Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 236

June 13, 2019: Dark Matter Storyboard – The Android Trench Walk!

Occasionally, when faced with a more complicated series of shots, a director may work with an artist to storyboard the sequence.

Going through my old files, I happened to come across this storyboard for the Android space-walk from Dark Matter’s third episode…

It’s like a Dark Matter comic book!

June 12, 2019: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!

These were my favorites…

Amazing Spider-Man #23 (variant cover art by Daniel Acuna)

Amazing Spider-Man #23 (variant cover art by Stuart Immonen)

Amber Blake #4 (cover art by Butch Guice)

Amber Blake #4 (variant cover art by Catherine Nodet)

Banja X #1 (variant cover art by Fabio Alves)

Catwoman #12 (variant cover art by Stanley Lau)

Champions #6 (variant cover art by In-Hyuk Lee)

Event Leviathan #1 (cover art by Alex Maleev)

Flash #72 (variant cover art by Derrick Chew)

Giant-Man #3 (cover art by Woo Cheoi)

Hawkman #13 (variant cover art by In-Hyuk Lee)

Immortal Hulk #19 (variant cover art by Emanuela Lupacchino)

Justice League: Odyssey #10 (variant cover art by Lucio Parrillo)

Red Hood: Outlaw #35 (variant cover art by Yasmine Putri)

Red Sonja: Birth of the She Devil #1 (cover art by Lucio Parrillo)

Silver Surfer: Black #1 (variant cover art by Gerald Parel)

Sonata #1 (variant cover art by Brian Haberlin, Geirrod Van Dyke)

Spider-Man: Life Story #4 (cover art by Chip Zdarsky)

The Life and Death of Toyo Hara #4 (cover art by Mico Suayan)

The Ride: Burning Desire #1 (cover art by Adam Hughes)

Transformers #7 (variant cover art by Livio Ramondelli)

Wonder Woman #72 (variant cover art by Jenny Frison)

So, which were your favorites?

Hey!  Happy Dark Matter Day!

June 11, 2019: Dipping into the Dark Matter Vault – Welcome To Your New Home!

A little trip down memory lane…

Welcome to Hyperion-8

Anthony Lemke as THREE

Director Amanda Tapping

Meet your new neighbors

Alex Mallari Jr as FOUR

Face-off

Fight!  Fight!

Fight!

Take the high ground!

Time-out!

Stunt Coordinator John Stead and actor Alex Mallari Jr

Ah, good times.  Good times.

(All photos by Jan Thijs)

My Black Mirror Top 5!

Last year, I was in a pitch meeting when the conversation turned to Black Mirror.  At one point, the executive I was pitching revealed two of his favorite episodes and my (internalized) reaction was “Really?!”.  I mean, they weren’t bad, but of all the episodes to choose from, why those two?  And then, just last week, someone tweeted out their Top 5 Black Mirror episodes and I was again completely stunned.  Again, not bad episodes, but Top 5?

So I got to thinking.  Maybe an individual’s taste in Black Mirror episodes reveals deep-rooted psychological issues.  I recall that, during that pitch meeting, the executive asked me to reveal my favorites.  When I did, he nodded knowingly as if he’d figured me out and remarked: “You like a certain type of story.”  I do?  Yes, I suppose I do.  But what does that say about me?

You tell me.  Here, for your psychoanalyzing pleasure, is my Black Mirror Top 5!

#5. White Christmas

Two men find themselves trapped in a cabin, forced to weather a furious snowstorm.  But as they wait and open up, secrets are revealed and we realize…all is not as it seems. The series has drawn comparisons to The Twilight Zone, and nowhere are the parallels more evident than in this twisty-turn installment.

#4. San Junipero

A love story set in 1980’s southern California.  Or is it?  A great set-up with a terrific sci-fi pay-off that offers up one of the sweetest, most uplifting episodes of the entire series.  Or so I assumed until my writing partner pointed out that my assumed happy ending was anything but.

#3. USS Callister

An episode at turns humorous, horrifying, suspenseful, and utterly delightful, this one focuses on a nerd fanboy who exacts revenge on his co-workers by trapping them in a simulation remarkably similar to Star Trek: The Original Series.

#2. Be Right Back

A woman, mourning the loss of her husband, is seemingly offered the opportunity to recapture what she had in the form of a duplicate AI, its personality constructed from her late hubby’s aggregated internet activity.  A touching and powerful story where the clever technology is as important to the narrative engine as the emotions driving our protagonist.

#1. The Entire History of You

We are presented with a near future where every individual’s memories are recorded for  convenient playback – and sharing! – at a later time.  When a husband begins to suspect his wife of infidelity, their review of recent history sets them off an a harrowing descent into their unexplored pasts.

List your favorites so I can judge you as well!

June 9, 2019: Suji Sunday!

We are constantly amazed by how many Suji fans there are out there.  At least once a week, we’ll be out for a walk with her when someone will approach to say hi, having recognized her from her instagram account.  Like yesterday when we were strolling through the park and a couple waved us down to say hello to our cantankerous celebrity.

Brandon and Suji.

As always, and like most divas, she takes it all in stride.

The look she gives you when you tell her you’re out of treats.

The look she gives you while she’s chewing on a treat and expecting a follow-up.

No reservations…

Addendum: Mrs. Carmichael was a no-show.

Lending dad some much-needed writing support.

What do you think?  Ears or no ears?

Nothing beats a good head massage.

June 8, 2019: Out and About!

Today, Akemi and I checked out the Dunas West Street Festival which was, quite frankly, not quite as festive as I would have liked.  Nor as foodie.

Akemi is a sucker for corn on the cob.

While I’m more of a fried chicken sando kinda guy.

Akemi making new friends wherever she goes.

We swing by The Tempered Room where Akemi picks up a dozen chouquettes.

Then back to the street fest where Akemi put away this entire container of vegetarian kimbap.

On the way home, we stop by another new addition to Toronto’s Japanese dessert scene – Le Tao – for cheesecake…

And their Hokkaido milk soft serve…

Was hoping to get to Hattendo for a round of matcha cream buns, but – sadly – didn’t end up making it.  Still racked up a little over 20k steps today – which I’m sure more than burned off all those snacks.

So, finished Fleabag.  Finished Barry.  What’s next?  Something along those darkly humorous cable lines.

Hey, does it feel like Sunday to you?

June 7, 2019: Heading into the stretch run!

Ooooh, look what came in the mail today.  It’s the latest collection from my very favorite short fiction writer, Ted Chiang.  His Stories of You Life and Others (published 1998) is one of my top-shelf go-to reads – and I believe one of the stories in that collection was adapted to the big screen as Arrival.   Anyway, looking forward to reading this…soon.

There’s about a month to go on this production – approximately two weeks shooting the final two-episode block, and then another two on location in The Hammer.  And then it’s about three months of post-production.

Tomorrow, I am off to physio for my right arm.  The doctor diagnosed it as tennis elbow. My physio guy informed me that “tennis elbow” is an all-encompassing term and suspects it may be a tendon issue.  Hopefully, treatment will address said issue eventually.  If not, I have a choice between cortisone injections or a stem cell treatment.  Just hearing the process of how the stem cells are harvested was enough to make me opt for the cortisone.  Or I can just ask Akemi for a nightly therapeutic massage.

Hey, isn’t history fun?

On #ThisDayInComics – 59 years ago, William Tockman, aka Clock King, made his debut in World's Finest #111, only to suffer the indignity of being outwitted and outpunned by Green Arrow and Speedy. #ThisDayInSupervillainHistory pic.twitter.com/rzveW0cvmD

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 7, 2019

Imagine.  If his name had been William Dominovski he could have gone with the whole dominoes theme and called himself Dominator.

Finally, here’s a volcano exploding at night –

If you’re quick, you can capture some of the lava your coffee mug!

June 6, 2019: What have I been up to?

Well, there was the recent lunch hoedown organized by Naomi, Drew and their team in the production office…

Sheriff Naomi runs this town.  Robbie chows down.  Nancy makes her allegiances clear.  This aint Julia’s first rodeo.  Noreen and I with the poster for our new action flick.  I take on all comers to Kal If Fee, the ancient trial by lirpa.

Out with Ayisha and Dave before Ayisha heads off to her next gig, leaving David to hold the fort – and the gym/school.

Checked out Five Point Nashville Hot Chicken with Alex Levine.  Oddly, you have a choice between mild, slightly spicy, and Carolina Reaper blowtorch.  Would have been nice to have a medium habanero burn before graduating to the full-on burn.  My favorite place for fried chicken in Toronto remains the Korean take at Home of Hot Taste.

 

Lunch at standing up Sushi Bar Tachi.

Visited the Distillery District with Akemi.

Also, revisited the Hattendo Cafe (13 Baldwin Street) and saw five movies – Shazam, Detective Pikachu, Avengers: Endgame, Brightburn, and John Wick 3: Parabellum – two of which I really enjoyed.

June 5, 2019: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!

These were my favorites…

Black Cat #1 (variant cover art by Stanley Lau)

Captain Marvel #6 (variant cover art by Adi Granov)

DCeased #2 (variant cover art by Francesco Mattina)

DCeased #2 (variant horror cover art by Yasmine Putri)

Deathstroke #44 (variant cover art by Riccardo Federici)

Deadpool #13 (variant cover art by Adi Granov)

Dragonsblood #2 (variant cover art by Geebo Vigonte)

Female Furies #5 (cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco)

Sword Daughter #7 (cover art by Ben Oliver)

Tony Stark: Iron Man #12 (cover art by Alexander Lozano)

Tony Stark: Iron Man #12 (variant cover art by Nexon)

So, which were your favorites?

June 4, 2019: My Top 10 Favorite French Desserts!

Not counting chocolate.

Tarte tatin and souffle get honorable mentions but didn’t make the list because they require the addition of ice cream to make them complete.

#10. Choux a la Creme

Basically, a French cream puff.  I prefer mine with custard filling.

#9. Baba au Rhum

A rum and syrup saturated cake occasionally topped with whipped cream.  Sometimes, it even comes with an injectable shot of extra rum!

#8. Canelé

The dark caramelized exterior protects a firm vanilla custard interior.

#7. Dacquoise

Alternating layers of almond and hazelnut meringue topped with buttercream.

#6. Macaron

Meringue shells and (usually a) flavored buttercream or ganache cream filling.

#5. Eclair

Cream-stuffed choux dough topped with icing – usually, chocolate.

#4. Paris-Brest

A choux pastry wheel sandwiching praline cream.

#3. Kouign-Amann

A slow-baked multi-layered cake containing butter and sugar that resembles a caramelized croissant.  The New York Times referred to it as “the fattiest pastry in all of Europe”!

#2. Gateau Basque

I prefer the almond or pastry cream version of this flaky crust.

#1. Savarin

Citrus-flavored yeast cake soaked in orange liqueur, topped with Chantilly cream.

Surprising, no?

So, which are your favorites?