For horror movie fans, there are few films quite like Nosferatudirector murnau strikerThis 1922 silent film classic introduced the world to one of cinema’s first vampires: the monstrous, plague-like Count Orlok.
director Robert Eggers Now there’s an attempt at a remake to resurrect the creature in a way that will hopefully disturb and delight horror fans.
After a recent screening of Eggers’ remake in Los Angeles, Guillermo del Toro Join the director on stage to talk about Count Orlok’s twisted new look.
Eggers’ version of Orlok won’t be your typical neck-biting vampire. Instead, Eggers changed everything with a feeding method that felt nightmarishly primitive.
Unlike Dracula or even Max Schreck’s original O’Rourke, who was known for attacking the jugular, Eggers’ vampire targets the abdomen. Eggers explained: “[Count Orlok is] Go through the belly button instead of the heart.
This adds a dark undertone to the feeding ritual. And it doesn’t stop there. This vampire even feeds from the chest, as he somehow penetrates the sternum to access his victim’s heart blood.
Eggers continued: “And, obviously, vampires drink from people’s breasts, which isn’t easy on the sternum, but because of things like ‘the old witch,’ a lot of old legends have vampires— — not just suffocating you at all if they’re feeding — feeding on your heart’s blood.
The concept isn’t just gore for gore’s sake. Eggers links this feeding method to European folklore and other supernatural myths, particularly creatures associated with nightmares of sleep paralysis and chest-crushing. It sounds like things could get really scary.
Eggers and del Toro provide some other glimpses into how the Orlok version works. Bill SkarsgårdCount Orlok has been described as “a disgusting reanimated corpse,” a decaying sight not unlike the repulsive undead in 1970s Italian horror films.
In one particularly interesting detail, Eggers revealed that Orlok’s face was “red, like it was on fire… blood was pooling under his flesh.” This creates an interesting visual effect, as Orlok’s face becomes red from the pooled blood, as if his own thirst for blood leaves him barely contained within his pale skin.
While Focus Features has declined to reveal Skarsgård’s O’Rourke, horror fans have begun piecing together a terrifying psychological picture. These references point to something nightmarish.
With Eggers’ keen eye for period detail and psychological horror, this Nosferatu remake promises to be a brilliant reinterpretation of the classic film.
Nosferatu A dark and twisted tale of obsession between a haunted young woman (Lily-Rose Depp) in 19th-century Germany, ancient Transylvanian vampires stalk her, bringing unspeakable horrors.
Eggers previously said of the film: “It’s a horror movie. It’s a horror movie. It’s a gothic horror movie. I do think it’s been a while since there’s been a truly scary movie. Old school gothic movie. I think most viewers will find this.
This movie also stars Emma Corrin (Deadpool 3), Aaron Taylor Johnson (Kraven the hunter), Simon McBurnie (The Conjuring 2) and ralph ineson (witch).
The movie will be released in theaters on December 25, 2024.
