Item #: SCP-5668
Level 2/5668

Object Class: Safe
Classified

SCP-5668. Little to no anomalous traits have been detected in photographic depictions.

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-5668 is to be contained in a standard document containment locker. Nearby personnel experiencing scopaesthesia1 are to be relocated immediately.

Information regarding the whereabouts to a copy of the film The Angels Look at Us is currently under investigation. Following the events of Addendum 5668-3, extensive care is to be taken when interacting with copies of the film to avoid further loss of life.

Description: SCP-5668 is the only known poster for a 1924 silent horror film entitled The Angels Look at Us. No copies of this film are known to exist. Subjects near SCP-5668 for extended periods of time will begin to experience short-term scopaesthesia, which will dissipate over the next couple hours.

Long-term direct visual contact with SCP-5668 generates more potent mental delusions, taking the form of visual hallucinations. These hallucinations revolve around the appearance of entities within the storefronts on SCP-5668's artwork, which will then exit these storefronts eventually walking out of SCP-5668 in its entirety.

Individuals perceiving these entities universally describe them as "angels", with a vague and mostly ineffable physical appearance, surrounded by intense multicolored light emanations. Despite the indescribable appearance of their eyes alongside the rest of their features, subjects also believe these entities are constantly staring at them.

The entities are non-hostile, instead opting to noninvasively observe the subject, moving away if any physical interaction is attempted. After a varying amount of time away from SCP-5668, these entities will leave through the head of the subject. All exact descriptions of this process lack any further nuance.

Lon Chaney, circa 1923.

Addendum 5668-1 — History: The Angels Look at Us is believed to have screened only once to an audience of 42 people in Blue Springs, Michigan. Few witness reports remain, with a majority of witnesses either being deceased or forgetting the film in its entirety when contacted, even if it was confirmed they were present at the screening. Accounts of crew and cast members confirmed to be involved in the film's production share similar scarceness.

Despite overwhelming critical acclaim resulting from this screening, the film was never shown again. The only public reason given by the writer, director, and film star Lon Chaney being "a terrible mistake, which more effort should have been made to rectify."

Despite intense investigation to locate a copy of The Angels Look at Us, by both independent and Foundation efforts, no existing copies could be found. The last copy of The Angels Look at Us was believed to have been destroyed during a fire in a storage facility owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, alongside the last copies of several other films. Despite this fire being ruled to have been caused by the ignition of old nitrate-based film, further investigation revealed suppressed evidence of arson.

Several incomplete summaries of the film have been found to exist, with the two most cohesive summaries being found below, both from now deceased authors:

Found brief plot synopsis, inside a collection of upcoming movie advertisements in a 1924 issue of the Blue Springs, Missouri newspaper The Examiner:

"Lon Chaney stars in his newest film The Angels Look at Us, about a mad woman who thinks angels stare at her no matter where she goes. Her psychologist, played by Lon Chaney, must quench the delusions before she is declared insane, with little success."

Found review for the film, inside a heavily damaged 1924 Boy's Cinema issue:

"The Angels Look at Us starring Lon Chaney as the psychologist 'D. B. Boures', and Marceline Day as 'Diane Schultzen', is a gripping fright fest that nearly pulls the viewer into the experience itself. The tale follows a psychologist and his patient Diane, whom is stricken with visions of strange 'angels' watching her. The looks put on for these angels in film, as we see them through the eyes of Diane, are positively stunning, as if

[DATA LOST]

She begins viewing others in the same light, and grows unable to trust even her own husband. Boures desperately tries to discredit her grandeur claims, but she retorts violently, grabbi

[DATA LOST]

out of the screen, dazzling and frightening the audience out of their trousers. One patron fainted from fright! Such a show could only be dreamed of from other films. They soon retrea

[DATA LOST]

ending with her limping out of the office building, bloodied. It was a true spectacle to behold and truly a marveling show."

Due to the lack of information available, the reasoning for SCP-5668's effects cannot be faithfully determined.

Addendum 5668-2 — Independent Investigations: On 2020/04/1, a forum thread on GoI-1109 ("Parawatch Wiki") was started as a uniform place for discussion on locating further information on The Angels Look at Us, along with any existing copies. While most evidence brought forth was proven to be false and therefore did not constitute a security breach, several posts by a user under the alias "monsterkill00" held credibility, a transcript of such posts can be found below:

monsterkill00 1/25/2020 (Thu) 8:50:51 #92967342

IMG_2405

Wow! Glad I came across this.

My grandfather was a cameraman for a lot of early silent films, bouncing back and forth from little projects, was the only thing he'd ever talk about. He was a big friend of Lon Chaney (pic related, my grandpa's in the middle, Chaney's to the right in some movie getup), he'd talk with him about a lot, worked on a couple projects he starred in or directed for every once and awhile.

He didn't work on Angels Look at Us, unfortunately. But he did work on a different film with Lon right after. Exact details are a bit fuzzy, the stories he told about it changed a bit between tellings. His Alzheimer's really made him screwy with those details, he was a nice man. Always happy to talk about what little he remembered, I think it helped him too, recalling all that. Before those fucking nursing home bastards found him choked to death on his own spit.

Sorry, here's usually what I was told:

Grandpa came to the set, as usual. He talked to Lon, that man was always so excited for these movies. This time though, he didn't seem so hot. Kinda down, cold, you know — grandpa always said it was "like he'd seen a damn puppy get shot before he came on set". So he asked what was wrong, tried to get anything outta him, wouldn't budge at first. Grandpa tried to change the topic, cause it was awkward as hell after, asked him how'd the last film go. That only got Chaney more upset, he pulled grandpa aside, tugged him into a makeup room.

Chaney told him… something. This is the part he always jumbled up each time. Chaney had a dream, that was constant, he was walking down the street, then fell down an open manhole. walked through a place, a mansion, a film set, a bar — whatever grandpa was in the mood to say — until he found a lone film projector. He walked "into" the projector (believe me, idk what the hell he meant by that either) and found something that shocked him. Yeah it's a bit underwhelming ik — it was underwhelming whenever grandpa told the story too — but that's all he'd ever say. He said it was a "secret" a few times, but I could tell the old man didn't remember what the hell it was.

Anyway, that dream was some muse for Chaney, he came up with The Angels Look at Us shortly after. He had two versions: the rough cut and the one that got shown. Something about the film let him down still, and he never wanted it seen again. "Lucky to be alive," that's what grandpa said he'd said — that also stayed same-y between tellings. Chaney told him he was hiding those versions away somewhere nobody'd watch, "keep them somewhere safe." That was basically where he'd end it off, he'd go all mumbly after that and didn't make much sense.

I hope I'm not giving out info that's already known lmao, this thread is 26 pages long, I ain't reading through all that.

CHEESEMEISTER 1/25/2020 (Thu) 9:00:51 #92967356

LOL man nobody gonna believe your dead crazy dementia grandpa story, espcaliclally not me

we already got like five of these in this thread, and if he can;t even swallow his own spit than he's probably not that good a source

get some real evidence or gtfo

monsterkill00 1/25/2020 (Thu) 9:02:30 #92967360

Hey man fuck you. If you want something real i'll find something just for you. i still got a lot of my grandpa's shit in my attic i haven't gone through, give me a second Mr "CHEESEMEISTER", o grand protector of the truth on a conspiracy wiki board

CHEESEMEISTER 1/25/2020 (Thu) 9:03:46 #92967365

local man named monster kill zero zero makes fun of my username, more at 11

monsterkill00 1/25/2020 (Thu) 9:15:32 #92967389

HOLY SHIT found a film reel "angels look at us original keep it safe" there has to be a projecjtor up here OEN SEOCND

These posts were acknowledged by Foundation plants in the Parawatch Wiki moderation team, who later determined "monsterkill00" was 36 year old Johnathan Quensboro, whose grandfather, Marvin Quensboro, worked on many films during the 1920's and 1930's, with other details matching with external sources.

Addendum 5668-3 — Foundation Investigations: The information gathered from Addendum 5668-2 was deemed enough to warrant Foundation investigation of Quensboro, and Agents Gurrano and Langsly were sent to his residence in Carlton, Missouri. The following is a transcript of this investigation:

<BEGIN LOG>

(Gurrano knocks on Quensboro's front door for several minutes, Langsly attempts to look into the house, finding all curtain windows have been drawn.)

Langsly: We know if this guy's here?

Gurrano: Car's here. Lives alone too.

Langsly: Hmm.

(Gurrano turns the doorknob.)

Gurrano: It's unlocked, should we just— what's our cover story again?

Langsly: Gas workers. For the last time, Gas workers.

Gurrano: Jeez man, making sure. Should we just… go in?

Langsly: Why the hell not?

Gurrano: Uhh, protocol?

Langsly: We have weapons, dude's some 30-something conspiracy nerd.

(Langsly enter Quensboro's house and Gurrano follows, they enter the kitchen. Down the hall to the right, a film projector is heard whirring in the farthest room, the door is closed. Langsly begins surveying the house.)

Gurrano: Johnathan Quensboro? Anyone here?

(Gurrano walks down the hall, lights emanate from behind the door. The projector continues whirring.)

Langsly: Rest of the place is as clear as glass.

Gurrano: That seems to be where stuff's going down.

Langsly: Well what're we waiting for then? Ehh? An invitation?

Gurrano: Wait, shouldn't we—

(Langsly turns the handle. As they do, the light underneath the door dissipates. The film projector continues whirring. Langsly opens the door and enters. Their camera feed disconnects, their audio feed remaining intact. Nothing is heard inside, besides the projector.)

Gurrano: You okay in there?

(Pause.)

Gurrano: Hello?

(Pause.)

Gurrano: Uhh…

(Pause.)

Gurrano: Dammit.

(Gurrano enters the room, their camera feed disconnects.)

Gurrano: Langsly! Man, what's happening? I called for you— is that the thing? The film reel, right?

(Pause.)

Gurrano: Uhh… you okay?

Langsly: There is an angel on the screen.

Gurrano: Huh?

Langsly: There is an angel on the screen.

Gurrano: Langsly, we— we should go.

Langsly: There is an angel on the screen.

Gurrano: What's going on? There's— it's nothing. Just the film. What'd they say about the film again?

Langsly: There is an angel on the screen.

Gurrano: Langsly, didn't they say— dammit. We need to go. You should have been careful, you should have—

Langsly: There is an angel on the screen.

(Pause.)

Gurrano and Langsly: There is an angel on the screen. They are chanting of the Sun. They will take us to the Sun.

(Silence, as the projector stops.)

<END LOG>

After the loss of communication, supplementary agents were immediately sent to the residency. Inside the room in Quensboro's house was a film reel projector, covered in scorch marks. No film reel was present inside, nor was any copy of The Angels Look at Us recovered from anywhere else in the building. A white bedsheet nailed to an opposing wall acts as a projection screen, although a hole in the center has been entirely burned through.

The whereabouts of Agents Gurrano and Langsly, along with Quensboro, remain entirely unknown at this time. Repeat subjects now claim more eyes than before stare at them when under the effects of SCP-5668.

Footnotes

1. The feeling of being watched.