Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 118

September 8, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues!

Last Night in Soho (2021)

An aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter..

Thoughts: Lurches from teen drama to sci-fi to thriller to horror, plodding through a premise that offers its protagonist surprisingly little agency until it’s far too late. Stylish, but frustratingly repetitive, with an absolutely ridiculous final twist.

3/5

Malignant (2021)

Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.

Thoughts: From the over-blown script to the over-the-top performances to the exaggerated reveals, this one fully embrace its inherent cheesiness, but it does so without a shred of irony, leading one to question whether the filmmakers are truly in on the joke.

2.5/5

The House of the Devil (2009)

In 1983, financially struggling college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret.

Thoughts: The slow-burn build in suspense is almost unbearable in this delightful 80’s-style retro gem. Writer/Director/Editor Ti West has crafted a confident little chiller befitting its inspirational roots.

4/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Dive Bar-flavored Ice Cream? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/vt6GSqxLyb

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 8, 2022

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September 7, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Immortal X-Men #6 – cover art by Mark Brooks

The Walking Dead Deluxe #46 – cover art by Paolo Rivera

Black Adam: The Justice Society Files – Atom Smasher #1 – cover art by Marco Santucci, Travis Mercer

Poison Ivy #4 – cover art by Jenny Frison

007 #2 – cover art by Marc Aspinall

#007 #2 – cover art by Marco Finnegan

Night of the Cadillacs: Origins – cover art by Rob Prior, Scott Hattonx

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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September 6, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokai!

The Kanbari Nyudo is a hairy, goblin-like creature in priest’s robes that peeks in on people using their toilets on New Year’s Eve. Worse still, if you are unlucky enough to be licked by one, you will be cursed with constipation.

According to legend, however, if you enter the bathroom between 1 and 3 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and chant ““ganbari nyūdō” three times, a human head will appear in the toilet. Tuck it under yourleft sleeve, bring it back to your room, and it will turn into a gold coin.

Tenjo-kudari appear as naked old ladies with unkempt hair and hideously long tongues. They creep out of the crawlspaces of your home at night and hang from the ceiling, waiting to drop on unwary sleepers or anyone foolish enough to get up for a glass of water.

Awakened by a sound in the dead of night? Don’t worry. It’s not a ghost. It’s probably a Tenjo-kudari!

The adorable cucumber-loving Kappa are amphibious creatures, prone to pranking and occasionally dragging their victims to a watery grave. Bow to one and it will politely bow back, emptying the water on top of its bowl-shaped head, thus robbing it of its power.

If your lamp oil has been running inexplicably low of late, it’s possible you’ve been the victim of a Rokurokubi. At night, when this cursed woman sleeps, her neck elongates to incredible lengths, allowing her head to roam far and wide, exploring homes and lapping up lamp oil.

The Gashadokuro is a giant skeleton formed from the ghosts of unburied soldiers and starvation victims. It stalks the forests invisibly at night, biting the heads off its victims so as to enjoy the arterial spray. It may give itself away by the chattering of its massive teeth.

Today’s Yes/No…

Sailor Moon sausage sandwich? Yes/No
Sailor Moon sausage sandwiches appear at Mos Burger in time for Japan’s moon-viewing season https://t.co/0JzBVKqGi3 via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 6, 2022

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Top 10 K-pop Songs of August, 2022!

Top 10 Kpop Songs of August, 2022
9. Another Life – #KEY #키
A solid follow-up to a fantastic debut album. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/AsirSUHN6d

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 5, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of August, 2022
7. Beautiful Night – #Gaho #가호
Solid! #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/1uGxbwgrlb

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 5, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of August, 2022
5. Talk That Talk – #TWICE #트와이스
There's always something for everyone on a new Twice album. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/YlYDD5WaGO

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 5, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of August, 2022
3. After Like – #IVE #아이브
I think Starship is doing a great job promoting them since their late 2021 debut. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/5C88DC89MB

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 5, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of August, 2022
1. Ring Ma Bell – #Billlie #빌리
Love the lean into rock here. Definitely one of this year's best tracks. My only complaint, a minor one, is their decision to spell their name with three L's. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/oOlidAeQ2A

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 5, 2022

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September 4, 2022: Suji Sunday!

Suji having out with her new best friend, Bubbie.

Suji with friend, Michael – who came bearing treats!

The art of the egg flip…

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A post shared by YozoI'm Sujiすじ子 (@newoldpugsuji)

Relaxed.

Park pics!

Suji’s new bowl compliments of mom’s pottery obsession.

Massage time!

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September 3, 2022: Inaugural Fish Night at Affinity Fish!

Last night, Akemi and I attended Affinity Fish‘s Inaugural Fish Night, an evening dedicated to spotlighting local seafood, from lake to table.

Akemi, all dressed up and ready to go!

It’s a two-person show!  Matt Taylor enlightens the crowd while Jon Klip preps the next dish.

We started with Yellow Perch with Pickles, Akemi’s favorite dish of the night.  The pickles are made with locally-sourced crab-marinated ramps.

Cured Chinook Salon and Burbot Liver on Toast.  And this was probably my favorite dish of the night.

Misozuke Tomato, Tosazu,, Pickerel Karasumi.  We got little wooden spoons for this one.  The chopsticks just weren’t cutting it.  All of the beautiful serving plates are from Jon’s personal collection, amassed from his days in Kyoto.

Dry Aged Lake Huron Salmon, Taken.  Crispy skin and a medium-rare cook to the fish.  A perfect textural combo.

On to the nigiri portion of the night.  First up, Pickerel Irizake.  The best preparation I’ve ever had of a fish I find unbearably bony.

Yellow Perch Amazu.  My sole quibble with the nigiri was the rice which I thought needed to be a little firmer and only required half the amount of black vinegar.

Whitefish Bozushi.  This one especially reminded me of my time in Japan.

Brown Trout Warakunsei.  My favorite nigiri – delightfully smoky.

Burbot Ni.  The Burbot liver was described as similar to ankimo, the lion fish liver popular and many high-end Japanese restaurants.  Texturally, I agree, but thought it actually tasted closer to foie gras.

Ling Kimo.  Fantastic.

Everything Bagel Temaki.  This one was fun and included a touch of cream cheese and an Everything Bagel seasoning with the delicious smoked brown trout.

Aka-dashi.  A wonderful red miso soup to end our meal.

Well, not quite.  After almost three dessert-free weeks, I indulged – Miso Cream Cheese Tart and Wild Blueberries.

To be honest though, it was so light on sugar that I felt I hadn’t really fallen off the wagon at all.

But a brief stopover on the way home rectified that…

No, I did not want to wait until I got home.

A fantastic meal.  Looking forward to the next one!

Affinity Fish

1581 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Affinity Fish – Facebook

Affinity Fish – Instagram

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September 2, 2022: The Foodly Updates!

Today’s lunch or ikura (salmon roe) and uni (sea urchin) on rice was far superior to the last time we ordered this from our local seafood vendor, anxiously awaiting its lunch time arrival only to have it delivered with an attached note informing us that the uni wasn’t available after all.  Oishikatta!

Akemi has signed up for another 8 weeks of pottery courses in The Junction, meaning I get another eight lunches at my favorite Toronto deli – When the Pig Came Home.  Having apparently worked my way through the entire official menu, I am now exploring the intriguing off-menu items.  This past Thursday, it was a sandwich called The Ben that included peameal bacon, pork belly, egg and cheese on milk bun.  Maybe a tomato in there too.  With a side of the city’s best spicy beef pattie.  I slept VERY well that night.

My neighbor dropped this off for me and it is now my new favorite beer (despite the dismissals of the brew crew).  Taaaaaasty!

Checked out The Lobster Burger Bar with my friend Carolyn Hinds the other day. 2 lobster burgers, 1 lobster roll, 1 crispy shrimp roll, 2 chicken tacos, and a stack of onion rings. I feel we accomplished a lot.

I like my cheese so runny that I have to chase it around the plate with a spoon.  We usually pick up some Monforte every Saturday at our local farmer’s market.  They have a wonderful selection (aged, soft, and spreadable) but this one is my favorite, the Rose d;Amour, a water buffalo milk cheese studded with pink peppercorns.

Last week’s double farmer’s market trip saw Akemi pack us a Japanese-style (bento) picnic lunch complete with onigiri and chicken balls.

My possession with the humble tomato sandwich continues.

A couple of my very favorite hot sauces.  I lean towards habanero-based with fruit and a thicker consistency.

The umamirrific cheese ramen from Toronto’s best ramen shop – Midori Ramen.

Today’s Yes/No…

Giant Japanese Honey Toast? yes/No
Japanese honey toast is breathtakingly large, contains two litres of ice cream https://t.co/X13OW9SeRt via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 2, 2022

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September 1, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues!

Glorious (2022)

After a breakup, Wes ends up at a remote rest stop, locked inside with a mysterious figure speaking from an adjacent stall. Soon Wes realizes he is involved in a situation more terrible than he could imagine.

Thoughts: Annoyingly mannered in execution. The characters talk even when they have nothing to say in order to fill the roughly 80 minute runtime. The dark humor never really lands and the whole ends up feeling like one of the less memorable installments of an anthology series.

2.5/5

Hatching (2022)

A young gymnast, who tries desperately to please her demanding mother, discovers a strange egg. She hides it and keeps it warm, but when it hatches, what emerges shocks them all.

Thoughts: Young Siiri Solalinna is fantastic in this twisted coming-of-age horror tale that eviscerates upper middle-class suburbia. Alas, loses a half star for implied french bulldog violence.

4/5

The Innocents (2021)

During the bright Nordic summer, a group of children reveal their dark and mysterious powers when the adults aren’t looking. In this original and gripping supernatural thriller, playtime takes a dangerous turn.

Thoughts: A terrific little that film confirms my long-held conviction that kids are creepy and inherently evil. A little slow off the top but fantastic once it gets going. And it really sticks its landing. Docking it a half mark for animal abuse though.

4.5/5

Today’s Yes=No…

Spreadable Coffee? Yes/No
Spreadable coffee to put on your toast going on sale in Japan https://t.co/258KsdyVSA via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 1, 2022

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August 31, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Harley Quinn 2022 Annual #1 – cover art by Nathan Szerdy

Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 – cover art by Travis Moore

Astro City MetroBook 2 – cover art by Alex Ross

Hellcop #10 – cover art by Brian Haberlin

Break Out #3 – cover art by Adam Gorham

Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #4 – cover art by Alexander Lozano

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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August 30, 2022: Not, not THAT Dark Matter!

Yes, I am aware of Apple’s new sci-fi series called Dark Matter.  It’s based on a pretty good book by author Blake Crouch that was released a few years after the show premiered.  Unlike our Dark Matter, it’s not a far future ship-based adventure but more a contemporary SF thriller involving parallel worlds.  Sure, the title may cause some confusion, but I don’t mind if it leads some unwary viewers to discover our show by accident.

Speaking of our show – I mentioned that Dark Matter was leaving Netflix in September.  Well, apparently, it’s found  a new home at CW Seed –

…which I think is great as it will introduce the series to potential new viewers.  And should it do well on the streaming platform, maybe that elusive Dark Matter miniseries won’t be that far off.

Finally finished the outline for that android mystery series today.  Got some terrific notes from Ivon that I’ll implement tomorrow.  After that, it’s smooooooth sailing – until Monday’s fantasy football draft.  This year, I limited myself to two leagues so as not to spread myself too thin: the original Stargate league and the other league with all of my former Stargate colleagues.  The former held its draft last Friday night. This is my team…

I drafted without benefit of research.  Another wing-it season looms.  What do you think?

Anyone following the recent stock market action?  I’m always fascinated by technical and trend analysis.  Came across this chart that compares recent movements in the S&P to the 2008 bear market.  The parallels are eerie…

They say history doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes.  And this is proof.

Today’s Yes/No…

Shiro Noir Matcha Caramel? Yes/No
We try Japanese cafe Komeda Coffee’s summer desserts that are so big, they’re overflowing https://t.co/4KpnsX9GZP via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 30, 2022

A thousand times YES!

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