Hi Hellblazers! SURPRISE! This episode is SO late! Our favorite mystical con-man appeared on Arrow weeks ago (in an episode titled Haunted), and Joe and Tony recorded the podcast right away, but then real-life got crazy with work schedules and family illness and travel and Thanksgiving Holidays... and this surprise episode got delayed - OUR APOLOGIES! BUT - here we are. Constantine on Arrow! We've gotten one more chance, thanks to the great folks at Arrow and the CW, to watch our hero John Constantine in action! Here are some thoughts from Joe about the episode: Read More… The post TDYK 16-The Devil You Know Episode 16-Constantine On Arrow appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Thoughts from Joe on the Season Finale of Constantine, Season 1: Once More Into the Fray So we've reached an end. End of Season 1? Definitely. End of Constantine as a series? We have no idea at this point. The fans have spoken. "Season 2!" they shout from the mountaintops. Ratings crawled up a bit, I'd like to think in response to several rock-solid episodes. I admit, I wasn't as blown away by this last episode as I would've liked. Except for the last 2 minutes. Which blew my mind. Read More… The post TDYK 14-The Devil You Know Episode 14-Waiting For The Man Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

OK. OK, OK, OK. So I was wrong. I was big-time wrong. About what, you may ask? About our buddy Manny. Early on, I predicted that Manny was in fact NOT on the side of the angels. I imagined him as a fallen angel, or even an entirely unrelated entity trying to manipulate Constantine. Soooooo it turns out that not only is he indeed an angel, but he's on the side of the angels too. Read More... The post TDYK 13-The Devil You Know Episode 13-Angels and Ministers of Grace Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Some thoughts from Joe Z, one of the co-hosts of THE DEVIL YOU KNOW: A CONSTANTINE PODCAST The Final Countdown And so we've entered the final three episodes of Constantine. How can it be?! IT'S TOO SOON! Well, the final three episodes of Season 1 anyway. Will there be a 2nd season? Who knows at this point? Well, probably CBS. The ride that is Constantine has indeed been a rocky one. Look, I'm an optimist. I admit it. I have a tendency to look for the good first, the bad...well, only if I have to. I feel like I need to face the facts about this show. The truth is, it took a while to find itself. It REALLY struggled in the beginning. Coal mine ghosts? Meh. Scary children in masks? Seen it. And don't get me started on Liv! Constantine has suffered through what many other shows have suffered through: first season identity crisis. I can't help but feel like the early episodes softballed it a little. Perhaps they didn't trust the audience. Perhaps they didn't want to scare the Network. But the fact is, for Constantine to work, scare is what is needed. A few episodes in, the show started to veer closer to the comics. We saw fantastic familiar faces like Papa Midnight, Gaz, Anne-Marie and of course Jim Corrigan/The Specter. AND they decided to up the horror. Rather than veer towards Buffy-esque monsters of the week, we saw cursed items, demons in the form of beetle swarms, and hideous beasts made from tortured babies. And that's when Constantine became Constantine. Read More... The post TDYK 12-The Devil You Know Episode 12-A Whole World Out There Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

this week, the devil we got to the know is Chas! At long last, we finally learned the great mystery of everyone's favorite 6'6" teddy bear w/ a mean right hook. The post TDYK 11- Quid Pro Quo Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Co-Host Joe Zettelmaier shares his thoughts about the newest episode of Constantine! In Defense of Scooby Gangs Hello, all! Gravelly-voiced Joe Zettelmaier here, thrilled to be back in the land of flesh-fruit, satanic vinyls and cops-soon-to-be-Spectres. While my recent illness may have turned my voice into a rumbling demon, it hasn't hindered my ability to write at all, so here we are...back to the Devil You Know Blogs! So one of the things we really got from The Saint of Last Resorts, Pt. 2 is a chance to see the whole gang (plus Anne-Marie) functioning as a team or, to use a phrase often utilized for supernatural "heroes" in a bunch, a Scooby Gang! Outside the popular animated show featuring a sleuthy canine and his human pals, the term "Scooby Gang" was also a popular term to use for Buffy Summers and her gang of monster-hunting companions. I feel like it certainly applies to Constantine, Zed, Chas and occasionally Manny and Anne-Marie. Read More... The post TDYK 10-The Saint Of Last Resorts Pt. 2 Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

It's the Mid-Season Hiatus/Holiday Break for Constantine! So, we're celebrating! Tony and Joe have gathered 100 or so of their closest friends and Constantine fans, and flown everyone down to Jasper's Millhouse for our first ever Mid-Season Hiatus Retrospective And Celebratory Dance Party! Join us as we snack, dance, and celebrate some of our favorite things about the first 8 episodes of Constantine. We also discuss the newest news, browse around some of the things on the shelves of the Millhouse, manage to avoid the gravity trap, and try to be heard over the noise of the crowd dancing in celebration of Constantine's imminent return on January 16th. Read More... The post TDYK 09 – Mid-Season Hiatus Dance Party appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

The Constantine We Deserve What else can I say? The Saint of Last Resort, pt. 1 was the episode of Constantine I've been waiting for since the go. We've had some great episodes at this point (Danse Vaudou, Devil's Vinyl) and some duds (Darkness Beneath, I'm lookin' at you). But last week, all the parts came together in one glorious, grotesque hour of demonic television. Last week, I blogged about what I felt hurt the show. This time, let's talk about why Last Resort worked so well. The biggest thing for me was character development. We've been needing to make some big strides in that direction for a while, and boy did we get it. While it's fun to have some mystery in John's past, he's still our protagonist. We've got to get to know him better, and the more we see him interact w/ people from his past, the more layers we see. Old friends often have an insight to us that no one else does. Anne-Marie gave us that and more. John's unresolved feelings allow us to see past his snark. And the truth of his human feelings make the hard decisions he makes that much harder. Read More... The post TDYK 08-The Devil You Know Episode 08-The Saint of Last Resorts Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

A tale of two Constantines. If you've listened to our podcast for this week's episode (Blessed Are the Damned), you know that this one didn't wow me the way some of the others have. I've been mulling it over, trying to determine what exactly it was that left this one, and the previous episode, feeling a bit like soup gone cold. For me, this show really started turning into something I was dying to watch in Ep. 3-The Devil's Vinyl. Sure, the introduction of Papa Midnite didn't hurt. But more than that, TDV was the first episode that really seemed to lock into a universe I could invest in. The focus of the episode (a diabolically-powered record) was something I hadn't seen before, and something that didn't present easy solutions. With Papa Midnite, we saw the series start to veer closer to the comic. Some interesting questions were raised, and the show made it's first major step towards being something more than a supernatural procedural. Read More... The post TDYK 07-The Devil You Know Episode 07-Blessed Be The Damned Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

So let's deal with the demonic elephant in the room. NBC has decided to cap Constantine Season 1 at 13 episodes. A lot of people view this as the first step towards cancellation. Is it? Hell if I know. (Hellblazer if I know?) But mine is an optimistic nature. I look at this as potentially a very, very good thing. A pal of mine said the following about Constantine: It took 3 episodes for Constantine to turn into a good show, and 4 episodes for it to turn into a great one. I tend to agree. The last several episodes show a tighter narrative, more focus on characters, and an overall darker tone. Sure, The Rage of Caliban felt like a throwback, because that's exactly what it was: an episode aired out of order. But if you look at the last few episodes (The Devil's Vinyl, Feast of Friends, Danse Vaudou)...well, to me it seems clear that the showrunners, writers, producers, everyone is investing in a show that steers closer to the comics. Eerie, grim, darkly funny, with a protagonist who's not afraid to light up a smoke now and then. Read More... The post TDYK 06-The Devil You Know Episode 06-The Rage of Caliban Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

This week on The Devil You Know Tony is joined by Karen Lindsay as co-host, as Joe is currently AWOL. He was last seen entering the Hallway of Infinity in Jasper's Home For The Weird And Spooky, and we haven't heard from him yet. Too bad for him, because he missed a GREAT episode of "Constantine". Some of the tightest writing we've seen, some great performances, beautiful special effects, as well as the return of a fabulous character (Papa Midnite) and the introduction of ANOTHER fabulous character, Jim Corrigan (aka: The Spectre)! Read More... The post TDYK 05-The Devil You Know Episode 05-Danse Vaudou Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

I write this from my car, where I sit waiting for Tony to get home so we can record our podcast. My electric seat warmers are the only thing keeping me alive. Well, that...and how much I liked this week's episode of Constantine. A Feast of Friends, you were a treat. Damn near lifted entirely from the comic. Gaz, the hunger demon that was his downfall...a great ep from a great issue. To me, this is a huge move in the right direction. The show continues to get darker, all the while veering closer to the source material. It's that kind of honor to the books that's gonna keep fans of John Constantine happy and keep the show on track. Sure I was sad to not see Papa Midnite (he's in this story arc in the comic), but Doctor Mist?! They brought in Doctor Mist?! Sure, he's an obscure DC character I'm entirely unfamiliar with, but I still love the nod to the greater hero community. I mean, the only thing that could make this better was if Jim Corrigan were to appear in the next episode! Oh wait… Read More... The post TDYK 04-The Devil You Know Episode 04-A Feast of Friends Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Episode 3 of Constantine has come and gone, and lots of good things continue to happen with this show! Matt Ryan again proves why he is getting rave reviews as John Constantine. Is this a perfect episode of Constantine? No. Is it the best one yet? You bet! With three episodes, the show has started to find a little bit of a groove, and it's showing signs of becoming the show we hope it will grow to be! It's getting a little darker, a little clearer, and a lot more fun. Read more... The post TDYK 03-The Devil You Know Episode 03-The Devil’s Vinyl Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

In defense of second episodes: It seems to me that a LOT of media critics are under the impression that they should totally understand what a show is about by episode two. I understand, but politely disagree. Sure, we should get a sense of the show...themes, style, etc. But at two episodes in, the whole point should be (I think) to have to still guess, to have questions. Why? Because when done right, questions get you coming back. I bring this up because I read a few reviews for Constantine basically saying "Well, it's a monster-of-the-week show." Is it? I have no idea. Why do I have no idea? BECAUSE WE'RE ON EPISODE TWO! At this point, I can barely guess what's going to come next. It seems clear that they're building an overarching mythology, which is great. Give the world a sense of history, a flavor, etc. But does seeing an electro-demon in episode one and a dirt/knock-knock demon in episode two mean that we've cracked the code of Constantine? Surely not. I'm not saying it won't be a monster-of-the-week show. All I'm saying is that I don't know. I don't want to know, not yet anyway. I want to explore this sandbox a little bit more. I want to see the hoodoo that Constantin do so well. And oh mama, do I wanna see more comic book characters crossing into the show. We've gotten John himself (of course), Chas, Ritchie Simpson and Zed so far, with Papa Midnight and Jim Corrigan on the way. Many a fan (Tony and I included) are clamoring for Zatana. And you know what? Swamp Thing. There. I said it. John was introduced in Swamp Thing. He's had a bunch of run-ins with the Jolly Green Giant. So yeah, I want to see Swampy...hell, even pre-Swampy Alec Holland would be welcome! Read More... The post TDYK02-The Devil You Know Episode 02-The Darkness Beneath Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Thoughts from Joe Zettelmaier, one of the hosts of The Devil You Know: First episodes are a tricky thing. You have to hook your audience, and hook 'em fast. Give them a strong sense of their protagonist (I won't call them "hero") and convince them to invest in said protagonist. It gets even trickier with some genre-specific programming...sci-fi, horror, comic-based, etc. You often have to create a world with rules altogether different from what we know as reality. You have to give the audience some sense of these rules, all while getting them to follow the protagonists journey. And the exposition? Don't get me started on the exposition. So much history to convey, so many clues to lay out...Creating a solid first episode is like juggling cats. It's not impossible, but blood will likely be drawn. Tony and I discussed the premiere episode of Constantine a lot. We both came to the same conclusion: a solid B grade. Was it perfect? No. There's some choppy storytelling, a very passive secondary lead who seems to be there only to ask questions, stuff like that. But we both agree there's a lot that works too. Matt Ryan has the potential to be a great Constantine. Hard to gauge this early on, but there's a great world-weariness to him. He gets the snark, he gets the rough edges, and he really shines in the moments where we see how willing he is to sacrifice others. That's John Constantine. He's not a great person. He's that charming friend that always leads you into the worst trouble. You kinda love him, but you also kinda wanna beat him stupid. Read More... The post TDYK 01-The Devil You Know Episode 01-Non Est Asylum Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Hi there! Joe Zettelmaier here, co-host of The Devil You Know: A Constantine Podcast. I'm thrilled to be back on the mic with my good pal Tony Caselli, especially with I show I'm legitimately excited by, and with the wonderful Golden Spiral Media. So here's the thing. I'm a comic book fellow from way back in the day, tho' less so now. A Constantine TV show that was going to veer close to the comic was already on my "gotta watch" list. So when we were given the chance to host a podcast about it, Tony and I both went into research mode. I had never much read Hellblazer (the comic the show is based on), and as I'm sure many of you know, there's a LOT of Hellblazer to read. As I started combing through it all, I was struck by how rich, how fleshed out our boy John was, right from his first appearances. I was drawn in. Then, I started watching every trailer, every interview, every Constantine-related video I could find. That was when the show went from "I'll check this out" to "I GOTTA check this out." Matt Ryan carries himself w/ a swagger I think is worthy of the titular character. A haggard appearance, world-weary eyes, and the hint of an impish grin...that's John. And two of my faves from Lost (Harold Perrineau and Jeremy Davies) kept popping up as well. And Davies is the spitting image of tech-master Ritchie Simpson! Read more... The post TDYK 00 -The Devil You Know Episode 00-Preview Episode appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.