A Creepy Desert Motel Full of Clowns
Clowns used to be funny, but now movies and pop culture (Poltergeist, Chucky, AHS, It…) have turned them into creepy beings you wouldn’t want to go near at any cost. And yes, this condition - the fear of clowns - is called coulrophobia. Whether you suffer from this condition or not, a visit to this motel might be a bit too much.
The Clown Motel, a not-so-amusing inn, is nestled in the former mining town of Tonopah, Nevada. It caters to truckers, bikers and other travelers in for the long-haul. It isn’t exactly the place anyone would wish to spend the night. And, did we mention that it is right next to a (century old) graveyard? And that the area served as a nuclear testing site in the 1940s?
The inn’s creepy premise is scary enough with every room clown-themed. The ever-watchful eyes of the army of glassy-eyed clown dolls seem to serve more as a warning than a draw. In particular, one wild-eyed clown in a cage resting above the cash register.
The front office is stacked with shelf-upon-shelf of clown figurines, with clowns on the doors, and portraits of famous clowns on the walls. Porcelain statues, stuffed animals, wall hangings, and more make up the mirthful menagerie, staring down at guests from every possible angle.
The Clown Motel has achieved Internet infamy, and brave souls regularly make the trek out to Tonopah to spend the night in “America’s scariest motel.” A few have posted stories of strange happenings during their stay, but the general opinion is that it’s nothing more than an eccentric motel. Just an average edge of the desert motel decorated with thousands of creepy clowns next to an abandoned graveyard.
And now designer Stella McCartney has teamed up with surrealist director Philippa Price for a video promoting her latest collection. The result is gloriously creepy not in the least due to the ubiquitous clown figurines.
Filmed in the desert, the film features people wearing creepy clown makeup, TV broadcasts about atomic bombs and of-course, visiting the "Clown Motel." The graveyard and the deserted mining town too get its due. You can watch the film below (unless you're squeamish of clowns.)
Named “The Uncanny Valley,” the psychedelic (and creepy) trip through film is the first in which artists are invited to reinterpret collections. So now, high-fashion clown motels and graveyards are a thing.
