Demonoid: Messenger of Death (1981)

1
What a beautiful city Guanajuato is.
My husbands told me a lot about it.
He probably missed you very much.
He's sorry he couldn't pick you up
at the airport, but, uh...
he couldn't leave the mine.
Mines are very jealous.
Like most females.
Is a mine a female, Pepe?
Yes. No matter how hard you try,
a mine won't surrender.
If you're not lucky.
Come on, Pepe.
Let's go to the mine right away.
Well...
Here you are, at your mine.
Good.
I'm going to look for my husband.
Jen!
Are you alright?
Look at their faces.
They're scared to death of a corpse.
Mr. Baines.
Pepe, what is it?
Look.
Silver.
I knew it!
If he found it, we can find it!
I know it, I know it!
Then he died.
Nobody can take silver out of La Quemada.
Dammit, you don't believe
that crap, do ya?
No left hand. Somebody stole his hand.
What does that mean?
It's nothing. Superstition. It's nothing.
Come on, let's get out of here.
The mummies I wanna watch 'em.
Mexico is a crude hill.
Which kind of blows the theory of die
young and have a beautiful corpse.
Poor things.
Do you see that they
don't have any left hands?
That's just like our mummy.
La mano del diablo.
The devil's hand.
They say it first came out of hell
from La Quemada.
It's a legend, but for our elders,
this was their truth.
How about the truth of today?
Today our fantasies
are much more sophisticated.
Yes, like, uh...
dreaming of oil.
All right. Okay.
What are these?
It's, uh, candy made in the shape
of mummies. That's what they are.
- They're, um, mummy yummies.
- Oh, how macabre.
Yeah. But do you want one?
- We have problems.
- What's the matter?
They're not gonna work, and they're
not gonna let anyone else work.
So you better get outta here, quick.
I've got an idea.
We're gonna go down into the mine.
You and I. We're gonna
go down into the lowest level.
If they see a woman going down there
and coming back safely,
how can they refuse?
Come on.
Besides, you and I can be alone.
Come on.
I think I'm going to have to...
to hold on here.
This is really steep.
How deep is this?
- Deep.
- Yeah?
Oh, God... They've been digging
this mine for over 300 years.
Listen to this.
Probably go on for half an hour.
You think, you think maybe they're, uh...
right about that legend?
God, I hope they're not.
It's funny. You know,
Pepe never brought me down here.
This must be it.
This is what they're afraid of.
This is a torture chamber.
Wow. Look at this.
Must be... hundreds of years old.
What are you collecting those?
Oh, let's go back. Listen,
I'm getting scared.
It's all right.
Now wait just a few minutes.
I wanna see what's down here.
It's all right.
Take it easy. Now just... get something.
Get, get a board or something. I'm...
I can't get outta here.
Get a board!
Hurry up!
Oh!
Hurry up!
Oh, Mark!
Jenny!
Where are you?
I'm in some kind of a... chamber.
How can I get down?
There's a ladder over here. I'll use that.
Okay.
See it?
Yes.
Come on down.
Okay.
I'm gonna slide the last bit.
Oh.
Darling, you're all right.
Look at that.
Look at that!
Oh. Incredible.
This place is incredible.
What's that?
It's oil.
Get some light here.
What do you think this is?
I think it's a cultist temple
for devil worshipers.
Well...
Little babies.
I mean these gotta be rank.
This statue is missing a hand too.
Let's get out of here.
Oh, God, this place is really creepy.
Look at this, darling.
Oh, I shouldn't touch it.
Why not?
Prove we've been down here.
To show these guys
there's nothing to be afraid of.
Well, if this mine is cursed,
here's their demon.
Right.
Devil!
We have broken your curse!
Well, now the miners
will have to come back to work.
Vamonos.
Here! Here's your devil's hand!
Pepe, tell them they can go back to work!
Nothing to be afraid of.
Nothing to be afraid of!
Whats the matter with you? Huh?
What's the matter?
All right, then!
Go away!
I'll get someone else to work this mine!
Don't give up.
Do you know what I've done?
Do you realize all the money I borrowed?
I feel like some fool.
Takes all his grandmother's money,
and goes to Las Vegas and loses it all.
Then blows his brains out.
It's going to be all right.
Look, I have a surprise.
Some champagne.
For us.
Your eyes.
You're beautiful.
Mark!
Oh, God!
Must've been a nightmare or something.
That wasn't a nightmare.
Just a dream, that's all.
That hand grabbed you.
Let me see your hand.
Get that thing away from me.
Show me your hand.
Take that thing away from me.
What's wrong?
Stay away from me.
Mark.
Oh, my God.
Pepe, is my husband here?
Yes, he's here.
He took the men into the mine.
You mean, they went back into the mine?
Si, seora. He's crazy.
He pushed them to go down there.
Mark!
Please, don't do this!
No, Mark! Don't!
You outta have great luck now, big man.
Look what just stand
along side of you here.
Lady luck?
Lady luck.
Lucky seven.
Give me five grand on a pass.
Woah, we got a big better here.
What do ya say? What do ya say?
How about the hard low?
Hey! That's what I'm lookin' for.
Let that ride.
Let it ride.
- Hello.
- Yes, madam?
My name is Mrs. Mark Baines,
and I wondered if you've seen this man.
Mm. Another Mrs. Mark Baines.
If you knew how many Mrs. Baines
have been in this hotel today,
you'd lie down on the floor
and laugh yourself silly.
Well, I'm sorry,
but I am Mrs. Jennifer Baines,
and my husband is in trouble.
Well...
I'm sorry, madam.
It's a policy of this hotel not to give
out information about hotel residents.
If you'd like to contact him
through the house phones,
they're right around the corner.
-Yes, Mr. Mark Baines, please.
He's not taking any calls?
Well, would you mind paging him, please?
Mr. Mark Baines.
Call the operator, please.
Number seven, a winner.
He's coming out again.
One more seven, shooter.
All right.
- All right. What do we want?
- Seven.
Seven, huh? You want a seven?
- Yeah, I'd like a seven.
- Blow on 'em, blow on 'em.
Give me a three!
Hey, I like that three.
Everything goes. Everything.
You should never use another man's luck.
Never use another man's luck.
Mr. Joe DeAngelo telephone call.
Joe DeAngelo...
Listen, you don't have
to do more gambling, do you?
- No, no.
- My car is right here.
All right, let's go.
C'mon, c'mon let's go.
Unlock the door!
All right, let's go.
Take the car down the road and hide it.
Okay, honey.
This dude's clean.
He hasn't got an apparatus on him.
Nothing.
Not a thing.
You think he's all right?
He's all right.
You okay? Huh?
- Wake up.
- Well, there he is.
Wake up, bozo. Let's go.
Lucky. You went the wrong way.
The money's at the safe at the casino.
We don't want your money, pinhead.
I wanna know how you did it.
Do what? Meet such attractive people?
No, no.
I wanna know how you threw 23 straight
passes without switching the dice.
That's what I wanna know.
How'd you do that?
Beginner's luck.
Well, let me tell you about luck.
There's an easy way, and a hard way.
Now, the easy way,
you tell us, we'll let you go.
We'll all cash in. Rich.
And the hard way?
I'll cut those hands off,
and feed 'em to the coyotes.
- That's...
- Fool! Like a fool!
Get him, Frankie!
Get him, Frankie! Frankie!
Let me outta here! Get me outta...
Shut up!
Stay away from me!
- Shut up!
- Stay away!
We've got good news and bad news.
Go ahead.
Well, they found the girl.
Dead.
Oh.
Where?
About 20 miles across the state line.
There are two other bodies nearby.
Were they men?
Yeah, both.
One was a gambler.
His name was name was Frankie Phillips.
He's got the usual rap sheet.
Extortion, fraud.
Who was the other one?
Well, he was badly burned.
They assume it's the owner
of a neighboring shack.
That was Mark.
Well...
Some relative supposedly
identified the body.
Anyway, they shipped it
to Los Angeles for burial.
To Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Inglewood.
Might want to check that out.
I will.
Confusion, Father, stirring inside of me.
Father...
I ask your forbearance.
I ask deliverance from doubt.
Amen.
Madam.
I'm sorry, but the church is closed.
Oh.
I didn't know God punched a clock.
No.
No, he's available to anyone, at anytime.
His emissaries though are...
are merely human.
Good.
Because then you'll understand
the problems of another human being.
The man you buried was my husband.
Did you ever see the body?
No.
Was an autopsy ever performed?
Well, it wasn't necessary.
The poor man was burnt beyond recognition.
I'm going to insist
that the grave be opened.
Well, you'll have to talk
to all the officials.
You know, basically, the unearthing
of a body is, is legally complex.
You're gonna need
a good reason, Mrs. Baines.
That's perfectly all right.
May I see the grave now, please, Father?
I'm sorry to have been
so brusque just now,
but it's very urgent that I see his grave.
-I understand, Mrs. Baines.
You might gain some solace
from just being near the grave.
Let's see now. Where are we.
Some place close by here.
Right.
Here we are.
Uh-oh.
What sort of a disturbed person
would violate a grave?
He did it.
My husband, the man that you buried.
This grave was not dug up.
It was dug out, from the inside.
Look, Father, there are no shovel marks.
The earth was heaved up and out.
And the coffin. Look.
The wood is splintered,
just as if it had exploded.
Hm.
Well, uh...
Come on, let's go.
You coming?
Wait!
You blessed the grave.
Evil defiled it.
Now, is that a personal defeat
that you cannot accept?
I cannot accept your whole theory.
And yours?
Well, your husband won a lot of money.
Perhaps he made some enemies.
Why would they want his body?
There is no proof that the body
I laid to rest was your husbands.
It was Mark's body.
Graves have been vandalized before.
Vandalized?
Unfortunately,
they will be vandalized again.
Just as long as priests remain blind.
It's apparent to me
that the police should be notified.
That's aisle three, section one.
You'll find what's left of the grave.
Yeah, I'll take a quick look.
Say, tell me, Leo.
What exactly do you hope to find?
I really don't know.
These kind of creeps really get me down.
Goodnight.
Father.
Do you believe that God
is the ultimate source of good?
That's not a serious question.
Do you?
What's your point?
My point is that if you do, you must
believe in an evil force opposing God.
Capable of causing destruction.
Not in the form
of a 300-year-old hand that crawls.
No!
You stay here!
Leo!
What's that?
The devil's hand.
Hi, Leo.
What happened to you last night?
Nothing. I finished my report, and I left.
We heard a gunshot.
I didn't.
You certainly left in a mighty hurry.
A call came in.
Whats the matter with you, Father?
You're beginning to sound like a cop.
We found a body.
It's left hand severed off.
Maybe a cult of, uh,
weirdos out to cast a spell.
Maybe a...
group trying to appease
an angry god, huh Father?
It's a possibility.
Wonder how that stuff looks in the ring.
It has been a long time
since I've been in one.
Let me see if I can find you
a sparring partner.
All right.
How about Hoyt?
How about me?
All right. You're on.
Are you all right? You're limping.
Oh, a souvenir from the wars.
It gets like this when I...
when I overuse it.
What can I do for you?
Father, I need your help.
Did you speak with Sargent Matson?
Better than that. I fought with him.
And he doesn't have any superhuman powers.
It was a friendly match.
Well, then the hand does not
possess Sargent Matson.
Well, there's another line of reasoning.
Oh, there is no hand. Right?
Mrs. Baines. You're distraught.
Grieved. Emotionally wrought.
Father, I'm staying at the Cottage Inn.
Bungalow 17. The number's on the card.
And I'll be there
until I destroy the hand.
Excuse me, ma'am. Is this your car?
Oh, hello.
It's, uh, Sargent Matson, isn't it?
I asked about your car.
Yeah, this is my car. It's rented.
Stolen.
What?
You can't be serious. You remember me.
I met you with
Father Cunningham last night.
I... excuse me, I mean, I have a rental
contract, if you want to see that.
I'm not a car thief.
Right now you're a suspect,
and suspects have to go to the station.
Now, wait a minute.
I mean, have I got a choice?
- We all have choices, ma'am.
- Well, you're not giving me any!
- You're wasting time.
- You are making a big mistake.
You're under arrest.
Ow!
What the hell is this all about?
You know what the hell it's all about.
Yes, Officer. What can I do for you?
What do you want?
Either you cut my hand off,
or I'll kill you.
Why did she seek me out?
Why did you send her to me?
I want to help her.
But how can I help her when I have so many
of my own personal doubts?
Father, I ask you for your strength
and your guidance.
What are you gonna do with the hand?
In a word...
It's your gift.
You set it free. Now it's yours.
Uh uh. No straps, no gas,
just cut.
In the name of God, don't do it.
In the name of evil, you and I must obey.
It's going to be very painful
because this cauterizes and cuts.
God.
Good evening. Cottage Inn.
Bungalow 17, please.
One moment, please.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Baines
is not in her room yet.
Would you tell her
that Father Cunningham called?
And for her to give me a call,
no matter what time she comes in.
Okay. Thank you, Father.
Oh.
No!
Let me help you.
- Oh, my God.
- Don't!
Don't touch the hand!
Stop!
It was reported that a patrol car
was sitting here all night.
Could be Matson's.
This is Matson's car, all right.
I'd better call headquarters.
I wish I could have it,
but it is yours, forever.
Oh, Father.
Get me out of this nightmare.
Hold it!
Let me go!
Quick, get in the car!
You just take it easy.
Call headquarters.
We gave it its freedom so...
when Mark died, the hand became mine.
Oh, it captured others, yes, but, uh...
inevitably just to get back to me.
I'd like to help you, Jennifer.
You have helped, Father.
Well, I mean, more than that.
I mean, ultimately, to destroy this thing.
The armor of religion?
Sword of belief?
That's part of it. Yes.
Mm.
Do you believe that there is a hand?
Well, there's something.
Do you think that this hand
will destroy me?
It has others, who've been vulnerable.
This right here.
Well, you get some sleep.
And I'll arrange
for police protection for you.
Sleep won't help. Nor will the police.
But you could pray for me.
Father. There's a dying man.
Can you administer last rites?
You've got it.
He's dead.
What's the matter?
- Where's the coffin?
- It's destroyed!
Come on. Let's go.
You'll find some clothes in here.
You can change there.
Who are you calling?
I'm trying to get through to the police.
The police?
What are they gonna do?
They gonna arrest it?
Cite it? Try it for murder?
You think they're gonna believe you?
They'll believe me.
They'll find it and destroy it.
The hand will kill again.
The phone. It's dead.
Let's go into the church.
We're not safe here.
Let's check the other doors. Come on.
Jennifer?
Father?
Father!
Father, answer me!
No!
No!
Take me. Please, please.
Take me.
Not him. Not him.
Take me.
Father?
Father, speak to me.
In the name of God, answer me.
This hand wasn't meant for you.
That's right. It was meant for you.
So, I have to destroy you to keep it.
I will kill you.
And then it will be mine.
Yes, my child.
Don't fear, my child.
Death is deliverance.
Bring me the blowtorch.
Jennifer.
Give me the blowtorch.
Over there.
If thy hand offend thee,
cut it off and cast it aside.
For it is profitable for thee
that one of thy members should perish,
and not that thy whole body
should be cast into hell.
Earth to the sea.
Ashes to the depths.
Dust to eternal rest.
We hope of no resurrection.
Thank God it's over, Father.
I'm coming!
Who is it?
Oh, I'm, I'm sorry, ma'am.
Your doorbell doesn't seem to be workin'.
I've got a package here
for a, uh, Mrs. Baines.
Yes, yes.
Here you go.
If you'll just sign at the bottom.
- Thank you.
- You bet.