Strange Invaders

(INDISTINCT)

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

(LOW RUMBLING)

(CHUCKLES)

(DOG BARKS)

(DOG BARKING)

BOBBY HELMS ON RADIO: (SINGING)

You are my special angel

- Special angel

- Special angel

Sent from up above...

- Above

- Above

(GIGGLES)

(PULSING ELECTRONIC HUM)

(STATIC FROM TELEVISION)

BOY:
Mom, Dad, I'm home.

(PULSING ELECTRONIC HUM)

(BOY SCREAMS)

MAN:
How you doing?

WOMAN:
Fine. Hi, how are you?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- Good morning.

- MAN:
Good morning.

Now, I know many of you are not

that interested in Entomology 23-A.

Neither was I when I first started.

You're probably taking it because

it happens to meet the science requirement

of this great liberal arts university

or because it meets at

a convenient time of the day.

Why they call it 23-A beats me.

I've suggested "Introduction to bugs..."

(LAUGHTER)

"Meeting the little creatures..."

Anything but Entomology 23-A.

But one thing is sure.

By the time you finish this course,

you will know that man

is just one species in this world...

In the universe...

And we're going to meet

some of the others.

Some of them are

quite spectacular in their abilities,

appearance, talents, and longevity.

We're going to meet some creatures who do

things you've never dreamed possible.

(STUDENTS MURMURING)

Really.

Well, we have to start somewhere,

so, lights...

Camera.

I offer you the ephemeroptera.

GIRL:
Hello?

Who is this?

Elizabeth.

Is your mother in? May I speak with her?

She's out right now.

Okay, thank you. I'll call back.

(PIANO PLAYING)

(DOG BARKS)

(MAN SINGING SCALES)

(DOG BARKS)

(WOMAN SINGING SCALES)

(DOG BARKING)

(DOG GROWLING)

Hi, Louis.

You hungry?

(R.E.M. PLAYING 1,000,000)

All right.

Come on.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

WOMAN:
Charlie,

you left the door unlocked again.

Very dangerous.

CHARLES:
I know it. I know it.

He drinks beer with his dinner now.

We going to the movies?

Yeah, we could.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

(SIGHS)

Will you get it?

Thanks.

May I ask who's calling?

His ex-wife and his daughter.

Please come in.

GIRL:
Daddy! Daddy!

CHARLES:
Hi, Elizabeth.

How's my little girl?

- Fine.

- That's great.

What happened?

I have to go to Centerville

for a few days.

I have to leave Elizabeth with you.

Sure. It's all right.

What happened?

My mother died.

I've got to go back.

(PIANO PLAYING)

WOMAN:
Up! Up!

Up! Up!

Sorry about your mother.

I know I never met her, but I'm sorry.

You look real good.

I was in the islands for two weeks.

The Bahamas.

Goodbye, Charles.

Take good care of Elizabeth.

Sure.

Phalangida opilione.

Daddy-longlegs.

Tropisternus lateralis.

That's a dry beetle.

Water beetle.

Oh, oh.

Oops.

Close.

Yeah.

I can't understand why we haven't been

able to reach mother for the last four days.

I keep thinking

we're gonna hear from her.

What do you want for dessert?

Ice cream.

Maybe she's not coming back.

Sure she is, honey.

She'll be back.

CHARLES:
Operator, are you sure

there's no way to get through?

OPERATOR:
I'm sorry, sir.

All the lines for Centerville are down.

You'll have to try later.

CHARLES:
But I've been

trying this number for days now.

OPERATOR:
The West Side

has been off like this for two weeks.

If you'd like to try back later...

Thanks.

ELIZABETH:
Hi, Morgan.

Hello, Elizabeth.

- CHARLES:
Hi, Morgan.

- Hello, sir.

Just make sure

she gets to school on time.

Certainly, sir.

And tell my mother

I'll call her in a couple of days.

Of course, sir.

Bye, honey.

Don't worry.

ELIZABETH:
Bye, Daddy.

- (BARKS)

- Shh! Be quiet.

(BARKS)

CHARLES:
Take it easy.

Sit. Stay.

Howdy. You want a room?

Yes.

That will be 7 bucks a night.

7 bucks?

Mmm-hmm.

Oh, please, cash only.

Out of 10.

I'm here looking for the Newmans.

Newman? My name's Newman.

Arthur Newman.

Oh, maybe you know my wife Margaret.

Your wife?

Margaret Newman?

Yeah.

I'm afraid not.

I'll need your name and address, Mr...

Bigelow.

Bigelow.

Well, maybe she left

before you got here.

No, I've lived here all my life.

Maybe you've got the wrong town.

I don't think that's possible.

Now, her mother just passed away...

Alma Newman.

No, I've... I know

all the Newmans in Centerville.

I've never heard of her.

Uh, how long are you planning

on staying, Mr. Bigelow?

I'm just gonna look around.

I presume you don't mind.

Oh, no. No.

Is that dog staying, too?

Yes, well, uh, maybe you'd better

take the room out back.

Here you go.

And, Mr. Bigelow,

please keep that dog locked up.

(DOG GROWLING)

Oh, come on.

What's the matter with you?

(GROWLING)

Are you all right?

Listen, I got to go look around.

You stay here for awhile.

(GROWLS)

No.

Stay.

(DOG BARKS)

(GROWLS)

(CAR HORN HONKS)

Uh, let me ask you, do you know

if Alma Newman lives around here?

No, sir.

Any of you guys ever hear

of the Newmans?

Well, I hear Paul Newman

might be dropping by sometime.

(LAUGHING)

That's funny. Real funny.

Hey, Dad, we know our neighbors,

and like we said, nobody by the name

of Alma Newman lives here.

I didn't mean to break up all your fun.

(GROWLS)

(DOG BARKING)

(PULSING ELECTRONIC HUM)

(DOG GROWLING)

(GROWLS)

(ELECTRIC SIZZLE, DOG BARKS)

(DOG HOWLING)

(DOG SNARLING)

(DOG GROWLING)

Louis?

(DOG BARKS)

Louis!

Shouldn't have brought the dog

in the first place.

Louis! Louis!

Louis! Louis!

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

(TIRES SQUEAL)

(ENGINE STOPS)

Yo. Fuel pump.

Take a couple hours.

Two hours?

Half an hour.

I'll wait over there.

(THE SKYLINERS PLAYING

IF I DON'T HAVE YOU)

Just coffee.

Something to eat?

Coffee.

(DOOR OPENS, BELLS RING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

CHARLES:
My dog is gone.

Anybody seen a dog around?

A brown husky?

I guess not.

(MUSIC STOPS)

(GLASS BREAKS)

(PINBALL MACHINE RATTLES)

(PULSING ELECTRONIC HUM)

(LASER BLAST)

(LAUGHING)

OFFICER:
Nice car.

You want to tell me what happened?

Well, maybe you'll

think of something on the way.

(BELL RINGS)

(EERIE WHIRRING)

No.

Use the key.

Yes, could I have a B.L.T.? Room 2121.

(EERIE WHIRRING)

(INDISTINCT)

(GASPS)

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

WAITER:
Room service.

Room service.

I'll just leave it on the table, sir.

(GASPS)

(WOMAN SCREAMS)

We've arrived in New York, sir.

Did you have a nice trip?

Yeah, great.

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

(RINGS)

Hello?

(DIAL TONE)

(RING)

Hello?

CHARLES:
Mother, it's me.

Have you heard from Margaret?

No.

Is everything all right?

Didn't you find her?

No.

How's Elizabeth?

She's fine.

She's still sleeping.

It's awfully early.

Yes, I know.

I'm sorry.

I'll see you both after class.

Bye.

MAN:
Charles!

Please, Henry, don't give me

a hard time about this.

Some Southern Illinois state trooper

picks me up in the middle

of the night on the highway.

The car I'm in has no doors, no trunk.

That's when I need imagination.

You know, Charles,

I've been studying the stars

for over 60 years.

When I first came to Columbia,

we didn't even know the existence

of some of the planets in our solar system.

Now we travel to them, take snapshots.

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