Magic: the Gathering's most recent Duskmourn: House of Horror draws a lot of inspiration from some of the most iconic horror films and tropes that define the genre, and as such it's packed with subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to the legendary horror franchises we all know and love, from the cheesy slasher flicks of the 70's to the gory thrillers of the 21st century. In this article, I will be showcasing every reference I could find in this set, explaining the connections to the films, exploring the origins of these iconic moments, and uncovering the chilling inspirations that brought these cards, and this set to life. So let's begin with one of the most iconic scenes in all of horror.
We begin with Breakdown the Door, a direct nod to The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s famous novel. In this iconic scene, Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, has fully descended into madness, swinging an axe through a bathroom door in a terrifying attempt to get to his wife. As he peers through the splintered wood, he delivers the line that would be referenced for decades to come, "Here’s Johnny!" The scream of his cutting through, solidifying the weight of the situation. Nicholson’s unhinged performance, combined with Kubrick’s meticulous directing, turned this scene into one of the most referenced in horror.
Continuing with the Shining there is the card, Unsettling Twins, which uses a not so subtle nod in to another iconic scene from the film. A scene, wherein the Grady twins, appear in the halls of the Overlook Hotel holding hands beckoning young Danny Torrance with their eerie invitation to "come play with us, forever and ever." The twins, in their matching dresses and lifeless gazes, represent the eerie stillness and psychological tension that permeates the film. They’re not just scary because they’re ghosts—they’re unsettling because they represent innocence corrupted by the hotel’s malevolence, which actually fits within the themes of Duskmourn, and the house, quite well.
Killers' Mask immediately calls to mind Friday the 13th, and specifically, the hockey mask worn by the iconic slasher villain, Jason Voorhees. What’s interesting is that Jason didn’t even wear the mask in the first two films—his mother was the original killer, and he wore a burlap sack in Part 2. But when he donned the hockey mask in Part 3, it cemented his place as one of the iconic killers of his time, now its impossible not to imagine Jason without the mask. This has over time become more of a symbol for the entire slasher genre, representing an emotionless, silent killer whose presence alone triggers dread. It goes to show how a single powerful visual motifs can shape a character’s legacy.
Then there’s the card Let’s Play a Game, a phrase synonymous with Jigsaw, the sadistic mastermind behind the Saw series. Even the art itself, with a figure on the television watching over as a group takes on a twisted trap, takes inspiration from the film, even if its more of a dramatic rendition. Unlike traditional slasher villains, Jigsaw doesn’t kill directly; instead, he believes his victims can "redeem" themselves through suffering. The first film introduced a new kind of psychological horror, where the terror comes not from being hunted, but from being trapped in a life-or-death moral dilemma. It’s a brutal meditation on guilt and survival.
Which walks us right into the next card, Grab the Prize, which captures the visceral, stomach-churning nature of Jigsaw’s traps, ones that force his victims to confront their own sins, testing their will to live through horrific physical challenges. Many of his games require participants to retrieve a key or an object necessary for survival, but it’s never simple. Often, retrieving the item requires self-mutilation, whether it’s cutting into flesh or breaking bones, which is the gruesome appeal of the films in the first place.
Orphans of the Wheat instantly brings to mind the film Children of the Corn, based on Stephen King’s short story. In the film, a group of children in a rural Nebraska town have formed a murderous cult, worshipping a deity called "He Who Walks Behind the Rows." The story taps into fears of isolation and the dread built up in remote rural spaces, where one is often a long way from any help, using the endless fields of wheat as both a symbol of oppression and an inescapable prison. The children’s fanatical devotion, combined with the oppressive setting, creates a suffocating tension that makes the film a disturbing exploration of cult behavior and religious extremism.
With the card Split Up, we move away from one specific film and dive into one of the most infamous and frustrating tropes played out in countless horror films. Whether it’s the Texas chainsaw massacre, the Blair witch project, or nearly any slasher flick you can think of, splitting up is a guaranteed way for characters to meet a grisly end. It’s become such a cliché that modern horror often plays with or subverts the trope, but it persists because it heightens tension—isolating characters makes them more vulnerable, and audiences know it’s only a matter of time before they’re picked off.
Clockwork Percussionist draws inspiration from the 1984 film The Devil’s Gift, a lesser-known horror about a cursed toy monkey with cymbals. Each time the monkey claps, something tragic occurs, turning an innocent, childlike object into a harbinger of doom. The idea of cursed or possessed toys has been a staple in horror for years, with films like Poltergeist and Annabelle also playing on the juxtaposition of childhood innocence and terror. The slow-burn dread of The Devil’s Gift hinges on the audience’s growing awareness that this seemingly harmless toy is anything but.
Speaking of haunted toys, Arabella, abandoned doll is a clear nod to The Conjuring universe, specifically the haunted doll Annabelle. Introduced as a cursed object in The Conjuring, Annabelle quickly became an icon of the franchise, receiving her own spin-off trilogy. While Annabelle isn’t the primary antagonist, her presence is deeply unsettling, as she seems to attract and amplify demonic forces. Dolls have long been used in horror to symbolize innocence turned evil, but Annabelle takes that concept further, embodying a silent, malevolent force that feels ancient and beyond human understanding.
Turn Inside Out takes its gruesome inspiration from Steven Kings IT, and more specifically, the terrifying Pennywise the Clown, with that painted white smile that hides a vile twisted monster. Pennywise, as a character, thrives on fear, warping reality for his victims and manifesting their deepest, most personal terrors. Whether he’s turning people against each other or physically transforming his surroundings, Pennywise’s power lies in his ability to manipulate the mind as much as the body. The phrase "turn inside out" becomes both metaphorical and literal in the world of IT, as Pennywise doesn’t just warp its body in gruesome ways but warps the psyche of his victims as well.
The next card is Omnivorous Flytrap, which is a clear nod to Little Shop of Horrors and its carnivorous plant, Audrey II. The horror-comedy, which has had many renditions over the years from screen to stage, follows the growth of Audrey II, a sentient plant that demands human blood to grow. As the plant’s hunger grows, so does its manipulation of the hapless protagonist, Seymour. What starts as a quirky story about an unusual plant spirals into a dark tale of greed and sacrifice, with Audrey II’s increasingly menacing presence escalating the horror as the story unfolds.
Disturbing Mirth, a card that references the Hellraiser series which started began with with the twisted mind Clive barker in 1987. This film series explores the extremes of pain and pleasure, thus the name disturbing mirth. The focal point of the series, and the ones that inflict this pain, are the Cenobites, led by Pinhead; otherworldly beings who inflict both agony and ecstasy on their victims, blurring the line between the two. Their sense of enjoyment comes from exploring the boundaries of human extremes, particularly in the realm of suffering. Hellraiser’s body horror is uniquely disturbing because it challenges the audience’s perceptions of pleasure, making the terrifying suggestion that what we fear most might also be what we desire.
Found Footage is another one of those cards that reference a trope, but a trope that has to give its credits to the film The Blair Witch Project, which pioneered the found footage style in horror. Released in 1999, the film follows three filmmakers who venture into the woods to document a local legend, only to vanish without a trace. The movie’s use of handheld cameras and documentary-style filming makes it feel incredibly raw and real, immersing viewers in the characters’ growing terror. Its something that has been done to death, but at the time it was a fresh approach, amplifying the horror by making the audience feel like they’re experiencing the events firsthand, adding an unsettling layer of authenticity to the scares.
Marvin, Murderous Mimic is a card that calls back to the 1989 film The Puppet Master, a cult classic about a group of killer puppets animated by dark magic which itself has spawned an additional 13 movies. There isn't a lot to say about the series, its a cheesy fun slasher series that never takes itself to seriously.
The Jolly Balloon Man is an interesting reference, which may call to something else but I believe is a light reference to the manga short, Hanging Balloons by Junji Ito, the surrealist horror icon who spawned many twisted stories over the course of his life, and one that deserves an article all his own. But getting back to this specific manga, Hanging Balloons is a story that takes the issues of suicide in Japan and manages to shine a light on it while while pushing the boundaries of dark imagery. The art borders on the absurd, which Ito often leans into with his work, and yet the messaging behind this one in particular is based in an important topic needing discussion in his country.
The card Midnight Mayhem, is a clear homage to Gremlins, a horror-comedy where cute creatures called Mogwai transform into destructive monsters if fed after midnight. A film that cleverly balances humour and chaos, as the gremlins wreak havoc on a small town. The transformation from adorable to terrifying is what makes Gremlins stand out—it shows how quickly things can spiral out of control when rules are broken.
Ghost Vacuum is without a doubt a nod to Ghostbusters, which iis just barely a horror film if you squint your eyes enough, but one that had to be referenced in a set like this. The 1984 film, Ghostbusters, is a story about a team of paranormal investigators who use specialized equipment to capture and contain ghosts, known as the proton gun. This tool is synonymous with the series, and an item that even people who have not watched the films can call out easily.
So for this one I combined two cards, Etched Cornfield and fear of abduction, both of which take their inspiration from our own fear of aliens and the films that spawn from this. Of course there are countless films that leverage this trope, but for me personally it has to be Signs, M. Night Shyamalan’s eerie alien invasion thriller. In the film, crop circles are the first sign of an impending extraterrestrial threat, and the vast cornfields become the setting for some of the movie’s most suspenseful moments. Shyamalan masterfully uses the cornfields to create a sense of isolation and vulnerability, as the characters realize they are being watched by something far more powerful and dangerous than they imagined. And of course that ones birthday scene that traumatized a generation of kids like me.
Say Its Name could be said to have multiple references, like that of the bloody marry game kids would play, but if I had to pin it to a movie I would look to the 1992 horror film Candyman, where speaking the name of the vengeful spirit Candyman five times in front of a mirror summons him to exact bloody revenge. The film is as much about the power of urban legends and folklore as it is about supernatural terror, exploring how stories shape our fears and, in some cases, bring them to life. The act of speaking his name is both a ritual and a curse, making this legend feel deeply rooted in cultural anxieties.
Cursed Recording is a nod to the film the American film The Ring, which itself was based on a Japanese film by the same name from director Hideo Nakata, which itself was inspired by the book from 1991 by Koji Suzuki. This a film follows a string of disappearances surrounding an old tape, where anyone who watches the tape receives a phone call, warning them that they have seven days to live. The sense of impending doom builds as the main character races to uncover the origins of the curse. It's a story that leans into dread and gets more twisted as the source of this curse becomes revealed.
Our last reference is, Doomsday Excruciator, but more specifically the alternate art which recreates the poster for They Live, by John Carpenter’s. This one is rather obscure but those are the most fun to find. In the movie, special sunglasses reveal that aliens are secretly controlling humanity through subliminal messages embedded in advertisements and media. The poster for They Live became iconic, with its eerie depiction of a skull-faced alien behind sunglasses.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know if there was any references that I missed, maybe there is room for a part two, but these were the ones that stood out to me. IF you like this sort of thing then consider becoming a site member that way you can be notified when the next one goes live, or check me out on other platforms below, and with that friends, I will catch you in the multiverse, bye!
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