Ghost Story

Synopsis: Four successful elderly gentlemen, members of the Chowder Society, share a gruesome, 50-year old secret. When one of Edward Wanderley's twin sons dies in a bizarre accident, the group begins to see a pattern of frightening events developing.
Director(s): John Irvin
Production: Universal Pictures
  2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.3
Rotten Tomatoes:
39%
R
Year:
1981
110 min
822 Views


Operatic Contralto Aria

HE'S DEAD.

HE'S DEAD.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT !

NO PULSE.

THERE'S NO PULSE !

NO PULSE ! NO--

YOU--

HE'S GOT NO PULSE.

A LITTLE AFTER MIDNIGHT,

THE OLD CARETAKER WAS AWAKENED

BY A TERRIBLE SOUND;

WHIMPERING, PITIFULLY.

THE SOUND CAME AGAIN,

FAINTLY.

ONLY THIS TIME:

HE WAS SURE IT WAS HUMAN.

THE GRAVEYARD WAS SILENT...

EXCEPT FOR THE STEADY PADDING

OF HIS FEET...

AS HE WEN AROUND THE TOMBSTONES.

"HELLO ? IS SOMEONE THERE ?

SOMEONE ?"

BUT THERE WAS NOTHING.

NO ONE.

AS HE STOOD THERE,

SCRATCHING HIS HEAD,

FEELING SOMETHING

OF A DAMN FOOL,

HE HAPPENED TO LOOK DOWN.

AND THERE AT HIS FEET,

SOMEONE HAD BEEN BURIED...

THAT VERY AFTERNOON.

THE GRAVE HAD BEEN DISTURBED.

THE SOIL WAS UPSET,

AND THE CROSS LAY ON ITS SIDE.

"RESPECT," HE MUTTERED,

SURE NOW THAT HE WAS THE

BUTT OF A PRACTICAL JOKE.

SO HE SMOOTHED OUT THE SOIL...

AND SET THE CROSS BACK UPRIGH AT THE HEAD OF THE GRAVE,

AND THEN HE WENT BACK

TO HIS BED.

BUT OUTSIDE,

IN THE GRAVEYARD,

IN THE WIND,

THERE WAS STILL A FAINT WISP

OF SOUND,

ALMOST LIKE A SONG:

"ALIVE. STILL ALIVE !"

AAAH !

"ALIVE."

GOD.

MARVELOUS STORY.

MARVELOUS.

I THINK THA WAS THE WORST SHOCKER

WE'VE HAD IN YEARS.

DAMN NEAR SCARED THE PANTS

OFF ME, I'LL TELL YOU.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW

ABOUT YOU,

BUT I COULD DO:

WITH ANOTHER BRANDY.

HEAR, HEAR.

MAYBE A GOOD CIGAR.

I'VE GOT TO

GO TO BED.

NO BRANDY ?

I HAVEN'T BEEN

SLEEPING WELL LATELY.

BESIDES, IT'S LATE,

AND IT'S GETTING COLD.

AND MILLY'LL BE WAITIN' UP TO--

POUR SOME HOT CHOCOLATE

DOWN ME.

COME ON. I'LL

DRIVE YOU HOME, DOC.

YOU KNOW, TEN YEARS FROM NOW,

OF THIS COUNTRY...

WILL BE WEARING TIES

ONLY TO WEDDINGS...

AND--

AND TO FUNERALS:

TOO, PERHAPS.

I'D FEEL

AS IF I WAS NAKED.

WELL, IT'S TIME

WE ALL WENT HOME.

COME ON, DOC.

YOU LOOK TERRIBLE.

ARE YOU SLEEPING

ALL RIGHT ?

DAMN IT TO HELL.

ARE YOU ?

GENTLEMEN,

BEFORE YOU GO,

I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE

A TOAST...

TO US:

CHOWDER SOCIETY.

CHOWDER SOCIETY.

THE CHOWDER SOCIETY.

THE CHOWDER SOCIETY.

THE CHOWDER SOCIETY.

WHO ARE YOU ?

SLEEPING.

WHO ARE YOU ?

WOKE ME.

TELL ME !

DAVID.

- WHO ARE YOU ?

- YOU KNOW.

I KNOW ?

I AM YOU.

NO.

COLD.

WHAT ARE YOU ?

DONNIE ? COME HOME, DONNIE.

THERE'S BEEN A TERRIBLE ACCIDEN IN NEW YORK.

YOUR BROTHER IS...

DEAD, SON.

COME HOME RIGHT AWAY.

NOW ARRIVING AT GATE THREE

FROM NEW YORK,

HARTFORD AND SPRINGFIELD.

GATE THREE FROM NEW YORK,

HARTFORD AND SPRINGFIELD.

BE CAREFUL.

BUS FOR MONTREAL--

HELLO, DAD.

WELL-- IS THIS

ALL YOU HAVE ?

I'M FINE.

- L-LOOK AT YOU.

- I'M OKAY, DAD.

MONTPELIER,

YOUR GATE IS FOUR.

BREAK OUT THE SNOWMOBILES,

BOYS AND GIRLS.

TWO INCHES OF THAT LOVELY

WHITE STUFF ALREADY

ON THE GROUND...

AND A MASSIVE COLD FRON HEADING OUR WAY.

NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

TALKIN' ABOUT I MIGHT HELP.

RIGHT.

HOW'S THE WRITING

COMING ?

I'VE HAD OTHER THINGS

ON MY MIND.

TEACHING ?

DIDN'T FINISH OU THE TERM.

OH, DON.

SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK

HAPPENED TO HIM, DAD ?

THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT.

OH, IS THAT WHAT YOU

TOLD EVERYBODY ?

WHAT, THAT HE FELL ?

THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID.

I DON'T GIVE A DAMN !

I KNOW SOMETHING HAPPENED

TO HIM IN NEW YORK.

YOU'RE SHOUTIN'.

JESUS CHRIST, DAD !

I'M TELLING YOU SOMETHING

HAPPENED TO HIM !

HE MAY HAVE BEEN MURDERED !

STOP IT !

I KNEW THE GIRL:

HE WAS GONNA MARRY.

I SLEPT WITH HER, DAD.

DO YOU HEAR ME ?

I SLEPT WITH HER.

YOU COME HERE LOOKING LIKE

GOD KNOWS WHAT,

YOUR BROTHER:

NOT EVEN IN HIS GRAVE YET--

DAD--

AND YOU START CARRYING ON

ABOUT HAVING SEX

WITH HIS FIANCEE.

- DAD !

- ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME

YOU STRAIGHTENED OUT ?

SOMEHOW.

DAD.

I WILL FEAR NO EVIL,

FOR THOU ART WITH ME.

THY ROD AND THY STAFF--

THOU PREPAREST A TABLE--

DAVID.

SURELY GOODNESS:

AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME

ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.

DAVID. DAVID.

DON.

OH ! I-- I DIDN'T KNOW

WHERE I WAS FOR A MOMENT.

YOU WERE HAVIN'

A BAD DREAM.

LORD, WAS I EVER.

THINK I'LL TURN IN.

GOOD NIGHT.

NIGHT.

WELL, YOU'RE ALL I HAVE

LEFT NOW, YOU KNOW.

UH, MAYBE--

UH, MAYBE

IF THE WEATHER LETS UP,

YOU AND I CAN GO FISHIN'

ONE DAY.

I-I'D LIKE THAT.

ME TOO.

WELL, STAY AROUND A FEW DAYS

AND HELP YOUR OLD MAN OU WITH A FEW THINGS.

WHATEVER YOU SAY.

SURE.

DON'T FORGET TO LOCK UP,

WILL YOU, KIDDO ?

WAKE UP. WAKE UP !

NOOOO !

RICKY, FOR GOD'S SAKE !

STELLA.

MY GOD.

WOW.

HERE.

YOU POOR DARLING.

BETTER ?

YEAH.

YOU WANNA TELL ME

ABOUT IT ?

NO, NO, NO.

OH.

THOSE GRUESOME STORIES

YOU TELL EACH OTHER.

IT'S A WONDER

YOU CAN SLEEP AT ALL.

WHAT ARE YOU OLD FOOLS

UP TO ?

BLACK MAGIC.

YOU'RE NUTS.

DAD ?

DAD ?

DAD, YOU OKAY ?

FINE. FINE.

YOU SURE ?

IT WAS--

IT WAS JUST A DREAM.

ARE YOU SURE ?

MORNING, MR. MAYOR.

IS EVERYTHING OKAY ?

THE WIFE AND I...

WE'RE SORRY ABOUT YOUR LOSS.

TERRIBLE THING.

DAVID !

DAVID !

DAVID !

DAVID !

DAVID !

WHAT THE HELL IS HE--

NED ?

NED.

NED !

HOLY SH*T.

RICK, THAT'S PATHETIC !

THANK GOD YOU'RE BACK !

EVERYONE'S BEEN CALLING !

A NINNY !

AND SO ARE YOU,

IF YOU KEEP BELIEVING

SUCH TWADDLE !

HE SAW HIM !

EDWARD WAS DOING SOMETHING

ON THAT BRIDGE.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT,

BUT SOMETHING !

HE WAS WALKING--

I HAVE ANOTHER IDEA.

WE'VE GOT TO HELP THE BOY.

YOU TALK AS IF HE WAS

I'M SURE EDWARD LEFT HIM

WELL PROVIDED FOR.

- WHY DON'T YOU TELL HIM

HOW GRATEFUL HE SHOULD BE ?

- TAKE IT EASY, NOW.

TO KNOW A MAN OVER 50 YEARS.

YOU-- YOU'D THINK YOU KNEW

WHAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF !

YOU'RE NOT DOING YOUR

BLOOD PRESSURE ANY GOOD.

MYBLOOD ?

MR. JAMES, IT'S JOEL BRENNER

OVER AT THEURBANITE.

WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU'LL WRITE

SOMETHING ABOUT THE MAYOR

FOR THE PAPER.

- RICKY, YOU TAKE CARE OF IT.

- WHAT SHALL I SAY ?

MY GOD. HE WEN OFF THE BRIDGE !

SAY WHATEVER YOU DAMN PLEASE.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

- COME ON, COME ON.

YOU BETTER--

- I CAN'T BELIEVE IT !

COME ON, YOU BETTER

GO HOME NOW.

YOU-- YOU--

I'LL CALL YOU LATER.

YOU KNEW HIM AS WELL AS I DID,

RICKY. HE COULDN'T.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT !

NOT NOW, RICKY.

YES. NOW.

MY GOD, SEARS.

SOMETHING'S HAPPENING.

I-- I CAN TELL.

SOMETHING TERRIBLE.

YOU CAN BE VERY PERSISTENT.

PERSISTEN WITHOUT BEING A BULLY.

THAT'S A VERY NICE QUALITY,

RICKY.

- DON'T TRY TO BAMBOOZLE ME.

- IT'S A FEW BAD DREAMS !

AND A MONTHLY SPOOK STORY.

COME ON, NOW.

LET'S GET TO WORK.

YOU'RE DISSEMBLING.

IT'S BENEATH YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE ?

I DON'T KNOW. BUT WE'VE

GOTTA DO SOMETHING.

HELLO.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ?

ANSWER ME.

I WON'T HURT YOU.

ANSWER THE MAN, FENNY.

HELLO, MR. HAWTHORNE.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ?

WHAT DO YOU WANT ?

WE WANT TO PLAY.

ISN'T THAT SO,

LITTLE BROTHER ?

YOU CAN'T STAY HERE.

YOU'RE BREAKING THE LAW.

- IS THAT SO ?

- YOU'RE TRESPASSING HERE,

ILLEGALLY !

NO. NO, WE'RE NOT.

- WE KNOW THE OWNER.

- THERE IS NO OWNER.

SURE, THERE IS !

WE'VE SPOKEN TO HER.

- WHO ?

- OUR FRIEND.

OUR NEW FRIEND.

NO ONE LIVES HERE.

SOMEONE LIVED HERE.

SOMEONE FANTASTIC.

WHAT ?

YOU'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN

ALL YOUR LIFE,

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Lawrence D. Cohen

Lawrence D. Cohen is an American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976), an adaptation of Stephen King's novel. Following this he scripted a simplified film adaptation of Peter Straub's novel Ghost Story in 1981. His output has been infrequent, but he has helped in adapting two other King novels to television, It in 1990 and The Tommyknockers in 1993. In 2006 he wrote a segment for the TV series Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King. In 1981, Cohen began to work on a musical adaptation of Carrie (novel), which premiered in 1988 on Broadway to negative reviews and closed after only 16 previews and 5 performances. In 2012, the musical was revived Off Broadway for a limited engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (with Cohen revising the book). The second production was better received than the original. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Ghost Story" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/ghost_story_8930>.

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