After Dark: The Passing of Gene Hackman, The Shelved Prince Documentary, Constantine (2005)
Added 2025-03-14 16:15:35 +0000 UTCThe Filmcast: After Dark is the bonus show where we talk about a variety of random topics that didn't make it into the main podcast - including your questions and what's going on in our lives.
In this episode, David, Devindra, and Jeff discuss the circumstances of Gene Hackman's passing and Ezra Edelman's shelved Prince documentary. Then, they discuss Francis Lawrence's Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves.
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Comments
On a Gene Hackman kick now so I’m seeking out movies where he’s starred and that I haven’t seen. So far, I’ve watched Runaway Jury and No Way Out. Any hits to recommend?
Brittany Johnson
2025-03-24 17:54:38 +0000 UTCI worked (a few weeks) on that crappy Capt. America movie — directed by hack Albert Pyun. The actor who played Capt. America was Matt Salinger. Guess who his dad was? I also worked a week on another Pyun movie which was mocked in MST3000: “Alien From L.A.” Most of it was filmed in apartheid era South Africa. I only worked on the L.A. part.
J Hay
2025-03-20 04:05:12 +0000 UTCNot on the podcast they didn't mention it, but I recommended it to Dave in the comments yesterday. The way he described exactly what he likes about Constantine makes me think he'd also greatly appreciate and enjoy The Prophecy. Lotta the same tropes, with a transgressive Gabriel and the way Satan is portrayed, etc.
Stranger2Reality
2025-03-17 21:10:53 +0000 UTCI am not sure Jeff or Dev read these comments. There’s fairly regular feedback on this subject posted here but I’m not convinced Devindra has ever seen it, unless DC passes it on
Mark P
2025-03-17 19:57:44 +0000 UTCNo one mentioned Th Prophecy? Or did I miss it?
Armi
2025-03-17 17:38:20 +0000 UTCDevindra would not stop interrupting, especially when it came to David’s comments. He completely hijacked David’s question to Jeff about how the Nick fury reveal fell to him. I’ve grown used to his constant interruptions, but this episode, he was off the hook.
Iain
2025-03-17 09:27:02 +0000 UTCAlso, I am a big fan of the movie Constantine, but I've never read any of the comics and don't know anything about them. Feels like it's easier to enjoy if you don't have the source material to compare it to. And for Dave who felt like Constantine was like a movie speaking directly to his religious upbringing, I would strongly recommend you also check out the 1995 film The Prophecy, as it covers a lot of similar ground that Constantine did. It features Christopher Walken turning in an excellent performance as a twisted version of the archangel Gabriel, and Viggo Mortenson giving a take on Satan which is at least equal to Peter Stormare in Constantine (which I quite liked as well). The Prophecy is not an action movie though, and is more cerebral and has a far different tone and pace than Constantine, so it's not at all comparable in style or feel, but just in dealing with the same kind of subject matter. It's very much a mixture of religion, horror and like a police procedural, as the main character, portrayed by Elias Koteas, is a homicide detective who had formerly studied to be a priest. Virginia Madsen and Eric Stolz are also in it. With the way you were talking about exactly the place Constantine scratched a specific itch for you, I think you'd also greatly enjoy The Prophecy. Or if you've already seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Stranger2Reality
2025-03-17 03:35:35 +0000 UTCI saw the Errol Morris documentary on Charles Manson and was extremely disappointed. I can't help but wonder if Netflix forced him to take the specific angle he did, focusing mainly on a crazy conspiracy theorist who believes that Charles Manson was trained by the CIA in how to brainwash people and set him loose to see if their methods worked. Really, really bad. Feels like he got the Netflix stink on him rather than that they got a quality doc out of him.
Stranger2Reality
2025-03-17 03:22:35 +0000 UTCA couple Gene Hackman performances worth seeing and appreciating: in THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, Hackman plays a liberal social-justice type of priest; it’s kind of a schlocky film, but immensely enjoyable, and Hackman brings moral gravitas to the role. And in Woody Allen’s ANOTHER WOMAN, he plays a soft-spoken intellectual who was once Gena Rowlands’ [potential] love interest…it’s a beautifully restrained performance. Also memorable is his small role as a movie director in POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE…his warm, fatherly moments with Meryl Streep are just lovely.
CDMatthew
2025-03-17 00:06:58 +0000 UTCYes, such a powerful shot to end the episode
Alex Green
2025-03-16 17:12:54 +0000 UTCThis is the best show of the year so far, The drone shot at the end of episode 2 was mind blowing.
Peter Tribe
2025-03-16 12:45:43 +0000 UTCEzra Edelman continually claiming his shelved Prince documentary is a masterpiece has real “my girlfriend lives in Canada” vibes.
Mark P
2025-03-16 02:23:28 +0000 UTCTo Jeff’s point about a more grizzled veteran performer, Daniel Craig RIGHT NOW would be a brilliant Constantine plus he’s British
Reynaldo K. Cruz
2025-03-15 18:19:17 +0000 UTCJust like the movie he’s commenting on, so it’s appropriate.
Reynaldo K. Cruz
2025-03-15 18:16:20 +0000 UTCAs a fan of the hellblazer comic it isn’t a small unimportant detail that John is British. To make him not British is criminal. Like making Holmes an American. It should have just been a movie with another title and not Constantine. Blasphemous to have made him Keanu reeves
Reynaldo K. Cruz
2025-03-15 18:13:29 +0000 UTCEpisode 1 is some of the finest television ever made. Also episode 3 made my skin crawl
Alex Green
2025-03-15 17:03:57 +0000 UTC100% agree. I just finished it and thought it was amazing.
Gabe Robinson
2025-03-15 13:04:19 +0000 UTCHey team! Not sure if it is available on Netflix in the US, but if you get chance, try and catch Adolescence starring Stephen Graham. Would love to hear your thoughts on it as I personally think it’s one of the best tv dramas of the year
Alex Green
2025-03-15 07:15:05 +0000 UTCJeff’s opinion on Constantine is pretty mid.
toeknee
2025-03-15 05:19:45 +0000 UTCDevindra really defending those shitty, shitty X-Men movies every month 😀
Mountain of Conflict
2025-03-14 18:32:14 +0000 UTCVery early example of a comic book movie with an after credits scene
April Reid
2025-03-14 17:29:49 +0000 UTCThe NYT interview with Ezra Edelman about the Prince documentary is l helpful because the interviewer has seen the entire movie and can speak to its structure and revelations in a first hand way.
Joy o Napping
2025-03-14 17:11:03 +0000 UTCI was in Law School from 2004 to 2007 and did not watch any movies or tv in that time EXCEPT I caught Constantine at a matinee like 8 weeks after it opened at a discount theater.
J.S.
2025-03-14 16:58:20 +0000 UTC
