Just Before Dawn (1981)

Oh Lord, I wanna thank you for making me
such a damn good shot.
Leave me be will you Uncle Ty.
Now that buck would still be bleeding
if I didn't grab your
rifle and finish him off.
- Now don't you go
belittling your minister.
Lord, Lord they have all
deserted your old church but I,
am bringing back the holy spirits.
- Can't really blame
you for getting a little shaky
from all that blood though.
Hey ask the Lord above
if he minds us taking
a little souvenir.
Vachel.
Look.
Ah it's getting light already.
Vachel, something is up there.
Amen Uncle Ty, amen.
You got a beat on
another 12 part Uncle Ty?
This thing's really out here for keeps.
I know Barbara would
go nuts over it though.
She don't mind me going hunting
as long as I bring her something back.
Vachel you didn't pull the brake.
Vachel!
Vachel!
Vachel?
Vachel?
J1 Once had a love and it was a gas
J1 Soon turned out had a heart of glass
J1 Seemed like the real thing only to find
J1 Mutual mistrust loves gone behind
J1 Once had a love
More Gemini.
Wonder why there's so
many twins around here?
Maybe something in the water.
- Or something to do with
making out with your sister.
Where we're going is no
summer camp, take a look.
- Have we ever gone up
anything quite this high?
I don't think so baby.
Woo would you look at that.
4000 feet of granite, water and wood.
You know in climbing the idea is to become
part of the mountain.
Try and find its soul.
' Stop!
- Jesus Christ, Warren didn't
you see the poor thing?
No I didn't see it, it just, I-
Maybe it's still alive.
I'll get out and take a look.
Ah sit tight, I'll do it.
Oh it must've been a
pretty tough little buck.
Took right off.
You saw him run away?
As good as new.
Hey Warren.
Yeah.
Maybe we could make some more noise
so the deers know we're coming, uh?
Come on and have a God damn outing here.
God damn outing!
- See one of the most
critical things in eye surgery
is to avoid shock.
Shock can upset nature's delicate balance
and ruin everything that
you're trying to do.
But in your case my dear Lucille,
your respiration is normal.
I'll be right back,
you stay right there.
Agatha!
Quiet up!
I got a good mind to
whup you till Tuesday.
What is the matter with you?
Don't you realize I'm involved
in delicate surgery in there.
You are out here fussing and-
Shut that thing off
you're scaring my plants
and my horse to boot.
. Sorry-
Ah that's better.
I guess you're looking to
find your way out of here.
No sir we're doing just fine.
We're going up the mountain
to do some camping.
Only a fool would do that.
We got five of them in here.
But there's no campsite up there,
especially with ladies along.
Oh we don't have to worry
with the big strong forest
ranger to protect us do we.
Yeah.
Well I can't let you go up there.
Sir, hold on, hold on a second.
See the boy here's a land
bearer and we're going up
to look over the back 40.
That deed don't mean nothing.
That mountain can't read.
Any of you done any
serious climbing before?
Yeah, 10 years, it's okay.
I'll steer them away from the poison ivy.
Yeah.
It ain't just poison ivy
I'm talking about son.
At least tell me where you're going
so that when you don't come back
I'll know how to fill out the report.
Silverlake.
I ain'tjust singing a tune.
I warned you and I ain't coming after you.
You hear me?
- What's with Silverlake,
that's not on the property.
- I know what do you want,
Smoky the Bear coming around
showing us how to pee out our camp fires?
Warren stop a second.
Hawkeye, spot another deer?
I don't know.
What is it?
I don't know.
Hey Daniel, what's happening?
Ssh shh.
What?
I saw somebody.
Somebody?
Yeah somebody over there.
Just as we passed that tree.
- No maybe it was
a bear or something,
maybe it was bigfoot.
Could've been.
I saw somebody I swear,
just as we went past there.
Well where is he Danny?
I don't know.
- So what was
it an animal or what?
Ssh quiet.
Daniel what do you see?
Ssh.
What is it?
I don't know.
"Aah!
Let go.
Take it easy man, what happened?
Help me.
My nephew's still up there.
I couldn't save.
It's trying to get me too.
What is trying to get you man?
Come on, I can't read your mind.
What?
The mountain.
Get it away from me.
Get what away from you?
Demons.
You've got to take me with you.
Can we take him with us?
Oh ah, look look
mister, I'm sorry but we're on the way up.
- You've got to-
- No no we're.
Look just calm down okay, huh.
What do you think?
I think he's totally sauced.
I agree I agree what are we gonna do?
We can't take him back down
we gotta pitch camp before
dark or we don't make it.
Okay let's go.
- If he just sticks to
the road he'll be fine.
Connie come here.
I'm sorry.
- Look just stay on the
road, you'll be all right.
I won't be all right.
Hey!
You can't leave me out
here with that thing.
Hey.
Would you let me in please?
Thing's gonna kill me.
Hey!
You wanna take him with us?
- We can't just leave
him here, he'll starve.
He won't starve.
He might die, but he won't starve.
Stop will you!
Please!
You gotta stop.
- Reminds me of the time I
downed five vodka martinis.
Talk about demons.
- Sure looks like he's
being chased by demons.
Hey come on I need that to drive.
Why there's no traffic up here?
No people either.
Who'd you expect to run into up there?
Oh I don't know, maybe some demons.
I hear some of them are kinda cute.
Whoa!
You okay?
Yeah I'm fine.
What was that?
That's it folks, end of the line.
We should be on the property
but we're gonna have to
hoof it from here.
Here Megan.
Oh thank you.
Here we go.
Johnny.
What?
That's mine.
Can't carry all this stuff,
we'll have to come back for some of it.
Forget my sunglasses.
Hurry up.
There's some big falls.
Should be about a mile from here.
Get your cameras ready.
You don't own something like this man
you just bow down to it.
My God, that is incredible.
Yeah, this is perfect.
This is the place huh?
. Yep-
Jonathan and I'll go back
for the rest of the stuff.
- We expect a nice warm
camp fire when we get back.
We'll work on it.
You can set up the tents huh?
No problem, where are they?
Right over here.
- Hey do you think you can
make it back before dark?
- Might have to carry the
cub scout there on my back
but we'll make it.
Just put 'em right there.
Right.
- Give Daniel a hand with
the tents, all right.
Hey Warren.
Yeah.
Do you think you should go back
and tell that forest
ranger where we'll be?
Yeah it was a stupid thing to do.
We'll it's getting too late to do it now.
Yeah.
. HEY-
Nothing out there but
God's little creatures.
More scared of you than you are of them.
I know, I know.
But this time it's different.
What is?
I don't know.
- We just got off
to a bad start, that's all.
Yeah we sure did.
- Save the loving for the
moonlight, and let's go.
- Jonathan will
you bring some more wine?
Does a bear shit in the woods?
Oh I don't believe it.
Come give me a hand?
Yeah.
So they get in the barn and he says
do you wanna stay down here or
do you wanna go in the, the.
The loft?
Oh experience huh.
No kidding.
Okay so you tell a joke now Danny.
I don't know any.
Yeah right.
Okay so where the hell are they?
- I told Warren he'd never
make it back before dark.
That's okay.
If it's an animal the
fire will keep it away.
Better be an animal.
Really.
Hey Connie.
Hey I mean you're the
one that's supposed to be
cool right now you know, I mean,
you're the veteran climber.
If you're scared just say the word
and I'll scream my frigging head off.
Me too.
That's okay.
Look.
Warren!
- Hey Connie if there's
really somebody out there
what do we do?
- Maybe we ought to make a
run for it, to the camper huh?
In the dark?
- Yeah.
- Wait a minute.
Warren.
Warren!
Warren?
Connie.
All right who is it?
What do you want?
Who is it?
What do you want?
Boo!
Hey we're on an outing here.
- You know I could've
stabbed you, you jerks.
Hey this is all we got.
Somebody broke into the camper,
stole the rest of the food.
Must've been that maniac with the demons.
It's all right we're covered.
Hey come on lighten up
we're on an outing here eh'?
I mean you could've seen you guys.
I knew it was you guys all along.
- Oh come on Danny you were
more freaked out than the girls.
I just wasn't sure it was you.
- So you peed in your
pants to play it safe eh?
I did not.
Come on Connie.
Come on Con.
It wasn't funny.
Jonathan made me do it.
The devil made you do it.
- You know you don't pull things
like that out here Warren.
I don't understand you, I really don't.
What?
J1 Nectar of love
Something isn't it?
- I was like a frightened
little baby last night.
Oh come on Connie, I did a stupid thing.
What can I say?
I was helpless.
So were Megan and Daniel.
- No, Megan took the knife,
she didn't just sit there.
It was just a game baby.
But Megan!
I'm the one who goes camping all the time,
I know how to pitch a tent,
I know how to start a fire.
But I couldn't pick up the knife.
- Sounds like somebody
singing, doesn't it.
Mm hmm.
Dig your feet in, watch it.
Sideways.
Come on.
Here she is.
Now look what you did.
Whoa okay.
Got it.
Yeah.
Hello down there!
I say, do you live around here?
Hey don't run away.
Hey wait.
Hey!
Well maybe the camera scared her.
- Lawyer never said anything
about people up here.
Congratulations you're a landlord.
Where's that rope bridge
you were telling us about?
Should be right around here.
Woo, would you look at this!
- Hey Warren that
looks kinda dangerous man.
Oh no, piece of cake.
I want everybody to pay attention.
We're gonna have a test now.
Just take it easy okay.
Just put one foot in front of the other.
Just like if you were
walking on your garden hose
on your front lawn.
Don't look down, the fall
will pull you right into it.
All right Connie, come on.
Show 'em how it's done.
Look straight ahead.
Look at me.
That's it.
Come on.
Spread out, don't bunch up.
Danny don't swing the rope.
Oh Daniel, hang on!
There's nothing I can do.
Jonathan!
You okay?
Oh no!
Here you are.
Oh God!
Danny!
Come on, let's go.
You all right?
Oh!
Come on.
All right, this is a
steep one, take it slow.
I'll wait up here.
Watch the way I do it.
All right Warren.
You stick to the staircase
method, I'll see you down here.
Last one down is a-
Ow, ow!
Oh.
Rotten egg.
- Okay well I'm not
staying here any longer.
Oh, oh no!
Whoa!
Oh, oh it's cold.
Take a bath.
Jonathan.
Jonathan!
You're a lunatic.
Drown him Megan!
Hey I don't think my brother can swim.
I think they wanna be alone right now.
Warren.
Warren!
Would you give me a
hand with the fire here?
Please.
No no don't do that I.
Don't do that I can't swim.
Hey don't-
Jonathan?
Jonathan!
Jonathan!
Jonathan where are you?
Hey.
You jerk.
I'm gonna drown you now for real.
Jonathan.
He's such a jerk I can't believe it.
Stop it.
All right.
Jonathan.
All right I'm gonna hold
you here and if you don't
grab me till I get to three,
then we'll fool around.
Ah Jonathan, Jonathan.
Help me.
Help me.
Help me!
What is it honey?
Come on come here.
Hey come on, get it while it's hot.
Ssh quiet, quiet calm down.
Calm down.
What's the matter?
There was a-
Who?
Over there.
I was in the water and I felt a hand
and I saw you on the shore,
so the hand wasn't you.
No no it was me.
- Jonathan there's
someone in that lake
and it wasn't you.
Calm down honey.
Come on let's get some coffee.
- That's looking fine
that's looking just-
Agatha what is it now?
You know something Lucille.
I think that horse is
getting a little jealous
of all the attention that you're getting.
Yeah, I surely do.
There's been a murder.
My nephew Vachel.
Who did it?
Who did it?
Demon.
Gonna get them kids too.
You saw them kids?
They wouldn't listen.
Tried to warm 'em but
they wouldn't hear it.
What is a demon to you mister?
Tall.
Bigger than you.
Built, built like that mountain up there.
Had Vachel's hat and vest on.
Death in its eyes.
How did this demon do it?
I didn't see it, was out with the truck,
but I heard the scream.
I would've run to save him but.
Seeing all the blood.
Come on stop it Megan.
Eh, hello there.
What's the problem?
Look there's that girl we saw singing.
Get off this land.
You got no business here, skidoo.
Gonna raise the devil now.
Look mister this boy owns this place.
Now why don't you put the gun down,
we'll show you the deed okay.
Get off this land.
- Don't think he's gonna be
too impressed with a deed.
Yeah.
You'll raise the devil now.
You'll raise the devil now.
I think we ought to get out of here.
- Come on they can't kick us
out of here, we own the place.
- You said yourself no one
can own a place like this.
Come on you know what I meant.
We don't belong here.
- If I was gonna do any
camping around here Agatha,
this is right where I'd sit down.
There sure hasn't been
anybody around here.
I've got a good mind to
just let 'em have their due.
But I won't.
- Hey Connie those
shorts look good on you.
You can keep 'em if you want.
Thanks.
Good morning, good morning.
Good morning.
Have you seen Warren?
No, he's not around then.
No.
The raccoon stole some of my makeup.
- God forbid she'll be on the
rag for the rest of the trip.
Jonathan will you go out in the woods
and look for some of my makeup?
Of course I will.
Thank you.
There you go.
Hey Megan I think you're
makeup's in this coffee.
Oh!
No no wait a minute.
You look very nice, really.
You went naked in the lake.
I saw you.
But I didn't tell Pa.
Tell Pa.
Oh that's nice.
'Cause Pa don't like it.
- What about your
sister, does she like it?
Well that was your sister wasn't it?
That's my ma.
On.
What about you, do you like it?
No shit.
Uh, what's your name?
Merry Cat Logan.
I'm Jonathan, nice to meet you.
Mm, uh uh,
no we don't wanna get
Pa upset now do we huh?
Merry Cat we don't wanna
get Pa upset now, do we.
Wait.
I'm sorry Merry Cat okay.
How the hell does
anybody walk around here?
Wait a minute.
Merry Cat?
Merry Cat!
Merry Cat!
Hey Merry Cat I.
Hey where you going?
There's nothing to be afraid of.
Here watch.
Just like walking on a garden hose.
Or like a clothes line,
you got clothes lines up here don't you?
Here watch.
Just put one foot over the other one.
Like this.
Come on.
Just don't shake the rope okay?
Hi, how you doing?
You live around this place?
Jesus.
Oh.
Oh 0h!
Ah, ah!
No.
Oh no.
All right I found my caramel cream.
Well it doesn't match my
nails but it'll have to do.
Oh darling that Cadillac
Red is simply you.
Ssh.
Did you hear that?
It sounded like a whistle.
Oh it's probably Jonathan.
You know I should go look for him,
or he'll probably be
chasing raccoons all day.
Listen I'm gonna go take a few pictures.
If I run into him I'll
tell him to come back here.
Oh!
- Danny.
The back door was open, did I scare you?
No, I knew it was you all along.
This place is creepy.
Yeah.
Have you seen Jonathan?
- You mean he didn't come
back carrying a raccoon
with false eyelashes?
He's probably out practicing another one
of his scare maneuvers.
Probably.
You know this place smells funny.
It's not funny.
Let's go outside, I wanna
show you the graveyard.
Got it!
And here I go.
Dinner for five.
Oh Warren look it's swollen with eggs.
Next course, caviar.
- Oh I think
you ought to let her go.
After all that.
Mm.
Ah.
You are so.
What's got into you?
I don't know.
- Jesus, oh God.
- Oh my God.
L got yah.
Jonathan.
Come on.
He was murdered wasn't he.
You don't know that.
It was the whistle.
He was calling for help.
You don't know that.
He probably.
Probably fell off the rope bridge.
Hey.
Connie, wait a minute.
Wait a minute, hey.
Wait 'til I put some lipstick on.
Okay.
Come on already.
Wait let's do it this way.
Wait a minute.
Just one.
. Okay-
That's it.
Good.
Have you seen my glasses?
Uh huh.
Thought I had them.
Hmm.
Only Jonathan.
Told you he'd try to do it again.
Can't see anything without my glasses.
- Hey wait a minute listen,
he wants to play games.
. All right.
Okay let's play.
We have to give him
something to think about.
Hey you know how to give
your brother some pointers.
It's working.
on yeah.
Here he comes.
What's he doing now?
You won't believe this.
What?
You won't believe it.
What?
I think he bought it.
He looks pissed.
Oh Daniel take me.
Take me right here in the graveyard.
Whoa.
Jonathan you asshole.
No, no!
Oh God, oh my God.
No!
No please don't!
No please.
No!
Megan!
Megan?
Hey ssh ssh, come on.
Megan!
Daniel!
Danny!
They're dead.
Stop that.
It's a demon Warren.
Hey, there are no demons, you hear me.
No demons.
Now,
we'll go find those old people.
They'll help us, all right.
Come on.
Come on.
Hey slow down, slow down.
Hello?
Ah take it easy.
Take it easy.
We don't mean any harm.
Take it easy now.
We don't mean any harm.
Our friend was killed.
We can't find the others.
What you want us to do son?
- I want to know what you
meant by raising the devil.
What'd you mean by raising the devil?
Don't know nothing about that.
Told you to skidoo.
Yeah you told us.
We want to know why.
What's out there?
You sure raise the devil round here.
Come on.
Come on let's go.
Take it easy man.
Come on, Connie.
Come on Connie.
Think even a cub scout
would make it back by now.
They're dead Warren.
Would you stop that.
It's true.
Dammit.
I gave Jonathan the keys to the camper.
We're gonna need 'em to get out of here.
I'll take the lantern.
Okay.
I'm gonna go to Jonathan.
Go and get the keys, I'll be right back.
You stay here.
Megan and Daniel will be here soon.
It's better if somebody's here.
Okay?
So I'll get the keys
and I'll be right back.
I'll be right back.
I'll get the whistle too.
In case I get lost.
You listen for it.
Okay?
I'll be right back.
Jonathan?
God dammit Jonathan.
Oh.
Oh.
L got you.
L got you.
Oh God man what are we doing?
Come on, I gave you the God damn keys.
Where's the whistle man?
God damn whistle?
L gotta g0-
I gotta g0-
Anybody home?
Howdy I'm Roy McLean, US Forest Service.
You folks seen five
young campers hereabouts?
Nope, ain't been up here.
I seen 'em.
Down by the lake, I've seen 'em.
Merry Cat get in here.
- Listen there may be a
murderer loose up here.
If you know anything.
No sir, she ain't seen nothing.
She's just a frightened child.
She ain't seen nothing.
You heard what the man said Agatha.
Gotta be around here some place.
- Don't you ever go
against this family child.
- They killed Mama,
they gonna kill some more.
They're kin, you gotta understand.
- These
murderers, these the devil Pa.
You said they is the devil.
But they're kin.
- They devil raises
in our family Merry Cat,
but they're still your brothers.
No, no more murdering.
These the devils, no more murdering.
Wait!
I can take you to their camp.
Well come on, get on board.
Okay come on Agatha.
Warren?
Warren?
Warren don't play games with me.
Warren!
Warren!
Warren!
Warren!
Warren!
Warren!
What is it Agatha?
What is it honey?
Connie.
Where's Connie?
Take it easy son, take it easy.
Somebody moved his body.
Somebody moved Jonathan.
Connie.
Where did you last see her?
At the camp.
I went to get the keys.
I lost the lamp, and I lost my way back.
- We'll just have to find
your way back, come on.
Warren!
Warren!
Warren!
. BabY-
Connie.
Baby.
It's all right.
Come on, come on.
It's all right.
It's all right.
- Keep breeding in the
same family long enough
something's bound to snap.
I guess that's what
the old man was hiding.
It's all right.
I want you to get your things together,
and get in that fancy wagon,
and get down off this mountain.
We, we didn't do anything.
I didn't say that you did,
but I told you not to come up here.
You knew about this.
No.
No I didn't.
I knew about you though.
What about our friends?
- I'll send somebody
up after their bodies.
They're not dead.
They're not dead.
Take it easy son, take it easy.
Megan and Daniel, they're not dead.
Just lost.
Connie, you all right?
Connie?
Look at you.
Put on makeup.
- You never know who you
might run into up here.
And I know some of them are kinda cute.
Danny?
Danny?
Okay.
No more devils.
No more demons.
No more.
No more nothing out there.
Just God's little creatures.
More scared of you than you are of them.
It's okay.
Did you put up that tent huh?
Who the hell taught you
how to put up a tent?
Look like you didn't do such a bad job.
Okay. 0K3)'-
I want you put on some
boots, some long pants.
And we'll just,
we'll just leave Megan
and Danny's stuff for
when they get back.
And I'll just take a
reading with my compass
we'll get back to the camper in no time.
And just like the ranger said,
get the hell out of here.
Con.
Connie.