Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 185

September 18, 2020: A Caillou trivia thread! And Happy Birthday USAF!

So, today, I noticed #Caillou was trending.  As some of you know (and Stargate EP Michael Greenburg would never let me forget – “I don’t know how you used to do things on Caillou, but here on Stargate…”), this animated series (based on the beloved French children’s book series) was one of the first shows I developed for television.  Now, Caillou has received a lot hate over the years.  He’s been accused of being a whiney, entitled brat.  But isn’t that almost every kid?  Anyway, I felt bad in having contributed to the image of what kids are really like instead of the adorable idealized versions found in most cartoons, so I felt the need to apologize.  Passionate discourse ensued.

Trivia: #Caillou was one of the first shows I developed early in my writing career.
I'm sorry. pic.twitter.com/cHjYCqIvJP

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 18, 2020

And, hey, Happy Birthday to the USAF!

Happy 73rd Birthday to the U.S. Air Force
Had the pleasure of working with them on many great seasons of #Stargate #SG1. @usairforce (1/3)

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 18, 2020

Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael E. Ryan made a guest appearance on #Stargate #SG1, portraying himself in the episode "Prodigy". (2/3) pic.twitter.com/91xBWVpVVR

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 18, 2020

Three years later, Air Force Chief of Staff John Jumper guested on the #Stargate #SG1 season 7 finale "Lost City Part 2". He assured me it would be a singular t.v. appearance. “You sure?”I asked. “Next week, I better not turn on my t.v. and catch you on Moesha.” (3/3) pic.twitter.com/zmeRk4oqoI

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 18, 2020

Our Crime Club discussion of Sexy Beast has been rescheduled to Monday!

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September 17, 2020: Project Update! And a question for you sci-fi fans!

I’m not a huge fan of juggling projects preferring, instead, to focus on one at a time, but my line of work has me doing a lot of this…

Sometimes it can be nice, mixing things up, shifting gears when I get creatively bogged down on a particular script or overview, but mostly it’s just distracting and inhibits my overall creativity.

Still, I have managed to make significant progress on a few fronts –

Project F, my scifi/anime/gaming/kpop (No, really!) series is progressing nicely.  I’m 18 pages deep into the overview that, so far, covers: an introduction, a detailed tease, a discussion on the setting (First World and Second World), our characters (major and minor), a section dedicated to game play, a rundown of the pilot, a section titled “Twists, Truths, and Technologies”, and a summary of season 1 and beyond.  Next up, a few episode springboards (about a paragraph each), the requisite Tone and Themes section, and, finally, the “Why you should green light this series!” coda.  Piece of cake!

Project Q (for “quirky”), is the television adaptation of that comic book I’ve been working on for a while.  Got some great notes last week and spent part of this week revising and incorporating some of the fun suggestions.  This overview/pitch comes in at a robust 20 pages (Intro, detailed Tease, World, Characters, Pilot summary, Series Arc, Episode Springboards, and a section titled “The Big Spoileriffic Reveal!”  My friend and former Dark Matter/Utopia Falls Co-Executive Producer Ivon Bartok gave me a few suggestions I aim on implementing this weekend and, if I’m happy with what I have, I’ll send it on it way Monday.

TimEscape: I feel like this project (a lean 13 page bible and two full scripts) is trapped in a time dilation field as we await a broadcaster decision.

Project TT (for Time Travel): Putting the finishing touches on the pitch/overview and we’ll be taking this one out soon.  This one is, uh, loopy.

Projects A, G, and PMT: I’ve already completed preliminary work on, but the heavy lifting is still to come.

Also, made some professional changes and am looking to sign with a new agent next week.  He read and loved TimEscape which is great because that’s the first one he may be selling for me.

***

Question for you, sci-fi fans.  What is the single most important factor that draws you to a science fiction series?

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September 16, 2020: Stargate Universe “Faith” BTS photos!

From the Stargate vault…

My fun insider industry story….

Oof. This reminds me of a story about another comedian who was promised scripts as part of his series deal. He never did any actual writing for the credit. Rather, his contribution amounted to reading that season's scripts and selecting the one he liked it best. pic.twitter.com/HJA1uthnqP

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 16, 2020

 

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September 15, 2020: Getting in touch. Or not.

THIS BLOG

Yes, the most obvious and perhaps easiest way to get in touch with me is through this blog.  Have a question?  Just post it as a comment.  I moderate all comments before publishing so if you’d rather not have it made public.  Just let me know.  Please avoid the “feedback” section of this blog.  It magically sprang up when I transferred to my private domain and sits unaccessed by yours truly, like a dear aunt’s Christmas gift or the sweater vest your mom bought you when you were 14.

TWITTER

Next to this blog, twitter is the easiest place to get in touch.  Just tag me in a comment or DM me if you’re inquiring about an interview or looking to add my name to your will.  Don’t DM me to chit chat.  I hate chit chat and prefer to interact in a public forum where everyone can benefit from my sage, fried chicken-related advice.

REDDIT

I’m fairly active on two subreddits, Dark Matter and Stargate, and do interact with fans on both, almost always answering questions in the threads, sometimes over DM, NEVER on chat.   Chatting is for people with too much time on their hands.

INSTAGRAM

I’m rarely on IG so my postings are….erratic.  I also rarely interact on IG through DM’s as I never get around to them.  The fact that I can only post photos via my phone has led me to hold a longstanding grudge against Instagram.

FACEBOOK

The chances of getting in touch with me through Facebook are about as likely as trying to get in touch with me via sky messages.  I used to frequent Facebook to only share lost dog posts but now I don’t even do that.  If it wasn’t for my pug’s (New Old Pug Suji) page, I would have been done away with this antiquated bullshit site long ago.

LINKEDIN

Lol.  Are you serious?  I remember my former writing partner, Paul, once lamenting the fact that he had unwittingly signed up for Linkedin and then tried unsuccessfully to delete his account before giving up.  So, mine is still out there, gathering dust along with the countless connection requests and messages from people who really should just be reaching out to me on twitter or this blog.

If you reach out, please don’t send me your Stargate ideas.  I’m not creating/developing a series.  That would be Brad Wright.  Also, please don’t send Brad Wright your Stargate ideas (or ask me to get them to Brad).  Trust me, he doesn’t need them.  He’s got plenty of his own.

Guys, please. "Pre-Greenlit" isn't a thing. If it were, you know what would be "pre-greenlit"? My idea for that procedural series about the telepathic pug who solves crimes.

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 15, 2020

I’m surprised by the number of people who said they would watch.  I may need to rethink my development slate.

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September 14, 2020: The Crime Club convenes to discuss Sleuth!

A wealthy mystery writer invites his wife’s lover to his estate and enlists his help in staging a home robbery.  Of course not all is as it seems and their curious encounter turns into a battle of wits marked by deceit, disguises and, oh yes, death.

Well, this was a deliciously devious Crime Club entry chock full of twists, turns, shocks, and surprises.  Granted, the first “disguise” does require some suspension of disbelief, but the narrative curveballs this movie throws at you are genuinely clever, making for a hell of an entertainment viewing.  And despite the fact that the entire story takes place in a single interior location, the narrative never flags, progressing at a deliberate pace in the early goings and then ramping up as the game of one upmanship unfolds.

Michael Caine is brilliant as the poor Milo Tindle, but Sir Laurence Olivier (who received an Oscar nomination for this performance) is absolutely masterful here, tearing it up as the plotting Andrew Wyke.  I’m willing to bet he never had more fun in a role.

Some nice little touches throughout: the maze at the beginning of the movie that tips its labyrinthine plot, Andrew’s prophetic love of games, Milo’s ironic use of riddles, and then that final, fitting  twist.

Sleuth served to remind me how few contemporary thrillers are really all that clever.  It would seem the bar has really been lowered in the years since this movie was released.  As they say, they don’t make them like they used to.  And that’s a shame.

So, what did you all think of Sleuth?

Join us Friday when our Crime Club reconvenes to discuss the 200 crime film Sexy Beast…

 

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September 13, 2020: Suji Sunday!

Walk-ready.

Sleep mode.

Tongue action.

Confrontational.

Defiant.

More tongue action.

Sunbathing.

Struggling to stay awake.

Melon-head!

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September 12, 2020: My favorite gate!

The mystery of the missing Diet Coke (via my sister)…

A few photos from the SGU vault…

This was my favorite gate of the franchise.

Director Ernest Dickerson and the Destiny crew.

Colonel Telford

Executive Producers Robrert C. Cooper and Carl Binder tour the Destiny in-progress.

The Nicholas Rush surprise party patiently awaits the birthday boy’s return.

So, how’s everyone’s weekend going?

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September 11, 2020: The Crime Club convenes to discuss Point Break!

The Crime Club convenes to discuss the surf-crime thriller Point Break.

I recall this movie being somewhat of a cheesy classic but it was only on second viewing, decades later, that I came to realize the true depths of its cornballness.  The plot is pretty predictable, Keanu’s performance more suited to his vacant Yo-Dude(!) undercover role than the actual capable FBI agent he’s supposed to be, and the dialogue… Hooweee, that dialogue.  I honestly didn’t remember it being so horrendous.  How bad was it?  So bad that at one point in the early goings I was sorely tempted to stop watching and write up my thoughts from memories of my first screening.  And I would have, were it not for the demands of our little Crime Club, and the onscreen stylings of one Patrick Swayze who is positively terrific in this movie.  And, quite frankly, once you get past the paint-by-numbers narrative, the cringeworthy dialogue, and the wonderful Lori Petty being reduced to a damsel in distress, Point Break does switch gears about two-thirds of the way through to deliver an action-packed and suspenseful – if somewhat silly – third act.  I mean, yes, you have nazi surf punks, lame Nixon gags, and our hero, Johnny Utah (!), screaming “Nooooooooooo!” after his partner is shot, but on the other hand you have Patrick “fucking” Swayze and one hell of a memorable final sequence that sees the two adversaries throw down one last time before parting ways for the last time.  Johnny’s “He’s not coming back.” as he walks away and the cut to Bodhi catching that monster wave is a beautiful moment and at that point, for this viewer at least, all is forgiven.

So, what did you all think of Point Break?

Ready for a crime classic?  I hope so because, on Monday, the Crime Club will reconvene to discuss the Laurence Olivier/Michael Caine psychological thriller Sleuth.

 

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September 10, 2020: Who knows what the future holds?

Chevron Five locked!

Stargate executive producer Joseph Mallozzi is dropping new hints about what Brad Wright's long-gestating Stargate project might look like, and how close it is to a green light. https://t.co/g9PGXx0jRy @stargatecommand @BaronDestructo @bradtravelers #StargateNow

— GateWorld.net (@GateWorld) September 9, 2020

Who knows what the future holds?  More Stargate?  Maybe.

A little Yes/No?

Burger King Chocolate Burger? Yes/No
Burger King's April Fools Chocolate Burger Becomes a Reality https://t.co/rywrQvTvEh King's April Fools Chocolate Burger Becomes a Reality

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 10, 2020

Honestly?  I’d try this before I eat chocolate-covered fruit.

Amazing People With Whom I Have Worked…

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Inga Cadranel (@IngaCadranel) played the part of Alicia Reynaud on #DarkMatter. Her onscreen talent commanded my attention, and won her the role, after I caught her performance – on someone else's audition demo reel(!) A terrific actress. pic.twitter.com/CbexJ38Vpn

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 3, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Kim Morrison (@soundslikejim) was an Executive Assistant on #DarkMatter (and #LostGirl) before landing her first writing gig on #PrivateEyes. She's smart, talented, and a connoisseur of flavored coffees. pic.twitter.com/TGjz70Jclf

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 4, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
I had the pleasure of working with writer-producer Courtney Jane Walker (@_CJWalker) on #UtopiaFalls. She's not only a great writer, but absolutely terrific in the room spinning ideas and tracking/developing character arcs. pic.twitter.com/fVCXrLsW6K

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 5, 2020

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September 9, 2020: I would advise caution and remind you to take your vitamin D!

Covid-19 case rates are rising in some places, falling in others, but the death rates have either remained flat or fallen off.  This seems very promising and, as a result, many are already looking past this pandemic.  I would advise caution.

There are many theories for the drop in the fatality rate, everything from a weakening virus to better treatments, but I believe that one of the major factors being overlooked is the summer weather.  Studies have shown that the severity of the disease is linked to viral load.  In other words, the heavier the dose, the sicker you can get.  If you’re outside, the virus is dispersed and, if you catch it, you’re more likely to suffer a milder case or be asymptomatic.  Still, even if you do get sick, the fact that you’re soaking up the sun boosts your vitamin D levels – which, apparently, are one of the biggest contributing factors to severity and survival.  With me so far?

As we head into winter, younger people will no doubt continue their irresponsible behavior, but socializing will more likely take place indoors in closed environments leading to larger viral loads.  Less time out in the sun will also make people more susceptible as their vitamin D levels drop.

People are acting like the worst is over, but there’s a potential for things to get very bad around November-December and, potentially, well into 2021.

Don’t forget to take your vitamin D!

Amazing people with whom I have worked…

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Peter Williams (@actualApophis) played the role of Apophis on #StargateSG1. And although the character seemingly died in season 2, the magic of science fiction afforded me the opportunity to work with Peter on later episodes. pic.twitter.com/obbIIIGGMQ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) August 31, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Actress Andee Frizzell (@AndeeFrizzell) played the roles of various Wraith Queens over the course of #StargateAtlantis' five year run, undergoing countless hours of early morning transformations in the make-up chair. THAT is dedication! pic.twitter.com/tL6aGVpZpg

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 1, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
He was Carl Strom in #StargateUniverse and Warden Treihan on #DarkMatter. Carolo Rota is not only a great actor, but a celebrated chef and gourmet. I look forward to casting him again so we can resume our discussion on the merits of 'ndjuja. pic.twitter.com/kWCBxvk95Z

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 2, 2020

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