(dark orchestral music)
Danny.
What about the caretaker?
Oh, who cares about her?
She never comes out at night.
Besides, she can find her own date.
(door creaks) (eerie atmospheric music)
Oh, this place is so freaky.
All those stories about murders and ghosts.
It's haunted, they say. (Danny chuckles)
It's a trip, huh?
It's a real different kind of place.
I'm scared.
I mean, about the house.
Nobody'll interrupt us.
That's all it means.
And you're with me!
See?
Come on.
Oh, Nancy, come on.
[Nancy] Danny, let's go someplace else.
Please.
Not here.
Come on, you said you loved me.
Didn't you mean it?
[Nancy] Yes, I do.
But, there's something wrong with this place.
(man screams)
What was that?
(dramatic music) (Danny and Nancy scream)
Get over here, where are my keys?
(Nancy screams)
I got it!
(Danny and Nancy scream)
(tires screech)
(Nancy yelps)
(tires screech)
(Nancy screams)
(man laughs)
Hey, Arty, that's the best one I ever dreamed up!
(Arty laughs)
Charlie, that was the best, man.
Oh, god!
Shit. (suspenseful music)
(laughs)
(object clacks)
Hey, Charlie, we really got 'em!
Charlie?
(object clacks)
Hey, Charlie!
Ouch!
Damn it!
Hey, Charlie.
Charlie?
Hey, Arty, we really got 'em!
(faint pulsating electronic tones)
(rumbling)
(Arty screams)
Hey, Arty!
(door creaks)
Hey, Arty!
Come on, Arty, let's go!
Arty?
(dark atmospheric tones)
Arty, let's get the heck outta here!
Arty?
(suspenseful music) (dark atmospheric tones)
(object clunks)
Hey, Arty!
Arty?
Arty!
Arty, let's get the hell outta here!
(water runs)
(rumbling) (pulsating electronic tones)
(dramatic music)
(woman cackles)
(groans)
(screams)
(body clunks)
(machine clacks)
(knocks)
Come on in.
David.
Oh, no.
You keep this up, we're gonna have to sell the church.
Hell, just raise the collection ante,
then you both can be driving a Cadillac.
[David] I'm sorry, have we been introduced?
Oh, excuse me, David, Inspector Sturgess
of the County Police and his associate, Jack Hollister.
Reverend Maier tells me you're in charge now.
Is that right? Well, it's true.
I've been assigned here.
Only one so fine, I thought they were sending two?
Well, Reverend Leahy should arrive in a couple of weeks.
He was, um, delayed.
I know about him.
Gotta give him time to dry out, huh?
Inspector, is there something we could do for you?
The house on Mill Road.
The Sharack place.
County record list it as church property.
Now, you had 120 days after the hearing to take some action.
You haven't done it, now your time is running out.
I don't know what you're talkin' about.
Two kids were killed out there.
The Medical Examiner thinks it's a cult thing or something.
One kid was gutted and slashed to death.
The other, microwaved.
(laughs) Wait a minute, what?
The place is like a county dump, it's just full of trash.
A microwave gets damaged.
Somebody throws it away, and somebody picks it up,
somebody, chuckling the way you just did, decapitates a kid.
Oh, look, look, look, Inspector, please.
David is new here.
That's only part of it.
You also have standing water on the property, Black Pond.
Kids like to skinny dip there at midnight
and sometimes they drown!
Inspector, the property is posted against trespassing.
It really doesn't matter.
It's a make-out place, it always has been.
I got my first...
Anyway, we held your caretaker's idiot son
as long as we could and then we had to let him go.
Inspector, the man is a mute!
You say he can't talk, I say he won't.
His mother tells me that he
collects this junk for a mistress.
Guess it's some imaginary woman.
It doesn't make any difference, history is against it.
The place has been trouble all along.
If you don't take any action, the county's gonna have
to do it and if the county does, you know what that means.
Demolition.
Henry, I'm sorry you're leaving.
Come on, Jack.
Nice meeting you, uh, sonny.
The property was left to the church ages ago,
with the provision that Sharack descendants would have
a place to live in perpetuity.
They're not really caretakers, they,
well, they just live here.
Elvira's the last of the line, or at least her son Arlen is.
All of the ministers provided menial jobs for them, but,
Arlen doesn't seem to fit into anything.
Perhaps when the Leahys move in,
they'll find something for him.
What about the violent history
this place is supposed to have had?
Well, I'd been hoping to tell you about that
after you'd had settled in.
There've been many houses on this foundation.
All of them, and their tenants, have come to bad ends.
You mean like those kids Sturgess spoke of?
Yes.
(dark orchestral music)
Whoa, what is this stuff?
Smell it.
I don't know.
(boy yells)
(David chuckles)
Arlen?
Yeah.
Follow him!
(fly buzzes)
(suspenseful music)
(muffled radio chatter)
I don't understand any of this.
Oh, it's fairly obvious, isn't it?
Hollister followed Arlen in here, Arlen came out alone.
We found him hiding in the brush by the house this mornin'.
I mean, are you sure about him?
When we haul Hollister outta here, I'm gonna make sure
this moron is put away for good.
Well, whatever happens,
this pond is a detriment to the property.
I'm gonna have that thing drained.
(Arlen yells) (dramatic music)
Wait!
(gun fires)
(eerie atmospheric music)
Your son has never had any professional help?
He is well enough, when people stay away from him.
And stay away from here.
Yes, well, you see, that's the point.
People are coming here.
One of our ministers and his family are going to live here.
Uh, for a while at least.
As soon as we get the house ready, they're gonna live here
until we can make arrangements closer to the church.
Then this place will have to be rented.
It's a matter of economics, it's just business.
Now the Reverend Leahy has problems of his own to deal with.
I wouldn't want your son to become another one.
Will you please speak to him?
He is already lost to me.
It took my husband, too.
He will try to help her, protect her, and protect you, too,
until she no longer needs him.
Who?
You'll see.
The moon is rising.
(blows)
(dark atmospheric music)
(suspenseful music)
(David sighs and chuckles)
Who are you?
My name is Mary.
I see, and do you live here?
Not really.
Not anymore.
I'm visiting.
Oh.
David, could you come in here for a moment?
Uh, yeah, just a sec.
Excuse me, Mary.
So, has there been any news about Arlen?
Inspector Sturgess says no.
Two weeks and nothing, not a trace.
Hm.
What about the drainage project?
Not good, I'm afraid.
The pumps are constantly being fouled with silt and debris.
Was this in the pond?
I wonder how it got there.
David, I think that the time has come
that we should bless the house.
Try to cleanse it somewhat with the deeds
that have been committed here.
Do you know what they are?
Well, I've done some research on it,
and you should be aware of them.
But first, let's do what we've been trained to do.
For the good of all who enter here.
(drill buzzes) (hammering thuds)
Hey, hey, everybody!
Come on, let's take a break for a minute.
Cut the machinery.
Hey, hey! (Whistles)
Come on, let's go!
(woman screams) (dramatic orchestral music)
"Henry!"
Henry!
Come on, Sheryl, let's get this stuff in the house.
(woman sighs)
Oh, it's not so bad, is it?
Not so bad for a last chance.
Oh, George.
It just seems like something's always wrong.
This place and the way people talk about it.
The policemen and his deputies always hanging around.
It just seems we've had enough troubles.
Where's Justin?
He's outside exploring, you know, he loves this.
Well, I'm glad to see you notice women.
I must confess, I've always wondered
about you men of the cloth.
Well, those are the Reverend Leahy's daughters.
No doubt born without bottoms.
Like most church people, you don't have any sense of humor.
Henry I knew for many years.
I'm sorry he's gone.
It's alright, I understand.
I've seen men die, some violently, but,
ah, it shook me up, he was a good man.
Why don't you invite the old bat up here?
I've tried, she won't come.
Says she's not allowed, I don't know what she means by that.
- Not allowed? - Yeah.
Henry's death must've rattled her.
Or the kids, Hollister, or,
that old phony thing with her son.
- Phony? - Oh, yes, that's phony.
He's around here somewhere, you can bet on it.
Somebody has gotta be feeding him.
(melodic whistling)
[Worker] Fred!
Fred, we're leaving!
Hey, Fred?
[Fred] Rush, rush, rush.
(suspenseful music)
(distant moans)
(tense string music)
(screams)
Hey, what are you doin' down there?
Hello!
(ominous chord) (gasps)
Hi.
Did I scare you?
My name is Mary.
What's yours?
Justin Leahy, and uh, and you didn't scare me.
Bet I did.
Well, you didn't.
So, what are you doing down here?
I just came to say hello and show you around.
But, if you don't want to learn anything...
I'll see you later.
[Justin] Hey, hey, wait a minute!
David, Fred was gonna turn the power off for the elevator.
Have you seen him'? Uh, no, I haven't.
Well, he must've left with the other truck.
- Bye. - Bye.
Bye-bye.
Hey, everybody!
Hey, hey!
We've got our own swimming pool!
We got our own pool!
I'm not very happy about this.
Relax, Inspector, you didn't find anything out there.
Besides, we're supervising.
Hey, you made a mistake, don't worry about it.
If you'd spent some of those church funds for
a decent pump, I wouldn't have to worry about it.
And you get this straight, I didn't make a mistake.
Hello.
Howdy.
That's no Sunday School teacher, sonny.
Remember the Good Book.
Oh, I will.
I will.
[Justin] I got ya, Annie, ha-ha'.!
Where's Dad, is he coming down?
He wasn't feeling too well.
A little tired, I think.
(Ann screams) (suspenseful music)
(Ann screams)
(coughs) Help me!
Something, something's got my...
(screams)
What is it, what is it? (Ann yelps)
Something's got my foot!
(screams)
MY foot!
(screams)
Come on, good girl. (Ann screams)
That was Hollister's hand, wasn't it?
We'll have to wait for proper ID
from his fingerprints on file.
Yeah, they'll confirm it.
What did Sturgess say?
Didn't say anything.
They don't know anything.
Or they said they didn't.
He told me about Henry, though, he said he died here.
An accident, they said.
I don't want to stay.
Shh.
She'll have a few bad dreams for a while but she'll be okay.
How?
How can she?
She will be.
And, George, we have to stay.
Why does she watch us?
What is she waiting for? How the hell do I know?
Maybe she's waiting for history to repeat itself.
Oh.
I'm sorry, it's this house.
There was another family that tried to live here.
1958.
I was just new with the county force.
There were three of 'em, name of Montclare.
Mrs. Montclare, the son, the daughter, all murdered.
One was hung, one was spiked to the attic floor,
one was literally torn apart.
(somber string music)
(ominous chord)
- Daddy? - Justin, what?
Daddy, are you sick?
No.
Is that medicine?
No, what are you doing here?
Just lookin' around.
Are you sure you're okay?
Sure.
Come on, let's go back up.
Don't have to tell your mom about this, do we?
[Justin] No, Daddy, no.
I think I'm going to stay down here.
There's a lot of neat stuff, I wanna check it out.
(bottle rattles) (moody orchestral music)
Who...
[Mary] My name is Mary.
How long have you been there?
(dramatic orchestral music)
(saw buzzes)
(Fred screams)
(screams)
Upstairs. (Ann screams)
It's just a dream, it's a bad dream.
But it was so real!
I saw the hand in the water, it was calling me!
You're all right now.
I thought it was away again,
and then the spikes came through the ceiling.
(sobs) There was a little girl here, Mary.
She said her name was Mary.
I thought...
I was so sure of it, I was so sure...
(Sobs)
Well, can you give me a history on this place?
You came of your own free will.
You must leave the same way.
Do you know where your son is?
I told you, he is lost to me forever.
[David] You say that as if you think he's dead.
He is in a secret place his father knew,
and his father, and his.
He protects his mistress who dominates him.
His mistress?
He guards her.
Protects her cruelties, her leavings.
He guards you against her.
She's crazy, you're wasting your time.
You're a stupid man.
Right.
And you are an ugly old bag!
Come on, Inspector, that doesn't help.
(sighs) I'm sorry.
Well, when did this violence begin?
Summer of 1692.
1692?
We're talkin' almost 300 years ago.
You are clever.
Yes but our church doesn't have any records
that go back that far.
Check the archives of St. Luke's.
The Roman Church.
(strong wind blows)
(faint moans)
(suspenseful music)
(door creaks)
Dad?
Dad, are you down there?
Dad?
(can rattles)
Dad?
Wow.
(faint moans)
(ominous chord) (suspenseful music)
(dramatic chord) (glass smashes)
(flesh squelches)
David, you can't be serious, that's ridiculous.
Look, you may be right, but I'd like to check it out.
That's all.
George, supper's almost ready.
I can't find Justin anywhere, have you seen him?
David, will you stay for supper?
Um, maybe for dessert, something's come up here.
[Wife] Oh, and Sturgess, too.
Uh, yeah maybe, I'm gonna have a look at those records.
George, I've got to.
David, this is unnecessary.
Inspector!
George has an invitation for you, don't you, George?
Yes, for supper, but, David-
- [Sturgess] Wait, what about you?
I'm going to St. Luke's, I'll be back.
Did you say supper?
It'll take a little while.
I wonder if you could help me?
It's Justin, he's come up missing.
(window creaks)
You may have doomed us all, churchman.
What?
What did you say?
You took that from the pond.
That's right, yeah.
A compassionate priest would not purify her with fire.
The ritual was not completed.
As long as that was in the pond,
she could only move about at night.
Now she can return in the early hours of the dawn,
unless you repeat the ritual with fire.
Elvira, I don't know anything about Arlen's mistress.
Arlen is very real, though.
You'll see, she will seek you out.
You must understand.
If she was alive in 1692, she's dead now.
She's going to stay dead.
You have a 20th-century mind.
You may soon regret it.
(window creaks)
Justin!
This is Steele.
Go ahead, Nick.
Wait a minute.
It's Nick, what do you want him to do now?
Nothin', damn it, just tell him to work around
the other way and come on back to the house.
Kid can't be far from here.
[George] Any luck?
No, no.
Have you looked everywhere in the house?
I didn't go through the basement, I called down.
If he'd have been down there, he'd have come up.
The basement?
It just seems like something's always wrong.
(glass cracks) (suspenseful music)
Both of you stay here.
(sharp taps)
(hollow taps)
Mom, it'll be all right.
Daddy's down there, it'll be all right.
Oh, sure!
Daddy's down there, he knows what to do.
Daddy always knows just exactly what to do.
Sheryl, don't!
Especially when he wants to run lives.
That's a crack-up, isn't it?
He's a burn-out and he's tryin' to run my life.
Sheryl.
He can't do anything right.
He's a waste, Mom, a burn-out.
Shut your bitchy mouth!
(slap)
Something doesn't add up, this room should be bigger.
Steele.
Pace off from here to that far wall.
I want an accurate measurement.
Yes, sir.
- What for? What good is that? - Shh!
If you wanna stay here, then you keep quiet or go upstairs.
Alright.
That's odd.
Here, hold this.
This is the Malleus Malefactorum.
Wait a minute, that's the book of the Spanish inquisition.
Oh, you know that?
Yes, the order of inquisition and exorcism,
and the punishment of heresy.
And the methods for extracting confessions.
Of course, that was never sanctioned by the Church.
Of course.
Oh, that's interesting
The name here on the spine is Sharack.
Ah!
A progressive priest, unusual in those times.
It's written in English, you see, old-style.
Hm.
"Father Andrew Pike."
"On the trial and the resulting execution of one"
"Elondra Sharack, on which..."
Excuse me, Father, I don't wanna seem rude,
but I am in a bit of a rush-
- Oh, of course, yes, surely. - Thank you.
I certainly appreciate your help.
Oh, that's quite all right.
Um, I'll put this away and close the door
when I'm finished, alright? Oh, yes, of course.
Goodnight. Thank you, goodnight.
"The trial and sentence conducted and carried out"
"by my parishioners of St. Luke's diocese, seven of July,"
"in the most holy year of our Lord, 1692."
[Man] Bring her to us, we want justice!
- Traitor! - Kill her!
- Kill her now!
(mob shouts over each other) (thunder claps)
Silence! (Elondra cackles)
Andrew Pike!
Elondra Sharack!
You have been found guilty of heinous crimes
against God and man!
You visited torture and clone murder to this innocent child,
within sight of her sister.
You have no authority to pass judgment on me!
Be silent!
Unless you mean to repudiate your service
to the unholy forces of hell.
I am the daughter of Satan!
He is my lord and salvation, he will protect me.
He will bring you all to death.
(mob shouts over each other) (thunder claps)
Be silent!
(Elondra laughs)
We have not the proper machinery here
to force a cleansing of this twisted soul.
How can I bring myself to burn alive,
even one so vile as this?
Let the sentence then be drowning!
(dark orchestral music) (Elondra laughs)
Our sole blessed relic from Rome will be the holy seal
that will hold you fast for all eternity.
Suspended between hell and the release of death.
May God's mercy serve you.
(Elondra laughs)
I have no need of his mercy, I am in the hands of Satan!
(Andrew drowned out by laughter)
Take her out!
(Elondra cackles)
(mob shouts over each other) (thunder claps)
(laughs)
(Elondra cackles)
Anyone present who's involved,
may they live in fear with the sound of my voice!
(laughs)
(Andrew speaks in Latin) (thunder claps)
Almighty God, look at her face!
(Elondra laughs)
You appear to be a true servant of evil.
(thunder claps) (Elondra laughs)
You will suffer!
You all pray to your false god, he cannot protect you!
You and all your generations will damn your birth!
Anyone who ventures near this place!
(groans)
May God forgive us all,
for this action you've forced upon us.
I will not die!
You do not have the power to destroy me!
(thunder claps) (laughs)
Cut the rope!
(strong wind blows)
Almighty God, through this instrument of your power,
seal forever away the evil misdeeds of this creature.
We beseech thee, Lord,
to protect and safeguard your servants.
Amen.
(mob yelps) (thunder claps)
Father, the church!
[David] "St. Luke's church was razed by fire that night",
"and disaster befell the parish."
"The sheriff's house burned,"
"the county blacksmith sickened with fever and died."
"Mary Shire, the witch's accuser, drowned in Black Pond."
Inspector, what are you doin'?
This house has a rock foundation all around it.
The basement has stone walls on three sides.
The back wall is made of wood.
Paced off, this house is 20 foot wider than downstairs.
There's got to be something here.
Oh, no, you don't think...
Steele, give me a hand here.
Come on, give us a hand.
(dark atmospheric tones)
Damn.
(door creaks)
Steele, stay here, make sure no one comes out of this place.
- Yes, sir. - Come on.
(door creaks)
Do you think that Justin's down in some kinda secret room?
That's exactly what I'm gonna find out.
- Inspector, you... - What do you want?
What do you want me to tell ya?
[George] You wouldn't risk this if you thought Justin
was still alive, would you?
Go upstairs, stay with your wife and daughters.
They're safe up there and that's where you belong.
I have to stay here, he's my son!
I know that, get upstairs!
I...
Alright, let's clear this junk outta here.
I tried to call for back-up, the phones are out.
- Did you try your radio? - Static.
The phone's out.
The radio.
Well, we're set for him.
I don't wanna wait any more, let's go.
I want to see your mother alone.
Sheryl.
What is happening down there?
Sheryl, I ask you...
Yes, right.
Your decisions are so right, your will so strong.
What is it, George?
We'll be finding out soon.
(solemn choral music)
[David] "Father Andrew Pike spent most of his hours"
"at the new church, praying for those he believed"
"he had betrayed."
"He prayed his own death would one day satisfy"
"the unknown and vengeful force that has afflicted"
"the community since the execution of Elondra Sharack."
(solemn choral music) (strong wind blows)
(thunder claps)
(Elondra laughs) (strong wind blows)
(Elondra cackles)
(bottles rattle) (strong wind blows)
(suspenseful music)
(corks pop)
(door creaks)
(corks pop) (bottles rattle)
(glass smashes)
(door creaks)
(ominous music)
(Elondra laughs)
(bone cracks) (wheel squeaks)
"Father Andrew Pike was committed to the earth this morning,"
"five years to the day after the trial and execution"
"of Elondra Sharack."
"No perpetrator was confined or punished."
(dark atmospheric music)
(fire crackles)
Morn?
Listen.
(suspenseful music)
Hold it!
There is a room.
My god, what a stink.
That's rotting flesh.
Oh, Jesus.
We missed him.
All that work and we missed him.
Wait a minute.
Where's the outside door?
(gun fires) (tense orchestral music)
Cuff him and get him outta here.
(siren wails)
Shouldn't we go down there?
George?
No, no, he told me to wait.
(suspenseful music)
(door creaks)
(ominous chord)
Melinda, where are you going?
George, something has gone wrong, I have to know.
He told us he'd come and tell us.
I can't wait any longer!
George, I don't wanna go down there alone.
I'm going.
George?
Inspector?
(light switch clicks)
(door creaks)
Sturgess?
(dramatic music) (screams)
Oh, god!
(screams)
Dad!
(Melinda screams)
What are you waiting for?
You two get in Sheryl's room and stay there!
(Melinda screams)
Melinda!
(Melinda screams)
George.
(screams)
(dramatic music) (screams)
(Elondra laughs) (screams)
(Elondra laughs)
(screams)
(suspenseful music)
Oh, no.
Leahy!
Sturgess!
Come on, you gotta get outta here!
Come on, George!
Am I too late, has it already started?
Answer me! You have the cross.
If you are to survive, it is your only hope.
(door creaks)
George?
George, it's me, it's me, David, come on!
David, something's got Melinda in the kitchen.
You've gotta help me. Okay, okay.
Where are the girls? Safe upstairs.
But, but Melinda's...
David, the door won't open.
But she was in here, David, I swear she was.
George, there's nothing we can do in here.
Now let's go, come on!
Come on, let's go!
(dramatic music)
Ann?
Sheryl?
(girls scream)
- What happened? - Come on, now.
We've gotta get outta here never mind about what's goin' on.
Come on, you've gotta run, come on, now, run!
Come on, come on!
(deep breaths) (moody orchestral music)
Wait a minute, wait a minute, where's Sheryl?
- I'll go back! - Sheryl!
No, wait a minute.
Sheryl, come on!
(deep breaths)
Daddy!
Ann, listen to me.
Take the keys, get in my car, it's out front,
and get the hell outta here, fast!
Justin?
David!
Look out, get out the way.
Come on!
Justin?
(explosion booms)
(Ann screams)
- You still got the keys? - Yes, yes!
Take my car and go, alright?
Melinda?
You've gotta help us find Justin, Melinda!
- Daddy! - Never mind him, just go!
Come on, run!
Run!
(wind blows) (suspenseful music)
George?
George!
Safe.
George?
George!
(Elondra snarls)
(glass smashes)
George!
(door handle rattles)
(gasps)
Oh, no.
(moody orchestral music)
(Sheryl screams)
(suspenseful music)
(Sheryl screams)
Oh, no!
(screams)
(thunder claps) (strong wind blows)
(dramatic music)
(thunder claps)
(Elondra laughs)
(thunder claps)
(suspenseful music)
(thunder claps)
(somber string music)
(David grunts)
(flames roar) (dramatic orchestral music)
[David] Mary, what are you doing here?
I saw the fire.
[David] It's over, the witch is dead, Mary, she's gone!
We're safe!
You would've been, if the witch had been home.
No.
No!
I will not die!
You can't kill me!
You can't kill me, I'll never die!
You can't kill me!
I will not die!
You do not have the power to destroy me!
(David sobs)
(ominous music) (Elondra laughs)
(solemn choral music)