God Told Me To (1976) - full transcript

(Choir singing in Latin )

(Organ music playing)

(Cars honking)

( Whistle tweets )

(Cars honking)

(Cars honking,
whistles tweeting )

(Cab horn honking)

(Gunshot crackles)

There!

(Gunshots, screaming)

(Child sobbing )



(Gunshots echo)

( Clamoring )

Oh, my god.

(Gunshot)

Woman:
Oh, my god! Someone's shooting!

(Gunfire continues)

(All yelling)

( Gunfire crackles )

Man: At approximately
12:14 pm. Today,

a sniper,
utilizing a telescopic rifle

opened fire on pedestrians.

His first victim, Alfred p. Majors,
was killed instantly

when a .22-caliber bullet
passed through his temple.

14 other citizens
were mortally wounded.



Due to the tie-up,
police found it impossible

to reach the scene
of the homicides,

and emergency vehicles
were unable to get through.

At 12:24 pm,

the police helicopter patrol
pinpointed the sniper

as being perched
on top of the water tower

at the haskell publications
building.

(Sirens wailing)

But, before appropriate action
could be taken,

one of our officers took the initiative
of climbing the water tower

in an effort
to talk the sniper down.

(Siren continues)

- He say anything?
- Um-mm.

Hey, Pete, he's gonna come down.

Listen, I'm not
coming up to arrest you.

I just wanna talk...

Find out who you are,

why you've done this.

(Sirens wailing)

( Rifles cocking )

Pete! Get down here!

Pete, the helicopter's on its way.
They'll take care of it.

Get outta there!

We have plenty of time,
none of us are going anywhere.

I'm Peter Nicholas.

Is there anybody you want us to call,
notify you're up here?

My name is Harold gorman.

Do you want us to get in touch
with your family?

I don't care.

I-I don't believe my son
had anything to do with this.

He was a very good student.

I-I mean, he couldn't possibly

have killed all those people
at that distance.

People have told me
that it is physically impossible.

Now, there might...
There must have been a lot of people

firing from those roofs,

and the... and the police
are... are covering that up.

Th-they're...
They're blaming my son.

Nicholas: I grew up in a catholic
boys' school in the Bronx,

graduated DeWitt Clinton
high school,

a year at Fordham university
before I joined the force.

Where did you
go to school, Harold?

Why should you tell me
all these things?

I want you to know me.

We don't kill people we know,
do we, Harold?

Only strangers.

That's why
I'm coming up, Harold,

so you can see my face.

(Helicopter blades whirring )

Hi...

Hi.

I'm... I'm 34 years old.

How old are you, Harold?

I'll be 22 the seventh of July.

I'll never be 22, will I?

Well...

We can't bring anybody
back to life, Harold.

Nobody can.

But there are a lot of people
down there

would like to know
why you did this.

You mad at somebody?

It was a nice day.

Nicholas: Yeah.

You into drugs, Harold?

I don't do that. I don't hang around
with those kind of people.

Can you tell me
why you did this?

Yes.

You promise
you won't tell anybody else?

I can't... I can't promise that,
Harold, you know.

It's my job to find out.

Well, I'll tell you anyway.

God told me to.

Don't!

( Screaming )

Peter, hey.

( Panting )

It's okay.
What happened on that roof?

- Nothing.
- It's okay.

It's somebody else's turn
to play hero.

I'm sorry.

I'm not gonna pick on you today.

I'm giving you a day off.

(Laughs)

Ahem, this is miss forster.

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, I took that class before.

They let me live.

All right.

Okay, bye-bye.

(Sighs)

Forster: Again, Spanish Harlem.

Forster: I really should have
a police escort.

I suppose the teacher
I'm subbing for

got mugged
in the boys' lavatory.

How'd you like to be mugged
by a detective?

Maybe they're
holding her for ransom.

Anything I could get for you?

I have to get dressed.

- Um-mm.
- Mm-hmm.

I don't understand how his aim
could be so accurate.

It was one of those
old mail order rifles.

The sights weren't even
properly calibrated.

Insane people seem to be graced
with unexplainable powers.

I read that.

I'll bet you did.

I wonder what guided his hand.

( Spits )

Are you gonna tell me
all those people were meant to die?

- Oh, come on, Peter.
- (Water splashing )

You're acting
like some kind of rookie

who's never been through
his kind of crap.

You've heard
every story in the book.

I'm driving out to hempstead
to see Martha.

People don't change.

It's really our decision,
not hers.

The laws of New York state
have grown up.

Anybody can get a divorce.

I think she's ready
to be reasonable.

Martha: Why don't you try
being honest with her?

You really have her believing
that I'm the one standing in your way.

Doesn't she know that you sneak off
to mass every morning...

Like a thief?

Does she know that you confess
everything to the priest?

(Chuckling) Hey...

( Softly ) Peter.

I'm not out to hurt you, Peter.

I feel sorry for you.

You really believe.

But where is all the joy

it's supposed
to put in your heart?

I'll come again.

We'll talk soon.

Did you come here
to ask me for something?

You want everything
to stay just as it is.

That's fine with me.

But...

What will your girl do
when she finds out?

Aren't you afraid
that she'll leave you?

It happened before.

Talk to me, Peter.

Is there anything you need?

No.

No.

I'm fine.

No.

(Choir singing in Latin )

Woman over pa: Dr. Morello, 361.

Dr. Morello, 361.

Hey, this isn't
really in your jurisdiction.

Guard: His wife said that he was sitting
at home reading a magazine.

He suddenly got up,
went down to the supermarket,

took a knife,
and started stabbing people.

John?

Why did you do it?

Take your time, John.
I know you can hear me.

Why did you attack
all those people?

Why did you pick up the knife?

God told me to.

( Gasping )

John? John!

- (Telephone ringing )
- Hello.

Don't ask who I am
or how I know.

There's going to be
another of those killings today.

- Hey, who is this?
- ( Distant phone ringing)

Hold on a minute.

Pete, get on the line.
This is your specialty.

Uh, excuse me, would you
repeat that again, please?

Look, he has willed it to be.

Five more will die today
along the route of the parade.

The St. paddy's day parade?

There'll be 5,000
dead-drunk, you mean.

Let me take this.

Uh, what do you mean, "he"?

Uh, how does he
will people to kill?

You'll see. There'll be one
of your own... a policeman.

- Which one?
- I don't know.

Maybe he hasn't even been chosen yet,
but it's going to happen.

At what time?
At what point in the parade?

(Cars honking)

Sam! Sam!

Get down to the parade.

I'm not supposed
to march in the parade.

Come on,
there's gonna be a shooting.

I'll be there in a minute.

(Cars honking)

Listen, get me
sergeant duff, will ya?

He's on the parade route,
44th street and 5th Avenue.

Oh, he's there.
He marches every year.

Find him, will ya?

Switch the call
through to one of the cars.

(Marching band playing )

Duff on phone: This is duff.

Sarge, is there any way
of delaying the parade?

Duff: Stop the parade, sure.

Somebody's about to go berserk

and shoot some people
in the march.

It's gonna be a cop,
probably a patrolman.

Duff: Yeah, I hear you,
but I don't believe it.

Well, follow the march, will ya?
Keep your eyes open.

- It's gonna happen.
- Duff: Yeah, yeah, okay.

Probably up where the mayor's watching,
in front of the TV cameras.

Somebody's trying to terrorize
the people in this city

and they're gonna do it
in a big way.

(Marching band continues)

We got a tip
there's gonna be a shooting.

Somebody in uniform,
one of our guys.

Follow the march.

( Indistinct police
radio chatter)

(Honks)

Stop the parade?

Rain or shine,
that parade has gone on

every year for 75 years.

Something new
is gonna be added this year.

Look, it's too late, anyway.
The march starts in three minutes.

Pete, it's obviously
a crank call.

All that bullshit
about being "chosen."

Nicholas, stay here.

The Irish have waited all year
for this day.

You are not gonna ruin it for them.
You got that?

(Door slams)

(Marching band continues)

(Bagpipes droning )

(Cars honking)

(Choir singing)

( Whistle tweets )

(Bagpipe music continues)

(Marching music playing)

(Bagpipe music continues)

(Gunshot)

(People screaming )

(Music stops)

(Car horns blaring)

(Gunshot)

- ( Overlapping shouting )
- ( Gunshot)

(All shouting)

(Gunshot)

- How many dead?
- I don't know...

(Siren wailing)

(Faintly) God told me to.

God... told me to.

We gotta get the parade moving.

You rode in on the subway
with patrolman Jennings, right?

- Yeah, I did.
- Did you see him, uh,

talking to any strangers
on the train?

No, it was crowded.
Everybody headed for the parade.

But I did see him lean over.

He was talking to a kid
on the train there.

How... how... what'd he look like?

Well, he was in his 20s,
blonde hair, thin build.

Yeah, I rode gorman
up to the roof.

How did I know he had a rifle
stashed in that package?

Well, was there anyone else
in the elevator with him?

Yeah, I guess so.

I take hundreds of people
up and down every day.

No, no, no, no, I mean, uh,
a young man with...

Shoulder-length hair... blond?

People like that
got no business in here.

Look, they try to come in
and use the toilets, they shoot up.

We keep the toilets,
all of them, locked.

Did... did you happen to see
a young man like that

on the day gorman
went up to the roof?

Like I say, you don't see
many of those.

Yeah_j

it was that day.

But I can't, for the life of me,
picture him.

Did you see him
the day of the murders?

Was he in here talking to anybody,
a stranger or someone?

Yeah,
hair down to his shoulders,

like a girl,
one of those hippie-types.

You have always to watch them
or they rip you off...

Stealing from markets.

I must have seen his face,

but it's like
he didn't have any.

Did your son have many friends
with long hair?

Well, my boy,
he didn't hang around those types.

That's why I remember
this one particular boy.

Uh, how old was he?
Was he about Harold's age?

I only saw him
through the window.

My eyes are no good.

His face was a blur.

I couldn't focus my eyes on him.

That's odd, isn't it?

Did your son
ever mention his name?

Uh, yeah, I think it was...

Phillips.

Yeah, from uptown,
Washington heights.

You know, I knew
he'd get my Harold into trouble.

I mean, anybody who would
walk barefooted

around the streets
of New York City

had to have
something wrong with him.

Yeah, Bernard...
Bernard Phillips.

That's the name my son gave me.

- Bernard Phillips.
- Okay, okay.

- Bernard Phillips.
- Thank you very much.

Nobody seems to be very specific
when it comes to this boy.

He was never drafted,
never worked, never on welfare.

Lived a charmed life.

When you find him,
ask him how he pulled it off, will ya?

Maybe he was blessed.

Never went to church, either.

Yeah, no...
No religious preference, I guess.

Hey. You got all the blessings,
who needs religion?

Yeah. Check the school records?

They don't exist.

There are people like that.
Ahem.

Yeah? Who?

Have you tried
juvenile offenders?

How 'bout where he was born?
Start at the beginning.

Nicholas: 22 broome street,
little Italy, right?

Maybe somebody's
still left who knew him.

(Voices overlapping )

(Calliope music playing)

(Doorbell buzzes)

Uh, Mrs. Phillips?
Can I ask you some questions?

(Door buzzes)

(Woman screaming )

( Screaming )

(Coughing)

Nicholas:
Say it! Come on, say it!

(Sputtering ) Gah... guh...

Say it!

( Groaning ) God... god...

God...

- Come on, say it!
- Goh-hh!

( Gasping )

You look pretty bad yourself,
lieutenant.

Ah, I'm just numb.

You won't believe this,
this is the first time I've been hurt.

You better stop by
and get some stitches in that hand.

Didn't even get hurt when I was a kid
when I fell off my bike.

Gonna have a nasty scar.

Did you find out anything else?

Uh, just there was a mistake
in her identification card.

What's that?

Listed her as a Mrs. Phillips.

So?

She wasn't a missus anybody.

She was a virgin.

I've delivered
9,000 babies in my career.

I truly could not tell
whether that child was a male or female.

It was as if... as if the sexual gender
had not yet been determined.

It was as if it were...
As if it were being...

Developed. ( Chuckles )

And you chose to call it a male?

Well...

I suppose I thought
it was the best thing to do.

The... the woman was not
at all upset, you know,

when I... when I broke
the bad news to her.

She didn't even seem surprised.

And so, when she referred
to the infant as a male,

I just...
I just went along with it.

( Sighs ) I wonder how that...

How the child turned out.

Yeah, male, female,
or something else entirely.

You felt no animosity
towards your family?

No, why should I?

I wasn't even
thinking about them.

I was reading the sports page
wondering what the jets were gonna do.

When you had decided to get up,
go to the closet,

take the gun
off the shelf, right?

Well, it, uh,
just occurred to me, yeah.

- It just occurred to you?
- Mm-hmm.

It just occurred to you
to shoot your wife?

No, I shot Jerry first.

Jerry was your son?

Yes, he was seven.

What did your wife do
when she saw you shoot your son?

Uh, she wanted to stop me,
and then she ran.

And then you
shot her in the back.

- Twice, I think.
- And then your daughter.

What's her name?

My daughter? Lindsay.

She... screamed
and she ran into the bathroom.

The bathroom is the only room
in the house with a lock on it.

I said to her, "Lindsay,
open the door for daddy."

I said it was "only a game."

I told her that
Jerry and mommy were all right.

The gun was a toy.

It was all in fun and if she came out,
I'd let her play with it.

I'd show her
how to do the trick.

Well, in a little while,
I heard a laugh.

Then I heard a click.
She came out.

She was laughing.

I was laughing when I shot her.

You don't feel any pity, do you?
Any remorse?

- I don't think I ever felt so good.
- How come?

Well...

I... I thought
I'd do something for him

after all he's done for us.

He's given us everything,
and asks for so little.

How could I refuse?

Huh? How could I?

I mean, he wouldn't ask me
to do anything that wasn't right.

They're with him now,
and they must be very happy.

You say he...

He spoke to you?

Inside me. He guided my hand.

Do you know something?
I didn't even have to aim.

No, I...

I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking that
he asked too much of me.

But... you don't love god
the way I do.

- You're a religious man, then?
- Not until today.

It... it happened all at once.

I've been searching
for this all my life.

What was it in the Bible?

God asked Abraham
to kill his son, Isaac.

Sacrifices to your god
are nothing new.

Why are you looking at me
as though I were the first?

Life doesn't matter,
not on this earth.

Pete!

Son of a bitch!
You see this? This was your kid's.

You blew the back of his head off,
you stupid bastard!

Easy. Take it easy, Pete.

Take him out.

Nicholas: Get him out, will ya?
Get him out.

He's a nut.

They'll put that bastard
in a home.

He'll never serve a day
behind bars.

In five years,
he'll be back out on the street.

We've seen his type before, Pete,
you and I both know that.

But you, I've never seen you
fly into a rage like that.

You've gotta be careful.

You might hurt somebody.

- I heard you got hurt.
- Yeah, yeah.

- A lady invited me up.
- Huh.

Uh, you ever...

You ever have a case where
a crime was committed,

and people say that god
made them do it?

( Chuckles )
There's always some psycho around

that says he's acting
"in the name of the lord."

You know, I had women claim

that they were laid
by the almighty?

But, when you looked into it,
you found it was her stepfather

or their high school teacher

or someone else in authority
that slipped it to them.

Huh. Girls have wonderful
imaginations, Pete.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, my friend, Callahan,
on the Jersey state police...

God rest his soul...

He had... he had a case
like that back in '50,

in the winter of '50 or '51.

Uh, the dame said,

"god did it."

'51?

24 years ago?

Yeah, I'm sure it was '51

because that was the year
my eldest was confirmed.

( Chuckles )

There were a lot of elements
in that case that couldn't be explained.

So, they did
the next best thing.

They forgot about it.

(Music, applause on TV)

Sit down,
I can't see through you.

I don't mind having company,
but I don't wanna miss my show.

TV game host:
Back with more "time is money!"

All right, it's a commercial.

Now, will you tell me
about Mrs. Phillips?

Huh? The night
that you found her?

Hell, if I'd been her husband,
I would've beat the tar out of her.

She was hysterical!

I almost didn't take her
into the car.

Oh, not that I didn't play around
from time to time, but...

She didn't look seductive,
you know what I mean?

Shelooked
like she'd been through hell.

(Thunder rumbling)

( Rain pattering )

Let me in!

Please, let me in!

Here.

Put this coat on.

Well, what'd they do to you?

Men like that ought to be
hung up by the what's-its.

It wasn't men.

You don't know what
you're talking about now.

I'm gonna you
to state police headquarters.

You know,
put this on you, please.

Not that way! They're out there!

There's nothing out there
but the city dump and an old dirt road

that ain't been used
since before the war.

Okay, okay!
We won't go that way.

I'll tell ya, lady, first police car
I see, you're getting out.

And don't get any ideas
about accusing me or nothing.

- It was as large as a house...
- What?

But it didn't set
on the ground, it hovered.

Huh?

And they raised me up
and I floated up into it.

- What...
- Then, they took all my clothing away,

but they were very gentle,
but I couldn't see them.

Nothing, except a single light
that blinded me.

Sure, okay.

What are you talking about?

Where are we?

Those are the lights
of Jersey city over there,

and then... well,
where do you think we are?

- They took me from nantucket island.
- Huh?

I was walking on the beach alone.
I-I like to be alone sometimes.

- ( Scoffs )
- It was a sound... a hum, overhead.

And then I couldn't move.
I couldn't do anything.

I-I looked up, and it was over me
like a heavy cloud,

only it was very low.

And then, it started coming
down over me.

I want to talk about it.
Please, say something!

I-I know I'm making you afraid,
but talk to me!

Uh, well, what else did they do,
these people?

They... they put me
in the middle of this light...

- This warm, glowing light.
- ( Driver chuckles)

- What time is it?
- Oh, it's 10:34.

It seemed so long.

It was only a little after 10:00
when I went out for my walk.

Wha... in nantucket?

And half an hour later, you're
in Jersey sound with your clothes off?

Hey, come on, that's crap.

Well, it mustn't
have taken very long.

Hey, did they look like us?

I mean, they have
no clothes on, too, huh?

( Chuckling ) They have, uh...

I mean, did they, uh...
Did they fool around some, huh?

(Tires screeching )

Man: And that's
the last I saw of her.

Well, I figured I was lucky.
She didn't cry rape.

Right?

Yeah.

She was raped, all right.

A child was born of that union.
I checked the birth record.

What're you talking about?

Hey, listen, why don't you
take the missus,

go down to Miami,
get yourself some rest?

Look, I can prove it.
I'm gonna find him.

Stop talking, Nicholas.

You're gonna
screw yourself up good.

Yeah, I know.

(Rumbling)

You've come
to the wrong man, lieutenant.

I'm not a police reporter.
I'm a science editor.

But you're interested
in the outbreak

of unpremeditated
homicides, aren't you?

Well, who isn't? So?

So, in every one of these cases,

the murderer
has insisted that he

committed the crime
because god told them to do it.

That's been kept quiet
by the department.

They don't want complications.

Lieutenant, the religious editor
is on the second floor.

Religion, by its nature,
indicates belief, faith of some kind.

I'm talking about facts.
Cold, hard facts.

The kind you like.

You've tried the others,
haven't you?

Nobody would print it?

That's right.

What makes you think
I'd stick my neck out?

Every priest and rabbi
from staten island to yonkers

would wanna hang me
by my moustache

for making them read sacrilege
over their corn flakes.

'Cause you had the guts
to print that stuff

about god
being an ancient astronaut.

Now millions of books are being sold
on this stuff... this subject.

You got people to listen.

Eh.

What do you think
would really happen

if somebody actually believed

that god was exercising
his will directly over the city streets?

I mean, good deeds,
much less mass murders.

Yeah, they'd be frightened,
they'd be shocked.

Maybe the killing will stop
if it's been acknowledged.

You're probably too young.

When I was around when Orson welles
told the people over CBS

that the martians
were in New Jersey,

and believe me,

the show was not that convincing,
not that good.

And you want me to tell them

that god is at 57th street and
Madison Avenue coaching snipers?

(Presses humming loudly)

You know, I'd like to see it.

- All the atheists would love it.
- What's that?

God to show up.

It'll finish the churches,
all the churches.

All my enemies would be
out on their pious asses.

Total chaos, that's what I like.

Out of chaos comes reason.
Out of reason, science.

Crazy lieutenant,
I'll write, they'll print.

Don't expect headlines!

Second section,
the bottom of the page.

And if anybody objects,
we'll print more and bigger!

That's journalism!

His father was a motorman
on the bmt.

He, um...

Developed Parkinson's disease
or something.

So, Peter became
the sole supporter

of his two brothers
and two sisters.

Um, stepbrothers
and sisters, actually.

He put both of the boys
through college.

They went instead of Peter.

You know he was a foster child

from the
catholic children's home.

Uh...

The Nicholas family took him in
when he was only a baby,

so Peter felt
he owed it to them.

Where are they now?
His adopted brothers?

One's in California,
and the other died in Korea.

Any history of
nervous disorders?

Does he sleep well at night?

Why don't you ask his wife?

He hasn't spent a night with her
in the past four years.

He admits that.

He goes to church a lot,
doesn't he?

I mean, not just on sundays.

This is beginning to sound
like an inquisition.

I'm going home now, gentlemen.

Now, listen, we just hoped
you could make some sense

out of all of this.
I mean, uh...

You know, people who are
too goddamn religious

make a lot of trouble
for everybody.

He truly believes,

and that sets him apart.

Religion can ruin a man.

You'll see to that.

(All shouting)

Reporter:
Police continue to follow

the outbreak of religious violence
that has spread

across the city in the past week.

Crowds, proclaiming
the birth of a new god

have attacked wantonly in mobs
and without apparent motive.

Psychiatric experts
label the phenomenon

a classic example
of mass hysteria,

but can offer
no other explanation.

(Sirens wailing, shouting continues)

(Elevator bell rings)

- Phew.
- Man: Lieutenant.

What the hell
are you doing here?

You know better
than to come down here.

Oh, come on, man,
it's after 10:00.

What you afraid of,
the cleaning woman?

( Sighs ) Come on.

Jesus Christ.

Hey, man, look,
I am very pissed, man.

I mean, my bag man said
that he made the delivery.

But my people
are still getting busted.

It's the best I could do.

The captain said
he wanted some arrests,

so I gave him a few.

I've been trying to figure out
a way to deal with you

without anybody coming after me.

Now with all this bullshit
about god,

I think I found myself a sucker.

- ( Grunting )
- ( Screams )

( Screams )

( Gasps )

(Footsteps approaching )

(Faint gasping )

(Knife scraping )

( Sighs )
This isn't like the others.

Commissioner: Now you're gonna
come up with new crackpot theories.

It's not enough
that you caused this,

that you leaked it to the press,

you made a panic from one end
of the city to the other.

The murderers always stayed
with their victims.

They never made
an effort to escape.

There was some other reason
for Jordan's death.

Somebody had it in for him.

He was in business for himself.

Now, what kind
of an accusation is that

to make about a dead officer?

Jordan was working both sides
of the street and you know it.

Maybe the boys up in Harlem

held him responsible
for their recent problems.

First it's god,
then it isn't, huh?

I'm just saying
it should be looked into.

Get off my back.

(Faint music playing )

Nicholas:
You're a pretty classy chick.

What happened?

Doesn't your man
look out for you anymore?

My man gave me this.

He, um, used to be in business

with the late lieutenant Jordan,
wasn't he?

How would a cop
like you know that?

Thought you was
one of those honest ones.

Uh...

When I knew him, his, uh...

His name was brown, Joe brown.

He's been out of town
for a while.

How come?

I don't know.

Joe brown...
Must be a million of 'em.

What's his name this month?

( Chuckles ) Zero.

'Cause that's exactly what he gives
us gals that work for him.

Zero.

(Faint honking)

I'm convinced that the man
who is in touch with us

is everything
that he claims to be.

Yes, he's proven his control
over any number of human beings.

And he's always careful
to inform us of his intentions

before each of these atrocities.

Unfortunately, one of us has betrayed
his confidence to the police.

I'm sure
he knows who that person is.

Why must he precipitate
such a bloodbath?

I mean, can't he communicate
by any other media except violence?

Man: Exactly.

Why can't he perform miracles?
Cure a few thousand people?

Wouldn't that be
more impressive?

The only way the lord
has ever successfully disciplined us

has been through fear.

Cure a man and you impress

a few people
who already believe anyway.

Kill a multitude,
and you can convince a nation.

You ought to know that, Hirsch.
It worked with the Egyptians.

He killed off
all their firstborn

and then they let
your people go, didn't they?

I wonder if the cost of salvation
isn't a bit high.

Man #2:
He's only made one request.

There's a policeman... a detective,
who seems to threaten him.

He wishes us to convince
this man to join us

without doing him harm.

Why would he be
interested in a detective?

(Car honking)

My boss, Mr. Richards,
wants to see you.

Get in, please.

(Engine starts)

Richards: Thank you, John.
Will you wait downstairs?

Come in, won't you?

- Why don't you leave him alone?
- Who you talking about?

- You know very well.
- What does he do?

Give you tips on the market?

I'm surprised that you
can be so light about this.

You've seen him recently,
then, huh?

I've just come from him.

Can't you feel his power
still in me?

He trusts you? Why?

We were chosen.

All of us.

Without so much as a letter,
not even a telephone call,

we knew to gather in New York
on the first of the month.

He reached inside
of our minds...

Honored us by his choice.

Oh... "Disciples," huh?

He could've disposed of you
just by willing it.

Must've had a reason
to keep me around.

Perhaps he feels if he could
convince a person like you...

Don't tell me that he needs
to build up his confidence.

The last time the living god
came forward on this earth,

he's the one who got murdered.

Did he ever mention
his mother to you?

Well, she's deceased, isn't she?

Did he ever talk about a time
back in 1951,

she was walking on a beach
at night in Cape Cod,

and... found herself in a Meadow
in New Jersey?

I don't wanna hear
any more of this.

- What's the matter with you?
- I don't feel very well.

- What's wrong?
- I... I don't feel very well.

- Sit down - get my chauffeur.

( Groaning )
Get me a glass of water, please!

(Groaning)

- Here.
- ( Gasping )

- Drink it slowly.
- I can't. Can't swallow...

Hold on. Take it easy.

(Gagging, choking )

Come on, it's not your heart.

It's not your heart! It's him!

Come on, fight him! Fight him!

He's trying to show me
what he can do.

Fight him!

Fight him! Fight him!

Fight him! Fight him!

Damn you. Kill me.

Kill me!

(Token clinks)

(Token clinks)

(Train wheels screeching )

All right, police!
Everybody, stand back.

I was waiting for one of you
to find me.

I tried.

I'm sorry... I tried.

I'm really not very good at it.

Wish I could pray.

Logan, huh? That's your name?

I-I warned you
about the killings at the parade.

He forgave me.

He gave me one more chance.

- He's waiting.
- Let's go there, Mr. Logan.

- I can't. Not now.
- Why not?

I can't tell him I failed.

You won't have to.

I'll tell him for you.

Come on, let's go.

Uh...

He never comes upstairs.

I always go down
to the furnace room.

He likes it there.

It's warm, and, uh,

no one sees him.

He stays in hiding?

Isolation.

It isn't necessary for him
to actually...

Contact us directly anymore.

He can make us know
what he wishes...

'Cause he learned how.

He's growing.

He's changing every day,

becoming more powerful.

That's okay.

You're strong.
You've shown him...

You could exercise your will.

( Screaming )

(Faint crackling )

You brought me to you and now
you're afraid to let me see you?

Why is it so important ibeheve?

What makes me different
from the others you killed?

(Man whispering )
Accept me. No questions.

Why are you afraid of me?

You're afraid
I'll find out something?

You can't kill me, can you?

Because I'm different, too.

I'm starting to feel it.

To find out.

(Man whispering )
I told you that you could be hurt.

Your stitches
haven't yet healed.

(Chanting echoes )

(Chanting continues)

( Crackling )

(Chanting continues)

(Chanting continues)

( Nicholas screams)

Sister, we're investigating
a series of crimes

and we need your help.

Um, we need the adoption records
for the year of 1941.

We don't usually
release that information.

Oh, I know you don't,

but it's very important
for us to locate

the natural parent of this child.

Well... the child
would be a grown man by now.

Nicholas: Oh, yes.

I don't see how
it could do any harm, could it?

Not at all.

Now, those records are probably
been moved to the new building.

Uh, there's no record
of the father's identity.

The child
was born out of wedlock.

No, that's all right,

we're more interested
in the mother's name.

Mullin... Elizabeth mullin.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Hello.

I phoned earlier.

- About miss mullin.
- Yes.

You didn't tell her
I was coming?

There's no need to.
She's not going anywhere.

None of them are.

Would you tell me
something about her, please?

Nurse: She's an old maid.
You know the type?

- I'll bring her down for you.
- I'd rather see her upstairs,

- if that's all right.
- Sure, come on.

Oh, listen, you know,
we can't be responsible

for the condition of the rooms.

You know these people,
they like things their own way.

There's this lady
who lived next door to her

who died a couple of days ago.

I mean, she just died sitting there
looking out of the window.

Nobody even missed her
till dinnertime.

Well, you know what they say...

"There's only
one cure for old age."

It's second door to the right.

I'll just knock on the door,
if you don't mind.

I'm sure you have
something else to do.

( Knocks )

Miss mullin?

( Knocks )

Miss mullin?

You have a visitor.
May I come in?

Mullin: Yes.

(Door creaks)

Come in.
Shut the door before there's a draft.

It's a hot day.
You should open the window.

If you don't mind, I'm satisfied
with the temperature in here.

What do you want? Do I know you?

I'm a policeman.

I hope you'll be able to help me
with some information.

Well, you've come
to the wrong party.

Well, this is about something
that happened a long time ago...

35 years.

My memory's all I have left.

None of the other parts
work very good anymore.

Uh...

You remember
the New York world's fair?

The original one
in flushing meadows?

Oh, yes. It was grand.

My father helped build it.

He was a construction worker.

Helped build the perisphere.

But you wouldn't remember that.
You weren't even born then.

Do you ever remember
talking to a policeman before?

About some problem...
Officially, I mean.

No.

About the same time
as the world's fair?

You don't remember
making a statement

to some officers
in queens county

about a terrible experience
you had?

Why would you want
to know about that?

Well, let's just say
I think it might be important.

( Scoffs )

They wouldn't believe me then.
Why should you believe me now?

They made me tell the story
over and over again.

All they did was laugh.

Pretty soon, I began to believe
it never happened.

Few weeks later,
I realized I was right.

That was the first time
my father ever hit me.

They sent me to an aunt
for a few months.

Finally, I came back and...

The baby was born
in queens hospital.

So, you...

You were coming home
after the fair.

It was past 11:00 pm?

I can tell more
what I felt than what I saw.

Mullin: There was motion
and the soft sound of engines,

and... I seemed to be floafing.

( Silent)

It was a ball of light
all around me.

I... I felt it pass through me.

And the purring sounds stopped.

And I... I found myself wandering
down the street near my home.

It was the next day.
Nobody believed me.

And I realized I was
going to have a baby

and nothing could stop it.

I swore to my father,
in Jesus' name,

that I never had slept
with a man.

Ineverhad. Ineverhave.

Oh, you...

You know miss Simmons
down the hall?

She never has either
and she's almost 80.

I guess we're
the only two virgins left.

I carried that baby inside me
for nine months.

I hated it.

I couldn't understand.

I even thought
of committing suicide, but...

We were... we were catholics,
you know?

Didn't the church help you?

Yeah, they...
They took the baby, and...

They did put him up for adoption
with a good catholic family.

Yes. They did just that.

Somebody at the hospital
told me it was a boy.

I never felt it was mine.

It seemed to have
a life of its own.

I'm glad I didn't see it.

Why have you waited
all this time to come?

Who are you really?

You're him, aren't you?

I don't know.

I might be.

What are you?

I don't know any more than you do
why they put me here.

For what reason?

What are you going
to do to me now?

Oh, please.

Haven't you hurt me enough?

I was never the same
after what you did to me.

Never. Please, don't... don't...
Don't... don't... don't touch me.

- Haven't you done enough?
- I didn't do anything to you.

Some other force wanted me born,
wanted me to be carried by you,

wanted me to...

Wanted me to live half my life
before knowing what I was.

Why pick on me? Why me?

I never hurt anyone
in my whole life.

- Why do you have to hurt me now?
- Don't you see?

What happened to you was over
after I was born.

What's happening to me
is just beginning.

You get out of here!
Don't touch me!

( Sobbing )
Don't ever come back!

What are you doing to her?

- What did he do to you, ma'am?
- ( Mullin stammering)

Don't touch me. Don't touch...

You're no cop!

- Attendant: Calm down, ma'am...
- I don't want anybody to touch me.

I don't want anyone to touch me.

I don't want you
ever to touch me again!

( Sobbing )

Do you know who I am?

I suppose you're Casey.

Please, come in.

He hasn't been home
for three nights.

I'm afraid.

Peter isn't an ordinary man.

He never has been.

Why weren't there any children?

I mean, he seems to have
some sort of hang-up

whenever I mention kids.

I had three pregnancies.

Each one ended in a miscarriage

in the fifth or sixth month.

Doctors could find
nothing wrong with me.

There was no reason
for the miscarriages.

No reason. None.

( Lighter clicks )

I didn't know about that.

He never mentioned it.

He wasn't sorry.

Oh, he said
all the right things.

But I felt he was relieved
when the babies weren't born.

He was always frightened
of having children.

An irrational fear.

It's crazy, but somehow I felt

he knew they wouldn't be born.

How would he know?

The doctor convinced me...

To have an operation

so there wouldn't be any more
pregnancies for my own well-being.

Father dowling sancfionedit

in the name of the church
for health reasons.

So...

I'm alone.

Sometimes

I sit here and wonder,

"who did I live with
all those years?"

I'm sorry, I have
to go back to the city.

What kind of a man
would hope and believe

that his children
would be stillborn?

Can you tell me,
what kind of fear is that?

( Door opens )

(Door closes )

I was worried.

I thought you
might've come here.

"Come home," you mean.

No, that's all right,
that's all right.

No, I'm glad you're here.

I've never seen
the two of you together before.

Odd, isn't it?

The two people
you love the most.

Makes saying goodbye easier.

See, he's going away.

That's so, isn't it, Peter?

Well, you don't have
to keep these for me anymore.

All my life,
I felt so close to god.

And it wasn't him after all.

I wish I had saved
some of that love for you.

I wish I could do it now.

Do you think
you can set me free so easily?

Martha...

Help her if you can.

Like you've always helped me.

Casey: You came to her.

Would you have come to me
afterward?

Yes.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

You don't have to do this.
You're going to get hurt.

Casey, the choices aren't mine,
they never were.

Oh.

Honey, you don't even know
who I am.

You won't let me get close.

There's nothing left.

Can't you see?

Look at me.

Look at me!

Can't you see?

Yes, I see.

We're all just gonna
let go of each other.

Okay?

Okay?

Okay.

(Car engine starts)

(Jukebox music playing )

Corner two.

Man: Hey, zero!

Man, you got
one of your customers waiting.

Hey, man! I've been waiting
for you for three hours!

What you got there, huh?

( Chuckles ) What is this shit?

- Turkey, you holding out on me?
- No, man!

- Huh?
- Come on.

Come on, empty your pockets.
Inside out!

How do I know you haven't got
a tape some place, huh?

Huh?

Come on, man.
What you pushing me for?

- Come on, man.
- Child, move!

(Men shouting )

I dealt for you before,
20 times, man.

I just gave you
a hundred dollars!

What's the matter with you, man?

Look at this guy, man!

Get in there! ( Shouting )

Dude pushing on me...

What's the matter
with you, zero?

Come on, man.

All right, drop your pants.
Drop 'em!

I ain't hidin' nothing, man.

(Pool balls clattering )

(Music continues)

(Raps)

Zero: I'm gonna be good to you.

Ahem.
I'm gonna give you three bags.

Man, I just gave you
a hundred dollars.

Inflation, brotha!

Man, I can't go out there with this.
They'll kill me.

It's either them or me. Come on.

Nicholas: Who killed
lieutenant Jordan?

Flush the shit down the toilet.

Move!

Don't be afraid.

You crazy mother.

Alone you gonna bust my ass?

( Clicks )

They ain't gonna
let you do that to a brotha.

Hah!

( Shouting )

Hey, wait a minute, man!

( Shouts )

( Screams )

(Groaning)

Phillips:
We're not the same, you and me.

(Door creaks)

I found you by myself this time.

You've tested yourself
since we last met,

and now you've experienced it.

I'm not gonna do it again.

In all living things,
one set of genes is dominant.

In me, all that is human
became recessive.

And you, my brother,
if I may call you that,

are the reverse.

That is why it took you
so much longer

to come to realize what you are.

That is why it's so difficult
for you to break

with the human portion
of your character.

Why did they put
the both of us here?

You were not like them,
so they tried again.

If there are others,
they'll be like me.

Your children
would have been like me...

If you hadn't
willed them to die.

I didn't!

The history books
are full of virgin births.

Who were
Moses and Jesus, really?

Our ancestors.

They were put here to create!

I can bear your child.

Together we could start
a new species.

No! No!

It was meant to be.

It's meant to be.

( Shrieking )

You've never felt pain.

(Whimpering )

(Moaning)

( Gasping )

(Rumbling)

( Screaming )

(Rumbling)

( Crashing )

(Wood crackling )

(Car horns honking)

Reporter: Mr. Nicholas...

Can we ask you a couple
of questions, please?

Yes?

Could you tell us, sir, when you went
to the building that night,

were you aware that you were
gonna commit an act of homicide

on a person named
Bernard Phillips?

Yes, yes, I was.

Reporter: You were. Sir, sir?

Can I just ask you...

Your reasons for performing

this atrocious murder
against a 24-year-old boy?

"God told me to."

Reporter: Pardon?

God told me to.

(Music playing)

(Choir singing in Latin )