Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 324

December 28, 2016: Reading and Writing!

Upon further consideration, I’ve elected to leave Montreal a day earlier than our planned Monday departure.  This will give me a full day to decompress before the start of our 7-day work week.  Yes, your math is correct.  A 7 day work week starting on Tuesday because Line Producer Norman Denver and Production Manager Brandon Tataryn don’t care about NFL Wildcard Weekend since their Denver Broncos were eliminated from playoff contention.  The expected late Saturday call should ensure we miss both games played that that day.

It’s hard to believe we’re already about to prep Episode 305.  The production machine is in full gear eating into that glorious head start of a month back.  I’ve got a script to work on but my progress hasn’t been somewhat…slow over these holidays.  If you count the opening tease, partial pages, and dialogue fragments, I’ve completed exactly nothing so far.  But I’m hopeful that when I DO get started, I’ll positively blaze through this one.

While I haven’t been doing doing much writing, I have, on the other hand, been doing a hell of a lot of reading, surpassing my annual goal –[image error]

Although, in all fairness, about 40 of them were graphic novels.  Still, I think I can polish off a few more before the New Year as I begin to compile my list of Best Reads of 2016.

So what were your fave reads of the year?  Do tell!

 

 

December 27, 2016: Home for the Holidogs!

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Following yesterday’s ice storm that created traffic chaos throughout the city and forced us to reschedule our planned outing, we elected to take things easy today. We dropped by a local coffee shop for some hot chocolate, interneting and, in Akemi’s case, so coloring, then took the dogs out for the slipperiest of walks. Akemi has already wiped out three times on this trip – and we still have another four days to go!

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Suji enjoys(?) her first Christmas in Montreal.

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She actually falls somewhere in between the hardy up-for-anything Bubba and the “Hell with this!” Lulu who is ready to head back home the second she hits the end of the driveway.

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Pictured: My sister playing catch with her dog, Ralphie.

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Ralphie in the Christmas spirit.

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Mom and her #1 boy, Felix.

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They’re inseparable.

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Kona.  Again, I say – those eyes!

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It’s like she’s daring you to say something.

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What did you say?!!

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Mom’s other boy – Caramel.

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Fernando.  He’s blind but that doesn’t keep him from looking his best.

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 Even the cats got in on the holiday action.

December 26, 2016: Dad Stories!

Whenever the holidays roll around, our thoughts inevitably turn to my late father, a man with a great sense of humor, a love of animals, and a passion for food.

Late in life, once he started experiencing health issues, the family doctor put him on a special diet.  No fried foods.  No sweets.  Just  lean meats and fresh veggies prepared with little oil moving forward.  Of course, it was my mother who was expected to follow those instructions once they returned home.  And, of course, it was my father who grumpily refused to eat until mom prepared something he actually enjoyed – namely everything he’d been told to steer clear of.

Months later, my mother accompanied dad for a check-up.  The doctor informed him that his cholesterol was higher than ever.  Had he been following the diet he’d been given?  Realizing there was no point in lying, my father admitted he had, in fact, been eating the same fried foods he been instructed to steer clear of.

“Why?”asked the doctor, incensed.

“It’s not my fault,”my father shrugged.  “That’s just the way my wife cooks.”

The story is made all that more memorable by the fact that my mother was in the examination room with him at the time and though steamed, said nothing!

My father loved seafood.  And he also loved all-you-can-eat deals.  So when a local seafood restaurant announced an all-you-can-eat shrimp dinner special, my father HAD to check it out.

At the restaurant, he informed the waiter he was there for the all you can eat shrimp special, sat back and waited.  Fifteen minutes later, he was served – an order of five shrimp.

“What’s this?”asked my father.

“Shrimp,”said the waiter.

“I ordered the all-you-can eat.”

“Oh, you can eat all you want,”the waiter assured him.  He could order once he was done.

My father was a man of quaint sayings.  “He’s bats in the belfry” and “Wouldn’t that jar your preserves?” were two of his go-to’s.  Another favorite, which he uttered on this particular night, was “I leave this much on my plate when I’m done.”  He placed his order for a second round, polished off his five shrimp and waited.  And waited.

Twenty minutes later, his second serving of shrimp arrived – this time, a meager three.  My father was outraged.  The waiter, for his part, seemed amused by my dad’s can-do attitude, once again assuring him he could eat as much as he wanted…once he had finished what was on his plate.

Some fifteen minutes later, the waiter returned to check on him.  “Would you like anything else?”he asked.

“Yes!”said my father, incensed.  “More shrimp!”

The waiter seemed surprised, but nevertheless headed off to inform the kitchen. They had a live one!

Another twenty minute wait and another lowly three shrimp later, the waiter returned and asked if my father wanted dessert.

“No,”my father angrily informed him.  “I want more shrimp.”

“More shrimp?!”said the waiter, no doubt casting his gaze about the room to spot the hidden camera, seemingly amazed by my father’s inhuman ability to consume more than eleven shrimp.

Needless to say, my father never went back – and never failed to repeat this story whenever future all-you-can-eat opportunities arose.

Another one of my favorite dad stories took place one hot summer day when my sister and I were kids.  Back then, my parents would purchase frozen orange juice concentrate for us.  All we had to do was mix it with cold water and, voila, instant orange juice.  That’s ALL we had to do but, apparently, actually making the orange juice was such a hardship that my sister and I avoided doing so at all costs.  There was an unwritten rule that whoever finished the juice would have to make the next batch and so, we went to great pains to avoid pouring that last glass.  As  a result, the remnants of that orange juice container would sit for days, sometimes weeks, as Andria and I would play our own version of chicken.  In the case of this particular batch, it must have sat there for close to a month as my sister and I dug in our heels, and that orange fermented and fizzed.

And then, that hot summer’s day, my father walked into the kitchen, parched and perspiring after mowing the lawn, poured himself a glass of orange juice, and knocked it back.  I suspect he was so thirsty that he didn’t realize at first – and then the taste must have hit him.  From downstairs, I heard what had to have been the most violent spit take in history, then walked upstairs to find my father, clearly in shock, wide-eyed and red-faced, sitting behind a table spattered with month old orange juice.

I’d like to say it was a singular event but, sadly, this incident was proceeded by another surprisingly similar one months later.  My dad always enjoyed a glass of iced water before bed.  He’d pour himself a glass, drop in some ice cubes, then head into the adjoining room to watch the Carol Burnett Show, allowing the ice to melt, the water to chill.  One night, I was walking past the kitchen when I heard the sound of something clinking in the darkness.  I turned on the light and discovered our cat, paw deep in the water glass, attempting to snag an elusive ice cube.  It was the most adorable thing and I made a note to mention it to my sister as I turned off the light and headed up to my room.

Later that night, I returned to find my father sitting in the kitchen in front of an empty water glass.

“Hey,”I said.  “What happened to the water in that glass?”

“I drank it,”said my father.

“You drank it?”  As if it was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard and, really, my father should have known better.  “The cat had it’s paw in that water.”

Needless to say, my father took it about as well as a mouthful of month-old orange juice.

And finally, there was the time my mother went away for a week, leaving my father to look after my sister and I.  The day before her return, my father set about cleaning up, doing household chores that he’d probably never done before in his life.  Like laundry.  I recall walking downstairs and discovering him sweating as he labored, ironing the bath towels.

The bath towels!

And there was the time we went to the Win-Wah Buffet and he was trying to get that waiter’s attention.

But I’d best leave that one for another time.

December 25, 2016: Merry Christmas!

This year, my Christmas haul was comprised of edibles and socks.  But mostly socks…

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Sis got that roomba she wanted –

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Mom got underwear –

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While Suji got this fashionable new outfit –

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And some Peanuts chewies compliments of sis –

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Lulu immediately laid claim to Snoopy.

The gifts I ordered Akemi arrived just in time for Christmas…delivered to our Toronto address days after we’d left town.  So, she has something to look forward to when we get back.  She’s gonna LOVE ’em and, while I’d love to tell you what I got her, I don’t want to spoil the surprise as she monitors this blog like a hawk!

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My sister’s dog, Kona, is all grown up.  Not exactly a lap dog anymore.

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It’s like the eyes follow you!

Check out the matching family sweaters, compliments of sis!

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December 24, 2016: Happy Night Before Christmas!

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Last night, Akemi and I enjoyed dinner with some thoroughly charming company.

Also, the guy she married.

Yes, we had dinner with my old high school friend, Lawrence (a.k.a. Buddy) and his better half, Mel (a.k.a. Mrs. Buddy).  We enjoyed drinks, jerk wings, hilarity (of course) and a double order of chocolate-espresso mousse.

Then today, I set aside a couple of hours to watch Ron Murphy’s director’s cut of our season opener.  Hoowee!  A LOT going on in this one.

I leave you with…Christmas Dogs!

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December 23, 2016: I mean, really?

I have a plan.  I’ve had one from the day we started production on Dark Matter’s first episode, a plan that spans five 13-episode seasons and includes character and story arcs with beginnings, middles, and endings.  I know exactly where we’re going and knowing in advance allows us the all-too-rare opportunity to sprinkle our narrative with clues, little hints of what’s to come that will pay off along the way.  Small adjustments are inevitable, but the big picture story and pay-offs remain in play.  And it hasn’t always been easy.  Sure, there are the expected production demands – the writing, the prepping, the editing, the various other duties, and the long, long hours, but then there are the unexpected curveballs that come at you from people who really should know fucking better, those square peg in round hole annoyances that crop up every so often and leave a lot of people shaking their heads in dismay.  I mean, really?

On the bright side, series co-creator Paul Mullie delivered a great pass on the latest script.  We are flying!  Episode 305 already preps when we get back on January 3rd!

No time to stop the production train for lollygaggers.  If you can’t keep up, catch a flight and we’ll meet you at the next station!

Meanwhile…

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Lunch with sis and mom at Smoked Meat Pete.

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Every time I visit, I always make it a point to hit Pete’s for the best smoked meat in town.  Their fries aint too shabby either.

And, while we ate sandwiches, Lulu had lobster…

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular Debra.

December 22, 2016: Pigging out at Au Pied de Cochon!

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It’s a (Joe) Mallozzi Christmas tradition!  Dinner at one of my favorite restaurants – Au Pied de Cochon – with my sister and Daisy.

But beware!  It’s not for the fainthearted!

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Akemi and I being affectionate.

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Les cromesquis – deep-fried morsels bursting with liquid foie gras.

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And, for Akemi – the mackerel.

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The French onion soup – which was unlike any other French onion soup I’d ever had, highlighted by  some incredibly delicious smoked sausage.

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The roasted bone marrow with caviar – the only miss of the night.  The marrow could have used another five minutes in the oven.

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The beef temake tartare topped with quail eggs.  I ate the top (beef, toppings) and Akemi had the bottom (rice and nori wrap).

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Charcuterie and foie pizza with ricotta and whipped mascarpone – my favorite of the night.

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The stuffed pig’s trotters with foie and whipped mash.  Another fave.

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For dessert, the super-chocolatey chocolate tart.

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And, of course, the classic pouding chomeur.

Tomorrow, it’s Smoked Meat Pete and Bistro 75.

And in January, I am back on the program!

Tagged: Au Pied de Cochon

December 21, 2016: Hepburn comes through again!

A shout-out today to one of Dark Matter’s unsung heroes heroines, script coordinator Alison Hepburn who came through, yet again, with a terrific backstory idea for the show’s third season.  Alison has a great scifi mind and she has become my go-to-gal whenever I’m looking to spin ideas – or in need of one.  Like, for instance, this morning when she emailed me a terrific reveal for the end of the episode I’m currently working on, a dark little secret that ties in neatly with what we’ve set up to date.  It comes on the heels of another great character revelation she came up with, this one for FIVE, that will be coming your way in Episode 302. But wait!  There’s more!  On the strength of a great pilot script she sent me last year, Alison landed representation with my agent AND got herself a script assignment for this coming season.  Wondering who traveled over from the Alt Universe at the end of “Stuff To Steal, People To Kill”?  All will be revealed in Episode 306, compliments of Ms. Hepburn.

Hey, you know what I hate more than driving around looking for parking?  More than getting stuck behind shoppers who park their giant carts in the middle of the aisles?  Even more than not being able to buy a couple of hamburger buns because they only come in enormous two-dozen packages?

Yes, the only thing I hate more than those three things individually is experiencing all three of those things combined.  I’m talking about shopping at Costco.

Today, we helped my mother re-stock her bomb shelter with everything from raw almonds to bleach.  When the zombie uprising happens, we’ll be heart healthy and our shirts will be whiter than white!

An action shot of me enjoying the Costco Experience…

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So, how are y’all enjoying the holidays?  Eating anything or anywhere special?  Last night, I plucked a jar of diced peppers out of my mother’s fridg.  Mom warned me they were hot and, while I appreciated the heads up, I dismissed her concern and popped a generous forkful into my mouth.  After all, mom rarely makes anything overly spicy and grocery shop peppers don’t pack THAT much of a punch.  Only, it turned out mom didn’t make them; my sister did.  And she didn’t use grocery shop peppers.  She used her homegrown ghost chili peppers.

24 hours later, I still feel kind of dizzy.

December 20, 2016: Montreal-bound!

It’s a travel day.  This morning, we embarked on a 5 hour(ish) journey back to 1976 – aka mom’s house in Montreal, one of the last internet-free zones in the civilized world.  Not sure what the deal is.  I offered to pay for a basic service package but she refused, presumably because it’s too expensive.  Not as expensive as hotspotting through my phone and using 3G to update this blog, but whatever.

Anyway, here are a couple of Dark Matter-related tidbits to tide you over…

I sit down and chat season 3 with Geektown’s Michael Simpson:

Joe Mallozzi Hints that Dark Matter’s Third Season Will Take the Show Where it Has Never Gone Before

Jodelle Ferland (Dark Matter’s FIVE) talks season 3 with MYM Buzz…

 

In preparation for my retirement in a couple of years once Dark Matter wraps its fifth and final season, I just purchased digital copies of Uncanny X-Men #1-544. They’re on sale over at Comixology: Uncanny X-Men Sale!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

December 19, 2016: It can’t get any better than this!

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I started my writing career in animation,  After several years of freelancing, I landed a full time job as the Manager of Animation Development at a local studio in Montreal.  My 9 to 5 duties covered all aspects of the internal creative and, over the course of my time there, I developed such shows as Animal Crackers, Mona the Vampire, Paddington Bear, and Caillou.  I also continued my freelance scriptwriting in my off-hours AND story-edited several (of the aforementioned) shows.  I was happy and, at the time, thought “It can’t get any better than this.”

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I eventually left the security of my 9 to 5 job for the feast or famine world of full time freelancing.  I continued to write scripts and story-edit, shifting focus from that local studio to some of the bigger animation guns, eventually lending my services to the CBS Saturday morning line-up.  I made my own hours, worked at my own pace and, more importantly, made better money.  “Okay, now,”I thought, “it can’t get any better than this.”

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I eventually transitioned from animation to live action, partnering with my long-time friend, Paul Mullie, and landing a staff position on a teen sitcom called Student Bodies.  We shot in an abandoned school and wrote in our enormous office,  a carpeted former classroom.  One day, the show’s creators asked us if we needed anything.  I jokingly suggested an air hockey table.  Well, the following week, an air hockey table was written into an episode and, once said episode was shot, that air hockey table found a permanent home in our office.  It was a pretty sweet gig and, at time time, I was pretty damn sure “It can’t get any better than this.”

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And then, we ended up on Stargate and spent 12 incredible years writing and producing one of the  most successful franchises in scifi television history.  Paul and I worked our way up from co-producers to showrunners and had a hell of a lot of fun along the way.  Even though the shows had their challenges, we enjoyed going to work every day and enjoyed the company of the people we worked with.   Judging from everything we’d heard about the many other productions out there, we knew we were very lucky and I had no doubt then that my time on Stargate would be next to impossible to top.  “It can’t get any better than this,”I assumed for presumably the last time.

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Then, two years later, Dark Matter comes along.  Three season in, it reminds me a lot of my time on Stargate – fun, fulfilling, and very rewarding with the added bonus that it happens to be MY show.  Surely, it can’t get any better than this.

But who knows?