lives of four innocent people.
A man who represents the hidden side
of Maxwell Danforth's power.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Lawrence Fassett.
This is Stennings.
Red alert. He's surfaced.
Mr. Fassett, what can you tell us
about the director of the CIA?
I know Maxwell Danforth
very well.
He killed my wife two years ago.
Not with his bare hands,
of course,
but the Danforths of this world
don't murder in that fashion.
Now, calm down. Be quiet.
They make telephone calls,
write memos...
use jargon words
like "terminate" and "eliminate".
- This is priority. Get...
- So that their mouths
don't have to touch words
like "murder"...
or "kill".
Danforth: To you out there,
my fellow Americans,
the man you have just seen
is a killer of innocent people.
And with the connivance of John Tanner,
he has been allowed to appear here
and to make allegations
against me
which he has no possible means
of proving.
Take one.
This piece of film was taken
by CIA surveillance cameras.
The woman is Mrs. Lawrence Fassett
and the killers were KGB.
Fassett:
It is true.
It is true that I have killed
innocent people.
But then my guilt
is not in question.
But the guilt of this man is...
and it will continue to be so
until he is...
exposed.
A man that is prepared to use
the power of his office...
and all its techniques
in order to further his own...
personal ambition.
Tannen
Any comments, Mr. Danforth?
Danforth: Comment?
Yes, I have a comment.
You and this man Fassett
are traitors.
An archaic term, but it fits.
When I realized
what you had done
by bringing this murderer
onto your program, I was shocked.
But now I'm glad,
'cause you have illustrated,
better than I ever could,
exactly how dangerous
our enemies are.
And by their presence here,
they bear witness to my assertion
that not until we have a leadership
in this country
committed to rooting out
this disease,
not until then can we have
a healthy nation.
I say to you all,
all of you watching,
without a healthy America,
we live in a hopeless world, indeed.
Well...
well, why don't
you kill me, then, Max?
Use your powers.
Show your audience
how you're going to save them
from what lies inside each of them.
Kill me, Max, and pretend
that you're killing their fear.
Be the new savior
risen in the hour of need.
Danforth: Don't think
you won't be found, Fassett.
And don't think
you won't be exterminated.
You have my word on that,
you hear?
Do you hear me?
Osterman:
Take three.
Where's my wife?
Osterman:
All eyes, pull back.
Widen out, two.
Oh, this is nice.
Okay, get ready, one.
Just get eyes,
get eyes on Tanner, one.
What you just saw, in a way,
was a life-sized video game.
You saw a liar talk to a killer
and you couldn't tell 'em apart.
Who cares?
It's only television.
As you all know,
television programs
are just the fillers between
attempts to steal your money.
So if you wanna save some,
switch off.
It's simple.
It's done with a hand
and what is left
of your free will.
This is the moment.
My bet is you can't do it.
Tanner'.
Go ahead and try.
Am I still on?
you have to leave.
How do you know so much?
I don't know so much,
but I do know you are going to go.
I won't be long.
In fact, I'm only going
so that I can come back.
Why are you so cruel
to yourself?
No, I have to go
to Albertstrasse to meet...
some liar from Romania.
No.
No, no.
Man:
Nasty piece of film, Stennings.
I wouldn't like to think
of Fassett seeing it.
Stennings: He didn't know we had
a surveillance system in operation.
Man: What exactly
was the wife's category?
Stennings: She was a cipher clerk
in the Polish embassy.
- They ran her as a string on Fassett.
- And why did they terminate her?
We're not certain, but it did clear up
a potentially messy situation.
We were having trouble in that area,
as I'm sure you'll recall.
And Fassett?
Stennings: He never knew you made
a trade with the KGB, sir.
He didn't know
you sanctioned her killing.
He went wild
trying to find her killers.
And in the process
he uncovered Omega, did he not?
Stennings:
He uncovered Joseph Cardone...
stock manipulator with a low profile,
heavy clients, tax shelter expert.
Richard Tremayne...
prestigious plastic surgeon
with more than his share of patients
and a wife with a nose problem.
Bernie Osterman...
midnight financier,
TV writer/producer
with three series on the air.
Clean, but very liberal.
All, surprisingly enough,
connected with our old friend
Mr. KGB himself,
Andrei Mikalovich.
However, I think
that Fassett's premise is dangerous
because it's based on
the nonbenevolent ambition
of one man... John Tanner.
His whole plan depends
on their mutual friendship.
As you know,
Tanner's your number one critic.
My advice is to turn them over
to my section.
However, I might be wrong.
Being wrong, Stennings, is not nearly
as important as not admitting it.
Not these days.
Stennings: He's excellent,
there's no denying it.
- But you don't like him.
- He's too much of an individual.
Takes too many shortcuts.
Well, maybe the time for shortcuts
are upon us.
I think the way Fassett wants to handle
Omega is a high-visibility risk.
With your political prospects,
well, it's an unacceptable element.
You think I'll get where I'm going
without risk?
There are degrees
of acceptability, sir.
Omega in itself is a...
well, it's a highly sensitive matter.
If it were to become public,
I think it could be disastrous.
What if it became public
at exactly the right time?
I think Fassett seriously complicates
any such timing, sir.
The man, well, he's...
He's something you're not
and never will be.
He's a field operative.
I don't think nostalgia
is the right instinct at this time, sir.
Bring in Mr. Fassett.
Stennings: Mr. Fassett?
Mr. Passe.
I must tell you I was impressed
by your presentation.
- Most impressed.
- Thank you, sir.
Sit down.
I'd be giving away no secrets, however,
if I told you that Mr. Stennings here
has a less positive attitude.
Walter.
Well, you've uncovered three agents
in the Omega network.
Your data indicates
they're very high-level.
Probably the highest
below their KGB control,
our good friend Mr. Mikalovich.
I think they should be picked up
and turned over to debriefing.
You can't pick them up
without ringing a bell.
No, I think the best and the most
efficient way of unraveling Omega
is to turn one of these three.
Then you get
a very powerful reaction...
betrayal.
Even traitors feel betrayal.
And you propose to use
John Tanner to effect this?
Well, I've studied him
and they say that converts
make the greatest zealots.
Well, it's certainly true with Tanner.
He's more American than Americans.
He's a bigot about truth,
democracy, and justice.
If we can convince him
that his friends are spies,
and we can convince him,
then he will feel compelled,
compelled to aid us.
And with Tanner's help,
then we can break these three.
Break them and Omega.
Let's take a look.
Mr. Tanner should be getting
nicely warmed up by now.
Welcome back.
We're not talking about Agent Orange.
- We're just talking to General Keever.
- Ready two. Take two.
Stand by, camera three.
General, you have the responsibility
for American germ warfare research.
- Take three.
- I'm very surprised that you would
ask me questions on a subject
which you must know is restricted.
In last Friday's "New York Times,"
you said the Japanese...
That was a statement
by the joint chiefs of staff
and represents their official position
on the subject.
What about those secret experiments
the Japanese were trying...
Ready three.
In a little closer on Keever.
Let's see the sweat on his nose.
That, uh...
I can only say
what I've already said on that.
- Camera one, a little tighter.
- You said the Japanese
developed German
chemical warfare systems.
Keever: Well, you have to remember
the political climate at the time.
The Soviet menace was becoming
more and more apparent.
Tannen
You're just a figurehead?
Well, no. I mean...
You have the responsibility
for American germ warfare research.
I've already said that is not a matter
I can discuss here.
I don't...
I'm in the bedroom.
Oh, I have on that, um...
You... you know the black gown
you gave me?
Yeah.
What... what do you mean
underneath?
Oh, underneath.
Let me see.
- Excuse me, Doctor.
- Woman on phone: Oh, baby.
This just arrived.
- Can I open it?
- No, thank you.
- Woman: ...how much I need...
- Fine.
I got your picture back.
I think...
I think that you should hurry up
and come right home
because I'm very sick
and I need my doctor.
Aw, fuck.
What's the matter?
Hello?
No, no. Nothing.
I dropped the phone.
My poor little Dick.
Ginny, I'll... I'll see you soon.
Okay, and... and, darling,
don't forget my medicine.
...that whatever actions the...
uh, America took at the end of the war,
it was for the welfare
of the world at large.
Tanner'.
What about the...
Why in hell would they send
such a fool?
He must have been
the fool on duty.
Tanner: Can you confirm
there were American prisoners involved?
To the best of my knowledge,
very few.
- Director: Ready two. Take two.
- Then their wounds were infected...
with different kinds of bacteria...
- and intentionally left untreated.
- Stand by, camera three.
One, give me a close shot.
Most of these boys were American.
Most of them died.
Well, as I say, Mr. Tanner,
you had to have been there.
Director:
You've got a minute, seven, John.
You were probably too young
to remember.
Yes.
- Are you proud of your country, sir?
- Director: Ready one.
You're about to get
your military ass kicked, General.
Still, you're not seeing a single thing,
Mr. Osterman.
You're seeing possibility.
In that,
you're an imperfect machine.
Instructor:
For these last two moments,
we will engage conditions
of maximum equality.
That was a lot better, wasn't it?
Very well, sir.
Man: Hello. Telephone's for you,
Mr. Osterman.
Keever on TV: There are many reasons
for such actions.
What about the welfare
of the American prisoners?
Well, the American government
was not the one involved.
Shit.
Are we still on the air?
- We'll take a commercial break now...
- Director: Cue commercial.
...for germ free soap.
Next up will be
General Keever's service record.
We'll be right back.
Very good.
I'll be fascinated
to see you work on him.
Yes.
And I'll be interested to see
your progress reports, Mr. Fassett.
You'll see my requisition list first.
A moment, Mr. Passe.
In considering your proposal,
I have cross-read your files.
This, uh... this matter
of your wife...
Accidents happen, sir.
In this Omega business, there will be
no place for such indulgences.
It's a mistake I'm not likely
to make twice, sir.
Good, good.
Oh, in this matter of Tanner,
I'm sure that the evidence we have
will convince him intellectually,
but I think we might need
something more...
your presence.
Hi! Hi, boy.
Come on.
Tanner on TV: What about the welfare
of the American prisoners, sir?
- Keever on TV: That is not something...
- I think Dad's home.
- ...I can comment on.
- Tanner: Prisoners of war
- were deliberately wounded.
- Yeah, it looks that way.
Tanner: Then their wounds were infected
with different kinds of bacteria
and intentionally left untreated.
Most of these boys were American.
Most of them died.
Keever: As I say, Mr. Tanner,
you had to...
Boy:
Hi, Dad! Hi, Frank!
Hi, scout!
- Where have you been?
- Went hunting with Mom.
Camped out last night.
- Tanner: Get anything?
- No, couldn't get a clean shot.
Yeah, they were down
in this little ravine.
Then they caught wind of us.
We needed your help.
Mm.
Did you teach Mom to hunt?
We taught each other.
Gonna take a bath.
Mom says you're
a big trophy hunter.
What does she mean?
Is she just bullshitting?
Come here, you.
Come here, you.
Come.
Sit down and watch TV.
There's a war being fought now,
as we speak,
all over this country,
all over the world.
And, yes, we do have
troops there.
And, yes, they're dying.
What do you think of this guy?
- He sucks.
- Our way of life.
You up for this weekend?
Well, I guess so.
You used to think they were great.
Mm, times change.
Not for the better. Huh?
No.
Joe didn't used to worship money
and hate women.
And we used to think
that Bernie Osterman
could actually heal people
by making them laugh.
And Dick was a doctor
once upon a time.
Now he's a pussy-whipped mechanic
who repairs people.
Yes?
I have Maxwell Danforth
on the line for you.
Hang on.
John Tanner,
Maxwell Danforth.
To what do I owe the pleasure?
I need a favor of you, Mr. Tanner.
I'd like to hear what it is.
Well, I wonder, could we meet?
In person.
Face-to-face, as it were.
- When?
- Today.
Transportation is being arranged
even as we speak.
Your trophy buck just broke cover.
This way, Mr. Tanner.
Fourth floor.
I have an appointment.
Mr. Danforth won't be here.
You'll be talking to me.
My name's Lawrence Fassett.
- Please.
- Maxwell Danforth wanted to see me.
Are you, uh, expecting
houseguests this weekend...
Joe and Betty Cardone,
Richard and Virginia Tremayne,
Bernard Osterman?
The men were from
your graduating class at Berkeley.
This is the seventh such reunion,
events known among you
as "Ostermans,"
in honor of their original sponsor.
These people represent
a grave threat
to the security
of the United States of America.
Uh-huh.
It's my job to convince you
of the truth of these allegations.
We could arrest
all the conspirators now,
but it would be more helpful
to the interests of the nation
if we could have your assistance
over the coming weekend.
What the hell
are you talking about?
You could arrest who?
For what?
If after I've presented you
with the initial evidence
you're not convinced,
then of course you may go.
Keeping your mouth shut,
of course.
Man: All right, listen carefully.
First I wanna know
when the weekend is scheduled.
May 17th, at the Tanners'.
You have no apprehension
of Tanner?
Cardone: He knows nothing
of our business, suspects nothing,
can have
no possible danger to us.
Nonetheless, we think
it would be better if he were targeted.
Now, that's absolutely unnecessary.
This is not an area
in which you have a lot of choice.
This is our deal, Petrov.
Nothing happens to Tanner.
Otherwise,
we meet someplace else.
Petrov: Your partners
don't want to postpone this.
Cardone: Just remember,
we're calling the shots.
Petrov:
They'll be there if you need them.
Tanner: If I ever saw a setup
for doctoring tape, this is it.
Be my guest.
Man: Cut! Cut!
Fassett: The sound's not good
'cause we had them on a directional.
Tremayne: That's how long
some operations take.
Mikalovich:
We would like to see...
Ah, then we got lucky
with a concealed.
It would take me
considerable time to be ready.
You know, I have, uh...
I have patients,
not clients like Cardone.
Bernie, he has no loose ends.
- He just picks up and goes.
- These are not my concerns.
I don't wanna be in the country
when it comes down.
I think you will find
that when the time comes,
you will be able to leave the country
very quickly, indeed.
Who's the man?
Fassett:
Andrei Mikalovich, KGB.
Fassett: Russian passport...
...CIA report on Mikalovich,
Russian technology clearance file.
Tannen
You know him?
Fassett:
Personally.
If you can call tailing somebody
for three months personal.
Now, this next bit
with your friend Bernie
is a real gem.
I've seen some of his shows.
He's very good, isn't he?
Sure, I think the system's
in need of radical change.
Man:
How radical is radical?
Hmm.
Extreme, violent,
chaotic, apocalyptic,
somewhere in there,
I think, you know.
Are you willing to help create
such conditions,
or are you just a coffeehouse
revolutionary?
No. No, I'm not a revolutionary.
What I am is a nihilistic anarchist
who lives on residuals.
So money would help form
your decision?
Osterman:
Oh, yes.
Yeah, it always has.
Um, but what are you asking me?
Man:
For your talents and your time.
We would pay generously.
Numbered bank account.
Man:
Swiss?
Where else?
Man:
Very good.
I will bring you considerable details
next time we meet.
- Osterman: Fine.
- Man: And I promise you it is simple.
Fassett: There is more,
but it's of no consequence.
All right.
What's the bottom line?
This is the Official Secrets Act.
If you want to go for the jackpot,
then you must sign it.
But I warn you that after the signature,
then there is no walking away.
You sign it and your life
isn't gonna be the same.
I'm not your man.
Tanner: I'm cloak.
You must be dagger.
Mr. Danforth,
I won't betray my friends.
You don't have any friends, Tanner.
You're on intimate terms
with three Russian agents.
- I don't believe that.
- Oh, yes, you do.
That story you were pursuing
on your last program
about germ warfare...
What about it?
Danforth:
Why do you suppose it surfaced
after being submerged
for almost 40 years?
I had a reliable source.
Danforth: To whom the Soviets
conveniently leaked the story.
They knew that you
or someone like you would pick it up,
make a fuss, and, with luck,
there'd be a congressional investigation
and perhaps appropriations
would be held up.
You see, the Russians don't suffer
from the same restraints of our system
when it comes
to national security.
Tanner: I know how you'd make
the system work.
Tanner, you know nothing.
You're guessing.
And your guesses
are pathetically short of the mark.
Big Brother Max
knows everything.
Suppose I was to tell you
that our enemies are capable
of impairing rational thought,
of dismantling our willingness
to defend ourself,
of disassociating whole societies
from their value systems.
You mean they've got
television as well?
Danforth:
We have such substances.
It's only prudent to fear they do.
We believe that your friends
are in control of a Soviet network
and that they have a list of agents
whose task it is
to release these substances
on command.
Now, I'm asking you
as an American
to help us to protect ourselves
against them.
You want something from me.
I want something from you.
I want you on my program.
Ag reed.
Tanner: And if this turns out
to be more CIA self-abuse,
I'll have it out of you on the air.
- That's a promise.
- I would expect that.
I think Mr. Fassett is waiting for you
to sign the paper.
Comfort yourself with the thought
that you never did have a choice.
It's usually the case.
What is it you want me to do?
Just behave normally.
You don't have to do anything.
We do it all.
In this world that you have entered,
things are rarely as they seem.
To us, an enemy agent
is potentially our agent,
if we can turn him.
Why don't you just
have them arrested?
We don't want to arrest
your friends.
We want to turn them,
one or all of them.
In this you can help us,
believe me.
Fassett:
You shouldn't be so dramatic.
It's only two days out of your life.
Um, did you bring me something?
- In my inside pocket.
- Thank you.
You're not gonna do it right now,
are you, Ginny?
Mm, just a little bit.
Betty: I know she's old enough
to be your mother...
Don't tell me about business.
All right?
Okay.
I know how you feel.
- Believe me.
- Sure.
Betty:
What's that, Omega?
Who's Omega,
Mrs. Hazeltine's uncle or somebody?
Joe, what is that?
Betty:
What's going on?
I don't know!
What are you doing about it?
You gonna sit there?
Why don't you get off your dead ass
and do something, damn it?
- What's the trouble?
- Can I see your license, please?
Hey, I wasn't speeding, you know?
I've given that up.
You know, I've cut...
I've cut way back on speeding.
I've cut... cut it way down.
Oh, I thought that was you.
You write for TV, don't you?
Yeah, that's me.
Yeah, I'm on my way
to catch a plane, though.
Oh, don't worry, you'll make it.
I like your stuff, Mr. Osterman.
Only sometimes I think you tend
to, uh, be a little strident, you know?
Strident?
Oh, you're giving me a ticket
for strident writing, are you?
That means the death penalty
for Beverly Hills parking violations
is coming back, too, huh?
- Have a nice day.
- Yeah.
Cardone:
Bernie! Hey, paisan.
Yeah. Doc.
Well...
somebody's on to us, huh?
Well, who the hell wouldn't be on to us?
Look where we are.
Oh, now, wait a second.
I control this place.
I mean, those, uh...
those guards you saw?
They're mine.
Those gates are locked.
I mean,
this is a natural place here.
This area is all right.
Gentlemen, whoever's fingering us
has got a lot of pull.
Video hookups,
phony cops, the mails.
He's got a whole network.
And they know about Omega.
And that's government,
isn't it?
So if it's the government,
why haven't they stuck us before this?
Tremayne:
Why haven't they busted us?
How about your friend?
The interviewer?
Don't be mad at me.
Come on.
Why?
There's a man here
with a truckload of video stuff.
When did you order that?
Chris:
I was really looking forward to it.
Why do we have to go away?
Oh, uh, oh, weeks ago.
Ali: What?
State-of-the-art stuff.
Are you ready?
I'm packed,
if that's what you mean.
Believe me, Ali,
if I could explain, I would.
Would you?
Or would you just think,
"She doesn't need to know"?
Come on, it's... it's only
two days out of a lifetime.
There's a good boy, eh?
And what's your name, eh?
What's your name?
What's happening?
I'm, uh...
taking my wife and son out.
That's not very smart.
The object of the exercise is to make
everything seem as normal as possible.
I'm taking no chances.
We can protect them better here.
How are you going to explain
the fact that they're gone?
Well, I'm... I'll tell them
we had a fight.
Won't be hard
to make that sound real.
I'm sorry, John.
Just hang in.
You'll get through it.
Yeah?
Where are you putting
all these cameras?
Fassett:
Everywhere.
The whole house
will be covered.
This is Frank.
That's a boy.
Ali:
Just one thing, John.
I don't wanna come home
to an empty house
and find some kind
of long, logical letter.
You understand?
If you're bailing out on me,
tell me now.
I'm not.
I'll get the tickets.
Hey, mister.
We're looking for a place to stay, uh...
' - Mommy!
You know,
we're looking for someplace
with a bridal change suite,
you know...
- What the hell's going on?
- Get... move over!
- I need your help, God damn it.
- Woman: Oh!
- What is the matter with...?
- That is my wife and son!
I'm... I'm gonna count to three!
One...
you're in trouble.
Two...
Oh, shit!
Jesus Christ!
Tanner'.
Go on, get out'.!
Come on, come on!
Oh, my God!
Tannen
Come on, don't let him get...
Shit!
Oh, my God.
Honey.
Come here.
Help me.
Hey, take a breath.
Come on, then, son.
Come on. That's it.
- Take it easy. Okay.
- Chris!
That's it, Chris.
There's a boy. Come on.
Passe:
Here.
You all right?
I should've listened to you.
Luckily, we had it bugged.
But from now on,
we do it my way, okay?
Fassett: You're gonna be
all right, Mrs. Tanner.
I'm Fassett, FBI.
We'll have you back home
before you know it.
Come on.
Ali:
What... what the fuck happened?
He's dead.
So you're telling me that that man
didn't really mean to kidnap
Steve and me?
Tanner: The FBI thinks
he couldn't afford to be questioned.
The FBI... magic little elves
that, uh, drop right out of the sky.
How come they happened
to be there so quickly?
We're tailing him.
God, I thought you were dead.
I'm not dead yet.
Fassett:
John.
Time for a face-to-face.
I can lie to Ali.
Practice.
Look, I'm sending over a tape
oi your if lends
at one of their board meetings.
The kidnapping shows
they know something.
Mm-mm. That's Mikalovich
protecting his investment, KGB.
I'm certain that your friends
knew nothing.
But the closer you stay to the house
till this is over, the better.
No one's going to get in,
I promise you,
except your guests.
Then what?
We've been working on them.
They're getting a little unglued.
But you're gonna have to split
one of them off,
and you know which one you have
the best chance of getting close to.
Now, once you've made that contact,
then we're in business.
What if none of them break?
We'll think of something.
Are you enjoying this?
Let me show you
something that I keep
just in case I get
to enjoying myself too much.
Fassett: You got your wife back
from those bastards.
Puts you way ahead of me.
Sweetheart.
Mrs. Fassett: And you will be
telling me you have to leave.
- Hello, Doctor.
- Hello.
Osterman:
Yeah.
- Is your back all right?
- Yeah.
- Mikalovich: Hi. Hello.
- Yeah.
Tremayne:
Somebody's on to us.
Osterman: Well, I'll tell ya...
- Dick, who wouldn't...
- Come in.
They're here.
Well?
Come on, shake a leg.
It's what you've been waiting for.
Okay.
Betty: Hi.
Everybody out of the pool.
Hey, champ! How are you?
Let's see that left again, come on.
Oh, keep it up.
Come on, keep it up.
Raccoon. Hello, Christopher.
Look at you.
Mm, you're getting big!
- Hello, darling.
- Good to see you.
Tremayne:
Maybe he just wants to be cut in.
I'll cut him in.
In half.
Mikalovich:
This area is all right.
Gentlemen, whoever's fingering us
has got a lot of pull.
Video hookups,
phony cops, the mails.
Virginia:
Betty! Oh, Betty!
Tremayne:
And that's government, isn't it?
Osterman: So if it's the government,
why haven't they stuck us before this?
Tremayne:
Why haven't they busted us?
Mikalovich: How about your friend?
The interviewer?
John Tanner?
He has contacts.
He might have a motive.
He does!
No, no, no, what?
He's the king of the exposs,
the self-righteous hypocrite.
His friends slip, collapse,
they're gone.
I'll grant you
we're in a lot of trouble,
but John Tanner's
a friend of ours, right?
He's a friend of ours.
Well, so let's go to our friend
John Tanner's house and set him up.
Betty:
It's cocktail time!
Virginia:
How dumb of me.
- Hi, Doctor.
- Howdy. Same rooms?
Yeah, same rooms.
Okay, then we, uh...
we oughta cancel the weekend.
Osterman: No, I don't think
we oughta cancel the weekend.
John Tanner's
a friend of ours, right?
He's a friend of ours.
Well, so let's go to our friend
John Tanner's house and set him up.
Betty: Fake bricks
or whatever you have in here.
Set him up.
How you doing, John?
- How's your back?
- How are you?
You know.
Okay.
Hey, Uncle Bernie,
wanna go for a ride?
- Huh?
- Wanna go for a ride?
Sure, ride.
Bike, yeah.
See? I talk like you.
I miss you, Chris.
Forward!
Virginia:
"Gunga Din," yes.
Water boy, one of the great moments
in literary history.
Refreshments.
Oh, look, how beautiful.
- All right.
- Thank you.
- How sweet.
- A treat for the folks.
Ali: Uh-oh.
Cardone:
I got a toast.
Here is to John Tanner
kicking ass on TV.
- Tremayne: Oh, yes.
- Yes.
Here is to John Tanner
kicking ass anywhere.
- Whoa!
- Osterman: All right, let's hit it.
Here's to John Tanner's ass.
Betty:
You never stop, do you?
Not bad, not bad.
Hey, what's the name of that guy
that you, uh, grilled that day?
Keeler, Keever?
What's his name?
General...
- Keever.
- Cardone: General Keever.
Now, what I wanna know
is why these people,
a guy like that,
would sit still for that shit?
I wouldn't.
No way.
- Virginia: Bernie?
- Mm?
I really like your mustache.
Sort of makes me
wanna curl up in it.
- Osterman: I lick the ends of it.
- Go to it, Ginny-Ginny.
- She's serious.
- You want some vitamins, Virginia?
What, pills?
Oh, yeah, that'd be good.
- Betty: Put you right.
- Here, baby. Here, baby.
You want a vitamin, Dick?
Uh, no, thank you.
I, uh...
I had mine this morning.
You certainly did, darling.
This weekend could be fun.
Osterman: That was a new thing.
Betty:
You go in wet... all right.
- Osterman: Here comes the double fuck.
- Cardone: Come on, come on!
Virginia:
All right!
- Cardone: Move over!
- All: Whoa!
Ali: There he is.
Oh, there!
All: Whoa!
Ali: Boy, he would swim.
Virginia:
Bernie!
Great.
Ah!
Cardone:
Wonderful stuff, you know?
Nice, Virginia.
Ali: Ah, yes, there we are.
Virginia, what is it
that you're wearing there?
Mm, John, you look
real, uh, happy there.
He looks a little like Jesse James,
you know?
Is that a tie or pantyhose?
No, that's his argyle swimsuit look.
Cardone: Hubba-hubba.
- You weren't wearing a bathing suit.
- Betty: It's all the same, isn't it?
Oh, isn't she cute?
I need a drink.
Virginia: Betty, you look great.
Look at you!
Cardone: You weren't very drunk
that day, were you? That day?
- Need some help?
- Tanner: No, no.
Oh, Jesus.
Look, honey.
She just loves doing that stuff,
doesn't she?
Wait! Wait!
John, time for a face-to-face.
Would anyone like more coffee?
No. Interesting piece of film.
Could you roll that back
to the beginning?
- I'm gonna get a drink.
- I mean, right where John was, um...
- exactly how much we took off.
- Osterman: I'm gonna get a drink.
Ali:
You're good.
When you get a chance,
we must talk.
I'll meet you in the pool house.
Cardone: That was Omega.
He's on to us.
Come on.
Come, bloody thing.
Osterman:
Too early to start bribing friends.
Or is it?
State-of-the-art... damn it!
Shit!
Uh, the forecast calls
for continued good weather
through the weekend with
our current civic center temperature
at 68 degrees.
Can I get you guys anything?
- Nightcap?
- Look, I wanna know who the f...
Osterman:
Joe.
What we'd like to know
is who transferred the old movies
onto videotape.
Oh, I had it done at the studio.
Saves a lot of trouble.
And that, uh, sign at the end,
the Omega?
Lab QW-
Why?
Is something up?
No, I thought they were nice.
I like my walnuts that way.
Fassett: The air quality index
is rated for fair throughout the, uh...
I think I just have another... another
little, uh, bulletin come in here.
Uh, would you excuse me?
Oh, gee, it was great
seeing those movies again.
Fassett: ...and steady,
and relative humidity is, uh...
is... is 20 degrees, falling...
See you in the morning?
Yeah.
- Fassett: The air quality index...
- Yeah, let's, uh...
let's take care
of the ladies, huh?
- Yeah. Good night.
- Good night, John.
Good night.
Fassett: ...with gusts
up to 15 miles per hour
leveling off to a gentle five
to eight miles per hour
by... by... breeze tomorrow
where the "baromotic" pressure
is 30.18 and steady, um, the...
with gusts
of up to 15 miles per hour
leveling off to a gentle five to eight
mile per hour b-breeze tomorrow.
And the barometric pressure
is 30-point...
and in the central areas
it is possible that they will be
just hanging in there.
Um...
So why didn't we put it to him?
Because I believed him.
He didn't know anything
about Omega.
Yeah, I believed him, too,
I guess.
- You did?
- Maybe.
- Maybe.
- What, he's s-s-staring you
right in the face.
You didn't believe that crap
about the lab.
Look, it said Omega.
O-M-E-G-A, Omega.
Do you...
Won't be necessary.
We rely too much on sight,
don't you think?
Appearances being what they are.
- What's wrong?
- Oh, no, nothing. Nothing at all.
You're doing very well.
Just keep it moving along.
Tomorrow night, shortly after dinner,
I'll turn the TV on.
Just watch their reactions
to the program.
I think you'll find that
one of your friends might indicate
a willingness to confide in you.
Okay?
Tanner".
Who is W?
Hi.
Are you busy?
No.
So what are you worried about?
I'm not worried.
Well, it's not the same old
lighthearted Osterman
of yesteryear, is it?
No.
Yeah.
Well, we all got problems.
So who's your next victim
on the show?
Maxwell Danforth.
Oh, yeah, big one.
What did you have to give up
to get him?
Osterman: Oh.
You know, it's amazing to me
how you invite these gentlemen
on your show and then you rip them up
and spit them out, you know?
They keep coming back
asking for more, I don't know.
Why... why do you think people
would do something like that?
It's a ball game.
No. No, maybe they thought
they were right.
I think everybody thinks
they're right, deep down.
Don't we all?
No.
You know, there's a principle
I like to live by...
"the truth is a lie
that hasn't been found out".
Maybe you ought to
bear that in mind.
These are strange times, amigo.
Why only survive?
Tanner".
Yeah.
Osterman: Let's you and me
survive them together.
- Checking in, sir.
- Thank you.
That exciting, huh?
What's wrong?
A lot of bad shit going on.
Well, maybe I can
just help you
forget about all that bad shit
that's going on.
Ow.
First, the gum.
Why?
You need to ask?
Wanna shtup?
I bet I could get a little...
something out of Mr. Tanner.
I'd just coke him a little and...
stroke him a little.
It's all for a good cause.
You know...
I don't think that'll get it.
You're afraid of him,
aren't you?
Well, listen, darling,
he's only a man.
And what works for one
works for another.
You know something, Virginia?
I'm tired of you
talking through your nose.
Talk to me, Bernie.
"The truth is a lie
that hasn't been found out".
Oh, I like that, Bernie.
Oh, John, that's it.
You're getting into the swing of it.
Atta boy.
Feel better?
Thanks.
That was great.
Play, come on!
- Buddy...
- Knock it off!
- Joe.
- Are you gonna play or not?
Tannen
I didn't mean it, Joe!
Osterman: Dick... you'll kill him now.
Come on.
- You'll kill him, man.
- Tremayne: Don't! Don't grab me!
Cardone:
Throw it, Dick.
Get off my back, John!
- Come on!
- Throw it!
- Okay.
- Tanner: Throw it!
Tremayne:
Dunk that sucker!
You know, Ali, your old man
is really quite something.
I wish I could offer you
a better swap.
Uh, maybe I could give you Dick
on a three-to-one basis.
What do you say?
Virginia, don't you ever get tired
of playing the bitch in heat?
Come on, are we gonna play?
Let's play.
Okay.
- Hey! What are you talking...
- Don't hit me with the fuckin' ball.
- It was a mistake.
- Tanner: Come on, Joe.
- Come on.
- Cardone: No! Throw it!
- Osterman: Stop it, all right?
- Bitch.
- Martini time.
- Osterman: Joe, come on!
Tremayne: You got money on the game?
- Osterman: Hey, come on, will ya?
- Allow me.
Thanks.
- Joe, come on!
- Come on!
We got one more, come on!
- It's just a game, remember?
- Osterman: Come on, Joe.
Yeah, but it's my game
and I'm playing it.
Oh, "it's my game
and I'm playing it".
Tanner: Come on, just one more!
Come on!
Piss off.
Joe, what's wrong with you?
Osterman:
That's good.
Virginia:
Aw, let him work it off.
I love watching them get into it.
Cardone:
Told you I'd break your neck!
Osterman:
Mis... Mr. Real is under the water.
- Ali: Jesus.
- Stop it! Bernie, break them...
I'm trying!
Betty: Bernie, Dick,
somebody break them up!
Shall we sit here or talk?
No, let's talk.
Why don't you tell us
who done it, John?
Who's done what?
Well, it seems like some
of the bad memories from the past
are catching up to us, Ali.
Who's catching up with us?
Stop playing games.
I think that, uh, Dick is just...
- What is this Dick shit?
- Let him speak for himself.
And I'm gonna speak for myself,
and I'm telling you
I'm not gonna put up
with this anymore.
- Try being more specific, Joe.
- What are you talking about, specific?
You know what the hell
I'm talking about.
Why don't you try
to get along a little better?
- I mean, after all, you are friends.
- Why don't you just shut the fuck up?!
- Betty: Excuse me.
- For Christ's sake, Virginia.
The investigator is trying
to put these assholes
through a few
of his own hoops, right?
Narrator on TV:
Switzerland, land of enchantment.
Beautiful lakes, towering mountains,
delicious chocolate,
and the financial world's
favorite gimmick,
the numbered bank account.
International arms merchants,
drug dealers, and United States citizens
trying to evade Uncle Sam's taxes
all find a home in Zurich.
It is conservatively estimated
that over $12 billion
in illegal accounts resides
deep in the secret vaults
of the 520 banks of this,
the most money-oriented city
in the world.
But laundering money for Americans
is only one of the complex transactions
conducted daily
in this mountain paradise.
The son of a bitch
is mind-fucking us.
If you men had a pair of balls
between the bunch of you,
you'd take this bastard outside
and straighten his... ah!
- Ali: One more word out of you...
- Betty: Ali, nowjust calm down!
Joe, come on.
Let's just go.
- You okay?
- No.
Bravo, John Tanner.
It's getting tricky now,
isn't it?
It's a mystery.
Have you written
the ending yet, John?
Well, I'll tell you...
Ali shows promise
as a featherweight, but, uh...
I think you stepped out
of your weight class.
Good night, my friend.
You know something
about them, don't you?
You're threatening them,
manipulating them.
You're always so sure that you're right
sitting on your damn throne.
I know that something's wrong,
damn it.
And either you tell me what it is,
you tell me what I'm mixed up in,
or I'm leaving with Chris
right now.
You can't leave me now.
I need you here.
Mom! Dad!
- What?
- The fridge.
- What is it?
- Tanner: What is it?
Ali:
What's wrong?
Chris:
In the fridge.
What's wrong?
What is it?
Bastards!
Sick bastards.
I'm gonna...
Joe, I'm gonna kill you.
Betty: John! John, let go of him!
- Betty: Let go!
- Leave him alone!
Why don't you tell us
what happened, John?
Tanner'.
Bastards.
Sick bastards.
I wanna know.
Who did this?
It's... it's not real, John.
It's a fake.
It's not a very funny joke.
That is sick.
Why are you doing this to us?
I want you out
by tomorrow morning.
Please?
Tanner: Oh, he's fine.
We'll find him.
He's outside.
It's a ketchup bottle.
It's not even a good fake.
Maybe it'll be gone
in the morning.
We better be gone
in the morning.
Early.
It's okay, come on.
Listen to me.
Now you stay here
and do as your mom tells you.
I'm gonna find him, okay?
- Dad, I'm scared.
- Come on.
You're going to be fine.
Lie down.
John, what are you doing to us?
I'm gonna go for help.
You make sure
and lock the door, please.
Kelly, Tanner's coming out.
Let him through.
Don't want it wandering around
out there at night.
Well, what are we gonna do?
Pack.
I'm getting out of here.
Got any brains,
you'll do the same.
Right.
Fassett's waiting.
Follow me.
You don't need the gun, Joe.
It's Ali.
Don't worry about it.
I mean,
she knows something.
Chris, here.
Quickly.
Come on.
Quit screwing around, Ali.
- Open the door.
- Get away from my door, Joe Cardone.
Would you put that gun away?
Look, I'm tired
of getting stepped on.
She knows something.
I'm gonna find out what.
Somebody please tell me
what's going on.
Yeah, we're getting out
of here now.
Come on, Joe.
Come on.
Come on, Joe!
40$.!
Get your bow.
All right, Fassett.
That's me, I'm finished.
I've had it.
I want out.
And where might "out" be?
I'm fed up.
Do what you have to do.
Arrest them, I don't care.
Just get them out of my house.
We have a single male adult
out there.
Osterman.
Terminate on contact.
Son of a bitch.
Agent over radio: We've got one dead.
Hand-to-hand.
Tremayne:
Grab what's necessary, that's all.
Come on, move it.
Move it!
Go on.
Why don't you get them?
There's no need.
They're going nowhere.
All this activity and for nothing.
Betty: No!
Yes, that was nice.
- Cardone: Wait a minute.
- Tremayne: Wait!
Cardone:
Camper. Come on.
He's got my motor home.
- Tremayne: The keys in there?
- Cardone: Yeah.
I didn't leave my keys in it.
I did.
There's no need to worry, John.
Everything is under control.
They're just on a very long leash.
Betty:
What about Bernie?
He can take care of himself.
Who's pulling your strings?
Now, you must go home now.
They're pinning Osterman down
at the far end.
And straight home now.
Remember, out there you're
a single male adult, too, you know?
Kelly, follow him out of this area
and eliminate him.
Tremayne:
See where you're going?
Cardone:
Mm-hmm.
You want me to finish this now
or shall we talk?
You traitor.
I'm going to kill you
like a chicken.
But I'm not gonna let you die
so ignorant, John.
Now what is this traitor bullshit?
We're just saltin' some money away
for good times, that's all.
Now it ain't legal,
but it sure as hell ain't traitorous.
I'm gonna let you up, John,
'cause I want you to talk to me.
But if you make a move
for this bat,
you'll be wearing it in your ass
for a month.
- Ah!
- Do you understand?
Good.
I'm awfully tired.
Where's my (109?
Not in there.
Osterman: Who's in the van?
A CIA man called Fassett.
He says you, Dick, and Joe
are working for the Russians.
That's bullshit.
I saw a film on you
talking to the KGB.
I saw you make a deal
with a guy called Petrov.
Fassett on TV: You remember Petrov,
the independent film producer?
Petrov on TV: ...to help create
such conditions,
or are you just a coffeehouse
revolutionary?
No. No, I'm not a revolutionary.
What I am is a nihilistic anarchist
who lives on residuals.
Petrov: So money would help
form your decision?
Don't you feel better
now that you know
that all your old friends
are just tax evaders after all?
Or are you just a little disappointed?
You were setting us up.
Osterman:
Why?
We're in prime killing time.
All it took was to have
my wife murdered
while my employers watched
on closed-circuit TV.
It's just another episode in this whole
snuff soap opera we're all in.
Osterman:
Switch it off, John.
You know better than that, Bernie.
It's your business,
both of you,
addicting people
so they can't switch off.
Osterman:
Smash the set. Smash it!
Fassett:
Switch this one off.
What's the rush, Joe?
I got a lot of things to clear up.
Tremayne: You know
what we need right now?
A spaceship...
come right over those trees,
invite us in.
Coke-faced bitch.
Jesus loves me
This I know
For the Bible...
- Betty, get out there!
- Joe! Joe, get out!
Betty:
Virginia, come here.
Do you see what I see?
- Betty, get out!
- They can't hear us.
Joe, get out!
Dick?
Tremayne:
Things could be worse, right?
Cardone:
Right.
Fassett: Oh, I see.
You want to send them a message.
Just wait.
Betty , get out.
Dick?
Come here.
What the hell have you got
all over your face, Virginia?
Come here.
Come on.
Get out of the camper now.
Tremayne on TV: I don't wanna be
in the country when it comes down.
I think you will find
that when the time comes,
you will be able to leave the country
very quickly, indeed.
Joe.
This is our deal, Petrov.
Nothing happens to Tanner.
Petrov: Your partners
don't want to postpone this.
You've already been consulted.
Just remember,
we're calling the shots.
What the hell is he trying to pull?
I don't know.
We better get out of here.
Jesus loves me
This I know
For the Bible...
We're all gonna die.
- Tells me so...
- Tremayne: Get out!
Come on.
- Tremayne: Let's go. Come on.
- Little ones to...
Betty, get out!
Move now!
Come on!
Cardone: Come on.
Betty, come on!
- Jesus loves me...
- Cardone: Betty, come on, damn it!
For the Bible
Tells me so
Little ones to him belong
We are weak,
but he is strong.
And then there were two.
You crazy , murderous bastard.
Osterman:
He's mad.
Try to think of them
as fleas on a dog
that gets hit by a stolen car
driven by a drunk teenager
whose girlfriend had
just given him the clap.
It will help your perspective.
Fassett over radio: All agents move in
to execute termination procedure.
Repeat.
Execute termination procedure,
all agents.
' No!
Osterman:
It'd be nice if we had a weapon.
I do.
L... the bows.
Osterman:
Oh, bows, that's keen.
In the bedroom, go get 'em!
' - Shh!
Fassett over radio: Kelly?
Kelly, do you read me?
Kelly?
Oh, God, what's the matter
with this thing?
Kelly, it's urgent.
Checking in, sir.
Fassett over radio:
Kelly!
It's me.
Watch it!
I didn't get the gun!
Fassett over radio:
Kelly, it's me. Watch it!
Shit!
Kelly!
Go, go!
I know what to do.
Osterman :
What?
The pool house.
They're making for the pool house.
Oh, my God.
- No! God... wait!
- Sure.
I had bows in here!
- Is this what you want?
- Shh!
- I got it.
- Oh, that's good.
You're gonna shoot mice
with that, right?
See you later, John. Bye.
Bernie!
Tannen
Bernie!
There's someone out here
with a bow.
They got Agent Brick.
Fassett:
Damn. Blue-eyed bitch.
Mrs. Tanner.
Just keep them in the pool.
Don't move.
Fassett over radio:
Mikalovich, can you read me?
There's gasoline
behind the pool house.
Get it. Use it.
Fassett: Keep them in the pool.
Repeat, keep them in the pool
till further orders.
You're gonna be all right.
I'm Fassett, remember? FBI.
Chris?
Mrs. Tanner.
I'm Fassett.
Remember me?
I don't think we'll need the bow. Huh?
Gonna take a little trip,
the three of us.
Come on, come on.
Osterman:
Come on!
I... I think we got him!
Come on.
- Don't walk away.
- Uh-huh. Right.
Ah, next time, I'm gonna wear
my own clothes, babe.
Strident son of a bitch.
Ali on TV:
John.
Fassett on TV: Worshipping
graven images again, John?
Be of good cheer.
Salvation is at hand.
Ali: Fassett says we'll be all right
if you do what he wants.
John, to use your own words,
You want something from me.
Well, I want something
from you.
I want revenge for my wife.
Maxwell Danforth murdered her
and I will have him exposed.
Now, you have the power
and the audience
to do what we both want.
Why, John, I hardly think
you're in a position to negotiate.
Ali: John, I don't want you
to do anything wrong.
I love you.
I'll be in touch.
Fuck.
Stennings: He found out Tanner's friends
were funneling money out of the country.
Then he uncovered their bagman,
Mikalovich, and he tamed him.
Then he fabricated
a KGB dossier on him.
I told you he was
a very skillful operative.
But Why?
Why did he make us
try to believe Omega existed?
Stennings, Stennings,
the existence of Omega
has not been disproved.
Don't you understand that?
Omega is as real
as we need it to be.
We have enough evidence to convince
any congressional committee of that.
One thing our enemies fear
is that someone who knows them
for what they are
might come to power
in this country.
And they're right to be afraid.
Now you find Fassett
before that damn show tonight.
Um, just kinda wondering
how we got in this mess.
It's called
"being programmed".
Osterman:
Okay, get ready, three.
We got 30 seconds here.
Okay, cue Tanner.
- Man: Roll tape.
- Bring up the logos.
Man: Speed.
Take one.
Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to "Face-to-Face".
Tonight,
the title of our program
is "Alpha to Omega,
the First to the Last".
Take two.
First, we talk
to Maxwell Danforth,
arguably the most powerful man
in the nation,
if by powerful you mean
whoever has the greatest effect
on your privacy,
your personal well-being,
and your possible prospects
of survival.
Take one.
Do you have ambitions
to be president?
Osterman:
Cue Tanner, for Christ's sake.
Tanner: Some people
might consider that paranoid.
Osterman:
We're coming at you.
Here we come.
Mr. Danforth, you've gone on record
as saying that counterintelligence
and public accountability
make uneasy bedfellows.
- Would you, uh, explain it to me?
- Okay, you're good, one.
- Coming to you, one.
- Tanner: Sounds rather ominous.
Ready five.
At this point, I'd like to introduce
my mystery guest.
Man:
And 20 seconds, please.
Clear Danforth.
Man:
Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three...
Tanner: Good evening.
Welcome to "Face-to-Face".
The title of our program tonight
is "Alpha to Omega,
the First to the Last".
First, we talk
to Maxwell Danforth,
arguably the most powerful man
in the nation,
if by powerful you mean
whoever has the greatest effect
on your privacy,
your personal well-being,
and your possible prospects
of survival.
Mr. Danforth,
tell us your policy, please, regarding
the present Soviet missile buildup.
This is the end of the 20th century
in which we live
and no nation can expand further
without coming into conflict
with its neighbor.
We are being forced
into playing a game
in which there will have
to be a winner
and the Soviets intend
it will be them.
And you, sir, have
a solution to all this?
Our people must be educated
to the realities of this crisis.
We have always been ignorant
of our destiny,
and yet our destiny is simple.
Not easy, mind you,
but simple.
Our destiny is to survive.
Do you have ambitions
to be president?
That's a very pointed question,
Mr. Tanner,
and my answer is no.
My ambition is to continue
to serve my country
with all of my talents
and energies.
However, if it is my destiny
to be called on by the American people
to assume that exalted office,
I should feel compelled
to accept.
I have always sought out
my country's enemies
and foiled their designs
against us.
As President of these United States,
I would continue to do so.
At this point, I'd like to introduce
my mystery guest.
A man until recently employed
by the CIA,
a man who has worked closely
with Maxwell Danforth
on a covert operation that cost
the lives of four innocent people.
A man who represents the hidden side
of Maxwell Danforth's power.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Lawrence Fassett.
This is Stennings.
Red alert. He's surfaced.
Mr. Fassett, what can you tell us
about the director of the CIA?
I know Maxwell Danforth
very well.
He killed my wife two years ago.
Not with his bare hands,
of course,
but the Danforths of this world
don't murder in that fashion.
Now, calm down. Be quiet.
They make telephone calls,
write memos...
use jargon words
like "terminate" and "eliminate".
- This is priority. Get...
- So that their mouths
don't have to touch words
like "murder"...
or "kill".
Danforth: To you out there,
my fellow Americans,
the man you have just seen
is a killer of innocent people.
And with the connivance of John Tanner,
he has been allowed to appear here
and to make allegations
against me
which he has no possible means
of proving.
Take one.
This piece of film was taken
by CIA surveillance cameras.
The woman is Mrs. Lawrence Fassett
and the killers were KGB.
Fassett:
It is true.
It is true that I have killed
innocent people.
But then my guilt
is not in question.
But the guilt of this man is...
and it will continue to be so
until he is...
exposed.
A man that is prepared to use
the power of his office...
and all its techniques
in order to further his own...
personal ambition.
Tannen
Any comments, Mr. Danforth?
Danforth: Comment?
Yes, I have a comment.
You and this man Fassett
are traitors.
An archaic term, but it fits.
When I realized
what you had done
by bringing this murderer
onto your program, I was shocked.
But now I'm glad,
'cause you have illustrated,
better than I ever could,
exactly how dangerous
our enemies are.
And by their presence here,
they bear witness to my assertion
that not until we have a leadership
in this country
committed to rooting out
this disease,
not until then can we have
a healthy nation.
I say to you all,
all of you watching,
without a healthy America,
we live in a hopeless world, indeed.
Well...
well, why don't
you kill me, then, Max?
Use your powers.
Show your audience
how you're going to save them
from what lies inside each of them.
Kill me, Max, and pretend
that you're killing their fear.
Be the new savior
risen in the hour of need.
Danforth: Don't think
you won't be found, Fassett.
And don't think
you won't be exterminated.
You have my word on that,
you hear?
Do you hear me?
Osterman:
Take three.
Where's my wife?
Osterman:
All eyes, pull back.
Widen out, two.
Oh, this is nice.
Okay, get ready, one.
Just get eyes,
get eyes on Tanner, one.
What you just saw, in a way,
was a life-sized video game.
You saw a liar talk to a killer
and you couldn't tell 'em apart.
Who cares?
It's only television.
As you all know,
television programs
are just the fillers between
attempts to steal your money.
So if you wanna save some,
switch off.
It's simple.
It's done with a hand
and what is left
of your free will.
This is the moment.
My bet is you can't do it.
Tanner'.
Go ahead and try.
Am I still on?