Original subtitles

But what do you mean you didn't like it?

Pride and Prejudice is a wonderful novel. I thought you'd love it.

Boring. I'm on and on.

What about you?

Well, uh, Mrs. Chauvin kind of clones them part.

Yeah, like from the beginning to the end.

All right, then.

For your next reading assignment, I'll let you choose the book. Really?

Any book you want? Any book you want.

Excellent.

Not too short.

Something with not too many words, too.

Well, you know, seeing that Halloween's coming up, why don't we read a scary

story?

Yeah. Well, that's a great idea, Nat.

How about we read Frankenstein?

Frankenstein. Yeah, and you'd love it.

It's a story about a scientist who makes this monster out of body parts.

Then he brings it back to life. It goes around killing people.

That sounds great.

I want to read Frankenstein.

All right, then. We'll start first thing.

You expecting somebody?

No.

I'm looking for Mrs. Joe Bear.

That's me. I'm Joe Bear.

My name is Abel Jennings.

Is there someplace we could talk in private?

I've traveled from Baltimore to see you.

Baltimore?

That's quite a trip.

In town they said that you had married, that you are no longer Josephine March.

That's right.

I married several years ago.

And your husband?

My husband died last year.

Why have you come here to see me?

I read your book.

It pierced my heart.

Thank you.

You traveled all this way just to tell me that?

Yes.

That's very nice.

I'm dying, Mrs. Bear.

I'm sorry.

Cancer.

My doctors concur that I'm to live another year at most.

And that is why I've come to see you.

Me? Why?

I'd like to commission you to write the story of my life.

He said that he'd read several authors looking for the right voice to tell his

story. And he chose you.

Oh, how flattering.

Yes, it is.

Will you have the time?

I don't know.

Asia's gone to Philadelphia for two weeks to visit her aunt.

That won't make things any easier.

And I told him about how I'm teaching the children now, but he didn't come to

mind. He said he'd work at whatever pace I wanted.

Well, you can't work too slowly.

Didn't you just say that he was dying?

Yes.

His doctors say that he has about a year to live at most.

And he wants to devote whatever time he has left to this book.

It's his last goal to achieve.

Poor man.

Well, what did you say?

I told him that I wanted a day to think about it.

I mean, I don't even know the man.

He's very peculiar.

Somber.

And he has this huge cigar across the front of his face.

Well, perhaps you should make some inquiries. I already did.

First thing this morning, I sent a telegram to the postmaster in Baltimore.

He wired me back, and apparently there is a prominent businessman named Abel

Jennings living in Baltimore.

Well, then he's legitimate.

What kind of business?

I don't know. He didn't say.

Well, that can be the first question you ask him when you begin writing his

story.

You really do think I should do this? Jo, the man loved your book.

Yes, but I haven't written anything like this.

You did say yourself it was quite an offer.

It is.

It's just that...

Well, it's been so long since I wrote my book.

And other than my journals, I haven't written anything since.

Jo, you are a wonderful writer.

And just because you haven't written anything in a while doesn't mean you've

lost your creative touch.

Meg's right.

And from the way that you've already described this man, he sounds like quite

interesting character.

I wonder how he got that scar on his face.

I wonder that, too.

What do you think of this mask?

He looks scarier without it.

That trunk's been sitting in our garret for years now.

I thought you might find something interesting in it.

Well, this is great, Mr. Lord. I think this is all we need for Halloween.

Well, choose carefully, Nat.

You're going to need a very gruesome costume this year.

We all are.

Why?

Well, because this Halloween there's going to be a blue moon.

What's a blue moon?

Second full moon of the month.

Doesn't happen very often.

No, it doesn't.

And when it occurred in Concord on Halloween night, we all know what that

We do?

It means the return of the Lantern Man.

Who's the Lantern Man?

He lived here over a hundred years ago, before the Revolutionary War, on these

very streets in Concord.

He was hideous.

And wicked.

And frightened all the children and parents alike.

Sounds like that man who came here last night.

No one knew anything about him.

Not even his name.

His sole possession was his old lantern he carried everywhere with him.

That's how he became known as the Lantern Man.

But then one night.

Halloween night.

The night of the blue moon.

The lantern man was found dead in the middle of the street.

The glowing lantern still clutched in his bony hand.

The town folks took his body to the graveyard and buried him in a hard -to

grave simply marked unknown.

But unfortunately for the good people of Concord, this wasn't the end of the

story.

It was just the beginning.

Because ever since then, when Halloween falls on the night of the blue moon,

The Lantern Man rises out of his grave to seek revenge on the town that shunned

him.

And that, my friends, is why you're going to need a very scary costume this

year.

To frighten away the Lantern Man.

What are you doing here?

Oh, I was just dropping off the trunk full of costumes I was telling you

Joe, have you ever heard of the Lantern Man?

The Lantern Man.

Now, who told you about that?

Mr. Lorry.

Well, is it true? Did he really exist?

It's doubtful.

It's one of those legends that people like to tell.

Well, they asked.

We heard about it when we were children.

In fact, I went to the cemetery to look for his grave.

Really? Did you ever find it?

No. Well, just because he didn't find it doesn't mean he didn't exist.

You've got a point there.

Hey, look. Henry David Thoreau's grave.

Hawthorne. Wait, that's Nathaniel Hawthorne.

He's a famous writer, too.

Was.

Well, that's it.

We've checked every grave in the whole cemetery.

I guess Mrs. Joe couldn't find it. We can't either.

We have every inch of that cemetery.

Inside the cemetery?

Is that where you live?

No, no, no.

They did not bury him inside the cemetery grounds.

He's too wicked for that.

They buried him in the woods, beyond the cemetery.

That's another reason why the ghost is mad.

Listen, I'll let you know a little secret.

I haven't told anyone, not even Joe, because I didn't want to frighten her.

But I've seen the grave with my own eyes.

You have?

Yeah. It's out in the woods, hard to spot, but I'll show it to you if you'd

like.

Sure, let's go. No.

Well, I mean, I can't right now. I have an urgent meeting to attend to, and

after work, I'll take you out and show you, all right?

All right, great.

Sure.

Mr. Jennings.

Beautiful, isn't it?

My latest design.

You made it.

You make knives.

Not just knives.

All manner of fine cutlery. Even swords and daggers.

Daggers.

That's very interesting.

Have you come to tell me your decision?

Of course.

I, I, I've decided to accept your offer.

I would be honored to write your life story.

I'm very pleased.

When would you like to begin?

Late evenings would be preferable for me.

Late evenings.

I find I'm most at ease when the rest of the world sleeps.

Very well. I look forward to it.

Right this way.

It's not much further.

There it is.

I don't believe it. Is this his real grave?

That's right.

This is no grave.

What? The stone's brand new.

What are you talking about?

Well, just look. There's still pieces of dust and stones from where the guy

carved the letters.

Hardly any dirt on it.

He was probably in a hurry.

I mean, this... This was a... Well, it wasn't worth the price I paid

for it, that's for sure.

I'm sorry.

You caught me.

I was just trying to have a little fun.

Hey, what's that?

That's a grave marker.

You found it?

Yeah. Oh, there it was, right there on the ground.

Yeah, but he had to do it closely because there was a lot of dirt and

covering it. I couldn't believe it.

It's true, Mrs. Joe. There really was a lantern man.

All this time, we thought it was make -believe, but I mean, now it's just...

Well, it's amazing.

Excuse me. May I speak with you a moment?

What?

It's some kind of joke.

No.

Well, I mean, at first it was.

I mean, I had a tombstone made.

I took the kids to see it. But then Nat found the real marker.

I'm telling you, Joe, the grave was there.

It's real.

I mean, I'm surprised with anyone.

Joe, this means the man actually lived. He actually lived.

Not that he rises from the dead every Halloween.

Oh, well, not every Halloween, just on the blue moon.

All right, I have to get going.

Can I trust you not to scare the children with all the talk of ghosts?

All right.

Thank you.

Mr. Jennings?

What do you want?

I came here to work. I can't. Not tonight.

Are you all right?

Leave me alone.

The postmaster sent me more information on Mr. Jennings. His cutlery business is

one of the most successful in the country.

Apparently, his knives have a reputation for being some of the sharpest.

Well, good for him.

And he was married.

Tragically, his wife died 11 years ago.

Officially, the cause of death was listed as suicide.

Suicide? Listen to this.

She took her own life with one of her husband's knives.

stabbing herself through the heart.

Her husband found her lying on the bedroom floor.

How awful.

At first, the police suspected Mr. Jennings, but they couldn't find any

evidence. But apparently, rumors of his involvement still exist to this day. I

can understand that. What?

Well, think about it. If you're going to commit suicide, do you stab yourself

through the heart? No, of course not. You jump up a cliff or swallow some

poison. And how convenient that he happened to be the one to find her.

Exactly. I can't believe you two would actually think that this man might

his wife.

Well, all I can tell you is that from the moment I first met this man, he has

made me uneasy.

The way he talks and the way he dresses.

And last night, I went to start the book with him. He wouldn't even speak to me.

He was rude and angry.

And he had blood on his shirt sleeve.

Blood? He's a strange man.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were harboring some sort of deep, dark

secret. Joe.

I know, I know. I'm probably overreacting.

I just don't trust the man.

Joe. The way he stares at me.

And he's so moody.

And that scar on his... Joe!

Mr.

Jennings.

Mrs. Bear.

Ladies.

I've come to apologize for my behavior last night.

My cancer is becoming difficult to live with, and I must often take morphine to

ease the pain.

Last night I accidentally broke the bottle, and I couldn't find a doctor to

obtain more.

A shard of the glass cut my arm during the accident.

I am sorry if the sight of blood distressed you.

But now my supply of morphine has been replenished.

So if you'd like to begin work on the book tonight, I'd be most appreciative.

Well, then, I'll see you later tonight.

First question for the book.

Did you murder your wife?

Scarecrow! I'm getting tired of finding body parts all over Plumfield.

Hey, Nick.

Hey.

You just get back from town?

Yeah.

People are coming from all over to see the Lantern Man's grave.

That so?

Yeah, the whole town's talking about it.

Yeah, people are getting scared about Halloween night.

In fact, I heard this one couple say they're locking their kids in the house

tonight to keep them from the ghost.

Somebody's even saying this ugly thing that's supposed to keep the ghost away.

Yeah, it's called a talisman.

Oh, sure. People all over the world use them to keep evil spirits away.

How about you, Nick? Do you believe in ghosts?

Well, I guess I'd have to say yeah.

I've seen plenty of things in my life I can't explain.

There was this one time we were stuck in a dead calm, middle of the South

Atlantic.

It was around midnight.

I was on watch.

Fog so thick you couldn't see.

Suddenly, I see one of our crew members scaling up the side of the ship.

Well, did he fall overboard?

No, he was dumped overboard earlier in the day when we buried him at sea.

Now, he died the night before.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

I hurried over there to help him, but when I got there, he was gone.

Not a trace of him anywhere.

Just the fog.

May I speak to you a moment?

Sure. What is it?

I don't think it's wise to fill the children's heads with ghost stories.

It's bad enough when Laurie does it. Now you?

What's wrong with it?

It is Halloween.

You don't really believe in ghosts.

Please tell me that that story you just told didn't really happen.

Actually, it did.

Although, it was a long night and the boys had been passing around the room

earlier. Nick. Look, Joe.

It's all in good fun.

All in good fun.

Everybody likes a good ghost story.

Especially at Halloween.

And your courage.

In your book, you wrote of moments both joyous and painful.

You bared your soul to the world.

It was difficult.

But in the end, very rewarding.

As your story will be.

Unfortunately, the moments of joy have been far too infrequent.

And the moments of pain...

Too deep to speak of.

Well, we can go very slowly.

And you can tell me whatever you want. I'll listen.

Right.

Well, my first question.

Were you born in Baltimore?

Yeah.

Where were you born?

A small town in Connecticut, Willoughby.

I see.

In many ways, like this town.

Were you born here?

Yes, I was.

Why did you choose to remain?

Well, I went to New York for a while.

But when I inherited Plumfield, my husband and I decided to open a school.

But we should probably begin with your childhood.

Tell me about your parents.

Any brothers, sisters?

How did your husband die?

It was his heart.

It must have been better, didn't it?

Yes, I was.

As you must have been when your wife died.

How did you know about my wife?

I made some milk for you.

Oh.

Mr. Jennings, I was bound to find out. After all, I am writing your life story.

Yes, my life story.

From me, not from the lies of others.

Sorry, I just wanted to know more about you. And you will.

But you will not talk to others, only me.

Understood?

This knife was made by my father.

He was a master craftsman.

Taught me everything about blade profiles, the finest grinds for point,

and the proper angles for the sharpest edges.

He made me what I am.

in a bad dream.

Are you all right?

Yeah. I think I'll be fine, Mrs. Joe.

What was it about?

Um... He's coming out of the woods.

Who? The Lantern Man?

Yeah.

Oh, Mrs. Joe is so real.

All in good fun.

You're all right.

What did he look like?

I don't know. I didn't see his face.

But he's really ugly.

All right, now that's enough talk about the Lantern Man.

He'll never be able to get back to sleep.

Here's your milk, sweetheart.

What are we going to do about Halloween?

What do you mean?

What if he comes here to Plumfield?

Tommy, there is no such thing as a lantern man.

But we found his grave, Mr. Joe.

No, you didn't.

I put that stone there.

I was around the corner when you were talking to Laurie about going out to see

the grave.

I knew Laurie had put a fake tombstone out there, so I thought I'd one -up him.

So there wasn't any lantern man's grave?

Afraid not.

Then whose grave was it?

It was a fake grave, Tommy. Haven't you been listening?

Well, there you are.

There is no Lantern Man. It's just a story, just like the books we read in

class.

Now let's all stop worrying and just enjoy this Halloween, all right?

It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my

tolls. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the

instruments of life around me.

that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my

feet.

Very good.

Very good, Dan.

Emile, I believe you're next.

It was already one in the morning. The rain pattered dismally against the

and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of a half

light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open.

Go back to that graveyard.

What?

It's almost Halloween.

We have to find that gravestone.

What are you talking about, man?

I know Nick and Lori put a fake tombstone out there, but that doesn't

there's not a real one.

I want to come, too.

A hundred -year -old gravestone is going to be hard to find, especially one

that's not tended to.

But if you ask me, the Lantern Man is real. No one can make up a story like

that. I beheld the wretch, the miserable monster whom I had created.

He held up the curtain of the bed, and his eyes, if eyes they may be called,

were fixed on me.

They let her sleep.

We had been friends since childhood, but...

As business partners, we were a hopeless match.

Mrs. Bear.

What? Oh, sorry.

It must be difficult for you, teaching all day and then working with me at

night.

I'm fine.

I'm just a little tired.

Halloween is tomorrow, and the children have been immersing themselves in ghost

stories. Now they're having nightmares.

There's no greater power than an imagination unleashed.

Isn't that the truth?

Anyway, everything's fine.

I'm all right, really.

So your partnership didn't work out?

Unfortunately, no. He insisted on challenging my authority.

He even tried to steal the business out from under me.

What did you do?

Nothing. The situation resolved itself when, sadly, he died a month later.

The details are too gruesome to relate.

Suffice it to say, he died by his own hand.

Is that right?

Yes.

Very tragic.

Hey, look.

Glass from a lantern.

Now, this could have come from anything, Tommy.

Yeah, like from a lantern.

This is ridiculous.

We looked all day yesterday, and again today, and we're not going to find it.

Besides, it's getting late out.

Yeah, and it's close to that blue moon rising.

Let's just say that there really is a lantern man, and he's going to come out

his grave in a couple hours to terrorize the town.

All right.

So there's nothing we can do about it, right?

So why bother keep looking?

That's right.

Better get home and start boarding up the windows and doors.

Not a good that's going to do against a ghost.

Maybe we can get one of those talus things.

The guy sold them all this morning.

There's got to be some way to protect us against the ghost.

An angry ghost at that.

Simple. We tell him we're sorry.

What?

Look, it's just like in Frankenstein.

The creature wasn't really a monster, but he just wanted the townspeople to

him. But because he was so ugly, they turned their backs on him, and that's

made him mad.

It's the exact same thing our town did to the Lantern Man.

All we have to do is show him that we're sorry and that we want to be his

friend.

How?

Give him a present.

Yeah.

Sure.

Hey, race you guys.

Hey, get back here. I always win.

Kid. The cemetery?

Tonight? Yeah, the boys are already upstairs getting everything together.

Well, you can leave me out of it.

Anyway, I'm going to my dad's party tonight.

Fine.

Hey, Nick, can we take us to the cemetery tonight?

Sure.

Uh, why?

Oh, the kids want to give Lanterman some presents.

Yeah, kind of like an offering to show them the town story for treating them so

bad. Well, I think that's a great idea.

What is?

Nick's taking us to the cemetery tonight.

Well, I better get going.

I've got a lot of work to do before nightfall.

I'll gather my things so we can get going.

All right, sweetheart.

You're taking them to the cemetery?

The kids want to give Lantern Man some presents to show them the town story for

what happened.

Nick, that story isn't true.

Well, whether it is or it isn't, it's still a nice thing to do, don't you

Taking them to the cemetery at night.

You're smiling about.

What?

That look.

What look?

That I'm up to something look.

You're thinking about going to the cemetery tonight, aren't you?

You're going to dress up like the Lantern Man and go and scare the

aren't you?

No, I was not thinking that.

You know, I can't believe you two.

First the tombstones, and now this. Well, these little games are going to

The Lantern Man is not real. He doesn't exist.

I would appreciate your help in getting that through to the children.

All right.

I'll go help best with their things.

Mr. Jennings!

What are you doing out here?

Your trips to town have overtired you. I thought perhaps we could work here

tonight, if that's agreeable to you.

That would be wonderful. Thank you.

Mr. Jennings, I'd like for you to meet Nick Riley, our caretaker.

Howdy. A pleasure.

I realized it was unkind of me to expect you to travel into town every night to

work.

Oh, I'm all right.

Perhaps if you had a room to rent, I could stay here.

Then we could work together at your convenience.

Our guest room's empty.

I would be happy to pay.

I wouldn't hear of it.

I'll send for the rest of my thing.

Looks like a storm's coming.

Don't be long.

We won't... Yeah, not unless the lantern man gets us.

Might want to check the windows, make sure they're shut tight.

Leave the presents for the lantern man and come right back home.

No tricks out there.

You got it.

You gonna be all right alone with that man?

Of course.

Should be able to get a lot of work done.

All right, well...

Happy Halloween.

Happy Halloween.

Y 'all ready?

Mr. Jennings?

Mr. Jennings?

So where do you want to do this?

In the woods.

We're here on behalf of the town to apologize for being so rude to you.

So we brought you some gifts.

Here's some food because when you were hungry, no one ever fed you.

Cider.

Because when you're thirsty, no one ever gave you something to drink.

And a blanket because when you were cold, nobody gave you any warmth.

Now we know that a hundred years is a long time to wait.

So we hope that wherever you are, you'll accept these gifts.

And you'll be our friend.

Looks to me like he heard you.

And if you insist on challenging me in such a manner, I shall do to you what I

have done to others, and that is murder without remorse.

What are you?

Why are you reading my papers?

Your release was open.

Those?

I didn't mean to pry.

Mrs. Bear.

Get out.

What? Get out of my house. Mrs. Bear.

I said get out!

Hey, Joe.

You all right?

Where's Mr. Jennings?

Oh, he, uh... He had to leave.

I'll just get here.

Why don't you all go on upstairs and get ready for bed?

Come on, let's go.

Nat.

How'd it go out there?

Oh, great.

Think you liked the gifts?

I'm glad.

You know, the more I think about it, the more I believe that there really was a

Lantern Man.

Except I don't believe he was wicked or cruel.

He was probably just a lonely old man looking for a friend.

Good night, Mrs. Joe.

Good night.

It's a story.

He wrote a story.

A murder mystery.

That's why he envied my writing.

He probably had dreams of being a writer himself.

Is Amy good?

Yes, actually. Very good.

You're next.

Good title, don't you think?

There are other papers here, too.

letters that he wrote to his wife telling her how much he loved her.

And he kept them all these years.

And I drove him away, horrified by him.

This what you used to scare him off?

No, he was the one who had that.

He took it from the kitchen, although I don't know why.

I probably knew it was worth something.

Well, he's a knife maker, right?

This is a calder knife.

An antique.

I always wondered why you could chop potatoes when it should have been under

glass in a display case somewhere.

Listen.

Not too late to make things right.

How? Well, you could bring a gift.

You're leaving?

Clearly, I've overstayed my welcome.

You left this at my house.

I was going to send for it.

This is yours.

I'd like you to have it.

It's a cauldron knife, is that right?

Yes, I was admiring it.

I thought perhaps I could persuade you to sell it to me.

Consider it a gift.

The way I treated you.

I suppose I let my imagination run away with me with all the knives and late

nights. And the scar.

You have quite an imagination, Mrs. Bear.

As do you.

I read your story. It's very good.

I'm not the writer you are.

I don't know about that.

Your story gave me quite a scare.

I don't want you to leave.

I'd like to continue working on your book, if it's all right with you.

Perhaps we could write it together.

In fact, we could start right now.

I know how you like working at night.

I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and dark -mild to my natural lord

king, if thou wilt also perform thy part.

O Frankenstein, be not equitable to every other, and trample upon me alone,

whom thy justice and even thy clemency and affection is most due.

Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded.

I was benevolent and good.

Misery made me a fiend.

Make me happy and I shall again be virtuous