Gamebook Friday: Nosferatu and the Curse of the Vampire

At the weekend I went to see Robert Eggers' Nosferatu. I had been looking forward to this ever since I first saw the trailer and went to see it as soon as I could so as not to have the film ruined by spoilers on social media.

Now, be warned, this post contains a few spoilers about the film. So, if you have yet to see it but you want to see it, do not read on any further.

Still here? On your head be it, then.

For those who don't know, Eggers' Nosferatu was inspired by the original Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, from 1922, as well as Bram Stoker's gothic horror novel Dracula*. Eggers' film looks stunning - the locations, sets, and cinematography are incredible - but it isn't actually scary. The jump scares are too obvious and well signposted. On top of that, the story is just too well known to terrify. There's some gross stuff but, knowing it's not real, means none of it will actually make you jump out of your skin.

I don't mind that, but I'm still not entirely sure what I think of the film. It's good, but not amazing. That said, I have found myself pondering it over and over this last week, so it has definitely made an impression on me. There are some fantastic images in the film, and probably the most disturbing elements involve what the mere mortals do when their minds cannot cope with the horror they have been subjected to.

It seems the most contentious things about the film involve Count Orlok's appearance, specifically his moustache and the fact that he is naked at pivotal moments in the film. I don't see what all the fuss is about. Dracula had a moustache in Stoker's novel and the undead Strigoi in my Dracula-inspired gamebook haven't bothered to get dressed either.

Count Dracula and an undead Strigoi by Hauke Kock, from Dracula: Curse of the Vampire.

But it is the look of the film that has really stuck with me, so much so that I am considering publishing a new edition of Dracula: Curse of the Vampire next year, with darker and grittier artwork, and a more gothic look altogether.

For now, if you have yet to check out my own take on Stoker's classic, you can order a copy of the sixth ACE Gamebook here.

* The original Nosferatu was effectively a rip-off of Dracula, and Stoker's widow won a copyright case against the filmmakers. All copies of the film were supposed to have been destroyed but, just like the vampiric Count Orlok, it rose again from the dead.