Stake Land (2010) - full transcript

[Blues music]

♪♪

- [V/O] Call me Martin.

I've seen things
you wouldn't believe.

Things a boy shouldn't see.

But... I'm not a normal
boy anymore.

And it ain't a normal world.

Get used to it.

That's what Mister tells me.

We live by his rules
or we die.

Or worse.



We die and we come back.

[Gun shots]

[Vamp screaming]

But let's begin at the beginning.

I was like any other kid,
I had a family.

I went to school,

I didn't believe in the boogey man.

But then the world
woke up to a nightmare.

[Thunder cracks]

- [Radio]... Stay in your homes
and not to travel by night.

Route 422...

- Maybe we should wait.

- We'll take the back roads,
you'll be safer there.

[Dog barking]



- No. Martin, come back!

- Hey!

- Martin!

- Cooper!

Cooper!

Cooper...

Cooper!

[Door creaking closed]

[Baby crying]

[Distant screams]

- Martin, run!

- Mom!

- Shh! Shh!

You wanna live boy,
you listen to me.

You scream,
I'll break your neck.

They're dead!

There's nothing to be done
about it but kill that thing.

Can you shoot?

You shoot me
I'll fuckin' kill you!

- [Radio]... A 24 hour hotline
for missing persons

attributed to the outbreak

has been set up on
a county by county basis.

Phone lines in all areas
have been flooded in.

Officials ask for patients as

recovery teams are
doing all they can

to maintain order
on the east coast...

[baby crying]

...I repeat, do not venture outside
after sundown.

Stay in your homes and
lock the doors and windows...

[vamp growling]

[Gun shot]

[Thud]

Get a fuckin' hammer!

I only got two hands, boy.
Do it!

- Save him...

[thud]

- One day you'll learn
not to dream at all.

Get your shit.

Welcome to Stake Land, kid.

[Vamp growling]

- [V/O] Months passed
in a blur of days and nights.

We traveled east and west,
but always north.

Away from death.

We avoided the cities.

Mister said they were the worst,

hit the hardest in the beginning.

As people flocked together
for safety,

the plague marched through
their locked gates

and they became death traps.

When Washington fell, it was over
for America as we knew her.

As government blew away,
our great leaders ran for it.

And hope was abandoned.

We were on our own now.

Me and Mister.

Traveling through a ruined land.

Pockets of civilization survived.

Towns locked down behind fences

and guns holding the night away.

Cults spread like wildfire
across the southern states.

Waitin' for the messiah,
but he never came.

[Distant screams]

Death came instead.

And it came with teeth.

[Soft piano music]

♪♪

- Dumb fuck got himself trapped.

Burnt up in the sun.

Berserker.

It's the oldest of the vamps.

Can't stake 'em in the chest.

Got a breast bone like iron.

Gotta get 'em in the
base of the skull.

Vamps...

function from the reptile brain.

It's like pullin' the
plug on a computer.

[Water trickling]

- [V/O] We were all orphans.

Just lookin' for something
to hold on to.

He's a Mister.

Maybe that's why
he keeps me with him.

- What's that?

- Garlic oil.

- Does that really work?

- Don't hurt.

One strike boy.

Make it true.

- Where you boys comin' from?

- South.

- Get outta the car.

Did you get any?

They alright boys, let 'em roll.

- [V/O] Another town,
another lockdown.

People just tryin' to go on.

Hopin' they'd wake up
and it would all be a bad dream.

They could go back to their lives,

families and careers.

- He needs more fresh food.

And some vitamins,
if you can find them.

Where's his folks?

- Dead.

- He'd be better of here.

With people.

Other children.

- What do I owe you?

- I could use all of them.

- Good.

Hey.

Got any liquor in this town?

- Jake's.

Homemade, mostly.

He got some tap beer.

A little sour,
but it wont kill ya.

- Boy needs a hair cut.

[Ethereal music]

♪♪

- Sheriff said take whatever you need.

It's on me.

Have you been through Haggerstown?

I had family there.

- Vamped out,
everything south of here.

- Rea?

- He really kills 'em, huh?

- You gotta get 'em in the heart.

Pierce the breast plate.

Guns hurt 'em but unless you
sever the spine they keep comin'.

You got any gum?

- Yes.

- Cool.

- Ah, just...

So who are you?

- His helper.

- Where are you, uhh... where are
you guys headin'?

- North.

Uh, Mister says less population,
less bloodsuckers.

- Wait, wait, wait...

Not New Eden right?

We had a fella,
he came through here,

and he said there's nothing there,
there's no food at all.

He said it's not the Vamps
ya need to worry about...

it's the cannibals.

- Thanks.

[Crowd in the bar talking]

- [V/O] Sometimes I think I could
stay in a place like this.

Make friends,
live in the daylight.

Just be a kid.

But the truth is
I don't feel safe around people.

They can think what they want
but New Eden was real.

It was the answer to all of this
and we were gonna find it.

Fight our way north,
make the open territories.

Like Mister says.

'Live free or die tryin'.

Fuck the cannibals.

- What's her name?

- I didn't ask.

- [Radio] Why did this happen?

How can God let this happen?

How can this be his love...

[woman screaming]

[Thud]

- Oh... oh, my God!

- Oh... oh, God!

- It's okay, lady.

- No! No!
- Shh. Shh.

It's okay!

- No! No!
- It's alright!

- No!

- It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay, it's okay.

[Soft piano music]

♪♪

- [V/O] Mister,

where'd all that
hate come from?

I never asked.

- Those men that...

They said they were Christians.

- We don't do history.

Doesn't do anybody any good.

Grab them traps, boy.

[Bottles clinking]

Give me a finger.

[Rain pouring down]

[Distant bottle clinking]

Time to go fishin'.

[Vamp growling]

[Vamp screaming]

Get the long pole.

- Sister Agitha.

We thought she was dead.

- She is.

- What are you gonna do?

- I'm gonna kill that thing.

- Go with God.

- Lock the door.

[Vamp growling]

Newbie.
Shouldn't be too hard.

Too fat,
I can't break the spine.

[Vamp growling]

[Vamp screaming]

You missed the heart ya,
dumb shit.

Fuckin' vamps!

- Stop it!

[Thud]

[Door slams shut]

- [V/O] Mister dug a grave.

I think he felt bad
for the sister.

He did pull the fangs out, but...

he waited till she went
to pick the flowers.

- How many of those things
have you killed?

- Not enough.

- And people?

Those two men?

- In my book,
rapists got no place to live.

- It's not ours to judge.

- Then don't.

Next lockdown,
we drop you off.

You go save some souls.

- And what about him?

He's just a boy.

- Yeah.

A live one.

[Ethereal music]

♪♪

- [V/O] But we never dropped her off.

Where was she gonna go?

- [Radio] Satan's soldiers
march the night,

but God has not abandoned us.

Those who believe in him
shall never fall.

Jesus and the angels are
coming and judgment is upon us

and the Christian Army of Aryans
are here to fight for you.

And have created a safe refuge
for the holy among us.

Join us brothers and sisters,

Lafayette Valley welcomes
the righteous and the pure.

Together we shall lead
the world back to the light.

And the right,
the America God loves.

- [V/O] In desperate times,
false gods abound.

People put their faith in the loudest
preacher and hope they're right.

[Baby crying]

But sometimes they're wrong.

Dead wrong.

[Crying continues]

- My name is Jebedia Loven.

And you killed two of my men.

In cold blood.

Staked one in the back.

He was my son.

My own boy.

He was only sixteen.

He cried for his mother for
three hours before he died.

God rest his soul.

Now you a fine lookin'
young buck.

That's your father?

- My father's dead.

- Oh, don't you worry.

We'll get you some religion.

Bring you to God
and the right way.

Good stock.

You'll still serve.

As for you, Mister.

Oh, yeah.

We know who you are.

You kill them that come back,

them that serve us,

them that God brought down
to do his work.

Leavin' us to purify
the blood of our fathers.

And when that day comes,

he will bring them back

in peace and purity
will reign on the earth.

Forever!

Amen!

- [Together] Amen!

- What do you have to say
for yourself, sinner?

- Fuck you and fuck your God.

- Well...

You can tell him that yourself.

You're about to meet him.

[Gospel music on radio]

- Welcome to the Valley of Them.

Last stop for the weak of faith.

Get him out here!

- Ow!

[Thud]

- Ah, look at them.

The children of salvation.

They come at my calling.

They feed on the unfaithful.

[Vamps growling]

Shh.

They say hell is cold,

Hunter.

Don't let that flame burn out.

[Vamps growling]

[Vamps screaming]

- Get back, you bloodsuckers.

- How's your head?

- Mister.

- I'm sorry.

- Go on down to the creek,
fill 'em up.

Bring 'em back.

- Wait.

- Hey, boy.

You can run if you want to.

Ain't nothing out there
but sundown and them.

You won't get far.

- [V/O] Mister taught me
how to read the stars.

I could make my way
back to the car,

get the weapons,

find them robe-wearin' crazies

and send them back to that God
they kept talking about.

I had to keep movin'.

Had to make the car
before night came.

Mister was gone.

And out here alone
I didn't stand a chance.

[Vamp growling]

[Vamp screaming]

- Shh.

- How many of them
things out there?

[Vamp screaming]

- One.

But she's really pissed off.

- Make some noise.

- Hey! In here!

Hey!

Hey, hey, hey!

Come and get me!

Yeah, that's right, come on!

I'm in here!

Hey, I'm in here!

Heeeey!

- Come on, baby,
come on, baby.

[Engine starts]

[Vamp screams]

[Thud]

Martin.

I hate fuckin' vampires.

[Engine revving]

[Thud]

[Vamp screaming]

[Thud]

- [Radio] The Brotherhood needs
your eyes, followers.

There are evildoers among us.

This enemy of America
walks with faith.

His name is Mister and he
is traveling with a young boy.

They are armed and dangerous.

- What happened?

- [Radio] They were last seen heading
north to Lafayetteville.

If spotted,
dispatch of them immediately.

These actions will not
go unrewarded.

- We're gonna leave in the morning.

We'll have to take a back road.

Brotherhood got the
rest locked down.

Let it go, boy.

- Get over there.

You're gonna be crispy
in the mornin'.

Come on, Willy!

Give him a hand!

Whoa!

[Vamp screaming]

[Bar crowd talking]

- What have ya got for trade?

- Antibiotics.

Some weed.

And these.

- Goddamn.

That's a big one.

What about the boy?

I ain't got no soda pop.

- Give him another glass.

- You fellas look like
you've seen some trouble.

- A little.

- Vamps?

- Holy rollers.

- Yeah, well, we don't tolerate
religion or politics in here.

- Where's the next lockdown?

- Just over the mountains.

Past Lafayette Valley.

But that's Brotherhood territory.

They don't take too kindly
to strangers.

♪... I'll shiver the whole night through

♪ Her husband,
was a hard working man

♪ Just about a mile from here

- Thanks.

- Been talk there was a hunter about.

- Thought you was all dead by now.

- Not yet.

♪... My girl, my girl, don't lie to me

♪ Tell me where
did you sleep last night.

♪ In the pines, in the pines,
where the sun never shines,

♪ I'd shiver the whole night through.

- Thank you.

We got one more for ya.

Ready, boys?

♪♪

♪ Maria please don't leave
me now I need ya

♪ I'ma wanted

♪ There's nowhere I can go

♪ My up's turned down

♪ My luck's spun round and left me

♪ No I didn't see it...

- [V/O] Her name was Belle.

Her story was no different
from anyone else's.

Home gone.

Family gone.

Oh, and she was pregnant.

But I guess life goes on.

She wanted to get to New Eden
before the baby came.

[Flies buzzing]

[Generator starting]

[Thud]

[Light violin music]

♪♪

- Hi.

Scamp!
In the attic!

[Footsteps]

[Scamp breathing heavy]

[Scamp screaming]

Do it.

Stake the bitch.

Stake the bitch!

I let her go and
she'll eat your ass!

- [V/O] A Scamp.

That's what Mister
called the kid vamps.

She was just a kid.

[Thud]

And if not for Mister,
I might have become like that.

[Thud]

- Out of the fuckin' car!

Out of the fuckin' car!

Get your hands on your head.

[Distant gun shot]

[Mister whistles]

- That's a nice shot, kid.

[Door shaking]

Fuck.

Hey, hey.

What the hell
happened to you, man?

- Fuckin' Brotherhood
dumped me out of a truck.

For vamp bait.

- This is their territory.

Let's get the fuck out of here.

- I was in the Marines.

Got called back from the war
when it started.

- What happened with the war?

- No one left to fight it.

The Middle East is gone.

Vamp land.

- How did you end up here?

- We were deployed to
see to the evacuation to Canada.

Keep the peace.

But we couldn't contain it.

Most of their troops left,
tryin' to make it home to their families.

I guess you heard
the President's dead.

- Which asshole's president now?

- Beats me.

Way I see it,

muthafuckas booked and left us
with our dick in our hands.

- (singing) Baby don't you cry.

Papa's gonna make sure don't...

- Please help!

No!

Please!

I need a doctor.

The baby's coming.

- Where the hell
did you come from, girl?

- I'm traveling with three men,
but they can't help me.

- Where are they?

- Right behind you.

[Thud]

- You should have been an actress.

- What are they doing?

- They've been takin' out the
lockdown towns with captured vamps.

They crash the trucks into roadblocks
and let the vamps do their thing.

They even crashed a few planes loaded up
with vamps into cities at the beginin'.

That's what took down Washington.

- Check the other one.

- Howdy, Clem.

- This your boy, Clem?

Shit!

- Where's the woman?

- Bitch run off.

We was just tryin'
to protect her.

[Thud]

- Run!

[Preying to self]

- [V/O] Vamps could smell blood
from miles off.

Mister knew it.

And so did Jebedia Loven.

I could tell by
the look in his eye.

[Distant screaming]

- [V/O] We were movin' north.

Away from The Brotherhood,

skirting the Adirondacks

Less towns, less people.

Hadn't seen any vamps yet.

Mister said it was too cold for
them up here in the mountains.

They were cold-blooded.

Like reptiles.

When we hit the lowlands,
they'd be back.

- [Radio] If you are
receiving this signal,

you are approaching
the Strivington border.

Under protection of the
United States volunteer militia.

All those seeking asylum

will be processed and
dealt with accordingly.

Weapons will be confiscated...

- You get 'em back when you leave.

- Mm-hmm.

- Where you comin' from?

- South.

Lafayetteville.

- Any trouble with The Brotherhood?

- Nothin' we couldn't handle.

- [V/O] They renamed
their town Strivington.

Said it all.

It gave me hope for people.

It gave me hope for New Eden.

Sometimes hope is all ya got.

[Festive music]

♪♪

[helicopter approaching]

[Crowd screaming]

[Gun shots]

[Vamps screaming]

- [V/O] And it was over, like that.

All that goodness.

Shattered by some Christian crazies
droppin' vamps from the sky.

- We're gonna stay
right here till morning.

- Fine by me.

- How you doin', mama?

- She's gone.

- Tough old lady.

- Climbed those stairs
and didn't say a word.

[Somber piano music]

♪♪

- Damn Brotherhood shit-kickers.

Ten dead.

We've got things
under control now.

We'll have this place
up and runnin' in no time.

Sure you won't
stick around for a while?

We could use
a couple good men.

- No.

We're headin' north.

- Stick to the back roads.

They're the only way outta here.

Brotherhood owns the rest.

Good luck to you.

- Thanks.

- [V/O] We'd come far.

We didn't know
what was waitin' for us.

But anything had to be
better than what we left behind.

At least I kept
telling myself that.

But when I close my eyes,

I kept seein' that
little girl's dead legs

stickin' out from under that tarp.

- Ah, fuck.

- What is it?

- Fuckin' radiator.

- Can you fix it?

- Not this time.

She's dead.

Everybody grab your shit.

- [V/O] One week in the woods and
we were becoming different people.

Small talk stopped.

We worked as a pack,
each to his task.

It was cold here in the hot passes,
but we hadn't seen any vamps.

The forest cast
a kind of magic over us.

Away from people.

I stopped thinking
about the past.

And about my family.

I had found a new one.

- You think we'll make it?

- I'm just worried about the girl.

She's slowin' us down.

[Cans clinking]

- There's no wind.

[Cocks gun]

[Vamp screaming]

[Gun shots]

- Berserkers.

- Run!

- Come on!
We gotta run now, lets go.

- Move!

She's comin'!

No, no, no!
What are you doin'?!

What are you doin'?!
We gotta go!

Keep movin'!

- Please, Please. We gotta move.
- I need one second!

- Sister?

- I got you, I got you.
Just a little bit further.

Come on, keep moving.

She's comin'!

- Keep going.

- Come on, we gotta go.

We gotta go faster.

[Vamps growling]

- Come on, you fuckers.

[Vamps screaming]

The Lord is my strength.

My Lord is my...

Father,

forgive me.

[Gun shot]

[Somber piano music]

♪♪

- Martin, let's go.

- I don't think she's coming, Martin.

Come on.

- [V/O] We've been travelin' for days
now and hadn't seen a soul.

It was like people
had just disappeared.

But Mister wasn't
takin' any chances.

- What's wrong?

- Nothing.

I'm just getting old and scary.

- You okay?

- Oh, yeah...

Baby just kicked, I'm okay.

Here, give me your hand.

- Wanna feel?
- Yeah.

- Oh, wow.

- Let me check that out.

- Here, give me your hand, wait.

- That kid's got a strong kick.

- She's like, "Let me out,
I wanna meet everybody."

[Owl hooting]

- Wake up.

Get your boots on
and your guns ready.

Willie's missin'.

- Something's dead.

- It's fresh.

[Flies buzzing]

[Belle screaming]

Jesus! Fuck...

Oh, fuck.

Fuck.

- Oh, my God...

- Come on. Come on.

- Come on. We have to go.
- I can't.

- Come on.

- From now on you keep your
weapons close and ready.

That thing took Willie
away to kill him.

He got around our traps.

- What are you saying?

- This one uses its brain.

- I've seen a lot of mutant vamps

but I ain't never seen
a thinker before.

- [V/O] We were entering the lowlands.

New Eden was just beyond
the mountains.

We were getting close.

But so far
no sign of anything...

Alive anyway.

- You okay, girl?
- I...

- I have cramps.

My back hurts really bad.

I just...

I just need to sit for a minute.

I'm sorry.

- We gotta keep movin'.
- I can't.

- It's okay.

I got you.

You okay?

- My daddy used to carry me
like this when I was little.

- I'm not your daddy.

- You ain't such a hard ass,
you know.

- Let her sleep.

She needs it.

At daylight were gonna put some
distance between us and this place.

- What are we gonna do
when the baby comes?

[Distant rustling]

[Distant footsteps]

- Oh, fuck.

Fuck.

This way. It's close.

[Distant screams]

- That's her.

That's her.

- Wait.

It's leadin' us, boy.

[Screaming continues]

- Tough shit.

[Blood dripping]

[Vamp growling]

- Drink up, boy.

[Vamp growling]

I am a vengeful god.

Eye for eye.

Tooth for tooth.

Son for son.

- This is between me and you,
you bloodsuckin' son-of-a-bitch.

- When you left me for them,
I prayed.

I prayed and God listened.

So when they came for me,

the hungry ones,

I gave my blood, willingly, hunter.

Thank you.

I am your God now.

- Yah.

- Nice try, child.

- Try this, you fucker.

[Vamp groaning]

[Thud]

'Bout time you learn how to drive.

- [V/O] Almost there.

Almost.

'Almost' is a big word.

- Fuck.

[Soft violin music]

♪♪

- Hold it right there!

Don't move.

- Thank you.

- You boys look like hell.

- Shit happens.

- Yeah, sure does.

But like my mom used to say,

'Things are what they are.
Get used to 'em.'

- Smart woman.

- She owned this place.

Last stop before the wilderness.

Buried her out back and
I've been on my own ever since.

Except for them.

- It's good shootin'.

- Lots of practice.

- I'm gonna take a look around.

- What's your name?

- Martin.

- I'm Peggy.

It's been a long time
since I seen a boy.

[Somber piano music]

♪♪

- Come on.

- You gotta wait 'til it's in the lot.

- What's wrong with it?

They're runnin' out of food
so they're...

skinnier but meaner.

[Vamp growling]

- It smells us now.

- Oh shit.

It's Walter again.

I went to high school with him

and I haven't been able
to get a clean shot.

He was such an asshole.

[Vamp growling]

- I'll get him.

- Martin!

No, stop!

Get in here.
What are you doing?

Martin!

[Vamp growling]

[Thud]

[Soft violin music]

♪♪

[upbeat music]

♪♪