Night Of The Living Dead
Script - Dialogue Transcript
Voila! Finally, the Night Of The Living Dead
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the 1990 George Romero
movie. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Night Of The Living Dead. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
- They're coming to get you, Barbara.
- Stop it.
They don't like being awakened this way.
Why do you have to be so mean?
I'm your older brother.
Being mean is part of my job.
They're coming to get you, little sister.
You never know when to stop.
What's the matter? Getting scared?
You're still scared of her, aren't you?
That's why we're here.
No, that's not why we're here.
Why do we have to put ourselves
through this charade?
Because she is our mother.
Can't you give her one day of your life?
One day? This is the fourth time
in the three months since she died.
I'm spending more time with her now.
And you know why?
She couldn't be buried in the city.
She knew I had to drive you here.
We're miles from a glass of beer.
Johnnie, we're here. Please stop it.
Stop what? The truth?
She damn near drove you into a convent.
When have you had a date?
That is none of your business!
The one thing she never ever drove,
was miles to visit anything.
I need you to stop talking like that.
Don't talk like that. Not here.
Not in the middle of...
Of what?
Show some respect.
You really are afraid of this place.
God, you never stop.
For the love of God, Johnnie. Bastard!
Jesus, you're weird.
Let's just get through this.
Just get it over with.
They're coming to get you, Barbara.
For the love of God, Johnnie.
They're horny, Barbara.
They've been dead a long time.
Look! There's one of them now.
He wants you.
He's getting closer.
- Dangerously closer!
- Stop it, Johnnie.
He's going to hear you.
It doesn't matter. He knows we're here.
It's too late now.
There's no escape.
Nooo, mother!
You bastard.
- Johnnie
- I'm sorry. Very sorry.
I'm sorry.
Hey, man, are you okay?
Is there something we can do to help?
Weird, huh?
Johnnie!
Help!
Please, my brother!
Hey, mister!
Please, we need help!
Please, help us.
Is there anybody here?
Hello?
Hello?
Anyone else inside?
You got any shotguns in there?
Hunting rifles, anything.
I don't know.
You don't know?
Hey, come on!
Come on, let's go.
No!
Come on!
Die... damn it!
Who is he? Do you know him?
It's all right.
You did what you had to do.
Do you know any of them?
The ones outside?
This isn't your house?
You don't live here?
Look, talk to me girl.
Do you have a car?
Do you have a car?
The windows.
They can't break through the door,
but they can get through the glass.
God damn you!
God damn all of you!
Truck's on empty.
We can't take the chance
of running dry in the middle of nowhere.
We'll hole up here.
Hope that some help comes.
My name is Ben. What's your name?
Barbara.
Look here, Barbara.
I don't need you falling apart on me.
I know you can fight when you have to.
You have to now, right now.
Fight with your thinking and feeling.
Fighting keeps you strong
and keeps you thinking straight.
- What's happening?
- I don't know.
Nobody knows.
Radio in the truck...
All I heard was trash talk.
Same as always.
People trying to sound like they know,
but they don't really know shit!
One guy said it's
escaped prisoners on the loose
from Hennessey.
Another guy said it's some kind of
chemical that makes everybody go crazy.
They don't know shit.
How do they explain a man walking around
with his neck broken?
A man shot full of holes
and still coming at you?
Assholes...
...down in Evans out for a good time
with their guns and their six-packs.
Assholes trying to round them up
and put them in the back of trucks.
Like they know
what they're going to do with them.
They had ten... twenty of them
in the back of this panel truck.
They opened the door
to let another one in.
They came spilling out of there.
Like bugs.
I was at a diner.
Windows shot out.
Lady next to me shot dead.
Others, too...
I saw six or seven go down.
Car exploded outside.
My car caught on fire.
It was like... like a war.
Some of those things
made it inside the diner.
Started coming after us.
Some good old boy comes chasing them.
Mean son of a bitch had
some kind of hot shit gun, like an M- .
Starts... shooting around.
Bullets tearing up the place.
I saw one of those things take
thirty hits and keep on coming.
The damn thing had to be dead,
but it kept on coming.
Until it took a hit in the head.
That brought it down.
The only way to stop them,
you have to...
...get them in the head.
I don't know what's going on,
but I know it's not a prison break.
No chemical I ever heard about
can make a dead man walk.
This is something that nobody
has ever heard about or seen before.
This is hell on earth.
This is pure hell on earth.
Damn.
Doesn't take long
for the world to fall apart, does it?
There's got to be guns in this house.
Maybe upstairs.
I'll go take a look around.
Will you be all right down here alone?
- There's something up there.
- What?
What is it?
It's all right. Nothing to worry about.
- What is it?
- It's nothing. It's all right.
Ben!
It's all right, don't shoot!
It's just us!
- Who the hell is "us"?
- Tom Bitner.
This is Harry Cooper.
His wife is calling from the cellar.
They have a sick little girl down there.
My woman's down there, too.
- Mind if we ask who the hell you are?
- She's Barbara. I'm Ben.
- You damn near broke my arm.
- Harry, for God's sake!
- Aren't you going to answer?
- It's all right. Some people up here.
Didn't you hear all the noise?
We could have used some help.
Maybe you can see through walls.
We heard some banging around up here.
It could have been those things.
No, that isn't right.
We heard the girl calling out.
We were just scared.
You want to know the truth?
We were scared to hell.
You live here, Tom?
No... it's my uncle Rege's house.
He and my cousin Satchel.
My uncle is dead, I swear.
I touched him, he was stone-cold dead!
- That's the truth.
- We can talk in the cellar.
We walked on over to be with Satchel.
Radio said there was some trouble.
We didn't see anything.
- We've heard all this before!
- I didn't hear it before, Cooper.
Go on, Tom.
Me and Judy Rose walked over,
as I said.
After ten minutes,
Mr. Cooper came banging on the door.
How did you get here?
You trying to figure out
if somebody's got a car?
Mine is broken down on the interstate,
and the kid doesn't own one.
What about you, Mr. Ben?
You don't exactly look like neighbours.
Truck. Outside. Out of gas.
Gas? Evans City is five miles away.
We can make it on friggin' fumes.
What if we can't?
Are you willing to take that chance?
Besides, Evans City is a war zone.
I've been there.
It'll take a lot more than five miles
to get any help.
There's a gas pump out by the shed.
My uncle keeps it locked.
- You know where the key is?
- No, but I can hunt for it.
We will, but not now.
It could take too long.
We have to figure out what we're doing.
Finish your story, Tom.
This is bullshit! If we're going to
do something, let's do it.
Let's stand around and bullshit
in the cellar where it's safe.
- I'm not so sure that's a smart move.
- What do you mean?
I'm not sure locking ourselves
in that cellar is a smart move.
I want to know what all the options are.
What damn options? And who the fuck
gave you the right to decide for us?
I'm not deciding for you.
I'm thinking about my own ass.
- You want to go down there, go!
- Harry, what's going on?
Helen, quit yelling at me!
I can't think straight!
You know, Cooper.
I've only been around you for a minute,
but I don't like you very much.
I'm sure you feel the same about me,
so let's stay out of each other's way.
Go on, Tom.
What else do you have to tell?
Well... Like I said,
we were here for ten minutes,
then Mr. Cooper banged on the door.
We let in Mr. Cooper and his wife.
I saw the little girl was hurt.
I tried to call for help,
but the phone was making this sound.
I tried, but I couldn't call anybody.
That's when uncle Rege...
He came walking out of the bedroom.
He was dead a minute before.
He wasn't dead. He couldn't have been.
You made a mistake, that's all.
He was dead. I know he was.
What happened?
Uncle Rege went after my cousin.
He went after him like...
I don't know.
- Anybody else in the house?
- No, just them.
Tom...
Your cousin is dead.
I know he's dead. He shot himself.
When uncle Rege came after him,
I ran down to get the shotgun.
I couldn't imagine shooting uncle Rege.
I couldn't imagine doing
a thing like that.
That's when I told everyone
to go down in the cellar.
- It was my idea.
- It was a good idea.
Look outside.
- Into the cellar.
- No, it's a death-trap.
They may be able to
break through the door.
We'll be cornered down there.
- There's still some way to escape.
- A way out is a way in. The windows!
- We can board them up.
- There's no time...
There's only three of them.
I've handled more by myself.
- The cellar door won't hold them.
- But the windows will?
I don't need this.
If you want to go downstairs, go on!
You can be boss down there,
I'm boss up here.
What are you going to do?
- Come up, we need your help.
- You're crazy!
You're out of your minds!
This is Judy Rose.
Get the shelves from the kitchen.
- We'll board up the windows.
- Tommy, are you sure we'll be all right?
There are things out there
like uncle Rege.
Come on, do what I tell you!
I'll shut this door until somebody comes
who can get us out of here.
If somebody comes,
we'll try to remember to call you.
You lamebrains!
You're going to die up here.
- What's happening?
- They decided to stay upstairs.
- What about us?
- It's safer down here.
- What about Sarah?
- It's safer down here, Helen!
There's just this one hammer.
Here, use this.
Nail them up quick and dirty.
Get the windows covered.
We'll reinforce them later.
If you find any keys, hang on to them.
- How many people are up there?
- Two more.
- And they have the gun?
- No, they have two.
They might have a hundred guns,
but it's safer down here!
We have to get help for Sarah.
I'm not opening that door
and neither are you, and if you try...
What? It is your daughter lying there.
We have to get her to a doctor.
There's no doctors upstairs,
and there's no way out of here.
None of those yo-yos has a car!
What a place to be stuck.
In the middle of nowhere
with a bunch of yo-yos.
The fever's got worse.
Look, she's going to be all right.
Somebody will come,
we'll get out of here.
We're all going to be all right.
They're crazy.
They're out of their minds.
You bunch of yo-yos!
This is the last of the big stuff.
Not going to do it.
Hey, Tom, give me a hand.
Turn it over. Come on!
Get the legs.
All right, I'll be back here.
Come on, come on!
Great. Bring my gun when you come back!
Nail it.
Just get it up.
We'll reinforce it later.
They're so slow.
We could just walk right past them.
We wouldn't even have to run.
We have the guns.
If we're careful, we could get away.
You told me to fight.
I'm fighting, I'm not panicking.
This place is not safe.
We should leave before it's too late.
I know you want to get out of here,
and so do I. We're going to do it.
We'll find a way to the gas,
and we'll be gone.
You're doing fine, all right.
We're all doing just fine.
We'll make it if we're careful.
Like you said, we have to be careful.
- We can get the doors and nail them up.
- Nice going, Tom!
Is she crazy or what?
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God, Tommy!
Wait a minute. Nail it up!
Get a few nails in there.
Get some in the table-top.
It's all right!
Keep nailing, keep pounding!
Come on, Tom! Over here!
Let's get this baby off.
Easy.
Hit it!
We're going upstairs for a minute.
We'll leave the weapons here.
Tom, wait a minute.
Wait a minute. Don't go up.
It's all right. Come on.
Don't look at it.
Is this all new stuff in here?
Uncle Rege is fixing up the place.
- No good.
- It's better than nothing, Ben.
No good.
Hey, Tom. Television.
Take it out and see if anything's on.
Found something.
Telling you what to do, I think.
Damn. This must really be big.
Station's in Zelionople.
It's only twenty miles from here.
Might as well be a hundred.
- It's going to come on live.
- We can't wait for it.
Give me a hand with some of that lumber.
We can use it to cover up the windows.
I must be stupid.
The old doors are all in the cellar.
Heads up down there.
Idiots!
- What's happening up there?
- How do I know?
They said they wanted to board it up.
Board it up, please.
- And you refused to help them.
- That's right.
I refused, and you know why?
Because they're wrong, Helen.
The cellar is the only safe place.
You just watch.
- They'll beg us to let them in.
- And what will you do then, Harry?
- Will you open the door then?
- Mr. Cooper?
We need the doors
to board up the windows.
Fuck him!
Mr. Cooper, can you hear me?
Cooper! Open this door right now!
We need those doors!
I have a shotgun.
Open this door or I'll blow it to shit!
What are you doing?
What do you hope to accomplish?
Shut up!
- I'm counting to three.
- We're going to open!
I'm counting, that's one.
What are you going to do? That's two!
Better open this door, Cooper.
Look, I won! You leave that door open!
We may want to get down there.
You want the best of both worlds.
You want to be able to run down here.
If you want to get into that cellar,
you get in there now or forget it!
I'm not boxing myself in
until there's no other choice.
And I'm not gambling with
my daughter's life!
- Stay up here, but don't count on me.
- I'm not counting on you for shit!
If you want to fight, get out!
This is our house.
Here's you all playing rooster with it!
I'd like to know where you'd all be
if we didn't let you in here.
Where would you be
if we kicked you out?
We're not going to kick anyone out.
Let's try and work together
and get some of this shit done!
You ought to keep her covered.
Get some blankets from upstairs.
How did she get hurt?
One of those... people
bit her on the arm.
What? You want this one, too?
We have to get help.
We have to get a doctor for Sarah.
We're going to try.
Since you're not doing anything,
maybe you could look for those keys.
- What keys?
- Keys to the gas pump out back.
- There's a car?
- A truck! The gas pump is locked.
The keys could be anywhere!
Where are... keys...
I'm looking for... my God.
Oh, my God.
I need the hammer in here!
Bring the hammer...
Ease up! Ease up!
Helen, we have to go downstairs quickly!
Cooper, give me the nails over there!
I can't let go!
You have to help me out!
Give me the wrench and nails, man!
Cooper!
This is definitely not going to work.
Get out of the way!
- We have to get downstairs.
- Take your hands off me!
Don't shoot, it's Mr. McGruder!
- You shot Mr. McGruder!
- Look at his back.
Look at his back, I didn't do that!
It's like uncle Rege.
They're dead, but they're coming for us.
That's impossible. That just can't be.
Grab him.
We'll throw him out the window.
Is he dead?
Is he dead?
You're all seeing this! Is he dead?
Stop it! You're losing it girl.
You think so?
Whatever I lost, I lost a long time ago,
and I don't plan on losing more.
You can talk to me about losing it,
when you stop screaming at each other.
Are you all right?
It's going to be all right, okay?
- How many bullets does it hold?
- Fifteen. There's more in the desk.
We have a few more windows to cover up.
Grab some lumber and get started.
...random acts of violence
committed by people in a trance.
They have lost the ability
to communicate and reason.
The military has been mobilized,
but the violence is so widespread-
- that it is impossible
for the rescue services to respond.
People left to defend themselves...
Citizens faced with
the collapse of local police
have taken the law
into their own hands.
Most communities are without telephones,
many without power, some without water.
The scientific community is focusing on
the trancelike state of the assailants.
Clearly a behavioural disorder,
but what could have caused
such a widespread and dramatic disorder?.
We've heard everything from
the ozone layer and chemical weapons
to... voodoo mysticism
and organisms from space.
Biologists in California
have released reports stating
that the bodies of the recently dead
are returning to life,
driven byan unknown force
that enables the brain to function.
Doctors at the CDC in Atlanta
reject that theory-
calling it preposterous beyond belief.
The only reasonable explanation
is a germ, a bacteria or a virus,
that has a mind-altering effect.
How a germ could have been delivered
over such a vast area remains a mystery.
It's being called Judgment Day by...
Where are you taking it?
No, that stays up here.
Get off my back! Damn it.
- Nice going, asshole!
- You were taking it downstairs.
You stupid...
Damn you!
You son of a bitch!
That was our only way of finding out
what was going on!
I wasn't taking it downstairs.
You can't get reception in a basement!
What the hell is she doing?
Is that your uncle Rege?
Do you think the keys are in his pocket?
- We have to get the keys.
- Damn it, stay back here.
We can get away.
- It's too dangerous.
- We could make it.
- Five miles. We have Cooper's kid.
- Leave them, we'll bring back help.
Make a move, we're drawing a crowd here.
You know I'm right.
We could walk right by them.
I've got the keys.
We have to get to the gas.
It's our best chance.
Everybody, back inside! Quick!
Damn it, get in here!
- You stay inside. Keep the rifle.
- You can't go out without the guns.
We have Tom's gun.
I want that gun in here.
I don't want any locked doors
between me and him.
- For crying out loud, do you...
- I don't want to hear another word.
The only way I'm going out
is with you keeping things straight.
- I'm coming with you.
- No, stay in here.
One to drive, one to work the gas
and one to ride shotgun. That's three.
Tommy, tell him I know how to drive.
Her daddy's got trucks,
she's been driving since she was little.
- All right. Is that shotgun loaded?
- Yes, I have shells in my pocket.
Can't tell how many's on the porch.
That will be the toughest part.
Once we get to the yard
we ought to be all right.
There's no way.
You're never going to make it.
You keep an eye on us.
When we start driving back,
you get that kid up here!
You get in that truck, get it started.
Don't stop no matter what.
You just move!
Heads up!
Come on, damn it!
Get in!
Helen, damn it...
Ease up!
Shut the door!
Start, you piece of shit!
Come on!
What's happening?
Slow down, we lost Ben!
Stop the car! We lost Ben, go back!
- We lost Ben!
- What? Why didn't you tell me?
I was hollering at you. Go back!
- Here he comes. What should I do?
- Go down there and get him.
These are the wrong keys.
These are the wrong damn keys!
What the hell are you doing?
I want you down in that cellar, Helen.
There's nothing we can do up here now.
Do what he says.
I'll try and get to town.
If I can find any help, I'll be back.
- Come.
- We mustn't leave them.
- We should wait until Ben gets back.
- I want you in there where it's safe.
Into the cellar, now.
Your daughter needs you.
Sarah?
Oh, my baby...
- I want that gun.
- You go to hell.
- I want that gun.
- Give it up. Just crawl back into...
Help me!
Cooper! Open this door, god-damn it!
Son of a bitch!
Open it up!
Open this door! God-damn it!
Give me that! Give it to me!
Cooper! son of a bitch!
Open the door!
Come on! Push!
Push!
Get his guns!
Sarah?
Shoot it.
No.
- Shoot it, Cooper.
- No.
But it's my...
No!
Stop! Ben, are you crazy?
Cooper, no!
Madness.
- Are you coming?
- No.
- We can still make it.
- No, I'm hurt bad.
Go on, get out of here.
I'll bring help if I can.
Go!
Oh, God!
Do not attempt to reach family.
Do not attempt to reach
any of the rescue stations.
They may no longer be in operation.
Repeating this advisory from the
Office of Emergency Preparedness.
The dead are being reactivated
by forces unknown.
You got that right.
The bodies are weak
and uncoordinated-
- but are capable of inflicting
damage on people and property.
They are to be considered extremely
dangerous, especially in large numbers.
These can be disposed of
only by incapacitating the brain.
They got that right, too.
These reactivated bodies will attack
warm-blooded animals of all species
without provocation,
and will devour the flesh.
Acts of homicide and cannibalism
reported through the afternoon
are contributable, at least in part,
to these reactivated bodies.
Don't shoot!
Johnnie...
Jesus god-damn holy reverent shit!
What in the name of Jupiter's balls
are you doing out here alone, lady?
- Tell me, chief, are they slow-moving?
- Yeah, they're all messed up.
Shoot the fuck down!
They're us.
We're them, and they're us.
Say what?
Nothing.
- Having fun?
- Give me a break.
Drag that out of here.
I'm going in. Watch your back.
There may be more of them.
You came back.
There's another one for the fire.