Good evening.
You are sure there is no danger.
I mean, after all that's happened in this house.
That family murdered.
Evil all good, lying our responsible.
Shall we begin?
Concentrate on your child.
Call him, Mrs. Baxter.
Let him know that you're here.
Ricky.
Ricky, it's mommy.
Can you hear me?
I can't breathe.
Over here.
It's no good.
Hurt.
Help.
Help me.
The child has passed over.
The child has passed over in fire.
Now, he's in peace.
Mommy ...
I'm here.
Mommy.
Ricky! - No Mrs., stay where you are! Keep still.
Baby, don't.
Mommy?
Ricky.
I'm here.
Ricky. Where are you?
I'm here.
Ricky.
Where?
Look.
Mommy ...
I'm here.
Ricky.
Oh, shut up!
Who are you people? What the hell you want?
Reveal magazine.
Congratulations, you just made our next cover, Mr. Caswell.
You have no right. You can't do that! - Can't we?
We've got pictures.
We've got sound.
And we've got you.
Get out of this house.
You're trespassing. - Actually we've taken care of that.
By the way, uh ... John, he's not my husband and uh .... poor little Ricky ...
Sorry, it took so long. - No problem.
And who's this?
More trash from your damn scandal sheet?
Mr. Caswell, let me introduce Dr. Elliot West of the Institute for Psychic Research State University Long Island.
I don't give a damn where he's from.
I'm gonna sue the ass of you.
And every son of a bitch that came with you.
This gentleman is Mr. David Cohler of the District Attorney’s office.
We took the liberty of telling him our plans ...
for tonight and he was kind enough to come along. If you have any questions regarding the law, I suggest you ask him.
Emma!
Come on.
You were very convincing. Well, you almost had me fooled.
Thanks.
Elliot. It was a great help. Thanks for the tip. It'll make a very interesting story. - I'm glad to be at service.
Actually a group setup like this is pretty easy to spot.
The only thing remotely interesting about it is the house.
In fact if you aren't too much of a hurry, I'd like to look around a bit.
Oh, sure we can probably use some pictures of their equipment. And all those speakers and the amplifiers. The mysterious balls of light.
You're crazy.
Well, the master control is probably somewhere in the basement.
After you professor.
All right.
Well, I would imagine it's over this way.
Whoops, damn.
Was the fuse box, I guess.
Or worse.
The way that the storms blowing wind it's probably just the lines down.
That's true. - Yeah. - Maybe we should ...
Leave?
We might as well. We can always come back tomorrow.
All right. Sure.
Okay, let's go.
Got the door?
We all here?
Yeah, I'm here.
Come on, John. - Gosh.
You got it? - Come on, you're stronger. Come on.
Got it. - All right.
Hello?
Yes?
I'm Sanders.
I'm the man, who ... who owns this palace. - Oh. How do you do?
Hi.
Melanie. - Oh. How do you do? - How are you? - Please to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
Well, I tell you, when I rented this place to those people I had ...
I had no idea that, that ... I mean look at this ...
Look at this.
I mean, when you told me about this on the phone, I was shocked. - I can imagine.
Thanks for letting us come over here, like this today. - No, it's no problem.
Look at this box of tricks ...
Help me. Please.
Help me.
Don't let me go. Don't let me go, please. - Get him out!
Don't let me go.
He made it. - Don't ...
You all right? - ... let me go. - You're okay. You're okay!
You're okay.
You all right?
I guess this is what suppose to be the ...
gateway to hell.
It looks convincing to me.
It's just an old well.
I never knew that was there.
I could have been killed.
Oh, don't do that. This is not for your magazine. This is ... - God.
You have some objection?
Well, if it links me up with this, I certainly do have some objection.
According to our information you are linked up with all of this.
That old man told you that?
He's a liar.
Hey, don't do that. Let's go outside, I need some air.
Where does that panyoti con man get of accusing me?
I don't know about panyoti.
They must have some pull, then, quite a hole all over the last six months.
Well, you can't connect me with it. You have absolutely no proof.
Well. Mr. Baxter I'm a Real Estate Agent.
And I do a lot of business in this area. And I have a reputation to protect.
I mean, if it ever came out that I was connected with those, whatever this is, it would finish me.
I bought this house ... cheap. Because I thought it would be a good investment once all that panic had been forgotten.
Well, it hasn't been forgotten.
I mean, I can't even unload the houses on either side of it.
Now, look at it. I mean, it's an ordinary normal house. It's ...
nice looking. It's in fairly good condition.
It's built ... the way they used to build them. It's a steal.
Nobody wants it.
What're you asking for it?
It would be affordable.
Very affordable.
You're serious? You're really gonna buy that house?
If Nancy's lawyer leave me with a price, of the roof over my head.
What do you need with the big old house?
Have you seen my apartment?
Yeah, but you haven't even looked around. There's better places.
Can't do much better than this. That guy is practically giving it away.
And why do you think that is?
Because some people are so damn superstitious.
There is lots of fresh air ...
trees ...
plenty of room ...
The house itself is a real Long Island antique. It's wonderful.
And I'll have a place to really work for the first time.
Oh, I know. Sure, I know that's what you need. - Spread my things out.
You need some space. You need some decent quiet. Well, you've got it now. - That's right.
You'll be able to concentrate work undisturbed get started on that great American novel. - Oh, come on, Nancy.
Don't make this any rougher than it has to be.
All right.
Before, the word divorce was something obstruct, illegal term and now it's real.
Look, Nancy, we both made this decision together, because neither one of us were happy.
I have to get out of here. I have to get out of my job, I have to change my life. - All right! Fine.
Fine. If that's what you have to do, then just do it. Quit talking about it and do it.
Pack your bags, pack your things and leave. Just leave.
Daddy?
I didn't know you were coming over.
You know now. - Hi. - Hi.
Hello Lisa. - Hi, Mr. Baxter.
Do me a favour, will you hon?
Help me pack this thing up.
Sure.
I hear you bought yourself a haunted house.
I just bought the house, not the ghost.
So, when will we get to come see this house? - As soon as you like.
There are lots of room. I want you to come over and pick one out for yourself. - Great.
Mr. Baxter?
It's Sanders. I'm here.
Mr. Baxter?
Oh, god.
John?
What happened?
Sanders.
Had a stroke or a heart attack or something.
He died horribly just as I found him.
John, I wanna show you something.
Look at this.
Look at that.
It's something wrong with your film. - But just these frames?
Just these pictures that Sanders is in?
What do you want me to say, Melanie? - I don't want you to say anything.
All I want you to do is acknowledge to me that something weird is going on here.
Melanie, Sanders was a sick man.
You only had to look at him to see he was sick.
Yeah. But don't you find that is a startling coincidence?
Yes.
Yes. That's exactly what I think it is a startling coincidence.
Nothing more.
Melanie, you know what you're doing?
You're acting exactly how superstitious people act.
I think that's what they do.
I don't know.
I don't see anything here that would account for it.
And you think the camera was working properly?
It was.
All right.
Well, what I can do is send it all down to the main lab.
Pictures, negatives, other samples of this photopaper.
Camera equipment, all of it.
And if there is a physical explanation, they'll come up with it. - And if there isn't?
Let's just wait and see.
Yeah, but just looking at these photos and knowing what happened to Mr. Sanders ... - Yeah, yeah. It seems fantastic, I know.
Seems like a convergence of events that can only be ...
supernatural. But ...
Let me tell you, Melanie. Almost every day of the week we get something in here. Some ...
situation or phenomenon, just as strange as this.
And in 97 percent of the cases that turns out to be perfectly logical explanation.
And the other three percent?
The other three percent is why I'm here.
Tell me. Have you seen any ghost yet?
Not yet. - They're hiding.
Did you read the article? - In Reveal? Yeah.
Just for the record. Not only haven't I seen a ghost, but ...
I've never talked to anyone who's claimed to see one, who would last twenty seconds with a lie detector.
How can you be so sure?
Experience.
Reveal magazine has had me in more haunted houses and séances and psychic confrontations than I can tell you about.
It's all got one thing in common ....
One unifying theme.
The exploitation of the fear of death.
That's my room.
Well, don't you think is natural to fear death?
Wonder what's beyond it?
Yes, I think it's the most natural thing in the world.
But I don't think there are any answers.
Rationality doesn't apply, anything goes.
People like the Caswells used that.
They prey on it.
It's a gross form of immorality.
Not that I'm some paragon of virtue.
After all I work for Reveal magazine. And I'm in there exploiting with the best of them.
I don't think that's the same thing.
Exactly, I keep trying to tell myself.
Still I think it's ironic that this monument for paranoia and fear should now become home for my new serious life.
When are you gonna start writing your book?
I'm gonna try.
So, madam.
Which room did you pick?
Well ...
I think this room.
I like it, it's very interesting.
Sold to miss Susan Baxter for one enormous hug.
Hey, where're you going? We got an article to lay out.
I'm sorry. And I got an appointment with an Agent. It's the only time I could arrange.
Agent? - Clifton Sloan.
Sloan's a friend of mine.
Told me if I was ever interested in ...
doing anything more substantial, that I ought to go and see him.
The much Heralded book.
Right.
Why don't you come over to my place around six? And then we can work there. - Okay.
Hello?
Dolores?
Is anybody here?
Dolores?
No!
Dolores. - Yes, yes. Who are you? - I'm Melanie.
I'm waiting for Mr. Baxter. - He's not here now!
I know.
Are you sure you have to go? -Oh, yes.
I don't like to be late getting home.
Mr. Baxter will be here very soon. - Oh, I hope so.
You better take this. The fuses have been going out all day long.
And the electric man hasn't come.
You do know where the fuse box is?
Yeah, down in the basement. - That's right. Bye.
Dolores?
Oh, gosh.
Stay open.
Are you okay? - You all right, sir?
It's a miracle I wasn't killed.
What happened? - I don't know.
It was inspected only last week.
The notice is in the car.
You wanna see it? - Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.
Let me just ... catch my breath.
Well, okay, sir.
Some water?
Thank you.
Oh, shit.
Melanie?
Melanie.
Melanie, what happened? - No! No!
Don't you touch me!
What's the matter with you? - Don't! You stay away from me!
Melanie. - You stay away from me!
No!
Melanie! - No!
Help me! Help! - Melanie.
No.
I'm out! - Melanie, go inside.
What happened?
Get away!
You wanna talk about it now, Melanie?
No.
Look, Melanie. I'm your friend ...
We're partners. This is something that happened in my house and I have a right to know what happened.
The lights went out. It was ...
fuses or something.
John ...
It was the most horrible thing, that has ever happen to me.
The worst nightmare ... the worst nightmare doesn't even come close and I will never go into that house again. Never.
Melanie, when I got there the lights were fine. The fuse ... - I don't care!
I don't wanna hear about it, John. I don't want another one of your rational explanations. I know what I experienced and I'm not crazy.
Look, Melanie ...
That house ...
has it's own mystique.
Things happened in there because people expect them to happen. That was the basis of whole Caswells operation.
Don't insult me, John.
I'm not insulting you. I'm telling you something we both know to be the truth.
I don't know if it's true anymore. Hey, why don't you just get out of here. I've got my work to do.
Supposing I ask you this.
Why do you think, whatever it was that happened in there ...
only happened to you and didn't happen to me?
I don't know, John.
Maybe the house has other plans for you. What do I know?
I don't know.
Oh, for Pete's sake.
All right, that's it. Get her out of there. That's enough. You know what to do, Joyce.
And she's been in there for ...
almost fifty two hours.
That's about the limit for a sensory deprivation.
Once you deprive the mind of all the usual external stimulate it eventually ...
starts to improvise.
So, she's ... She's been in some kind of limbo?
Yes, right. There's no sight, no sound.
Nothing to touch or taste or smell.
Under those conditions, reality has no objective meaning for a person.
Some writer once said that reality is the only word in the language that should always be used in quotes.
Look, Dr. West, I can come back. I don't have to ...
Oh, no. This is fine. She's all right now. Let's continue.
I don't know what to do.
The thought of my daughter going back into that house terrifies me.
Yes.
Yeah, I know.
Well uh ...
All I can say is that ...
There is no evidence, whatever that anyone has ever been directly harmed ...
by the kind of manifestation we're talking about.
I'm sorry, I don't know what that means.
Well, it means that ...
Whenever there has been an injury or a problem ...
it's always been because of some secondary cause. Like a someone running away in a panic and falling down some stairs.
That's not exactly reassuring.
No.
I don't imagine it is.
I'm sorry, I just don't have the answers that you want.
You're looking for a yes or no.
I mean when we talk about ... spirits ...
or ghosts.
What do we really mean?
They may well be ...
things that people carry around with them.
And not things that could possibly hide in a house.
On the other hand there are certain houses that obviously do have infinity for ...
activity.
The Amityville house.
Possibly. - But so many awful things have happened there. There must be a reason.
Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. We just don't know.
What am I supposed to do?
I see.
I'm sorry.
I just don't think we should be here, when my father's not home.
Why not? Why wait? You have your own key and everything. I'm just dying to check this out.
I know, I know. It just doesn't seem right, though.
Oh, come on, Susan. What are you really afraid of?
I just told you.
Never mind. Come on, I'll show you how stupid you really are.
It's a house.
Did you know you could have sex with a ghost.
Really? - Yeah, really. I've been reading about it.
Seems that it has happened to a lot of women and they all say that it's fantastic.
What do you think?
I think you're weird.
Maybe, that's why your father bought this house.
Maybe he's got some sex style ghost up there with boobs up to here.
Well, no that doesn't sound like my father.
All right. Well, I've read his articles, you know.
I know the whole story.
I know exactly where all the murders happened.
Ronald DeFeo ...
murdered his mother.
And his father.
And his four brothers and sisters in this house.
God ...
The master bedroom.
This is where he began.
And then right here ...
he fired two more shots.
The sound muffled by the crash of thunder outside.
And then he went upstairs ...
to the children's room.
Ronald DeFeo possessed by the spirit of the devil, in this house. - Lisa, cut it out.
There is evil in this place.
I know. I know. Let's go downstairs to the basement. Your dad wrote there's a dry well, that's supposed to be an entrance to hell.
You really are lunatic.
This is it.
Yeah.
Here it is.
Come here, come here. Look at this.
It had burst up in by some colossal supernatural power from the depth of the earth.
This is supposed to be an ancient Indian burial ground.
Their tortured spirits are still down there, waiting to rise up and reclaim their land.
Hi.
Oh, daddy you scared us. - Not me.
Why aren't you at school?
Teachers strike.
Again?
Great house, Mr. Baxter.
I'll just ... put these back.
Try not to fall in.
I'm trying not to be unreasonable, Susan. - Mother, it was no big deal.
Lisa's been begging to see the house. She's fanatic about it, so we went up there.
It was broad daylight. There was no danger and daddy knew nothing about it until he came home. - I'm sure.
He didn't. - That's not the point.
It's the place itself. - You haven't even see it. - I don't have to see it, I know all about it. Everybody does. The place is infamous.
Only a man with your fathers colossal ego would even consider living there.
I do not want you to go there. Is that understood?
Is it?
Yes.
I'm afraid, Susan. It's just as simple as that.
No.
She'd been working late.
She wasn't coming to the house. She was nowhere near the house.
You don't think it's odd that two people, both of them were connected with that house. - Nuts, Nancy. Sound just like ...
like Melanie.
Look, John it wasn't easy for me to come here today,
but I think it's very important that there'll be no misunderstanding between the two of us.
My daughter is the most precious thing in the world to me. And she's not going back into that house.
I've forbidden her.
She's my daughter too, Nancy. You tend to forget that.
I'm not gonna argue with you, John, I told you the way it's gonna be.
And I'm telling you that I have something to say about this.
Fine, then say it to my lawyer.
... that? - That was a Baseball. - Baseball? That's point five. - Baseball.
Just ... Do you see the abuse that I take from these people?
You know what, I think your father's got a lot of guts living in that haunted house.
It's not haunted.
Come on. All those people killed there?
You don't think there may be one tiny little ghost lurking around?
Right. Why don't we change the subject?
What's bothering you?
Nothing. I just like to talk about something else. - Come on, Susan. Don't be a drag.
Shoot.
I say we put together a séance.
Yeah.
I mean, it's the perfect place for it. - No. - Yes.
Fantastic. And your dad's not home today. You already told us. Come on. - No. - Let's do it!
Susan, we're doing it. - Go, go.
Okay.
Now.
The ouija board only works ...
if everybody cooperates ...
and believes.
Now.
Put your finger on the glass.
Everybody.
Okay. Now we have to agree on a question.
And concentrate really hard ...
and the spirits will answer us.
Okay. Now I'm gonna ask the first question.
Is there ... a supernatural presence in this room?
Hey ...
How about that?
You're pushing it.
I'm not pushing it. - Nobody pushing it. - It's moving all by itself. You can feel it.. it was moving. I was not pushing it. Come on, Susan.
Yeah. I've got a good question.
Can you tell us what colour panties Lisa's wearing?
Come on, Jeff. Everybody knows that.
Up yours, darling.
All right, wait, wait. I got it, I got a great question.
This is great.
All right. Is anyone in this room ...
gonna be dead before next year? - No.
No. Don't ask questions like that. - Hey, she's really scared. - I know.
Stop, stop it. -No. -Oh, come on, Susie, don't be that way. - You guys, you guys. Susan is right. No more stupid questions, okay?
You're ruining everything. Now you'll ask the spirit who it is and what it wants.
Okay.
Is there anyone in this room, who is really in danger?
That's not what you said.
All right. One of you is pushing it.
No. I ...
It wasn't me, I didn't do that. - I didn't do it. - I'm not pushing it at all.
It was you.
You pushed it. - No, I wasn't. - You didn't push it?
Susan, what are you doing throwing the glass against the wall? I can't push that! - No, no!
Hi. Cohler?
Have you heard from Lisa? I think she and Susan may be together.
Well, I ask her to come right home from school. She said she's going to, but you know.
Never mind. I think I know where she might be.
I'll call you back later.
Hey, Susan.
Hey ...
move it over here.
Let's go for a ride.
Hey, check it out. Come on, let's go.
All right, yeah.
What we got here? - It's fine, don't worry. It's fine. - Forty horse power, all right.
Let's go for a ride, girls. Come on.
You be careful.
Watch your step.
Be careful, Susan. - Let me, let me get this closer.
There you go.
Let me go. I'm driving, buddy.
Be careful. You sure you can do this.
Get down!
Get down.
Susan?
Why are you wet? What happened?
Susan?
I'm talking to you.
What is the matter with you?
Susan, will you answer me?!
Susan.
Susan ...
Susan, unlock this door.
Susan, do you hear me?
Just wake up. - Be careful.
Okay, I got it. - What? Susan!
Susan. - Wake up, wake up.
Susan, wake up. - Oh, boy. - What happened? Somebody called an ambulance? - Yeah, we called. We called.
Susan, it's dad. What happened?
The boat ...
She fell out. - Susan, ... - I don't know. - ... please
Susan.
Susan. Oh, god, no.
No.
Susan, please.
Susan.
Hurry up!
Come on.
One more time.
John?
What's happened? What's wrong?
Nancy ...
Susan ... - Susan what? What about Susan?
Get anything?
Are you trying to tell me that, that's Susan?
John, it's not Susan. I just left her. She's in the house. Susan is in the house, John.
John, stop it. Don't. Don't now. Let go. You don't dare tell me this is Susan! That is not Susan!
I just left Susan. She's in the house. And she's changing. She's all wet..
and she's changing. You cannot tell me that, that is Susan!
One more time. Two more time. - She's in the house, John.
Nancy! - She's in the house. Come on, I'll show you. - You got anything on there?
No pulse. Continue CPR.
Susan.
I want you to come out of there at once. Do you hear me? I want you ... Susan?
Susan?
Why're you hiding from me, Susan? Susan? I ...
I know you're here.
I know you're here. You're here.
Susan!
Susan?!
Susan!
Susan, where are you?!
Susan? - Nancy? - Susan! Why are you hiding from me? Come on. - Nancy, for god sake! - Susan?
Susan, where are you? - Nancy, will you stop this? - No. - She's not in here! - I know she's in here. I saw her!
Will you stop it?! - Don't you understand? I want you to let me be with her.
She's not here. - I want you to let me be with her. She's not in here anymore.
She's gone. - Leave me alone! You don't care where she is!
I hope you got the answer you were waiting for.
Susan!
What happened?
It's Susan. She wants to show us she's here.
This is her favourite blouse.
You got it for her for her birthday last year. Remember, John?
I think it's the colours.
I was thinking that she may be .... Get her a cashmir sweater, yeah.
She needs sweaters.
Nancy ...
You have to try and grasp ...
what's happened.
What you say hasn't happened. - No, Nancy.
You're fantasizing.
None of this is real. - You're fantasizing, John.
You have to come to terms with that. - But I saw her in this house with my own eyes and that is real.
What you saw is fantasy.
Fantasy is Susan drowned.
Is what you believe in more ...
certain, more real, than what I believe?
Who's to say?
You?
She wouldn't even go to the funeral.
I don't know what to do.
Nancy needs psychiatric help.
I don't know how to handle it.
She won't see a doctor.
She won't even leave the house.
I'm worried sick about her.
You thought maybe you ..
have a suggestion.
There's always the possibility ...
that she doesn't need any help.
I don't follow you.
Well ...
what if she really did see something?
Not Susan. Perhaps. But ... something.
What do you mean?
If you go along with me, I'd like to try something.
It could be very helpful to you, to me ...
and to Nancy.
What do you got in mind, Elliot?
A scientific investigation of the house for psychic phenomenon.
I've got a trained team and all the equipment.
We've been investigated houses a lot less qualified than yours.
Won't be the point, Elliot.
Well ...
The chances are, we come up with nothing.
If we do ...
that may make it a lot easier for you to reason with Nancy.
Given the support of our study.
Possibly, but I doubt it.
And on the other hand if ...
If we do turn up ... something
I mean, if there is some indication no matter how efferent ...
that Nancy was right.
Then we might be saving her sanity.
I'll tell you something, Elliot.
After everything that's happened ...
I don't know what the hell to believe.
Bring it right over here.
All right. - There's more stuff in my car. - Good.
Good, yeah.
Joyce's job is to make sure that all the input coming into the main computer gets properly recorded.
And she can also punch up any of these images
on any computer data that I might need,
onto the monitors over here.
Just watch those cables in there coming down.
See, this is where they'll all be.
Now, that is an ultrasonic sensor. Which will register sound frequency undetectable to the human ear.
And this image is from a thermo camera.
Dave, could you turn the camera this way, please?
You see?
What it's doing is translating temperature fluctuations into a colour coded visual pattern.
Elliot, would you check the ultrasonic graph? Something funny is happening. - Oh, yeah. Okay. Thanks, Dave.
And could you punch up the video from the attic on the big monitor? - Yeah.
You see?
Oh yes, I see the problem here. We just have far too much activity on this graph obviously. So ...
What we want eventually is a straight line for the room tomb.
The variable is much too active.
Just roll out some of the highest, please. - Is this all right? - Very gradually.
Okay. now some of the lows.
Got it.
Oh, all right.
Just keep doing that tracking. - Yeah.
Come over here.
Put that pipe here. - There we go.
Hold it, right there.
You never believed in this house, John.
Joyce, give me the attic on here, please.
Stand by. - What is it?
What's happening?
I'm hearing something.
I can't make it out. - Jordan, move in closer.
Put it on the speakers. Turn it up all the way.
I'm going up there, Elliot. - No, let it happen.
Mother ...
Mother ... I need you.
Please, mother.
Come with me ...
We'll be together.
Come with me.
Susan.
Come with me, mother.
What is it? What's it doing to her?
There's activity in the basement. Something is happening at the well.
Oh my god.
It's using Susan.
The well, the force in the well. It killed Susan and now it's using her to get Nancy. - I'm not gonna let that happen.
No, John, don't! Listen ...
We've got to save Susan too.
We can release her. I think there's a way. - You're crazy, Elliot.
No, listen to me. You've got to believe me.
Now just follow them to the well. Don't try to stop them, just follow them.
Susan.
Susan! - Come, Nancy. - No, let ...
Hold her, John. Don't let her get any closer.
Wait, Susan. Let me go! - We got to bring up the source.
We got to force it out.
I've got to confront it. - Susan! - You told me, you can't. - No, Susan.
Come out. - No, let me go! - Nancy! - Susan!
Doctor Elliot.
Elliot!
- Susan!
Get out! Save yourself.
Susan!
Susan?
We gotta get out of here.
Where's doctor West? - Let's get out! Everybody get out of the house!
Come on!