Tag: Surrealism

We heard about Local 58 from a Friend Many Months ago and Just Recently Got around to Checking it Out. It Blew Our fucking Minds and We fell in Love Instantly.

Local 58 is a Fictional Television Station created for a Psychological Horror Anthology Web Series Created by Webcartoonist and Author Kris Straub. The Series is about a Fictional Public Access Television Station named Local 58 WCLV-TV, which is Constantly Hijacked with Ominous Broadcasts and Surreal Videos. The Fictional TV Station also Appears to be Named in the Fashion of PBS Member Stations, therefore indicating that it might have been an Unidentified PBS Member Station or Simply a Decoy/Clone.

We Decided to Post the Entire 8 Video Series below since the Series as a whole has a Total Running Time of 22 Minutes and 42 Seconds. In Addition Each Video has a Description Posted Above it that pertains to said Post.

From what We can Deduce the Series Chronicles TV Transmissions (Over a 40 Year Period) of Humanity’s Struggle Against an Aggressive and Hostile Alien Race. The Alien Invasion just so Happens to be Playing Out on Local 58 as Aliens, and an Unknown Third Party (perhaps a Scientist), Fight for Control of Local 58’s Airwaves and Ultimately the Fate of Humanity Itself.

Enjoy.

1. You Are On The Fastest Available Route

A Found Footage-Style Dashcam Video Dated from 2014 involving a Driver following a GPS. The GPS begins to Direct the Driver off the Main Road and into a Forrest. As the Directions grow more Ominous, and Instruct the Driver to Park the Car and Turn off the Headlights, a Massive Roar can be Heard as the Feed Cuts to a Driver Fleeing from an Unidentified Bipedal Creature that begins to give Chase. The Driver Flees to Their Car which They end Up Wrecking, and as The Creature approaches the Wrecked Car the GPS keeps spitting out Directs until it Finally says “You Have Arrived.”

2. Contingency

Contingency shows Local 58 Ending Their Broadcast Day, and SMPTE Bars are Aired. Suddenly, the Broadcast is Interrupted with a Prerecorded Emergency Alert from the Department for the Preservation of American Dignity (DPAD) and a written Message from President Lyndon B. Johnson claiming the American Military has beed Defeated by a Foreign Enemy. The Message states that Viewers must Commit Suicide to Prevent the Enemy Force from Capturing Them, and a Reminder to “Take Care” of Any Children or Pets before Yourself. The Message also states at the End that it “Will Repeat Until there are None to Read it”.

The Hijacking Stops, and Local 58 Airs a Retraction Claiming that the Message was a Hoax. However, it is possible to see a “Hoax Apology Card” behind the Message, suggesting the Previous Message was the Result of “Accidental Public Broadcast during off-air Remote Operation Relay Test.”

3. Weather Service

The Video starts with a Programming Schedule Broadcast at Midnight, which is Interrupted by an EAS Message Warning Viewers of a Meteorological Even taking place, and Advises Viewers Not to Look at the Event with the Naked Eye. Normal Programming Resumes, but then is Interrupted once again by a More Urgent EAS Bulletin Warning Viewers Not to go Outside or Look at the Sky, only for a Message to be Interrupted by a Second Alert Stating its Safe for all to view and the Warning has Been Lifted, and instructs the Viewers to “GO OUTSIDE NOW”.

A Fight appears to break out between the First Party, Who issued the Initial EAS Alert, and the Second, Attempting to Hijack the Station’s Airwaves. The First Party issues a Message Warning Viewers Not to Look at the Moon and to Avoid all Windows and Mirrors, which the Second pArty Alters encouraging the Viewer to look at the Moon, and then the Message Cuts Out Abruptly. Local 58 briefly returns to its Normal Programming before a Final EAS Message Airs in which the First Party appears to have been Exposed to the Moonlight after being Overpowered by the Second Party, and is now seemingly Possessed. Then the Delirious First Party slowly Types “IF YOU ARE AFRAID WE WILL LOOK TOGETHER”, the Feed Cuts to a Live View of the Moon while the Sound of People Screaming can be Heard, until the Fed Cuts Out Again.

4. STATION ID

Station Id is a Video that Displays the Following Messages while Surreal Music Plays:

• ANALOG HORROR AT 476MHz
• WE BEGIN OUR BROADCAST DAY
• LOOK AWAY
• IT DOES NOT MATTER
• THERE ARE OTHER RECIEVERS
• SAFETY IN NUMBER

The Video serves as the Channel’s Trailer.

5. Show For Children

The Broadcast Opens with a Programming Schedule with a 1980’s Visual Style. The First Program on the Schedule is “Show For Children” at 4:15am, which is Rather Odd Time for a Kids’ Show to Air. It then Transitions into an Old 1929-Style Black and White Cartoon called “A Grave Mistake”, Featuring a Anthropomorphic Skeleton named Cadavre, which literally the French word for Corpse. It follows Cadavre stumbling through a Graveyard at Night under the Watch of a Smiling Moon. He comes across an Open Grave and wonders if His Lover may be Inside, and Decides to take a Peek. He is Frightened by a Skeleton and Runs Away. He finds Another Grave, Only to be Frightened by a Creature Resembling a Rotting Bird and runs away again.

The Moon now Stares at Cadavre intently. He looks in another Grave, and depends into it, entering a Long and Dark Cave. After wandering through the Cave for some Time, He reaches another Open Grave, but cannot Escape; Instead, He lies Face Up on the Ground under the Light of the Now Realistic Looking Moon. As The Moon Passes over the Open Grave Cadavre apparently Dies, turning into a Lifeless Skeleton.

6. A Look Back

A Look Back is a Compilation of the History of Local 58 as it Shuffles through Different Logos. It is then Hijacked with Messages that Read:

• WE SEND SIGNALS TO OURSELVES
• THRU THEIR DOMAIN
• DID WE REALLY BELIEVE
• THEY WOULDN’T ADD THEIR OWN

It then Shows Clips of all The Hijackings, Afterward, Messages Appear Saying “DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL”, “MORE TO COME” and then “WE BEGIN OUR BROADCAST DAY” before the Hijacking Concludes and Local 58 Broadcasting returns back to Normal.

7. Real Sleep

The Broadcast appears to be Based on a Personalized VHS recorded by the Thought Research Initiative in 1983 for a Man named Philip Gerhardt. It Starts with a simple Myth or Fact Game about Sleep, which Claims that Dreaming is Not Essential to Mental Health. It then Displays a Visual of Monitored Brainwaves called the “Kleitman Map”, implying that the Video was Personally Designed to Prevent Dreams by Applying an Inverse of the Map. The Video then Cuts to a Segment where Four Sequences are Introduced in a Manner Similar to the Flashed Face Distortion Effect.The Exercise appears to be designed in an Attempt to Erase the Concept of Facial Recognition from the Viewer. The Viewer is then Bombarded by Subliminal Messages that Flash in Rapid Succession on the Screen Saying things like:

• THIS IS YOUR TIME
• THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE
• WE ARE OUR OWN GODS
• YOU OWE THE MESSENGER

The Video Ends with the Viewer being told that They have Now Completed the Real Sleep Program, and to Avoid seeing a Doctor as the Screen Fizzles Out.

8. Skywatching

The Video begins a san Educational Program similar to Cosmos and Star Gazers Broadcast in the 1990’s. After the Introduction the Show is Hijacked by a Feed Displaying Home Video Footage of the Night Sky with the Same Title as Before the Hijacking. The Camera Displays different Asterisms, and then turns to the Moon. The Words “HIS THRONE” are Displayed on the Screen as the Cameraman begins to Switch Lenses. The Camera then Displays Close Ups of the Moon’s Surface with Strange Constructions and seemingly Organic Formations. The Moon then Slowly Fades Away as the Camera Zooms. As the Camerman begins to Switch Lenses , the Moon Reappears, Now Far Larger in Size and with a Creature Visible Inside.

An Air Raid Siren is then Heard Going off, and the Video Ends with the Cameraman walking in front of the Camera towards the Moon with His Hands Raises, while the word “REJOICE” Appear on the Screen, just before the Siren Abruptly Cuts out and the Hijacking concludes. After the Credits, the Video Concludes with one Last Message “Keep Looking Up”

We Hope You Enjoyed this Sinister Tale of a Subversive Alien Invasion as Much as We Did.

Thanks For Reading/Watching,

Presented By Les Sober   (Pt1238am)