Garden of the Dead (1972) - full transcript

Convicts on a chain gang sniff experimental formaldehyde fumes to get high. They attempt a prison break, are shot down by the guards and buried in the prison garden. Soon, they rise from the dead, using shovels and hoes to kill all who get in their way on their quest to get high once more.

[music playing]

[jazz music playing]

[orchestral music playing]

PRISON GUARD: Keep it moving.

Keep it moving now.

Come on now!

All right, just get that
formaldehyde into the truck.

[grunts]

PRISON GUARD: All right.

Up.

Up!



PRISON GUARD: Keep it moving.

Not much time now.

Come on.

[TALKING QUIETLY AMONGST
THEMSELVES]

One, two, three, four of them.

PRISON GUARD: Where
are you guys going?

Keep working.

Ew, I hate that smell.

Formaldehyde has
never hurt anyone.

You ever embalm anyone, Doctor?

Strictly for the undertakers.

A wonder these old pipes
haven't given away altogether.

We don't have
money for repairs.

And anyway, they only have
to last another three months.



That'll be the end of
this whole damn place.

You'll be reassigned, Warden.

No.

There's no reassignment for me.

My time is finished.

Country clubs and
[inaudible] they want now.

This letter came from the
Department of Correction

this morning.

They're all reassigned.

Every guard, every prisoner,
and you, Dr. Saunders.

They said I'm not oriented
enough in the new system.

Oh, shit.

PRISONER: Come on.

PRISONER: You get
me another piece.

PRISON GUARD: Keep it moving.

[sighs]

[engine running]

[inhales]

[WHISPERING] Just take it.

Take it [inaudible].

[bubbling]

[all inhaling]

Ah!

[coughing]

PRISONER: One more.

Yes.

[bubbling]

[WHISPERING] Come
on back [inaudible].

Yeah.

[inaudible]

Go on.

[inaudible]

[sighs]

[sniffing and inhaling sharply]

Ooh, yeah.

[WHISPERING] Take it in.

[bubbling]

[whispering]

We're getting outta
here tonight, huh?

Not if we stand around and
talk about it, we won't.

Yeah.

[inaudible]

[WHISPERING] Keep it down!

You, [inaudible] get it.

Take [inaudible].

Come on, let's go.
Let's go.

Come on.

Hurry up.

Keep guard.

Let's go.

Till I get outta here.

There you go!

[inaudible]

Come on!

Come on.

Here, here.

[inaudible]

Oh shit.

This'll pull it.

PRISONER: Get it out.

[WHISPERING] Phew.

[inaudible]

It's not long.

[music playing]

Yeah.

[romantic music playing]

Hi, Carol.

Hello, Paul.

Have they told you where you're
going to be transferred to yet?

No, not yet.

The couple that owned
the trailer court

are gonna close it
down and move on.

I'm gonna have to find
someplace else to live.

I'll still see you
every day, won't I?

Well, it ain't no picnic
driving out here every day,

working that cafe, being
felt up by salesmen

and-- and truck drivers!

Well, I was beginning to
think that maybe, dammit,

you liked it!

Well maybe I do!

Johnson!

Come here.

You got one minute.

Go on.
Don't spoil a good thing.

You've got one minute.

[romantic music playing]

Carol.

Oh!

Oh, baby, I'm sorry!

[CRYING] I love you so much!

I love you, Carol.

15 seconds.

[sobs]

I needed you.

I-- [inaudible].

Oh!

Come on, Johnson, right now!

Come on, move.

I don't want to
be late for work.

Lousy hand.

[inaudible]

PRISONER: [clears throat]

PRISONER: It's nice to know how
we're gonna get out of here.

I'll tell ya.

[inaudible]

Johnson, Williams, come.

Down the other end
of the barracks.

Why?

Do as I tell you.

Unless you want
to come with us.

You can do more than hold that
pretty little girl of yours.

You can do it tonight.

You can do it right.

She sure is purty, isn't she?

Come here.

Come here.

[WHISPERING] All right.

Gonna make our way to
the warehouse shed.

Then we're gonna crawl
through the tunnel

to the bushes on the
other side of the fence.

Then it's just a short
walk to the loading depot.

OK?

At exactly 9:30, when the
lights-out whistle blows,

I turn this key to the
ignition of the flat bed.

But McGee's out
there right now.

--[laughs] Who are you
concerned about, McGee or us?

McGee has a gun, we need a gun.

Oh, I-- I remember, McGee
let you hold your old lady

for a little while.

I see.

[shouts]

Stay where you are.

That's right.

Anybody that even smells like
trouble in this break is dead.

[inaudible] Mitchell.

He knows rules.

I hope they kill you, Bradock.

Some of us deserve to be
in here and some of us

don't, but I hope they kill you.

I'll choke him with my hands.

No you won't.

'Cause there'll
be a riot in here,

and Bradock wouldn't want that.

No.

He's got a better
use for all of you.

Or he wouldn't have made your
minds simple, feeding you

all that formaldehyde vapor.

Come on, Donovan.

It's time to move.

Ah!

[jazz music playing]

[WHISPERING] Nolan!

Come on!
Come on!

Come on!

Come on!

[gunshot]

-What was that?
-Nolan.

Come on!

Get the warden.

Check the barracks!

All right you men,
back to your bunks.

Move it!

This man's still alive.

Bradock.

Will some of you men give
me a hand here, please?

Yeah, right.

Easy, easy.

-Right here.
-Over here.

Come on, let's go.

Get your gun.

Get in the car.

[inaudible].

Let's go.

[siren wailing]

It was an accident.

It was an accident!

It was an accident!

It was an accident!

You can go to hell, you
little son of a bitch.

[gunshot]

[sirens wailing]

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

Ahh!

[shouting]

[sirens wailing]

[crashing]

[gunshots]

Ahh!

[gunshots]

[shouting and moaning]

[inaudible].

Don't do it!

No, no!

[gunfire]

These men don't
deserve this, Warden.

I'll decide that, Doctor.

Right now, Cliff's in
agonizing pain 48 hours

longer than the rest of them.

He too shall be tossed into
shallow, unmarked grave

without dignity, as they were.

Now, the same thing
goes for any of you

who attempt to escape from this
camp or any other camp you're

transferred to.

You six men knew of the escape,
and yet you said nothing.

You shall remain here for
three days on bread and water.

This sort of punishment was
outlawed years ago, Warden.

You shall stay here
for four days, Mitchell.

And I shall add one
additional day for every word

I hear from any of you!

Officer McGee was
murdered because you

chose to say nothing!

Take it away.

[car drives away]

Never seen such a fog
or a chill like this.

PRISON GUARD: Keep
moving, there.

Yes, Mr. Wilson.

PRISON GUARD: Oh!

Mr. Wilson?

Mr. Wilson?

Mr. Wilson?

Jay.

Jay!

Jay!

It won't let me go!

Jay!

Don't leave me!

Don't leave me, Jay!

Don't go away, Jay!

Help, Jay!

Help me, Jay, help me!

Help me!

Help me, Jay!

Jay!

[growling]

[choking]

[growling]

Hey.

[growling and grunting]

We must have the
liquid back in the can.

We will destroy the living.

We will destroy the living.

[growling]

[crying]

Tell me he'll be all right!

I love him so much!

--[sighs] This will help
you to sleep, Carol.

I can't sleep
thinking about Paul.

Now, now, Paul's
going to be all right.

He was lucky.

I'm going to have him
transferred to the county

hospital in a couple
of days, and he'll

get good treatment there.

You'll be able to get an
apartment in the city.

Now, you just
relax and this drug

will take effect real soon.

And when you awaken,
this horrible nightmare

will be all over.

And you and Paul will
be together again.

All right?

Thank you, Doctor.

It's very nice of you to take
care of Carol the way you did,

Mrs. Fleming.

Oh, that's all right.

She couldn't stay alone in
that old trailer she rented.

Doesn't even have hot water.

I'll stop in again tomorrow.

Good night.

Night.

MRS. FLEMING: Ah!

Ah!

[screams]

[growling and moaning]

MRS. FLEMING: No!

No!

No!

[screams]

[crying]

MRS. FLEMING:
[screaming and crying]

[screams]

[zombies growling]

MRS. FLEMING: [SCREAMING] No!

[screams]

[crying]

[screams]

[screams]

[crying]

[screams]

[crying]

[engine starts]

[growling]

That's good.

[crying]

Mrs. Johnson?

What is it?

What is it?

What's the matter?

What's the matter?

[sobbing]

But sir, the
girl's in a bad way.

I don't know what
the situation is!

You talk Jablonski to get
back inside and lock the gate!

And quick, damn quick!

Yes sir.

Jablonski, the warden wants you
like back inside, right now!

[zombies grunting]

Bradock!

Come on, Mrs. Johnson.

PRISON GUARD: But
the warden said--

To hell with what
the warden said!

You just lock that
gate behind us!

Come on, Mrs. Johnson.

[sobbing]

What's this all
about, Jablonski?

I don't know, Warden.

I don't know if I can
find the right words

to tell you what I just saw.

Why don't you just try?

I looked like Bradock
and maybe Nolan

and Coler and Donovan, all of
them just coming down the road.

[sobbing]

Take her to my office.

Have Dr. Saunders look at her.

Yes, sir.

[sobbing]

[buzz]

Get the generator going!

Yes, sir!

What do you see out there?

Just a broken powerline, Warden!

Put a call in to
the electric company.

Yes, sir!

This phone is dead, sir.

All right.

I'll call it from
my office, then.

PRISON GUARD: [screams]

Get some light out here!

PRISON GUARD: But there's
no power here, sir!

[generator clicking]

[whirring]

What caused it, Warden?

I don't know.

The phones are all out, too.

Sergeant, I want every
man to his emergency post.

Yes, sir.

Shall I send somebody out
here to pick up his body?

No.

You take it back with you now.

I want no one out here alone.

Now, do you understand that?

Yes, sir.

Call your men.

I want you to stay together.

Keep your flashlights
on the bushes

along the sides of the road.

PRISON GUARD: Yes, sir.

Looks like somebody
got to him with an axe.

Bradock was carrying an axe.

Don't talk foolish.

Johnson's wife
said a group of men

attacked the trailer court
tonight and killed a man

and woman in the same way!

Warden, believe me, I saw
Bradock and the others!

Issue every man
two boxes of ammo.

Yes, sir.

Uh, Warden, what about
the prisoners in the yard?

So far, Jablonski, nothing
has happened inside the camp.

The prisoners stay
where they are.

I saw Bradock and the others!

No, no!

You saw somebody!

So did I. But you
didn't see any dead men!

[grunting]

[laughing]

There's lots of tracks, sir.

It looks like they
all came inside.

Sergeant, form search
parties, each one

taking a section of the camp.

Yes, sir.

Let one of us drive to town
so we can call the Sheriff's

station at Brightwood.

There's nothing here we can't
handle ourselves, Jablonski.

Ahh!

[zombies growling]

Warden!

Get us out of here!

[men shouting]

[gunshot]

[zombies growling]

[men shouting]

That's Coler!

Can't be Coler!

That's Coler, I tell you!

Can't be Coler!

[growling]

[gunfire]

All right, you men!

Get back to your posts!

It's Coler.

Yes.

[moaning and screaming]

The light!

The light!

That light on him.

The light is killing him!

[screaming]

My god!

My--
-Warden!

---god!

Warden, all the
vehicles are useless!

Useless?

What are you talking about?

[growling]

[screaming]

Jablonski.

Get your youngest
and fastest man.

Get him to run in the
direction of Brightwood.

Tell the sheriff there
we need assistance.

Yes, sir.

--[inaudible], get
that rudder going.

Yes, sir.

All right, you
men, hit the floor.

Shoot, Warden!

For God's sake, shoot!

A shotgun at close
range is our only chance.

[gunshot]

Ahh!

[moans]

Get those men out to
the generator plant.

Why there?

They'll be safe there.

That building's made
of reinforced concrete.

-Warden!
-Yes?

I sent Bob Linford.

He was a long-distance
runner in high school.

Damn!

Damn!

Give me those keys, quickly.

Here, take this.

There's something
around us, Warden!

You back off.

And keep your-- keep your
flashlight on the compound.

Yes, sir.

What's this about Bradock,
Donovan, and-- and Coler?

Now, look.

I'm gonna unchain you men.

I want you to run to
the generator plant,

and I want you to remain there.

Remain there with
the rest of them.

[shouts]

[gunshot]

The warden's dead.

Help me carry him to his room.

Yeah.

Yeah.

[whirring]

Quick, get in here.

Get in here.

Come on, move it.

[groaning and growling]

[laughing]

Oh!

Help me get him to
the couch, please.

We can't stay here, Doctor.

Why not, Jablonski?

Because these old walls
won't keep them out.

You'd better let
Johnson rest for awhile.

Sorry for what I
said the other day.

So am I.

[crash]

[glass shattering]

--[inaudible], get
that light down

and put it in the power plant!

Let's shine it on the
front door over here.

They won't go near the
beam of that light.

Decomposes them
almost instantly.

Give us some protection
while we're walking

over to that generator plant.

We'll be safe then.

Sergeant Burns, get out there
and cover the guards while

they're getting the light down.

BURNS: Yes, sir.

Wait a minute.

You help too.

Just about.

I got it.

Let it go.

[shouting]

[gunshot]

Come inside!

Mitchell!

[grunting]

Get that generator going!

They're [inaudible] generators!

[generator clicking]

[whirring]

[zombies grunting]

Come on.

[whirring]

They had their chance,
but they didn't harm you.

They-- they just stared at you.

Oh, they'd've
harmed her soon as--

How the hell you know that?

Because I had to listen to
their stories every night.

How they'd look at
her by the fence.

Then they'd tell me how
they'd like to touch her.

But first they'd've looked.

Carol, listen to me.

You gotta go out there to them.

[groaning]

Show us the girl!

Send her out!

Shoot, Carol, shoot!

[gunfire]

[groaning and grunting]

[crying]

[music playing]