Superstition (1982) - full transcript

A family moves into a long-condemned New England household with a big pond out back that everybody loves to swim in. Soon, however, they find that the pond was the site of the execution- by-drowning of a witch three hundred years before, and she's back to revenge herself on anybody nearby, whether they're Catholic or not.

Danny.

What about the caretaker?

Oh, who cares about her?

She never comes out at night.

Besides, she can find her own date.

Oh, this place is so freaky.

All those stories about
murders and ghosts.

It's haunted, they say.

It's a trip, huh?

It's a real different kind of place.

I'm scared.



I mean, about the house.

Nobody'll interrupt us.

That's all it means.

And you're with me!

See?

Come on.

Oh, Nancy, come on.

Danny, let's go some place else.

Please.

Not here.

Come on, you said you loved me.

Didn't you mean it?

Yes, I do.

But, there's something
wrong with this place.



What was that?

Get over here, where are my keys?

I got it!

- Hey, Arty, that's the
best one I ever dreamed up!

Charlie, that was the best, man.

Oh, god!

Shit.

Hey, Charlie, we really got 'em!

Charlie?

Hey, Charlie!

Ouch!

Damn it!

Hey, Charlie.

Charlie?

Hey, Arty, we really got 'em!

Hey, Arty!

Hey, Arty!

Come on, Arty, let's go!

Arty?

Arty, let's get the heck outta here!

Arty?

Hey, Arty!

Hey, Arty!

Arty?

Arty?

Arty!

Arty, let's get the hell outta here!

Come on in.

David.

Oh, no.

You keep this up, we're gonna
have to sell the church.

Hell, just raise the collection ante,

then you both can be driving a Cadillac.

- I'm sorry,
have we been introduced?

Oh, excuse me, David, Inspector Sturgess

of the County Police and his
associate, Jack Hollister.

- Reverend Maier tells
me you're in charge now.

Is that right?
- Well, it's true.

I've been assigned here.

- Only one so fine, I thought
they were sending two?

- Well, Reverend Leahy should
arrive in a couple of weeks.

He was, um, delayed.

I know about him.

Gotta give him time to dry out, huh?

- Inspector, is there
something we could do for you?

The house on Mill Road.

The Sharack place.

County record list it as church property.

Now, you had 120 days after the
hearing to take some action.

You haven't done it, now
your time is running out.

I don't know what you're talkin' about.

Two kids were killed out there.

The Medical Examiner thinks
it's a cult thing or something.

One kid was gutted and slashed to death.

The other, microwaved.

Wait a minute, what?

- The place is like a county
dump, it's just full of trash.

A microwave gets damaged.

Somebody throws it away,
and somebody picks it up,

somebody, chuckling the way you
just did, decapitates a kid.

Oh, look, look, look, Inspector, please.

David is new here.

That's only part of it.

You also have standing water
on the property, Black Pond.

Kids like to skinny dip there at midnight

and sometimes they drown!

- Inspector, the property is
posted against trespassing.

It really doesn't matter.

It's a make-out place, it always has been.

I got my first...

Anyway, we held your caretaker's idiot son

as long as we could and
then we had to let him go.

Inspector, the man is a mute!

You say he can't talk, I say he won't.

His mother tells me that he

collects this junk for a mistress.

Guess it's some imaginary woman.

It doesn't make any difference,
history is against it.

The place has been trouble all along.

If you don't take any action,
the county's gonna have

to do it and if the county
does, you know what that means.

Demolition.

Henry, I'm sorry you're leaving.

Come on, Jack.

Nice meeting you, uh, sonny.

- The property was left
to the church ages ago,

with the provision that
Sharack descendants would have

a place to live in perpetuity.

They're not really caretakers, they,

well, they just live here.

Elvira's the last of the line,
or at least her son Arlen is.

All of the ministers provided
menial jobs for them, but,

Arlen doesn't seem to fit into anything.

Perhaps when the Leahys move in,

they'll find something for him.

What about the violent history

this place is supposed to have had?

- Well, I'd been hoping
to tell you about that

after you'd had settled in.

There've been many houses
on this foundation.

All of them, and their
tenants, have come to bad ends.

- You mean like those
kids Sturgess spoke of?

Yes.

Whoa, what is this stuff?

Smell it.

I don't know.

Arlen?

Yeah.

Follow him!

I don't understand any of this.

Oh, it's fairly obvious, isn't it?

Hollister followed Arlen in
here, Arlen came out alone.

We found him hiding in the
brush by the house this mornin'.

I mean, are you sure about him?

- When we haul Hollister outta
here, I'm gonna make sure

this moron is put away for good.

Well, whatever happens,

this pond is a detriment to the property.

I'm gonna have that thing drained.

Wait!

- Your son has never had
any professional help?

- He is well enough, when
people stay away from him.

And stay away from here.

Yes, well, you see, that's the point.

People are coming here.

One of our ministers and his
family are going to live here.

Uh, for a while at least.

As soon as we get the house
ready, they're gonna live here

until we can make arrangements
closer to the church.

Then this place will have to be rented.

It's a matter of economics,
it's just business.

Now the Reverend Leahy has
problems of his own to deal with.

I wouldn't want your son
to become another one.

Will you please speak to him?

He is already lost to me.

It took my husband, too.

He will try to help her, protect
her, and protect you, too,

until she no longer needs him.

Who?

You'll see.

The moon is rising.

Who are you?

My name is Mary.

I see, and do you live here?

Not really.

Not anymore.

I'm visiting.

Oh.

- David, could you come
in here for a moment?

Uh, yeah, just a sec.

Excuse me, Mary.

So, has there been any news about Arlen?

Inspector Sturgess says no.

Two weeks and nothing, not a trace.

Hm.

What about the drainage project?

Not good, I'm afraid.

The pumps are constantly being
fouled with silt and debris.

Was this in the pond?

I wonder how it got there.

David, I think that the time has come

that we should bless the house.

Try to cleanse it somewhat with the deeds

that have been committed here.

Do you know what they are?

Well, I've done some research on it,

and you should be aware of them.

But first, let's do what
we've been trained to do.

For the good of all who enter here.

Hey, hey, everybody!

Come on, let's take a break for a minute.

Cut the machinery.

Hey, hey!

Come on, let's go!

Henry!

Henry!

- Come on, Sheryl, let's
get this stuff in the house.

Oh, it's not so bad, is it?

Not so bad for a last chance.

Oh, George.

- It just seems like
something's always wrong.

This place and the way
people talk about it.

The policemen and his deputies
always hanging around.

It just seems we've had enough troubles.

Where's Justin?

- He's outside exploring,
you know, he loves this.

Well, I'm glad to see you notice women.

I must confess, I've always wondered

about you men of the cloth.

- Well, those are the
Reverend Leahy's daughters.

No doubt born without bottoms.

Like most church people, you
don't have any sense of humor.

Henry I knew for many years.

I'm sorry he's gone.

It's alright, I understand.

I've seen men die, some violently, but,

ah, it shook me up, he was a good man.

- Why don't you invite
the old bat up here?

I've tried, she won't come.

Says she's not allowed, I don't
know what she means by that.

- Not allowed?
- Yeah.

Henry's death must've rattled her.

Or the kids, Hollister, or,

that old phony thing with her son.

- Phony?
- Oh, yes, that's phony.

He's around here somewhere,
you can bet on it.

Somebody has got to be feeding him.

Fred!

Fred, we're leaving!

Hey, Fred?

Rush, rush, rush.

Hey, what are you doin' down there?

Hello!

Hi.

Did I scare you?

My name is Mary.

What's yours?

- Justin Leahy, and uh,
and you didn't scare me.

Bet I did.

Well, you didn't.

So, what are you doing down here?

- I just came to say
hello and show you around.

But, if you don't want
to learn anything...

I'll see you later.

Hey, hey, wait a minute!

- David, Fred was gonna turn
the power off for the elevator.

Have you seen him?
- Uh, no, I haven't.

- Well, he must've left
with the other truck.

- Bye.
- Bye.

Bye-bye.

Hey, everybody!

Hey, hey!

We've got our own swimming pool!

We got our own pool!

I'm not very happy about this.

- Relax, Inspector, you didn't
find anything out there.

Besides, we're supervising.

Hey, you made a mistake,
don't worry about it.

- If you'd spent some of
those church funds for

a decent pump, I wouldn't
have to worry about it.

And you get this straight,
I didn't make a mistake.

Hello.

Howdy.

That's no Sunday School teacher, sonny.

Remember the Good Book.

Oh, I will.

I will.

I got ya, Annie, ha-ha!

Where's Dad, is he coming down?

He wasn't feeling too well.

A little tired, I think.

Help me!

Something, something's got my...

What is it, what is it?

Something's got my foot!

My foot!

Come on, good girl.

That was Hollister's hand, wasn't it?

We'll have to wait for proper ID

from his fingerprints on file.

Yeah, they'll confirm it.

What did Sturgess say?

Didn't say anything.

They don't know anything.

Or they said they didn't.

He told me about Henry,
though, he said he died here.

An accident, they said.

I don't want to stay.

Shh.

She'll have a few bad dreams
for a while but she'll be okay.

How?

How can she?

She will be.

And, George, we have to stay.

Why does she watch us?

What is she waiting for?
- How the hell do I know?

Maybe she's waiting for
history to repeat itself.

Oh.

I'm sorry, it's this house.

There was another family
that tried to live here.

1958.

I was just new with the county force.

There were three of
'em, name of Montclare.

Mrs. Montclare, the son,
the daughter, all murdered.

One was hung, one was
spiked to the attic floor,

one was literally torn apart.

- Daddy?
- Justin, what?

Daddy, are you sick?

No.

Is that medicine?

No, what are you doing here?

Just lookin' around.

Are you sure you're okay?

Sure.

Come on, let's go back up.

Don't have to tell your
mom about this, do we?

No, Daddy, no.

I think I'm going to stay down here.

There's a lot of neat
stuff, I wanna check it out.

Who...

My name is Mary.

How long have you been there?

Upstairs.

It's just a dream, it's a bad dream.

But it was so real!

I saw the hand in the
water, it was calling me!

You're all right now.

I thought it was away again,

and then the spikes came
through the ceiling.

There was a little girl here, Mary.

She said her name was Mary.

I thought...

I was so sure of it, I was so sure!

- Well, can you give me
a history on this place?

You came of your own free will.

You must leave the same way.

Do you know where your son is?

I told you, he is lost to me forever.

- You say that as
if you think he's dead.

He is in a secret place his father knew,

and his father, and his.

He protects his mistress
who dominates him.

His mistress?

He guards her.

Protects her cruelties, her leavings.

He guards you against her.

She's crazy, you're wasting your time.

You're a stupid man.

Right.

And you are an ugly old bag!

Come on, Inspector, that doesn't help.

I'm sorry.

Well, when did this violence begin?

Summer of 1692.

1692?

We're talkin' almost 300 years ago.

You are clever.

- Yes but our church
doesn't have any records

that go back that far.

Check the archives of St. Luke's.

The Roman Church.

Dad?

Dad, are you down there?

Dad?

Dad?

Wow.

- David, you can't be
serious, that's ridiculous.

- Look, you may be right,
but I'd like to check it out.

That's all.

George, supper's almost ready.

I can't find Justin
anywhere, have you seen him?

David, will you stay for supper?

- Um, maybe for dessert,
something's come up here.

Oh, and Sturgess, too.

- Uh, yeah maybe, I'm gonna
have a look at those records.

George, I've got to.

David, this is unnecessary.

Inspector!

George has an invitation
for you, don't you, George?

Yes, for supper, but, David...

Wait, what about you?

I'm going to St. Luke's, I'll be back.

Did you say supper?

It'll take a little while.

I wonder if you could help me?

It's Justin, he's come up missing.

You may have doomed us all, churchman.

What?

What did you say?

You took that from the pond.

That's right, yeah.

- A compassionate priest would
not purify her with fire.

The ritual was not completed.

As long as that was in the pond,

she could only move about at night.

Now she can return in the
early hours of the dawn,

unless you repeat the ritual with fire.

- Elvira, I don't know anything
about Arlen's mistress.

Arlen is very real, though.

You'll see, she will seek you out.

You must understand.

- If she was alive in
1692, she's dead now.

She's going to stay dead.

You have a 20th-century mind.

You may soon regret it.

Justin!

This is Steele.

Go ahead, Nick.

Wait a minute.

It's Nick, what do you want him to do now?

- Nothin', damn it, just
tell him to work around

the other way and come
on back to the house.

Kid can't be far from here.

Any luck?

No, no.

Have you looked everywhere in the house?

- I didn't go through the
basement, I called down.

If he'd have been down
there, he'd have come up.

The basement?

- It just seems like
something's always wrong.

Both of you stay here.

Mom, it'll be all right.

Daddy's down there, it'll be all right.

Oh, sure!

Daddy's down there, he knows what to do.

Daddy always knows just
exactly what to do.

Sheryl, don't!

Especially when he wants to run lives.

That's a crack-up, isn't it?

He's a burn-out and he's
tryin' to run my life.

Sheryl.

He can't do anything right.

He's a waste, Mom, a burn-out.

Shut your bitchy mouth!

- Something doesn't add up,
this room should be bigger.

Steele.

Pace off from here to that far wall.

I want an accurate measurement.

Yes, sir.

- What for? What good is that?
- Shh!

If you wanna stay here, then
you keep quiet or go upstairs.

Alright.

That's odd.

Here, hold this.

This is the Malleus Malefactorum.

- Wait a minute, that's the
book of the Spanish inquisition.

Oh, you know that?

Yes, the order of
inquisition and exorcism,

and the punishment of heresy.

- And the methods for
extracting confessions.

- Of course, that was never
sanctioned by the Church.

Of course.

Oh, that's interesting

The name here on the spine is Sharack.

Ah!

A progressive priest,
unusual in those times.

It's written in English,
you see, old-style.

Hm.

"Father Andrew Pike."

"On the trial and the
resulting execution of one"

"Elondra Sharack, on which..."

- Excuse me, Father, I
don't wanna seem rude,

but I am in a bit of a rush...

- Oh, of course, yes, surely.
- Thank you.

I certainly appreciate your help.

Oh, that's quite all right.

- Um, I'll put this
away and close the door

when I'm finished, alright?
- Oh, yes, of course.

Goodnight.
- Thank you, goodnight.

"The trial and sentence
conducted and carried out"

"by my parishioners of St.
Luke's diocese, seven of July,"

"in the most holy year of our Lord, 1692."

Bring her to us, we want justice!

- Traitor!
- Kill her!

- Kill her!
- Kill her now!

Silence!

Andrew Pike!

Elondra Sharack!

You have been found
guilty of heinous crimes

against God and man!

You visited torture and done
murder to this innocent child,

within sight of her sister.

- You have no authority
to pass judgment on me!

Be silent!

Unless you mean to repudiate your service

to the unholy forces of hell.

I am the daughter of Satan!

He is my lord and salvation,
he will protect me.

He will bring you all to death.

Be silent!

We have not the proper machinery here

to force a cleansing of this twisted soul.

How can I bring myself to burn alive,

even one so vile as this?

Let the sentence then be drowning!

Our sole blessed relic from
Rome will be the holy seal

that will hold you fast for all eternity.

Suspended between hell
and the release of death.

May God's mercy serve you.

- I have no need of his mercy,
I am in the hands of Satan!

Take her out!

Take her out!

Anyone present who's involved,

may they live in fear with
the sound of my voice!

Almighty God, look at her face!

You appear to be a true servant of evil.

You will suffer!

You all pray to your false
god, he cannot protect you!

You and all your generations
will damn your birth!

Anyone who ventures near this place!

May God forgive us all,

for this action you've forced upon us.

I will not die!

You do not have the power to destroy me!

Cut the rope!

Almighty God, through this
instrument of your power,

seal forever away the evil
misdeeds of this creature.

We beseech thee, Lord,

to protect and safeguard your servants.

Amen.

Father, the church!

- "St. Luke's church
was razed by fire that night",

"and disaster befell the parish."

"The sheriff's house burned,"

"the county blacksmith
sickened with fever and died."

"Mary Shire, the witch's
accuser, drowned in Black Pond."

Inspector, what are you doin'?

- This house has a rock
foundation all around it.

The basement has stone
walls on three sides.

The back wall is made of wood.

Paced off, this house is 20
foot wider than downstairs.

There's got to be something here.

Oh, no, you don't think...

Steele, give me a hand here.

Come on, give us a hand.

Damn.

Steele, stay here, make sure
no one comes out of this place.

- Yes, sir.
- Come on.

- Do you think that Justin's
down in some kinda secret room?

That's exactly what I'm gonna find out.

- Inspector, you...
- What do you want?

What do you want me to tell ya?

- You wouldn't risk
this if you thought Justin

was still alive, would you?

- Go upstairs, stay with
your wife and daughters.

They're safe up there and
that's where you belong.

I have to stay here, he's my son!

I know that, get upstairs!

I...

- Alright, let's clear
this junk outta here.

- I tried to call for
back-up, the phones are out.

- Did you try your radio?
- Static.

The phone's out.

The radio.

Well, we're set for him.

I don't wanna wait any more, let's go.

I want to see your mother alone.

Sheryl.

What is happening down there?

Sheryl, I ask you...

Yes, right.

Your decisions are so
right, your will so strong.

What is it, George?

We'll be finding out soon.

- "Father Andrew
Pike spent most of his hours"

"at the new church, praying
for those he believed"

"he had betrayed."

"He prayed his own death
would one day satisfy"

"the unknown and vengeful
force that has afflicted"

"the community since the
execution of Elondra Sharack."

"Father Andrew Pike was committed
to the earth this morning,"

"five years to the day after
the trial and execution"

"of Elondra Sharack."

"No perpetrator was confined or punished."

Mom?

Listen.

Hold it!

There is a room.

My god, what a stink.

That's rotting flesh.

Oh, Jesus.

We missed him.

All that work and we missed him.

Wait a minute.

Where's the outside door?

Cuff him and get him outta here.

Shouldn't we go down there?

George?

No, no, he told me to wait.

Melinda, where are you going?

- George, something has
gone wrong, I have to know.

He told us he'd come and tell us.

I can't wait any longer!

George, I don't wanna go down there alone.

I'm going.

George?

Inspector?

Sturgess?

Oh, god!

Dad!

Dad!

What are you waiting for?

- You two get in Sheryl's
room and stay there!

Melinda!

George.

Oh, no.

Leahy!

Sturgess!

Come on, you got to get outta here!

Come on, George!

Am I too late, has it already started?

Answer me!
- You have the cross.

If you are to survive,
it is your only hope.

George?

George, it's me, it's me, David, come on!

- David, something's got
Melinda in the kitchen.

You've got to help me.
- Okay, okay.

Where are the girls?
- Safe upstairs.

But, but Melinda's...

David, the door won't open.

But she was in here,
David, I swear she was.

- George, there's nothing
we can do in here.

Now let's go, come on!

Come on, let's go!

Ann?

Sheryl?

- What happened?
- Come on, now.

We've got to get outta here never
mind about what's goin' on.

Come on, you've got to
run, come on, now, run!

Come on, come on!

Wait a minute, wait a
minute, where's Sheryl?

- I'll go back!
- Sheryl!

No, wait a minute.

Sheryl, come on!

Daddy!

Ann, listen to me.

Take the keys, get in
my car, it's out front,

and get the hell outta here, fast!

Justin?

David!

Look out, get out the way.

Come on!

Come on!

Justin?

- You still got the keys?
- Yes, yes!

Take my car and go, alright?

Melinda?

You've got to help us find Justin, Melinda!

- Daddy!
- Never mind him, just go!

Come on, run!

Run!

George?

George!

Safe.

George?

George!

George!

George!

Oh, no.

Oh, no!

Mary, what are you doing here?

I saw the fire.

- It's over, the witch
is dead, Mary, she's gone!

We're safe!

- You would've been, if
the witch had been home.

No.

No!

I will not die!

You can't kill me!

You can't kill me!

You can't kill me, I'll never die!

You can't kill me!

I will not die!

You do not have the power to destroy me!