St Mary's Church, Whitby arch is a Jacobean pew. There is a monument to Sir Richard Cholmley who died in 1631. Two significant land slips due to broken drainage and torrential rain, the first occurring in November 2012, have placed the churchyard, and properties below the cliff, in significant jeopardy. Whitby town councillor Steve Smith stated the church was in no danger, having been built on solid rock. Human remains have fallen onto the street below, and pathways on the cliff-side of the church have been closed. Bram Stoker used St Mary's Church graveyard as the setting for a scene in his novel, "Dracula":
Stoker (film) Miller described it as a "horror film, a family drama and a psychological thriller". Although influenced by Bram Stoker's "Dracula", Miller clarified that "Stoker" was "not about vampires. It was never meant to be about vampires but it is a horror story. A stoker is one who stokes, which also ties in nicely with the narrative." Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" also influenced the film. Miller said: "The jumping-off point is actually Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt". So, that's where we begin, and then we take it in a very, very different direction." The film marked director Park Chan-wook's