150 Years Later Dead Gorgeous

MELANCHOLY MUSIC

RUSHING WIND

SCREAMING

Ah! Rebecca! Hazel!

-Sophie!

-What is it?

-There is... there...

-Tell us!

There is a ghost in our house!

A ghost!

But... but we are the dead ones!

# Some things have changed

# Some things have stayed the same

# Life and death are not so far apart

# Oh, walking through the walls

# I wouldn't have it any other way

# Life and death are not so far apart

# From where we are

# Some things have changed

# Some things have stayed the same

# Life and death are not so far apart. #

I could never have thought we would return

to our beloved Australian home. How glorious to be home again.

But how were we transported here?

-And why?

-Does it matter?

I believe it does.

For if we are the dead ones, does it not follow...

Hazel!

'..that we are the ghosts?' Come!

My goodness...

Oh, Rebecca, please do not leave me here alone.

Oh!

'Take my hand.'

'It does not hurt.'

'You don't even have to think.'

Oh, no. I really do not want to.

SHE SCREAMS

Ah! Who made all this mess?

-"Metal Monsters".

-Whatever can it mean?

A warning.

Perhaps the monsters lurk within.

HEAVY METAL MUSIC

Do you not hear their dreadful roar?

That is no roar, that is music!

VOICES OUTSIDE

Take a picture, it'll last longer.

-They can see us!

-And we can see altogether too much of them! Come!

Let us not be over hasty in our appraisal of this situation.

And that was entirely too hasty!

We've been alone so long, are you not glad to see other people again?

Such people! Metal monsters and...naked boys!

It may be that the naked boys only occupy a part of the house.

Indeed. But we must search thoroughly, to make sure.

What have they done to our home?

Where is Father's portrait?

So many ghosts!

-I think they are alive...

-Alive!

Hey, it's little Miss Muffet and her posse!

What's up? Lost your sheep?

I do beg your pardon, Miss.

Can't pardon that outfit. What are you, Amish?

No, we're English.

-Oooh! English! How lovely!

-They are insulting us. Let us away.

-No...

Madam, you have the manners of a mudlark and you reek like one too!

LAUGHTER

I...

HOWLING AND HER VOICE CHANGES

Need to talk privately. Attic. No time to explain. Go! Go! Go!

-Let us go!

-Christine? What are you doing?

-Like the image.

What do you call it? Retro-folk? Steampunk EMO?

-This is just what we wear.

-Please excuse us, sir.

It's been sealed off, how do we...?

SHE GIGGLES

Rebecca, wait!

I shall never get used to this.

How I have missed our old room!

I never quite realised.

I did.

No point in dwelling in the past, girls.

It's time to seize the gift of life!

Oh, sorry. I'm late.

I hope you didn't run into any troubles while you were waiting.

I'm your guardian, Agatha.

Pleased to meet you...

..at last!

GRUNTING AND GURGLING

Ah, that's better! That girl's body was a bit of a tight fit.

-You took possession of that girl?

-Temporary requisition, darling.

It's actually a very useful way to avoid being seen by the living.

Though it does leave me wanting a bath and a strong coffee.

Not to mention the paperwork. They're very big on paperwork.

-They? Who are "they"?

-My employers, of course!

-The Ghost Council!

-The Ghost Council?

Does this mean that...?

Yes! Your appeal was upheld. Congratulations.

-Appeal? What appeal?

-We should have never died in that coach crash.

We were just beginning to live!

-So I appealed to the Ghost Council...

-And they said yes!

-So we're alive again?

-Yes!

Er, kind of. Think of yourselves more as living ghosts.

But why is everything so different?

Erm... To be honest, the Ghost Council did take

a little bit longer than expected to process your case...

How long?

I'd say about...

..150 years.

150 years? We were trapped in limbo because of you?

-And you didn't even tell us?

-I thought it was for the best...

Sophie! Look!

-Aargh!

-Oh, my God!

Rebecca... Help me!

This way, here...

Hazel, help me.

-How interesting!

-Levitation. It's a side effect of being a ghost.

What else do we need to know?

Oh, you'll pick it up as you go along.

The main thing is to seize the gift of life.

Don't flunk out of school or get found out,

otherwise you will have to move on to the after-death.

So if one goes we all go?

Yes, it's a group deal, I'm afraid. Take it or leave it.

-Well I, for one, would like to take it!

-And I! Sophie?

Surely we must at least try this new life?

Hmm?

Very well.

I shall endeavour to...

try.

Right, the dorm rooms are in the old guest quarters.

Suitcases have been provided and you might like to change into something,

er, school-ish. If you need me, I'll be in the old graveyard.

-Walking through walls, a guardian ghost, whatever next?

-Shhh...

Ah, you must be the Ainsworth girls from England! Here at last!

-You were expecting us?

-Of course,

your guardian has arranged everything. Mr Griffith, headmaster.

Miss Rebecca Ainsworth, sir.

And you are?

Miss Hazel Ainsworth, sir.

-Hello, and...

-Miss Sophie Ainsworth.

Welcome to Australia and welcome to Ainsbury International School.

Centuria vigensima prima mentes aedificare.

Building minds in the 21st century.

Remarkable! Either you're a fellow Trekker, or you know Latin.

Scio linguam latinam. Sir.

You'll be a real credit to this school! Sorry, I've got to rush,

you know what it's like, first day of term, high spirits... Toodles!

Section one, Code of Dress.

I cannot believe it!

I really cannot believe it!

My legs! I have not seen them for centuries!

Are you not going to change your gown?

I could never wear something so... immodest.

But we must sacrifice modesty if we wish to be accepted here.

SCHOOL BELL

What is that bell?

Luncheon.

It says in the rule book, "Students must be punctual at all times."

PIANO MUSIC AND CHATTER

MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY

GIGGLING

You're kidding!

Check it out!

LAUGHTER

-Hey.

-Hay?

You were really cool, you know, before, with Christine.

-Was I?

-Yeah. Do you want to come check out the lab?

Go! Seize life, remember?

-That sounds delightful.

-Cool, come on.

# I wish I lived in the Golden Age

# Giving it up on the Broadway stage. #

What should we do?

# Hang with the Rats and smoke cigars

# Have a break with Frank and count the stars

# Dressed to the nines we've had too much shiny jewels, casino cash. #

You can't sit there. This is a staff table.

I see. And you are one of the staff?

I most certainly am.

In that case, please be so good as to fetch us a light luncheon.

A little broth, perhaps, or a brace of partridge.

-Is this some kind of a joke?

-Quickly, please.

We feel as if we have not eaten for 150 years!

My name is Haiwyn Sinclair.

I am Head of Art and Deputy Head of this school.

Please forgive me, Madam.

I mistook your dress for that of a servant.

GROANING

So this is how you fit in?

A servant?

You, girl, come with me!

Do not worry, Sophie. I will protect you.

You stay where you are!

And take that ridiculous thing off your head!

LAUGHTER

The science facilities here are amazing. Watch this.

-How fascinating!

-You think so?

-Most people just think I'm a bit of a geek.

-I don't understand.

Neither do I. Who cares what they think, right?

I'm going to be a clinical research scientist.

You know, they find cures for diseases.

-What a noble aspiration!

-Yeah, well. My mum's a doctor,

so I guess I've always been into that sort of stuff.

-Your mother is a doctor?

-You seem surprised?

-Oh, no, only,

where I come from it would be considered decidedly unusual.

-You've never met a doctor before?

-I've never met a lady doctor before.

OK...

I may as well tell you now.

Life's going to be pretty different from what you're used to.

I know. And I am glad of it!

Mr Griffith?

Mr Griffith?

I assure you, Miss Sinclair,

you entirely misunderstood my intentions.

I don't think so. Stay here!

C'mon, give the newbie a break! Do you want to sit here?

I would be delighted, Mr...

-Jonathan...

-I am much obliged to you, Mr Jonathan.

Hey, new girl. Nice hat!

LAUGHTER

I do not understand.

Are bonnets not worn at luncheon?

Well, not in Australia. We're kind of informal that way.

Oh, I see.

LAUGHTER

Cut it out, will you?

Don't let them get to you.

If you ever want somewhere to be alone, there's the old graveyard.

-I go there when I'm working on my music.

-You are a musician?

Yeah, a bit of everything. Bass, lead, rhythm, drums, keyboard.

-Do you want to hear some of my music?

-Yes, please.

You do know how to use one of these, right?

LAUGHTER

Here.

Put that in your ear.

Oh...

...But where is the orchestra?

LAUGHTER

You crack me up. All in here!

THIS IS ENCHANTING!

OK. Perhaps we'd better go outside.

I BEG YOUR PARDON?

Perhaps we'd better go outside?

Oh, yes.

"Sir Charles Ainsworth, 1820 to 1889."

Oh, Father!

It would break your heart to see these barbarians living in our home.

They are savages,

both in dress and manner, unworthy even to look upon your dear face!

-Oh, please, may I help?

-OK.

Add four mils of that to there while I prepare the acid base.

# I wish I lived in the Golden Age

# Giving it up on the Broadway stage

# Hang with the Rats and smoke cigars

# Have a break with Frank and count the stars. #

ALARM BEEPS

Whoa... Hazel!

GLASS SHATTERS

-Haiwyn, can't we give this girl...

-Down!

-..a get out of jail free card?

-It's her first day!

-Respect is the key, Headmaster!

If we don't have respect...

Oh, Father!

..we have noth...

Look! This proves it!

Except, apparently, nobody's been in here apart from you.

But she was here! The Ainsworth girl!

Are you getting enough rest, Haiwyn?

Not too many late nights watching Totally Haunted?

Oh, my goodness, what has happened?

What is this monstrosity?

You, girl!

-Where is your sister?

-Which of my sisters do you require, Madam?

The one who's wearing that ridiculous long dress!

-Miss Sophie?

-Sophie. I've been looking everywhere

for that little troublemaker, hope she hasn't left school premises.

Absence without good reason is punishable by permanent expulsion.

Oh, and clean up this mess!

Otherwise you'll be joining your sister!

What does she mean? Permanent expulsion?

I wouldn't worry about old Sinclair.

She's always threatening to chuck people out.

Hardly ever happens...

much.

Forgive me, Mattie. I have to go now.

'Rock with me, yeah, yeah! I want to, rock with me.'

Rebecca! Rebecca!

Rebecca?

You're a bit of an old-fashioned rock chick at heart, aren't you?

Old-fashioned?

Rebecca!

Rebecca!

I shall not stay where I do not belong.

HOWLING WIND

Sophie?

Sophie?

-Sophie?

-Isn't she beautiful?

-What happened?

-You were floating right out of the school gates!

-Took all four of us to bring you back.

-Four of you?

Meet the gang.

Hi...

This is Sophus, got an answer for everything.

-The wisest man knows his own ignorance.

-Fascinating.

Don't encourage him. This is Grendel.

Hhhhiiii...

-And this is Buddy.

-Hey!

Calls himself the first teenager.

What is a teenager?

We got a lot to talk about, you dig?

You are... all ghosts?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Don't rub it in, baby.

But I am in the same situation as you!

No, we're dead ghosts, not living.

-Does it matter?

-A fascinating question, for what is life?

You know? Is it merely to experience the pleasures of the senses?

Or the deeper joys of the mind?

You can be seen by the living.

You can laugh, you can play, you can love!

Oh, man, I'd give my best guitar to date a living chick.

I yearn to fight again, smell blood of enemies,

crunch bones under my feet.

But I don't wish to do any of those things!

Then think of something else!

There's a whole world out there.

A whole world!

Where everything I knew and loved is changed or gone forever!

You still have your sisters.

-I am not so sure.

-I am.

GIGGLING

-There she is...

-Sophie!

-Rebecca... Hazel...

-What are you doing here?

-I needed to get away.

-Sophie, are you not happy in our new life?

I am to blame.

-I had no right to make decisions for other people.

-I don't mind!

But Sophie does. If you are truly miserable, then we should leave now.

I will not force you to stay for my sake.

-You could force her to stay for my sake!

-Girls,

I think there's someone else you need to think about.

Mother and Father...

'I was so excited to meet with my potential suitor,

'Heathcliffe McGregor, I did not even bid my parents farewell.

'None of us could have known it would be the last time

'we would see them. Fate would have it that

'we would be parted from our family and our childhood forever.'

It just seems so unfair.

I have been thinking.

I do not want to go back.

Our home is sadly changed and it is strange and I am afraid.

But Father taught us to seize life and conquer our fears.

'Per Aspera Ad Astra.'

We reach for the stars through adversity.

He would have wanted us to stay.

And so we shall.

Hoorah!

Safe and sound!

You girls!

Oh, no. If she catches us, we will be expelled!

In which case, I think we should...

It's no use running away, I can see you.

THE GIRLS SCREAM

I'm right behind you!

Breaking the rules, running away, well...

..what have you got to say for yourselves?

GIGGLING FROM BEHIND WALLS

TAPPING

Haiwyn?

They were all in here, all three of them.

Where did they go? Where did they go?

I don't know, Haiwyn. Perhaps...

perhaps you should take the rest of the day off, hmm?

Come on. Sshhh... There we go.

GIGGLING

I think Miss Sinclair will be looking for secret panels

until the end of term!

SCHOOL BELL

The bell. Well? How do I look?

You look eminently befitting!

Hazel! How did you do that!

It's called electricity.

It lives in the wires and feeds all the lamps in the house.

So there is one good thing in this place.

Three good things...

Electricity, music and boys.

Oh, Rebecca!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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