Comics
[TV] What Are Your Thoughts on NBC’s “Constantine?”
I wasn’t a fan of NBC’s “Constantine” premiere. I thought it was muddled, terrible attempt to realize a character who’s mostly known for being a double crossing bastard. Truth is, I saw a really early version and when treated to a second viewing of the pilot at NYCC I was left with a vague sense of optimism. But I couldn’t push myself to watch episode two. I figured I love the source material too much to do that to myself. Well, I was wrong.
“Constantine” shows real promising signs of a horror show that will embrace its source material in new and interesting ways. I had my doubts after episode two took a trip to a weird mining town and had a thoroughly underwhelming climax. It left me wanting so much more. The dialogue wasn’t particularly strong and the story felt phoned in. Episode three came and with it we had a spin on The Ring premise, but this time it was a record. You listen to it and you die. Pretty simple, but it had the essence of a dead soul singer trapped inside of it. Somehow this seemed more like the Constantine I knew and loved. The imagery of the singer burning up was haunting, and I’ll admit I’m a sucker for people exploding into rivers of blood inside the confines of a recording booth. Plus we had the introduction of Papa Midnite.
Time for an old fashioned hand enema.
Papa Midnite served as an interesting foil for John. He showed a different side of this magical universe, and I couldn’t help but think he wasn’t so evil himself, but motivated by a different set of principles. John has always been a man who was most comfortable in the grey areas of the DC universe. So it makes logical sense to pit him against someone like Midnite early in the series. Not to mention it was nice to see another familiar face from the comics.
Gary Lester was really lubed up for episode 4.
Speaking of which, episode 4 brought Gary Lester. This episode is packed with terrifying visual imagery, and the looming threat of a hunger demon. I thought, I’m finally watching the show I had dreamed of. Mind you, it isn’t perfect. There are still dialogue issues, and I’m not sold on Zed. But this man from John’s past really encapsulated everything I wanted “Constantine” to be. Gary is tied to a dark history of fucking up. He shows that John isn’t perfect, and that he uses people. This doesn’t bode well for Zed. And the end of the episode showed exactly the kind of turn from Matt Ryan that I wanted. He was the perfect bastard as his plan came together.
Matt Ryan is the reason to watch this show. His portrayal of Constantine is amazing. I knew he was the John Constantine we deserve when I saw him prancing around to punk music, bathed in blood, and speaking in tongues. He’s smart, overly confident, and good at what he does. Except he’s not that good, he’s still allowed to screw up and he doesn’t really let that defeat him. Instead he just keeps moving forward be it through blind arrogance or ambition, it doesn’t matter.
Who knew? I’m actually awesome.
Next Week Papa Midnite returns.
I’m starting weekly reviews this Friday and I want to know what you think of NBC’s “Constantine.” Talk to me in the comments!
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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