The infamous Clown Motel situated in Tonopah, Nevada is renown for being one of the most haunted motels in America.
It was only a matter of time before a movie adaptation came along and that day is today, we take a look at the Clown Motel movie.
Joseph P. Kelly’s Clown Motel tells the tale of a group of ghost hunters and a group of girls on their way to Los Angeles who wind up at the motel. What starts off as a meeting of friends quickly becomes a fight for survival as ghoulish clowns set to wreak murderous havoc on the group.
The first Jason in Friday the 13th Ari Lehman plays a killer clown in this movie. This was a cool touch. The full cast list can be viewed here.
With filming situated solely at the real-life Clown Motel, you couldn’t have picked a more perfect location.
The creepy motel with its creepy clown reception full of hundreds of clown dolls. The creepy cemetery situated right next to the hotel. You can’t go far wrong with the scenic location of this movie.
The cinematography for a low budget film is only complimented by its surroundings.
Whilst this movie won’t be winning any awards for acting anytime soon it’s the sheer craziness of the clowns and the gory onslaught of what follows that makes it an engaging and enjoyable little indie flick.
Whilst some camera shots are lower than indie (opening sequence especially) I feel as thou this film is more than just a standalone feature.
It’s a celebration of the Clown Motel. A celebration of haunted history and it’s a unique way of endearing passers-by into its rooms.
It’s a perfect marketing tool for the motel’s ever-growing reputation and the film pays a wonderful tribute to the grounds wacky yet creepy heritage.
Clown Motel is far from perfect but as a horror fan, you can’t help but appreciate the effort that has gone into production.
With a few wacky scenes and gory low budget horror, it’s certainly a movie to watch with your buddies. Grab a beer, put your feet up and enjoy it for what it is. A crazy, creepy little clown movie.
If that doesn’t do it for you, get yourselves over to Tonopah, Nevada and stay in the motel yourself. If you’re so brave.
Review by Sean Evans
Summary
Far from perfect but throughly enjoyable. Clown Motel doesn’t clown around, it gets down and dirty, grisly and gory and is a wonderful tribute to a totally wacky and incredibly unique roadside attraction in Tonopah, Nevada.
