Scream of the Banshee (2011) - full transcript

Santa Mira Archive Project

Number A2721.

Marble vase.

Ming Dynasty.

Replica.

Condition, fair.

Normal wear and tear.
Restoration, complete.

Fall semester starts
in two weeks.

Think you'll be done in time,
Professor Whelan?

We're close.

We're very close.



Let me
give you a hand.

Oh, no. I'm fine.

I thought it'd be a lot faster
to box and store away

all that old stuff.

You know history.

It always needs
a lot of polishing.

Good night.
You have a good night.

Santa Mira Archive Project

Number B47305.

Indian Head coin circa 1915.

Condition, good.

I just found
Mesozoic era fossils

of an Apatosaurus

next to a series of
thesis papers on Methuselah



and we are one step
closer to completion.

Hey, guys.

And two major steps back.

Do they realize how far behind
we actually are?

I haven't told them yet.

Well, then let's
show the Dean this.

Fossilized rat circa 1954.
Very fine year for rats.

Or

rusty gauntlet.

Gauntlet trumps rat.

Scottish?

Actually Irish.
You can tell from the design.

I'm thinking 12th century.

Yeah. Can I? Just...
Please. Thank you.

This came with it, too.

Oh!

Great. Section three.

Section three?

Do we even have
a section three?

Oh!

Yeah. Remember it had
that musty old grandma smell.

Maybe we missed something.

Maybe we didn't.

Look, I told my parents

I'd come home
and visit next week.

Am I the only one
that hasn't made plans

once we're finished?

We finish
when we finish.

You're gonna wear that thing
all day, aren't you?

Just come on over here.

Jeez. How do you get used
to being down here in the dark all day?

How come you're late?

Sorry.

Hi, Ms. Whelan.

Hello, Kurtis.

You should probably go.

See you tonight.
I'll pick you up later, okay?

Okay.

So, what's the damage?

You should go with Otto.

What's section three?

It's a lovely place.
Nice decor.

Wonderful aroma.

Right this way.

Always lift with

the knees.

Lift about 10
of these a day

and you will be
well on your way

to the physique
you see before you.

Okay.

Find this.

Let's see.

A red square?

Could be anything.

Could be a fully solved Rubik's Cube
with the red side facing up.

Could be a single tile
from a checkerboard.

Could be a metaphor for communism
or it could symbolize guilt.

I'll keep an open mind.

Otto!

The square
is another room.

Look out!

Shayla!

I'm okay.

Wet and a little icky,

but I'm good.

What the hell happened?

She found a false wall.

It's not like
I used a sledgehammer.

It was already
falling apart.

How am I gonna explain this
to the school?

There's something
back there.

I thought that's...

You're welcome.

Shayla.

That went well.

I need more light.

Hi.

What? It's for protection.

Well, I think we've found what
we're looking for.

You know what this means?

Yup.

We're dining in tonight.

Burgers or Chinese?

There's a similarity
in craftsmanship.

It's the emblem for
the Irish Templar Knights.

Interesting.

What do you think
is in it?

Another box?

There's some condensation.

It's vibrating.

I've never heard
anything like it.

Sounds like it's...

Sounds like it's breathing.

That's not funny.

Listen to it.

What the hell is that?

I'm not sure.

Could be bugs.

Let's put a moratorium
on the bug talk.

Done with bugs, rodents,
cardboard boxes

and any Chinese mystery meat
that attempts to impersonate

sweet and sour.

Rolling.

Santa Mira Archive Project

Number A2722.

Condition,

fair. Needs
further restoration.

We're attempting to
open a metallic Irish box.

Twelfth century.

Possibly a relic
of the Templar Knights.

There's a strange vibration
coming from it.

We were led to it by a package
containing a gauntlet,

also from the same
time period.

Number A2723.

Ready?
Roger.

We are looking at
an unexplainable phenomenon.

It appears to be

a partially preserved,
severed head.

Maybe of a deformed person

or a wild animal.

Perhaps the metal box
contained some sort of preservative

presently unknown to us.

Damn it!
Perfect timing.

Hello, Dean Harris.
Funny that you should call.

Yeah. No, no, no.
I can handle that.

Okay.

This is freaky.

What do you think?

I don't know.

There doesn't seem
to be any decomposition.

What the hell happened?

Where's the head?

It just exploded.

Did you get it?

Ah, damn.

There doesn't seem
to be any decomposition.

I swear it opened its mouth.

There's no return address.

There's no way
the school sent this to us.

Well, there's gotta be
a plausible explanation.

Yeah, well, I think
we ruled out the plausible

the minute
we opened the box.

Maybe we should tell
someone at the school.

Tell them what happened.

Tell them what, exactly?

Yeah, they are gonna look
at the mess in this classroom

and listen to our
crazy story and say,

"We hired
a bunch of crack whores.

"Round up those crack whores.
Take them to prison".

Because I'd believe that
a meth lab exploded in here

before I'd believe a story
about an 800-year-old screaming head

we found in a box.

We gotta keep this under wraps
until we figure it out.

Shayla?

Who was it?

Nobody.

I've felt, for some time,
disconnected

from those I once loved.

My isolation, my silence,
my beliefs,

were routinely
written off as madness.

But my madness
is not my affliction.

Awareness is the curse
that I've been saddled with.

We didn't find a key
for the casket.

The apocalypse is coming.

The Mayans were right.

The harbinger of death
is coming and will show no mercy.

Are you listening?

Are you listening?

Ow.

Ah, crap.

You cheat, Idaho Commando.
No blades, only guns.

I will destroy you
next time.

Hey.

Hey.

You know,
I'm a little too old

to have a babysitter
waiting up for me.

No one's waiting up for you.
I just... I couldn't sleep.

You should go to bed.

Are you okay?

Yeah. I'm fine.

Fine.

Look.

I'm sorry
about the wall today.

It's okay.

Why don't you go to bed?

I mean,
you've gotta get sleep.

You haven't even started
packing your room yet.

What was behind it anyway?

Nothing.

Why don't you
ever tell me anything?

I don't wanna fight.

Yes, you do.

All the time, actually.

I can see it in the way
you look at me.

Why am I such
a disappointment to you?

Shayla, please.

I don't wanna
do this right now.

You treat me like a child.
You hate my boyfriend.

You refuse to even have a simple
conversation with him.

And, you know, sometimes,
I think you hate me, too,

because I'm the only thing
you have left of Dad!

Shayla, I don't wanna
get into this tonight.

When are you going
to stop blaming me?

It's not my fault you weren't
around when Dad died.

Bad night?

You, too?

It's not surprising,
considering.

No.

It was more than that.

I kept hearing voices
outside of my place all night.

Giggling.

Scratching.

And it wasn't the storm.

Something was trying
to get in.

It was taunting me.

I kept trying
to convince myself

that it was my imagination
getting the best of me.

Do you want to see what my imagination
did to me last night?

Yikes.

Then I guess it's a good thing
I didn't go outside.

Hey, guys.
What's going on?

Anything weird
happened to you

when you got home
last night?

Well, I was gutted to death in
my Commie Commando game

which is terribly strange, because
the only weapons available are guns.

My ear is still ringing
and feeling scabby after last night.

Mmm.

Oh, there was a dead weasel on
my front doorstep.

Otherwise, feeling dandy.

Oh, my God.

Professor,
what is going on?

I looked up Broderick Duncan's
name last night.

He used to teach here.
Retired 10 years ago.

Then I found
all these creepy videos.

I know he's gotta have
something to do with this.

"I am not a god.
I am not a man.

"I am the bringer of darkness.

"The great wielder
of the truth.

"Mankind has long suffered
at the hands of mortals,

"but I am the vessel
for which mankind will bow

"for its forgiveness and
pay for its ultimate sin,

"complacency".

On the one hand,

he's an esteemed professor
who retired with dignity,

and on the other hand,
he's an end-of-days prophet of doom.

Sounds like psycho whackjob
is a more appropriate description.

Wait. Did you see that?

Look familiar?

The Templar seal.

He's wearing my gauntlet.

My?
That's our connection.

He has to have been the one
who sent us the gauntlet

and that led us
directly to the box.

What a prick.

We have to find
Broderick Duncan.

Janie, where are
the employee files kept?

Section three.

Not again!

I really hate the smell
down here.

Hmm.

I knew something
didn't sound right.

Assault charges.
Erratic behavior.

They offered him a deal.

Retire gracefully
and never come back.

Doesn't have
a current address.

But he does have an assistant.
Dr. Frederick Page.

He was the one
who got him fired.

This guy was heavy
into environmental causes.

Left shortly after Duncan.

Maybe he knows
where he lives.

Let's go.

I'm right behind you.

All right.

Pete.

Pete! Pete!

Otto! Otto!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

What's going on?

You didn't see it?

We didn't see anything.
We just heard you screaming.

Are you all right?

Clearly not.

The police say
it was a heart attack.

What do you think it is?

I think something else
is going on.

We looked everywhere.

Nothing else was
down there with you.

What are you
not telling us?

In the '60s, the government
tested hallucinogenic weapons.

LSD was a by-product.

Maybe something like that was released
when the box was opened.

You're thinking we're experiencing
some sort of mass psychosis?

Sioux wasn't even in the room
when that thing evaporated into the air.

How do you explain
what happened to him?

Did you find anything out
on Page?

I got an address. He lives in that new,
downtown Eco-complex.

Okay. I think
I'll pay him a visit.

Can I borrow the phone,
the one with the recording?

Yeah. Here.

Just keep searching, okay?

Okay.

You know, when she's finished
archiving this project,

we'll be moving.

She already has the next gig
lined up for next month.

How long have you
known about this?

Since we got into town.

And you're just
telling me now?

I know. I'm sorry.
You know...

I just didn't know
I'd like you this much.

Okay. Right.

I was thinking
about staying.

Just thinking?

She'd never let me.

I know her.
She'd create some drama to make me go.

Look, if you do leave,

maybe I'll go where you go.

Why should you have
to follow me around?

You know,

my dad used to walk me
down to skid row once a month.

You know, he wanted to show me
what life would be like if I didn't study hard.

And?

And...

And I still got
the lip ring anyway, chica.

Look, everybody's got
their own reasons for doing things.

And sometimes
they don't make any sense,

like your mom,
most of the time.

But if this is
how you feel,

then I'll support
whatever decision you make.

Good, because I've already
made up my mind.

Oh.

Hopefully she'll listen
to me this time.

What is the only thing
you can break when you say its name?

I don't feel like
I owe anyone an apology.

I am not crazy.

I am not a lunatic.

I just see the world
for what it is.

Among our ruins is justice.

Judgment will be handed down.

Bean Si.

Bean Si?

Is that Spanish for
"Yes, I'd like some beans"?

Bean Si.

It's Gaelic for banshee.

Irish folklore.

A creature whose scream
warns of imminent death.

Banshees were associated with
five royal Irish families

up until about
the 12th century.

A banshee can
take on many forms.

The most common
is that of an old hag.

But there are also stories of
people encountering a banshee as a waif

or a seductress.

And of course,

if you heard
the banshee's scream,

it will haunt you
until you accepted death.

Otto.

What? What's wrong?

So much for
the implausible.

That's pretty much what I saw,
but it had a body this time.

I didn't see anything.

Well,

maybe it didn't
want you to.

I mean, it was
toying with me, it was

messing with my mind,
it was trying to get me to...

I don't know,
it was tricking me into...

Haunting you?

Silence.

That's it.

That's what you break
when you say it.

That's what Duncan asked
in his clip.

When I didn't scream,

that's what saved me.

It couldn't hurt me.

You're starting
to freak me out.

Starting?

Can I help you?

Uh, yes. My name is
Professor Moira Whelan.

Ah, you're with the school.

What can I do for you?

I only need a moment of your time.
It's about Broderick Duncan.

A box...

They're still looking
for that thing?

No. We found it.

Well, if that's the case,

I'm sure you realized
it couldn't be opened.

It would be a good idea
if you wouldn't...

Well, you see,
that's the problem.

We did open it.

No...

Come in.

Hey, guys.

Where's my mom?

She went out,
but she'll be back.

We'll wait.
Is there anything I can do until then?

You want to help?

Yeah.

As always, a little
too late to do that.

No, thank you.

Does this look
familiar to you?

I don't recall Duncan or I ever finding
anything quite like that.

Mmm-hmm.

Well, it was sent to us

and it turned out to be
the thing that opened the box.

Hmm.

Strange things have been
happening ever since that box was opened.

Some very wild
and vivid hallucinations.

Almost like there was
some kind of chemical agent inside.

Perhaps placed there
by Duncan.

My dear Professor.

Broderick Duncan
is a very intelligent man

whose imagination
was his own worst enemy.

The Templar Box was just
one in a long line of his many crusades.

I'm not interested
in any crusade, but this one.

Where can I find Duncan?

I've left that part
of my life behind me.

I didn't like who I became
when I was around him.

But I need you to tell me
everything you know.

Please.

What's wrong?

I'm just worried
about you.

Us.

And that thing.

It.

And?

And Sioux is dead

and we both know
it wasn't a heart attack.

I just... I'm freaked out,
I'm pretty...

Pretty scared.

Maybe...

Maybe we should
stick together tonight.

Just in case.

Otto.
Yeah.

Do you realize
how pathetic you sound?

Yeah. Very.

And somehow
it's the very reason

I find myself
attracted to you.

And, so you don't
want me to come in...

No, no, I'm okay.

Hey, but, maybe next time,
I'll walk you home.

All right.

Twenty years ago,
we went on an excavation,

in these wedge caves.

One in particular
was called Labbacalle

or Hag's Bed.

During our dig,
we found a cryptic map

that was left to us
by early settlers.

Using the map, we went
into some underground caverns.

That's where we discovered an armory
buried deep within the walls.

Artifacts brought to America
from Limerick City in Ireland.

Then Duncan
found that box.

So he brought it back
to the school?

He was obsessed
with opening it.

That was one of the things
that led to his dismissal.

Why didn't he take it with him?
Why bury it in the wall?

I don't know.

What did he think
he'd find inside the box?

He believed
it was a weapon.

And I'd like to know
what he meant by that.

Come on, please, pick up.

Pick up.

Hey, this is Otto. Sorry I missed you.
Leave a message. Thanks.

A head?

That's what was in this box
the entire time?

We need to find Duncan

and then I won't
bother you again.

Or you can tell me
why your handwriting

matches the handwriting
on this map.

When you asked me why
Duncan didn't take the box with him,

it was me, I was the one
that buried it in the walls.

To hide it from him!

Why did you
lead us to it?

Oh, no, no, no, dear.

I wasn't the one that
sent you the gauntlet or the map.

That was him.
I'm sure of that.

How did he know
where it was?

He always gets
what he wants from me.

I tell you, he lost touch
with reality long ago.

He's a very
dangerous man.

I'll take my chances.

The Templar Box is
Broderick Duncan's folly.

When you go
chasing windmills,

all you end up doing is
hurting the ones you love.

Good day.

No, no, this is your
mom's classroom...

...an unexplainable
phenomenon.

It appears to be...

Come on, Janie, pick up.

Janie.

Kurtis.

What is your mom
involved in?

I want to go home.

Janie. Janie.

Janie!

Janie!

Janie!

Janie!

Something got to her.

It tried to
get to me earlier.

It's the same thing
that tried to get to you.

Wasn't it?

Yes.

I think...

I think it might be
a banshee.

Otto...
You have any other theories?

What did Page say?

Not much.

Janie called.

Before...

What did she say?

I don't know.
Where... Where is it?

Come on.

Come on, pick up. Pick up.

It didn't kill her
until she screamed.

Why didn't you pick up?

You could've helped her!

I didn't hear it.
This is your fault.

Look, Otto...
She's dead. Janie is dead.

I don't want to hear you
trying to rationalize this anymore.

How are we going to
stop this thing?

What are you doing here?

When you came by
to see me earlier,

part of me was excited

that the mystery of opening up the box was
finally going to be over.

Then I realized something.

I was going to have to
see him again.

Where is the box?

If this was used
to trap that thing before,

then we could use it
again somehow, correct?

Only Duncan knows
how all this works.

Against my better judgment,
we're going to have to pay him a visit.

He started it.

He's going to
help us stop it.

Shayla was here?

Can you hear that?

Uh-huh.

Yeah?

It's all yucky in there.

Are you okay?

Maybe you should
blow in it again.

You know, just to make sure.

Wanna check my ears now?

Kurtis?

Shayla.

Shayla. Shayla!

It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay.

Oh, my God.

It was horrible.

It was so real.

It was so real.

Because it was real.

Oh, Shayla.

Shayla.

Mom!

Mom...

Mom, what the hell
is going on?

What are you looking for?

Leverage.

The Bean Si was
persecuted like myself.

It didn't have a choice.

Its voice was silenced.

Its cause, perverted.

Common to royalty,

hunted and pursued

in an animalistic
pursuit of power.

Its crime?

To ask royalty to bow,

to submit to its cry.

That's what I've been
trying to say.

The banshee screams
because it wants you to scream.

That's why you can't give in to it,
give it what it wants.

If you do that,
it owns you.

My tail is long,

my coat is brown.

I like the country,

I like the town.

I can live in a barn

or live in a shed.

And I come out to play
when you are in bed.

My tail is long,

my coat is brown.

I like the country,

I like the town.

Or live in a shed.

And I come out to play...

Mom, look out!

Kurtis.

We gotta get out.

We gotta get out of the car.
Shayla, get out of the car!

Get her out.

Get her out!

Get her away!

Kurtis.

Kurtis!
You gotta stay back.

You can't do
anything for him.

No...

Otto, get the cross!

Okay. Hold her.

I'm here. I'm here, Kurtis.
I'm here.

Keep Shayla safe.

She's safe.

It's okay. I'm here.

Kurtis, I'm here, okay?

It's okay.

Kurtis. Kurtis!

Professor, we got to go.
We gotta get out. Go.

Go. Get the gun.
Get the gun.

Come on.

It's okay. It's okay.
Let's go.

It's okay. It's okay.

Where are we going?
We are so dead.

Mom, please.
We need to help him.

This is crazy!

Shut up!

Doesn't anyone care?

People are dying!

I realize we're
dealing with crazy.

But the only hope we have

of stopping this nightmare
is with that professor up there.

And if there's one chance
of saving my baby, I'm taking it.

I say we keep walking.

Fine.

Whatever.

Are you sure
he's here?

Yeah, he's here.

Broderick, dear.

It's Frederick.

You know what this is about.
Open up.

We know you're in there.

My name is
Professor Moira Whelan

and I've got
something of yours.

I'm sure you'd like to know
what was in it.

You're gonna need this.

What is this
place anyway?

His home.

But he likes to
call it Labbacalle.

Open up, Broderick.

Get down.

Give me the cross.

Give it to him!

No!

He'll kill us.

Who's shooting?

Run!

Give me the cross!

Get in!

Oh, my God.
This guy is a lunatic!

He's going to kill us.

You really think that's going to stop
Old Man Crazy out there?

Now you've heard the screams,
you bastard.

Home run, princess.

Come on out.

I mean all of you.

I will splatter princess' brains
all over the place.

But I will negotiate.

You must believe I was right,
otherwise you wouldn't be here, would you?

I was right.
Tell me I was right.

We're running out of time.
I know you can stop this thing.

Say it. "You were right, Duncan,"
and I'll consider it.

Say it!

You were right.

That's it?

And I'm sorry.

Good.

I can stop it.

But I will do it
my way.

Okay.

Long ago,

a Templar Knight,

a prince
with royal Irish blood,

devised a way
to trap a banshee's scream

as a way to share it
with his enemies.

Enemies?

He martyred himself
to the curse.

My main intent
to lead you to my box,

not as revenge,

I was sending a message.

Your message has already
killed three people.

Really?

I hoped for more.

But there's still time.

What an exquisite design.

But will it
stop the banshee?

Let's see.

Run!

Stop!

So tell us how we trap
something that isn't real?

Very carefully.

Over there. We found that
when we found the box.

Very good,
Freddie boy.

Very good.

That's what
makes it flesh.

Then let's go.

Kurtis.

Kurtis.

Wait. Shh.

Sounds like it's
coming from below.

The cave.

I told you.

I'll follow you
anywhere you go.

No! Get away.

This isn't happening.
This isn't real.

I know you want me
to feel weak.

You want me to feel old
and wretched like you.

You want to
drive me insane.

But I won't let you
take me.

And I won't let you get
anyone else either.

Shayla, don't move!

Finally we meet
face to face.

Farewell, my lovely.

That's enough
out of you.

Bitch.

You did it.

Yes, we did.

We did.

Where's the box?

What is it
that you can keep

after giving it
to someone else?

The answer is your word

and your word means shit.