AUQotD

[avevale_intelligencer]

Dracula (Christopher Lee) to van Helsing (Peter Cushing) at the end of Dracula/Horror of Dracula, made (in this universe) by Hammer Films in 1958:

"Sometimes, professor, two candlesticks...are just two candlesticks."

And here is the scene itself (as it was filmed in this universe), courtesy of Youtube.

Comments

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

[CONFUSED FROWN] Well, sometimes that's all they *need* to be...

Oh sorry, I think I'm confusing the Hammer flick with "Lesbian Vampire Orgy Volume XVIII". =:o}

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Erm, possibly... *not going there*

The immediate point being that an essential element in Dracula's (supposedly) final destruction in this flim was van Helsing holding two of Dracula's own candlesticks at right angles to form a cross. Which raises certain questions about (for instance) the window frames in the castle. And the underlying point being that sometimes Christian symbolism is in the mind of the beholder. If Dracula hadn't consented to believe that what van Helsing was holding was in fact a representation of the power of God and not two lumps of completely unblessed iron, the ending would have been very different. (And much more satisfying for vampire fans.)

Incidentally, I'm sure this scene was a progenitor of that bit in The Curse of Fenric where the power of the crucifix was said to reside in the belief of the holder...but given that the script of this particular movie went to great lengths to demystify the vampire, I'm not sure that necessarily should have worked in this context.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Which was the film with the Jewish vampire? "Oy veh, have you got the wrong religion!"

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Dance of the Vampires, aka The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck. Roman Polanski's effort.

[pink-sweater-uk.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall that Cushing himself added the candlesticks touch. He was somewhat concerned that, throughout the film, Van Helsing had almost come to seem like a travelling crucifix salesman, forever whipping another one out of his trusty carpet bag.

So, he retrieved a memory from a film that he'd much admired, a supernatural comedy wherein the protagonist clashed two candlesticks together to ward off the man that he believed to be the Devil (I think that the film was All That Money Can Buy with Laird Cregar, but I could be wrong)...and re-vamped (if you'll pardon the pun) the scene accordingly.

[howeird]

two lumps of completely unblessed iron
Traditionally, candlesticks are silver, which ought to count for some kind of anti-vampirical oomph, Non?

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I love Hammer horror films! My mum and I used to stay up late watching them when I was in my teens.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed. I actually got to see some of them in the cinema when I got old enough.

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Oh, lucky, lucky you!

Mind you, I did manage to see Dracula: Prince of Darkness on the big screen when we lived in Bradford and there was a horror fest on at the National Museum of Film and Photography.

I had quite a crush on Christopher Lee when I was 14.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

The Countess still does. :)