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March 7, 2005

Constantine Invades Popular Culture

It turns out that Constantine is the hot new name, being featured not only in the previously-mentioned movie of the same name but also as the first name of a top contender on American Idol.

Let's just hope that all of the publicity my name is getting doesn't lead to the name becoming a "trendy" one to bestow upon children, as happened when herds of parents rushed to name their little girls "Madison." Though at least the origin and popularity of the name "Constantine" has a bit more of a history than Madison.

Posted by Dean at 4:27 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

March 3, 2005

Constantine on Constantine

So, of course, I had to see the movie Constantine. How could I not? Having spent way too much time reading Sandman graphic novels in college and reading a number of Hellblazer comics, I was intrigued. Plus, it's not too often that someone releases a movie with my name on it, so clearly I had to go.

What I saw was a not-so-bad comic adaptation. Keanu Reeves gets a bad rap as an actor, but the truth is that when he's forced to play a dumbfounded character whose reaction to the chaos around him is one of total blankness, the result works out well. It's been a successful formula in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, The Devil's Advocate, and The Matrix. It works again in Constantine.

That said, the filmmakers couldn't resist the temptation to resort to a most un-comic-like shoot-'em-up festival with a "Holy Shotgun" (of Antioch?). Plus, both Sandman and Hellblazer comics knew well enough to portray Satan as attractive rather than the sleazy-looking Peter Stormare they used. I'd have preferred that they cast Tilda Swinton as Satan and found a substitute Gabriel.

That concludes the first entry in what will no doubt be an ongoing series of reviews of movies named after me.

Posted by Dean at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)