Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 102
February 2, 2023
February 2, 2023: This and That!
Outrageous! Netflix has just introduced their new anti-password sharing plan. Every 31 days, subscribers must present themselves at their local Netflix office, personally log into their device, and watch a full episode of Emily in Paris. pic.twitter.com/MhB1cdmU9j
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) February 2, 2023
Netflix tries to woo you back by offering to un-cancel ONE series (but not Dark Matter or Stargate, because that would be too obvious). Which series are you resurrecting? P.S. Doesn’t have to be a Netflix show.
Also, few appreciate the feel-good story of Tantalus who, doomed to stand in a pool whose waters recede whenever he tries to take a drink, and beneath a fruit tree whose lower branches elude him, discovers the benefits of self-restraint and intermittent fasting. #Sisyphus https://t.co/IsqZlIe9Ut
— Joseph Mallozzi
The tale of Prometheus also impresses upon us the blessings to be found in shifting one’s focus from modern technology to the beauty of solitary introspection, nature, and birds.
Hey, @JamesGunn. I want in! pic.twitter.com/k3s9cpnnZI
— Joseph Mallozzi
I can’t believe they’re doing a Booster Gold t.v. series and haven’t called me yet!
— Joseph Mallozzi
A good honey cruller is impossible to beat.
When it comes to the markets, no one can predict what will happen, but everyone will explain WHY it happened.
— Joseph Mallozzi
Every damn time.
Today’s Yes/No…
Ebiten tempura shrimp rice ball? Yes/No
7-Eleven’s new Ebiten tempura shrimp rice ball is premium in both taste AND cost https://t.co/9oRQivKFay via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Out for dinner tonight with my friend and fellow writer/producer Alex Levine. The topic of conversation tonight will be anything BUT the t.v. industry because it just makes me alternately angry and depressed. Instead, our focus will be on the bacon and tongue pizza!
The post February 2, 2023: This and That! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
February 1, 2023
February 1, 2023: Amazing Covers!
Venom #16 – cover art by Chris Bachalo
Wakanda #5 – cover art by Mateus Manhanini
Immortal Red Sonja #10 – cover art by Joseph Michael Linsner
Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 – cover art by Nathan Szerdy
The Phoenix Files #1 – cover art by Keith Garvey
The Flash: One-Minute War Special #1 – cover art by Sergio Acuna
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post February 1, 2023: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 31, 2023
January 31, 2023: Lunch with Steadmuffin!
Lunch today with director/stunt coordinator John Stead at Cote de Boeuf!
I asked him if he wanted to do the steak tartare and he politely declined, but ultimately came around and promised to try some. In the end, he ended up “trying” about half.
The charcuterie board came highly recommended. I thought the cheese selection okay. The meats, on the other hand, were great, especially the capocollo, a cold cut which I’ve really grown to re-appreciate over recent years.
John Stead presents…the burger! Char-crusted exterior and medium to medium-rare interior. Delicious.
And finally, desserts! John had a hankering for the creme brulee. I, of course, went with the chocolate mousse.
Great seeing my old friend. Hopefully, it won’t be another month and a half before our next burger get-together.
Today’s Yes/No…
Horseradish Vodka? Yes/No
Thanks(?) to @thogar for the tip.
Detroit City Distillery launches horseradish vodka: How to buy it https://t.co/HXLyHvLzI5 via @freep
— Joseph Mallozzi
A few zoom meetings this week to discuss a recent pilot I wrote that has garnered interest from a few production companies. Decisions decisions…
The post January 31, 2023: Lunch with Steadmuffin! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 30, 2023
January 30, 2023: Stargate SG-1 Season 5 concept art and episode insights!
The Tomb…
The set for this episode was impressive as hell and, to this day, I regret not having helped myself to a faux stone before the whole thing was torn down. One of the critiques directed at this episode was Jack’s old world Cold War mentality directed at the Russian team. This kind of mystified me because it was pretty clear in the episode that Jack didn’t have a problem with them because they were Russian, he had a problem with them because they were operating under secret orders that seemed to run counter to SG-1’s mission. The fact that they were Russian was beside the point.
Between Two Fires…
Man, this one had all sorts of problems at the outline stage, so much so that it earned the nickname “Between Two Acts”. Once the structural problems had been addressed, Ron wrote and delivered a first draft of the script. I remember we were sitting in Rob’s office, giving copious notes, when John Lenic’s dog hopped up onto the couch and relieved himself on a copy of Ron’s script. “That dog pissed on my script!”said Ron. To which Brad replied something the lines of: “He wasn’t the only one.”. Anyway, in the end, the script came together – as did the episode which we wound up shooting on the grounds of Simon Fraiser University.
2001…
The sequel to season four’s 2010 sees the calculating race known as the Aschen make their first (chronological) appearance as seemingly genial, albeit suspicious, emissaries looking to forge a new intergalactic alliance. The episode ends with one major story point unresolved. What of Ambassador Joe Faxon? I’m sure we would have received the answer to that question had the third part of this planned trilogy seen the light of a t.v. screen. In part three, Brad imagined the remnants of the Aschen race, seeking revenge for the events of 2001, launching a ship-based attack on Earth. Alas, I don’t recall why the story never came to fruition, but I have no doubt it would’ve been great.
Desperate Measures…
No concept art 
A couple of things stand out for me about this episode. The first was that ridiculously long search sequence near episode’s end that included endless shots of Teal’c and Daniel going up and down stairs. Yes, the episode was short! Another thing was a slight dialogue change in O’Neill’s scene with the homeless man. In the original version, O’Neill says “Yeah, and I’ve got a closet full of Playboys…”, but after some consideration (aka – getting a note requesting we change it), we elected to go with “National Geographics” instead which, while less Jack O’Neill, was certainly more Richard Dean Anderson. Also the original draft of the script had a couple of very funny exchanges between the doctors who perform the procedure but after further consideration (aka – we received a note that O’Neill provided more than enough comedy for the episode and we didn’t need the guest stars delivering as well) we decided to love them.
Wormhole X-Treme…
Oh, boy, where to begin? Over the years, I’ve referenced the multitude of in-jokes in this episodes, from the red spray-painted kiwis (a dig at Director Peter DeLuise who used those very alien-looking fruit in Beneath the Surface) to Hank Cohen’s cameo as a studio executive who suggests the show needs “You know what this show needs is a sexy female alien.” (art imitating life). There’s our faux t.v. hero trying to negotiate a veritable minefield of corpses (a call back to The Fifth Man), someone ridiculing the one shot stuns, two shots kills, three shots disintegrates abilities of the alien weapon (Hello, zat guns), further ridiculing of doing an episode involving “out of phase” physics (we did plenty), another character’s assertion that they’ll surely win an Emmy…for visual effects (the best any scifi show can hope for), and much, much more. The part of Grell, the Teal’c clone, was actually played by Chris Judge’s stand-in, Herbert, while the episode offered a host of cameos from behind-the-scenes personnel including a much heavier yours truly who demands to know “Hey, what happened to all the doughnuts?!”. I recall Director Peter DeLuise making me do three takes, directing me: “You’re hungry! You want some doughnuts! But there are none! You’re really hungry!” then “No doughnuts and you’re REALLY hungry!” and then: “Okay! REALLY HUNGRY!”. The day that scene was shot, I found my wardrobe awaiting me in the office: a lime green shirt and a pair of atrocious lime green plants. I wore the shirt but passed on the pants. Apparently, our Costume Designer did not take the news well. “Writers,”she apparently muttered with a roll of her eyes.
I would love to dig up the outtakes and extra footage on this one. One scene that ended up on the cutting room floor involved the character of Teal’c. SG-1 and Hammond are watching the Wormhole Xtreme trailer at which point we do a PAN OFF the screen, across the briefing room table to Teal’c laughing uproariously and enjoying the hell out of the show – much to the bewilderment of his fellow team members.
Proving Ground…
No concept art
Some episodes you hate at the pitch stage but end up warming up once the story has been broken. Others, you hate at the outline stage but end up actually liking once the script comes in. Still others, you may hate at the script stage but love once the episode is completed. This is one of those rare episodes that I took issue with from start to finish and, to this day, ranks as one of my least favorites. Why? Because it’s not about our characters. That and the all-too predictable late twist that anyone who has ever watched television before will see coming a mile off. On the other hand, the episode was notable for an appearance by a then relatively unknown Grace Park as one of the young cadets.
48 Hours…
No concept art
The working title for this episode was Teal’c Interrupted, but later changed to 48 Hours. I was extremely disappointed. I figured, hey, if you can call an episode Watergate, you should be able to call another one Teal’c Interrupted! The episode kicks off with the shocking death of Tanith, shocking insofar as he was a mid-major villain who suddenly and all too quickly buys it in spectacularly unspectacular fashion. From what I recall, we were unable to reach a deal with the actor on another episode and, rather than leave the character dangling, elected to write him out instead. This episode also saw the introduction of one Dr. Rodney McKay (“Rodney?”I remember asking Rob at the time. “Is that the name you want to go with?”), an insufferable ass who, over the course of the franchise’s run, ended up redeeming himself in surprising fashion.
Today’s Yes/No…
Matcha Chocolate Salami? Yes/No https://t.co/g4pUVi9xJd
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post January 30, 2023: Stargate SG-1 Season 5 concept art and episode insights! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 29, 2023
January 29, 2023: Suji Sunday!
Braving the elements.
The old gang: Bubba, Petunia, and Lulu.
All nestled in.
Marvel Team-Up #11: Suji and MODOK
Out and about with my gal.
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January 28, 2023
January 28, 2023: Stargate SG-1 season 5 – concept art and episode insights!
You?
Today’s Yes/No…
Fish Head Pie? Yes/No
Thanks (?) to @Hadel for the tip.
Controversial cuisine: Fish head pie and 'devil's dung' https://t.co/JNDPuyRmOA via @CNNTravel
— Joseph Mallozzi
According to Akemi, there’s an Edo period preparation that substitutes the pie for rice. I suggested she try the recipe some day. She was…unethusiastic.
Bringing you more from the Stargate vault…
Enemies…
I always found it interesting that, whenever certain fans took issue with a creative decision, they would always blame TPTB (The Powers That Be) as if we were one giant multi-headed monster. In truth, we’re individual little monsters who have had our share of disagreements over the years on everything from wardrobe decisions to major character arcs. Season five had seen its share of minor debates, but this episode stands out as the first big blowout. I don’t even recall exactly what was being disputed; I only remember it had to do with story structure. That and being really impassioned and, ultimately, very annoyed. In the end, Paul and I handed off the episode to Rob and shifted focus to another script, The Fifth Man – and Enemies turned out to be a terrific episode. Also, FYI – the working title for this one was Serpent’s Hat. Don’t ask.
Threshold…
No concept art.
One of my favorite moments of these early fifth season episodes is the Larry David staredown Bratac gives Teal’c to discern whether he is lying or not (I believe it’s in the previous episode). That bug-eyed gawk would always leave me chortling. A great Teal’c episode, though less so for Chris Judge who had to brave the elements on this one. On the day they headed out to shoot the exterior scenes, they discovered a thick blanket of snow on the ground. Oops. It provided what I imagine must have been a somewhat uncomfortable bedding for the shirtless Chris to lie down on.
Ascension…
This was one of those episode’s that hadn’t sold me at the script stage but really came together once we started shooting. Sean Patrick Flanery was great and had terrific onscreen chemistry with Amanda. Another perfect example of writer-producer’s remorse: an actor who does such a good job that one regrets killing off his character.
The Fifth Man…
Actor Dion Johnstone assumed a number of very different roles over the course of the franchise’s run. He drew on his extensive theater background to play the part of Chaka in The First Ones (reprising the role in Beast of Burden), doing a brilliant job of conveying a wide range of emotion through some heavy prosthetic make-up. In this episode, he plays another alien – of sorts – the mysterious Lieutenant Tyler whose existence no one but SG-1 can recall, and delivers another great performance. One of the things I remember about this episode was the hell of a time editing had cutting around all the Jaffa bodies O’Neill has to negotiate on his way to the gate. I mean, holy crap, does he kill a lot of ’em! Apparently, Brad felt the sea of corpses put a damper on an otherwise happy ending.
Red Sky…
No concept art.
Ron Wilkerson’s first and best script is a terrific SF tale anchored by one of Richard Dean Anderson’s greatest performances. It’s a darker side of Jack O’Neill we rarely get to see – angry, intense, and deadly serious. The episode also offers up a side of Carter we rarely glimpse as well: fallible and wrestling with self-doubt. Many layers in this one and it all plays out in very counter-Star Trek fashion as the team attempts to force a solution upon the planet’s inhabitants. Tres Anti-Prime Directive, no?
Rite of Passage…
No concept art.
This one offered us the rare opportunity to give Dr. Fraiser some screen time and touch on one of Carter’s few onscreen non-romantic relationships. The unfortunately monikered Hanka children were named after then MGM studio exec Hank Cohen (who would make a cameo in this season’s Wormhole Xtreme as, surprisingly enough, a studio exec).
Beast of Burden…
No concept art.
Dion Johnstone reprises his role as Chaka in this follow-up to season four’s The First Ones. While Peter DeLuise did the scripting honors on this one, Martin Wood assumed the directing reins. This one is a bit of a blur but I remember being genuinely surprised by early discussions to offer the role of Burrock to Larry Drake. His performance as the mentally challenged Benny Stulwicz on L.A. Law had been so damn brilliant and convincing, I’d actually assumed they’d hired a intellectually disabled actor to play the part!
The post January 28, 2023: Stargate SG-1 season 5 – concept art and episode insights! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 27, 2023
January 27, 2023: The Horror Marathon continues!
Lovely Molly (2011)
Newlywed Molly moves into her deceased father’s house in the countryside, where painful memories soon begin to haunt her.
My thoughts: There are some truly unnerving moments here as the film walks the fine line between psychological and supernatural. The fact that it never ultimately lands on neither makes for an unsatisfying conclusion.
3/5
The Call (2020)
Two people live in different times. Seo-Yeon lives in the present and Young-Sook lives in the past. One phone call connects the two, and their lives are changed irrevocably.
My thoughts: This one is pretty bananas in its treatment of time travel and alternate timelines, but once you accept the rules, it works pretty well…until its inconsistent and illogical twist ending.
3.5/5
Compliance (2012)
A normal Friday service at a fast food restaurant becomes interrupted by a police officer who claims an employee stole from a customer, but something more sinister is going on.
My thoughts: Shocking and disturbing – all the more so given that the film is based on actual events.
4/5
Bedevilled (2010)
A woman subject to mental and physical abuse on a remote island seeks a way out.
My thoughts: Brutal on both sides of the equation. Revenge is sweet.
4/5
The Invisible Man (2020)
When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
My thoughts: A smart and suspenseful modern-day reimagining – minus the questionable logic at movie’s end.
3.5/5
Today’s Yes/No…
Opera Frappuccino? Yes/No
Starbucks unveils second Valentine’s Day Frappuccino in Japan https://t.co/qV10Sbx65A via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
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January 26, 2023
January 26, 2023: Undiscovered (well, technically “discovered”) Stargate treasure!
Well, this is cool. Akemi has been obsessively and meticulously cataloguing my immense toy collection over at the newly created instagram account: Toys My Husband Won’t Throw Away.
Today, while going through the endless storehouse of items, she came across THIS –
Back in the Stargate days, the producers would receive their very own copies of the previous day’s dailies, all the the raw footage shot that day. The editor would use all this footage to assemble an editor’s cut which was forwarded to the director who would use it – and his knowledge of existing footage – to put together his director’s cut. At that point, the episode’s producer would take over and work off the director’s cut to create their producer’s cut.
Every day, we would sit in the writers’ room, eat lunch, and watch the previous day’s dailies. When we were done, we would toss the VHS tapes (eventually discs) into a bin for recycling. For some reason, perhaps old times sake, I ended up holding on to a few of these tapes from some memorable (to me) episodes: Window of Opportunity, Wormhole X-Treme, Revisions, It’s Good to be King – and, for some reason, Small Victories and The Warrior. I’d forgotten I’d even had them and so they remained, stacked away in deepest storage, until Akemi’s amazing find this morning.
So, the obvious question is Now what? There must be easily 150-200 hours of unseen footage on those tapes – alternate takes, outtakes, deleted footage, maybe even the occasional blooper. But there’s no way to know for sure until I check them out. Of course easier said than done since I haven’t owned a VCR since, oh, 1999. Fortunately, however, there are video transfer services that can digitize the contents of old cassettes, storing them onto equally obsolete discs and USB’s. The average cost is about $15/hour of footage. Since this could all get very expensive, I’ve decided to start with two episodes – Window of Opportunity and Wormhole X-Treme. Apparently, the quality of video cassettes degrades after 20 years (and it’s been closer to 25) so there’s no telling what we’ll get, but I’m curious to find out.
It’ll probably take me about a week to get organized enough to get over there and drop off the tapes. Then, the process takes about two weeks. So tune in late February for an update. Hopefully I’ll have interesting news for all you Stargate fans.
Maybe more like this?
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January 25, 2023
January 25, 2023: Amazing Covers!
Siren’s Gate #3 – cover art by Shannon Maer
Sins of Sinister #1 – cover art by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
Junkyard Joe #4 – cover art by Gary Frank, Brad Anderson
Action Comics #1051 – cover art by Jorge Fornes
Punchline: The Gotham Gate #4 – cover art by Warren Louw
Blade Runner: Black Lotus #1-4 – cover art by Jeffrey Spokes, Jung-Geun Yoon, Jesus Hervas, Dani Strips
So, which were YOUR favorites?
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January 24, 2023
January 24, 2023: Controversial Best Picture Winners!
1941: How Green Was My Valley (beat Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, Suspicion)
Citizen Kane, considered by many as perhaps the greatest film ever made!
1944: Going My Way (beat Double Indemnity, Gaslight)
Double Indemnity and Gaslight are two seminal films. Not sure the same can be said for Going My Way.
1965: The Sound of Music (beat Doctor Zhivago)
Doctor Zhivago was pretty epic and I’d have leaned that way – but I’m sure my mom, who watches The Sound of Music whenever it airs, would disagree.
1976: Rocky (beat All the President’s Men, Bound for Glory, Network, Taxi Driver)
I mean, Rocky was a seminal film as well, but it wasn’t a better movie than any of the aforementioned.
1979: Kramer vs Kramer (beat Apocalypse Now)
Apocalypse Now is another film that makes many critics’ Top 10 lists.
1980: Ordinary People (beat Raging Bull, The Elephant Man)
With all due respect to perfectly Ordinary People, Raging Bull was a tour de force.
1981: Chariots of Fire (beat Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Chariots of Fire was perfectly fine, but Raiders was tremendous.
1985: Out of Africa (beat The Color Purple, Prizzi’s Honor, Witness)
This selection was a bit of a head scratcher. I’d have gone Witness.
1990: Dances with Wolves (beat Goodfellas)
Goodfellas is not just one of the greatest gangster movies ever made, but certainly one great movie. Dances with Wolves…meh.
1994: Forrest Gump (beat Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption)
Lotsa love for Forrest Gump. I found it hokey but understand respect the opinion of those who enjoyed it…but The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies ever made.
1996: The English Patient (beat Fargo)
I thought I was the only one who found The English Patient insufferable until I saw that Seinfeld episode. Fargo is magnificent.
1998: Shakespeare in Love (beat Saving Private Ryan)
Missed this one when I was putting together this list, but someone reminded me about this outrageous choice.
Agree? Disagree? What did I miss?
The post January 24, 2023: Controversial Best Picture Winners! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
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