End of the World (1977) - full transcript

Water's boiling I'll have
fresh coffee in a minute.

Please need to call the police

before it's too late.

Before it's too
late for what, Father?

Must use your telephone.

Help yourself.

I don't seem to have a...

It's all right, Father.

- It's on me.
- Thank you.

The sheriff's a good
friend of mine.

He'll take care of
all your troubles.



We need help.

Help.

All of us.

Make your call, Father.

I'll go fix the coffee.

Welcome back to St. Catherine's, Father.

Communications Control, please.

This is Andrew Boran.

Code word equator.

I wanna speak to
Commander Beckerman.

Hello, Commander.

Andrew Boran.

I've just been deciphering

some signals from outer space,



and the patterns are,

are, well, consistent,

as though they're trying to
form words or sentences.

Have you picked up anything similar?

No, I wish I could tell you more.

It's just a feeling I have.

Okay, thanks anyway.

It's 5:30, Professor,

and you are a guest of honor

at that banquet this evening.

Yeah, thanks, Larry.

I knew it.

You're not ready.

If you wanna stop by the plant

on the way to the banquet,

you'd better hurry.

Hmm, what's this?

I just thought of something
better to do.

Oh, you had the same thought
this morning.

What's happening to you?

Are you complaining?

Only that these little attacks

didn't start 10 years ago.

You're right.

We're wasting time.

Andrew, come on, we'll be late.

Well, so we'll miss the food part.

Who cares?

We could at least go
back to the bedroom

I'll never make it.

What's so important this
time of night?

This is the first time I've
been able to detect

the same kind of coded
message going into space

as I've received from space.

You understand?

No, not at all.

Andrew, what does that mean?

I don't know.

Except it's the first
time I've ever been able

to decipher three words
in our own language.

Don't you receive messages

from all over the world
all the time?

This message didn't come
from our world.

Andrew, what are you
talking about?

Hmm, what on Earth are
you talking about?

I'm not talking about
anything on this Earth.

Well, come on.

We'd better go, huh?

We're gonna be late.

Andrew?

The banquet.

Come on.

Yeah.

I'm so proud of you, Andrew.

You know, it really would have
been a perfect evening,

if Collins just hadn't
told that dumb joke.

What was that joke?

Something about a...

We're interrupting this program

to bring you a late
breaking news story.

Beijing reports a major

earthquake in Southeast China.

- Wait a minute.
- Near the site

of last year's devastation.

Despite Chinese government claims

in the area of earthquake prediction,

this latest tragedy has apparently

caught them completely off guard.

The death toll so far
has reached 20,000,

but may well climb to 10
times this number

when communication is
finally re-established

with the major population
center of Fuzhou.

President Carter has offered
official American assistance.

That's terrible.

I wonder when it happened.

Probably while we were
at the banquet,

between the time we
left the plant and now.

We heard the news before
we left home.

There was nothing
about an earthquake.

Those three words on the monitor,

"Large Earth disruption."

Really, Andrew, to think that
there's any connection

between your three words and
and earthquake in China,

that's really reaching.

Besides, you said that those words

didn't come from any
place on this Earth.

That's right.

Well, then where'd they come from?

I'm gonna find out.

Andrew!

Oh.

Andrew, I want to talk to you.

Well, you haven't checked the negative

velocity sector in sometime now.

We got to keep working
on this thing,

and that crystal you had
installed it's burning up.

Look, I'm on my way there
right now, Ray, okay?

I heard that you've been
burying yourself

in the computer section.

Well, I'm still picking up

those signals I told you about,

and more frequently.

Have you heard anything
from the Pentagon?

Yes, I have,

but not about your
request for a separate.

Well, what then?

Well, you must have made
yourself some friends

at that banquet last night.

What do you mean?

The head of public relations

just called me from Washington,

and they're setting up a
lecture tour for you.

You're going out in the street.

Now, if you'll make yourself
popular on that tour,

you can get practically
everything, anything you want,

and much easier and faster
than anything I can do for you.

What's the purpose of this tour?

Well, there's been a
considerable drop off in

the enrollment of the various
universities theses days.

You know, under the kind
of scientific research

that we do here.

Everybody wants to study ecology

or one of the other earthly subjects.

Now you go out on that tour, Andrew,

you talk to those kids like you

talked to us at the
banquet last night.

You're gonna make yourself

a lot of contacts.

Yes, sir.

Tell them how glamorous the
position really is.

Talk to them about
outer space and all

those wonderful flying
saucers we see every day.

Sorry, Ray, get somebody else.

You don't seem to understand, Andrew.

You really have nothing
to do with it.

Washington is arranging a
series of lectures for you,

and they feel that's
important that you go.

And, frankly, I do too.

So why don't you just finish what

you have to do around here today,

go home, have yourself
a drink, relax,

spend a pleasant evening.

Meanwhile, I'll get in touch

with Washington about
your itinerary.

We'll get together in
the morning, okay?

I'll talk it over with Sylvia.

Oh, Sylvia would love to go off

on a trip like this with you!

Hi, John.

Hi, Andrew.

How's the family?

Oh, fine, thanks.

Missed you here last Tuesday.

Well, I'm involved in another project.

I hear.

You know, sometimes I get the
feeling we've gone about

as far as we can with
this experiment.

But that other project,

that's something else.

I got a feeling I'm really on
to something important,

and nobody else in the
plant's willing to help.

I know.

The Senate approved,

and sent to President Carter a bill

authorizing 36 billion for
military procurement.

The bill could be compromised

between the House and the Senate

in a disagreement over funds

for a nuclear aircraft carrier.

The House had voted to
delete the funds,

but agreed to a compromise

that authorized 81.6 million

for preliminary work on the carrier.

In California,

a four million federal
drought relief loan,

the first under the Emergency
Drought Act of 1977,

was issued to the
Chowchilla Water District.

State Treasurer, Jesse Unruh,

whose office must approve
all such loans,

said two million of the money
will be used to dig new wells,

another million for improvement
of existing wells,

and the last million for
installation of pipe lines.

And now, a little about sports.

Iliana Stacey, the
hotheaded Romanian...

You know, the best thing
about this tour of yours?

What?

Well, your speech only
takes 45 minutes.

That'll give us a lot
of time together.

It will be just like
a second honeymoon.

"Ten standard minutes."

That's what the message
read, "10 minutes."

I don't get it.

That's really romantic, Andy,

"Ten standard minutes."

Go to sleep.

You're the best we've had
this season, Professor.

You had them spelled bound
there for 45 minutes.

Well, I had a lot to say,

and I'm sincere.

This field's very
important to get into.

Someday, interplanetary communication

is going to be as common as Ma Bell.

Next time I'm gonna sit closer.

What's that supposed to mean?

Well, tonight I sat
way in the back,

in case you were really boring
then I could quickly.

We usually have to get together

in the coffee shop
after every lecture.

Would sure love to have
you and your wife.

Well, we might be able to stop
by for a few minutes, Bob.

But if we don't,

I wanna thank you for making

everything so pleasant for us.

It's been our pleasure,
Professor, really.

- Thank you, Bob.
- Yeah, bye-bye.

A dangerous flow of lava

from the east side of the crater,

which may pose a threat to
the citizens of Kinshasa.

A citywide evacuation
is being planned

should the threat continue to grow.

Scientists also report a
cloud noxious gas

stretching towards the Angolan border.

Ladies and gentlemen,

a bulletin has just been handed me.

Kinshasa has been inundated

by a massive flow of molten lava.

The casualty figures are not yet in,

but said to be in the tens of thousands.

This volcanic eruption is accompanied

by severe earth tremors through

the entire country of Zaire.

Sylvia, what's the exact
date of my next lecture?

There's some things
I wanna check out.

All right.

We have until Wednesday.

That volcano erupting in Africa,

doesn't it bother you
that it didn't happen

within the 10 minutes you
were talking about?

I don't know.

Maybe their minutes are measured

on a different scale than ours.

Well, we're about to
come into Wrightwood.

See that circle on the map?

Yeah.

I'll bet there's a
transmitter right there.

We'll go up to the next
junction and take a right.

Then go a mile or two.

That should be it.

But I though you said the space

message you received indicated

a 50-mile radius around here.

Yeah, but there were two signals

within that 50-mile radius.

The spot we're about to
come to is definitely where

one of the signals originated from.

Hello, Sister.

Hello.

Hello, Sister.

Aren't we blessed with
such a beautiful afternoon?

Yes, we certainly are.

May I offer you this rose?

You know, when I pray
to St. Catherine,

she always makes sure
that I have the most

beautiful rose bush in
the entire garden.

Be careful of the thorns.

I will.

Thank you very much.

You know, maybe I better send

my instruments back to Woolworth's.

Well, it's not exactly what
we were looking for,

but it sure is beautiful.

Yeah.

Well, that other spot on the chart's

about 40 miles from here.

Andrew, we might get in trouble.

Yeah, we might.

Come on.

What is this place?

Looks like a zoo.

A zoo for what?

Andrew?

Andrew?

Andrew.

Help!

Help!

Andrew, Andrew, Andrew!

- What's the matter?
- The door closed!

The door!

Listen I was just there.

It's all right.

It's all right.

I was so scared.

Where were you?

I was right in there it's okay.

Okay.

Whew.

It's all right, honey.

It's okay.

It's all right.

Whew.

Come on.

Let's go home.

We don't have to do this.

No, no, no, I'll be all right really.

Just don't leave me again.

All right.

All right, both of you.

Put your hands where I can see them

and keep coming down the stairs.

That's it crawl under here.

Follow me underneath.

Get under there.

Lean up against the wall.

- Hands high!
- Let's go!

Either one of you make
the slightest move,

and I'll kill both of you.

- Will you...
- Shut up!

Spread them out come on!

Who sent you.

Nobody sent us.

We came on our own.

Nobody?

We're five miles off the main highway.

It's the dead of night,

and the two of you decided to take

a quiet little walk in the park.

Is that what you're
trying to tell us?

Maybe you better
explain who you are,

and what you're doing down here.

I don't think you realize
the trouble you're in.

There's a good chance you
may never leave here alive.

So you're Professor Boran?

Who are you?

I'm Commander Joseph Beckerman.

What's so funny?

We talk to each other at least

once a month on the telephone.

Commander, my wife, Sylvia.

How do you do?

I still don't understand
what's going on.

Come with me please, both of you.

As you can see,

we're in the communications business,

just as he is,

except that we're underground,

and the reason for that is simple.

While he's trying to decipher
messages from outer space,

we're keeping close tabs
on communications between

Russian space stations
and points of earth.

You mean those are Russian
words we're hearing?

They're the only ones besides us

that go up there right now.

Excuse me.

For the time being, it's an easy job,

but think what it'll be
like in just a few years

when the other countries
start doing the same things.

Sending satellites and
stations up there,

it'll sound like the Tower of Babel,

and that's what we're planning.

Well, now, tell me more, Andy.

What in the devil are you
doing snooping around here?

You could have gotten killed.

Yeah, I believe it.

I wish I could tell you,

but I can't.

All right.

I know what you're thinking.

Tomorrow we go back to that convent.

We do go back to that convent,

but that's not what I'm thinking.

You remember the other night

I told you to go to sleep?

Yes.

I was a fool.

You sure were.

Good morning, Sister.

Who's in charge of the convent?

Father Pergado.

Come.

He always welcomes strangers.

Welcome to St. Catherine's.

I'm a Father Pergado.

We're very happy to
meet you, Father.

This is my wife, Sylvia,
and I'm Andrew Boran.

We're sorry to barge
in on you like this,

but the convent was
on her way home,

and we wanted to satisfy a curiosity.

Curiosity?

My husband's not talking about

a religious curiosity, Father.

Well, no, Father.

I work in communications,

and my monitors keep
pointing to this area

as a center of activity.

I ought to have known better.

I should never have
allowed Sister Theresa

to bring her transistor
radio in here,

but she does love
the opera so much.

I don't think a transistor
would give off

the kind of the air
waves I'm talking about.

Then I don't know what
else it could've been.

Father, do you ever hear any

strange noises here in the convent,

or nearby in the forest?

Not really.

The occasional animal
noises, of course,

and from time to time a
gunshot from a hunter.

Nothing else.

It's very quiet here.

Well, look you don't have to say yes

to what I'm about to ask,

but this is a power impulse meter,

and I'd like to simply walk around

and check your walls
and the basement.

Of course, anything
we can do to help.

Sister Patrizia will accompany you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Did you manage to find what
you were looking for?

I'm afraid not.

Well, I'm sorry.

Our instruments are
usually quite accurate.

But, then again they're
just that instruments.

Yes, of course.

Would you care to stay for lunch?

You're more than welcome.

Oh, no thank you, Father.

We have a long way to go,
and we'd better get going.

Thanks for your help.

Not at all.

- Goodbye.
- Bye, bye.

Bye.

Andrew?

I knew that was you.

What happened?

You didn't get canceled, did you?

I wanted to see about those signals.

Let's not get mixed
up in all that again.

I heard that you were doing great.

What are you doing back here?

I had a few days before my next lecture.

I wanna check on somethings.

Okay, if you need anything just holler,

but in the meantime you
get back on the tour.

Good afternoon, Professor.

Oh, hi, Larry.

How are the lectures going?

Oh, fine, fine.

Here.

Here's a copy of my itinerary.

Oh, sure.

Now, I'll phone you from time to time.

But if you see anything
out of the ordinary,

anything at all,

I want to know about it.

Of course.

That message was sent to outer space.

It described you and me.

We both know where it came from.

The convent.

Well, what are we gonna do?

The only thing we can do.

Go it alone.

Hang on!

Go!

Have repair's been made to
the velocity control system?

We did the best we could.

Then some warp speed should be in order.

We shall soon find out.

"Our Father who art in Heaven,

"hallowed be thy name.

"Thy kingdom come.

"Thy will be done on Earth
as it is in Heaven.

"Give us this day our daily bread,

"and forgive us our trespasses

"as we forgive them
that trespass against us.

"And lead us not into temptation,

"but deliver us from evil."

We have exhausted all
the possibilities.

All except two.

I know, we need them now.

My apologies.

For what you just did?

You are an intelligent
man, Professor,

and soon you will
understand everything.

Look around you.

What do you see here?

A command display complex,

a library computer control center.

Obviously, everything in this room

has some connection with
velocity-time relationships.

Exactly.

Interstellar travel.

What happened to the
nuns who were here before?

You humans are just beginning

to understand cloning.

We mastered it many years ago.

We took on the appearance
of Father Pergado

and the six nuns in this mission,

because we were forced
to for our experiments.

You are telling us

that you murdered six
nuns and a priest?

We had no choice.

There was a malfunction
in negative velocity.

A space ship?

No, we use international navigation.

We have paid many visits
to your planet, Professor.

But now, your Earth has become

restructured through
seismic disturbance,

and we cannot return to
our planet as we did before.

How did you manage then?

We used what you humans would call

a time warp such as that one.

What do you want from us?

Your planet has been working

on a speed coordination system.

We know that, Mr. Boran.

What we do know is what
you have achieved.

We've developed an emergency speed.

How many kilometers per hour?

Close to 200 million.

What precisely do you use

to achieve this emergency speed?

A small capsule containing
zero time reference,

a variance crystal.

That is exactly what we need.

I can't help you.

Well, I'd never get
it away from the plant.

Well, security's too tight.

Unfortunately, there is no more time.

I know that you are
tired and you need rest,

but by the morning
you will find a way.

You will, Mr. Boran,

or you will lose your wife.

Goodnight.

I'm afraid.

They're so powerful.

But limited.

They must be prisoners
of this place,

unable to function away from it.

Otherwise, they'd get
to crystal themselves.

What are they gonna do?

We're not waiting
around to find out.

We're gonna get out of here.

Oh, how?

Well, look at this place.

The door's wide open.

There's no one guarding us.

When they sleep,

maybe their powers sleep with them.

Now, come on.

Come on.

Come on.

They've taken the car.

Of course.

They're controlling our every move.

That's why we couldn't escape.

We have to find somebody
they had no contact with,

a total stranger.

All right.

What the hell is
wrong with you two?

Look, this is an emergency.

Please, take us to the
nearest police station.

Please, help us.

Yeah.

Okay, get in, come on.

I know.

Welcome to St. Catherine's.

I trust that you slept well.

What kind of a planet
do you come from

that you'd kill to
get back to it?

We have no deaths there,
no diseases, no wars.

Utopia?

A perfect world, right?

Yes.

That is why we're so
anxious to return to it,

and that is why you will
do exactly as we ask.

We shall look after your
wife until you return.

But we want that variance
crystal and we want it now.

Remember, Mr. Boran,

you will be under our
protection every moment.

Do you mean the same
kind of protection

that you used to
murder Father Pergado,

and that poor driver who
tried to pick us up?

If it is needed.

You will help us.

You've got to promise me,

you won't do anything
to antagonize them.

I won't.

But what they're asking you to do

is impossible without
getting someone killed.

What about John Davis
and the other guards?

If anything happened to them,

I couldn't live with myself.

We're gonna get out of this alive.

I have a way to get in the plant

without involving John
and the other guards.

Be careful, Andy.

What could happen with all
those nuns to pray for me.

No, stop!

Don't shoot, dammit!

It's Professor Boran!

You have what you want.

Now I want my wife.

I'm afraid that will not be possible.

We had an agreement!

The agreement is expired.

You!

We are going back today, Boran.

Crystal has been installed.

The planet Earth has emitted
an overabundance of diseases.

They are contaminating the universe.

All the planets light years
away from here will suffer,

unless it is destroyed.

Destroyed?

We have received our orders.

An earthquake in the
remote part of China,

the eruption of a long dead volcano.

We stopped when we discovered

that the restructuring of the earth

was preventing us from
returning to our own planet.

That problem has now been rectified.

Your world will end.

Nothing can prevent it.

This convent

will be the last to go.

I have set the emergency speed at

200 million kilometers per hour,

three times the speed required.

We have a direct path.

You would make an excellent
citizen of our world, Professor.

I wish that you and your
wife would come with us.

On Earth, your talents
are used for destruction.

On our planet, we use them to build.

Tell me it's not happening, Andrew.

It can't be.

It is happening.

It had to happen.

God knows what's on the
other side of that wall.

It's our only chance.

Let's take it.