Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 303

July 20, 2017: Heads up! Dark Matter at SDCC!

Let me be blunt.  Only six episodes remain in Dark Matter’s third season and they are our strongest to date.  This morning, I received a DM from SpoilerTV’s Aimee Hicks who messaged to say: “I just watched 309 and 310 and you easily just delivered my 2 new all time favorite episodes.”  All I could think was “Wait until she sees 311, 312, and 313!”.

This is the time of year when SYFY decides our fate, so if you want a fourth season of Dark Matter, tune in and help get the word out!

I spent the day packing toys.  I’ve decided to keep the super villain-related items and part with everything else.  Some stuff I’ve set aside for future consideration. Do I keep those old Star Trek photo novels or do I turf them?

While I was on the home front, part of The Raza were at SDCC.  So envious!  This is what I’ve been missing…

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Kookiness abounds.

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Interviews!

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Cast signing!

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Just hanging out.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

July 19, 2017: What lies ahead for Dark Matter’s third season!

Things are about to get crazy…

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Episode 308, “Hot Chocolate”: John Stead (who also doubles as our stunt coordinator) has directed my favorite episodes of the show to date (Episode 10 in which we first introduce Wexler and co., “We Were Family” in which we were introduced to Victor, his fellow androids, and THREE’s long lost “father”).  And he does so again in this outing that sees Ryo Ishida access the ship in surprising fashion.  And he’s brought friends.  It’s the TWO/Ryo Ishida showdown you’ve been waiting for…that took an entire day to shoot!

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Episode 309, “Isn’t That A Paradox?”: It’s Back To The Future meets Stranger Things in this crazy time travel tale that sees our crew going undercover as a suburban family in 2017 Fort Falls, Wisconsin.  Directed by Craig David Wallace.

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Episode 310, “Built, Not Born”: Directed by Melanie Orr, this one explores TWO and the Android’s surprising backstory.  We learn the Android’s origin – and her name!  Our feeliest episode ever.

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Episode 311, “The Dwarf Star Conspiracy”.  Many of the narrative pieces we put in play in previous seasons begin to pay off – like this reveal of exactly what Alexander Rook was up to when he created Rebecca aka Portia aka TWO.  Directed by Steve Dimarco.

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Episode 312, “My Final Gift To You”.  Shocking secrets are revealed.  Deception, betrayal, tragedy and a significant death.  Directed by Bruce McDonald.

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Episode 313, “Nowhere To Go”: Former enemies become unexpected allied.  Friends become unforeseen enemies.  And a shocking turn changes everything, setting up a fan-tastic new chapter in the Dark Matter saga.  Directed by Ron Murphy.

SpoilerTV’s Aimee Hicks previews this Friday night’s episode: “Hot Chocolate”.

” Things rapidly progress from bad to worse to intense as the early part of the episode unfolds and then the intensity carries throughout.”

One of you asked why I don’t respond to more comments.  First, let me be clear: I read and approve each and every comment.  Unfortunately, the wordpress set up makes responding to individual comments somewhat troublesome and confusing.  If you’d like to ask me a direct question and expect a speedy answer, might I suggest dropping by the Dark Matter subreddit.  Or even the Stargate subreddit which I have also been known to frequent.  Along with: books, science fiction, and pugs.  Alternately, you can find me on twitter which is an easy Q&A forum (but not much else).

But I know many of you are traditionalists who prefer the familiar confines of this blog.  And so, I’m going to open the mailbag in the coming days and field your queries and concerns.  If you have questions, post them in the comments section. I’ll answer them this weekend!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

July 18, 2017: Dark Matter behind the scenes!

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Congratulations to everyone who correctly answered yesterday’s trivia question. And I do mean everyone.  You ALL guessed correctly.  Yes, Zoie Palmer (Android) and Ennis Esmer (Wexler) attended acting school together at York University!

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Speaking of Zandroid, check her out discussing a scene from this Friday night’s episode (“Hot Chocolate”, 9 pm on Syfy and Space Channel).

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Man down!  Roger Cross takes much-needed cat naps between scenes.

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The Lady in Red, aka Natalie Brown, aka Sarah.

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Melissa O’Neil, Anthony Lemke, and Roger Cross consult the owner’s manual in an attempt to get the Marauder started.

Have you told your friends about the show?  Spread the word on social media? Dark Matter needs its fans to get vocal!  Six more episodes remain in the show’s third season.  Help us finish strong!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

July 17, 2017: Dark Matter season 3 storyboards and concept art! And quiz time!

Occasionally, more complicated sequences are storyboarded.  A director conveys his vision to the artist who creates a multi-panel breakdown of the shots that will comprise a given sequence.  For instance, here’s the initial Electus Corp flashforward sequence storyboard for Episode 304, “All The Time In The World” – directed by Ron Murphy, storyboard by Gergely Kapus:

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And here’s some of the concept art for this scene, c/o of the amazing Karl Crosby –

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As always, kudos to our hugely talented Production Designer, Ian Brock, for bringing it all to life.

Finally, a little quiz.  Which two Dark Matter performers attended acting school together:

a) Anthony Lemke (THREE) and Jessica Sipos (Tash)

b) Zoie Palmer (Android) and Ennis Esmer (Wexler)

c) Roger Cross (SIX) and Torri Higginson (Commander Truffault)

d) Melissa O’Neil (TWO) and Alex Mallari Jr. (FOUR/Ryo Ishida)

e) None of the above.  You’re just wasting our time.

 

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

July 16, 2017: I like it spicy!

“He ordered the souvlaki with hot sauce,”my friend informed me.  “His nose bled all night!”

“All night?”  I was dubious.

“All night!”she insisted.

I suppose it was intended as a cautionary tale but the first thought that entered my mind was: “I’ve got to try that hot sauce.”

I’ve always been a fan of spicy.  One of the first Japanese phrases I learned before going to Tokyo for the first time was “Karai no ryori wa dai suki desu” (“I love spicy food!”) lest they fear offending an overly sensitive gaikokujin palate.  When I go out for pad gra prow, I dismiss foreigner (farang) spicy in favor of Thai (phet mak mak) spicy.  Hell, I’ve even started making my own hot sauces.

But even though I like the heat, I am picky.  I’m not a huge fan of the tamer cayenne-based hot sauces only because I tend to find them too vinegary.  The beyond hot sauces are certainly hot, but their flavor is akin to liquid rubber.  Give me an island hot sauce, something with a habanero or scotch bonnet base. Incorporate onions and garlic for flavor, the sweetness of fruit to compliment the heat, maybe even a touch of mustard to give it an extra little kick.

The other day, Akemi took all of my hot sauces out of the back cupboard and suggested I deal with them – which essentially means toss them or consume them in six weeks I have left in Vancouver.  Well, I’m up to the challenge!  But first, a little sample to find out if they’ve stood the test of time (aka – haven’t gone bad sitting in the pantry since 2010).

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I remember the first time I sampled this one – just a touch on the end of a dipped toothpick.  It was pretty intense.  A friend of Akemi tested his luck and started hiccuping instantly.  More of a novelty than a worthy addition to the rotation.

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Hmmm.  Just the basics here: cayenne, water, and salt.  The years have not been kind to this hot sauce which went from its original vibrant orange to an ominous dark brown.

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This one comes with a (presumably tongue in cheek) warning not to attempt to actually light the fuse.  The wax seal, while amusing, is surprisingly thick and difficult to cut through.  It’s a combination of some 20 peppers and not unbearable in its heat level.

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Unlike this one that is aptly termed “Beyond Insanity” because you’d have to be crazy to eat it.  It’s habanero-based sauce but also includes “habanero-infused flavor”, whatever that means.  Another one that has aged terribly, at least in its coloring.

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Also habanero-based and while this one seemed to have prevailed over Father Time, the flavor seemed a bit…off.

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Vidalia onions and peach!  I am IN!  To be honest, I haven’t had the heart to open this one yet simply because I don’t want to be disappointed if it’s turned and I’m unable to use it.  Jeff, I’m waiting for you to get into town before I try it.

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My new favorite hot sauce (now that I can no longer track down my former fave, Chalido Chile Trader’s Besos de Fuegos) is this little gem made right here in B.C. with locally-sourced honey and apples.

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I’m love the island sauces.

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And, of course, who can resist the sweet and spicy combo of Korean gochujang.  I pick up mine up at my local farmer’s market.

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And speaking of local, Oddball Organics makes a terrific line of sauces that combine two of my favorite things: heat and garlic.  From left to right, their progressively hotter offerings go from Nasty Nectar to Nuclear Nectar to Tongue Twister.

Oh, and that nose-bleedingly hot hot sauce?  It wasn’t that hot.  And my nose was just fine.

Tagged: hot sauce, hot sauces

July 15, 2017: My Complainiest Post Yet!

Okie doke.  The plan was to motor through this script by the end of July (so that I could dedicate August to script #2), but following several false starts, a couple of roadblocks, and one frustrating detour, I’ve decided to scrap this jalopy.  My focus now shifts to enjoying the rest of my summer and just reading.  Spending time with Akemi and the dogs, sure.  Packing and prepping for the big move, of course. And, oh yeah, rewatching old episodes of Seinfeld.

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Look, I’m sure there are worse airlines in the world.  Maybe those outfits flying dangerous cargo out of war-torn countries for example.  But, really, Air Canada is just…not good.  My flight out of Vancouver was delayed an hour and half.  My flight back to Vancouver was delayed almost two.  The last time I flew Air Canada, the flight was outright cancelled for reasons never fully revealed.  A mechanical issue? The pilot overslept?  The flight wasn’t full enough so Air Canada decided not to bother honoring their end of our business transaction?  Who knows?  The bigger question is – Why the hell have I (or is anyone) flying Air Canada when there’s a perfectly great alternative in WestJet?

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A few words of wisdom I ‘d like to impart to those looking to sell their home or condo (all gathered from a day spent checking out Toronto condos with my back-up, The Corridors, pictured here on the cover of their new album) … [image error]If you know someone is going to be coming by to check the place out, you might want to clean up a little.  After seeing this, I was genuinely afraid to check out the bathrooms.

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An access door to the building’s stairwell at the back of the master bedroom can be a little…unsettling.  “They call that The Murderer’s Entrance,”Ivon helpfully offered.

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I know, I know.  Getting the place ready for prospective buyers can be such a pain in the ass, but try to make an effort nevertheless.  Those sloppy little details tell a much bigger story about how you cared for the place while you were living there.

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While I realize you still live here, try to make yourself scarce during the showing.  It can make things all kinds of awkward – especially if you’re drunk.

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And as much as I appreciate a desire to cut out the middle man like, say, the dining room corridor and a door, designing a house with the bathroom right next door to the kitchen is just weird.  What’s even weirder?  An open bathroom concept that has the toilet stall in direct eyeline of the top of the upstairs landing.

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Finally, if you’re going to take a photo of the exterior and go through the pains of angling the shot in such a way as to avoid the telephone pole smack-dab in the middle of your fucking walkway, count on prospective buyer’s actually visiting your place and noticing that…there’s a fucking telephone pole smack-cab in the middle of your fucking walkway!

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Holy shit!  Are Burger’s Priest burgers now available at Wahlburgers?!??

 

July 14, 2017: New Episode of Dark Matter – tonight at 8 pm!

Some behind the scenes pics of tonight’s episode, “Wish I Could Believe You” (written by Ivon Bartok, directed by Paul Day):

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The Mr. Congeniality Award for kindness in the performance of his duties as an officer in the Galactic Authority goes to…

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The rare Spaghetti Saturday dinner tray POV shot.

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Director Paul Day doing his thing.

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The Helm.

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Hazmat team on set to deal with our hazardous camera operator, Joe Turner.

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Zoie Palmer hits her mark.

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Director Paul Day casually blocks the infirmary scene.

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A sneak preview of tonight’s episode c/o TVGoodness.com

And what lies ahead for the crew of The Raza as we sail into the back half of season 3?  Well –

 

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

July 14, 2017: MORE Dark Matter season 3 BTS pics!

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Who wants a sip of Zoie’s coffee?

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Torri Higginson cops some Truffault attitude.

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Jessica Sipos, the OTHER Raza’s Tash.

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 Lisa Amaral Wright shows off her latest creation: “The Helm”.

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Roger Cross – master of the weird blade.

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A close shave for Elliot.

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Director/Stunt Coordinator John Stead shows us how it’s done.

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A meeting of minds: Ennis Esmer and Jessica Sipos.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

July 12, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Behind the Scenes!

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The Art Department keeping Ash busy.

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Lovable Zoie Palmer as our lovable Android.

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Okay, let’s review this ridiculous dialogue one more time.

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The gang kicking back in the Marauder.

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Scene run-thru, Episode 305 “Give It Up, Princess”, with director J.B. Sugar.

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Accept no substitute!

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Well now, THIS looks familiar.

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to Birthday Gal Melissa O’Neil!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

July 11, 2017: Dark Matter news!

On SYFY, the Revolution of Leading Ladies Is Already Being Televised – by Alexis Gunderson at Paste Magazine.

” From Wynonna, Waverly and Officer Haught on Wynonna Earp to Dutch, Pawter and Clara on Killjoys to Two, Five, Android, Nyx, Misaki, Sarah and Solara on Dark Matter, Syfy has spent the last several summers demonstrating week after sweltering week that by transforming femininity into narrative power, and then placing that narrative power squarely in the hands of multiple, wildly different leading ladies, a whole metric ton of compelling stories can be told—stories in which boobs (begging zero pardon for this pun, as Wynonna would never forgive me if I did) are just the tips of a complexly feminine iceberg.”

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Mishka Thebaud discusses Adrian’s Bright Future with Kelly Townsend of The TVJunkies

” I remember getting the script and thinking, “Is this right? Is this a typo? Why is my name in it so much?” It was obviously a great surprise. I was super excited to do that episode. I mean, I was also nervous, obviously, since it’s a demanding one. I had a lot riding on me, but I’m always up for it and I know I’m capable of it. I knew I was going to bring it, so that was my attitude. I was confident.”

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Anthony Lemke talks with Lubie en series – en français!

“Tout le monde dit c’est okay, rien de grave, tu peux aimer un robot. Mon personnage est le reste de l’humanité qui est mal à l’aise à cette idée. C’est ce qui est fun car on nous dit dans nos sociétés d’être compréhensif, ouvert. Tout est okay que ça soit le genre, la race, le sexe. Mais, la vérité ce n’est pas ce que l’on ressent au plus profond de nous et mon personnage représente cette bataille. Et je pense que l’on peut s’identifier parce que c’est la vie.”

Melissa O’Neil and Anthony Lemke talk Episode 306, “One Last Card To Play” on After Dark:

Jodelle Ferland nerding it up!

Here’s a sneak peek at this Friday night’s episode: “Wish I Could Believe You”:

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter