When Shaggy and Scooby win a contest to have dinner with
Vincent Van Ghoul, they think they are in for, like, one awesome night. However, the night turns spooky when Van Ghoul reveals he is being haunted by his former roles...literally. This turns out to be a trick, orchestrated by Van Ghoul just for his new reality show, but then a new demonic creature appears calling itself... Nightfright!
The episode provides examples of:
- Anti-Villain: The villain turns out to be the production assistant who just wanted publicity for his script, having lost his job when Van Ghoul backed out of the part for said script and the studio closed production in the process. He didn't actually hurt anybody - he paid the actors to pretend he knocked them out - and never actually was going to hurt Van Ghoul. He ends up going to jail, but having his life story made into a movie.
- Big Eater: Not just Scooby and Shaggy this time - Daphne starts the mystery two hours hungry, and by the end is so hungry she out-eats Shaggy and Scooby.
- Breather Episode: Everyone involved actually comes away well in this episode, even the villain.
- Casting Gag: This isn’t the first time where Frank Welker and David Kaye have voiced the same character. For bonus points, the former does his Galvatron voice, while the latter does his Optimus Prime voice.
- Catchphrase: "I am Nightfright! Scream! Scream! Time for you to die!"
- Classically-Trained Extra: Vincent Van Ghoul has become one of these, in spite of his horror movie background, to the point he was relying on a reality TV show to try and make a come-back.
- Confusion Fu: Nightfright is lured into the trap by Vincent's acting skills making him appear mildly annoyed at best to see Nightfright. Baffled as to why Vincent is no longer scared, Nightfright's attacks degenerate to just following Vincent and pathetically begging him to scream, until he's led right to the trap and is captured.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: At the ending, Vincent Van Ghoul offer desserts with an epic Evil Laugh and the correspondent sinister music. Then our gang join them laughing normally, while the sinister music is still playing even louder.
- Expy: Vincent Van Ghoul's movies are obvious expies of Vincent Price's classic horror films: Me Zombie is The Last Man on Earth, The Mutant Bee is The Fly, The Repellent Dr. Phobos is The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and one other character is from House of Wax (1953).
- Growling Gut: A hungry Daphne's stomach growls throughout the episode.
- Monster of the Week: The titular Nightfright, a demon who traps Shaggy, Scooby and Vincent Van Ghoul in the latter's manor, seemingly just to terrorize and kill them.
- Mythology Gag: Vincent Van Ghoul was a character back in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The executive producer resembles and sounds like Rodney Dangerfield.
- Plot Hole: It was never explained how Nightfright had Super-Strength. It's possible his costume had some kind of exoskeleton features to allow its user to do such actions, but it's never elaborated on.
- Songs in the Key of Lock: Vincent's home security system is activated by playing a certain piece of music on the pipe organ, at least until it's sabotaged.
- Toilet Humor: When frightened, Vincent wants to tinkle. Scooby does off-screen.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Vincent uses his acting skills to invoke and weaponize this trope against Nightfright, who becomes more desperate to frighten him.
- Weather-Control Machine: Vincent has a variant that causes a perpetual thunderstorm at his estate, as he can't get to sleep without it.
- Who Would Want to Watch Us?: Used at the very end when the executive producer suggests a show called Spooky Kids With Dog based on Mystery Inc. The gang decides against it.
- You Meddling Kids: With a twist; the production assistant is actually thanking Mystery Inc. when he calls them "meddling kids", since he's getting a movie based on his life story. True, he's going to jail for his actions, but it's a step up all things considered.
Harry: You know, I've been thinking. How about a TV show based around you kids' lives? You know, teenagers, they drive around in a van, build traps and solve mysteries, chase monsters and whatnots like that. Oh, that'd be a huge hit. We'd call it...
Spooky Kids with a Dog.
Mystery Incorporated: Nah.
