Scared to Death (1980) Movie Script
- Hello.
Hi, Walter.
No, I was just reading.
What's happening with you?
To the movies?
Well, I don't know, what do you gonna see?
Maria who?
An Osborne Skier film festival.
No, I don't think so, Walter.
Oh besides, my favorite
program's coming on
and I don't wanna miss it.
Well, look, Walter.
Why don't I give you a call back later
if I'm still hanging around, okay?
Walter.
Walter, look, I have to go.
I think my cat broke
one of my flower pots.
Yes, Walter, yeah.
Bye.
Oh, shit.
Gordon?
Gordon?
Oh, wow.
Oh, great.
Now I can't paint my toe nails.
Now, we're did they hide
the fusebox in this house?
No!
Help!
No!
No, no!
No!
No!
- Anything?
- Not a thing.
Some sticky substance.
- What is it?
- I haven't a clue.
Look, it's all over everything.
You know, I'm gonna take what he have
down to lab for analysis.
- Okay, can you fix the
time of death for me?
- I have to guess.
Say about seven to 10 last night.
If I can give you something close to
but the cold temperature
makes all the usual the test unreliable.
- It wasn't cold last night.
- It wasn't here?
- Lou.
What do you got?
- I haven't much yet.
- Is that the girl?
- Yeah, her name is Janie Richter.
Her left leg is ripped from the body
and her hair was pulled back
so hard that it broke her neck.
Whoever did this tore the
closet door off the hinges.
- Well, Lou, the pressure
is on to find this guy.
I'm counting on you to bring him in.
Soon.
I got the mayor, the commissioner
and the press on my back.
Lou, shit rolls downhill.
You read me?
- What do you want me to do?
Go out and arrest a bum
to get them off your back?
- You know what I mean.
- Look, Chief, I told
you, we don't have a clue.
We have no witnesses,
no prints, no nothing.
Look, Chief, if you wanna catch this guy,
let's bring Ted Lonergan in on the case.
- Forget it, Capell.
I'm already dealing with one maniac.
I don't need another one.
- He's the best and you know it.
- I don't know it.
The police department is
doing very nicely without him.
Lou, I don't give a damn
how you solve this case.
Well, if you bring any
embarrassment to the department,
so help me, I'll fry your ass.
You got that?
- Yeah, I got it, Chief.
- And no Lonergan.
- Asshole.
- We have an agreement.
You deliver five books per year.
- I delivered five books.
- Five different books,
not the same story over and over again.
- What do you want?
Blood, Victor?
Why don't you fight right here?
That way, the marks won't show.
- Oh, that's very funny, Ted.
That's very funny but it won't be so funny
when I stop the checks.
- Victor, you're an idiot.
And I can prove it.
You know why you're not
gonna stop the checks, huh?
You know why?
Because those tired old
plots we're the same ones
that gave you that home and Bel-Air.
And that Rolls Corniche
sitting on your driveway.
So lighten up.
- You know, you guys kill me.
Every writer thinks that his
is the great American novel
but you know what it is, Ted?
You know what it really is?
It's garbage.
- I can listen to you all day.
And you're right, it is garbage.
You buy it.
- Contract or no contract,
you better shape up
or pull the rug right off your foot.
- You gotta look where you're going.
- You hit me.
- What?
- I said you hit me!
- I did?
Oh yeah, I guess I did.
Yeah, did you ever think about
maybe getting a smaller car?
I mean this thing is a like
a bolt cruiser, you know?
Kinda hard to miss.
Like a tank.
- I don't want another car.
I like this car.
And I especially like this
car without any dents.
- Yeah, probably would look
better without dents, yeah.
- Oh, look what you've done.
- Oh, gee, I hit the
rear quarter panel there.
I bet it's really hard to find
parts for this car, you know?
Especially that little chrome strip.
That's gonna be tough to find.
- You jerk.
You know this car has been
in my family for years
without any accident.
You know it's never gonna be the same.
And you didn't even look!
You just threw your car into
gear and smashed into me.
How the hell did you ever get a license?
- Would you like some Atomic Rocks?
- What?
- Atomic Rocks, would you like some?
- You know, I think you're crazy.
- Juicy Fruit?
I got a stick of Juicy
Fruit here somewhere.
- I'm gonna call the police.
- Oh miss!
Miss, miss, miss!
You forgot something.
- Thanks.
- Hey look, I'm sorry I hit your car.
I understand why you're upset.
Here, let me give you my card, okay?
Do you have a pen?
Something like that?
Here's my phone number and my address
but you'll need my
driver's license number.
So you just come by my office anytime
and I give you a check
for the damages, okay?
And it was really nice meeting you
and I am sorry that I hit your car.
- Wait a minute.
You're not leaving are you?
- Well, yeah, I've gotta
go back to my office.
- No, you can't leave.
I've got to call the
police and report this.
- Oh, okay.
Alright, I tell you what.
The number's 555-9000.
A guy with a name of Chuck
will answer the phone.
He's really a nice guy.
And you just tell him what happened
and they'll send a squad by, okay?
- No, no, you gotta stay here.
- Oh, no I can't.
Here, have some Atomic Rocks.
What's your name?
- Jennifer Stanton.
- Well, I'll see you soon, Jenny.
- Wait.
- Oh, for Christ
sake, would you move?
- Don't rush me, that's how
you make mistakes in this game.
- I've been working on
that move for two days.
- Hey, you wanna play
chess or you wanna argue?
- That's your move?
- Yeah.
- What the hell are you doing?
- What do you mean?
- You just threw away your queen.
- Hey, I got a plan.
- Yeah, right, you got a plan.
You threw way your queen
and you got a plan.
You're crazy if you know that.
By the way, how's the asshole?
- You mean Warren?
- You know, who else?
- He's doing the same
thing we're all doing.
We're trying to find some psycho
who's running around trashing people.
- Yeah, I read about that in the paper.
Got any clues?
- Well, nothing that makes any sense.
Say Ted, why don't you
come down to the office
and look at some of the files?
- Oh, no Lou, no.
- Ted, I think you oughta
give this thing a chance.
You know you the best I've ever
seen in this kind of stuff.
- I told you along time ago I
am through with investigation.
And don't go talking to Warren
'cause I don't want
anything to do with him.
- You sound like a 34
year old has-been to me.
- Yeah, well maybe I am.
But I don't need any of
your goddamn social work.
- Yeah, well I'm sorry.
- Me too, I'm sorry.
- And by the way, check!
- Yeah.
- Is this
Mr. Lonergan's office?
- Oh yeah, high play.
- Yeah, well, I think I hear
captain video calling me
on the optical scholameter.
- Oh, yeah, I'll take a lie.
Just wanted to talk to
Mr. Lonergan about my car.
- You're the crazy,
I mean the lady with the Jag?
Well, I know I've gotta go now.
See you later, Ted.
- Yeah, bye Lou.
There's spot here.
My mate's coming in next week.
- Mr. Lonergan, I hate speak blunt but--
- You want me to pay
for the damage to your car?
- It will cost at least
$1,200 to repair my car
and I think you will admit
that it was your fault.
- Yeah, well,
I'm sorry, Ms. Stanton,
I can't give you a check.
- Oh, I thought so.
- All I have is cash.
That's a little quirk of mine.
I don't trust bankers.
- There's over 2,000 in here.
- Yeah, well, that's in case
you have trouble finding parts.
- No.
- Oh, which reminds me.
Here's the name of the guy
who can find the parts if you need them.
He's name Hewitt, he's Scottish.
That was a mark nine check, right?
- Yes.
- Look, Jenny, I'm
sorry that hit your car.
I know sometimes people
can become attached
to something like that.
- Well, it's just that it does have
a certain sentimental value.
Excuse me for saying this
but this is not really the
reaction I expected to get.
After this morning,
I thought I'd be dealing
with a real mental case.
- Well, I'm in contact
with earth, occasionally.
But don't be fooled by this calm exterior.
It's just a clever disguise,
actually I'm Errol Flynn.
- Well, Errol.
It was nice meeting you.
- Well, Jen, maybe we'll
run into each other again.
- I hope not.
- Yeah.
Hey, um.
Just thinking about it.
Why won't you let me
take you out to dinner?
Kinda make it up to you.
- No, I don't think so.
Besides, you've already made it up to me.
Thanks again, Mr. Lonergan.
- No, Ted.
- Ted.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Ted.
- Ted.
Bye, Ted.
- Car!
No, I can walk from here, I think.
Listen, I'll call you guys
tomorrow if I'm still alive.
Bye.
- Bye.
- Thanks.
What's the matter with you?
Shit!
Stupid car.
Come on, start.
What am I gonna do?
- Here on this little
street in Sherman Oaks,
a college coed, 22-year-old Janie Richter
became victim number 11 in
a series of brutal slayings
over the past few weeks.
The coroners office issued
a report this morning
that Ms. Richter's body
had been found beaten.
Apparently, her neck had been broken
and her left leg, ripped from her body.
Los Angeles police chief, Dennis Warren
stated today that the
killer will be caught
and that the police department
is working around the clock
to bring the killer to justice.
Informed sources say, however,
that the police department
has no real clues.
And such statements by Chief
Warren are wishful thinking.
This is Alex Waverley
in Sherman Oaks for KJ.
- Fire division,
Officer Herman, speaking.
- Jennifer, I hope
this is the right color.
- I've changed my mind.
A woman's prerogative.
Can we have dinner?
It's on me.
Eightish, I'll pick you up here.
Ted?
- Hello.
- Hi, it's Jennifer.
- Oh hi, come on in.
I'll be on a second.
- Okay.
- Aw!
- Are you alright?
- Yeah, I'm alright,
just hold on a second.
- I found this great
restaurant in Century City.
They have there a wine cellar
and the food is fantastic.
Hi.
I tell you what, why don't
we have dinner at my place?
I have some steaks and it will be quiet
and we can talk and you
won't have to dress up.
- Sure, great, yeah.
- Yeah?
- Love to.
- Okay.
- Dinner jacket here.
Could Jeff lookin' Betty Crocker, is it?
- No, actually, it's a very basic, basic.
- Mm-mm.
It was very good.
I enjoyed it very much.
- Thank you.
I'm now feeling a little for bit of wine.
- Good.
- Would you like some more?
- Hmm?
Yes, I would?
How about some music?
- Any request?
- Roberto Valero?
- What?
- Nevermind.
I like a girl with commitment.
- Yeah?
- There you go.
- Your very funny.
- A little bit.
So tell me, excuse me.
Isn't this the part of
the evening that you say,
so Ms. Stanton, tell me a
little bit about yourself.
- I don't have to.
I know everything.
You're born on September 20th,
1950 in Boston, Massachusets.
You had a very happy childhood.
You graduated from
Radcliffe, 3.6 in economics.
Your father owned a tool and die company.
Your parents were killed in an
automobile accident in 1975.
Shall I go on?
- No, that's alright.
- I'm sorry.
- No.
- I'm sorry.
- It's alright.
- Some old habit.
- That's right.
You are a detective.
- I was.
I was a detective.
But not anymore.
Let me ask you a question.
- What?
Why'd you set to go out with me tonight?
Or whatever it is we're doing here.
- Well, you're kinda cute.
And you do have a way about you.
- Don't mistake being
a comatose for style.
What happened to your cheek there?
- Well.
- Don't touch it.
Don't touch it.
Your cute.
Come here.
- I don't get I, Virg.
How come anytime something goes wrong
in the middle of the night, Simpoe says,
"Call Tindall!"
No, sure, he wouldn't mind getting up
at three in the morning to
bend pipes and wait in crap.
Call Tindall!
- Maybe he just like your smile.
- You know what I was
doing with a gal, don't?
- Valerie?
- Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah!
- I get the picture, Howard.
- Hey, I gotta
teach you outta school.
- Spare me.
- Come on.
Jesus, it's cold down here.
Hey, did you hear something?
- Hey, like what, rowdy boy?
- I'm serious.
Hey, you know, there's
something down here.
- Hey, maybe it's Valerie
coming back for more.
Hey Howard, that sounded pretty good.
Howard?
Now, I suppose you're waiting
for me to come down there
and play some kind of game with you.
What you do, you're a bigger
asshole than I think you are.
Howard?
Howard?
Oh, come on, man.
Howard, don't make me come down there.
Shit.
Oh, Howard, you know I scare easy.
Howard?
Howard.
Holy shit!
- Hello, Ted.
- Hi, Lou.
What brings you here.
- Just in the area.
Wow, what happened here?
- Hi.
Ted, where do you want this?
- Jennifer, this is Lou Capell.
You met him before.
- The crazy lady with the Jag.
- Lou's an old friend.
He's with the police force.
- Oh, well I'll let you two play
cops and robbers if you like.
I just wanna know where to file this
and I'll go back to finish.
- You file this one under Akkerman F.
And the other one in the big
green file under O'Quinn K.
- Okay.
Bye bye, Lou.
It was nice seeing you.
- It's my pleasure.
That's a very nice lady.
- Yeah, what are you doing here?
- Well, it's been a long time
since you've been down to the office.
I thought I'd come by and let
you know what's happening.
- About those murder cases, right?
- Yeah.
- Lou.
- Look, wait a minute.
Before you start to get upset,
would you here me out for once, please?
Please, hear me out.
Ted, you and I have worked
together on some offbeat cases.
But this is the strangest case
I've ever been on my life.
Look, people in this town
are dying like flies.
And I don't know what you
read on the newspapers
but there's some psycho running lose in LA
and he's killing people at random.
- There's always a pattern.
- Yeah, not to this one, there's not.
Whoever this guy is, he's
stronger and more cunning
than anybody we've ever been up against.
He pulled a door completely
off a car of his last victim.
- Oh Lou, come on.
- Listen, if you don't believe me,
I'll take you down to the
office to show you the car.
Ted, I'm flying blind on this thing.
The only thing I got going for me
is Kathy Sperry is her latest victim.
She's still alive.
But she's in a coma.
And there's a chance
she may come out of it
but if she doesn't.
Ted, I talked to the chief and
he said I can bring you in.
- No, Lou.
- He'd give anything you want!
- Look, I appreciate what
you are trying to do for me
but I don't want any half-assed therapy.
- Look, I'm not here because
I think are some charity case.
I'm here because people out there need you
and I need your help.
Ted, look, you're my best shot!
- I am sorry.
I am not ready for that, yet.
- Yeah, well I'm sorry too.
Seems like I've been here
and a lot around here lately.
- You know, I'm gonna let
you guys find this dump here.
I gotta go back to the car.
Can I have the keys, please?
- What for?
- It's gonna get dark in an hour.
- I forgot my lip gloss.
- Sandy, what are you doing?
- I'm getting my lip gloss.
- Christ, we're going
skating, not to chasings.
- Hey, we can skate if gets dark.
They do turn on the lights at night.
- Don't worry, Kelly.
It's not gonna get dark
for a few hours yet.
- I'm gonna go take a run.
- Come on back right away, okay?
I'll have this fixed in a
minute and we can go for a run.
- Okay.
- Together.
- What the hell was that?
- Sounds like someone's
power steering up again.
- When is Kelly coming back?
I wanna skate.
- She'll be back in a minute.
She probably went all
the way to the bottom.
- Get to tunnel with Kelly.
- No, don't try and scare me.
- Yeah, I do.
Come on, let's go.
Let's go!
- Wait a minute, I'm not going.
Hey, don't leave me!
- Somebody.
- Hey, you guys, this is Kelly's.
She wouldn't leave these here.
- I don't see her.
Kelly!
Kelly!
Kelly!
- I don't like this.
Scott, let's go back to the car, come on.
- Can you tell me your name?
Doc, you wanna come here a minute?
Have you seen this girl?
- We've an ambulance on the way.
She's in deep shock.
- Will she come around soon?
I need to question her.
- She'll come our of it eventually,
but exactly when, well,
that's hard to say.
- Okay, would you call me
as soon you know something?
What do got?
Gruner or what?
- Well, that's why I'm the chief and you--
- Ah, spare me, my
illusionist, don't finish that.
- Well, you think this is
the work of that same creep?
- Yeah, looks like it.
- Any witnesses?
- No.
I talked to all the kids and
they were up on the level
when this thing happened.
- Notified the parents?
- No, not yet.
- Would you think that'd be a good idea
to give them a call now?
- Well, I thought I'd go and
see them in person, Chief.
- Who is that?
What the hell is he doing here?
- Ted.
- What the hell is he think he is doing?
Listen.
- Hey.
- If you have anything to
do with this, I'll have--
- Warren, how you doing?
Looks like somebody
interrupted your dinner party.
- Well, Lonergan.
I wondered if you'd be sober
long enough to stick your nose into this.
- My, my, aren't we hostile.
Talk is you need all the help you can get.
But then again, you never
worry if you find your own ass
with both hands.
- Get him outta here.
Get him outta here before I
kick his tail into the slammer
and throw away the key.
Get him out!
- That's just fine.
That's just fine.
What the hell do you think you're doing?
I've been working on him for two weeks.
I almost had him convinced.
- He's an asshole.
- I know that.
- You know, you don't have
one ounce of diplomacy
in your body, Ted.
Look Ted, I consider you a friend
and I would appreciate if you
would go over and apologize.
- Ted, I'm gonna go meet
that girl over there.
Deal is she says she has some information
but she doesn't wanna talk to the police.
- Okay.
- Okay, you alright?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
- Okay, bye.
- I'm sorry.
I just can't deal with that guy.
- I know.
Well, anyway, he's gone.
Have you seen the body?
- No, no, not really.
- Come, it's over here.
- Sherry?
Sherry?
Sherry Carpenter!
Come on, Jennifer, it's alright.
It's nothing.
Yeah, nice.
Sherry.
Oh, shit.
- Jennifer?
- Ted, it's Lou.
- Oh hi, Lou.
What's up?
- It's Jennifer, Ted.
She's in a hospital in deep coma.
Ted, are you there?
- What?
What happened?
- We're not sure.
The doctor think it's a brain tumor.
She was in a place called the
Amberdine Research Facility.
She apparently went into
convulsions and into a coma.
The young girl who works there found here.
- Where is she?
- In Central.
- I'd like to go
in there if I could.
- I can't let you go in
here right now, sorry.
- Well, I'd like to see
Ms. Stanton if I could.
- You know Ms. Stanton?
- Yeah.
- We've been trying to get
in touch with her relatives.
- Well, I don't think she has any.
Can I go in and see her?
- No, I can't let you
go in there right now.
Besides, she wouldn't
even know you were there.
- Oh, what the hell happened?
Is she gonna be alright?
- Well, we don't know a
lot about what happened.
But apparently, she went into a form
of epileptic convulsions
and then to a comatose condition.
I'm afraid she's still be
sleeping into a profound state.
- Well, what does that mean?
- Well, next 24 hours, we'll tell
but you have to know
our chances aren't good.
Sorry.
Listen, could you come down
stairs with admission clinic?
- Ted, Ted, it's Lou.
Come on, get yourself together.
What are you doing?
You can't go on like this.
- Yeah, right.
- Come on, no.
You had enough of that.
This stuff's gonna kill you.
- I don't care, I need a drink.
- Do you think that Jennifer
would want you to act like this?
- Excuse me, are you Mr. Lonergan?
- Yeah, I'm Lonergan.
You look familiar.
- My name is Sherry Carpenter.
And I would like--
- You were, you talked to Jennifer, right?
- Well, yes, I--
- You were gonna meet here somewhere.
- My car over heated and I--
- What the hell
did you do to her?
- I couldn't, nothing.
I didn't do anything.
- Oh, and haven't you done
enough damage already.
Get out of my office.
Would you just get the hell outta here?
- Ted, take it easy.
Look, she didn't have
anything to do with it.
Jennifer had a brain tumor.
Ted, you gotta stop
doing this to yourself.
- That's what I came to talk to you about.
I do not think she has a brain tumor.
- Oh, what the hell does that mean?
- Look lady, the attending
physician said that she's--
- Comatose.
Due to a possible brain tumor.
You see, that's how it kills.
I mean, that's how it would look.
- That's how, what kills?
How what looks?
- Let me start from the beginning.
When I got out of college,
I had an opportunity
to work for Dr. Amberdine.
I had major biology,
specifically genetics.
Dr. Amberdine was working
in genetic engineering.
He was in working secret on
designing a new life form.
- Now this is real fascinating
but what does it have to do with Jennifer?
- I'm getting to that.
Look, do you wanna hear this or don't you?
- Well, not really.
- Ted, shut up.
Would you go on, lady.
We're sorry.
- Well, he actually succeeded in designing
a totally new life form.
I mean something that
has never existed before.
Resilient, intelligent
and I think, very deadly.
He told me once that if it ever grew up,
it would probably be very dangerous.
- Yeah, well I take it never grew up, huh?
- Well, I don't know.
You see, Ed.
I'm mean, Dr. Amberdine had
a heart attack and died.
I know he planned on killing
it before it got too big
but he didn't get a chance.
He was working alone when he
died and the creature escaped.
We all assume that it crawled
away somewhere and died.
- So what make you think different now?
- The murders, it feeds on spinal fluid.
It draws out of its victim
with a needle-like tongue.
- Yeah, but we never had
any murders like that.
- You see, most people
wouldn't be looking for it
because its victims would like
they had an epileptic
sick or a brain tumor.
- Why didn't you come
forward with this sooner?
- I wasn't sure.
- Well, have you seen this thing?
Do you know what it looks like?
- No.
I mean, I snuck in once.
But it was only in its
embryonic stage then.
- Ted, is it possible?
- At least check into it.
What have you got to lose?
Please, if this thing grows up.
- Lou, she's right.
Let's check it out.
Look, I want you to go talk the coroner
and find out of they overlooked anything.
I mean anything.
- Okay, I'll give him a call.
In the meantime, get her
name and phone number.
- Okay, I'll see if I can make a plan
and center point to these attacks.
If this thing is real,
how are we gonna kill it?
- I don't know.
I only came in on the
end of the experiment.
- You said Dr. Amberdine.
- Amberdine.
- He's was planning on to killing it.
- It's true.
There's some experiment notes
and they might tell us something.
- You still got it?
- The originals
were taken by the people
who were financing the projects
but I made some copies for myself.
I'll go back and get them if you want.
- Do that, go get them.
- Yes.
- Oh and look, I'm sorry
about what happened earlier.
- Oh, I'll be back soon.
I'm just gonna go down to the lab.
- Hello.
- Ted, Lou.
- Hi Lou.
- Good morning.
I've been doing some checking
and that girl of yours
is right on the money.
There's been an unusually high instance
of brain tumor and epileptic deaths.
- Are you sure?
- The coroner also said that
a lot of the death victims
had a tremendous loss of spinal fluid.
Listen, I'm beginning to
think that the girl is right.
And if she is, that means
that there have been a lot more deaths
than have been reported.
- Yeah, I'll tell you.
There's something I don't understand
is how the hell something
like this creature
could get around town without being seen.
I mean, nobody's reported
anything strange.
- Yeah, I know, that's one
of the parts of the puzzle
that doesn't fit.
I'm afraid I got another one for you.
- Okay, what?
- The case has been closed.
- What?
- I got a bulletin
the other day which reads,
suspect was cornered and was killed
during a subsequent
gun battle with police.
- Where?
What division?
- Well, it didn't say.
I tried to get more information
but the big wigs upstairs
put a gag order on them.
- I think they're trying
to cover something up.
- You don't know that.
- And you know something else?
They're gonna stop looking.
- Look Ted, this isn't
getting us anywhere.
Now, I cannot be involved
in thing official anymore.
The case is closed.
- Dammit!
- Ted, hey, take it easy.
Doesn't mean that I'm giving up.
Tell you what I'm gonna do.
I'm gonna come over to your office,
I brought borrow a few thing here.
And we'll see if we can
figure it out, okay?
Ted?
- Yeah, okay, okay.
Look, I'm sorry, Lou.
I just got a little excited.
I'll talk to you soon.
- Right.
- Oh Christ, that's where the lab is.
- 7:21 p.m.
It's been 512 hours since birth.
The Syngenor is growing
at an outstanding rate.
The vertebrae heat exchange system
is functioning at maximum.
Drawing the warm air in
and expelling cold air
out into its surroundings.
The organism is able to maintain
the high body temperatures
needed for its internal chemistry.
Still small at this point,
I'm unable to determine
what proportions the being
might attain when fully grown.
The question, I'm afraid,
will have to remain unanswered
as the Syngenor already exhibits
extremely aggressive behavior.
Its diet being what it is, spinal fluid.
Along with what seem an
almost diabolical cunning
could make this creature
extremely dangerous
if I were to allow it to reach maturity.
10:42, Syngenor is becoming
increasingly difficult to manage.
When it's not pounding or
chewing on its container,
it just sits there staring at me.
It's silvery eyes almost
glowing, burning into me.
I have to admit it's a little unnerving.
I will have to put an end
to this Syngenor soon.
I can't allow it to get any larger.
- Sherry, it's Ted!
Here, calm down, you.
What is it?
What's wrong?
What's wrong?
- There was a man over there.
- Just listen to me.
Settle down, settle down.
Show me, show me.
- What happened to him?
- I don't know.
What is this stuff, you know?
- No.
- Looks like a maintenance worker
or a construction worker.
- In the sewer.
The sewer.
It's still in there.
- The sewer, that's where it is.
That's how the thing get to run about
without anybody seeing it.
- Ted, there's something I found out.
Something in the notes.
I think the thing is
getting ready to reproduce.
- How's that possible?
I thought there's only
one of these things.
- Yes, but it doesn't
need a mate to reproduce.
Not all organisms do.
What are you gonna do?
Don't you think you wanna
call for help or something?
At least call the police?
- By the time they get here,
it's gonna be too late.
You should go home and stay there, okay?
- You're right, I should.
I should, but I'm not going to.
- What are you doing?
- I'm going with you.
- No you're not.
- Yes, I am.
Besides, you need me.
- Oh, I do?
- Sure.
I'm the only one that
knows all about this thing.
It's called the Syngenor.
- What?
- It stands for synthesized
genetic organism.
- Sherry, this is not a game.
We are dealing with a killing machine.
I'm not gonna risk your
life by taking you with me.
- Do you think I'd be any safer up here?
- No, but you'd be safer at home.
- If you go down there,
I am not going home.
I am going to wait for you right here.
- Come on.
What do you expect?
- Which way?
- This way.
- What do you planning on doing
when you go face to
face with that creature?
- Ventilating it a little.
- Oh.
- Oh, I don't think I like when said, oh.
How big is thing right now?
- I'm not sure.
- What's it look like?
- I don't know.
- I thought you said you
know all about this thing.
- Let's go.
- No.
It feeds off of these people.
Let's get outta here!
Sherry, no, no ,no, this way.
Sherry, look, look, you gotta.
- I can't move it.
I can't lift it.
Ted, it's too heavy.
- I got you, you shit.
God.
Sherry, come on back down!
Come on, come on!
Come here, come here!
Go, go.
There's a grill in here.
Damn.
Oh, it's too high.
Dammit.
There's a ladder back there.
I'm going back.
- What a minute.
Please come back.
Ted!
Hurry, please, hurry.
- Go, faster.
Get over here.
- Yeah.
- Sherry, go, go, go, move, move!
- Ted, I dropped my glasses!
- That's it, the sewer.
Ed, I want you to get on the radio
and get somebody outta here
who has a map of this
darn system, right now!
- Okay.
- Sherry, I've been here before.
This is Leethorn Burges Metalworks.
- Locked.
- The door at the back, go, go.
No, come on, this isn't fun.
Come on, this way.
Oh, there's got to be
another way outta here.
Sherry, I will get up
whether we can get out there.
I can't get up, in need something else.
Some other thing.
- This stuff is either too
heavy or it's bolted down!
- I think it isn't gonna work.
There's got to be something else.
- Ted, it's in here.
- Come on, let's go, go, go.
Come on!
Go, go, go, go.
- We need to go.
- Ssh.
Go, move, move, move, move, move, move!
There's gotta be something.
There has got to be something.
- What?
What?
- Go, go.
Go, go, go, go, go.
- Don't leave me.
What are you doing?
Ted.
- Sherry, listen to me.
Listen very carefully.
This thing can wait us out.
And we don't stand a chance
unless we do something.
What I'm try and do
is I'm gonna try and get him.
I'm gonna try him to
lure him over the bed.
And the bed will drop forth.
If I can do that, if I can get in there,
I want you to operate this machine.
- I can't operate this thing.
- Shut up, yes you can!
No, listen to me!
You gotta hit both of these
buttons at the same time
or else, it won't operate.
Okay, put your foot on that.
That's the safety.
If your foot is not in
there, it will not operate.
Do you understand?
You have to hit both
buttons at the same time,
otherwise, it won't operate.
Okay, I'll be right back.
- Ted, wait a minute!
Ted, the power went out!
There's a note on the
system about breakers!
Ted!
The power has turned on.
I can't see you.
Ted!
Ted.
Ted?
Come on, Ted!
- Ted!
- Sherry, drop the press!
Drop off the press!
- Ted?
Ted?
Ted?
No!
No!
No!
No!
Hi, Walter.
No, I was just reading.
What's happening with you?
To the movies?
Well, I don't know, what do you gonna see?
Maria who?
An Osborne Skier film festival.
No, I don't think so, Walter.
Oh besides, my favorite
program's coming on
and I don't wanna miss it.
Well, look, Walter.
Why don't I give you a call back later
if I'm still hanging around, okay?
Walter.
Walter, look, I have to go.
I think my cat broke
one of my flower pots.
Yes, Walter, yeah.
Bye.
Oh, shit.
Gordon?
Gordon?
Oh, wow.
Oh, great.
Now I can't paint my toe nails.
Now, we're did they hide
the fusebox in this house?
No!
Help!
No!
No, no!
No!
No!
- Anything?
- Not a thing.
Some sticky substance.
- What is it?
- I haven't a clue.
Look, it's all over everything.
You know, I'm gonna take what he have
down to lab for analysis.
- Okay, can you fix the
time of death for me?
- I have to guess.
Say about seven to 10 last night.
If I can give you something close to
but the cold temperature
makes all the usual the test unreliable.
- It wasn't cold last night.
- It wasn't here?
- Lou.
What do you got?
- I haven't much yet.
- Is that the girl?
- Yeah, her name is Janie Richter.
Her left leg is ripped from the body
and her hair was pulled back
so hard that it broke her neck.
Whoever did this tore the
closet door off the hinges.
- Well, Lou, the pressure
is on to find this guy.
I'm counting on you to bring him in.
Soon.
I got the mayor, the commissioner
and the press on my back.
Lou, shit rolls downhill.
You read me?
- What do you want me to do?
Go out and arrest a bum
to get them off your back?
- You know what I mean.
- Look, Chief, I told
you, we don't have a clue.
We have no witnesses,
no prints, no nothing.
Look, Chief, if you wanna catch this guy,
let's bring Ted Lonergan in on the case.
- Forget it, Capell.
I'm already dealing with one maniac.
I don't need another one.
- He's the best and you know it.
- I don't know it.
The police department is
doing very nicely without him.
Lou, I don't give a damn
how you solve this case.
Well, if you bring any
embarrassment to the department,
so help me, I'll fry your ass.
You got that?
- Yeah, I got it, Chief.
- And no Lonergan.
- Asshole.
- We have an agreement.
You deliver five books per year.
- I delivered five books.
- Five different books,
not the same story over and over again.
- What do you want?
Blood, Victor?
Why don't you fight right here?
That way, the marks won't show.
- Oh, that's very funny, Ted.
That's very funny but it won't be so funny
when I stop the checks.
- Victor, you're an idiot.
And I can prove it.
You know why you're not
gonna stop the checks, huh?
You know why?
Because those tired old
plots we're the same ones
that gave you that home and Bel-Air.
And that Rolls Corniche
sitting on your driveway.
So lighten up.
- You know, you guys kill me.
Every writer thinks that his
is the great American novel
but you know what it is, Ted?
You know what it really is?
It's garbage.
- I can listen to you all day.
And you're right, it is garbage.
You buy it.
- Contract or no contract,
you better shape up
or pull the rug right off your foot.
- You gotta look where you're going.
- You hit me.
- What?
- I said you hit me!
- I did?
Oh yeah, I guess I did.
Yeah, did you ever think about
maybe getting a smaller car?
I mean this thing is a like
a bolt cruiser, you know?
Kinda hard to miss.
Like a tank.
- I don't want another car.
I like this car.
And I especially like this
car without any dents.
- Yeah, probably would look
better without dents, yeah.
- Oh, look what you've done.
- Oh, gee, I hit the
rear quarter panel there.
I bet it's really hard to find
parts for this car, you know?
Especially that little chrome strip.
That's gonna be tough to find.
- You jerk.
You know this car has been
in my family for years
without any accident.
You know it's never gonna be the same.
And you didn't even look!
You just threw your car into
gear and smashed into me.
How the hell did you ever get a license?
- Would you like some Atomic Rocks?
- What?
- Atomic Rocks, would you like some?
- You know, I think you're crazy.
- Juicy Fruit?
I got a stick of Juicy
Fruit here somewhere.
- I'm gonna call the police.
- Oh miss!
Miss, miss, miss!
You forgot something.
- Thanks.
- Hey look, I'm sorry I hit your car.
I understand why you're upset.
Here, let me give you my card, okay?
Do you have a pen?
Something like that?
Here's my phone number and my address
but you'll need my
driver's license number.
So you just come by my office anytime
and I give you a check
for the damages, okay?
And it was really nice meeting you
and I am sorry that I hit your car.
- Wait a minute.
You're not leaving are you?
- Well, yeah, I've gotta
go back to my office.
- No, you can't leave.
I've got to call the
police and report this.
- Oh, okay.
Alright, I tell you what.
The number's 555-9000.
A guy with a name of Chuck
will answer the phone.
He's really a nice guy.
And you just tell him what happened
and they'll send a squad by, okay?
- No, no, you gotta stay here.
- Oh, no I can't.
Here, have some Atomic Rocks.
What's your name?
- Jennifer Stanton.
- Well, I'll see you soon, Jenny.
- Wait.
- Oh, for Christ
sake, would you move?
- Don't rush me, that's how
you make mistakes in this game.
- I've been working on
that move for two days.
- Hey, you wanna play
chess or you wanna argue?
- That's your move?
- Yeah.
- What the hell are you doing?
- What do you mean?
- You just threw away your queen.
- Hey, I got a plan.
- Yeah, right, you got a plan.
You threw way your queen
and you got a plan.
You're crazy if you know that.
By the way, how's the asshole?
- You mean Warren?
- You know, who else?
- He's doing the same
thing we're all doing.
We're trying to find some psycho
who's running around trashing people.
- Yeah, I read about that in the paper.
Got any clues?
- Well, nothing that makes any sense.
Say Ted, why don't you
come down to the office
and look at some of the files?
- Oh, no Lou, no.
- Ted, I think you oughta
give this thing a chance.
You know you the best I've ever
seen in this kind of stuff.
- I told you along time ago I
am through with investigation.
And don't go talking to Warren
'cause I don't want
anything to do with him.
- You sound like a 34
year old has-been to me.
- Yeah, well maybe I am.
But I don't need any of
your goddamn social work.
- Yeah, well I'm sorry.
- Me too, I'm sorry.
- And by the way, check!
- Yeah.
- Is this
Mr. Lonergan's office?
- Oh yeah, high play.
- Yeah, well, I think I hear
captain video calling me
on the optical scholameter.
- Oh, yeah, I'll take a lie.
Just wanted to talk to
Mr. Lonergan about my car.
- You're the crazy,
I mean the lady with the Jag?
Well, I know I've gotta go now.
See you later, Ted.
- Yeah, bye Lou.
There's spot here.
My mate's coming in next week.
- Mr. Lonergan, I hate speak blunt but--
- You want me to pay
for the damage to your car?
- It will cost at least
$1,200 to repair my car
and I think you will admit
that it was your fault.
- Yeah, well,
I'm sorry, Ms. Stanton,
I can't give you a check.
- Oh, I thought so.
- All I have is cash.
That's a little quirk of mine.
I don't trust bankers.
- There's over 2,000 in here.
- Yeah, well, that's in case
you have trouble finding parts.
- No.
- Oh, which reminds me.
Here's the name of the guy
who can find the parts if you need them.
He's name Hewitt, he's Scottish.
That was a mark nine check, right?
- Yes.
- Look, Jenny, I'm
sorry that hit your car.
I know sometimes people
can become attached
to something like that.
- Well, it's just that it does have
a certain sentimental value.
Excuse me for saying this
but this is not really the
reaction I expected to get.
After this morning,
I thought I'd be dealing
with a real mental case.
- Well, I'm in contact
with earth, occasionally.
But don't be fooled by this calm exterior.
It's just a clever disguise,
actually I'm Errol Flynn.
- Well, Errol.
It was nice meeting you.
- Well, Jen, maybe we'll
run into each other again.
- I hope not.
- Yeah.
Hey, um.
Just thinking about it.
Why won't you let me
take you out to dinner?
Kinda make it up to you.
- No, I don't think so.
Besides, you've already made it up to me.
Thanks again, Mr. Lonergan.
- No, Ted.
- Ted.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Ted.
- Ted.
Bye, Ted.
- Car!
No, I can walk from here, I think.
Listen, I'll call you guys
tomorrow if I'm still alive.
Bye.
- Bye.
- Thanks.
What's the matter with you?
Shit!
Stupid car.
Come on, start.
What am I gonna do?
- Here on this little
street in Sherman Oaks,
a college coed, 22-year-old Janie Richter
became victim number 11 in
a series of brutal slayings
over the past few weeks.
The coroners office issued
a report this morning
that Ms. Richter's body
had been found beaten.
Apparently, her neck had been broken
and her left leg, ripped from her body.
Los Angeles police chief, Dennis Warren
stated today that the
killer will be caught
and that the police department
is working around the clock
to bring the killer to justice.
Informed sources say, however,
that the police department
has no real clues.
And such statements by Chief
Warren are wishful thinking.
This is Alex Waverley
in Sherman Oaks for KJ.
- Fire division,
Officer Herman, speaking.
- Jennifer, I hope
this is the right color.
- I've changed my mind.
A woman's prerogative.
Can we have dinner?
It's on me.
Eightish, I'll pick you up here.
Ted?
- Hello.
- Hi, it's Jennifer.
- Oh hi, come on in.
I'll be on a second.
- Okay.
- Aw!
- Are you alright?
- Yeah, I'm alright,
just hold on a second.
- I found this great
restaurant in Century City.
They have there a wine cellar
and the food is fantastic.
Hi.
I tell you what, why don't
we have dinner at my place?
I have some steaks and it will be quiet
and we can talk and you
won't have to dress up.
- Sure, great, yeah.
- Yeah?
- Love to.
- Okay.
- Dinner jacket here.
Could Jeff lookin' Betty Crocker, is it?
- No, actually, it's a very basic, basic.
- Mm-mm.
It was very good.
I enjoyed it very much.
- Thank you.
I'm now feeling a little for bit of wine.
- Good.
- Would you like some more?
- Hmm?
Yes, I would?
How about some music?
- Any request?
- Roberto Valero?
- What?
- Nevermind.
I like a girl with commitment.
- Yeah?
- There you go.
- Your very funny.
- A little bit.
So tell me, excuse me.
Isn't this the part of
the evening that you say,
so Ms. Stanton, tell me a
little bit about yourself.
- I don't have to.
I know everything.
You're born on September 20th,
1950 in Boston, Massachusets.
You had a very happy childhood.
You graduated from
Radcliffe, 3.6 in economics.
Your father owned a tool and die company.
Your parents were killed in an
automobile accident in 1975.
Shall I go on?
- No, that's alright.
- I'm sorry.
- No.
- I'm sorry.
- It's alright.
- Some old habit.
- That's right.
You are a detective.
- I was.
I was a detective.
But not anymore.
Let me ask you a question.
- What?
Why'd you set to go out with me tonight?
Or whatever it is we're doing here.
- Well, you're kinda cute.
And you do have a way about you.
- Don't mistake being
a comatose for style.
What happened to your cheek there?
- Well.
- Don't touch it.
Don't touch it.
Your cute.
Come here.
- I don't get I, Virg.
How come anytime something goes wrong
in the middle of the night, Simpoe says,
"Call Tindall!"
No, sure, he wouldn't mind getting up
at three in the morning to
bend pipes and wait in crap.
Call Tindall!
- Maybe he just like your smile.
- You know what I was
doing with a gal, don't?
- Valerie?
- Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah!
- I get the picture, Howard.
- Hey, I gotta
teach you outta school.
- Spare me.
- Come on.
Jesus, it's cold down here.
Hey, did you hear something?
- Hey, like what, rowdy boy?
- I'm serious.
Hey, you know, there's
something down here.
- Hey, maybe it's Valerie
coming back for more.
Hey Howard, that sounded pretty good.
Howard?
Now, I suppose you're waiting
for me to come down there
and play some kind of game with you.
What you do, you're a bigger
asshole than I think you are.
Howard?
Howard?
Oh, come on, man.
Howard, don't make me come down there.
Shit.
Oh, Howard, you know I scare easy.
Howard?
Howard.
Holy shit!
- Hello, Ted.
- Hi, Lou.
What brings you here.
- Just in the area.
Wow, what happened here?
- Hi.
Ted, where do you want this?
- Jennifer, this is Lou Capell.
You met him before.
- The crazy lady with the Jag.
- Lou's an old friend.
He's with the police force.
- Oh, well I'll let you two play
cops and robbers if you like.
I just wanna know where to file this
and I'll go back to finish.
- You file this one under Akkerman F.
And the other one in the big
green file under O'Quinn K.
- Okay.
Bye bye, Lou.
It was nice seeing you.
- It's my pleasure.
That's a very nice lady.
- Yeah, what are you doing here?
- Well, it's been a long time
since you've been down to the office.
I thought I'd come by and let
you know what's happening.
- About those murder cases, right?
- Yeah.
- Lou.
- Look, wait a minute.
Before you start to get upset,
would you here me out for once, please?
Please, hear me out.
Ted, you and I have worked
together on some offbeat cases.
But this is the strangest case
I've ever been on my life.
Look, people in this town
are dying like flies.
And I don't know what you
read on the newspapers
but there's some psycho running lose in LA
and he's killing people at random.
- There's always a pattern.
- Yeah, not to this one, there's not.
Whoever this guy is, he's
stronger and more cunning
than anybody we've ever been up against.
He pulled a door completely
off a car of his last victim.
- Oh Lou, come on.
- Listen, if you don't believe me,
I'll take you down to the
office to show you the car.
Ted, I'm flying blind on this thing.
The only thing I got going for me
is Kathy Sperry is her latest victim.
She's still alive.
But she's in a coma.
And there's a chance
she may come out of it
but if she doesn't.
Ted, I talked to the chief and
he said I can bring you in.
- No, Lou.
- He'd give anything you want!
- Look, I appreciate what
you are trying to do for me
but I don't want any half-assed therapy.
- Look, I'm not here because
I think are some charity case.
I'm here because people out there need you
and I need your help.
Ted, look, you're my best shot!
- I am sorry.
I am not ready for that, yet.
- Yeah, well I'm sorry too.
Seems like I've been here
and a lot around here lately.
- You know, I'm gonna let
you guys find this dump here.
I gotta go back to the car.
Can I have the keys, please?
- What for?
- It's gonna get dark in an hour.
- I forgot my lip gloss.
- Sandy, what are you doing?
- I'm getting my lip gloss.
- Christ, we're going
skating, not to chasings.
- Hey, we can skate if gets dark.
They do turn on the lights at night.
- Don't worry, Kelly.
It's not gonna get dark
for a few hours yet.
- I'm gonna go take a run.
- Come on back right away, okay?
I'll have this fixed in a
minute and we can go for a run.
- Okay.
- Together.
- What the hell was that?
- Sounds like someone's
power steering up again.
- When is Kelly coming back?
I wanna skate.
- She'll be back in a minute.
She probably went all
the way to the bottom.
- Get to tunnel with Kelly.
- No, don't try and scare me.
- Yeah, I do.
Come on, let's go.
Let's go!
- Wait a minute, I'm not going.
Hey, don't leave me!
- Somebody.
- Hey, you guys, this is Kelly's.
She wouldn't leave these here.
- I don't see her.
Kelly!
Kelly!
Kelly!
- I don't like this.
Scott, let's go back to the car, come on.
- Can you tell me your name?
Doc, you wanna come here a minute?
Have you seen this girl?
- We've an ambulance on the way.
She's in deep shock.
- Will she come around soon?
I need to question her.
- She'll come our of it eventually,
but exactly when, well,
that's hard to say.
- Okay, would you call me
as soon you know something?
What do got?
Gruner or what?
- Well, that's why I'm the chief and you--
- Ah, spare me, my
illusionist, don't finish that.
- Well, you think this is
the work of that same creep?
- Yeah, looks like it.
- Any witnesses?
- No.
I talked to all the kids and
they were up on the level
when this thing happened.
- Notified the parents?
- No, not yet.
- Would you think that'd be a good idea
to give them a call now?
- Well, I thought I'd go and
see them in person, Chief.
- Who is that?
What the hell is he doing here?
- Ted.
- What the hell is he think he is doing?
Listen.
- Hey.
- If you have anything to
do with this, I'll have--
- Warren, how you doing?
Looks like somebody
interrupted your dinner party.
- Well, Lonergan.
I wondered if you'd be sober
long enough to stick your nose into this.
- My, my, aren't we hostile.
Talk is you need all the help you can get.
But then again, you never
worry if you find your own ass
with both hands.
- Get him outta here.
Get him outta here before I
kick his tail into the slammer
and throw away the key.
Get him out!
- That's just fine.
That's just fine.
What the hell do you think you're doing?
I've been working on him for two weeks.
I almost had him convinced.
- He's an asshole.
- I know that.
- You know, you don't have
one ounce of diplomacy
in your body, Ted.
Look Ted, I consider you a friend
and I would appreciate if you
would go over and apologize.
- Ted, I'm gonna go meet
that girl over there.
Deal is she says she has some information
but she doesn't wanna talk to the police.
- Okay.
- Okay, you alright?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
- Okay, bye.
- I'm sorry.
I just can't deal with that guy.
- I know.
Well, anyway, he's gone.
Have you seen the body?
- No, no, not really.
- Come, it's over here.
- Sherry?
Sherry?
Sherry Carpenter!
Come on, Jennifer, it's alright.
It's nothing.
Yeah, nice.
Sherry.
Oh, shit.
- Jennifer?
- Ted, it's Lou.
- Oh hi, Lou.
What's up?
- It's Jennifer, Ted.
She's in a hospital in deep coma.
Ted, are you there?
- What?
What happened?
- We're not sure.
The doctor think it's a brain tumor.
She was in a place called the
Amberdine Research Facility.
She apparently went into
convulsions and into a coma.
The young girl who works there found here.
- Where is she?
- In Central.
- I'd like to go
in there if I could.
- I can't let you go in
here right now, sorry.
- Well, I'd like to see
Ms. Stanton if I could.
- You know Ms. Stanton?
- Yeah.
- We've been trying to get
in touch with her relatives.
- Well, I don't think she has any.
Can I go in and see her?
- No, I can't let you
go in there right now.
Besides, she wouldn't
even know you were there.
- Oh, what the hell happened?
Is she gonna be alright?
- Well, we don't know a
lot about what happened.
But apparently, she went into a form
of epileptic convulsions
and then to a comatose condition.
I'm afraid she's still be
sleeping into a profound state.
- Well, what does that mean?
- Well, next 24 hours, we'll tell
but you have to know
our chances aren't good.
Sorry.
Listen, could you come down
stairs with admission clinic?
- Ted, Ted, it's Lou.
Come on, get yourself together.
What are you doing?
You can't go on like this.
- Yeah, right.
- Come on, no.
You had enough of that.
This stuff's gonna kill you.
- I don't care, I need a drink.
- Do you think that Jennifer
would want you to act like this?
- Excuse me, are you Mr. Lonergan?
- Yeah, I'm Lonergan.
You look familiar.
- My name is Sherry Carpenter.
And I would like--
- You were, you talked to Jennifer, right?
- Well, yes, I--
- You were gonna meet here somewhere.
- My car over heated and I--
- What the hell
did you do to her?
- I couldn't, nothing.
I didn't do anything.
- Oh, and haven't you done
enough damage already.
Get out of my office.
Would you just get the hell outta here?
- Ted, take it easy.
Look, she didn't have
anything to do with it.
Jennifer had a brain tumor.
Ted, you gotta stop
doing this to yourself.
- That's what I came to talk to you about.
I do not think she has a brain tumor.
- Oh, what the hell does that mean?
- Look lady, the attending
physician said that she's--
- Comatose.
Due to a possible brain tumor.
You see, that's how it kills.
I mean, that's how it would look.
- That's how, what kills?
How what looks?
- Let me start from the beginning.
When I got out of college,
I had an opportunity
to work for Dr. Amberdine.
I had major biology,
specifically genetics.
Dr. Amberdine was working
in genetic engineering.
He was in working secret on
designing a new life form.
- Now this is real fascinating
but what does it have to do with Jennifer?
- I'm getting to that.
Look, do you wanna hear this or don't you?
- Well, not really.
- Ted, shut up.
Would you go on, lady.
We're sorry.
- Well, he actually succeeded in designing
a totally new life form.
I mean something that
has never existed before.
Resilient, intelligent
and I think, very deadly.
He told me once that if it ever grew up,
it would probably be very dangerous.
- Yeah, well I take it never grew up, huh?
- Well, I don't know.
You see, Ed.
I'm mean, Dr. Amberdine had
a heart attack and died.
I know he planned on killing
it before it got too big
but he didn't get a chance.
He was working alone when he
died and the creature escaped.
We all assume that it crawled
away somewhere and died.
- So what make you think different now?
- The murders, it feeds on spinal fluid.
It draws out of its victim
with a needle-like tongue.
- Yeah, but we never had
any murders like that.
- You see, most people
wouldn't be looking for it
because its victims would like
they had an epileptic
sick or a brain tumor.
- Why didn't you come
forward with this sooner?
- I wasn't sure.
- Well, have you seen this thing?
Do you know what it looks like?
- No.
I mean, I snuck in once.
But it was only in its
embryonic stage then.
- Ted, is it possible?
- At least check into it.
What have you got to lose?
Please, if this thing grows up.
- Lou, she's right.
Let's check it out.
Look, I want you to go talk the coroner
and find out of they overlooked anything.
I mean anything.
- Okay, I'll give him a call.
In the meantime, get her
name and phone number.
- Okay, I'll see if I can make a plan
and center point to these attacks.
If this thing is real,
how are we gonna kill it?
- I don't know.
I only came in on the
end of the experiment.
- You said Dr. Amberdine.
- Amberdine.
- He's was planning on to killing it.
- It's true.
There's some experiment notes
and they might tell us something.
- You still got it?
- The originals
were taken by the people
who were financing the projects
but I made some copies for myself.
I'll go back and get them if you want.
- Do that, go get them.
- Yes.
- Oh and look, I'm sorry
about what happened earlier.
- Oh, I'll be back soon.
I'm just gonna go down to the lab.
- Hello.
- Ted, Lou.
- Hi Lou.
- Good morning.
I've been doing some checking
and that girl of yours
is right on the money.
There's been an unusually high instance
of brain tumor and epileptic deaths.
- Are you sure?
- The coroner also said that
a lot of the death victims
had a tremendous loss of spinal fluid.
Listen, I'm beginning to
think that the girl is right.
And if she is, that means
that there have been a lot more deaths
than have been reported.
- Yeah, I'll tell you.
There's something I don't understand
is how the hell something
like this creature
could get around town without being seen.
I mean, nobody's reported
anything strange.
- Yeah, I know, that's one
of the parts of the puzzle
that doesn't fit.
I'm afraid I got another one for you.
- Okay, what?
- The case has been closed.
- What?
- I got a bulletin
the other day which reads,
suspect was cornered and was killed
during a subsequent
gun battle with police.
- Where?
What division?
- Well, it didn't say.
I tried to get more information
but the big wigs upstairs
put a gag order on them.
- I think they're trying
to cover something up.
- You don't know that.
- And you know something else?
They're gonna stop looking.
- Look Ted, this isn't
getting us anywhere.
Now, I cannot be involved
in thing official anymore.
The case is closed.
- Dammit!
- Ted, hey, take it easy.
Doesn't mean that I'm giving up.
Tell you what I'm gonna do.
I'm gonna come over to your office,
I brought borrow a few thing here.
And we'll see if we can
figure it out, okay?
Ted?
- Yeah, okay, okay.
Look, I'm sorry, Lou.
I just got a little excited.
I'll talk to you soon.
- Right.
- Oh Christ, that's where the lab is.
- 7:21 p.m.
It's been 512 hours since birth.
The Syngenor is growing
at an outstanding rate.
The vertebrae heat exchange system
is functioning at maximum.
Drawing the warm air in
and expelling cold air
out into its surroundings.
The organism is able to maintain
the high body temperatures
needed for its internal chemistry.
Still small at this point,
I'm unable to determine
what proportions the being
might attain when fully grown.
The question, I'm afraid,
will have to remain unanswered
as the Syngenor already exhibits
extremely aggressive behavior.
Its diet being what it is, spinal fluid.
Along with what seem an
almost diabolical cunning
could make this creature
extremely dangerous
if I were to allow it to reach maturity.
10:42, Syngenor is becoming
increasingly difficult to manage.
When it's not pounding or
chewing on its container,
it just sits there staring at me.
It's silvery eyes almost
glowing, burning into me.
I have to admit it's a little unnerving.
I will have to put an end
to this Syngenor soon.
I can't allow it to get any larger.
- Sherry, it's Ted!
Here, calm down, you.
What is it?
What's wrong?
What's wrong?
- There was a man over there.
- Just listen to me.
Settle down, settle down.
Show me, show me.
- What happened to him?
- I don't know.
What is this stuff, you know?
- No.
- Looks like a maintenance worker
or a construction worker.
- In the sewer.
The sewer.
It's still in there.
- The sewer, that's where it is.
That's how the thing get to run about
without anybody seeing it.
- Ted, there's something I found out.
Something in the notes.
I think the thing is
getting ready to reproduce.
- How's that possible?
I thought there's only
one of these things.
- Yes, but it doesn't
need a mate to reproduce.
Not all organisms do.
What are you gonna do?
Don't you think you wanna
call for help or something?
At least call the police?
- By the time they get here,
it's gonna be too late.
You should go home and stay there, okay?
- You're right, I should.
I should, but I'm not going to.
- What are you doing?
- I'm going with you.
- No you're not.
- Yes, I am.
Besides, you need me.
- Oh, I do?
- Sure.
I'm the only one that
knows all about this thing.
It's called the Syngenor.
- What?
- It stands for synthesized
genetic organism.
- Sherry, this is not a game.
We are dealing with a killing machine.
I'm not gonna risk your
life by taking you with me.
- Do you think I'd be any safer up here?
- No, but you'd be safer at home.
- If you go down there,
I am not going home.
I am going to wait for you right here.
- Come on.
What do you expect?
- Which way?
- This way.
- What do you planning on doing
when you go face to
face with that creature?
- Ventilating it a little.
- Oh.
- Oh, I don't think I like when said, oh.
How big is thing right now?
- I'm not sure.
- What's it look like?
- I don't know.
- I thought you said you
know all about this thing.
- Let's go.
- No.
It feeds off of these people.
Let's get outta here!
Sherry, no, no ,no, this way.
Sherry, look, look, you gotta.
- I can't move it.
I can't lift it.
Ted, it's too heavy.
- I got you, you shit.
God.
Sherry, come on back down!
Come on, come on!
Come here, come here!
Go, go.
There's a grill in here.
Damn.
Oh, it's too high.
Dammit.
There's a ladder back there.
I'm going back.
- What a minute.
Please come back.
Ted!
Hurry, please, hurry.
- Go, faster.
Get over here.
- Yeah.
- Sherry, go, go, go, move, move!
- Ted, I dropped my glasses!
- That's it, the sewer.
Ed, I want you to get on the radio
and get somebody outta here
who has a map of this
darn system, right now!
- Okay.
- Sherry, I've been here before.
This is Leethorn Burges Metalworks.
- Locked.
- The door at the back, go, go.
No, come on, this isn't fun.
Come on, this way.
Oh, there's got to be
another way outta here.
Sherry, I will get up
whether we can get out there.
I can't get up, in need something else.
Some other thing.
- This stuff is either too
heavy or it's bolted down!
- I think it isn't gonna work.
There's got to be something else.
- Ted, it's in here.
- Come on, let's go, go, go.
Come on!
Go, go, go, go.
- We need to go.
- Ssh.
Go, move, move, move, move, move, move!
There's gotta be something.
There has got to be something.
- What?
What?
- Go, go.
Go, go, go, go, go.
- Don't leave me.
What are you doing?
Ted.
- Sherry, listen to me.
Listen very carefully.
This thing can wait us out.
And we don't stand a chance
unless we do something.
What I'm try and do
is I'm gonna try and get him.
I'm gonna try him to
lure him over the bed.
And the bed will drop forth.
If I can do that, if I can get in there,
I want you to operate this machine.
- I can't operate this thing.
- Shut up, yes you can!
No, listen to me!
You gotta hit both of these
buttons at the same time
or else, it won't operate.
Okay, put your foot on that.
That's the safety.
If your foot is not in
there, it will not operate.
Do you understand?
You have to hit both
buttons at the same time,
otherwise, it won't operate.
Okay, I'll be right back.
- Ted, wait a minute!
Ted, the power went out!
There's a note on the
system about breakers!
Ted!
The power has turned on.
I can't see you.
Ted!
Ted.
Ted?
Come on, Ted!
- Ted!
- Sherry, drop the press!
Drop off the press!
- Ted?
Ted?
Ted?
No!
No!
No!
No!