During a scene in the movie, Constantine meets with Beeman (played by Max Baker), who provides him with weapons to fight demons. One of the weapons is a matchbox with screech beetles inside. Beeman indicates that the screeching noise they make is “like nails on a chalkboard” to demons. In the scene, the camera pans to Constantine holding the matchbox, revealing that it is a Cleopatra Hotel matchbox with scarab beetle motif. It is indicated that the beetles themselves came from Amityville, but the connection of the beetles to the scarab motif on the matchbox also recalls Egyptian imagery and beliefs about the protective symbolism of the scarab beetle.

Later in the film, Constantine uses the box of beetles when fighting a demon, known as Vermin Man, who is made up of bugs. Constantine shakes the matchbox, causing the beetles to screech, which causes Vermin Man to dissipate long enough for Constantine to briefly recuperate and reassess his plan, again indirectly referencing the protective symbolism of the scarab beetle in ancient Egyptian mythology.

Author: Tara Sewell-Lasater