Headbangers Ball - 444

So in 1987 there was a show on MTV called "Headbangers Ball" which showcased heavy metal culture by playing music videos and holding interviews with metal bands. Unfortunately, there was only one season. But one day, my father in-law gave me a VHS. The label read "Headbangers Ball- 444". I was confused and asked him where he got this tape. "I have a buddy who worked on the show. Apparently, this is footage that was made before the show got cancelled.," he explained. I got excited and ran up to my bedroom, where my husband's VCR was. I turned on the TV and pushed the tape into the VCR. I got on the bed and laid on my stomach, excited for some never-before-seen footage of "Headbangers Ball". What I saw was terrible.

The title card looked like it was made in the most half-assed way possible, as if a child drew it with black and orange crayon. It said "MTV, Headbangers Maul". I got a closer look at the title car. "This can't be right." I thought as a sped-up version of the Metallica song "One" played during the intro. This whole thing baffled me. After the intro the screen just turned blue. "Normal VHS behavior." I joked to myself before the screen went back to normal. There was an interview with GWAR, a band known for their grotesquely detailed costumes and outrageous concerts. One of the band members, Oderus Urungus, grabbed a chair and hit another member, Sylmenstra Hymen, in her head. It didn't look staged, either. Sylmenstra screamed in pain and bled all over the floor and on Oderus' feet. Oderus just laughed and laughed until the screen went to black. After 5 minutes of hearing static, the number 444 flashed on the screen. It was silent for another 5 minutes, then the interview came back on, but Sylmenstra was gone. Oderus was still there, but he was completely wrecking the set. The camera panned to his angry face. "FUCK. THIS. STUPID. SHOW." he growled before slapping the camera out of the cameraman's hands and the screen cut to static.

I was horrifed, so I called my husband to come home from work. An hour later, he came home and I showed him the video. But it was a normal episode with normal music videos and segments. "I don't understand what's wrong with it. Maybe you're seeing things, sweetie." he said, giving me a sympathetic kiss. "I'm not seeing things! I swear I saw a murder on this tape." I replied anxiously, pointing to the TV. It suddenly turned off and all we could hear was heavy, hungry-sounding breathing coming from the speakers. A few minutes later, more sound came from the speakers. "Aww, what a cute couple. You're nothing but stupid fleshbags, and you, like all humans, deserve to die!" It was Oderus Urungus. My husband and I ran out of our bedroom screaming. Before we could leave the house, I hit my head on a banister by the stairs and fell. My husband stopped and carried me to the car, and we drove as far away as we could. Now, we don't watch TV or listen to music at all, because we're just too afraid of experiencing something like this again.

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