Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 121

July 27, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Jennifer Blood #10 – cover art by Tim Bradstreet

Vampirella: Year One #1 – cover art by Ergün Gündüz

Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #1 – cover art by Juni Ba

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #22 – cover art by W. Scott Forbes

The Amazing Spider-Man #6 – cover art by John Cassaday

The Amazing Spider-Man #6 – cover art by Humberto Ramos

The Variants #2 – cover art by Phil Noto

Something is Killing the Children #25 – cover art by Jenny Frison

Batman: Fortress #3 – cover art by Mico Suayan

Deathstroke Inc. #11 – cover art by Francesco Mattina

Swamp Thing #15 – cover art by Charlie Adlard

Spawn: The Scorched #8 – cover art by Puppeteer Lee

Vampire Macabre: Halloween Special – cover art by Aly Fell

Wrong Earth: Meat – cover art by Jamal Igle

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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July 26, 2022: Stargate fans assemble!

Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of Stargate: SG-1.  To celebrate, fandom will be gathering on twitter for a #WeWantStargate tweet storm.  If you’re in the neighborhood, drop on by!

For better or worse? I'm afraid to read the article to find out.
Study: Having just 4 drinks a week changes your brain https://t.co/uyeon5ZvGK via @seattletimes

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 26, 2022

Suji puts in 4 appearances in this Dodo senior pug video.  Can you spot them all?

Cool!

Digital painting art… Perfecto! pic.twitter.com/fRLJKM1PrO

— Figen (@TheFigen) July 25, 2022

Today’s Yes/No…

Spreadable French Toast? Yes/No
New spreadable French Toast from Japan is a game-changer https://t.co/wkkOWV4Ai3 via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 26, 2022

 

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July 25, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with The Good, The Great, and the Not-So-Good!

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

A coroner and his son conduct an autopsy on a beautiful `Jane Doe’ murder victim, and find increasingly bizarre clues.

Thoughts: A well-directed little chiller that makes the most of its single location setting, offering up some fresh scars amid the viscera and standard horror tropes.

4/5

Atterados/Terrified (2017)

Paranormal researchers investigate strange events in a neighbourhood in Buenos Aires.

Thoughts: Ho-ly! This one doesn’t pull any punches, delivering some great jump scares in a shocker that dares go where most Western horror fears to tread.

4.5/5

Black Box (2020)

After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.

Thoughts: An interesting sci-fi idea undermined by a clunky script and performances. Like an episode of the 1985 Twilight Zone reboot that didn’t quite make the cut.  Not really horror but should, nevertheless, come with a “precocious kid” warning.

Today’s Yes/No…

Jalapeño Ice Cream? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/mBmqusrkYB

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 25, 2022

I’m actually more intrigued by the prospect of a Tabasco ice cream than a jalapeño ice cream.

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July 24, 2022: Suji Sunday!

Aloha

Ready to chow down.

Goofy

Saying “Aaaaaahhhhh”

Off to the races.

Flower child.

Powering through physio…

View this post on Instagram

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

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July 23, 2020: What is more horrific – these movies or this Velveeta martini?

The Deeper You Dig (2019)

The line between the living and the dead collapses after a roadside accident.

Thoughts: Despite the obvious budgetary constraints, this film offers an interesting and, at times, unique take on ghostly revenge, but it is hampered by odd directorial choices and uneven performances.

2.5/5

A Quiet Place II (2020)

Forced to venture into the unknown, the Abbott family realizes the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.

Thoughts: A worthy successor to the original that opens up the world, but at the cost of the suspenseful sense of isolation established in the first movie.  Like the first movie though, I find the creatures with the bladed limbs kind of silly.

3.5/5

Don’t Breathe (2016)
Hoping to walk away with a massive fortune, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man who isn’t as helpless as he seems.

Thoughts: A pretty good spin on the house-invasion-thriller, with some well-sustained suspense ramping up to a weird third act twist.

4/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Velveeta Martini? Yes/No
Not gonna lie. I'm intrigued.
Velveeta Releases Cheese-Infused Martini That's Garnished with Pasta Shells https://t.co/ikdEEbGZtp

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 23, 2022

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July 22, 2022: Like the Stone Soup folk tale but with more drinking!

This was the (mostly) all-Japanese lineup for Wednesday’s Whiskey night, ultimately just a portion of my vast booze library.  Akemi thinks there’s a teachable moment in the tale of how I amassed my collection, a powerful lesson for kids everywhere.  When Dark Matter went into production, Paul and I were each gifted a bottle of high-end whiskey.  Paul brought his back to his hotel and drank it over the course of a week in the spirit of the cliche anguished artist while I elected to share my bottle with the gang in the office.  Line Producer Norman Denver reciprocated the gesture by bringing in his own contribution – a Lagavulin 16.  Soon, others began to contribute as well – directors, AD’s, cast and guest stars.  We would gather every day at the sound of the Wolf Call (so-named because Norman would signal the daily gathering of the Whiskey club with a wolf howl over the office speakers).  We averaged 13 bottles of whiskey a season, one for each episode produced.  Even so, when the show was unceremoniously turfed by Syfy, the library had grown to almost a hundred bottles – that I ended up inheriting, bringing them back to my place for safekeeping in preparation for the possible Dark Matter miniseries that would see our modest club reconvene once again.

It’s sort of like the classic Stone Soup folk tale, but with more drinking.  Inspiring, no?

Ah, this takes me back.  “Who’s Hootie now?”

Speaking of Stargate –

I’ve completed a rewrite of the re-re-re-revision of the pilot for my SF/Kpop mash-up.  Will do another pass this weekend, get some notes and do another pass before sending it on its way for notes – and possibly another pass.  Meanwhile, Episode 2 awaits.

Today’s Yes/No…

Bacon and Egg Katsudon? Yes/No
Katsudon for breakfast? Japan’s new bacon egg cutlet bowl may be the only meal we need all day https://t.co/PMPBRB06Bf via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 22, 2022

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July 21, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues!

The Void (2017)

Cloaked, cult-like figures trap a police officer (Aaron Poole), patients and staffers inside a hospital that is a gateway to evil.

Thoughts: Hokey and confusing.  The practical effects are solid, but the grotesqueries and gruesomeness are, ultimately, more silly than scary.

2.5/5

The Strangers (2008)

A young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.

Thoughts: Some great suspense and scares in this home invasion thriller that, unfortunately, hinges on the contrived inability to place a 911 call – and the killer’s unlikely confidence that this is the case. P.S. Keep those cell phones charged!

3.5/5

The Loved Ones (2009)

When Brent turns down his classmate Lola’s invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.

Thoughts: I really wanted to like this one, but its fantastic premise is completely undone by villains so over-the-top that the silliness overwhelms the scares.

2.5/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Tailgate-flavored Candy Corn? Yes/No
Brach's released Tailgate-flavored candy corn and we're wondering: What's in the hot dogs? https://t.co/EzJPWLpx3H

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) July 21, 2022

My favorite flavor = diesel exhaust!

 

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July 20, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

A.X.E.: Judgement Day #1 – cover art by Mark Brooks

Iron Man #21 – cover art by Alex Ross

Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #4 – cover art by Greg Land

Star Wars #25 – cover art by Alex Maleev

Ice Cream Man #31 – cover art by Trevor Henderson

Seven Sons #2 – cover art by Jae Lee

Artemis: Wanted #1 – cover art by Matteo Scalera

Black Adam #2 – cover art by Irvin Rodriguez

Alice Ever After #4 – cover art by Dan Panosian

Entropy #1 – cover art by Antonio Fuso

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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July 19, 2022: Foodly updates and such!

My favorite Toronto ramen…

The garlic ramen with thin noodles and extra pork chasu from Midori Ramen.

Lettage, a curious lettuce/cabbage hybrid.

Akemi making enough cole slaw to feed a small army.

I prefer my cheeses super runny.

Whenever we go out to eat, Akemi comes prepared with her handy take-home container.

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The Philly Cheesesteak, Ryan’s Way (sautéed steak, provolone, cheese whiz, griddled green pepper and onions, crispy onions, green onion, hot peppers) from When the Pig Came Home.

Akemi’s chocolate mousse.

Akemi’s chocolate ganache squares.

Musu Osaka buns!

 

Suspicious character.

Akemi, Japanese-style.

Joe, Japanese-style.

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July 18, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues!

La nuit a dévoré le monde (2018)

After waking up in an apartment the night after a raging party, Sam comes face to face with his new reality: an army of zombies has invaded the streets of Paris, and he is one of the lone survivors.

Thoughts: A solitary, slow-burn, introspective take on the zombie genre with bursts of visceral scares. There are touches of humor, a late unsurprising twist, and the whole is anchored by a protagonist who is, ultimately, a victim of his own making.

3.5/5

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)

Residents of a worn-down Iranian city encounter a skateboarding vampire who preys on men who disrespect women.

Thoughts: Art-house horror, stylish but slow, striking but ultimately hollow.

3/5

Happy Death Day (2018)

A college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again, in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer’s identity.

Thoughts: A great concept, well-executed. Very enjoyable – minus a few minor logical inconsistencies.

4/5

Willow Creek (2013)

A couple campout in the woods to capture firsthand evidence of Bigfoot.

Thoughts: Slow. And adds nothing new to the found footage sub-genre.

2/5

***

Seen anything good lately?

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