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October 19, 2014

The Goshen News - Today's Entertainment

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'Constantine': The devil made him do it By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it John Constantine is one of those guys who knows everyone and ev- erything. He's slyly witty, and you want him on your side, especially if you happen to be possessed. "Constantine" NBC's dark drama, based on the DC comic series, "Hell- blazer" premieres Friday, Oct. 24, starring Matt Ryan ("Criminal Minds") as the master of the dark arts. "John could walk into the house of Parliament and he'd have friends on the left and right, prob- ably more on the left," Ryan says. When we meet John Constantine he's in a psy- chiatric institution, where he has committed himself and is receiving electro- shock therapy. Yet even there, he winds up per- forming an exorcism. Weird stuff happens around him, and the show raises the specter that weird stuff is always hap- pening around all of us, but we don't all always notice. Incidentally, Constan- tine has no super powers, not even a well-outfitted cave somewhere. Con- stantine, Ryan says, "is a regular bloke. His pow- ers are that he's a con- man. He tries to con you first, then he tries to kick you're a— and if he can't kick you're a— he'll run away." Still, he can sense things and knows what he is looking for, though demons do have a way of seeking him out. Each week the show will have a new demon, Ryan says. "Constantine is a character who's been around for 30 years," an executive producer Daniel Cerone says at a press conference. "He started in 'Swamp Thing.' He had a beautiful run there, cre- ated by Alan Moore. The 'Hellblazer' comic ran for 25 years. It actually holds the distinction of being the longest-running comic book of any in print that was never renumbered or reissued or rebooted. Unlike most comic books, John Constantine sort of aged in real time." Constantine has a weathered, world-weary look to him. "He's a down-on-his- luck drunk," Ryan says. "He can't pay rent but he is trying to save human- ity." At least he need not tackle this huge task alone. There's an angel, Manny (Harold Perrineau, "Lost"), and a young woman, with true su- Matt Ryan stars in "Constantine," premiering Friday on NBC. pernatural gifts, Angelica Celaya ("Dallas"). "I say he's always an angel of questionable intent," Perrineau says. "That's how I sort of de- scribe him right now." Zed has intuitive skills she was unaware of, and when she starts seeing spirits all around her, she's understandably terrified. The pilot features a scene where the ghost of Zed's grandmother appears, first looking sweet, then in a repugnant scene, black goo falls from her mouth. There are also CGI insects, car crashes and murders. "This show is a scary, fun, adventure, horror road show that's dark and gritty," Ryan says, "and has a lot of humor because of John's cynical wit." 2 The Goshen News • TV Spotlight • October 20 - 26, 2014 On or Off-Site Catering All Occasions Dine under the glow of gas lanterns Breakfast and Lunch Meals also available Open Tuesday through Saturday www.goshennews.com

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