Robert Eggers' New Vampire Movie Has A Connection To A Classic Nickelodeon Kids Show, And It's Not Spongebob

Robert Eggers’ new Gothic horror movie Nosferatu is a masterclass in dread and fear, but it has an unusual connection to a classic kids’ show from Nickelodeon. The American film-maker’s fourth feature film is a remake of the iconic silent German film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, which is itself a retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It has generated acclaim from both critics and audiences alike along with a box office return well above initial projections, and there has even been some chatter about major award nominations for the horror movie.

Oddly enough, Robert Eggers has already made special note of Nosferatu’s connection to another Nickelodeon show. The director called out the fact that younger moviegoers might have learned about the original Nosferatu from one quick scene in Spongebob Squarepants, the long-running animated show which featured an appearance from Max Schreck’s Count Orlok as in a Halloween episode’s final scene (although he was labeled “Nosferatu” in the episode). However, that is not the only classic Nickelodeon show to prominently feature Count Orlok in an episode; in fact, he is a centerpiece of an episode in another show.

An Episode Of Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Features A Theater Haunted By The Original Count Orlok

A Version Of Orlok Exits The Movie Screen To Terrorize The Theater

The memorable episode of Nickelodeon’s beloved children’s horror anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? titled “The Tale of the Midnight Madness” involves the employees of a struggling movie theater fighting to save it from going out of business. They find salvation in the form of an eccentric film-maker who promises them that his horror movie will fill their theater. His prediction comes to fruition as the theater is soon loaded with patrons who line up to see his movie, which is in fact Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

The episode takes a turn when the theater employees realize that their theater is suddenly plagued by a vampire. It turns out that Count Orlok can magically exit the movie screen to drain victims of blood. Orlok is played by the highly-celebrated character actor Christopher Heyerdahl, and he does an admirable job of playing the vicious, pale monster with direct mannerisms taken from Schreck’s original portrayal. It’s among the most nightmare-inducing episodes from the children’s show that is the definition of a cult classic.

Nosferatu Isn't The Only Classic Horror Movie Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Borrowed From

There Are Multiple Echoes Of Silent Horror Films In The Anthology Show

“The Tale of the Midnight Madness” is far from the only episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? that dipped into classic horror movies for inspiration. The anthology show covers many of the classic horror subjects, like ghosts, witches, aliens, and monsters, and echoes of horror movies from across the 20th century are present in every season. However, some of the very best draw on movies from the 1920s and 1930s, just like Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

In fact, one of the show's first episodes, “The Tale of the Phantom Cab”, draws heavily on the 1921 Swedish silent film The Phantom Carriage. “The Tale of the Last Dance” is a retelling of the classic story The Phantom of the Opera, but it draws directly on the 1925 movie version. Another vampire-related episode, “The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors”, takes major cues from Universal Studios’ iconic interpretation of Dracula from 1931. None of the references, however, are as direct as the Nosferatu call out from “The Tale of the Midnight Madness”.