Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 210

February 23, 2020: Suji Sunday!

I’m back home for Suji Sunday!

Hey.

Sitting back and relaxing…

Tongue out Tuesday…on Sunday.

Stop and smell the flowers.

Snuggling with dad’s sweater while he’s away.

And, FINALLY…

Reunited.

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Utopia Falls – Behind the Scenes

A few behind the scene photos from the Utopia Falls production…

First official meeting of The Utopia Falls Whiskey Club.

Series Creator/Director R.T. Thorne surveys his sets-in-progress.

First scene!

The Tribunal readies for action.

The ladies of Hair & Make-Up: Sherylann, Julia, Joanne, and Alex.

The Tribunal – relaxed mode.

R.T. Thorne calling the shots.

Sean Baek, aka Tribunal Ryden

Jeff Teravainen (aka Tribunal Gerald) and Supervising Producer Ivon Bartok.

Sean Cullen – Voice of New Babyl, National Treasure, and HUUUUGE sci-fi fan.  You may recognize him from a little Dark Matter episode called “Isn’t That A Paradox?”

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February 21, 2020: Montreal Day…?

I woke up early this morning, completed the third act of my TimEscape script, then picked up mom and her neighbors and drove to Smoke Meat Pete for a meal I’d been looking forward to all week.  And a meal that was simply not destined to happen.  Sadly, the place is closed – FOR SIX WEEKS!  So instead, we ended up at an Italian restaurant my mother recommended where she had a very tough steak and I ate a pizza akin to a dorm student’s culinary output.  A sad substitute for smoked meat.

Saw a skunk meandering across my sister’s backyard the other night.  When I mentioned it to my mother, she responded: “Yes, they live under porch.”  They what?!  I followed up with my sister who strongly urged me to rattle the screen door and make as much noise as possible before the letting the dogs out.  Good to know.

What day is it?  How long have I been gone?  Is the war over?  I have no idea.

More of the #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked…

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
First Assistant Director on #Stargates #SG1, #Atlantis, #Continuum, and #Universe, the good-natured Alex Pappas always ran a tight set. And his hair was ALWAYS on point! pic.twitter.com/5N3sTYg9aE

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) February 11, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
A talented editor can make a good show great, single-handedly fix everything from continuity to performance issues, and magically save episodes.
Emmy Award-winning Wendy Hallam Martin (@wendyleehallam) is one of the very best.#DarkMatter pic.twitter.com/GwojqrTFXB

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) February 12, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Ever the calm in the eye of the production storm, Set Decorator Andy Loew is the guy you can count on to ensure the set looks exactly like you need it to WHEN you need it. #DarkMatter #UtopiaFalls pic.twitter.com/n3Zvg8ErhJ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) February 13, 2020

 

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February 20, 2020: Montreal Day #8!

It’s been a whirlwind couple of days here in Montreal.  Yesterday, I took my mother to the hospital to have her cast removed cast removed and fitted for a wrist brace.  Today, I accompanied her to get her pants hemmed.  Tomorrow, we’ll be going to pick up said pants.  Crazy, no?

Yesterday’s lunch was (my favorite!) chicken fettine and green beans.  Today, it was smelts (Apparently my father’s favorite) and dumplings.  Tomorrow, we head out to Smoke Meat Pete where I will enjoy The Pete Special, medium-fat of course.

Work continues on the second TimEscape script.  Hoping we receive that elusive series green light in early April.

Booked my flight and I’m finally heading home on Sunday (as I have stuff to deal with back in Toronto on Monday)!

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February 19, 2020: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!

These were my favorites…

Captain Marvel #15 (cover art by Mark Brooks)

Wolverine #1 (cover art by Alex Ross)

DCeased: Unkillables #1 (cover art by Yasmine Putri)

DCeased: Unkillables #1 (cover art by Francesco Mattina)

The Legion of Super-Heroes #4 (cover art by Alex Garner)

The Red Mother #3 (cover art by Qistina Khalidah)

Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #3 (cover art by Patrick Reynolds)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt, Vol. 13 (cover art by Yasuo Ohtagaki)

Blade Runner 2019 #6 (cover art by Syd Mead)

Fantastic Four #19 (cover art by John Tyler Christopher)

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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February 18, 2020: Montreal Day #6!

Going a little stir crazy here in Montreal.  But, at least, I’m getting stuff done.  I’ve read four books and two graphic novels, written twenty-five pages of the new TimEscape script, and just had a call regarding that horror script.  They asked me if I wanted to direct and, while interesting, it’s not something I’ve ever felt compelled to do.  On the other hand, it would afford me more creative control of the project and would also help diversify my career: writer, director, producer, craft service sampler.

I think I’m coming down with something.  I’m feeling tired, run down.  Have a bit of a cough.  Headache.  Sore throat.  As luck would have it, however, I have to get up at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow to accompany my mother to the hospital for her 8:15 a.m. appointment.  She’s having her cast removed.  On her last visit there, she waited six and a half hours.  And she had an appointment!

Having lived in three of Canada’s major cities, I can honestly say Montreal is the WORST city to get sick.  Waiting times are ridiculous.  Vancouver, on the other hand, is the opposite.  Now THAT is a city you want to get sick in!

Yesterday, I had lunch with this blog’s Chief Executive Officer in Charge of Tech Support, Fred, and his girlfriend Jennyfer.  Good times!

Meanwhile, back on the home front…

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February 17, 2020: Suji Monday!

I’ve lost all sense of time here in Montreal.  I completely missed Suji Sunday.  So here is Suji Monday!

How could I forget this face?

Pretty in pink.

What I’ve been missing…

What Akemi refers to as “the crispy tongue”!

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I knew instantly – it wasn’t a shrimp shell!

Last night, I attended a dinner party hosted by my old high school buddy, Lawrence, and his wife, Mel.  We were enjoying a nice take-out meal from a nearby restaurant.  Halfway through supper, Lawrence, seated beside me, suddenly pulled something out of his mouth and uttered a shocked: “What is THIS?!”.  A hush fell over the room.  As he presented his pink, plastic, gummy find, Sinead, one of the other dinner guests seated across from him suggested: “It’s a shrimp shell.”  But no.  I knew instantly – it wasn’t a shrimp shell.  “It’s a band-aid!”confirmed Lawrence.

“No, it’s a shrimp shell,”insisted Sinead, not wanting to believe.

“It’s a band-aid,”repeated Lawrence, holding it up for all to see.

There was not doubt.  It WAS a band-aid.  Sinead stared back, mortified.

“It was in the noodles,”said Lawrence.  Then, throwing a look to my plate.  “Did you finish them?”

I glanced down at my now empty plate, feeling the heat rise to my face as I weighed whether I should induce vomiting – or just wait for it to come naturally.

Horrified silence – and then Lawrence, no longer able to suppress himself, broke out into a wide grin.

IT WAS AS PRACTICAL JOKE!

The psychopath had gone through all the trouble of opening up a fresh band-aid, setting it aside for some twenty minutes and then, popping it in his mouth when I wasn’t looking.  In retrospect, I suppose I should have been suspicious.  What kind of idiot proceeds to suck the black bean sauce off some mystery object he just pulled out of his mouth so that everyone at the table could get a clearer look. More alarming than the initial discovery of the band-aid was, perhaps, the reaction of Sinead’s husband, Gabi, who seemed not at all bothered by the horrific find – despite not being in on the joke – continuing to eat his noodles as the conversation played out on the other side of the table.

Dessert was very had to fuck with chocolate covered almonds.

This morning, I set Lawrence the following text:

Good times indeed!

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February 15, 2020: Montreal Day #3!

My recent internet searches have included: “perfect murder”, “fake your own death”, and “how to get rid of a dead body”.  This morning, it was: “nuclear fusion”, “heavy water”, and “missile guidance systems”.  I wonder if whoever monitors online activity bothers to cross-reference search topics with a surfer’s profession.  It’s research for this new script.  Honest!

Hey, you know what my sister needs?  Blackout blinds for her bedroom.  Between sunrise and the dogs, it’s impossible to sleep in!

Following some early morning writing, lunch at mom’s place was comprised of baked trout, eggplant Parmesan, cannelloni, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, fried peppers, fried eggplant, crab mousse, and avocado.   This gave me the energy I needed to do some afternoon writing after which I dropped mom off at the hairdresser.  While she got her hair done, I grabbed a hot chocolate around the corner at one of my favorite hometown cafe’s, the Victor Rose Espresso Bar.   Or “expresso” as my mother calls it, even though she’s Italian and should know better.

At one point today, mom asked me to go downstairs and grab her a bottle of dish soap. Downstairs, I discovered this –

Approximately 20 bottles of the stuff!  If this coronavirus puts North America in lockdown, my mom will have the cleanest cutlery in quarantine!

 

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February 14, 2020: Like Bill Murray on his 30th Groundhog Day loop!

My sister’s dogs are bed hogs.  Kona likes to sprawl out in the middle of the mattress while Ralphie is given to pacing around at night and burrowing under the covers.  They must have awakened a good half dozen times between 5-7 a.m., anxiously looming over me in expectation of an early breakfast.  Every time I’d tell them “Go back to bed”, they’d lie down, wait until a respectful time had elapsed (10-15 minutes), then get up again and loom.  And when they’re not sprawling, pacing, burrowing or looming, they’re barking.  LOUDLY.

This morning, my sister sent a photo of the view outside the window of her Hawaiian hotel room –

This, meanwhile, was the view outside mom’s patio door –

Today, it was -21C/-6F, the perfect temperature for staying indoors and working on your scripts.  And that’s what I did.  In addition to continuing my deep dive research into this coronavirus.  Which, apparently, has now been renamed Covid-19 by The World Health Organization.  Great to see the W.H.O. finally being proactive on this front.  Meanwhile, I sleep well knowing that the experts continue to reassure the general public that this virus is no worse than the common flu.

Oh, that reminds me.  Have the hazmat-suited health workers been by to fumigate your offices yet?  I hear this year’s flu strain is a particularly nasty bug.

Don’t Worry, Everything is Fine..! #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/V0XPD1a0UC

— Corona virus news (@coronavirus_flu) February 13, 2020

Tomorrow, I expect more of the same – but slightly different.   Sort of like Bill Murray on his 30th Groundhog Day loop.  A fitful night’s sleep culminating in an early wake-up.  Some morning internet surfing and writing.  Lunch with mom.  More writing at mom’s how.  BUT for dinner, I’ll be visiting my old buddy Lawrence and his wife for Korean fried chicken!

Meanwhile, back home in Toronto…

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