Podcast #15: #DonaldGlover4Spider-Man!!!


Nick and Andrew tackle the biggest topics of the year!*

Spider-Man joins the Avengers in the MCU! Who should play him? Who should direct? (Donald Glover could do both! Or just act…)

Jon Stewart is leaving ‘The Daily Show!’ Who should replace him?

It’s also the year of the Spy genre, this week on Breaking Geek… the podcast.

New Breaking Geek Podcast Every Friday! Hopefully at 1pm!

*Thus far… on Feb 13th…

Marvel Goes Batman In Their First Feature-Quality Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’


Daredevil is cool for the first time ever!

Look how cool he is!
Look how cool he is!

Marvel Studios and Netflix have assembled as a super-team to create four Marvel shows. The first is ‘Daredevil,’ set to premiere all ten episodes on April 10th.

Ben Affleck in 2003's 'Daredevil' film.
Ben Affleck in 2003’s ‘Daredevil’ film.

(Side-note: Marvel & Netflix also plan on spinning the four heroes from their four respective shows into a fifth show featuring Marvel’s lesser knon, Earth-bound superhero team: ‘The Defenders.’)

As anyone who saw the original 2003 ‘Daredevil’ film starring Ben Affleck knows, that movie was terrible (listen to Andrew and I rant about it on this podcast). So I assumed the character was equally terrible. Worst than terrible possibly; he’s a blind man whose superpower is sight!

Similarly, over a decade ago I initially assumed Batman was an awful character after witnessing the horror that was ‘Batman & Robin.’ But Nolan’s movies completely altered my perception of the Dark Knight and now I consider myself a sort of “Batman Scholar.”

Daredevil oversees his Hell's Kitchen; his own personal Gotham.
Daredevil oversees his Hell’s Kitchen; his own personal Gotham.

Now I can see that Daredevil’s true power is that he can see in the dark as he sees everything through sonar (more-or-less). The superhuman hearing that allows said sonar sight also gives him an advantage when sneaking around criminals or listening in from afar.

Daredevil can hear through walls!
Daredevil can hear through walls!

If you boil Daredevil down again (especially after viewing the trailer) he is basically Batman with the “Bat-Sonar” seen in the finale of ‘The Dark Knight.’ Minus the wealth and nickname, “World’s Greatest Detective.”

This ‘Daredevil’ trailer does seem to have a lot in common with Nolan’s Batman films… which is actually a great choice for the character. In a world where lighter heroes like Superman (‘Man of Steel’) and the Fantastic Four (‘FANT4STIC’)  are getting overly dark movies in a reaction to ‘The Dark Knight’s success, Daredevil is a character who deserves that grittiness.Daredevil Parkour 1 Netflix

Doesn't this all look familiar? Hunting bad guys around shipping containers. Disappearing in the shadows. Only, NOW WITH PARKOUR!
Doesn’t this all look familiar? Hunting bad guys around shipping containers. Disappearing in the shadows. Only, NOW WITH PARKOUR!

It’s no surprise that this MCU version of ‘Daredevil’ is drawing from the source material ‘The Man Without Fear’ graphic novel by Frank Miller. Frank Miller, who also wrote the graphic novel ‘Batman: Year One’ which served as the basis for ‘Batman Begins;’ both in scenes and tone.Daredevil Fights in Hall Netflix

Frank Miller DaredevilFurther proof is in the Costume. Rather than the “Devil red” suit Ben Affleck had to wear, the MCU’s Daredevil wears a black ninja-looking-getup with his eyes covered (because he doesn’t need to see! See?). This look was established by Frank Miller in ‘The Man Without Fear.’

Daredevil does indeed have a lot in common with Batman, lamenting about his corrupt city and jumping around rooftops, taking out bad-guys from the shadows.

I’m already on-board for anything MCU (except for ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D which lost my attention in season one), but this trailer finally makes me believe that ‘Daredevil’ can (and hopefully will) be awesome…Daredevil Out The Window Netflix

…Because he is Marvel’s equivalent of my favorite hero of all, The Batman (let’s not get into Tony Stark territory here).

While Matt Murdock (Daredevil’s secret identity) is just a poor lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen, Bruce Wayne is Gotham’s “drunk” playboy billionaire. But you know, other than that they’re the same.Daredevil Strikes Near Shipping Containers Like Batman

Watch the trailer now and see if you agree!

You got Charlie Cox playing Matt Murdock/Daredevil and, most importantly, Vincent D’Onofrio playing Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin. A role played by Michael Clarke Duncan previously in the film.

Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin.
Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin.

There’s a lot to take in here, so we’ll cover that later. We do have 3 months until the show bows on April 10th.

‘The Blacklist’ Returns In Style With This Incredible Feature-Quality Trailer For The Arrival of Luther Braxton (Ron Pearlman)


Behind ‘Constantine’ (which you NEED to start watching before it is too late), ‘Blacklist’ is my favorite American drama currently airing new episodes. Because ‘Breaking Bad’ is over. 😦

Ron Pearlman as Luther BraxtonIn preparation for its triumphant return for the 2nd part of the second season, NBC has dropped a full-throttle, full-length trailer similar to what you would see for a feature film. And it plays like a trailer for a fantastic action-movie/thriller, even though it’s a trailer for a two-episode plot involving Red’s (James Spader) worst nightmare: the escape of Luther Braxton (Ron Pearlman).

The episode ‘Luther Braxton’ looks great, with Ron Pearlman joining the show as what looks like the ‘Blacklists’s most terrifying criminal yet.The Blacklist 'Luther Braxton'

Watch the trailer now, and check out the episode ‘Luther Braxton’ after the Superbowl on NBC.

(Though Unlike ‘Constantine,’ ‘Blacklist’ doesn’t really need your eyeballs. It has strong ratings.)

Podcast #13: FANT2STIC


Nick and Andrew discuss the trailer for the ‘Fantastic Four’ or… ‘FANT4STIC’ as Fox is calling it. Talk shifts to Disney’s plans for the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise, whether or not they include Chris Pratt.  And how can they not visit topics relating to other superhero films like ‘Justice League Dark’ and the future of Matt Ryan as John Constantine?

New podcast every Friday @ 1pm!

First ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ TV Spot


Get your favorite trailer condensed into 30 seconds!

Not really any new footage or dialog here, though the frightening instrumental version of ‘I’ve Got No Strings’ continues to be a theme. At this point, it sounds like it may even be incorporated in the final score!

I assume this is the Superbowl spot. If this is the case, this is very disappointing because, as I said, there’s nothing new here. Just a change in pacing to fit 30 seconds.Thor and Captain America in 'Age of Ultron'

Hopefully there IS something new airing this Sunday during the NFL Championship. If not, at least this TV-Spot will ensure everyone in America will know the film is coming; even those who have been living under sport-rocks.

Ultron is coming on May 1st!

The 6 Best Scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’


Ben Affleck as Batman in 'Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice'(And they’re not just action scenes!)

Batfleck Vs. Superman (also known by the silly title ‘Batman V. Superman: Justice Begins’) is still over a year away with a scheduled release date of March 25th, 2016. In the meantime, I think we should all take a step back to admire the greatest comic book movie of all time; Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight.’

Breaking Batman
Breaking Batman

I wanted to do the top 5 scenes of the entire ‘Dark Knight Trilogy,’ but that was too limiting as there are too many fantastic scenes in my ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ to cover here. I couldn’t even narrow just ‘The Dark Knight’ down to 5 favorite scenes. I need 6 to do the job!

Without further ado, here are the top 6 scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’ in the order they happen in the film’s narrative.

1. The Heist

The Bank Heist is quite the little scene to open and therefore establish the tone of the 2nd movie in Nolan’s Batman Saga. Inspired heavily by the Michael Mann film ‘Heat,’ the scene twists a classic heist into the Joker’s (Heath Ledger) plot, all while setting you on complete edge using the heights of IMAX and the sharp cords of the Joker’s theme… all screaming “Chaos.”

The Joker poses as one of his own henchmen.
The Joker poses as one of his own henchmen.

2. Decent Men In An Indecent Time

The Joker’s heist may kick off the movie, but it is a decision made by three men that really set events in motion.

To defeat Gotham’s biggest recognized problem, the mob, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale) make a pact that will dictate the fate of all three involved, as well as collateral damage of Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, and Batman Meet on the Roof

Gordon warns,

“We’re going after the mob’s life savings. Things will get ugly.”

Replies Dent,

“I knew the risk when I took this job, lieutenant.”

Dent Lights The Bat SignalDent accepts the risk willingly, as do Batman and James Gordon.

It is this pact that will determine the destiny of all three men; destroying them all by the end of the film.

3. Dent’s Dark Side

‘The Dark Knight,’ specifically the scene just covered, is largely based on my favorite graphic novel ‘The Long Halloween’ by Jeph Loeb and by Tim Sale.

Nicholas D'Agosto's Harvey Dent in 'Gotham'
Nicholas D’Agosto’s Harvey Dent on ‘Gotham’ has quite the temper.

In the comic, Dent’s dark side is hinted at early in the story; long before the accident that scars him. Let’s just say he may may have done more than take a henchmen down an alley and flipped a coin to decide his life. But we’ll get to that now.

Dent spends half the movie as Gotham’s “White Knight,” the honest and law-fairing District Attorney bringing hope to Gotham. I would argue that Dent’s dark side is introduced too late in the movie; around the hour mark. Even here, the film form is not as severe as his comic version. Hell, ‘Gotham’ showed Dent’s short fuse in the first episode introducing the young assistant D.A.

Shift Thomas wearing Rachel Dawes' name; signaling her as Joker's next victim.
Shiff Thomas wearing Rachel Dawes’ name; signaling her as Joker’s next victim.

The 1st sign something is amiss with Gotham’s White Knight is when he interrogates Joker’s henchmen Shiff Thomas; the man wearing the name tag pegging “Rachel Dawes” as the Joker’s next victim.

The Darker Side of Harvey Dent.
The Darker Side of Harvey Dent.

Thomas gets the ‘ole coin flip multiple times, gun held to his head, until Batman stops Dent. The Dark Knight warns the D.A. that if anyone saw what Dent was doing, faith in the White Knight and Gotham would fail.

Even going off the cuff, Dent left the fate of  Shift Thomas to his double-sided coin. He (likely) meant Shift Thomas no terminal harm.

Still, that Dent darkness has to appear somehow.

4. Batman Interrogates The Joker

Batman’s one rule comes back to bite him in the ass. By a rabid dog chasing cars.

"You Complete Me!"
“You Complete Me!”

It’s really hard not to love this scene. Though Batman has the Joker in his gauntlets, Joker has all the power.

“You have NOTHING! Nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with your strength.”

The Joker, Beaten but Still LaughingIt really is powerful to watch Batman wail on Joker to no avail. His “one rule” that prevents him from killing leads to the deaths of others in the film. This same number was over 600 by the time the pair face off for the final time in Frank Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns.’

In this case, his one rule kills Rachel and blows Dent halfway to hell. But it is this rule that separates Batman from the masked villains. Even though he may lose to the Joker this scheme, I think he may get him in the end…

5. An Unmovable Object and An Unstoppable Force

Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin dies the old fashioned way.
Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin dies the old fashioned way.

‘The Dark Knight’ breaks the superhero’s genre one rule, established in classic films like 1989’s ‘Batman’ and carried on to nearly-modern day ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) and ‘Batman Begins’ (2005): kill off your villain so the end is nice and tidy.

The Caped Crusader does toss the Clown Prince of Crime off the Pruitt building… only to catch him with his grappling hook, much to the Joker’s disappointment.

“Oh, you. You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”

Joker and Batman: Destined to BeBoom! That’s comics in a nutshell.

Spider-Man doesn’t kill the Green Goblin in the comics (well he does, several, but some come back… and, you know, crazy Marvel stuff); they clash again and again and again. And there are very few foes that have been clashing longer in the comics than Batman and the Joker.

6. The White Knight Vs. The Dark Knight

Rachel Dawes and Harvey DentThe real finale. The one we were promised when Gordon, Dent, and Batman meet on that rooftop in the first act.

Things got dirty. And all three of these decent men in an indecent time were torn to shreds by the joker, but none more than tragic Harvey Dent.

“What happened to Rachel wasn’t chance. We decided to act! We three!”

Batman knows what’s up! Cause he’s the world’s greatest detective.

But Harvey Dent is the apparent loser in the room, having lost his fiance (and scared his face), with no knowledge that Bruce carried similar feelings for Rachel.  Two-Face Finale

In the comics, Bruce Wayne blames himself for not revealing to Harvey Dent who he was. For not showing Dent who fought alongside him for the soul of Gotham. For remaining anonymous and letting Gordon and Dent take the brunt of mob vengeance.

In the movie, even in this immense time of crisis, Batman is able to vocalize the importance of Harvey Dent to Gotham; why he was chosen.

“Because you were the best of us! He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.”

So rests the soul of Gotham in these three-warriors-torn-asunder’s final moments together. Harvey “Two-Face” Dent deciding each of their fates with a flip of the coin.Dead Two-Face from The Dark Knight

This scene completes the movie. Three young men with rose-color glasses are wrung through the shredder as a promise they made destroyed their partnership and their lives. Classic Nolan/Batman tragedy.

Podcast #10: That Honeypotting Marvel!


Nick and Andrew honeypot/honeydick you into the world of Breaking Geek. They discuss the excellent film, ‘Blue Ruin,’ and come back around to ‘The Interview’ before launching into comic book movies and TV shows including Marvel’s teasers for Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Ant-Man.’ Also, an update on the DC Cinematic Universe (DCCU) and ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ franchises.

Come back every Friday @ 1pm Mountain Time for new episodes of ‘Breaking Geek: The Podcast!

Excited for ‘Jurassic World?’ These Videos Will Help Curb Your Appetite


‘Jurassic World’ is still months away with a release date of June 12th, yet it is the 2015 film I am most excited for (sorry Avengers, 007, Max, and Han Solo).

Jurassic World VelociraptorLike with any giant Youtube video (the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer is one of the most played trailers on the video platform) there are mash-ups, other videos analyzing the trailer, and old people reacting to it.

No old people here! The two videos I got here are better than that (though they could be loosely classified as mash-ups)!

First, be amazed at how close the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer sticks to the source material, in this case, the original 1993 film, ‘Jurassic Park.’

I personally believe the fact that new director Colin Trevorrow is working so hard to duplicate the magic of ‘Jurassic Park’ in a film that harkens back to that original more than either of the other two sequels, including Steve Spielberg directed ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park,’ is a good decision.

Chris Pratt and his VelociraptorThis seems to be the key with most sequels to decades old franchises this year with ‘Terminator Genisys’ recalling exact images from the original 1984 film and 1991’s ‘Judgement Day’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ bringing back classic ships and characters.

Now that you’ve watched the trailer shot-by-shot ‘Jurassic Park’/’Jurassic World’ comparison, I have an even sweeter treat, especially if you are a ‘Parks and Recreation’ fan.

Andy Dwyer (chubby old-school Chris Pratt) gets transferred to ‘Jurassic World’ in ‘Jurassic Parks & Recreation’ mash-up.

Pretty fantastic, no?Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer

Finally, as a bonus, I have a blast from the past in the form of this ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic claymation (yay!) music video from his 1993 song, ‘Jurassic Park.’ The lyrics are great, but the claymation seals the deal.

So there you have, 3 fantastic ‘Jurassic World’ related videos to further get you psyched for June 12th’s film starring Chris Pratt and that genetically engineered hybrid.

You’re welcome.

‘Better Call Saul’ Trailer & New Clip


I consider ‘Breaking Bad’ the best American drama ever to grace my television screen.

Where do you think I got the name for my website? (I proved my point, thank you very much.)

Better Call Saul!‘Better Call Saul’ follows Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), the infamous lawyer who set events in motion by hooking up Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) with Gus Fring. He of course remained their lawyer til the end of the series, getting drawn farther into the criminal underworld than Saul could handle.

‘Better Call Saul’ follows a young, innocent, Jimmy, before he has found his alter-ego-doucehbag-TV-lawyer identity of Saul Goodman.Better Call Saul Image 1

Check out the amazing trailers first (the 2nd is the better of the two), but then we have a clip with Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) and young Jimmy meeting each other for the first time.

Not a bad start. Now watch the more recent, better trailer with completely alternate footage.
Now, without further ado, the “meet cute” scene in the budding relationship between lawyer-wanna-be Jimmy “Not-Yet-Saul” and the most dangerous grandpa in the world, Mike Ehrmantraut.
You gone and fucked with the wrong old-geezer, Saul. Bad move.

Mike Meets Saul Goodman

‘Better Call Saul’ premieres February 8th on AMC.Better Call Saul Poster

Marvel Studios’ Netflix Show ‘Daredevil’ Has A Poster and Release Date!


Marvel’s marketing department has been in overdrive this week.

‘Daredevil’ is coming to Netflix April 10th, before even ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ and the recently advertised ‘Ant-Man’ hit the silver screen.Marvel Netflix Daredevil Logo 2015

No, I don’t mean the 2003 film ‘Daredevil’ starring Ben Batfleck as the title hero. 2015’s ‘Daredevil’ is a brand new show, officially part of the the Marvel Cinematic Universe, by Marvel Studios. Fox made the original film but let the rights slip back to Disney/Marvel, allowing the pros that brought us ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ to create and execute the first of five planned Netflix shows.

Let’s start by watching the ‘trailer’ for the Release Date announcement and poster unveil. (Not too unlike the logo trailer for 007: SPECTRE)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hasn’t had much luck on TV, especially when you compare it to DC’s successful ‘Arrow,’ ‘Flash,’ and ‘Gotham;’ all shows that look like they will be around for a few seasons. My personal favorite, ‘Constantine’ is the most enjoyable, as though it can get dark as hell, the tone is closer to that of a Marvel movie than the aforementioned darker DC shows or the new DC Cinematic Universe (the DCCU) kicked off by Zack Synder’s overly dark ‘Man of Steel.’

Meanwhile, ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ clings to life and is a complete disappointment when compared to the rest of the MCU, or even Fox and Sony Marvel films like ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘X-Men.’

'Agent Carter' Poster‘Agent Carter’ may be great (the premise sure is), but I have yet to watch it (I think I’ll hop on Hulu+ following this post) and haven’t seen any TV ratings yet.

Though we have yet to see any real footage from Netflix’s’Daredevil,’ one would expect the gutsy “online network” that brought us ‘House of Cards’ to deliver a more cinematic product with a much higher budget than ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ The former should also feel less constrained by network television standards than the latter.

And ‘Daredevil’ is just the beginning of a run of MCU Netflix programming that could eclipse DC’s thus far successful television efforts.

Here’s the poster.Daredevil (2015) Poster

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/DaredevilFollowing the 13 episode ‘Daredevil’ series starring Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpen,  Marvel and Netflix will release ‘AKA Jessica Jones’ starring ‘Breaking Bad’s Krysten Ritter as the title character and Mike Colter as Luke Cage. Seeing as how the two are an item in the comics, Mike Colter will play Luke Cage in ‘Aka Jessica Jones’ before he gets his own show, ‘Luke Cage,’ next. Following that we get ‘Iron Fist’ which has yet to be cast, followed by an ‘Avengers’-esque series called ‘The Defenders’ that brings all four characters together for an ensemble superhero team.

Basically, Marvel has focused their TV efforts on an MCU of Netflix’s own; one that could lead to appearances of the characters on ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ which desperately needs more superheroes and even a possible team-up in ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ Part 1 or 2.

Thus far, we have only seen this Frank Miller look of the costume, not the red horned costume used in 2003's 'Darvedevil' film.
Thus far, we have only seen this Frank Miller look of the costume, not the red horned costume used in 2003’s ‘Darvedevil’ film.

This does raise the question, where and if these shows exist within ‘Phase 2’ or ‘Phase 3.’ Being a part of the MCU means they have to fall somewhere. I would guess that somewhere is ‘Phase 3’ as we won’t see Daredevil on the big screen helping with the sadistic Ultron. But IT DOES come out before ‘Age of Ultron’ and ‘Ant-Man,’ the latter ending ‘Phase 2.’ Maybe some plot points do feed into either film and are a part of Phase 2?

We’ll know more on April 10th when Netflix drops all 13 episodes of Marvel Studios’ ‘Daredevil;’ the next frontier of superhero shows.

5 Things You’re Missing By Not Watching ‘Constantine’


‘Constantine’ is my favorite network show of the fall 2014 TV season.

I’m not a big network TV fan. I’ve loved and lost: ‘Arrested Development.’ I’ve grown tired of aging shows: ‘The Simpsons.’ Many others just lived their TV shelf life: ’24,’ ’30 Rock,’ ‘Parks & Rec,’ and ‘Community.’

But this season, I’m up to my all-time high with ‘Blacklist,’ ‘Gotham,’ ‘Brooklyn 99,’ and, of course, ‘Constantine.’Constantine Flame On!

The most miraculous feat of all (aside from the apparent “miracles” that can come up on the show)? The fact that I like any network TV show more than one about Batman (sorry, ‘Gotham.’)!

Here’s 5 things you are missing out on by skipping ‘Constantine.’

1. The Opening Credit Sequence Makes Your Skin Crawl

Is the opening credit sequence of a show really that important?

G.O.B.s favorite bar, "And Jeremy Piven"
G.O.B.s favorite bar, “And Jeremy Piven”

If you ask the late, not-so-great, ‘Entourage,’ then yes, the opening credit roll is a big deal. Often mocked among friends, the “Ya! Oh, yeah!” stroll down the Sunset strip, walking past the great L.A. bar “With Jeremy Piven” is horribly long.

And annoying.

‘Constantine’ has a perfect length, incredibly unique opening credit sequence.

There’s not even actor or creator credits given, just the image of souls burning in hell.

Watch it now! Then we move on!

2. Matt Ryan is incredibly likable as John Constantine.

Matt Ryan as Jon Constantine
Matt Ryan as John Constantine

Here’s your first clue that there’s a big difference between NBC’s ‘Constantine’ and the 2005 movie starring Keanu Reeves; Matt Ryan’s John Constantine is charming and funny in a way Keanu will never understand.

Ryan brings humor and sarcasm in large doses, playing the self proclaimed “Master of the Dark Arts.” (Constantine gets shit almost every episode for having that last title on his business card.)

 

And yet, John is also a man haunted.

Astra, accidentally damned to Hell by a young John Constantine.
Astra, accidentally damned to Hell by a young John Constantine.

Haunted by what happened to Astra, the daughter of a friend whom Constantine accidentally damned to hell during a failed exorcism. That’s some dark shit to deal with.

Similar to the sins of his past, Constantine makes some very ambiguous moral choices that could lump him in shared company with ‘Breaking Bad’s Walter White. In one episode he literally has to trap a demon in the body of a friend; inviting the demon in and then trapping him in the body by carving demon locking symbols into his friend’s face with a special blessed blade.

A Demon Mocks Constantine By Taking His Form In The 'Pilot.'
A Demon mocks Constantine by taking his form in the ‘Pilot.’

Constantine has his demons, both literally and figuratively. Yet, the show never gets silly when he recites incantations and draws demonic symbols. The show carries just the right tone for it all to work.

Spells and Incantations from the "Master of the Dark Arts."
Spells and Incantations from the “Master of the Dark Arts.”

And Constantine has quite a bit of evil to combat as there is a “rising darkness” that is pushing more monsters to the surface and resulting in stronger than average demons.

Withfirst-trailer-for-constantine-tv-show-watch-now-162616-a-1399875059-470-75 all the good, the bad, and his torment/mission, as a man, I still want to be John Constantine. Rock that white shirt and that loose-ass tie… TV’s John Constantine is one cool anti-hero.

 

3. It’s a horror show at heart.

Constantine in PilotI have a knack for missing when something is in the horror genre, unless it’s a shitty torture-porn film like ‘Saw’ or ‘The Hills Have Eyes.’ I didn’t realize the new ‘Fright Night’ (2011) was horror until my friends pointed it out; I thought it was a dark comedy.

Constantine has his own batch on incantations to fight the "rising evil."

 

I had the same inclination with ‘Constantine,’ enjoying the darkness and comedy of the show, completely missing that it is, indeed, a horror show. Not only that, it’s a damn good one, with gruesome bloody scenes and scary demons that rival cable’s ‘The Walking Dead.’

We’re talking possessed children, fallen Angels, and a vinyl holding the voice of “the fallen” (the devil, of course).

One of 'Constantine's many literal demons.
One of ‘Constantine’s many literal demons.

2. It has its own, unique format unlike anything on network TV.

I like to call ‘Constantine’ my favorite cable show on Network TV since ‘Arrested Development.’

Let’s face it, most the good shows on television live on cable networks willing to take risks like AMC, FX, and HBO. Most of what we see on Network TV (by which I mean CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and The CW) is very formulaic, with nearly all dramas following the criminal or medical procedural format. Even a show like ‘Gotham’ (which I also adore) boils down to a police procedural that happens to have quirky DC characters. ‘The Blacklist’ is brilliant, but it also doesn’t escape the classic format of a Network TV Drama.

Constantine and Zed hunt demons.
Constantine and Zed hunt demons.

‘Constantine’ marches by the beat of its own drum. It does have a formula; establish demon/evil entity, Constantine tracks it with the aide of Zed (Angelica Celaya) and/or Chas Chandler (Charles Halford), if it’s a demon he may chase it from body to body, finally vanquishing it in the final act, depending what “it” is.

That is where the show flaunts its format: the “Rising Darkness.” The evil in the show takes many forms, from the aforementioned demons, to possessed inanimate objects, and even Angels that work for “the fallen.”

No two episodes are alike and non mirror what you would see on a Network Procedural.

1. It has great side characters and is rich with DC universe lore.

Constantine Cast
Manny the Angel, John Constantine, Zed Martin, and Chas Chandler

John Constantine’s tortured soul is only the tip of NBC’s iceberg.

My favorite character – aside from Constantine who I obviously have a man-crush on – is Manny the Angel (Harold Perrineau). Manny appears to Constantine, not to help, as he can never give information or physically help in any way that will alter the lives of mortals like John.

Manny the Angel
Manny the Angel
Manny mocks Constantine by appearing to him as a bartender.
Manny mocks Constantine by appearing to him as a bartender.

While Manny appears to visit Constantine for moral support, really he spends most of his time gloating and mocking Constantine. The back and forth between these characters is my favorite part of the show. Whenever Manny shows up, I crack a smile.

Zed and Chas are also great characters, both with their separate supernatural gifts and their relationships with the “master of the dark arts.”

John Constantine Comic AdThese characters are from the comics (not Manny, he was added to turn the comic’s inner-monologues into dialog between two characters) as are many of the demons and items we see throughout the show. I wish I read the New 52’s ‘Constantine’ (formally ‘Hellblazer’) as there are A LOT of DC ‘Easter Eggs’ to uncover.

All-in-all, it boils down to my earlier statement. To quote myself:

 

‘Constantine’ is my favorite cable show on Network TV since ‘Arrested Development.’

Boom. I just self-quoted.

There you have it, 5 reasons to check out ‘Constantine’ on Hulu and NBC. If you’re game for unique TV containing fascinating characters and scary demons – with a DC Comics flair – then join me and John on our mission against the “Rising Darkness.”

Just one more great image of the demon that mocks John in the ‘Pilot.’Demon as ConstantineAnd I’m out!

Podcast #8: Catwoman’s Meow


Nick and Andrew watched 2004’s ‘Catwoman’ starring the right place, wrong time actress Halle Berry. They discuss. On a more accurate Batman related note, they also discuss TV’s ‘Gotham.’ Somehow the Avengers also come into play… somehow.

Podcast #7: The Reapening – Ultron Comes To ‘Gotham’


Nick and Andrew are back after a summer hiatus! Plans of discussing the brand new  ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ trailer and the TV show ‘Gotham’ are often derailed by the excitement 2015 bring-ith.

Ultron stands aside Scarlet Witch and Quicksiler
Ultron stands aside Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver
Captain America in Age of Ultron
Capt, runs from flying cars!

Some more screen grabs from the epic trailer posted previously.

Age of Ultron Avengers Asunder
Bruce Banner/ Hulk gets seriously spooked!
No Strings
Creepy-Ass string-less robot!
Hulk V. Hulkbuster
… And Hulk Vs. The Hulkbuster!

Podcast #5: So Much For 2nd Chances


After loosing take 1, Nick and Andrew embark on an 2nd journey down Episode 5. Andrew steers the ship, getting lost in the stormy seas of FX, FXX, and FXM. Nick snipes invaders from the sky and questions the mechanics of Girl Meets World.

Podcast #2 – IN THE WAKE


Nick and Andrew discuss Tom Selleck’s moustache, the new Batman/Superman movie with Batfleck, SHERLOCK Series 3, and the incredible graphic novel THE WAKE. Among other geeky references and knowledge.

8 Impressions I Wish I Could Do (A List!)


Impressions are fun. But the only one I can do is Christian Bales’ Batman.

It requires yelling, but I nailed “WHERE IS HARVEY DENT?!?” and other great quotes like “Swear to Me!,”  “I’m not wearing hockey pads!,”RACHEL!” and “I’m not the hero this city deserves, but I’m the hero Gotham needs.”Pete Holmes as Batman

I learned the voice and the face (gotta have big lips protruding) from Pete Holmes’ Badman skits where he nails the Batman impression.

I realize the last one is a Commissioner Gordon played by the incredible actor, Gary Oldman. But it works with the rough Batman voice.

And then, everyone can do Borat and Daniel Plainview.Borat

I’m also not terrible at Tom Hardy’s Bane impression. “I wondered what would break first… your soul… or your body!”

Anyway… I’m not writing to tell you what impression I can do, rather the 5 impressions I wish I could do.

A word of warning, it would be great to do a Christopher Walken impression, but that impression is so overused by comedians, so I have left it off the list.

It’s also a countdown. From my 8th favorite impression to my most favorite.

9. Arnold Schwarenegger

8. Heath Ledger’s Joker

Pete Holmes does Batman AND the Joker! He’s a great impressionist! Though he never uses it in his stand up.

Pete Holmes does the joker (at the end) AND the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Jay Mohr. Mohr has a few great impressions himself (including someone who will show up later on the list).  Continue reading “8 Impressions I Wish I Could Do (A List!)”

Pete Holmes Gets Geeks: STREET FIGHTER Edition


Pete Holmes is there for all of us. All of us geeks.

He has his Badman sketches, his Ex-Men skits, and now a STREET FIGHTER 2 parody.  After all, has anyone in my age group not played STREET FIGHTER 2: TURBO?

Of course not.

Pete Holmes does have “All the Games.”

Check out Pete Holmes’ conversation with Ryu after the jump!

True geekiness ahead!

Continue reading “Pete Holmes Gets Geeks: STREET FIGHTER Edition”

Benedict Cumberbatch: Best Sesame St. Cameo Since Will Arnett


Sesame St. has really nailed it these past few years with great cameos and parodies meant for adults.

My favorite comedic actor, Will Arnett, once appeared as a magician, in reference to the underrated Emmy winning comedy, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.

It was hilarious. More hilarious to me than it was educational to that wide-eyed muppet and your child.

Since then, the show has had Mad Men parodies and Stephen Colbert appearances… all the while I became a Cumberbitch*.

And then this happened. Continue reading “Benedict Cumberbatch: Best Sesame St. Cameo Since Will Arnett”