Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 118

August 26, 2022: From here on in, it’s smoooooooth sailing!

Huzzah!  Success!  After much pacing, nighttime tossing and turning, and general racking of brain, I finally have a beat sheet for that android-themed mystery series.  The hard part his over.  Now, all that remains to be done is the outline, a first draft, a second draft, a polish, a pitch deck, a sale, development of the first season, the writing of the first season episodes, prep, production and post – the easy stuff!

Tomorrow (Saturday) night will mark two full weeks without dessert!  That’s no chocolate, no cream buns, and no pistachio patisserie for 14 straight days!  How do I feel?  Absolutely no different although Akemi claims I’ve been more irritable of late but, in all fairness, that could be due to my work on beating out this new script (which is, in my opinion, the most frustrating part of the whole t.v.-making process).  Anyway, with two weeks under my belt and absolutely no discernible health benefits either mental or physical, I intend to reward my 14-day Spartan diet with a little something – a square of Ecuadorian 72%, or maybe a pint of Haagen-Dazs.  I’ll play it by ear.

Awww, this is nice.  Long-time Stargate fan Irena (of Stargate Europe fame – @Irena_SG on twitter) is in town with husband Dieter.  We met up for coffee (actually, unsweetened matcha for me) and dessert (cinnamon rolls for them).  Great to finally put a face to a twitter account.  Tomorrow, they check out Fan Expo after which they’ll be taking to the train cross-country to Vancouver for Gatecon.  Lucky!

Okay, now a wacky one!

Today’s Yes/No.  Beat the summer heat with…

The Cold Dog? Yes/No https://t.co/AIqKHsK2sg

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 26, 2022

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August 25, 2022: The Thursday Report!

Started work on my android-themed pilot.  You guys are gonna love it!

Guys! I'm freaking out! pic.twitter.com/qLwNnnQSP5

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 25, 2022

We also follow each other on telegram!

Catch it while you can!

Dark Matter leaving Netflix in September, 2022

September 25th is the show’s last day on Netflix.  It leaves Canadian Netflix in August of 2023, so Canadian fans get a bit of a reprieve.

No idea where it ends up next, but now would be the time to catch up if you haven’t already watched all three seasons!

Never experienced this in Japan, but it looks kinda squishy…

Seibu Shinjuku Line rush hour in Japan pic.twitter.com/8QMjPkmvZH

— Tansu YEĞEN (@TansuYegen) August 25, 2022

And this one’s kinda creepy…

The misconception that there is no sound in space originates because most space is a ~vacuum, providing no way for sound waves to travel. A galaxy cluster has so much gas that we've picked up actual sound. Here it's amplified, and mixed with other data, to hear a black hole! pic.twitter.com/RobcZs7F9e

— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) August 21, 2022

I’ve got Cinnabar, Vivanite, Galeena, and Malachite in the Final Four!

THE BRACKET IS READY!!

After recruiting #MinCup21’s strongest contenders & pouring through your nominations, we have our lineup for #MinCup22.

Voting starts September 1st! pic.twitter.com/9lZ3JcYtwd

— Mineral Cup #MinCup (@MineralCup) August 23, 2022

Today’s Yes/No…

Unatama Egg Sandwich? Yes/No
For me – yes, but minus the egg.
Eggslut adds a whole ass eel to a new sandwich in Japan https://t.co/4TAld9r2UU via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 25, 2022

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August 24, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #2 – cover art by Phil Noto

Star Wars: Darth Vader #26 – cover art by Alex Maleev

Pantha #4 – cover art by Jorge Fornes

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #8 – cover art by Arthur Suydam

Tales of the Human Target #1 – cover art by Greg Smallwood

So, which were your favorites?

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August 23, 2022: Your handy guide to weird yokai!

Makuragaeshi are Japanese child ghosts that haunt rooms at night, flipping pillows and, occasionally, people. Their more malevolent versions sit on their victim’s chest while they sleep, squeezing the air from their lungs.

Tofu Yozo are yokai, Japanese spirits, that take the form of the young tofu-selling boys of the Edo period. They may, on occasion, follow people home on rainy nights.
Timid and weak, they are often bullied by their fellow spirits, thus establishing them as the original soy boys.

The Aka manto is a ghost or serial killer that stalks school bathrooms. If a student uses the cursed 4th stall, he’ll discover it out of toilet paper. Suddenly, a voice will ask him to choose between red paper or blue. If he chooses red, he will be slashed to bloody ribbons.
The next student to use the cursed 4th stall will be presented with the same choice between: “Red or blue toilet paper”. Aware of the fate of the last student, she’ll choose blue – at which point all the blood will be drained from her body, leaving her a dead, blue corpse.

The akaname are yokai, Japanese spirits, that visit bathrooms at night, making use of their sticky tongues to lick the filth off the floor, bathtubs, and toilets. They are disease-carriers and can make you very sick – BUT they can be avoided by keeping a clean bathroom!

The Kuchisake-onna appears as a masked woman who asks: “Am I pretty?”
Answer no, and she’ll brutally kill you.
Answer yes, and she’ll remove her mask to reveal her hideous ear to ear grin. “Am I pretty?”she’ll ask again.
Answer no, and she’ll brutally kill you.
Answer yes, and she’ll let you go.
Then follows you home and brutally kill you.

Get the fuck out of here with your cakey brownies!

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 22, 2022

Today’s Yes/No…

Caramel Popcorn Soda?
Discount vending machine in Japan serves up Caramel Popcorn Soda https://t.co/BpwBWeYNch via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 23, 2022

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August 22, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with Swans, Censors, Demons and a really sketchy-looking ice cream!

Black Swan (2010)

A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”.

Thoughts: Overwrought, pretentious and surprisingly unsubtle in its thematic execution. The horror elements are cliched and, at times, unintentionally hilarious. Also, men are the worst, amiright?

3/5

Censor (2021)

After viewing a strangely familiar video nasty, Enid, a film censor, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and reality.

Thoughts: A terrific tribute to 80’s British horror that nails the feel of the video nasties as it blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. Conceptually and aesthetically brilliant, but the final twist feels wanting without an emotional trigger that precipates Enid’s descent.

4/5

Demon (2016)

A bridegroom is possessed by an unquiet spirit in the midst of his own wedding celebration, in this clever take on the Jewish legend of the dybbuk.

Thoughts: Somber and spooky, the suspense builds beautifully in its exploration of cultural horror before diffusing in its final act, leaving us with an ambiguous, intriguing, somewhat frustrating ending.

4/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Ice cream with dried fish and scotch bonnet chiles? Yes/No
Thanks(?) to @Hadel for the tip!
Don't knock it 'til you try it, says Cape Town creamery https://t.co/VOLJUXO6sb via @CNNTravel

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 22, 2022

That’s a no from this guy.

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August 21, 2022: Suji Sunday!

13lb Suji meets a 250lb leonberger.  I’m sure she thinks she could take him.

Suji photobombs the flower.

Bubbie photobombs Suji.

Suji greets Bubbie…

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

Off-roading.

Part of her intense workout regimen…

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

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August 20, 2022: So much stuff!

I think we can all agree that everyone makes mistakes, and can learn from those mistakes. That people evolve and that every deserves a second chance. No one is irredeemable.
Except people we dislike here on twitter. They're beyond redemption.

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 20, 2022

I think I’m going to start profiling the more unusual yoke (Japanese folklore spirits) –

Makuragaeshi are Japanese child ghosts that haunt rooms at night, flipping pillows and, occasionally, people. Their more malevolent versions sit on their victim's chest while they sleep, squeezing the air from their lungs. pic.twitter.com/LHeHphyrwJ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 20, 2022

Tofu Yozo are yokai, Japanese spirits, that take the form of the young tofu-selling boys of the Edo period. They may, on occasion, follow people home on rainy nights.
Timid and weak, they are often bullied by their fellow spirits, thus establishing them as the original soy boys. pic.twitter.com/nHbtYGykCB

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 20, 2022

This seems like a lot…

That's…a lot of pollen. https://t.co/GvE3lTfOuT

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 19, 2022

A treasure trove from the Stargate wardrobe departments….

Today’s Yes/No…

Yakisoba Dog? Yes/No
Why doesn’t every Japanese bakery sell this amazing anime-only bread we just made?【SoraKitchen】 https://t.co/ZMz8sXSN38 via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 20, 2022

 

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August 19, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with…spicy ice cream rolls!

X (2002)

In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.

Thoughts: An ode to 70’s slasher flicks that does a nice job with character development off the top before moving on to well-trodden territory in a weird and not particularly compelling fashion. For a superior take on crazed octogenarians, check out The Visit.

3/5

You Are Not My Mother (2021)

In a North Dublin housing estate Char’s mother goes missing. When she returns Char is determined to uncover the truth of her disappearance and unearth the dark secrets of her family.

Thoughts: Some positively creepy moments in this well-directed little horror film that does a terrific job of drafting a narrative that walks the line between the plausible and the supernatural – until its closing five minutes when it comes undone.

4/5

Antlers (2021)

In an isolated Oregon town, a middle-school teacher and her sheriff brother become embroiled with her enigmatic student, whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with an ancestral creature.

Thoughts: A dreary, formulaic riff on the Wendigo tale.

3/5

Today’s horrific Yes/No…

Thai Chili Pepper Rolled Ice Cream? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/kWlxD2h9Yd

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 19, 2022

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August 18, 2022: Lunch and a show!

So, yesterday, I met up with my long-time fantasy football rival and former Dark Matter VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson who was in town visiting family.  We got together for lunch to commiserate about the state of the t.v. industry and catch up on what’s new and exciting in our respective lives (spoiler art: not that much).

The plan was to go to Campechano Taqueria for tacos.  Being an early luncher, I demonstrated immense patience by waiting until their noon opening.  We sat down and consulted the menu, only to discover that half of their meat-based tacos were unavailable.  “We’re sold out,”our waitress informed us.  Sold out?  They had just opened!

Rather than negotiate the sparse offerings or risk the mushroom taco, we elected to go for dumplings at – where else? – The Dumpling House.  There, we were treated to lunch and a show.

We ordered up a medley of two dozen pan-fried dumplings and were halfway through our meal when we heard shouting.  At first, I assumed it was someone simply expressing themselves enthusiastically in Cantonese, but as the shouting continued, it became apparent that some guy was quite irate.  I then assumed it was a dissatisfied customer.  Imagine my surprise when I peeked around the corner and witnessed the restaurant’s owner in the open kitchen, in full display of the rest of the dining area, totally losing his shit.  I didn’t understand what he was saying, but he seemed hot about something.  Lawren informed me that a woman at another table, upon receiving her order, informed the waitress that she was vegetarian and couldn’t eat it, before sending it back.  This, apparently, had set off the old man who binned the dumplings and then embarked on a hue and cry that lasted twenty minutes at least – well past the time the offending customer had left, and well past the delivery of our second order of pan-fried dumplings which were a tad over-crisped on one side but I elected to let it go since the wait staff seemed a little edgy.  For some reason, the incident reminded me of the time we went to a dumpling restaurant in Montreal where, as the vegetarian dumplings Akemi had ordered were delivered to our table, the waitress kindly informed us: “By the way.  They have shrimp.”  Uh, okay.

Anyway, not sure if the kitchen meltdown is a part of a regular performance at The Dumpling House but in the event it is, and for those interested, the show starts at about 12:45 and runs until just after 1:00 p.m.

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August 17, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Daredevil #2 – cover art by Gary Frank

Star Wars: The Madalorian #2 – cover art by Kaare Andrews

Crossover #1 (3-D Special) cover art by Geoff Shaw, John J. Hill, Dee Cunniffe

Nita Hawes’ Nightmare Blog #7 – cover art by Szymon Kudranski

Batman: One Bad Day – The Riddler #1 – cover art by Mitch Gerads

Black Adam #3 – cover art by Irvin Rodriguez

Black Adam #3 – cover art by Rahzzah

Catwoman #46 – cover art by Jeff Dekal

Man Goat & Bunnyman: Green Eggs & Blam #2 – cover art by Paul Green

Entropy #1 – cover art by Montos

Entropy #1 – cover art by Antonio Fuso

So, which were YOUR favorites?

 

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