Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Easter Eggs and Horror Movie References
Warning: This post contains possible spoilers to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. You might want to read it in advance to know what to look for, but it could also give away some plot points you won’t appreciate. Proceed with caution! Here are the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Easter Eggs and horror movie references.
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Easter Eggs and Horror Movie References
This movie has a few easter eggs that were obvious and a few that might have passed the casual first pass.
But if you are a Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark fan, you’ll want to see if you caught on to these easter eggs & horror references from the movie.
And if you haven’t seen the movie yet, check out the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark parent movie review to decide if you (or your kiddos) should!
Here are the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Easter Eggs and Horror Movie References that you want to watch for.
Set in 1968 vs the 1980s
The movie is set in an earlier time period than the books but seems to give a few cross-decades nods to the 80s without stepping on Stranger Things‘ toes.
The town is named Mill Valley (similar to Back to the Future’s Hill Valley)
“Bye Bye Birdie”
The movie includes a high school performance of Bye Bye Birdie, which is a 1963 movie about a rock star who gets drafted.
Ramon, one of the central characters, is discovered to be a draft dodger.
Turn Turn Turn Lyrics
This song’s lyrics can be seen on the school bulletin board, and it was a known anti-war anthem.
Horror Movie References as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Easter Eggs
There were quite a few nods to horror stories tucked into this one. At the drive-thru theater, Night of the Living Dead is playing which would be accurate on Halloween night in 1968.
Additionally, Stella’s room has 1950s movie posters like Frankenstein’s Daughter and Beast from Haunted Cave.
You can also spot a short story book in her room called The Whistling Room.
There’s a long hallway scene ala The Shining that happens at Pennhurst hospital.
Halloween As The Setting
Halloween is often used as a setting for horror films, and this one is no different. Think the obvious, John Carpenter’s Michael Myers.
Famous Creature Performers in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Easter Eggs
Troy James was on America’s Got Talent as a contortionist. And he’s here playing Jangly Man.
Javier Botet, an actor with Marfan’s Syndrome, has been in many horror movies: It, Slender Man, Game of Thrones to name a few.
Mark Steger plays Harold and he’s known as the Demogorgon in Stranger Things.
Horror Movies Love Clowns
So of course, this one is no different!
Auggie dresses like one, Pierrot variety, for Halloween. You can also see a second reference to this on the poster that’s found on the back of his closet door.
A Self-Writing Book
A possessed object, a story that writes itself, or something that can’t be easily destroyed.
This kind of thing has been used before in horror movies and it probably will be used again because it’s scary every time, eh?
The Hearse Song From the Music Boxes
The music is based on a song about death from WWI. The US & British soldier would sing it in the trenches.
Pennhurst Hospital Easter Egg in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Creepy hospitals are always good scare tropes, just like the possessed object mentioned about.
Pennhurst is a real hospital that was closed at one time but has now reopened as a haunted asylum attraction. Muhhhahhhaaaaa
Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
