Several crew members appear in the opening sequence as part of the audience for The Midnight Horror Show.
The first names of each family member have historical meanings that reflect elements of their characters or actions in the film. "Deimos" is the Greek word for Dread and is known in Greek mythology as the God of Terror. In ancient Roman religion and myth, "Janus" is the God of transitions and is usually depicted as having two faces. "Trinculo" is the Jester character in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'. In Greek mythology, "Apollo" is associated with the meaning "to destroy" and is the God of music, art, beauty, the sun and light. "Venus" is the goddess of love and beauty in classical mythology as well as being the second planet closest to the Sun.
The character of 'The Reaper' was named as an homage to one of the villains in Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984).
The surname of the character Duke Enright is an homage to the name of Dennis Hopper's character Lieutenant 'Lefty' Enright who pursued a family of killers in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986).
The Moreau family name and the father's claim to be a Doctor is an homage to The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977).