Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 369

October 10, 2015: Dark Matter clues!

These voice-overs were intended for a late season episode, but didn’t make the final cut.  The dialogue hints at some possible future storylines and backstory elements.  Can you make out what is being said?

 

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

October 9, 2015: Things I have to eat before I leave Vancouver!

I’ve got roughly four days before I leave for Toronto – four days, but a lot of food to cover.

These are the things I have to eat before I go…

A porchetta sandwich from Meat & Bread.

via DennisTheFoodie.com

The Dirty Burger from upstairs Campagnolo.

The Peaceful beef roll from Peaceful Restaurant.

The salmon oshi sushi from Minami Restaurant.

The kimchi pancake from Sura Restaurant.

The kickass rice from Le Tigre Cuisine food truck.

The lamb popsicles from Vij’s.

The lengua and cachete tacos from La Taqueria.

Chocolates from Beta 5.

Soft serve from Snow Peaks.

Gelato from Bella Gelateria.

I’m going to be pretty busy!

October 8, 2015: Home! X-ray! Script elves!

Wow!  I can’t tell you how nice it is to be home, back in a place with a backyard, proper t.v., window blinds, and actual dresser with drawers for storing my clothes!

Nice while it lasts.

I got in a little after 3 pm today and the first thing I did (after greeting Akemi and the dogs of course) was to head over the nearby medical center and get that x-ray. For almost two weeks now, I’ve been suffering from what I’d describe as “a sore right lung”.  Every time I take a deep breath, it triggers a dull ache in the region. On my first visit to the doctor, he poked, prodded, listened to my lungs, then sent me for a blood test that came back all good.  He suspected it was a muscular issue. On my next visit to another doctor, there was more poking and prodding and listening to my lungs.  He also suspected a muscular issue – but sent me for an x-ray, just to be sure.  If I’d just gone on Monday, I’d already have my answer by now but, because I was feeling a little better, I elected to put it off.  Thus, I get to stew all long weekend.

I love the idea of it being muscular.  Only problem is, I can’t recall doing anything that could have caused the problem.  “Oh, at our age, you don’t need to do anything anymore,”my writing partner, Paul, informed me.  “Stepping out of the shower, sitting up, just turning your head – crack – that’s it.”

Really?  Can anyone confirm this through amusing anecdotal evidence?

Tomorrow, I commence my goodbye tour of my favorite Vancouver bookshops: The Comic Shop, The Book Warehouse, White Dwarf Books – and continue work on Episode 204.  That script aint gonna write it self.  Trust me, I know.  I left my laptop out two nights in a row with a dish of cookies for the script fairies only to discover the cookies gone the following mornings but absolutely no work completed on my script.  Has this ever happened to you?

 

October 7, 2015: Early prep on Dark Matter season 2 begins!

Following a fitful night’s sleep, I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning.  Well, I suppose it’s to be expected since I’m still on Vancouver time.  That’s what I thought anyway – until I realized that Pacific Standard Time is actually three hours BEHIND Toronto time, not three hours AHEAD.  So it was actually more like 2 a.m.

The early wake-up afforded me the opportunity to get some work done.  On my fantasy football team.  Cut a few players.  Picked up  few more.  At 2-2, my Snow Monkeys are poised for a run!

Playoffs, baby!

At 10:30, Kyle picked Paul and I up and drove us to the Prodigy Pictures production offices where we were reunited with the gang: Vanessa, Norman, Ian, Caitlin, Thea, Natalie, Elliot, and Alice.  And, once we’d dispensed with the formalities, it was on to pressing matters – aka selecting our lunch orders.  THEN – we got to work.

First meeting – a discussion of the directors’ schedule with Vanessa and Norman. Some familiar faces returning from season 1.  Some new faces.  Some new yet familiar faces as well!

Second meeting – a discussion of the season 2 sets, locations, VFX, and casting with Vanessa and Norman.  New sets, a few familiar locations, MORE visual effects, and the return of some friends (ish) and enemies along with a slew of interesting first-timers.

Third meeting – conference call with our casting director Lisa Parasyn in which we discussed: Nyx, Arax Nero, Devon, Kierken, Shaddick, Treihan, Reynaud, and Misaki…to name a few.

Fourth meeting – lunch with brisket sandwiches.

Fifth meeting – We interview for the Executive Producers’ Assistant position. Seeking someone with production experience and proficiency with bladed weapons, krav and/or maga.

Sixth meeting –  sit-down with Production Designer Ian Brock to discuss the super max and upcoming builds.  He has some TERRIFIC ideas.  Can’t wait to show you the design work and sketches when the time comes.

Okay.  Here’s a little something…

 Tomorrow, I fly back to Vancouver where I’ll, hopefully, complete a big chunk of episode 204, continue packing, get an x-ray on that pesky sore lung, say my goodbyes, and make sure everything’s set for this weekend’s Canadian Thanksgiving Fantasy Football Feast.  Turducken is, of course, on the menu.

October 6, 2015: My hatred for my new Toronto place goes up to 11!

So, I arrived in my new Toronto apartment today.  Because I live on the other side of the country, I wasn’t able to visit the place first but, instead, based my decision on the specs and photos.  It looked nice enough and, surely, it couldn’t be any worse than the place we stayed last year with the incessant 7 am to 7 pm construction right next door.  Could it?

Well…

“Cosy” best describes my parking spot in the deep bowels of the building parkade, located roughly in the seventh circle somewhere between the profligates and blasphemers.  “You might want to back it in,”I was advised.

This long, useless, space-waster of a corridor greets you as you enter the place.

Here allow me to hang up your jacket, sir.  As for you, ma’am, you’ll have to keep yours on as we only have on hanger.

A cactus!  Perfect for unwitting dogs or, in tonight’s case, an equally unwary writing partner.  Hope he remembers to clean the wound when he gets home!

How thoughtful of the owners not to bother to clear out their shit.  That empty honey jar may come in handy.  As will that gently used toothbrush and shaving kit under the sink.

They were kind enough to leave us a half-used container of jalapeño mustard and a box of feminine napkins but, alas, no dust pan…which would have come in handy –

After I knocked over the unwieldy potted plant in the front room.  As it turns out, it’s impossible to just go out and buy a dust pan at 9:00 p.m. in Toronto…so that dirt will just stay right there for now.

Who needs bedrooms drawers when you have these handsome old coca-cola crates?  I’m kind of disappointed they didn’t leave their used milk cartons behind for sock storage.

No blinds on the entire east wall of windows offers everyone an unobstructed view into our personal lives.

Frustrated with my inability to properly store away any of our belongings, I decided to take a break and catch the Astros-Yankees wildcard game.

Really?  Basic cable package doesn’t cover the Sports Network?  Okay, I’ll just switch on over to AMC and catch a rerun of The Walking Dead in advance of its season premiere next weekend.

Are you shitting me?  Really?  No AMC either?  Okay, fine.  Food Network it is!

COME ON!!!

There’s also a balcony so treacherous-looking that I’m seriously considering krazy-gluing shot to ensure Akemi and the dogs NEVER set foot on it.

Finally, let me leave you with the little decorative touches that adorn the place…

In the event of a power failure this winter, I’m sure I’ll rethink critiquing this horrendous wall-mounted blanket.

And I suppose these wall-mounted snowshoes COULD also come in handy as well.

The arts & crafts ottoman?  Probably not.

ADDENDUM: Discovered the shoebox-sized Easy Bake oven.  Here it is, in action, warming up my leftover pizza slice:

Akemi is NOT going to like this.

October 5, 2015: Canadians love their scifi television!

Well, this is interesting.  Apparently, Canadians are HUGE fans of science fiction television:

“During the 2014-2015 broadcast year Canadian TV sci-fi series Orphan Black on Space (4.3 million viewers*), Dark Matter on Space (3.7 million), Between on City Total and Killjoys on Space (both 3.2 million) each reached roughly 10% of the Canadian population. In addition, these shows performed above their respective channel averages in the very desirable 18-34 demographic.”

That’s 10% of the Canadian population that tuned into our little show.

Tell me more…

Not bad.  It brings to mind another scifi series that far surpassed expectations when it aired on Canada’s Space Channel several years back.  I’ll give you a hint…

Speaking of Stargate, the giveaways are enroute.  We sent off the last one this morning.  Akemi, as always, personalized each envelope…

Pictured above: Canadian bunny, coasters in hand, on his way through the stargate to gforce’s house!

Toronto-bound tomorrow morning!  Hoping I can get some writing done on the flight.

Tagged: #BellMedia, #DarkMatter, Bell Media, Dark Matter, Science Fiction Television, scifi television, SF television, SGU, Space Channel, SpaceChannel, Stargate, Stargate Universe, Stargate:Universe

October 4, 2015: The dogs in Toronto prep mode!

They’re down to their flying weights and they’re rarin’ to go!

Akemi runs Bubba through his stretching exercises to safeguard agains the possibility of deep vein thrombosis.

Lulu takes one last longing look at the backyard.

Bubba contemplates his future in Toronto.

Bubba and Akemi celebrate one of the last sunny summer days of Vancouver in advance of the bitter winter days of Toronto.

Joined by Petunia (left), Lulu and Bubba practice quiet sleeping in preparation for the four and a half hour flight.

Bubba upon receiving the news that he would have to travel UNDER the airplane seat instead of on it.

 Bubba wonder why he has to travel to the other side of the country and work in a whole new bed when he’s spent so much time working in this one.

New look Lulu rockin’ the soul patch.

See you in Toronto!

October 3, 2015: A Dark Matter Performance Evaluation!

With Dark Matter‘s first season off to – by all accounts – a rollicking star on Netflix, I wanted to look back on the show’s performance to date.  Specifically, I wanted to look at the show’s overall performance.  Which, at the end of the day, is easier said than done.

Over on SyFy, Dark Matter is (the last time I checked) the #2 original scripted show on the network, and holds the #3 spot in the oft-discussed “key demo” (averaging 0.24, just a tick behind the #2 spot averaging 0.25).

Internationally, the news was even better, with Dark Matter pulling in BIG numbers in territories like the U.K., Australia, Portugal and (closer to home) Canada!

When it comes to downloads, however, the results are a little…murkier.  How many downloads from the network websites?  iTunes?  Other legitimate sources?  I don’t have that information.

How about illegitimate sources?  Well, ironically, that information is a little more handy.  According to thedrum.com, Dark Matter was one of the top ten most pirated shows in June, July, and August.  The September analysis is forthcoming, but I expect the results will be similar.

On the one hand, I’m heartened to see there are so many smart, tech-savvy viewers out there checking out the show.  On the other hand, all those “other” smart, tech-savvy viewers don’t really factor into the show’s renewal prospects.

Still, Dark Matter‘s online popularity suggests that our creative approach to the show’s narrative has paid off as expected.  We set out to create a character-driven series that built dramatically over the course of its 13 episode first season run, setting up mysteries, paying them off, peppering each story with twists, turns, and surprises, building momentum toward our shocking finale.  In other words, we wanted to create a binge-worthy series that viewers HAD to keep watching – and, overall, it appears we’ve succeeded.

My hope is that, between now and the season 2 premiere, we continue to build our audience so that we come back in the summer of 2016 bigger and better than ever.  And, of course, the way to do that is to get the word out – and get people watching (and even re-watching).

So, while you’re out watching and getting the word out about the show, we’ll be busy making it.  This week, Paul and I head to Toronto for meetings with Executive Producer Vanessa Piazza and Production Designer Ian Brock.  The week following, Akemi and I (and the dogs!) make the big move.  And then – things are going to get crazy!

October 2, 2015: Now on Netflix! Dark Matter!

As of September 28th, Dark Matter‘s first season is available on Netflix U.S. (and Canada should follow shortly!) for all of your binge-watching (and re-watching) needs.

Need a reason?  Well, check out this recent article from DenOfGeek.com on Why Syfy’s Dark Matter is well worth your time…

http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/dark-matter/37123/why-syfys-dark-matter-is-well-worth-your-time

“Syfy space opera Dark Matter caught many off-guard with just how interesting its first season became. Here’s why you should watch it…”

Or review this past article from TheTVJunkies.com on 7 reasons to binge the sci fi summer hit…

http://jacexportia.tumblr.com/

http://www.thetvjunkies.com/dark-matter-7-reasons-to-binge-the-sci-fi-summer-hit/?utm_content=bufferac216&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

“How could we not mention the plot twists? Nearly every episode features one game changer or another, whether it’s some dramatic new information or a member of the crew does something you never saw coming. Dark Matter keeps you guessing every episode and rarely disappoints with the follow through. With some serious cliffhangers sprinkled throughout the series, you’ll find yourself binge-watching before you know it.”

Get your friends and family hooked!  Prep for season 2!  And relive some of season one’s most memorable moments like:

And…

gif via http://captainspooktastic.tumblr.com/

And..

gif via http://foxyfoxy.tumblr.com/

And…

And…

gif via http://foxyfoxy.tumblr.com/

And…

gif via http://kingdollophead.tumblr.com/post/125598154964

And…

gif via http://xx-archangel-xx.tumblr.com/post/126242629838

And…

gif via http://undervaluedoriginal.tumblr.com/

And…

gif via http://astrificaa.tumblr.com/post/126736905375/catch-me

And…

gif via http://teamraza.tumblr.com/post/127463973738/when-they-come-through-that-door-i-say-we-take

Who’s in?!!

Tagged: #DarkMatter

October 1, 2015: Spider! Spider! Spider!

House Spider — Image by © Digital Zoo/Corbis

From the corner of my eye, I saw Akemi shuffle up beside me and stand quietly by, waiting for me to acknowledge her.  I looked over and she spoke up: “Sorry to interrupt, but I need your help.  There is a spider in the dryer.”

I chuckled.  My poor girlfriend, ever prone to scares.  The beep of a car horn will make her jump; the presence of a house fly enough to send her into a full panic.  I shook my head and followed her downstairs where I grabbed some toilet paper from the bathroom, then approached the washing machine.

“Not the washing machine,”she corrected me, standing several feet back, seemingly poised to take off at the first sign of trouble.  “The dryer.”

I couldn’t help but smile.  Another shake of my head.  I opened the dryer door, peeked inside and – set eyes upon the biggest spider I’ve ever encountered.  It was the size of my fist!  I slammed the door shut.  This would require more toilet paper.  A lot more.

I wavered, glanced back uncertainly at Akemi, wide-eyed, hands bunched and to her mouth like a horror film victim about to loosen her final, bloodcurdling scream. Then, I set the dryer on high and headed back upstairs, electing to come back and deal with the issue later.

I resumed my scriptwriting and, twenty minutes later, went back downstairs to see how our furry little guest was doing.  Somewhere between desiccated and crispy, I hoped.  I opened the dryer door, peered inside – and was met with a sight even more horrifying than the first.  The dryer was empty!  I searched top and bottom.  Nothing.  The spider had pulled a Houdini.     I imagined it, somewhere, in hiding, slightly toasted and annoyed, quietly plotting its revenge.

I turned the dryer back on, hoping it was still in there somewhere – then headed upstairs to break the news to Akemi.

“I need to tell you something,”I said when she walked into the room.  Immediate concern flashed across her face.  “You’d better sit down for this.”  She took a seat. I lay a reassuring hand on her knee.  “The spider…is gone.  When I went to check the dryer, it wasn’t there.”

Akemi was horrified.  “Joe!”she said.  Then “JOE!”.  And then “JOE!!!!”.  Hands clapped to her cheeks, she scurried downstairs to make sure.  I heard the dryer door open and then: “JOE!!!!!!!!!”.

I found her standing in hallway, pointing at the dryer.  “On the left side,”she informed me.

I approached, swung open the door and looked.  I spotted him – tucked away in a corner, looking significantly less imposing at now roughly one tenth his original size.  His down-sizing drove home a powerful lesson.  Stay hydrated!

I cautiously reached out and poked him with the toilet paper, prepared for a potential horror movie fake-out where the killer springs up for one final attack.  But no.  He was dry.  And crumbled the instant I went to remove him.

Akemi took over from there.

Congratulations to Motownfilly on winning the SG-1 10th Anniversary framed photo and keychain!  More giveaways to come!

Today’s entry is dedicated to my sis – and the memory of her beloved Roxy.