Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 125
July 1, 2022
July 1, 2022: The Horror Marathon begins!
Working off a list of some 200 movies you helpfully recommended, I have commenced my Horror Marathon. How long will I go and, more importantly, how many will I get through? Who knows?!
Evolution (2016)
On a remote island, young boys are subjected to a series of strange medical treatments. One day, one of the boys, 11 year old Nicolas, makes a disturbing discovery beneath the waves…
Thoughts: Spookily atmosphere, but sedate and slow-paced.
3/5
Super Dark Times (2017)
Zach and Josh have been best friends their whole lives, but when a gruesome accident leads to a cover-up, the secret drives a wedge between them, propelling them down a rabbit hole of escalating paranoia and violence.
Thoughts: Not horror, but a pretty solid thriller. It does a great job of ratcheting up the tension while turning the screws on our main players. I only wish there had been a more logical progression to our antagonist’s dark plotting.
4/5
Revenge (2017)
Jen’s romantic getaway with her wealthy boyfriend is interrupted when his friends arrive for an impromptu hunting trip. Tensions mount until things take a dark and unexpected turn.
Thoughts: Not horror, but a slick, engrossing revenge actioner that insists you check your sense of logic at the door.
3.5
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June 30, 2022
June 30, 2022: Fireworks!
For much of today, my twitter feed has exuded THIS energy –
It started with an innocuous request for some off-the-radar horror movie recommendations –
Recommend me a great under-the-radar horror movie
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 28, 2022
Which prompted an (I assumed) equally innocuous tweet –
Apparently controversial opinion: Horror-comedies don't work.
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 29, 2022
An hour later it was ON. A lot of people did NOT appreciate this take, many of them inexplicably angered, offering up examples of successful horror-comedies amid copious dollops of HOW DARE YOU!
That's because if we can't settle this issue here on twitter, we must move on to Kal If Fee, the ancient trial by lirpa. https://t.co/j4BhdXsWhx
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 30, 2022
One of the most oft-repeated responses to my tweet has been along the lines of “Well, that’s just YOUR opinion!”. And to that I would say – Well, yeah. I assumed that would be self-evident given my use of the term “take” and the fact I chose to publish it on twitter rather than, say, the Chicago Journal of Empirical Studies. In the future, out of an abundance of caution, all of my tweets will include the following warning: “This tweet is just an opinion and has not been scientifically tested”.
Others felt I was being intentionally provocative so that I could garner more replies and, presumably ly, score a big cash pay-out from twitter because that’s what happens when your tweet receives a lot of engagement. Big cash and a trophy!
And yet here you are.
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 30, 2022
Absolutely. Twitter pays me 20 cents a response. Thanks for contributing to my retirement fund.
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 30, 2022
To be perfectly clear, I’m not saying horror-comedies don’t exist as a sub-genre – which is something a couple of people assumed I was arguing. They do exist and some are great movies. But they don’t work for me as horror-comedies because the comedy almost always come at the expense of tension and suspense.
Again, to be clear, I’m referring to movies that fall into the category of horror-comedies as opposed to horror movies with comic elements. Jordan Peele’s Get Out is an example of a great movie with flashes of humor that never undermine the integrity of the horror.
Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Evil Dead 2 was one that came up a lot and I’ll concede it does buck the trend. Honestly though it’s been a while since I’ve seen it and another screening may be required to confirm this. An even better example is, I think, Scream which does an excellent job of walking that fine line, subverting the horror tropes without diluting the horror.
Anyway, it’s been an interesting experience that has taught me a valuable lesson. In the future, I will refrain from commenting on entertainment. I will stick to less controversial topics like politics and religion.
The post June 30, 2022: Fireworks! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
June 29, 2022
JUne 29, 2022: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
DIE!Namite #1 – cover art by Peach Momoko
Red Sonja #15 – cover art by Jae Lee
Iron Man/Hellcat Annual #1 – cover art by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
Detective Comics #1061 – cover art by Ivan Reis, Danny Miki
Swamp Thing #14 – cover art by Mike Perkins
Tales of Terror Quarterly: Back to School – cover art by Pierluigi Abbondanza
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June 28, 2022
June 28, 2022: Akemi’s money is on the crab guts!
This morning…
Not feeling well. I blame either the steel-cut Irish oatmeal, the yogurt, or the frozen blueberries. My wife, surprisingly, suspects the crab guts pasta.
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 28, 2022
This afternoon…
Getting back on the horse!
Hoping this salmon roe will settle my stomach. https://t.co/RY1T23oNBG pic.twitter.com/ZrBxFNDVAu
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 28, 2022
I feel like I’ve just gone three rounds with an opponent who has been relentlessly working my midsection. Hopefully I’ll have enough time to recover for tomorrow night’s dinner with the guys.
Today’s Yes/No…
Reiwa Pocky on the Rocks? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/69iUbwi4uW【recipe】/
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 28, 2022
Honestly? Meh.
I told Akemi I need this for the bedroom….
children being eaten by bears as punishment for mocking a bald man, germany, 15th century pic.twitter.com/Z7xHCcjpyL
— weird medieval guys (@WeirdMedieval) June 25, 2022
Atlantean hand stunner concept art c/o James Robbins
Man, comics have sure come a long way…
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June 27, 2022
June 27, 2022: Oh. I see we’re back to Monday again.
Waiting on those deals to close.
Yep.
Any day now…
Boy, “Ancient” laptop is right. I think it came pre-loaded with Space Invaders.
Instead of writing anymore pilots, I'm going to focus on crafting the blow-up tweet that lands me my next show.
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 27, 2022
This is where we planned to strand Atlantis in the unproduced Stargate: Extinction script…
TRIANGULUM GALAXY full of active HII regions
pic.twitter.com/gqgfHj2sx1
— Aleix Roig (@astrocatinfo) June 26, 2022
Spooky-cool…
A ghost sculpture at the castle of Vezio, Italy pic.twitter.com/Ns7R1INB12
— History Defined (@historydefined) June 26, 2022
This shoebill stork in the rain… pic.twitter.com/daBEjwv2Zv
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) June 27, 2022
Full report available also covers funding for classics studies like:
Why people are rude on tennis courts
How long it takes to cook breakfast
Peruvian brothels (apparently the researchers kept going back to the brothel “in the interests of accuracy.”)https://t.co/U0sqUUM82t
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 27, 2022
Today’s Yes/No…
Chili Mango Pops? Yes/No https://t.co/4IVkiSjchM
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 27, 2022
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June 26, 2022
June 26, 2022: Suji Sunday!
The great outdoors.
Hitting the links.
High roller.
Pinky LaRue.
Zonked.
Hail Hydro! She’s up to 16 minutes walking!
BIG bite!
The post June 26, 2022: Suji Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
June 25, 2022
June 25, 2022: Top 10 Recent Fun Twitter Follows!
Over the past couple of years, my social media patience has waned – to the point that my block/mute list on twitter now roughly rivals the population of Djibouti. Instead, I’ve shifted focus to far more interesting fare.
Here are a few of my new favorite follows…
@futurism
Space weather is weird. https://t.co/pvO9Q9SOro
— Futurism (@futurism) June 25, 2022
@Cathrinmachin
Getting wrapped in the swirls of the universe
pic.twitter.com/UYBziWIuzP
— Cathrin Machin Space Art (@Cathrinmachin) June 25, 2022
@HubbleTelescope
This conically shaped nebula, appropriately named the Cone Nebula, is a result of light from several stars carving its shape out of a field of dust and gas. This radiation also causes the hydrogen to glow red. Learn more about the role of excited hydrogen: https://t.co/gHv3bensoy pic.twitter.com/dDwp8GsrzW
— Hubble Space Telescope (@HubbleTelescope) June 24, 2022
@konstructivizm
NASA Jupiter's Dolphin pic.twitter.com/HI4xUCS6qS
— Black Hole (@konstructivizm) June 25, 2022
@chiitan7407
石橋は叩いて渡りますっ☆ちぃたん☆ですっ☆
safety first
pic.twitter.com/AsItYUK6oE
— ちぃたん☆／Chiitan (@chiitan7407) June 21, 2022
@wonderofscience
@UniverCurious
Amazing footage of a blanket octopus unfurling her cape in the Lembeh Strait of Indonesia. pic.twitter.com/nUXlMJvokU
— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) January 24, 2022
— Universal Curiosity (@UniverCurious) June 23, 2022
@historydefined
@gunsnrosesgirl3
Statue of King Arthur by Rubin Eynon, Tintagel Castle, England. pic.twitter.com/i7GfFXBZwQ
— History Defined (@historydefined) June 24, 2022
@DailyInfographc
Alongside the Nanxi River in China, nestled between lush steep mountains is Yanjin county,
widely considered to be the world’s narrowest city pic.twitter.com/AYOdVkw87s
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) June 23, 2022
The Top 35 Types of Syrup That Aren’t Maple https://t.co/iayp3DM2Ed pic.twitter.com/1hIh5r3v1t
— Daily Infographic (@DailyInfographc) June 13, 2022
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June 24, 2022
June 24, 2022: So endeth yet another weird week!
For a while now, it's been like the sixth season of t.v. show where the writers throw all logic and established canon out the window in favor of increasingly outlandish storylines.
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 24, 2022
Cool…
Statue of King Arthur by Rubin Eynon, Tintagel Castle, England. pic.twitter.com/i7GfFXBZwQ
— History Defined (@historydefined) June 24, 2022
Also cool…
These leaf insects with spectacular leaf mimicry,
walking leaves with elaborate marks resembling veins, disease, damage, holes and ‘insect bites’
This kind of camouflage where animals blend into their surroundings is called protective resemblance pic.twitter.com/kDiqnOLATK
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) June 24, 2022
Uh oh…
June 24th, 2022.
The last time was in 2004 the next time in 2040.
Historically folks in power found this alignment to be extremely powerful—even in this epoch.
“Believe” or not believe for you, “they” believe, adjust accordingly. pic.twitter.com/0t6qIbi6UL
— Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) June 20, 2022
Meanwhile, on the home front…
“stole”
Today’s Yes/No…
Original Glazed Soft Serve? Yes/No
Krispy Kreme Rolls Out "Original Glazed" Soft Serve Ice Cream https://t.co/zcmJkDIMaz Kreme Rolls Out "Original Glazed" Soft Serve Ice Cream
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 24, 2022
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June 23, 2022
June 23, 2022: Being a supportive husband!
Today was Akemi’s first class of the eight-session pottery course at Clay Arts Studio. I, of course, showed my support – not by actually attending the class with her (Perish the thought!), but by accompanying her there and meeting up with her once she was done. During the downtime in between, I roamed the neighborhood, no doubt raising the suspicions of local shop owners who must have seen me suspiciously saunter past a good half dozen times over the courses of a three hour window. I perused bookstores, checked out pet shops, and, at one point, mistakenly wandered into a tattoo parlor. In between, I did some eating….
My first stop was When the Pig Came Home Delicatessen – or, as Akemi mispronounced it, When the Pig Came Home Deliciousness. And, you know what? It was!
I had the classic porchetta – 1.3 lb of succulent pork with crispy crackling served on French milk bread. Service was prompt and super friendly. Highly recommended.
I ended up grabbing a mocha and pistachio cake (surprisingly moist and not overly sweet) at Claudia’s Coffe where I set up my home-away-from home office for about an hour or so. I’d prepared by packing my travel laptop and two graphic novels (which I never got around to reading). Unfortunately, it’s been over three years since I last used my travel laptop and I never got around to updating my various passwords so I wasn’t able to check my email, twitter feed, or reddit. I also found myself unable to connect to a lot of the sites I often frequent. Every time I tried, I’d receive the following ominous warning:
The first few times, it looked kind of sketchy. After about the tenth time, however, it was just annoying.
I concluded my afternoon foray by once again dropping by When the Pig Came Home and picking up a couple of beef patties – one spicy (for me) and one not (for Akemi). The spicy was gloriously so. And very tasty. One of Toronto’s best.
We returned home, took Suji for her afternoon carpet run, and fed her, after which I caught up on emails and was preparing to unwind after a day of walking around under the hot sun…only to have Akemi remind me that I have dinner plans tonight with out-of-town friends. The reservations are for 8:00 p.m. 8;00 p.m.!!! That’s dinner time for Spaniards and vampires! Meanwhile, there’s a special one-night-only truffle dinner happening tonight I’ll be missing. My friend Natalie, who brought the event to my attention, tried to reassure me that there will be another one later this year – but it’s black truffles not white truffles! I briefly considered whether I might be able to pull off a bang-bang, but the timing is too tight. Sadly, it looks like it’ll be just one truffle-less dinner for me 
Today’s Yes/No…
Salt on watermelon? Yes/No
In defense of putting salt on watermelon, because it's just better that way https://t.co/BuMqXx6hKW
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 23, 2022
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June 22, 2022
June 22, 2022: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Star Wars: Crimson Reign #5 – cover art by Rahzzah
Arrowsmith #6 – cover art by Nekro
Hellcop #8 – cover art by by Brian Haberlin, Geirrod Van Dyke
Jennifer Blood #9 – cover art by Tim Bradstreet
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #4 – cover art by Derrick Chew
Checkmate – cover art by Alex Maleev
Fables #152 – cover art by Mark Buckingham
Nightwing #93 – cover art by Bruno Redondo
Magic: The Hidden Planeswalker – cover art by Miguel Mercado
Robyn Hood Annual 2022 – cover art by Ivan Tao
So, which were YOUR favorites?
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