Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 257

November 17, 2018: The Projects, Poll, and Fried Chicken Update!

Well, this past Thursday afternoon, we pitched Untitled Awesome Project to a broadcaster.  As you may (or may not) know, I’m especially excited about this one as it’s a notion that (like Dark Matter) was many years in the making.  And by “many years in the making” I mean that, like Dark Matter, I came up with the concept and main characters quite some time ago and put them on the back burner, allowing them to bubble and stew while I focused on the projects at hand.  In the case of Dark Matter, it was almost seven years between the time I first came up with the idea (while working on Stargate) to when the show finally got that elusive green light.  In the case of UAP, a show I first conceived while working on the first season of Dark Matter, the timeline may (just MAY) be a little shorter.  I received word late last night that the pitch went over well and, should the right dominos fall between now and end of next week, I may soon be starting work on a pilot script.  Of course we’re talking development, still a ways from a green light, but it’s a crucial step in a positive direction.

Expecting notes on the preliminary series overview of that comic book adaptation later this week as well.  I have much love and respect of the series writer and artist and am looking forward to their feedback.

And, also this week, I’ll be getting together with one of my very favorite horror authors to start the wheels turning on our adaptation of one of his novels.  This one’s going to be a lot of fun.  And very, very unsettling.  I started describing the project to Akemi who was so freaked out she asked me to stop.  She bemoans the fact she won’t have the nerve to watch it when the time comes.

Finally, I’m just putting the finishing touches on the Episode #3 script for UF which I hope to deliver Monday or Tuesday after which I can set my screenwriting software on standby until it comes time for me to write the Episode #10, season finale.

Oh, hey, the results are in on our Which Vegetable Would You Excise From Your Diet For The Rest Of Your Life? poll and the winner is…

With 28.89% of the vote, edging out surprising second-place mushrooms at 20.44%, is – zucchini!  Congratulation, courgette.  Now get the hell out!

Perhaps equally not unsurprising is the fact that potatoes received the fewest votes at a mere 3.11% of the total tally.

So, last night, I had dinner at THE BEST place for fried chicken in Toronto: Home of Hot Taste, aka Buldak.  There, we enjoyed five fantastic varieties of fried chicken – and a spicy squid platter for Akemi.

Fried chicken with green onions, Snow Chicken (with powdered cheese), five spice, garlic, and sweet and spicy wings.

I’ve been doing my research, putting in the long hours and trust me, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better fried chicken experience in this city.

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November 16, 2018: The Results Are In!

Well, the results are in on my multiple shower polls and, I have to tell you, they’re equally unsurprising and only moderately interesting!

Approximately half the respondents take morning showers, while the other half take night showers.

A slight majority, roughly 57%, do not wash their hair every day.

An almost equal majority, 59%, do not condition their hair every day.

Most prefer the traditional 45 degree angled shower head (50%) over the rain shower (28%) or the hand-held shower head (22%).

Only about 29% of respondents said they take baths.

So, what are we to make of this data?  More or less nothing, but it’s always great to get everyone weighing in with an opinion on something.

Next hard-hitting poll –

Take Our Poll

I’d have no trouble dropping zucchini.  And, frankly, lettuce could follow it out the door.  You?

 

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November 15, 2018: Your Shower Secrets Revealed!

Throughout most of my life, I’ve been a morning shower guy.  Get up, brush my teeth, shower, get dressed and go.  But when I started Akemi, that changed.  Akemi was a night shower gal (a Japanese thing) and the whole morning shower routine left her thoroughly perplexed.  She would ask: “Doesn’t it make more sense to take a shower at the end of your day and go to bed nice and clean every night?”.  In fact, it DID make more sense and so, after some forty years of morning showers, I switched.  And, quite frankly, I’m glad I did.  The best part is I now get to bank that extra half hour in the morning.

So, my first poll question to you is this –

Take Our Poll

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Yesterday, I got on the elevator with one of my neighbors and commented: “You’re doing something new with your hair.  I LOVE it!”  As it turned out, she’d been to the hair salon earlier in the week and was trying a new do.  When she got off, Akemi remarked: “She probably doesn’t wash her hair every day.”  I was like: “Wut?”  According to Akemi, when you get your hair done, the hairdresser will often suggest you NOT wash your hair every day.  “I was like: “Wut?”  In fact, Akemi informed me, even though SHE washes her hair every day, experts tell you not to.  It’s apparently bad for your!  And I was like: “Wut? Wut?”

So, my next poll question is this –

Take Our Poll

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I grew up in a home where we always ate dinner together, always went to bed at a reasonable hour, and always used both shampoo AND conditioner when we showered.  And then, when I eventually moved out, I stopped using conditioner and noticed something interesting: It made absolutely no difference.

Maybe my hair isn’t as sheeny and bodiful as yours, so I’m wondering –

Take Our Poll

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I’d always assumed that showers were all the same, the heads angled at a 45 degrees.  Then many years ago, when I visited Japan, I discovered the rain shower head that  – well – rained the water straight down on  you.  I loved it – and now get to love it even more because my new place has one.  Akemi, for her part, hates the rain shower, endures the 45 degree shower head, but actually prefers the hand-held shower head.  I went hand-held for about a month at our last place after the slide bar in our shower broke and absolutely hated it.

So, next question is this –

Take Our Poll

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Finally – when Akemi first came to Canada, she would take a bath about once a week, just lying in the hot tub, soaking and relaxing for an hour before hitting the shower.  I, on the other hand, can’t remember the last time I took a bath.  I guess I don’t see the point.

So, my final question is this –

Take Our Poll

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Thanks for your input.  I look forward to analyzing the results.  And passing judgement on you.

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November 14, 2018: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!

These were my favorites…

Cyber Force #7 (cover art by Atilio Rojo)

Dark Ark #11 (cover art by Juan Doe)

Darth Vader #23 (cover art by Giuseppe Camuncoli)

Domino #8 (cover art by Gang Hyuk Lim)

Elves vol. 21: Rebirth (cover art by Kyko Duarte, Olivier Heban)

Gideon Falls #8 (cover art by Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart, Mico Suayan)

Marvels: The Remastered Edition (cover art by Alex Ross)

Ms. Marvel #36 (cover art by Valerio Schiti)

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #26 (cover art by Ashley Witter)

So, which were your faves?

 

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November 13, 2018: This and That!

A late blog post today as I was out with Private Eyes Showrunner/Executive Producer (and former Stargate Co-Executive Producer) Alan McCullough for an evening of drinks, discussion, and rosemary-infused dessert.  Good, good guy.  He say hi by the way.

Pursuant to what I mentioned in yesterday’s entry…what was it again?…Oh, yeah! Dark Matter!  I sent out my rundown of what we need to accomplish in this relatively short period of time.  I say “short period” but, to you regular mortals, it may seem like an eternity.  In an ideal scenario, we get the ball rolling on Phase 1 in December which will lay the groundwork for Phase 2 (letting everyone in on the plan) in early 2019 and then, if all goes as planned, aim for a very “productive” Phase 3 in late summer to early fall.

Had a meeting today regarding my Untitled Awesome Project (which, actually, has a title now but I won’t mention it as I don’t know if it’s going to stick and I don’t want you to get attached), a preparatory sit-down in advance of Thursday afternoon’s broadcaster pitch.  We already forwarded them the 12 page overview, so I’m hoping it’s less pitch and more of a chat about the show creative – and compliments.

On the somewhat less ethereal front, I’m about halfway through the script for Episode 3 of the show I’m currently showrunning.  Received the script for Episode 2 tonight from Courtney and, tomorrow, I sent Alejandro to draft on Episode 4. Still awaiting notes on the Episode 5 outline.  The pilot was well-received – which is always a relief.  You’re only as good as your last script, right?

Early next week, I begin to apply pressure on the outstanding materials delivered for that comic book adaptation.  Once everyone is happy with the overview, we start talking pilot.

Finally, with the deal closed on the option for that horror novel, it’s time to sit down with the author and start hammering out a game plan for the show’s first season.

Oh and hey, check this out.  My Snow Monkeys won last week by the narrowest of margins, securing a share of first place in my NFL league (while maintaining sole possession of first in my Yahoo league):

0.04 points!  The potential for a stat correction will keep me up for the rest of this week!

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November 12, 2018: Distant Dark Matter Rumblings

When Dark Matter was cancelled a little over a year ago, I was left somewhat frustrated, kind of annoyed, a more than a little pissed.  For various reasons.  I was frustrated because I wouldn’t be able to complete the story I’d mapped out, annoyed by what I felt was a petty and vindictive decision, and more than a little pissed at how it all went down.  In the end, it was a Clueless Exec Sucker Punch to the show’s cast, crew and, chiefest of all, its fans who had supported the series for three seasons.

An ensuing online campaign to save the show proved ultimately (frankly, surprisingly) unsuccessful and so I redirected focus to other projects.  Whenever fans have asked me about the prospect of a Dark Matter revival, I’ve been honest with them.  It’s unlikely, but I still hold out hope for a mini-series that would allow me to wrap up as many of those narrative loose ends as possible and, hopefully, offer fans some closure.  That, I honestly felt, was the best case scenario.

Until today after my conversation with a very determined individual with connections to a group of equally determined, forward-thinking individuals who have proposed an atypical but very intriguing approach to getting it done.    And the more they talk about it, the more convinced I become that, maybe, the odds of a fourth and fifth season of Dark Matter may not be as long as I’d initially assumed.

Ambiguous, no?  Alas, for now, all I’ll say is that the wheels on a resurrection are – surprisingly – in motion again.  There is, of course, no guarantee that anything will come of this, but the strategy is crazy-brilliant and certainly worth pursuing.

Anyway, I followed up this afternoon’s call with an email outlining the game plan, the questions we needed to answer, and my proposal for a schedule moving forward.  Conversations to follow.

Let’s just file this one away for now but I’ll leave you with this.  Prior to this afternoon, Magic 8 Ball said “Outlook not so good”.  After my chat, it had revised it’s prognostication to: “Ask again later”.  Read into that what you will.

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November 11, 2018: Suji Sunday!

Man, that is one kissable nose.

This is her “Seriously?” look, usually reserved for occasions when dinner is late.

Yo, Top Gun!

Ready for bedtime.

Quick!  Get in!

Poise and balance.

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November 10, 2018: Moderate progress and the week ahead!

Well, today wasn’t exactly the 10 page, Act II, whirlwind of writing I planned it to be.  More like almost 2 pages, a revised outline, and a couple of well-crafted emails concerning various projects.  I’d like to say that I’m going to make up for lost time tomorrow but who am I kidding?  Tomorrow is Sunday and, with my Snow Monkeys in sole possession of first place in my yahoo league, but in second place in my NFL league, I’ll be too focused on football to do much of anything else.

Beyond that, the week is shaping up to be a busy one.  More work on Episode 3 and I’m going to get the writers starts on Episodes 4 and 5 while we await the broadcaster response to the pilot.  Monday, it’s lunch with former Dark Matter director Ron Murphy.    Tuesday, it’s a pre-pitch meeting with Vanessa and the gang re: Untitled Awesome Project, then dinner with former Stargate Co-Executive Producer, present Private Eyes Executive Producer Alan McCullough.  Wednesday, it’s lunch with former Dark Matter stunt coordinator John Stead (aka SteadMuffin).  Thursday, it’s a visit to a potential broadcaster to discuss Untitled Awesome Project, then Korean hot wing dinner with some Japanese cheerleaders (Long story).  Friday, free and clear – for presumably putting the finishing touches on that Episode 3 script.  And another week will come to an end.

Thanks to everyone who weighed in with their awesome lists of Guilty Savory Pleasures.  This ensures I will, upon my retirement, be visiting each and everyone of you.  Please make sure the pillows in your guest room are neither too hard nor too soft, but just right.  I’m picky!

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November 9, 2018: My Top 10 Savory Guilty Pleasures!

I have to specify “savory” because if I didn’t, my top ten would be entirely comprised of desserts.  

By the way, “guilty pleasures” isn’t entirely accurate as I don’t feel particularly guilty about eating any of these, but I can see how some might!

10. Stuffed Pasta with Cream Sauce

I don’t have it that often but when I do go to an Italian restaurant and I order a pasta medley, I do make it a rule to include at least one of these delectable artery-cloggers.

9. Nankotsu

A fave standby at a lot of yakitori restaurants and many casual Asian eateries is this version of popcorn chicken that is essentially fried chicken cartilage.

8. Ramen

This one is tricky since I can trace two of my five food-poisoning experiences back to ramen (an impressive 40% rate).  Still, I love me some tonkotsu base broth with black garlic and extra butter.

7. Shahi Paneer

This Indian dish is basically cheese in a creamy cashew sauce.  Delicious!

6. Fried Dumplings

There’s a restaurant a ten minute walk from my place that serves up a dozen a plate with a side of sweet and spicy chili sauce for dipping purposes.

5. Pizza

Obvious, perhaps, but not just any pizza.  One of my favorites is a version that combines honey with spicy sausage or pepperoni, black olives, and cheese – sweet, salty, and spicy.

4. Schnitzel

Ah, I remember the old Stargate days when writer-producer Carl Binder and I would do the Vancouver schnitzel tour.  There’s a place here in Toronto that offers up a platter comprised of three different schnitzel varieties and a piece of sausage.  I always prefer mine paper thing and crispy.

3. Katsu Curry

This Japanese dish if comprised of tasty fired pork, rice, and their version of curry which is sweeter and thicker than the Thai and Indian versions.

2. Chicken Wings

Nothing gets me quite as excited as the prospect of going out with friends and sharing a variety of chicken wings.  Buffalo, parmesan, barbecue – you name ’em, I’ll eat ’em.

1. Fried Chicken

I suppose this one should come as no surprise as I’ve often alluded to my search for Toronto’s best fried chicken.  I love the fact that this dish transcends cultural boundaries and some of the city’s best offerings include Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Southern versions of this dish.

So, do tell – What are your top savory guilty pleasures?

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November 8, 2018: Toronto’s Top 5 Mochas!

As a fan of mochas, lattes, and various chocolate/coffee drinkables, I make it a point to sample as wide a variety as often as possible.  For research purposes mostly.  And, having done my due diligence over the past year, I offer up my Top 5 Toronto Mochas…

#5. Bar Buca

This place boasts a host of fancy lattes laced with everything from honey and ginger to dulce de leche and, well, chocolate.  They also do a delicious Cafe Al Zabaglione for that taste of Venice.

#4.  Les Moulins LaFayette

The latest addition to the Queen Street West scene is the Toronto branch of this Montreal bakery.  Enjoy your mocha with lunch – or, better, yet a tartelette tropezienne and/or a Paris-Brest.

#3. Oretta Cafe

Adjoining the Oretta Restaurant is a little cafe that offers up terrific Italian bites and, of course, a stellar mocha (aka The Cioccolacciono).

#2. Hot Black Coffee

One of the chocolatiest of mochas hails from this quaint little Queen Street coffee shop whose internet-free environment ensures conversation over solitary browsing.

#1. Soma Chocolate

This should come as no surprise.  Toronto’s premiere chocolatier makes one of the city’s premiere mochas.  If you’re feeling particularly indulgent, check out their decadent drinking chocolates.

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I’m sure there are a lot of other great candidates out there.  No doubt, in time, I’ll check them all out.

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