The devil
was once the most favored of the host of angels serving the Lord .
But pride welled in his breast...
He thought it unseemly for him to serve.
The devil and his hoard of followers Who likewise suffered the sin of pride
were defeated in battle by The Lord and his hosts
And were banished to the outmost depths of hell
never to know the presence of the Lord
or look on Heaven again.
Smarting from his wounds, but all the more swollen with pride
the devil cried out from the depths:
'' It is better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven. ''
The devil proclaimed that was was lost in Heaven would be regained on Earth.
He said:
"My offspring, the gargoyles will one day rule the Lord's works
the Earth and man. ''
And so it came to pass that while man ruled on earth,
The gargoyles waited; lurking, hidden from the light
reborn every 600 years in man's reckoning of time,
The gargoyles battled over man to gain dominion over the earth
In each coming, the gargoyles were nearly destroyed by men who
flourished in greater numbers.
Now it has been so many hundreds of years, it seems
it seems the ancient statues and paintings of gargoyles
are just products of man's imagination.
In this Year, with man's thoughts turned
toward the many ills he has brought upon himself,
Man has forgotten his most ancient adversary...the gargoyles.
I'm so glad you decided to join me. And bring me Calamodre.
Do you think I'd miss a trip to Mexico with you ?
Well, I don't suppose your mother wanted you to come, hmm?
She doesn't know.
I don't see her much since he married old Jim.
Yeah, it must be quite a change for her.
I think she misses the traveling with you. I know I do.
Well, here we are--on our way.
Calamodre will just about complete my collection of demons - thank you, darling.
- I saw you on that TV talk show. - Did you? I'm glad.
Kind of hoped you were watching What do you think of that, uh...
...self-styled witch they had on there?
You were, as always, the cool intellectual. She got pretty upset
when you started telling her she was just being superstitious about the devil.
Do you really think the world of evil is just fantasy?
Who knows? Sells my books. You should have read some of the letters,
I got at the university after that one.
How's your new book.
Okay!
I've decided to call it "5000 Years of Demonology".
I'm going to try to trace man's conception of evil
from, uh, 3000 BC to the present.
We'll start next month, with the Mayan and Aztec ruins.
It sounds like another big seller for Professor Mercer Boley.
Yep. More monsters for fun and profit.
The publisher's planning on putting it out for the next Christmas season.
You know, something
something colorful and expensive for the coffee tables of America.
My sexy pictures and your dry as dust prose?
Ah!
When do we start?
Well, I've just got to check out this old guy...
I don't know, he's got some wild story, maybe it's nothing, but ...
It's only a bit out of our way.
- Huh - how did that happen? - We're lost?
No, I must have taken a wrong turn back there.
I sure would hate to get stuck out here in the dark.
Oh, don't worry. I know what I did wrong.
We'll double back about 5 miles...
What was that?
I don't know.
And, uh, take the other turn.
Where are we headed, Dad?
Oh, don't worry, dear. It gets worse.
"Snake den?" Uh-uh.
They serve 'em for lunch.
I wonder which one he's trying to sell me?
The only one I'm enthusiastic about is the beer.
"Desert fish?"
The usual junk...
Hi!
You that Doctor Boley?
You must be. I wasn't expecting anyone else.
- Mr. Levert, this is my daughter, Diana. - Well now, ain't that nice.
- Why don't I just get you some beers? - Mmm. sounds good.
Well...
Did you come to talk or not?
- I came to hear you talk.
You know, Dr. Boley ...
...you took your own sweet time about gettin' here.
Not that I hold it against you, but my time is valuable too--not just yours.
No, sir - I've got quite a business here.
Why don't you just take a look around.
That's a real live 11 button killer, little lady.
Mr. Levert, you wrote to me that you had some Indian artifacts,
some transcripts of authentic exorcism rites...
Yes, sir ... I seen you on this TV talk show...
...and I was impressed with your brains and your know-how.
And wrote to you right off, to that university
where you teach.
Are these your artifacts, this stuff? You know, we've come a long way.
Now don't get hot under the collar.
Don't pay no mind to this junk, this is for the tourists.
Well, we're not tourists, so if you have something to show me...
- Let's just sit down and finish our beer. - Mr. Levert ...
...if you have something worth my while, please get to the point.
- Otherwise we'll have to be leaving. - Now, now, don't rush me.
I don't know which way to turn. I thought we'd talk it over...
...and we'd write this book that I have in mind.
"Old Uncle Willie's Tales of the Desert."
Well, thank you.
Now wait a minute!
You realize I've got to check you out... See if you're on the level.
Diane...
And you're not just out here to steal my discovery.
- Don't worry about it. - But I do worry about it, Dr. Boley.
- Now, look... - Just wait a minute.
I'll show it to you.
It's in the shack ... over there.
Can't we just take a look?
Lead on...
You should have seen this place 20-25 years ago...
You know, I had it all painted up.
Had myself a two-headed calf, too...
...and a Siamese twin chicken.
Make my own cider..
Why, I tell you, I'd pull 'em in off the road.
You know...
People alway like to have something to stare at...
...something to scare 'em. Why nobody ever went west on a vacation without
...stoppin' at Uncle Willie's Desert Museum.
Yes, sir!
Then the highway bridge went the other way.
Just passed me by.
You know what happened then. Just like that...
...they all forgot me.
Yeah, come in - wait'll I get some light.
Don't want you stumblin' over something
Bones ... I smell old bones. .
I knew I picked a smart one.
It sure is lonely out here.
Oh, I like it like that.
I own this place out-right.
I got my pension,
pass my time thinking about a book I'm going to write.
You just wouldn't believe the things I know.
Things that I've never told anybody...
just been saving up for the right moment.
You'll see.
You'll see. You'll be glad you came to see old Willie.
What is it?
I just got it put back together again.
What do you mean "put back together again?" That never was together.
You assembled that out of a pile of old junk bones.
No!
I found it whole - over in the canyon.
Carted it back in my pickup. You can't even imagine
difficult it is to match them bones, Doc.
Come on, Uncle Willie!
This is excellent work, but ... but it's a concoction
of unrelated bones, some animal, some human...
This...
If I had more time, I'd ask you how you managed the joints
for the wings. That took great imagination,
coming up with wings.
No.
This is not a trick.
This is not for them tourists.
This is the real thing.
You don't believe me.
Willie, your talent is
wasted out here. - Now wait, Dr. Boley.
I've never showed this to nobody.
I thought you would be the one smart enough to understand.
Listen to me.
The Indians named this place "Devil's Crossing."
In their old language, back when they had a camp here.
They lived here for hundreds and hundreds of years.
The Indians told everything about these devils--these spirits. They were real!
I've got all the stories.
I'm sorry, Willie.
Dr. Boley...
Them devils used to live up there in the rocks.
Came all of a sudden-like. Just played hell with the tribes.
Then they chased them off
with their sacrifices and their offerings.
An old Indian told me.
It was his tribe's main legend for hundreds of years.
Now ain't that worth a book? Ain't it?
No!
No free pictures.
Now either you make a deal with me
to write this book
50-50 with my picture on the cover.
or you just get out. Get on out.
Alright, Willie. You're on.
Let's hear the story.
Hey, why are you locking that, what for?
It's getting late out now.
Got my good reasons, Dr. Boley.
I always bolt all the doors when the sun goes down.
Ah... can you remember what the Indian word was for the devils in the legends?
Let me see ...
Nak ... Nakatachincos. That's it.
This great chief saw the Nakatakachinco in the desert.
And he had the tribe make costumes for all the elders
Like the Nakatakachinco for the ritual of manhood
Called, uh, Nonataya.
Nonataya.
Ah ... And what about ...
Can you recall the ritual itself?
Let me think, uh...
Just a minute...
I... I...
ritual... ritual...
All the young men dressed for battle gathered around the
Nakatakachinco and...
- What's that? - I don't care to know, Dr. Boley!
- No! - Get down, get down!
Willie!
Save him! Save him!
He's dead!
Go on! Go on!
Run! Run to the car! Go on!
- I wish I could have seen - Oh, please, just get us out of here.
Poor old guy.
Here I am scared to death, but I managed to grab the tape recorder.
I guess that proves I'm basically materialistic.
- You got your research, Dad. - Yeah...
Diana, turn on the tape recorder. And run it back a bit.
I want to hear those sounds.
...ritual of manhood called, uh...
No ... Nonataya. Nonataya.
Ah ... And what about ...
Can you recall the ritual itself?
Let me think ...
I... I...
ritual... ritual...
All the young men, dressed for battle, gathered around the
Nakatakachinco and...
-What's that? -I don't care to know, Dr. Boley!
Please, can I turn it off?
All right, dear, I'm sorry.
What was that? Diana, can you see anything?
They're on the roof!
Hold tight!
Hey, you folks all right? What happened to you?
Well ... we ran off the road in the dark.
Ah ... we want to go to a motel. Maybe in the meantime you
you could fix this up so we can make it out of here.
I'll see what I can do. There's a motel right next door.
I'll tell you this is gonna be quite a job, though.
I'd better get a jack.
Oh... uh, do you have a room please?
I'm sorry, I know it's terribly late, but we just had a car accident.
Car's being repaired over at the gas station.
And uh, we're pretty shaken up. Do have something for us?
Uh, you gotta understand that I... I gotta be careful.
- I get some pretty weird types... - Oh, I'm sure...
Some pretty rough customers come up this road.
And a woman alone
- can't be too careful. - Right.
- A room for you and the young lady? - Yeah, that'd be fine.
I'm Mercer Boley, and my daughter, Diana.
Room's right down here.
Was it Mercer? - Yes.
Tell me how it happened, Mercer? Was it a big wreck?
No, no, just ...
Oh, we get a lot of doozies on this road.
Was anybody killed? - No no...
Here it is.
- Thanks ... - Why don't you have a night cap
While you daughter gets some rest, huh?
Not a good idea...
About two weeks ago I had a traveling sales man who was staying here
Who drove out on that road and got totalled by a semi
right in front of my eyes.
Well, the engine
went right through the first seat.
And just a minute before, he had been saying goodbye to me.
Well...
I can imagine how he felt.
Thank you, thank you...
- What's that? - I don't care to know, Dr. Boley!
Please don't play that thing anymore. I can't stand to hear it again.
I'm sorry, dear.
You had a bit of sleep. How do you feel?
I had a nightmare.
What time is it?
Noon.
We've got to go tell somebody about last night.
Well, about the old man, yes.
The rest of it wouldn't make much sense until I have some facts.
The skull, that's a fact.
It's not the right kind of fact.
But I'm gonna have it carbon dated at the university when we get back to Los Angeles.
Looks to be 4 to 6 hundred years old.
What are we gonna do about the old man?
That we'll have to report to the police.
How are we going to explain it?
I'm not going to. I'm going to let them puzzle about it.
You're sure the old man was dead. - Oh, yeah.
Ceiling beam, real heavy, fell right on top of him.
Then the lantern fell, burning kerosene all over the place
Then the whole thing went up. We couldn't get to him. We barely got out.
There's nothing out there. They're gone.
There! Step on it, Jesse.
There's your answer.
Hold it!
- Name? - James T. Reeger.
"You got any ID, Reeger?" - Not on me.
Did you come back to clean the old man's place out after your little fun last night?
- I don't know what you're talking about. - No, your kind never does. Come on!
Get it over there. Come on, on the ground.
Come on, get down there!
You go on down to the car, radio town, tell 'em we need a truck.
We got five guys out here.
These guys are always riding through. Gangs causing trouble.
What gangs? We ain't riding choppers.
Can't you tell these guys are just dirt riders?
We've had nothing but trouble from this kind.
What are the charges?
You just quiet down.
You've had it this time.
I'll lay it out this way, Boley.
These guys came back last night and hit Uncle Willie's place while you were here.
Probably just for kicks... or whatever loot they could find.
But when we ran out, there was no one around.
Yeah? Well they coulda been out behind the shed.
So what do you plan to do with them? - Take 'em in and book 'em.
How can you assume they did it?
Well, we found them here. And some of Uncle Willie's things on 'em.
Looting. That's enough to start with.
We didn't do a thing except pick up some junk out of the ashes.
You know they could be telling the truth... just happened to be riding by this morning.
Yeah, well then who caused all the trouble out here last night?
Coulda been some of these sudden winds. Shook loose some of the timbers.
Well, you have your theory, Boley. I'll have mine.
Why would you let those guys go to jail?
There was no way to stop that, darling. All I could do was cast enough doubt so
the chief would take it easy.
If I didn't know you so better,
I'd think you were trying to hold back so you could capitalize on it.
Whatcha got in mind? Another bestseller?
All right. Let's suppose we tell them about the creatures.
Suppose we tell them how they rocked the shed-- a pretty big structure.
How they shook loose big beams.
We tell them ... no, you tell them
how they overtook the car.
You describe them and all the rest of it.
You think they'll believe us? No.
Not until I get something tangible.
I... I...
ah, the ritual... ritual...
All the young men dressed for battle gathered around the
Nakatakachinco...
Diana, run!
No!
- It's dead? - Yes.
Some kind of cold-blooded creature. Fascinating.
It's repulsive.
As he was dying...
he looked up at me just like a human being. As if he were asking for help.
What is it?
I've seen them many times before. Even before last night.
You mean in your books.
Gargoyles. In Gothic cathedrals,
Egyptian carvings.
I never believed that they ...
But now,
my book will be not only about myths and legends,
but about reality.
What do they want with us?
Not us. They want the bones of their dead.
We've got to get this body to LA. They'll be back for this one, too.
- Who is it? -Who is it?
Who do you think it is? It's Mrs. Parks the manager now let me in.
Uh... I don't want her to see this.
"What is it, Mrs. Parks?" - What is it?
All that ruckus and fighting scared me to death.
What are you two doing in there, anyway?
I had to get out of bed and get dressed. Now, let me in!
- Well? - It was nothing, really
- Just a family argument. - Some family ...
I am gonna be listening.
And the very next problem I hear, I will call the police.
Ah, I've seen 'em all. Drunks... dopers...
But I got a feeling I got a new one this time.
Diana?
I'd like to speak to the chief of police.
I'm sorry, Miss Boley. Chief's home in bed. I'm staying with the prisoners tonight.
Well, I've got to talk to somebody about them now. You've got to let them go.
Now, Miss Boley, chief just booked 'em this afternoon
I've got to hold them until tomorrow for the arraignment.
But they're innocent. They didn't kill the old man.
My father and I can prove it now. .
Yeah, listen to her, man. Let us out.
I can't do that. Only a judge can dismiss charges now.
Well, call the judge. I'll show him the proof.
But you'd got to do it now. My father is leaving for LA tonight.
Look, Miss Boley, I can understand you feeling bad about all this, but ...
why don't you just go on home and go to bed, huh?
Listen ... I'm really sorry about what's happened,
And I'm gonna do everything I can to get you out of here.
- That's a promise. - You got a key?
Now come on, Miss Boley. Just leave the men alone.
You're not gonna believe what happened.
Try me.
In our motel room, we have a huge, giant, dead...
- animal. It looks like a lizard. - Giant lizard.
Only it has a beak. It really looks like a monster.
Hold on... you got a giant lizard with a beak in your motel room?
- Yes. And it's called a gargoyle... - Gar-what?
My father's a scientist. It's called a gargoyle.
And last night at Willie's place, a bunch of these gargoyles
- attacked the building. - These big giant lizards with beaks...
- Yes!
And there was a fire and Uncle Willie got killed.
- Then we grabbed the skull and ... - C'mere, c'mere.
You and your old man sniffing glue back in that motel?
Miss Boley?
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave right now.
Well, I'm sorry you don't believe me. But I'm doing what I can to help you.
Listen, thanks. I mean that, I really do.
I'm sorry I laughed.
Now you, least you can do is walk me back to my hotel.
- Got to stay with the prisoners. - Better go with her, man.
One of them gar-things is gonna get her.
You pipe down and get some sleep!
Where did you go?
Get in!
Give them the body, that's what they want!
No!
-You're gonna get us all killed!
What's that! Diana!
Diana...
No!
Ah, Jesse, you got that State Patrol yet?
Phones are all out, Ray. Electricity, too.
Oh, oh... I hid in my cabin while it was all happening.
- Screaming and breaking... - Okay, okay...
They tore it down. Dr. Boley's door...
I don't know what was happening.
And that girl... that girl was... was screaming...
for help...
All right, come on, Mrs. Parks.
All right, come on.
Sit down, take it easy.
- Now, did you see anyone? - No.
No, I was afraid to go outside.
But something funny was going on about... about an hour before ...
Fighting. In Dr. Boley's cabin.
And that's when the Boley girl showed up here
That's right.
That's right - that's when that idiot tossed her out.
Yeah, she was on to something could have cleared us and he tossed her out.
I'm sorry, Ray, I just thought it would keep 'til morning.
Thought she was trying to con us into lettin' these guys out.
Yeah, look chief. She talked to me last night.
She told me what it was they had over there they wanted to show you.
Tell me all about it.
Oh, boy...
Ok, he said they had some kinda dead thing.
She called it a monster.
- A monster... - That's what he said.
She said it was part of the same bunch that attacked her and her father
on the road and killed the old guy.
That's what she said.
I dunno. You expect me to believe that?
You better believe it!
Because it's true.
Boley, I thought you and your daughter were gone.
They took Diana.
They overturned my car, I was unconscious, I couldn't follow them.
- But what are they? - Gargoyles... creatures...
What ... what's the difference?
I want a search party. Now... State Police.
They're going to kill my daughter if they haven't already done so.
Do you understand?
All right, Jesse, you get a search party together.
Send somebody up to the State Patrol.
A search party? Who? We got no manpower.
Everybody's scared to death this morning.
They wouldn't leave their wives and kids after what happened last night.
Well, you got us. We got our bikes.
We know the desert.
An, I don't know...
What's to keep you guys from takin' off in all directions?
You can't hold them anyway, look, I told you they had nothing to do with it.
Let's get after them. That's all that counts.
Your dogs ready to go, J.D?
You get to the State Police and don't let anything stop you.
Go to the Highway Patrol office, and have 'em bring plenty of men.
Maybe a chopper, too. Then have them call the National Guard.
Don't worry, we should be there in two hours.
- Let's go. - I'm goin'.
I'm goin'!
- Boley, you okay? - Yeah, yeah.
- You know how to handle that thing? - Well enough.
Don't worry, we got the best pack of mountain lion dogs in the country.
Looks like the dogs got the scent.
All right, everybody - let's move out of here! Let's go!
Mrs. Parks, I'll be honest with you.
I'd rather be sitting in here with you than out with that search party.
Me, too.
Diana!
Let me go.
No!
Why?
You can speak. Tell me why.
These are my father's books.
He teaches from them...
Then ...
you must ...
teach me ...
Diana.
Boley, I think we ought to stop and give the dogs and horses a rest.
You said creatures. What kind of creatures?
Yeah, what are we chasing?
Well, the one killed... I examined it.
It's some form between reptiles and humans.
I think they're a pretty high order of intelligence; at least they're...
well organized.
- Why haven't we seen them before? - I don't know.
There've been outbreaks of things like this.
You see them in the legends of a dozen different cultures.
Stories, paintings, sculpture.
From ancient Egypt
Babylon, Yucatan, medieval Europe.
But they always look the same. As if ...
they've existed along with mankind from
the beginning of time. - They were...
Well, they were the evil ones, the demons.
The gargoyles.
What's that add up to for us?
Well, I think we have the same creatures here.
They show up, oh, about every four or five hundred years.
I'm guessing that that's their incubation period.
Eggs are beginning to hatch again.
- Something like the 17 year locust. - Yeah, something like that.
Why'd they take Diana?
Ah, the legends
it's been reported that they... take away women.
Ray, over here in the gulley! Come on!
That's Buddy's truck!
- Look at the blood...
Wonder where they went?
Jesse, we'd better spread out. - Okay, I'll take the Dark Dark Canyon Road.
What's all this for?
There is a great deal wel must learn.
We've only been alive for a few weeks .
We must not let you kill us out.
Not this time.
What about the others?
There are perhaps maybe a dozen of us.
We mean no harm.
You have nothing to fear. Your people... have nothing to fear.
But they have never understood.
Why do I have to stay here if you mean us no harm?
Shh!
What's up?
Plug's fouled.
Hey, there's a woman hanging from that pole!
It's Mrs. Parks.
Wonder what happened to the guy who was with her?
Who knows?
Guess that's supposed to scare us off.
Yeah, well, it worked. Come on, let's get out of here ...
Hey, hold on, hold on. They still got the girl.
- Hey, she's dead by now. - We don't know that.
Look, Ray, they're gonna need all the helpo they can get. What about it?
Hmm?
Come on, how about it?
- all right. What about you guys?
Hey, whoa... what's wrong?
I've had it.
- You too? - Yep.
Speak.
You have been listening. And learning.
- Speak. - In the desert...
close by ... men, horses and dogs.
- The eggs? - A hatcher.
A winged one. Another breeder!
There'll be many, many more by tomorrow.
We must stop them in the desert. Now!
Reeger!
Chief!
You!
You want to see the girl.
Yes.
Leave that.
Follow me.
What have you done with my daughter?
Do you think that you tricked me into bringing you here?
You only tricked yourself,
you and your daughter
will never see another human again.
500 years we waited,
now our eggs have begun to hatch again.
But we must have time,
time enough to grow strong, before you
and your kind destroy us.
And we shall not die.
Because it will be you and your kind that die.
And what if mankind isn't ready to be wiped off the face of the earth, hmm?
Oh, you'll be around to see it, Boley.
The end of your age
the beginning of mine.
What...?!
Now you will read to me.
"Pray read this and heed it, my account delivered with hope of redemptions
to the Holy Fathers this first day of July in the year 1417
by Germaine D'Argent, a poor woman of Lordeau. ''
Go on. Your voice pleases me.
"The sin was not my own, but forced upon me by the incubus...
..who, of the night, did slip into my bed chamber.
and taunt and seduce me with demon's promises
until I was as if on fire.
He was of uncommon height and finely built,
a devil's face of frightful beauty that did put me in a spell.
I had no will of my own,
but let the incubus do his will until I was driven mad.
Diana...
Don't worry.
I have no need for you humans.
I am... merely curious.
Diana ... Diana!
Diana...
Dad! Dad!
Help!
Dad!
Reeger! Chief!
- Hey! - Boley!
Diana is alive. They're in the caves. I know the way in.
I saw some of the gargoyle eggs... hundreds and hundreds.
There must be tens of thousands hidden in there.
Once they hatch, they'll spread out... cover the whole country.
We've gotta wipe them out... tonight.
We'll have the State Police here in a couple of hours.
- No, I'm not gonna wait. - I can't let you...
- You don't want to go with me, then I'm going in alone. - I'll go. I wanna to go.
Okay.
- How much gas in those cans? - Well, one's full, the other's half empty.
Well, we'll need all of it. See if we can force them out.
Chief, if you and Jesse hide below...
...where they can't spot you, make sure they don't get away with Diana.
Okay.
Reeger!
Let her go!
The girl comes with me!
You hear that? They'll be here in a moment.
You brought them here to kill us!
We kill you before you can kill us. Go ...
...alone you have a chance. The rest of you are finished!
Not while there are two-winged breeders left!
It's only her wing. you can carry her.
No!
No!!!
How clever you are.
Your choice has allowed you and your daughter to survive.
It also allows me and my kind to survive.
Perhaps at the price of your supremacy on earth one day!