1
Check check.
One-two, One-two.
Check check. Check?
Okay, groovy.
Paul Ortega, reporting live
from the inside of a glorious van,
capturing this moment
for posterity. I'm...
what's the best way
to describe it? I'm the...
technical expert.
Technological...
I'm the expert, that's me.
Yeah, I know, I know.
Ellen Keegan--
young, beautiful,
gatekeeper of the group.
What's a gatekeeper, Ellen?
That's right, nobody knows.
Ellen is shy by day.
But by night?
Grrr.
Ellen answers the phone.
You our secretary, Ellen?
I would love to scratch that.
Yeah, Ellen still doesn't know
she's our secretary-- by day.
By night-- grrr.
Joseph Helzer-- Dr. Helzer.
My boss, Ellen's boss,
but that's obvious
given Ellen is the secretary.
- Ellen: Not the secretary.
- No? You're the telephone girl.
- Not the telephone girl.
- No? You're the gatekeeper?
- Exactly.
- Exactly. Ellen still doesn't know
she's the telephone girl.
Ow. It's Friday.
The sun is shining.
It's 2:00 in the afternoon--
- Ellen: Half past 2:00.
- Half 2:00, who cares? I do.
- Why? Because who am I?
- Ellen: An idiot with a camera?
I am the technological expert.
Paul: From here
it looks like any old building.
- Helzer: From here they all do.
- Paul: That's true.
Sorry. We shouldn't have
loaded so much weight.
Paul:
Don't worry, you look great.
Hi.
Thank you so much for coming.
- Please, come in.
- Thank you, Mr. White.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I hope you don't mind.
It's just for our own records.
You know, internal use.
White:
Kitchen's on the left. Bathroom.
The kids' room is down
at the end of the hall.
Sorry for the mess.
Dining room, living room.
- Ellen: Well, so...
- Paul: Nice place.
- Here we are.
- Paul: I'm gonna put this down here.
Can we set up
our equipment in this room?
Yeah, of course, whatever.
Make yourself at home.
- Ellen: Just let me have a look.
- The children?
Yeah, uh...
my youngest is gonna
be home from school soon.
And Caitlin is in her room.
She's not really happy
about all this, so...
If you want, I can call her.
No, we've got all weekend.
One step at a time.
- It's okay.
- I'm going to get the rest
of the stuff from the car.
Does anyone want to give me a hand?
Paul:
Can I go?
Hey, little man.
Wave to the camera.
Oh, thank you.
- Ellen: What's your name?
- Benny.
Benny? That's a lovely name.
Good boy.
Can you wave to the camera?
- Paul: Wave one more time.
- Say hi.
- Say hi.
- Paul: Oh, thank you.
Woman:
Bye, Benny! Bye, Benny.
Do you... want some help
with your stuff or...?
- Paul: Well, actually...
- Ellen: No no.
No thank you, no, Mr. White.
We're fine. We'll see you up there.
- Okay.
- Okay. Bye, Benny.
Bye.
Big mouth.
Okay.
Check. One-two, one-two.
See? She's going to make a picture.
We're going to make a picture
of the whole weekend.
Scared? You scared?
Er... yeah. Now see, don't do that.
That's... that's not fun.
- You already got the kitchen, right?
- Yeah, we did.
- It's just the girl's room that's left?
- That's right.
Just a second.
Excuse me. Sorry.
Let me...
- Caitlin?
- Caitlin: Go away!
Sweetie, they need to set up
in your room, honey.
I'm sorry.
She's just at a really difficult age.
Ellen:
That's all right.
Caitlin, we are coming in, I have to
open the door. I'm really sorry, honey.
Leave me alone!
Maybe you can set up
in there later?
- Paul: Well, actually--
- Sure.
- Okay.
- Ellen: Yeah, it's no problem.
Paul:
I'm on it.
- Does this happen often?
- Yes.
Sometimes.
We don't know what it is though.
White:
Are there people living upstairs?
No, there's hardly
any tenants in this building.
- Is something wrong?
- It could be anything--
rusty pipes,
a rodent of some sort,
thermal dilation, woodworm,
mechanical vibrations.
Paul:
Yeah, sound abides by its own rules.
Yeah, that doesn't
sound like mice to me.
Tiptology.
Ellen:
Beats of unspecified origin.
Unknown.
Potentially anything.
Benny:
Paul, what's happening?
Paul:
Yeah, not now, buddy.
Helzer:
Paul, I need you to keep filming.
Ellen, change the frequency.
Raise the balance about 50%.
Let me know if you get
any espirical emission.
Nothing.
Ellen, keep doing what you're doing.
Paul, go upstairs,
see if anybody's there.
It's okay. No.
Guess what's behind me.
Guess what's behind me.
Guess what's behind me.
Helzer:
Yeah, Mr. White, you ready?
Have a seat.
Paul:
I'm just going to mic you really quick.
- Okay.
- It's just a simple mic. This...
- There we go.
- Helzer: Okay?
- Okay.
- Helzer: Hi, Benny.
Remember me?
Mr. Doctor.
My name is Alan White.
I was born
December 1 7th, 1 970.
- I used to be an agricultural engineer.
- Helzer: Mm-hmm.
- I'm no longer employed.
- Helzer: I'm sorry.
- Can you say that again?
- I'm no longer employed.
Helzer:
Do you know why we're here?
You wanna guess why we're here?
I am no longer married. I'm...
- I'm a widower, I guess.
- Helzer: Mmm.
My name is Benjamin White.
- Helzer: How old are you?
- Four.
Let's talk a little bit about why
you got in touch with the Institute.
Well, it kind of all started--
we used to live out in Riverside,
kind of out near
sort of Moreno Valley.
My wife Cynthia
was a teacher
at the local elementary school there.
She was very sick.
One time
she was in bed for a week.
White:
A few months after she passed away,
things...
things in the house
started to become very odd.
The lights were flashing
on and off,
on and off,
just all the time.
And we checked all the wires.
We revamped
the entire electrical system.
And he said that there
was nothing wrong.
Our stuff in the kitchen
were flying too.
There was one time
when we heard
that somebody was
using the typewriter.
I don't know who it was.
But we were sitting there, all of us--
Benny, me, Caitlin.
We just kind of laughed it off
and sort of pretended,
you know, "Oh..."
And Benny was like
"Oh, it's..."
you know, "it's Mom."
She's not dead or alive.
- Helzer: Is it scary?
- Huh-uh-uh.
When you see your mother,
- can you talk to her?
- Yeah.
- Does she talk back to you?
- Mm-hmm.
Helzer: Say that again, when you said
Benny pretended like it was Mom.
Well, he just--
ever since she died he's always kinda...
sort of played like
she was in the room,
like she was present.
Helzer:
Sorry. Sorry. We're almost there.
Okay.
Helzer:
Okay. Great.
Caitlin used to get
these scratches on her legs.
Really?
She had scratches on her legs.
- It wasn't me.
- White: Honestly, I started
to get really concerned
for the safety of my kids.
So I pulled up stakes
and we moved here to...
this-- this place.
And everything was fine,
it seemed like,
for a week or two,
and...
and then it--
and then it all started again.
Benny:
Good doggy.
Benny on computer:
Good doggy.
Good dog. Good dog.
- Ellen?
- Yeah?
Ellen: Hi, Benny.
Hey, Benny.
Benny:
Why is she putting it up there?
Paul:
'Cause she's kind of a big poser.
I'm putting the camera on the tripod
because I need it to stay still.
All of these pictures have to be
taken in a really kind of
particular way, Benny,
so I need it to stay still
for a few minutes at a time.
Do you want to do it?
Come here.
- Whoa! Good boy.
- Which button?
Press that button there.
You got it?
Here we go.
- Paul: Okay, anytime today.
- Yeah okay.
You try carrying this thing around.
- You look so determined.
- I am determined.
- I'm a professional, Paul.
- Oh, is that what they call you?
- Benny: What's this?
- Paul: Hey!
- Where'd you get that?
- From your backpack.
- Paul: It's a bomb.
- It's not a bomb.
- Give it back.
- Ellen: Don't mind him, love. Here.
- Paul: Benny.
- Ellen: Stop it, it's not a bomb.
- Paul: Yes, it is.
- Ellen: It's an infrared detector.
It detects mass of invisible energy
and it sees things we can't see,
just like Zelda hears things
we can't hear.
Hi. Is it all right if we take...
- Hi.
- ...a couple of pictures in here?
- Yeah yeah, of course.
- Ellen: Great. Thank you.
- Benny: The lights are on.
- Yeah.
Why are you taking pictures
with this light thing?
- What? With the flash?
- Uh-huh.
- Paul: Because...
- Nobody knows why
but sometimes when you
take a picture with a flash
you can see things.
- Benny: What things?
- Ellen: Just things.
You heard it, kid. "Things."
Ellen: Come on, Benny!
Let's go and do the next room.
Come on.
You can even take a picture.
What are these?
Paul:
Those are feet-slicing laser beams.
- I don't believe you.
- Ellen: Yeah well, you're right,
because they're motion sensors.
They can tell when people
are moving around.
Do you want to see?
Wait there.
So... ah!
It's changed, didn't it?
Benny: Yes.
We need to take a few pictures.
It'll just take a minute.
- It's all my dad's fault.
- Ellen: What?
I'm pretty sure I wasn't talking to you.
She hates me.
She's a teenager, Mr. White.
You shouldn't let her actions
affect you so much.
You're doing just fine.
The thing is that I was on a trip
the night that Cynthia--
I just wasn't home, you know?
So Caitlin...
blames me for everything.
She says that if I was--
stayed with her that night,
that if I had stayed
with her that maybe there...
that maybe she'd still...
maybe she'd...
Jesus Christ.
Did Caitlin see her mother die?
No.
No, God no. No.
She was with me when it happened.
Both my kids were.
Um...
God. I mean thank God that
nobody saw her die 'cause it was a...
it was terrible car crash.
There's no point in
over thinking these things.
What really matters--
and believe me when I tell you
it's of extreme importance--
it's what you do now,
how you handle the situation.
How do I talk to my daughter?
How?
I mean, I-- I--
I have no idea what to say to her.
I'm doing everything I can.
I'm trying.
But I just...
I don't know how
to communicate to her,
you know?
Cynthia was the one
that she really listened to.
She was the one that made
things work around here.
I just...
How do you talk to a teenage girl?
I don't know.
Helzer:
How did your wife do it?
Sometimes I like to think
that she's here,
that she knows
that I need her help.
Man on TV: Lloyd & Tuess,
which is a very well-known,
prestigious accounting firm,
has a very good piece--
by the way,
which you can get free.
It's 1 00 pages long.
Woman: If you can find somebody
to take it off your hands,
you'll be doing well
if you get 50 on the dollar.
Man:
Let us give you the number anyway.
- Man #2: Okay. Right.
- It's 800-35--
Hey, thanks, man.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- What'd you get me?
- I got it.
Okay? Don't look at me
like I don't get you what you want.
Man: Now I need to get out of it.
It's almost like a time-share...
- I'll get it.
- "Well, I want to sell it for profit."
Well, if you can sell it all,
you're going to be lucky.
- Hello?
- 500,000 people are trying
- to sell time-shares...
- Hello?
Nobody is there.
Paul: I just put
some anchovies in my sandwich.
- Ellen: Why?
- White: Hello?
Hello?
Benny: Mom?
Hello?
- This happens all the time.
- Paul, did you get that?
- Paul: Absolutely.
- Ellen.
- Ellen: Paul, give me the spotter.
- Benny: It's Mom.
Paul: Nobody?
- The kitchen.
- And nobody's there.
- White: Benny!
- Helzer: It's okay, it's okay.
They're not in there.
Paul, I want you to come first.
Paul:
Yep, I got it.
Oh man! All in order.
- There's just nothing there.
- Okay, in you go.
Paul:
Nothing.
Daddy.
It's okay, you're safe.
You okay?
I am not okay.
- White: Does anybody want any tea?
- Ellen: Yeah me.
I think we could all use a cup.
Where is it?
- Just up in the cupboard.
- Yeah.
White: Oh God, I thought
the whole kitchen had...
- Ellen: I know.
- ...gone absolutely mad.
Paul: It's the weirdest thing.
White:
Benny, wait. Wait!
This is how it started.
Paul: Just a second, please.
Hold this. You got it?
Ellen: Yeah.
Helzer:
Unusual electromagnetic activity.
We got alterations in the field.
Here's what I'm gonna do.
Keep the line going.
Ellen:
Temperature's dropping 1 0.
- It just got really cold.
- Helzer: Stay on the line.
- Ellen: Yeah, got it.
- Okay.
And then take this,
bring it up here. Yep.
Ellen:
I'm ready.
Okay?
- Helzer: Yep?
- Yep.
Whew.
Helzer: Take the headsets off!
Are you okay?
- Oh my God, are you okay?
- Do you want me to film?
I'm fine. I got it.
- Ellen: Here we go.
- Helzer: Oh, thank you.
You're welcome.
- Paul: Thanks.
- Ellen: Sure.
Paul: So what do you think
is the matter with the girl?
It's not uncommon for children
to blame their parents
in the case of a separation.
Often it's just a projection
of their guilt.
They're trying to make sense
of feelings they don't understand,
and it can come out like a reproach.
It's the same thing with death.
Nobody wants to accept it.
And that girl is
at an especially conflictive age.
Paul:
So you think the father...?
I feel sorry for him.
He's having a terrible time.
He doesn't know what's going on.
When will you be able
to analyze the recordings, Paul?
I was gonna upload it tonight,
unless you want me to do it now.
No no no. No big deal.
Whenever you get a chance.
We're dealing with a ghost, right?
I mean, like one
of the good ones, right?
The raps could be anything.
But the crockery...
And who took the kettle
off the stove?
I've never seen anything
like it before in my life.
One step at a time, Ellen.
One step at a time.
- Hi, how's it going?
- Hey. All right.
Everything seems normal.
Ellen:
You know, I've been thinking.
I know it's too soon
to jump to conclusions,
but do you think this could be...?
I mean, it'd be amazing.
It's been years since
we've encountered a real haunting.
The kettle's driving me nuts.
Hold on.
Watch the teapot.
Damn.
- It's crazy, huh?
- Mm-hmm.
- Excuse me.
- Sorry.
I've checked the readings
of the magnetometer
and only the children's room
shows anything irregular.
But I'm not even sure about that.
It was only for a second.
Ellen:
Hold on a second.
Okay, just back.
Stop.
Left.
Paul:
What the hell is that?
- Ellen: It looks like a human figure.
- Paul: That's what it looks like.
I don't know.
Hold on a sec.
Bring up the contrast.
Can you clean that up?
Paul:
Oh man.
Ellen: Shit.
Should we wake him up?
No, let him sleep.
He can see it tomorrow.
Do you want to get some sleep?
I can take over if you want.
Are you mad?
No, I'm fine.
Don't worry about me.
Go get some rest.
I'll...
I'll finish up here.
Rise and shine.
Hey, Benny.
You're already up.
Wake up, guys.
You guys almost slept
the entire day away.
It's a beautiful day,
come on wake up.
- Shut the window.
- Wake up, Caitlin.
Hey, Benny.
I made
blueberry pancakes
with eggs and bacon.
- My favorite.
- Yep, I know.
Okay, come on, Caitlin, let's go.
It's Saturday, Alan.
Shut the window.
I know it's Saturday, Caitlin,
but you guys have already slept
until almost 1 0:00, so let's go.
Come on, breakfast is on the table.
I made your favorite.
Fuck off.
Okay, go ahead, Benny.
Why don't you go ahead
and run to the table? Thanks.
Caitlin, when I ask you
to get up,
- you get up.
- Shut the window, Alan.
You are not to use that
language around Benny.
- Do you understand me?
- Shut the fucking window.
- What?
- It is Saturday.
What?
Get up, Caitlin.
Get up!
I'm fed up with your attitude.
Get up.
This is unbelievable.
Get up!
Don't touch me,
don't touch me, don't touch me!
- Don't touch me.
- Caitlin.
I will get up,
but do not fucking touch me.
Are you going to watch me
get dressed now?
White: Benny.
Thank you.
White:
How did everybody sleep?
- Just fine, Mr. White, thank you.
- Ellen: Mmm.
White:
I want to apologize
for not having any extra rooms
or beds or anything,
but maybe if one of you wants
to sleep in my bed tonight,
- that's fine.
- No no no.
- Paul: That's actually--
- We-- we-- we insist.
Don't put yourself out.
Thanks.
I really really appreciate it.
Thank you, Mr. White.
Caitlin, can you pass
the sugar, sweetie?
Pass it yourself.
And I'm not your sweetheart.
Caitlin, when you're in this house,
you do what I ask you to do,
when I ask you.
Do you understand me?
Benny, stop playing with your food.
Stop playing with--
Oh, I'm so proud of you, Paul.
I'm gonna send this tape to your ma.
Don't bother,
she has her own tapes--
Paul ironing,
Paul making the bed,
Paul masturbating.
Who needs to be good at their job
when they can wash dishes
for a living, eh?
One day,
and that day will soon come,
men around the world will see their
rights acknowledged and respected.
You're laughing now,
but we'll see how cheerful you are
the day men cast aside
their domestic chores
and conquer the workplace.
And we'll only be a couple steps away
- from the right to vote, you know.
- Hold on a second,
- step aside.
- So now that I'm done with the dishes,
- you just want me gone.
- Really, Paul, step aside.
How strange.
No no, wait.
Here, hold this.
Yeah.
Paul: Was it like this yesterday?
I've no idea.
Oh, shit.
It's a blind spot.
Ellen:
Oh, shit.
Paul:
There's gotta be some record if it.
We took pictures
of the entire living room.
- Ellen: There it is.
- Paul: Yeah, I see it.
White:
What does this mean?
Last night,
the photo was right side up.
There's no footprints
in the talcum powder,
so nobody could
have possibly moved it.
If nobody moved it then--
- Wait, the photo.
- Ellen: What photo?
The shadow, Ellen.
The photo we took in Caitlin's room.
It's not here.
It's been deleted.
Ellen: Jesus Christ!
- Did you get that?
- Ellen: Yeah.
- Please tell me you got that apport.
- Ellen: Yeah, I got it.
- Paul: Did you see that?
- Ellen: Yeah.
- Time to move on to the next stage.
- Paul: Oh man!
My God.
Heseltine?
Yeah, it's Helzer.
Paul:
It's better inside than outside.
Helzer: Okay?
Paul: Melting our asses off
in there, huh?
Helzer:
We got an apport this morning.
- Excuse me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
- Paul: Yeah, no worries, no worries.
The stuff that's going on
up there, is it safe?
Paul: We're checking
some things out. I mean,
what happened up there
is what we call
a brief episode
of phantasmogenesis.
And, essentially,
the ultrasound transistor
is supposed to be useful
in making annoying spirits disappear.
We don't know why,
but it does work, so.
Okay, put your hand on Zelda
and then I'm going to do the same thing,
and we're going to work out
which one of us has special powers.
So I'm going to concentrate
really, really hard
and I'm going to try
and make her hair go red, yeah?
- Ellen: Everything's clean.
- Paul: All clear, doctor.
- It worked.
- Ellen: Clean.
Paul:
Doctor?
I think we should--
It was just a draft.
Let me check.
Paul:
The flash drive.
Benny.
Today we're going to use
a whole bunch of
different machines, Benny.
White:
What is this?
We're setting up
an electrostatic generator.
Um, it's really hard to explain.
But if you could just bear with me.
No no. Excuse me.
I need to know what's happening.
The materialization of ghosts
depends on electrostatic charges.
The emission of these ions
boosts their presence.
- Something like that.
- So I can take my kids to their room?
Yeah, I want to go to my room,
but I'm not a freaking kid.
I really need them here.
Don't worry, it's not dangerous.
Ellen:
All yours.
What's that thing over there?
- That thing there?
- Yes.
It's a stroboscopic light emitter.
Oh.
And that gray thing over there?
Helzer:
Maybe we'll talk about that one later.
Do you know what stroboscopic light is?
Benny: Yes.
- Do you want me to tell you anyway?
- Benny: Yes.
Helzer:
You know the images on television,
like when you're watching a cartoon
or something like that on TV?
The images look stable,
but actually
each one is flickering
a certain amount of times
each second.
See what I mean?
- Hmm.
- Sometimes people say
they glimpsed a ghost
out of the corner of their eyes,
and that's how it is.
You understand?
- Yes.
- Good boy.
You know like discos
with flickering lights
that make everything go
wild and crazy?
- Yes.
- It's kinda like that.
Just go put out
the lights right now.
Ellen: Just stand right over there.
Thank you.
Right there. Great.
Benny:
I can't see anything.
Ellen:
Benny, love.
Paul:
Hey, Benny, come here.
Let me show you something.
See how on that really small screen
everything looks green even though
you can't see anything out there?
- Yes.
- Paul: Aha.
Well, that's 'cause these
cameras can see at night,
- even though we can't. Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
Now we're going to change
the button because
there's going to be lots of light
and we're not gonna need it, okay?
Want to press the button?
Paul: Benny, Ellen, are you okay?
Helzer:
Lights, quickly! Lights up!
Paul:
Check over here.
Are you both okay?
What was that?
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I just need to--
one--
Aha.
Attention all patrons.
In case of an emergency,
please contact
the Los Angeles sheriff
at 323-
563-5000.
Please report
all unattended packages...
There you go.
I'm sorry, I just need
to fix your microphones.
Just say one-two,
one-two.
One-two, one-two.
It's an anechoic Faraday chamber.
We use it to carry out
psychophonic recordings.
The cage ensures
the authenticity of the psychophony
by completely isolating the recorder
from possible spurious radio wavelengths
and atmospheric sounds.
You got it?
Basically
if it picks something up,
it means there really is
something to pick up.
Whenever you're ready, doctor.
Mr. White, it's gonna be okay.
I'm going to recite
a series of questions out loud,
and I'm going to leave several seconds
of silence in-between.
- Understood?
- White: Sure.
Later we're gonna analyze
the tape and we'll check it in detail
to see if there's any sounds
other than my voice.
Sometimes it happens.
Not often.
Do you give us permission
to carry out this procedure?
White: Yeah. Can I take
Benny out of the room first?
If it's okay,
I'd rather everybody stays.
It's gonna be fine.
Don't worry.
Who are you?
Why are you here?
Are you dead?
Do you mean to do us harm?
All right, Mr. White.
Is there anything you want to add?
Caitlin:
Who killed you?
Helzer on tape:
Who are you?
Why are you here?
Are you dead?
Do you mean to do us harm?
Nothing.
I've listened to it 1 00 times.
There's just nothing there.
You want to do
another recording?
Don't worry.
It's just like I expected.
Mr. White, may I join you?
Sure.
- Oh, do you mind?
- No, go ahead.
Ellen: Can you feel it?
White:
What is it? What's happening?
Something is about to happen.
Paul: Look!
Ellen:
The temperature has dropped by 14
in a matter of seconds
in the kids' room.
Better plug in, guys.
Batteries are about to die.
Dr. Helzer,
I have to go check on my kids.
White: Stay where you are.
Don't move.
Dr. Helzer, I've got
to go check on my kids.
Don't worry.
Stay where you are.
- Fire 'em up.
- Paul: Let me open up the program here.
Uhhh...
damn!
What is that?
- White: I've got to go. I've got to--
- Stay where you are. I told you!
- Can you get any closer?
- Not with the optic zoom.
I can try with the electronic one,
but we're going to lose definition.
- Helzer: Do it.
- Okay.
Yep.
White:
Oh my God. What's doing that?
What the hell is happening here?
I have to go and save her.
Helzer:
Stay where you are, for the final time!
- That's my daughter! My daughter!
- Mr. White!
Caitlin!
White:
I guess I just want to know why the...
ghost hasn't left.
I'm sorry, I'm just having
- a hard time saying this.
- Don't worry.
There is no ghost.
Look, I don't care what you call it,
but something weird is living here,
something that's...
I don't know.
Something supernatural.
What is it?
I can assure you there's nothing
supernatural in the universe, Mr. White,
because nature can't transcend itself.
These are just unexplained phenomena.
I'm afraid that parapsychology is really
just a collection of events
in search of a theory.
Perhaps the key lies
in finding a hypothesis
which can be applied
to each individual case
instead of insisting on one
that can be applied wholesale.
I can't understand a word
that you're saying.
I just want to know how we ended up
in a haunted house.
What did I miss?
That's precisely my point.
Your house isn't haunted.
We can rule that out.
Now I'd say that this is
a case of spontaneous
and recurring psychokinesis.
- A case of...?
- It's a poltergeist syndrome.
A poltergeist syndrome?
So we have...
spirits living in our house?
No no no.
It has nothing to do with that.
The phenomenon
of a haunted house
is always associated with a place.
It occurs in the same place
and over a long period of time.
In a haunted house,
we're up against ghosts,
specters--
dead people. in a word.
Now a ghost,
that's a dead person who has
died but they're not able to move on
or they don't want to for some reason.
A specter, that's different. It's...
it's like a recording,
a recording in light,
like an old film.
The poltergeist,
on the other hand,
that's always associated
with the psychism of someone alive.
After all, this phenomena started
in your other house
and followed you to this one.
It's kind of hard to believe
we'd be up against
two haunted houses,
wouldn't you say?
But we're scientists,
so we had to make sure.
But my-- my wife?
I'm afraid we can rule that out too.
Yeah, like I was saying,
the poltergeist syndrome?
That's associated
with the psychism of someone alive.
The phenomena are often violent,
but they're not supernatural.
The good news is
they don't last very long.
- The good news?
- Yeah.
They recur over
a relatively short period of time.
The cause isn't exactly known,
but they would seem
to come about with people
that are going through
periods of acute stress,
as if their subconscious rage
or sense of anxiety
or guilt is manifesting itself,
mobilizing substantial amounts
of psychic energy
and then channeling it
in extremely violent ways.
Girls-- adolescents
in the full flush of hormonal change
are often from where it stems,
but it can be the case
with little boys
or even adults under
a great deal of pressure.
This family-- and forgive me
for being so flippant--
has a number of odds-on favorites.
Hi, Lamson.
Thank you so much for coming.
It's no problem.
So how are you doing?
How are you doing?
White:
Caitlin, Benny! Grandpa is here.
- Why don't you come and say hi?
- Grandpa!
Lamson: Hey!
Benny: I packed all by myself.
I packed my train and my truck--
Caitlin, please come
say hi to your grandpa.
Caitlin, will you please come
and say hi to your grandpa?
I'm sorry. She hasn't
quite been herself lately.
So this is just for tonight.
I will come and get him tomorrow
first thing in the morning, I promise.
You know that Margaret
can barely move.
You know that, right?
I wouldn't have called you
if it wasn't important.
Benny:
Daddy, can I take Zelda with me?
You know, I don't think
it's a good idea, Benny.
Grandpa's got a lot on his plate.
I hope you know what you're doing.
Zelda. Zelda.
Come on.
Zelda, come on. Come on.
Helzer: It's the only way of determining
the cause of the anomalous events.
If the occurrences cease,
the boy's the cause.
If not,
it's for the best.
That boy's seen more
than enough already.
- That's fine, yeah. Take a seat.
- Thank you.
Helzer:
There are times when science seems
to have run out of answers,
and we have to turn
to those with a special gift.
Heseltine is one of the most
renowned psychics in the country.
- Sensitive.
- Helzer: Sensitive.
Now...
we're gonna try
an exercise in mediumship.
No, not exactly. Channeling.
White: I'm sorry.
What's that, like spiritism?
- No.
- Caitlin: Spiritism.
Channeling.
Caitlin:
Hallelujah, we're saved.
White:
Caitlin, please.
Good.
Would it be possible to get
a higher chair, please?
White:
A higher chair?
I'm sorry.
That's all I have.
Then could you bring me the telephone
guide, if it isn't too much trouble?
White:
Caitlin, would you mind?
- Hold on.
- Okay.
- You want two or...
- No, that's-- thank you.
Thank you.
I can enter an invisible world
by raising my vibration.
Not many people know this,
but the other side is just
90 centimeters above our dimension.
That's why it's so common for people
to see ghosts from the waist up.
Good.
Something may happen today,
but then again, it may not.
There's no way
of knowing ahead of time.
But from now on,
I need everybody
to please remain silent,
no matter what takes place.
If by some unlikely stroke
of good fortune,
you do see an undead materialize
before your eyes, please don't
get carried away by your emotions.
Please.
Running away from a ghost
is an unforgiveable lack of delicacy.
It's so tough for them to appear.
Helzer:
Okay.
Okay.
Is there anybody there?
Is there anybody there with us?
Is there anyone there with you?
Yes, me.
Ellen:
Oh, God. Jesus Christ!
Helzer:
Who are you?
Ellen: Shit.
There are lots of us.
Helzer:
Is this Caitlin?
How do we know this isn't Caitlin?
Caitlin's voice:
There are lots of us.
Cynthia?
Is that you, Cynthia?
Shut up!
Get your hands off of her!
Mr. White, are you okay?
- Helzer: Is this Cynthia?
- Ellen: Doctor, what's going on?
"Is this Cynthia?"
Helzer: Do you wanna
tell us something about the accident?
Accident?!
It wasn't an accident.
Why are you saying that? I wasn't even
with her. I wasn't even with you!
Don't you dare talk to this girl
after what you've done.
- Helzer: What did Alan do to you?
- Caitlin: Not to me. To the girl!
All right, to the girl.
- Caitlin: You saw him.
- What did we see?
- You saw him !
- What did we see?
White: I haven't done anything.
I swear to God!
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!
- Paul: Fuck!
- Helzer: Nobody move!
- Everybody stay seated.
- Paul: Doctor.
Paul: Oh, my God!
Paul: Oh, God!
Paul: Jesus!
Paul: Ellen! Oh, fuck!
- Damn!
- Ellen: Jesus Christ!
Paul: Watch out!
Ellen:
Doctor!
Paul: No, no, no, no.
Paul:
Oh, God.
- So how come--
- Ellen.
Oh, God. Oh, my God! It's all right.
It's okay.
Come on, that's a good girl.
Come with me.
Come on, that's it.
You're okay.
That's it.
You're okay.
Come on, let's go to your room.
That's it.
You're all right.
You're all right.
Come on. Good girl.
Can I have a cigarette, please?
- I didn't know you smoked, Ellen.
- I do today.
Cheers. Cheers.
You know...
I'm starting to believe that
what Caitlin's saying might be true.
What's she saying, Ellen?
What's true?
We've ruled out
a haunting and possession.
Caitlin's own psychism has to be
responsible for the marks on her thighs
and the scratches
her brother's talking about.
Perhaps she's projecting
her psychic energy
to accuse her father of something,
to expose some secret.
A secret? Why doesn't she just
come out with it, nice and simple?
Wouldn't that be easier?
Why all these games?
Maybe-- I mean, I don't know,
maybe she's buried the memory
in the depths of her subconscious
out of shame and guilt.
And now-- now it's--
the secret's manifesting itself,
emerging in the form
of physical injury.
You're the psychologist, not me.
Is it possible that Alan was somehow
responsible for his wife's death?
He says she was sick,
but we don't know that.
All we know is what he's telling us,
his side of the story.
You know, maybe--
I don't know.
Maybe he couldn't stand
her anymore, you know?
Maybe Alan is like a wolf in--
Why is my daughter doing this to me?
My own daughter.
She hates me.
Your daughter thinks of herself
as a woman, Mr. White,
and she's not.
She's a little girl
that misses her mother.
She probably feels guilty
for having not been able
to avoid her death.
You can't let this get to you, Alan.
You got the children to think about.
All I do is think about my children.
That's all I do.
Tell me about your wife.
Tell me about Cynthia.
I don't-- I don't know.
I don't know how to describe Cynthia.
She's--
I guess she is
a sweet, caring woman.
She was a wonderful teacher.
She was loved by her students,
by her colleagues.
She was the perfect mother.
I can't-- I can't do this.
How do you describe a person anyway?
How do you?
You know,
sometimes I will-- I will--
lay in bed at night
and I will try to think about her
and I can't remember her face.
It doesn't make any sense at all.
I will shut my eyes as tight as I can,
and I'll dig my nails into my skin.
I try to-- I have to hurt
myself and then I'll--
and then maybe I'll feel
the need to cry--
to cry for a long time,
and her image will come back
to me, but not always.
When did she stop
taking her medication?
How do--
how do you know that?
She just stopped taking
it one day, didn't she?
She knew it was gonna change her.
She didn't do anything about it.
Why didn't you?
Did you stop loving her?
No.
No, I-- I couldn't do anything.
There wasn't anything
I could do. She wasn't--
she wasn't the kind of
person that would--
she didn't allow me
to help her in any way.
I-- I couldn't.
Yeah, I love her.
Then why were you
gonna get a divorce?
- How do you know that?
- It's in the statement you made
that night to the cops, Alan.
I don't just accept
a case as it comes along.
I do my research. Always.
What did you expect?
Now tell me about your wife.
Tell me about Cynthia, Alan.
Go ahead.
She was sick. She was very sick.
- She wasn't--
- I can't hear you, Alan.
It was really hard to be around her.
- Her temper, the illness.
- Helzer: I can't hear you.
She used to scream at the kids--
- Helzer: I can't hear you.
- She would scream at the kids.
- She was not a good mother.
- Speak up, for Christ's sake,
why don't you?
I can't hear a word you're saying!
- The illness changed her!
- I can't hear you!
She was a whore, okay?
She was a fucking whore!
Fuck!
Fuck!
She was fucking--
she was wicked.
She was--
she would spend
several days at a time in bed,
without even the will to wash.
Or she would leave the house without
so much as a word of explanation.
I had to look after the kids.
I had to give up my job.
I had to-- I-- I--
I neglected the business,
and my daughter blamed me.
She said that mom didn't want
to come home because
I didn't make her happy.
She would come home stinking!
You know, I helped her to be sick.
I would help her.
I fucking-- I undressed her.
I put her in bed,
and I would call the school
the next day making up excuses.
I had to hide it from the kids.
You know, she lost her job.
They got rid of her.
And towards the end of it,
you know, she would--
she would shut herself off at home
and she would be on the phone
all day long to God knows who.
The house was a--
things couldn't go on like that.
I asked her to take her medication.
I begged her.
I threatened her.
I threatened her with--
I told her I wanted custody
of the kids.
I told her we were going
and she just--
she just laughed
with that twisted grimace.
She just fucking laughed at me.
She laughed.
And one day,
Caitlin came home from school
and she went up to see her mother,
and she found her in bed.
She wasn't alone.
No, she--
Caitlin saw how she--
She saw how this fucking pig--
this-- how--
I got there a little bit later.
Later than I should have.
I saw everything.
I beat the shit out of the guy.
I fucking threw him out of the house.
I lost control.
I hit her.
I hit her once, just one time.
Caitlin was screaming.
She was screaming.
She was screaming.
She was begging for help.
She was trying to--
she was saying-- she was
screaming at me not to hurt mom.
- But I--
- Ellen: You killed her.
Helzer:
Ellen, please.
I left the house without looking back.
I grabbed the kids
and put 'em in the car, and...
I didn't want them to see that.
I wanted to go to the ends
of the Earth. I wanted to disappear.
So we drove and we drove,
and we fucking drove.
Helzer:
And she chased you?
The police found us just after midnight.
My cell phone was off the entire time.
I had no--
I had no idea.
They said that she had...
wrapped her car around a tree.
Caitlin blamed me for everything.
She made me responsible
for the death of her mother.
She couldn't accept
who she was, what she was.
Has anybody examined your daughter?
White:
Examined her? Who? Why?
She has the onset of schizophrenia.
It's the same condition
her mother suffered from.
Caitlin, that's enough!
- Paul: Ellen, grab the other camera!
- Ellen: Are you okay?
- Caitlin: Dad!
- Ellen: Oh, my God.
- Dad!
- Paul: What are we looking at here?
Who's shouting?
White: Caitlin! Caitlin!
I'm coming! Caitlin!
I'm coming!
Helzer:
I'm right behind you.
White: Caitlin!
Paul:
What the hell is going on, Doctor?
What is this shit?
Helzer:
Remain calm. Mr. White!
- White: Caitlin!
- Helzer: Don't panic. Don't panic.
White: Caitlin!
Caitlin, honey,
what's happening to you?
Paul:
The camera.
- White: Caitlin.
- Helzer: That's not me, guys.
Caitlin: Dad!
- Caitlin!
- Help, Dad, please!
- Dad, help! Help!
- I'm coming. I'm coming!
Almost there, sweetie,
don't worry. Caitlin!
Helzer: Mr. White!
- I'm coming!
- Helzer: Mr. White!
- Mr. White!
- Hold on, baby!
- Dad, help me. Dad, help me!
- Caitlin!
- Daddy!
- Paul: Watch out!
You're gonna be fine.
I'm right behind you.
Paul:
Shit!
- Caitlin!
- Dad, help!
Paul: Ellen!
Helzer:
She's fine. Ellen's fine. Keep going.
Paul:
Ellen, are you okay?
She's fine, Paul.
Keep going.
Keep moving, Mr. White!
Caitlin, honey, I'm here.
Mr. White!
Paul:
Step aside, Doc.
Holy shit!
Help Mr. White!
Caitlin!
White: Caitlin, I'm here!
White:
Look at me. I'm here.
I can't move!
Daddy, help me! Dad!
- Caitlin, honey!
- Please, Dad!
Daddy, help me.
I can't move!
Paul, keep filming!
- Caitlin: No, no! Help me!
- Honey, I'm here!
Paul, keep filming!
- Caitlin!
- Help, I can't move!
Caitlin!
- Help! Help!
- Caitlin!
- Helzer: Mr. White!
- Daddy, help me!
- Hold on, baby!
- Daddy, help!
- Help me! Help me, please!
- Caitlin!
Caitlin! Caitlin!
Caitlin! Caitlin!
Honey!
Caitlin!
Caitlin!
Ellen: I'm gonna go to the hospital.
I wanna make sure Caitlin's okay.
You should come, too.
Someone should have a look at that arm.
- I'll be fine.
- Ellen: You sure?
- Okay.
- Paul: Okay, bye.
Strange day, Doc.
The strangest day of my life.
With a possible exception or two.
You know, I've been thinking.
I've been lost all along, Doc.
I mean, quite frankly,
I don't even think Ellen knew.
How did you know what was happening?
Like, how soon did you know?
Honestly?
I probably knew the moment
we walked through the door, sort of.
But we had to examine
every possible hypothesis
to get to the truth.
We're scientists.
We're not attorneys or psychics.
- I am so tired, Paul.
- Oh, my God.
I wish I was your age, but I'm not.
Let's go.
I'm not that young.
I just wanna put that out there.
Helzer: The girl had a medical profile
suggesting a tendency
towards schizophrenia...
...which was easy enough
to connect to the mother's illness.
Recent events coupled
with an unassimilated sexual awakening,
which made her feel guilty
and dirty as deep down
she sensed her own mother to be,
amounted to a cocktail
she couldn't digest.
Paul: Do you think
the girl's gonna be okay?
Some people think of a poltergeist
like a liberating psychological
mechanism, you know?
Paul:
I never thought of it that way.
I tend to think of it
as a way of not changing.
Listen, I'm just gonna come back
tomorrow with Ellen to clean up,
because right now
I just wanna get the hell out of here.
I don't care where I go.
- Hold on a second, Paul.
- Yeah.
That camera's cold, distant view
is gonna be the last witness
of our failure.
After all, we weren't able
to prevent anything.
You want me to turn it off?
No, leave it for the police.
They're gonna want to see it all.
Where are you heading?
You need a lift?
I'm going to the police station
before they come looking for me.
Paul: Man, I love cops.
- After you, sir.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- You know what, Paul?
- I'm hungry. I'm really, really hungry.
- Paul: Yeah.
Helzer: Maybe the police can wait
after all. What do you think?
Paul: Absolutely. I know
the perfect place. Not far from here.
The burgers are terrible.
The fries are worse.
The pie is decent.
Helzer: Sounds like a plan.
First the burger, then we'll see.
One step at a time, Paul.
One step at a time.