Creating Monsters......

Back in May, we had one of the most successful Morose & Macabre's Atrocity Exhibitions to date. We celebrated our annual event's 5th anniversary with all of our old friends, and some awesome new friends. Every year, after the event, we reflect on how truly lucky we are to have an amazing community of people standing behind us for this production. We never knew that the Atrocity Exhibition reign would be a 5 year legacy, now heading into year 6.
To document this momentous occasion, Macabre reached out to filmmaker, Brian Cottington. For the next several weeks, Brian and his crew of camera and sound followed the Atrocity family and filmed a behind the scenes look at the chaos that goes into bringing our monster to life each year. Not only, did he film the process, he was also able to sit down with Atrocity family artists and entertainers to get an inside look at where these folks come from, how they got here, and the road suffered along the way. The documentary quickly became about the family of oddballs who found each other through a love of all that is bizarre and a lesson that family encompasses more than just blood relation. It is happy, it is sad, it is inspiring, it is a reminder to never judge a book by it's cover....because you never know what journey that book had to take to come into existence.
We are proud that this November, our story will come to life for the first time on the big screen. We will be releasing the first screening of the film here, in our home town of Pittsburgh, PA, at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont on November 23rd at 7pm. This event will not only serve as a screening of the documentary, but also as a fundraiser for both Atrocity 2014 and the Hollywood Theater (an independent community film house). Our Atrocity artists and artisans will be pulling together to create works for auction in the lobby and our Atrocity 2013 opening film maker, Rachael Deacon, will be screening 2 of her short films, "Gregor" and "A Fever and a River". Best of all, all of our Atrocity family members will be crawling in from all over to celebrate this momentous occasion. We'll have a Q&A with some of them after the film.

If you'd like to join us, we have advance ticket sales and more information at www.moroseandmacabre.com/houseofodditiesmovie.html
Check out the event on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1388619194707836/
The film's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HouseOfOdditiesMovie

Until then, as always, Parting is such sweet sorrow,
Morose & Macabre

The One Called Harlequin....

Notes of the Wicked: April 24th, 2013: Miss Macabre:
As we get closer to the date, we realize how difficult it is to contain this monstrous cavalcade, particularly at night, and particularly the one called Harlequin.
We've set up large work lights that surround the crates and remain on at all times in the hopes to keep them in their sleep-like state. However, within the past week, it seems the pull of nightfall is too strong and we're beginning to wonder if their longer than usual slumber will have any consequence when we finally allow them to wake on May 4th.
Harlequin's crate seems to have the most activity, which isn't surprising, as he was the most difficult to crate to begin with.
Even now, we can hear his soft, maniacal laughter as if he knows something we don't. He also seems to be closely tied with the Ring Master, as the slight movements and disturbances coming from within their tightly sealed confines happen in unison.
At this point, we are both excited and slightly nervous for the night of their show. We've come so far, and have taken the utmost precautions....but it will be the strength of their audiences will that is tempted.
I, myself, have had to resist the overwhelming urge to enter the tent, but then again, I know better. I know the repercussions.

We'll Require Large Crates...

Notes of the wicked: Dr. Morose: February 18th, 2013:

"Removing them wouldn't be a problem. They wouldn't be missed because no one knew for certain that they were ever there to begin with. They were a legend. A campfire tale. Something to be spoken of in hushed whispers for fear that the very darkness surrounding you might pick up on the suggestion and bring them back.
The history is muddled, at best. The most we can put together and prove, factually, is that the carnival troupe had mysteriously disappeared during the early 1890s in their travels from one town to the next. This was long before lengthy investigations for missing people, and no one was about to bother looking for a group of misfits and freaks of nature like these. They "why" is still unknown. There are versions of the tale that blame everything from witchcraft to pacts with the Devil himself, though if you ask me, this seems like classic curse territory. So all these years have passed and all this time, they've been here, trapped between worlds. A haunting of sorts, in the routine - that they've been performing the same show every night for the last hundred and twenty years, for no one in particular. But unlike ghosts, who we've had our dealings with in the past, these... creatures... can get really physical. Over the years, they've sort of warped and mutated into something else entirely. Something not human... at least not anymore. One look at them with their soulless eyes and their beautifully broken bodies and we knew they had to be ours.
It was simple. We waited until dawn when their bodies just slowed to a halt and shut down and we packed them into crates. One by one. It isn't technically kidnapping if they're not human. Or alive, for that matter. It was a lot of work, but the payoff will be worth it. And after the.. err... "unfortunate incident" that happened at Phantasmagoria Theatre last year (where all of our guests ended up slaughtered by a slew of pissed off ghosts), we needed a new project to keep us busy. And these freaks would be perfect. Just perfect. And who doesn't love a carnival, anyway?"

Atrocity Exhibition 2013....Commedia Dell'Morte Carnivale: The Comedy of Death's Circus

Welcome to the very beginnings of this twisted tale....

"Soft music haunted the air all around us. The song hung thick, a soft and disturbing voice murmuring in our ears and telling stories of the horrors that lay ahead. It pierced through our skulls and deep into the core of our grey matter where it embedded itself, making it impossible to think clearly.
The faint glow of a dimly lit string of circus lights gave warning that we had reached the edge of the thick wooded area, we had reached our destination....
We have finally found it.....the curse and the myth.....Commedia Dell' Morte's Carnivale....The comedy of death's circus.
Behind their cracked, emotionless masks they had long past the point of humanity years ago. No telling how long they'd been performing....silently....in this empty, dilapidated tent.
Monsterous, deformed shells of what they used to be.
Who are they?
Who WERE they?
We would soon find out......and bring them home."

Some Ghostly updates transcribed by my Ouija Board.

Hello again, weirdos and malcontents, Dr. M here from the surprisingly gloomy and overcast west coast to update you on a few things.

First off, Kickstarter has yet again been a success for us, so a big YAY for that, but it wouldn't have been so without the help and support of our friends and like-minded folks who backed us financially. Whether it was $1 or $100, we appreciate the help. So, pick up that severed arm you've been saving for a special occasion and pat yourselves on the back for that. On a related note, we are currently working on getting together all the backer rewards to send out to everyone who did donate. Please check the email address with which you signed up with Kickstarter, as a mailing address inquiry has been sent to you. We need your address or you don't get any of the stuff we promised you, obviously. We have just gotten in the stickers from the printer, and have carefully selected first-run art prints for you that haven't been sold to the public yet. We will begin mailing these within the week.

We are also selling different stickers than the backers will be receiving for $3 a pop on our etsy store. The proceeds from these go directly into funding the event and paying and feeding and housing our entertainers. There are two different stickers available... a logo sticker in ghoulish green and a flyer image sticker. Check them out here and here!

NOW. Let's discuss the event, a bit, yes? This year's installment of the Atrocity Exhibition begins with a theme, like every year. We choose a theme and build a story around it and work from that to put together the event itself. This year, we chose to take a nosedive into the spirit world by reviving some old parlor tricks and revisiting a form of theatre invented in France in the 18th century called "phantasmagoria". Using lanterns that had been modified to project images of supernatural beings, such as ghosts or demons, onto smoke or semi-transparent screens, it gained popularity in Europe throughout the 19th century, horrifying audiences and giving people nightmares for years to come. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Our story begins with the purchase of a nasty piece of real-estate... a haunted theater. Surprised? Yeah, we thought not. The story begins to take shape when you enter and bear witness to the summoning of thirteen ghosts, all of whom are just dying to tell you their story. As per usual, there will be music, art, and performance of a darker nature. This year's event is not to be missed. You are cordially invited to spend the evening with us at Phantasmagoria Theater. Dress to depress.

You can purchase pre-sale tickets and view this year's list of performers and the growing list of vendors here.

MAY 19TH. Don't forget. Until then.... sweet screams!

-Dr. M

Atrocity Exhibition Date Confirmed.....

Yep....we've made the announcement....check our kickstarter page for the video blog....

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/776358592/morose-and-macabres-atrocity-exhibition-2011/posts/51619

Atrocious Update.....Atrocity 2011

Greetings!
Atrocity Exhibition's rusty gears are in full motion as we gnash and gnaw our way closer to the event. As we all know, we have been funded through kickstarter and have also been offering Atrocious tees in our Etsy store to help fund the event. We will continue to offer exclusive items through out the next few months to help continue to build event funds....so keep your eyes peeled.

I have been in contact with the venue and made some serious head way this afternoon on Atrocity's date. We are currently gunning for 2 dates: Friday, April 29, 2011 and Friday, May 6, 2011. We will have one of these 2 dates nailed with in the next few days, as we are in competition with other promoters for the space. The fantastic, new booking management is working with us to push our offer through.
So, with that being said....Atrocity's final date announcement will be made as soon as I receive the phone call that our date is solid and that we can move forward, and I have been guaranteed that it will be within the next 3 days.

I am going to go ahead and put out the call for artists and entertainers. Although our entertainment line up has been fairly secured, we are sending our feelers out for any one that we may have not seen before that can bring something different to this fantastic line up of malcontents who grace our stage with their atrocious behavior. We are offering 15 vendor/artist tables at this year's event. Some of these spots have already been spoken for and the remaining spots will fill up FAST. Last event, our vendor spots filled within 2 days time, so if you are interested....act now.

READ THE FINE PRINT!!!
These are the guidelines for our artists/entertainers....read carefully....follow the directions ;)

**ATROCITY EXHIBITION IS AN ART OF FETISH EVENT....NOT A FETISH EVENT. WE INCORPORATE FETISH PERFORMANCES INTO A CABARET/SIDESHOW ATMOSPHERE AND THIS IS A THEMED EVENT. THIS YEAR'S THEME IS 1920's ASYLUM MEDICAL AND WILL BE THE VAUDEVILE ASYLUM CABARET...STRAIGHT JACKETS, SHOCK TREATMENT THERAPY, AND ICE BATHS WELCOME**

ARTISTS/VENDORS: We are looking for HAND CRAFTED wares of a darker nature from established crafters/artisans that will fit with the DARKER theme of Atrocity. We are looking for corset makers, leather workers, sculptors, artists who play with dead things....so on and so forth....
If you are interested at vending this year's event, please send a web link to your work with your submission so that it can be reviewed and a small bio telling us a bit about yourself and your work.

ENTERTAINERS: Although our line up is fairly secure, we are welcoming new submissions for this event. All entertainers are required to deliver performances that are within the guide lines of the event's theme so that all of the acts form a cohesive cabaret. We are looking for entertainers who are well-rehearsed and established with their skill.
If you are interested in performing at this year's event, please send a web link to your work, that includes video of previous performances (youtube links are welcome) along with a small bio telling us about yourself and your act.

ALL SUBMISSIONS: All submissions can be sent to atrocityexhibition@moroseandmacabre.com. PLEASE DO NOT SEND SUBMISSIONS VIA FACEBOOK MESSAGE OR ANY OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE, WE WILL NOT RESPOND. It is easier for us to keep everyone organized if all messages are being passed through one source, and our email is the most solid form of communication.
Once your submission has been sent, we will review promptly and respond regardless of our decision. This may take a few days, as we have a lot of folks on board, so if you do not get a response immediately, please do not badger us...we will get to you, we swear. Further details on the event will be passed along in our response to those we would like to bring on board...we will also gladly answer any questions or concerns through email submission.

Thank you all again for the support, we look forward to seeing you....stay tuned.

Parting is such sweet sorrow,
Macabre