Memorable Quotes from Duane Jones
9 quotesPreparing for Defense and Escape
Ben
Judy, I need you to find some bedspreads or sheets to tear up into small strips, okay? Is there a fruit cellar here?
[to Tom]
Tom
Yes.
Ben
We need some bottles or jars to make Molotov cocktails to hold them off while we try to escape.
Tom
Hey, There's a big can of kerosene down there.
Judy
I'll see what I can find.
Tom
I'll look for the bottles.
Harry
There's a big key ring down there. There may be a key to the gas pump on it.
Tom
I'll check.
[goes down in the cellar]
Ben
We can toss the cocktails from a window upstairs. Meantime, some of us can go out and try to get the gas, then we can come back for the rest of the people.
Harry
But that'll leave a door open someplace.
Ben
Yeah, that's right. It better be this door. It's closer to the truck. Before we go out, we'll put some supplies behind the cellar door. While we're gone, the rest of you can hole up in there.
Tom
I found some fruit jars in the cellar. And there's a key on here that's labeled for the gas pump out back.
Ben
I'm not really that used to the truck. I found it abandoned.
Tom
I can handle the truck, no sweat.
Ben
You're it, then. You and I'll go. We'll put whatever lumber we find behind the cellar door. You can go upstairs and toss the cocktails from a window. Tom, you and I will have to unboard this door. After you toss the cocktails, you hustle back down here and lock this door. It's no good to board it up because we'll have to get back in quickly. After we get the gas and get back into the house, then we'll worry about getting everybody into the truck. Now, let's move it.
[to Harry]
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Confrontation Amidst Chaos and Desperation
Ben
I oughta drag you out there and feed you to those things!
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Encounter with the Undead at Beekman's Diner
Ben
You know a place back down the road called Beekman's? Beekman's Diner? Anyhow, that's where I found that truck I have out there. There's a radio in the truck. I jumped in to listen, when a big gasoline truck came screaming right across the road! There must've been ten, fifteen of those things chasing after it, grabbing and holding on. Now, I didn't see them at first. I could just see that the truck was moving in a funny way. Those things were catching up to it. Truck went right across the road. I slammed on my brakes to keep from hitting it myself. It went right through the guard rail! I guess - guess the driver must've cut off the road into that gas station by Beekman's Diner. It went right through the billboard, ripped over a gas pump, and never stopped moving! By now it was like a moving bonfire! Didn't know if the truck was going to explode or what. I still hear the man... screaming. These things, just backing away from it! I looked back at the diner to see if - if there was anyone there who could help me. That's when I noticed that the entire place had been encircled. There wasn't a sign of life left, except... by now, there were no more screams. I realized that I was alone, with fifty or sixty of those things just... standing there, staring at me! I started to drive, I - I just plowed right through them! They didn't move! They didn't run, or... they just stood there, staring at me! I just wanted to crush them! And they scattered through the air, like bugs.
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Debate on Reality Amidst Chaos
Newscaster
Reports, incredible as they may seem, are not the results of mass hysteria.
Harry
Mass hysteria?" What do they think, we're imagining all this?
Ben
Shut up!
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Desperation to Escape Imminent Danger
Ben
We've heard all we need to know. We have to try to get out of here.
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Reality of the Situation Uncovered
Ben
Don't you know what's goin on out there? This is no Sunday School picnic!
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Discussing Local Knowledge and Recent Events
Ben
Willard. I saw a sign that said Willard.
Tom
It's only about 17 miles from here.
Ben
You know this area. Are you from around here?
Tom
Judy and I are both from around here. We were on our way to the lake to go swimming. Judy had a radio, and we heard the first reports about this. So we knew the old house was here and we came in and found the lady upstairs dead. Then these other people came. We went down into the basement and put a bar across the door, and it is pretty strong.
Harry
How could we possibly get away from here? We've got a sick child, two women, one woman out of her head, three men, and the place is surrounded with these things.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Authority and Division in Crisis Situations
Ben
Now get the hell down in the cellar. You can be the boss down there, I'm boss up here!
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Miscommunication During a Crisis
Ben
How long have guys you been down there? I could have used some help up here!
Harry
That's the cellar. It's the safest place.
Ben
You mean you didn't hear the racket I was making up here?
Harry
How were we supposed to know what was going on? Could have been those things for all we knew!
Ben
That girl was screaming. Surely you know what a girl screaming sounds like. Those things don't make any noise. Anybody would know somebody needed help!
Tom
Look, it's kind of hard to know what's going on from down there.
Harry
We thought we could hear screams, but for all we knew, that have meant those things were in the house after her.
Ben
And you wouldn't come up here and help?
Tom
Well, if there were more of us...
Harry
That racket sounded like the place was being ripped apart. How were we supposed to know what was going on?
Ben
Now wait a minute. You just got finished saying you couldn't hear anything down there. Now you say it sounded like the place was being ripped apart. It would be nice if you get your story straight, man.
Harry
All right, now you tell me! I'm not gonna take that kind of a chance when we've got a safe place! We lock into a safe place, and you're telling us we gotta risk our lives just because somebody might need help, huh?
Ben
Yeah, something like that.
[disgusted]
Tom
Alright, why don't we settle this--
Harry
LOOK, MISTER! We came up, okay?! We're here! Now, I suggest we all go back downstairs before any of those things find out we're in here!
Ben
They can't get in here.
Tom
You got the whole place boarded up?
Ben
Yeah, most of it. I'll put a few spots upstairs. They won't be hard to fix.
Harry
You're insane! The cellar's the safest place!
Ben
I'm telling you they can't get IN here!
Harry
And I'm telling you those things turned over our car! We were damn lucky to get away at all! Now you're telling me those things can't get through this lousy pile of wood?
Tom
His wife and kid's downstairs. The kid's hurt.
Ben
Well, I still think we're better off up here.
Tom
We could strengthen everything up, Mr. Cooper.
Ben
With all of us working together, we can fix this place up in no time. We have everything we need up here.
Harry
We can take all that stuff downstairs with us. Man, you're really crazy. You know that? You got a million windows up here. All these windows! You're gonna make them strong enough to keep those things out, huh?
Ben
I told you, those things don't have any strength. I smashed three of them and pushed another one out the door.
Harry
Did you hear me when I told you they turned over our car?
Ben
Oh, hell! Any good five men could do that!
Harry
That's my point! Only there's not going to be five, or even ten! There's going to be twenty, thirty, maybe a hundred of those things, and as soon as they find out we're here, this place is gonna be crawling with them!
Ben
Well, if there's that much, they'll probably get us wherever we are.
Harry
Look! The cellar. There's only one door, right? Just one door. That's all we have to protect. Tom and I fixed it so that it locks and boards from the inside. But, all these windows? Like, we'd never know where they're gonna hit us next!
Tom
You got a point, Mr. Cooper. But, down in the cellar, there's no place to run to. I mean, if they did get in, there'd be no back exit. We'd be done for.
Harry
Daah!
[disregards Tom's statement]
Tom
We can get out of here if we have to, and we got windows to see what's going on outside. But, down there with no windows? If a rescue team did come, we wouldn't even know it.
Harry
But, the cellar is the strongest place!
Ben
The cellar is a death trap!
Tom
I don't know, Mr. Cooper. I think he's right. You know how many is out there?
[to Ben]
Ben
I don't know, maybe six or seven.
Harry
Look! You two can do whatever you like! I'm going back down to the cellar, and you'd better decide! Cause I'm gonna board up that door, and I'm not going to unlock it again no matter what happens!
Tom
Now wait a minute, Mr. Cooper.
Harry
No, I'm not going to wait! I've made my decision, now you make yours!
Tom
Now wait a minute! Let's think about this! We can make it to the cellar if we have to! And if we do decide to stay down there, we'll need some things from up here! So let's at least consider this a while!
Ben
You box yourself in the cellar and those things get in the house, you've had it. At least up here, you have a fighting chance.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.