Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 124

July 11, 2022: Horror! Space news! And a little Yes/No!

Big week ahead.  Going out for pizza Wednesday night and jerk chicken on Thursday!  May try to squeeze some writing.

The horror marathon continues with…

Final Destination (2000)

The survivors of a plane crash have briefly cheated death, but they will not be able to evade their fate for long. One by one, these fugitives from fate fall victim to the grim reaper

Thoughts: A terrific premise, expertly executed.

4/5

Bug (2006)

An unhinged war veteran holes up with a lonely woman in a spooky Oklahoma motel room. The line between reality and delusion is blurred as they discover a bug infestation.

Thoughts: A well-acted, unnerving, psychological thriller whose paranoia-fueled slow burn progresses to a ludicrously over-the-top final act.

3/5

Some news of note….

A change in Neptune's orbit could send Mercury crashing into Earth!!!
(In about a billion years from now.)https://t.co/zDUTwOaiXj

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 11, 2022

Problem solved!
Now, all they need to do is invent it.https://t.co/63kSacbjUs

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 11, 2022

This video provides a size comparison for some of the most famous asteroids of our Solar System [source, HD, MetaBallStudios: https://t.co/OSyFVIK53Z] pic.twitter.com/mkKZIRzKgt

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 9, 2022

Serving a snack on Scandinavian Airlines flight, 1969 pic.twitter.com/SmhEsvz1jg

— History Defined (@historydefined) July 10, 2022

Today’s Yes/No…

Your friendly reminder that absolute garbage like this is FDA approved pic.twitter.com/aoSBbG7lCe

— Melanie (@VitallyMelanie) July 10, 2022

What would you put this on?  Pancakes?  Ice cream?  Steak?

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July 10, 2022: Suji Sunday!

 

Flower viewing.

Hot head.

A very determined walker.

On her way to tennis class.

I think she’s drunk!

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July 9, 2022: The Horror Movie Marathon continues!

The Other Side of the Door (2016)

After losing her son in a tragic accident, a grieving mothers learns about a remote Hindu temple where visitors can communicate with the dead to say goodbye for the last time…

Thoughts: A movie that runs through the gamut of standard scares. It hinges on our protagonist doing something she was expressly told NOT to do – by a woman who really should have known better.  A tough slog.

2.5/5

Krampus (2015)

A boy who has a bad Christmas accidentally summons a festive demon to his family home.

Thoughts: If Sid and Marty Krofft produced a horror movie, I’d imagine it would be pretty close to this. Broad comedy. Loads of silliness. Kids might find it scary.

2.5/5

Absentia (2011)

A woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances, including that of her own husband.

Thoughts:  One of director Mike Flanagan’s first films is an effectively creepy little chiller about love and loss and losing your way.  Can you really go back home again?  The answer may surprise.  And scare you.

4/5

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July 8, 2022: Top 10 Kpop Songs of June, 2022!

Top 10 Kpop Songs of June, 2022
9. Undo – Heize
Happen – #HEIZE #헤이즈 #SONGJOONGKI #송중기
Thanks to @CarrieCnh12 for the introduction. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/WTAw6fxIcv

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 8, 2022

 

Top 10 Kpop Songs of June, 2022
5. Life's Too Short – #Aespa #에스파
Next Level is my favorite 3/4 of an Aespa song. Life's Too Short is my full song favorite. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/Jka9EwDsJw

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 8, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of June, 2022
3. Love Shhh – #JoYuri #조유리
Nice to see the ladies of IZ*ONE finding success as solo artists. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/br5Rw5CwAy

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 8, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of June, 2022
1. Danger – #WooAh #Woo_Ah #우아
This one REALLY grew on me, fast becoming one of my most played kpop 2022 releases on spotify.
Dangeo dangeoboda dangeo your love! #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/EzdG986EHj

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 8, 2022

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July 7, 2022: The Horror Marathon Continues!

R-Point (2004)

A platoon of South Korean soldiers falls victim to a curse while searching the jungle for the source of a mysterious distress call.

My thoughts: A lot of interesting horror elements that never really come together in the end.

3/5

The Cleansing Hour (2019)

Two entrepreneurs stage elaborate fake exorcisms until one of their girlfriends becomes possessed by a demon.

My thoughts: A solid premise, but the characters are frustratingly slow on the uptake. Some solid effects and a good final twist but, too often, the humor undermines the horror.

3.5/5

Always Shine (2016)

While on an isolated retreat, two actresses discover that their once intimate friendship has deteriorated into forced conversations, betrayals, petty jealousies, and deep-seated resentment.

My thoughts: An oddly constructed thriller centered on two clearly unhinged actresses and their toxic friendship. The tension builds in the film’s first hour, then completely dissipates in the meandering closing thirty.   Pretty much devoid of scares.

2/5

***

Today’s Yes/No…

Ox-Tongue Ice Cream? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/Vc51h111Jy

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 7, 2022

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July 6, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Starhenge: Dragon & Boar #1 – cover art by Mike Perkins

DIE!Namite Never Dies! #5 – cover art by Lucio Parrillo

DIE!Namite Never Dies! #5 – cover art by Arthur Suydam

Project Superpowers: Fractured States #4 – cover art by Rus Wooton

Black Panther #7 – cover art by Alex Ross

Carnage #4 – cover art by Kendrick Lim

Batman #125 – cover art by Gabriele Dell’otto

Batman ’89 – cover art by Joe Quinones

Dark Crisis #2 – cover art by Juliet Nneka

Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #2 – cover art by Taurin Clarke

Poison Ivy #2 – cover art by Jessica Fong

Suicide Squad: Blade #3 – cover art by Aaron Campbell

Promethee: 13:13 #1 – cover art by Jock

Absolution #1 – cover art by Mike Deodato Jr.

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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July 5, 2022: News of Note!

Cool –

Gauntlet of “Lion” armor of Henry II, king of France, 1550. pic.twitter.com/7yQ12pcDV5

— History Defined (@historydefined) July 4, 2022

Spooky –

Couple days ago at Leader Sk. Scary pic.twitter.com/INuhjFe8PM

— Joseph Wipf (@josephmwipf) July 4, 2022

Leaked photo from the set of Paddington 3 –

The Birdman of Athosia –

Today’s Yes/No.  Aint nothing remotely turkey about this.

Need me one of these….

These antique safes have very interesting systems.

Source @IntEngineering pic.twitter.com/KiSeDiO87K

— Universal Curiosity (@UniverCurious) June 23, 2022

Hot Cheeto turkey leg? Yes/No https://t.co/5lKDauoI8s

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 5, 2022

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July 4, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues!

The Horror Marathon continues!

Cold Prey (2016)

5 young Norwegians head up to the mountains to snowboard. After one is injured, they decide to spend the night in an abandoned hotel. They are not alone.

Thoughts: A cut above the usual slasher flick.

3.5/5

Oculus (2013)

Kaylie suspects an antique mirror is behind the tragic death of her parents. And its seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it.

Thoughts: Keeps you guessing as to what is real and what isn’t.  My sole issue is that if you offer no effective means of discerning between the two, it begins to feel more like a narrative parlor trick.  All the same, a solid movie.

4/5

Host (2020)

Six friends accidentally invite the attention of a demonic presence during an online séance and begin noticing strange occurrences in their homes.

Thoughts: Went in with low expectations but came away pleasantly surprised. A few good scares, but suffers from problematic horror movie character logic.

3.5/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Teriyaki Donut Burgers? Yes/No
Japanese convenience store teriyaki donut hamburgers are definitely weird, but are they good? https://t.co/a33zKLqAzI via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 4, 2022

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July 3, 2022: Suji Sunday!

Bleh!

Brazen babushka.

Which way?

Hmmmm?

Action-ready!

The koala-pug in her natural habitat.

Dad honing in on the spotlight action.

Suji feeeling chatty…

View this post on Instagram

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

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July 2, 2022: My Saturday!

Quiet day today.  As usual, we got up early and hit the Saturday morning farmer’s market.  Akemi was on the lookout for her new favorite vegetable, lettage, a cross between lettuce and cabbage that makes for the most delicious cole slaw – but, sadly, they were out this week.  Instead, we picked up asparagus (crispy roasted tips for me; boiled stalks with mayo for her), garlic scapes, carrots (even though Akemi claims Canadian carrots taste soapy), some celery, a whole chicken (Akemi roasted for lunch), and some ox-tail (I seared, then put in the crock pot with some soy, sesame oil, Worcestershire, garlic scapes, sriracha, brown sugar, honey, salt, pepper, chicken stock, and a bottle of wine to slow cook for the next 8 hours).  Got notes for that script revision so I finally can get started….on Monday.  Took Suji for her cdaily arpet run.  And watched a couple films…

The horror marathon continued with two movies…

The Belko Experiment (2016)

An ordinary day at the office becomes a horrific quest for survival when 80 employees at the Belko Corp. in Bogotá, Colombia, learn that they are pawns in a deadly game.

Thoughts: A terrific critique of corporate culture. What a blast!

4.5/5

Butterfly Kisses (2018)

A filmmaker discovers a box of videotapes depicting a disturbing student film project about an urban legend known as Peeping Tom.

Thoughts: Takes a while to get going, and then never really does.

2.5/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Hot Dog Donut? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/RJHdB1jgmh

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 2, 2022

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