Eric warns the audience that things get weird on part 5 of The Spoils Before Dying. He admits that when he wrote the novel, he turned to certain suspect substances that drove him crazy. Eric isn’t sure if he killed someone he loved., and explains that he filmed much of part 5 in a trance.
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TV detective Kenneth Bluntley from Calling All Cars comes on to warn the viewers against the dangers of drugs. The images presented in the following episode were taken from real-life cases, and tripping on drugs is no vacationing.
As Agents Day and Ed Nestly look on, Caligarious injects Rock with a special concoction of hallucinogenics. She explains that they have to make Rock’s death look like an overdose, and they tellhim to enjoy the dance.
Rock hallucinates running with Dizzy spurring him on. He finds himself in a bar talking to a red vested bartender who serves him as a drink. The bartender warns that Rock is committing chakracide, and tells him to create reality by raising the vibrations. Delores boxes with a ballerina and then dances with her before fighting again. Once Delores wins, another dancer whisks her across the stage. Rock takes it in and relives what happened, and finds himself on top of his hotel. Fresno is with him, and Rock explains that if he can find the cigarette case then he can clear himself. Delores admits that she doesn’t know where it is because she’s dead, and tells him not to do a string album. Fresno refuses to answer Rock’s questions and steps off of the roof.
Next, Rock finds himself with jazz great Duke Webster. Duke tells him to go for the vibration because it never stops, and Rock gets it. He wakes up in an alleyway when Detectives Chip and Kermit throw a can at him. They wonder what he’s been using and produce a .38 revolver next to Rock. The detectives explain that it’s the same caliber as the gun that killed Fresno and Stymagian, and inform him that he’s under arrest for their murders.
As the detectives drive Rock downtown, Rock points out that they gave him three days. He suggests that someone planted the gun on him, and the same someone is using the police. Rock figures that someone is killing Fresno, and Stymagian, and Wardell, and Kenton. Kermit points out that a recording of Wardell is playing on the radio, and Rock begins to work out what’s going on. He asks the detectives for a few hours to prove his innocence. Intrigued, Kermit decides to give Rock a couple of hours and Chip reluctantly agrees.
Once Rock gets out, someone calls on a nearby phone. The musician enters the phone booth and picks up the phone, and Gerhart Moll introduces himself. He says that “they” are watching Rock, and tells him to meet him at Pier 45 by the Dorian Blue. Rock hitches a ride to San Pedro with a beatnik songwriter, figuring that he has nothing to lose. Gerhart is waiting and explains that Hitler hated modern art. Hitler organized an exhibition in 1937 and then blamed all of the artists on the downfall of Germany. He destroyed all of the art except for one strange sculpture, which he hid in a bunker. A homosexual Jewish rocket scientist who loved jazz musician worked for the Reich wondered why Hitler kept the sculpture. Later, the scientist--Stymagian--immigrated to the U.S. and pursued the sculpture across the world. A black market art dealer contacted Stymagian, who hired Gerhart to recover the statue. Rock remembers seeing the sculpture inside of Stymagian’s house, and Gerhart says that Hitler hid something inside the sculpture. Rock’s only chance is to find the sculpture.
Gerhart walks away and a car chases rock down the city alleys. He gets to his apartment and Agents Day and Nestly follow him. They chase him to the roof and tell him to stop, but he leaps over the edge. Thanks to the booze and pills, Rock survives the ten-story fall and goes to the marina to visit Bepop. He figures that Fresno and Wardell scored from Bepop the night they died, and Bepop took whatever was in the sax case. However, Bepop’s rooms are filled with the corpses of his partygoers. Wardell’s tenor sax is in the middle of the room, and Rock leaves with it. He takes it to the Swingyard and leaves it with Beatrice.
Rock goes to his apartment and Delores offers to make eggs and sausage. He asks her to pick up the sax, find Alistair, and meet him up at the cabin. Meanwhile, Rock has to get something. He tells Delores to win something warm, and they compare shopping tips complete with advertisements. Before he goes, Rock gets a gun and tells Dolores to kiss him. He tells her that he’s close to clearing himself and he’ll see her at the cabin. Before she goes, Delores decides to make some eggs. Meanwhile, Rock figures that his solo break is ready to happen.
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Eric demands his contractual wine. When no one delivers it, Eric tries to get up without success.+
Written by Gadfly on Dec 20, 2015