Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 196

June 28, 2020: Suji Sunday!

Ready for walk.  Let’s go!!!

Whenever I try to snap a photo of her napping, she instantly wakes up.  And yet, I can’t shout her name and clap my hands when her back is to me, and she won’t turn around to look.

Suji eats an egg.  Messily.

And some more pics from vault…

The post June 28, 2020: Suji Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

June 27, 2020: Yes/No? Movie-themed questions. Amazing people with whom I have worked.

A little Yes/No…

Cheesy Spicy Korean Chicken? Yes/No https://t.co/dwyDraVA0G

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 24, 2020

Octopus Eggs? Yes/No
You COULD eat a terrifying octopus egg in Japan, but SHOULD you? Let’s find out!【Taste test】 https://t.co/0b30YW8o0p via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 26, 2020

Pond Water Cider? Yes/No
Mr Sato drinks stinky Pond Water Cider from Japan https://t.co/AzHj25Ybe4 via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 27, 2020

Yesterday’s movie-themed question…

Your worst first-date movie?
Answer with a gif. pic.twitter.com/pzg5dZdoTa

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 26, 2020

Tonight’s movie-themed question…

Worst accent in a movie?
Answer with a gif or, preferably, an actual clip. pic.twitter.com/w3gDNVNxZV

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 27, 2020

Amazing people with whom I have worked…

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Christopher Binney (@JMChrisBinney) was a first assistant director on #DarkMatter, tasked with maintaining calm amid the trademark chaos of production. Chris was always pleasant and soft-spoken, but organized and efficient. pic.twitter.com/2XZfnzLQ0j

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 22, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Brandon Tataryn was first assistant director and assistant production manager on #DarkMatter. He was a lot of fun to work with, an avowed foodie – and the inspiration for the in-canon Tataryn's Disease. pic.twitter.com/LcTeFEduNa

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 23, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Katherine Hul was the Post Production Supervisor on #UtopiaFalls. She did a fabulous job of overseeing everything from edits to deliveries (and everything in between) on a very tight schedule. pic.twitter.com/Gz2cI4Q6Ok

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 25, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
I had the great fortune to work with the incredible Winston Lee on #UtopiaFalls where he was our visual effects compositing editor. Enormously talented, tireless, and infinitely patient. pic.twitter.com/X9mtjFgjT7

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 26, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
The amazing Amanda Alexander (@Amandalexander) was the script supervisor on about 100 hours of #Stargate (SG-1, Atlantis, Universe).
She has set up a gofundme page for her blind dog. Please check it out.https://t.co/K6aHunENDa pic.twitter.com/hUT8PSEXH3

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 27, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
James Tichenor was the Visual Effects Supervisor on almost 50 episodes of #Stargate. Friendly, focused, and clearly forward-thinking, he always talked up streaming potential and advised Ivon Bartok to buy Netflix stock back in 2004! pic.twitter.com/STmkczAlMu

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 28, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
I got to work with Lexa Doig (@LexaDoig), aka #Arrow's Talia al Ghul, when she played the role of Dr. Carolyn Lam on #Stargate. She's a great actress with a sharp sense of humor. pic.twitter.com/nixBI8e6bQ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 29, 2020

 

The post June 27, 2020: Yes/No? Movie-themed questions. Amazing people with whom I have worked. appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Tokyo’s lack of public trash cans is directly related to their low Covid-19 death rate. Let me explain.

One of the things that struck me on my first visit to Tokyo was the surprising lack of public trash cans.  I’m not saying there aren’t that many around.  I’m saying there are absolutely none to be found.  If you’re looking for somewhere to toss that chocolate wrapper, apple core, or used tissue, you can expect to be holding until you get back to your hotel. (Also, shame on you.  Eating and blowing your nose in public are frowned upon in Japan).

Why is this?  Why is this major metropolis devoid of public receptacles?

The answer lies in the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, an act of domestic terrorism by a doomsday cult that killed 12, seriously injured 50, and left thousands of others with temporary vision problems.  The government’s immediate response was to remove all public trash receptacles that could be used as drop-off points for future attacks.  These future attacks never manifested, but the no trash receptacle policy was never reversed.  And it has remained in place ever since.

And yet, for all this, Tokyo is an exceptionally clean city.  Why?  Because Japanese citizens are socially conscious.  They see the logic in making small sacrifices (ie. holding on to your trash until you get home) for the greater good.

Can you imagine what would happen if public trash cans were removed in North American cities?  The sidewalks and parks would be deluged with garbage.  I mean, many North Americans can’t even be bothered to wear a mask to save a stranger’s life.  Do you think these same people would give two shits about keeping their city clean?

In Japan, social responsibility has kept garbage off the streets AND the coronavirus in check.  Mask-wearing was adopted way before this pandemic started because it was naturally assumed that  taking small precautionary measures – like, say, wearing a mask to protect other people from catching YOUR cold or flu – would be a good thing.

It became part of the national psyche.  So when the coronavirus hit, the widespread adoption of mask occurred with little fanfare.  There was no need to cite articles establishing their efficacy.  It wasn’t necessary to convince people that mask requirements weren’t an assault on their inalienable rights as freedom-loving citizens.  They just did it because it was the right thing to do.

And how’d that work out?  Well, let’s check the stats (as of June 26, 2020)

JAPAN

Total cases: 18,110

Total deaths: 980

UNITED STATES

Total cases: 2,547,093

Total deaths: 127,361

How does a country with less than a third the population of the U.S. see 130 times fewer deaths?  Is it their well-marbled wagyu?  Their automated toilets? Or maybe…

If 80% of Americans wore masks, Covid-19 infections would plummet.

Could it be…

Face masks may reduce Covid-19 spread by 85%.

Something else…

Face mask wearing rate predicts Covid-19 death rate.

We hadn’t thought of?

The faster a country required masks, the fewer coronavirus deaths it had.

Or is it that the Japanese actually give a damn about others?

The post Tokyo’s lack of public trash cans is directly related to their low Covid-19 death rate. Let me explain. appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

My Top 20 Favorite Crime/Mystery Novels!

A couple of days ago I posted a rundown of My Top 20 Favorite Thrillers.

Today, I offer up a list of My Top 20 Favorite Crime/Mystery Novels.  If you’re a fan of the genre, check out any and all.  You won’t be disappointed.

 

#20. Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyers

Some would call Detective Benny Griessel a legend. Others would call him a drunk.

Either way, he has trodden on too many toes over the years ever to reach the top of the promotion ladder, and now he concentrates on staying sober and mentoring the new generation of crime fighters — mixed race, Xhosa and Zulu. But when an American backpacker disappears in Cape Town, panicked politicians know who to call: Benny has just thirteen hours to save the girl, save his career, and crack open a conspiracy, which threatens the whole country.

#19. Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules–a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home.

When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders–a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman–have stirred up a hornet’s nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes–and save himself in the process–before Lark’s long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.

#18. Sirens by Joseph Knox

Infiltrating the inner circle of enigmatic criminal Zain Carver is dangerous enough. Pulling it off while also rescuing Isabelle Rossiter, a runaway politician’s daughter, from Zain’s influence? Impossible. That’s why Aidan Waits is the perfect man for the job. Disgraced, emotionally damaged and despised by his superiors. In other words, completely expendable.

But Aidan is a born survivor. And as he works his way deep into Zain’s shadowy world, he finds that nothing is as it seems. Zain is a mesmerizing, Gatsby-esque figure who lures young women into his orbit–women who have a bad habit of turning up dead. But is Zain really responsible? And will Isabelle be next?

Before long, Aidan finds himself in over his head, cut loose by his superiors, and dangerously attracted to the wrong woman.

#17. The Whites by Richard Price

Back in the run-and-gun days of the mid-1990s, when a young Billy Graves worked in the South Bronx as part of an aggressive anti-crime unit known as the Wild Geese, he made headlines by accidentally shooting a ten-year-old boy while struggling with an angel-dusted berserker on a crowded street. Branded as a loose cannon by his higher-ups, Billy spent years enduring one dead-end posting after another. Now in his early forties, he has somehow survived and become a sergeant in Manhattan Night Watch, a small team of detectives charged with responding to all post-midnight felonies from Wall Street to Harlem. Mostly, his unit acts as little more than a set-up crew for the incoming shift, but after years in police purgatory, Billy is content simply to do his job.

Then comes a call that changes everything: Night Watch is summoned to the four a.m. fatal slashing of a man in Penn Station, and this time Billy’s investigation moves beyond the usual handoff to the day tour. And when he discovers that the victim was once a suspect in the unsolved murder of a twelve-year-old boy-a savage case with connections to the former members of the Wild Geese-the bad old days are back in Billy’s life with a vengeance, tearing apart enduring friendships forged in the urban trenches and even threatening the safety of his family.

#16. Police At the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty

Belfast 1988: A man is found dead, killed with a bolt from a crossbow in front of his house. This is no hunting accident. But uncovering who is responsible for the murder will take Detective Sean Duffy down his most dangerous road yet, a road that leads to a lonely clearing on a high bog where three masked gunmen will force Duffy to dig his own grave.

Hunted by forces unknown, threatened by Internal Affairs, and with his relationship on the rocks, Duffy will need all his wits to get out of this investigation in one piece.

#15. Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

Hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades. Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It’s the stunning portrayal of one man’s all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial–including his own life. It’s a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you…long after you have reached its shattering conclusion.

#14. The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill

Laos, 1976: Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old medical doctor, has been unwillingly appointed the national coroner of newly-socialist Laos. Though his lab is underfunded, his boss is incompetent, and his support staff is quirky to say the least, Siri’s sense of humor gets him through his often frustrating days.

When the body of the wife of a prominent politician comes through his morgue, Siri has reason to suspect the woman has been murdered. To get to the truth, Siri and his team face government secrets, spying neighbors, victim hauntings, Hmong shamans, botched romances, and other deadly dangers. Somehow, Siri must figure out a way to balance the will of the party and the will of the dead.

#13. For Those Who Know the Ending by Malcolm Mackay

Martin Sivok is in trouble. Tied to a chair, plastic strips biting his wrists, inside a deserted warehouse. . . There are only so many ways this scenario can end, most of them badly. For now his best hope is figuring out who put him here – and staying conscious long enough to confront them.

To stay awake he reviews the past year of his life: evading the law in the Czech Republic by running to Glasgow, settling into a borderline respectable relationship with his landlady, and getting back into the life at the very bottom of the criminal ladder, alongside Usman Kassar, a cocky, goofy kid anxious to prove himself.

The job should be simple: Smash heads, grab cash, run. The trouble with being two outsiders is, you don’t always know whose heads are too dangerous to crack, or whose cash is too hot to handle…

#12. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

In medieval Cambridge, four children have been murdered. The Catholic townsfolk blame their Jewish neighbors, so to save them from the rioting mob, the Cambridge Jews are placed under the protection of the king. King Henry II is no friend of the Jews—or anyone, really—but he believes in law and order, and he desperately needs the taxes he receives from Jewish merchants. Hoping scientific investigation will catch the true killer, Henry calls on his cousin, the King of Sicily—whose subjects include the best medical experts in Europe—and asks for his finest “master of the art of death,” the earliest form of medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno, an expert in the science of anatomy and the art of detection. But her name is Adelia; the king has been sent a “mistress of the art of death.”

In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia faces danger at every turn. As she examines the victims and retraces their last steps, Adelia must conceal her true identity in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she’s assisted by one of the king’s tax collectors, Sir Rowley Picot, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. A former Crusader knight, Rowley may be a needed friend … or the fiend for whom they are searching. As Adelia’s investigation takes her along Cambridge’s shadowy river paths, and behind the closed doors of its churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to strike again…

#11. The Drop by Dennis Lehane

Three days after Christmas, a lonely bartender looking for a reason to live rescues an abused puppy from a trash can and meets a damaged woman looking for something to believe in. As their relationship grows, they cross paths with the Chechen mafia; a man grown dangerous with age and thwarted hopes; two hapless stick-up artists; a very curious cop; and the original owner of the puppy, who wants his dog back. . . .

#10. The Force by Don Winslow

He is “the King of Manhattan North,” a highly decorated NYPD detective sergeant and the real leader of “Da Force.” Malone and his crew are the smartest, the toughest, the quickest, the bravest, and the baddest, an elite special unit given carte blanche to fight gangs, drugs, and guns. Every day and every night for the eighteen years he’s spent on the Job, Malone has served on the front lines, witnessing the hurt, the dead, the victims, the perps. He’s done whatever it takes to serve and protect in a city built by ambition and corruption, where no one is clean—including Malone himself.

What only a few know is that Denny Malone is dirty: he and his partners have stolen millions of dollars in drugs and cash in the wake of the biggest heroin bust in the city’s history. Now Malone is caught in a trap and being squeezed by the Feds, and he must walk the thin line between betraying his brothers and partners, the Job, his family, and the woman he loves, trying to survive, body and soul, while the city teeters on the brink of a racial conflagration that could destroy them all.

#9. Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornburg

The headline reads ? LOCAL GIRL SLAIN, BODY FOUND IN TRASHCAN. When Richard Bone sees a picture of conglomerate tycoon J.J. Wolfe in the newspaper, he’s struck by how closely he resembles the man Bone saw dumping the body: could this millionaire redneck be the killer? Bone’s close friend Cutter, a crippled Vietnam vet, is convinced that Wolfe is the killer. With nothing much more to lose, the reckless Cutter and handsome gigolo Bone hit the road to the Wolfe headquarters in the Ozarks, totally unprepared for what awaits them.

#8. The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney

In the summer of 1986, two tragedies rocked Oklahoma City. Six movie-theater employees were killed in an armed robbery, while one inexplicably survived. Then, a teenage girl vanished from the annual State Fair. Neither crime was ever solved.

Twenty-five years later, the reverberations of those unsolved cases quietly echo through survivors’ lives. A private investigator in Vegas, Wyatt’s latest inquiry takes him back to a past he’s tried to escape—and drags him deeper into the harrowing mystery of the movie house robbery that left six of his friends dead.

Like Wyatt, Julianna struggles with the past—with the day her beautiful older sister Genevieve disappeared. When Julianna discovers that one of the original suspects has resurfaced, she’ll stop at nothing to find answers.

As fate brings these damaged souls together, their obsessive quests spark sexual currents neither can resist. But will their shared passion and obsession heal them, or push them closer to the edge? Even if they find the truth, will it help them understand what happened, that long and faraway gone summer? Will it set them free—or ultimately destroy them?

#7. Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane

Boston private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are hired to find four-year-old Amanda McCready, abducted from her bed on a warm, summer night. They meet her stoned-out, strangely apathetic mother, her loving aunt and uncle, the mother’s dangerous, drug-addled friends, and two cops who’ve found so many abused or dead children they may be too far over the edge to come back. Despite enormous public attention, rabid news coverage, and dogged police work, the investigation repeatedly hits a brick wall. Led into a world of drug dealers, child molesters, and merciless executioners, Patrick and Angie are soon forced to face not only the horrors adults can perpetrate on innocents but also their own conflicted feelings about what is best, and worst, when it comes to raising children. And as the Indian summer fades and the autumn chill deepens, Amanda McCready stays gone, banished so completely that she seems never to have existed.

Then another child disappears. . . . Dennis Lehane takes you into a world of triple crosses, elaborate lies, and shrouded motives, where the villains may be more moral than the victims, the missing should possibly stay missing, and those who go looking for them may not come back alive.

#6. The Bomb Maker by Thomas Perry

A threat is called into the LAPD Bomb Squad and when tragedy ensues, the fragmented unit turns to Dick Stahl, a former Bomb Squad commander who now operates his own private security company. Just returned from a tough job in Mexico, Stahl is at first reluctant to accept the offer, but his sense of duty to the technicians he trained is too strong to turn it down. On his first day back at the head of the squad, Stahl’s three-person team is dispatched to a suspected car bomb. And it quickly becomes clear to him that they are dealing with an unusual mastermind–one whose intended target seems to be the Bomb Squad itself.

As the shadowy organization sponsoring this campaign of violence puts increasing pressure on the bomb maker, and Stahl becomes dangerously entangled with a member of his own team, the fuse on this high-stakes plot only burns faster.

#5. Get Carter by Ted Lewis

Doncaster, and Jack Carter is home for a funeral – his brother’s. Frank’s car was found at the bottom of a cliff, with him inside. Jack thinks that Frank’s death is suspicious, so he decides to talk to a few people. Frank was a mild man and did as he was told, but Jack’s not a bit like that.

#4. IQ by Joe Ide

A resident of one of LA’s toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores.

East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood’s high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can’t or won’t touch.

They call him IQ. He’s a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he’s forced to take on clients that can pay.

This time, it’s a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monstrous attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.

#3. Green Sun by Kent Anderson

Hanson thought he had witnessed the worst of humanity after a tour of duty in Vietnam and a stint as a cop in Oregon. Then he moves to Oakland, California to join the under-funded, understaffed police department.

Hanson chooses to live – alone – in the precinct that he patrols; he, unlike the rest of the white officers, takes seriously his duty to serve and protect the black community of East Oakland.

He will encounter prejudice and hate on both sides of the line… and struggle to keep true to himself against powerful opposition and personal danger.

#2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

#1. The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow

Frank Machianno is a late-middle-aged ex–surf bum who runs a bait shack on the San Diego waterfront when he’s not juggling any of his other three part-time jobs or trying to get a quick set in on his longboard. He’s a stand-up businessman, a devoted father to his daughter, and a beloved fixture in the community.

Frank’s also a hit man. Specifically: a retired hit man. Back in the day, when he was one of the most feared members of the West Coast Mafia, he was known as Frankie Machine. Years ago Frank consigned his Mob ties to the past, which is where he wants them to stay. But a favor being called in now by the local boss is one Frank can’t refuse, and soon he’s sucked back into the treacherous currents of his former life. Someone from the past wants him dead. He has to figure out who, and why, and he has to do it fast.

The problem is that the list of candidates is about the size of his local phone book and Frank’s rapidly running out of time.

And then things go really bad.

The post My Top 20 Favorite Crime/Mystery Novels! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

June 24, 2020: What I’ve been missing. And more Amazing People With Whom I Have Worked.

Even though my wife claims I’m very sociable, I am, to a certain extent, quite anti-social, preferring the option of sitting at home with a good book over outings and parties. And so, to be honest, this whole lockdown thing hasn’t been all that hard.  As someone who enjoys routine, and has spent plenty of time writing from home, I got this.  Still, there are a few things I do miss:

Matinees

Lattes from my favorite cafe

Farmers Markets

Browsing a good bookstore (although, in all fairness, I haven’t done that since I moved away from Vancouver)

Going out for tacos

Going out for fried chicken

Going out for dim sum

Going out for dessert

Discovering new restaurants

So, what have YOU all been missing?

Holy Smokes!  I’ve have truly been remiss!  It’s been over a month since I updated my rundown of the Amazing People With Whom I Have Worked…

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Grant Boyle was First Assistant Director on #DarkMatter and #UtopiaFalls. A hell of a nice guy with a great attitude who can always be relied upon to ensure a smooth-running set. pic.twitter.com/TVT5v2kOxw

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 14, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
The enormously talented Kelly Diamond was Art Director on #UtopiaFalls. Before that, she was the Assistant Art Director on #DarkMatter for two seasons. pic.twitter.com/tBlEwmljAg

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 15, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Derek Filiatrault (@DerekFilly) was first assistant director and second unit director on #UtopiaFalls. He was always the calm and disciplined force at the heart of an occasionally chaotic set. I'm a huge fan. pic.twitter.com/7BiR1V4WvU

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 16, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Saddened to hear of the passing of the great Fred Willard. He guested on #Stargate as Vala's opportunist dad, Jacek, and I remember how we all looked forward to watching the dailies for HIS scenes. A true master of comic performance. pic.twitter.com/4t2XnPiMwY

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 17, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Writer-Producer Nikolijne Troubetzkoy (#Killjoys #OrphanBlack #Transplant) is my story editor, creative counterpoint, and voice of reason on #TimEscape, the new sci-fi series I'm developing. She is absolutely brilliant. pic.twitter.com/GkLjmnxbGq

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 18, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
I worked with actress Rachel Luttrell (@rachel_luttrell) on five seasons of #Stargate Atlantis where she kicked ass (often, literally) as Athosian leader Teyla Emmagan. pic.twitter.com/pLCThC8Mu0

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 19, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Jamil Walker Smith played the role of Master Sergeant Ronald Greer on #Stargate Universe. A really solid actor and an incredibly warm and gregarious guy behind the scenes. pic.twitter.com/x7nwae8QZ7

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 20, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Actor Brendan Murray played the role of Victor, the revolutionary-minded android, on #DarkMatter. I was a big fan of his sympathetic, nuanced performance. pic.twitter.com/TQ7s65edXy

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 21, 2020

The post June 24, 2020: What I’ve been missing. And more Amazing People With Whom I Have Worked. appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

June 23, 2020: Hey, conspiracy theorists, what’s the endgame? Not too fruit loopy, please.

To those who dismiss the severity of the virus because of what they deem a low death rate – Trust me, you still don't want to get it.
What they don’t tell you about surviving COVID-19 https://t.co/mWILB7WNUw via @SFGate

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 23, 2020

I honestly don’t understand the mindset behind not wearing masks.  It seems to come down to people not being told what to do – like, say, wearing seatbelts or not opening cabin doors while in flight.

Yes, I know that many conspiracy theorists hold that the virus isn’t that dangerous (despite the 120k+ death count and rising) and that the death statistics have been overstated (even though data demonstrates a significant uptick in the overall death rate in comparison to previous years suggesting these numbers are actually understated), but I’m still having a hell of a time getting anyone to explain why we’re being lied to?  Authorities tanked the economy because…?  They are heavily invested in mask companies?  Please, do tell.

Yesterday’s film-themed question…

Your favorite supporting role that stole the movie.
Answer with a gif. pic.twitter.com/HNmHtowo6t

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 22, 2020

Tonight’s film-themed question…

What movie have you watched more times than any other?
Answer with a gif. pic.twitter.com/p6TlfSZFs6

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 23, 2020

The post June 23, 2020: Hey, conspiracy theorists, what’s the endgame? Not too fruit loopy, please. appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

June 22, 2020: My Top 20 Favorite Thrillers (Novels)!

When I was narrowing down the titles for this Top 20 list, I ended up with a shortlist of over 50 books.  So, after giving it some thought, I elected to divide the genre into Thrillers and Crime/Mystery.  The latter are more police, P.I., and organized crime-focused while the former cover pretty much everything else.  Of course, it’s a sliding scale and there may be some overlap.  Suffice it to say that between the two lists, you have 40 fantastic reads that should keep you busy well into 2021 or, if you’re me, end of summer.

Today, it’s My Top 20 Favorite Thrillers…

#20. My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

When Korede’s dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what’s expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This’ll be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede’s long been in love with him, and isn’t prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other…

#19. Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land

Milly’s mother is a serial killer. Though Milly loves her mother, the only way to make her stop is to turn her in to the police. Milly is given a fresh start: a new identity, a home with an affluent foster family, and a spot at an exclusive private school.

But Milly has secrets, and life at her new home becomes complicated. As her mother’s trial looms, with Milly as the star witness, Milly starts to wonder how much of her is nature, how much of her is nurture, and whether she is doomed to turn out like her mother after all.

When tensions rise and Milly feels trapped by her shiny new life, she has to decide: Will she be good? Or is she bad? She is, after all, her mother’s daughter.

#18. Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates

The year is 1982; the setting, an Edenic hamlet some ninety miles north of New York City. There, among the craggy rock cliffs and glacial ponds of timeworn mountains, three friends—Patrick, Matthew, and Hannah—are bound together by a terrible and seemingly senseless crime. Twenty-six years later, in New York City, living lives their younger selves never could have predicted, the three meet again—with even more devastating results.

#17. Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry

When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel’s familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: her sister has been the victim of a brutal murder.

Stunned and adrift, Nora finds she can’t return to her former life. An unsolved assault in the past has shaken her faith in the police, and she can’t trust them to find her sister’s killer. Haunted by the murder and the secrets that surround it, Nora is under the harrow: distressed and in danger. As Nora’s fear turns to obsession, she becomes as unrecognizable as the sister her investigation uncovers.

#16. Trust No One by Paul Cleave

Most of the world knows Jerry Grey by his crime-writing pseudonym, Henry Cutter – a name that’s been keeping readers at the edge of their seats for more than a decade. But now that he’s been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of forty-nine, Jerry’s career is coming to an abrupt end.

His twelve books tell stories of brutal murders, of a world out of balance, of victims finding the darkest forms of justice. As his dementia continues to break down the wall between his real life and the lives of his characters, Jerry confesses his most terrible secret: the stories are real. He committed the crimes himself. His friends, family, and caretakers insist that it’s all in his head, just a side effect of the devastating disease – but is it?

#15. The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

Sarah Cook, a beautiful blonde teenager, disappeared fifteen years ago, the same night her parents were brutally murdered in their suburban Ohio home. Her boyfriend Brad Stockton – black and from the wrong side of the tracks – was convicted of the murders and sits on death row, though he always maintained his innocence. With his execution only weeks away, his devoted sister, insisting she has spotted Sarah at a local gas station, hires PI Roxane Weary to look again at the case.

Reeling from the recent death of her cop father, Roxane finds herself drawn to the story of Sarah’s vanishing act, especially when she thinks she’s linked Sarah’s disappearance to one of her father’s unsolved murder cases involving another teen girl. Despite her self-destructive tendencies, Roxane starts to hope that maybe she can save Brad’s life and her own.

#14. He Said, She Said by Erin Kelly

In the summer of 1999, Kit and Laura travel to a festival in Cornwall to see a total eclipse of the sun. Kit is an eclipse chaser; Laura has never seen one before. Young and in love, they are certain this will be the first of many they’ll share.

But in the hushed moments after the shadow passes, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows that she saw something terrible. The man denies it. It is her word against his.

The victim seems grateful. Months later, she turns up on their doorstep like a lonely stray. But as her gratitude takes a twisted turn, Laura begins to wonder—did she trust the wrong person?

15 years later, Kit and Laura are living under assumed names and completely off the digital grid: no Facebook, only rudimentary cell phones, not in any directories. But as the truth catches up to them, they realize they can no longer keep the past in the past.

#13. Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied.

With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever.

#12. The Substitute by Nicole Lundrigan

Warren Botts is a disillusioned Ph.D., taking a break from his lab to teach middle-school science. Gentle, soft-spoken, and lonely, he innocently befriends Amanda, one of his students. But one morning, Amanda is found dead in his backyard, and Warren, shocked, flees the scene.

As the small community slowly turns against him, an anonymous narrator, a person of extreme intelligence and emotional detachment, offers insight into events past and present. As the tension builds, we gain an intimate understanding of the power of secrets, illusions, and memories.

#11. The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo

 masked man with a gun enters a sandwich shop in broad daylight, and Meredith Oliver suddenly finds herself ordered to the filthy floor, where she cowers face to face with her nemesis, Lisa Bellow, the most popular girl in her eighth grade class. The minutes tick inexorably by, and Meredith lurches between comforting the sobbing Lisa and imagining her own impending death. Then the man orders Lisa Bellow to stand and come with him, leaving Meredith the girl left behind.

After Lisa’s abduction, Meredith spends most days in her room. As the community stages vigils and searches, Claire, Meredith’s mother, is torn between relief that her daughter is alive, and helplessness over her inability to protect or even comfort her child. Her daughter is here, but not.

#10. The Destroyers by Christopher Bollen

Arriving on the stunning Greek island of Patmos, Ian Bledsoe is broke, humiliated, and fleeing the fallout from his father’s death. His childhood friend Charlie—rich, exuberant, and basking in the success of his new venture on the island—could be his last hope.

At first Patmos appears to be a dream—long, sun-soaked days on Charlie’s yacht and the reappearance of a girlfriend from Ian’s past—and Charlie readily offers Ian the lifeline he so desperately needs. But, like Charlie himself, this beautiful island conceals a darkness beneath, and it isn’t long before the dream begins to fragment. When Charlie suddenly vanishes, Ian finds himself caught up in deception after deception. As he grapples with the turmoil left in his friend’s wake, he is reminded of an imaginary game called Destroyers they invented as children—a game, he now realizes, they may have never stopped playing.

#9. The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

When Myriam, a French-Moroccan lawyer, decides to return to work after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect nanny for their two young children. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite, devoted woman who sings to the children, cleans the family’s chic apartment in Paris’s upscale tenth arrondissement, stays late without complaint, and hosts enviable kiddie parties. But as the couple and the nanny become more dependent on one another, jealousy, resentment, and suspicions mount, shattering the idyllic tableau

#8. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

#7. Ill Will by Dan Chaon

A psychologist in suburban Cleveland, Dustin is drifting through his forties when he hears the news: His adopted brother, Rusty, is being released from prison. Thirty years ago, Rusty received a life sentence for the massacre of Dustin’s parents, aunt, and uncle. The trial came to symbolize the 1980s hysteria over Satanic cults; despite the lack of physical evidence, the jury believed the outlandish accusations Dustin and his cousin made against Rusty. Now, after DNA analysis has overturned the conviction, Dustin braces for a reckoning.

Meanwhile, one of Dustin’s patients gets him deeply engaged in a string of drowning deaths involving drunk college boys. At first Dustin dismisses talk of a serial killer as paranoid thinking, but as he gets wrapped up in their amateur investigation, Dustin starts to believe that there’s more to the deaths than coincidence. Soon he becomes obsessed, crossing all professional boundaries—and putting his own family in harm’s way.

#6. Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates

It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University; a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But then the game changed: The stakes grew higher and the dares more personal and more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results. Now, fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round. Who knows better than your best friends what would break you?

#5. The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango

On the surface, Henry Hayden seems like someone you could like, or even admire. A famous bestselling author who appears a modest everyman. A loving, devoted husband even though he could have any woman he desires. A generous friend and co-worker. But Henry Hayden is a construction, a mask. His past is a secret, his methods more so. No one besides he and his wife know that she is the actual writer of the novels that made him famous.

For most of Henry’s life, it hasn’t been a problem. But when his hidden-in-plain-sight mistress becomes pregnant and his carefully constructed facade is about to crumble, he tries to find a permanent solution, only to make a terrible mistake.

Now not only are the police after Henry, but his past—which he has painstakingly kept hidden—threatens to catch up with him as well. Henry is an ingenious man, and he works out an ingenious plan. He weaves lies, truths, and half-truths into a story that may help him survive. But bit by bit the noose still tightens.

#4. You by Caroline Kepnes

When aspiring writer and recent Brown graduate Guinevere Beck strides into the bookstore where Joe works, he’s instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: she’s gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and sexy beyond his wildest dreams. Joe needs to have her, and he’ll stop at nothing to do so. As he begins to insinuate himself into her life – her friendships, her email, her phone – she can’t resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom-made for her. So when her boyfriend, Benji, mysteriously disappears, Beck and Joe fall into a tumultuous affair. But there’s more to Beck than her oh-so-perfect façade, and their mutual obsession quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences.

#3. The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

After years spent living on the run, Samuel Hawley moves with his teenage daughter, Loo, to Olympus, Massachusetts. There, in his late wife’s hometown, Hawley finds work as a fisherman, while Loo struggles to fit in at school and grows curious about her mother’s mysterious death. Haunting them both are twelve scars Hawley carries on his body, from twelve bullets in his criminal past – a past that eventually spills over into his daughter’s present, until together they must face a reckoning yet to come.

#2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.

Under mounting pressure from the police and the media – as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents – the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter – but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

#1. Misery by Stephen King

Best-selling novelist Paul Sheldon thinks he’s finally free of Misery Chastain. In a controversial career move, he’s just killed off the popular protagonist of his beloved romance series in favor of expanding his creative horizons. But such a change doesn’t come without consequences. After a near-fatal car accident in rural Colorado leaves his body broken, Paul finds himself at the mercy of the terrifying rescuer who’s nursing him back to health – his self-proclaimed number one fan, Annie Wilkes.

Annie is very upset over what Paul did to Misery and demands that he find a way to bring her back by writing a new novel – his best yet, and one that’s all for her. After all, Paul has all the time in the world to do so as a prisoner in her isolated house…and Annie has some very persuasive and violent methods to get exactly what she wants…

The post June 22, 2020: My Top 20 Favorite Thrillers (Novels)! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

June 21, 2020: Suji Sunday!

Are you looking at me?  Are YOU looking at ME?  Are you LOOKING at me?!

High treat alert!

Couch-sitting Tinkleberry.

Sleepy face.

From the Suji archives…

The post June 21, 2020: Suji Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

June 20, 2020: Back in the swing of things!

I recently put together a list of My Top 20 Sci-Fi Movies and was thinking of doing something similar for the literary side, a Top 20 of my favorite novels in the categories of sci-fi, fantasy, crime, thriller, and horror.  THIS has proven a lot harder than I imagined, not because I’m having trouble coming up with titles, but because I have way too many to squeeze into a Top 20.  Hell, even a Top 30 would be kind of tight.

As I’ve been going through my list of favorites, I’ve been tempted to do some re-reads, something I never do simply because my To-Read pile of new books is so enormous.  After several months of not reading, I have slowly but surely resumed my habit, starting off with a graphic novel a day (I’m on Day 56) and now blazing my way through the ten thrillers I borrowed from my local library.

For those of you keeping track…

Thriller 2/10
Social Creature – Tara Isabella Burton
A Talented Mr. Ripley for the social media age, this book explores a mutually manipulative relationship involving devotion, deceit and, ultimately, death.
A little far-fetched at times, but a solid read. pic.twitter.com/220zyDeElY

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 19, 2020

Thriller 3/10
A Simple Favor
A Gone Girl knock-off stacked with implausibilities. pic.twitter.com/tKmowo2QoN

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 20, 2020

Thriller 4/10
Long Man – Amy Greene
With authorities poised to dam the Long Man river and flood a tiny Appalachian town in the name of progress, one woman holds out in the face of an evacuation order. And then her daughter goes missing.
Moving, character-driven historical fiction pic.twitter.com/MfUrOkED7r

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 20, 2020

Any of you avid readers of the suspense/mystery/thriller genre?  If so, any books you highly recommend?

Today’s film-themed question of the day…

Movie with the worst twist ending?
Answer with a gif. pic.twitter.com/Sini9frNeA

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 20, 2020

The post June 20, 2020: Back in the swing of things! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

June 19, 2020: Pro Sports, Reopening the Economy, and Selective Bailouts!

I recently received an email invitation to the start of my Fantasy Football League’s 2020 season – which I found altogether odd.  Partly it’s because, unlike every other year, I’m having trouble mustering up much enthusiasm.  And partly, it’s because I doubt the NFL will play this year. Oh, I know that plans are underway and the league is all “Full steam ahead!”, but I’m starting to note the number of professional athletes who have started testing positive for the coronavirus.  Now how the hell does the league plan on keeping its players healthy and safe given it IS a contact sport?  And what about the players – and there will undoubtedly be some – who would rather not to risk it and choose to sit out the season?  And what of the infected players?  Hopefully they all make quick recoveries, but there’s mounting evidence that the virus can leave you with long-lasting health effects.

I realize we’re negotiating uncharted waters here and everyone desperately wants a return to normalcy, but I’m seriously wondering if we’re pushing too soon, too fast?  So far, we’re looking at over 120k deaths in the U.S., and that’s with a three month lockdown to mitigate transmission.  And we’re not even halfway through the year.  Meanwhile, states are opening back up and people are acting like the worst is over.

I understand the need to balance safety and the economy, but I can’t help but feel the solution to this lies in the Federal Reserve and their seeming limitless coffers. Trillions of dollars have been spent on bailing out billionaires, banks, big corporations, wealthy hedge fund managers, junk bonds, and zombie companies while a comparatively lesser amount has gone to helping small businesses and citizens in need.  In his 60 Minutes interview, Jay Powell claims the Federal Reserve can print up an endless amount of money with absolutely no repercussions.  If that’s the case, then why not direct that money to people who really need it?  Those who’ve lost their jobs or are unable to pay rent or their mortgages?  Why are regular people receiving deferrals while the uber-wealthy are being gifted boatloads of cash in the way of bulletproof stocks?

The prospect of Universal Basic Income is, of course, a non-starter because those in power will argue it reeks of socialism but – SPOILER ALERT: As the Federal Reserve artificially pumps up the markets, over-inflating stock values and removing risk for investors, they are effectively embracing socialism.  BUT only for the rich.

Government policy, along with the actions of the Federal Reserve, have worsened economic inequality.  They’ve overplayed their hand.  And, this time, I don’t think people are going to let them get away with it.

I’m curious what you all think.  How do you feel about the reopening, he Wall Street bailouts, and the prospective return of pro sports?  Are you venturing out and, if so, what kind of safety precautions are you taking?

The post June 19, 2020: Pro Sports, Reopening the Economy, and Selective Bailouts! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.