There is an article posted entitled, "The 5 Most Baffling Explosions in Movie History".
The very first one was the scene in Van Helsing where the Horse-drawn carriage falls into the crevice between two mountains, because the bridge was broken, and, upon hitting the ground, explodes.
The article is here: http://www.cracked.com/article_16409_5-most-baffling-explosions-in-movie-history.html
Well, I haven't busted anyone's chops lately, so I figured I would look at the movie to try to prove these guys wrong. (I like the movie, after all)
As it turns out, they are wrong on the account, as far as they (surprisingly) go.
They claim,
Quote:
Not only is the concept laughable on paper, but the film actually shows you there's nothing particularly explosive inside (just a bunch of stakes, as the superbly-acted Vampiress so kindly points out).
However, I watched the scene another time and, for your convenience, took a screen capture:
As you can see, there were explosives aboard. This does not, however; explain how the explosives were detonated. No matter how hard you throw dynamite, it will not explode.
This reminds me of the beginning of the movie, where the priest is demonstrating the use of nitroglycerin, a liquid explosive that, in its purest form, is a contact explosive. It can be detonated by physical shock.
I believe this is ample explanation, and now I'm so pleased with myself, I simply do not know what to do next.
- Atari
