Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 406

October 8, 2014: Another day, another round of meetings! Fielding some of your questions!

Today, we interviewed some great Directors of Photography, talked cameras, shooting style, pre-lighting, then sat down with our stunt coordinator and discussed how our characters’  varied personalities are displayed in their respective fighting styles.  After lunch, we visited the art department where the gang had a bunch of goodies awaiting our perusal: designs of the ship corridors, quarters, mess hall, air locks, training room, and bridge.  It’s all coming along nicely.   Tonight, it’s dinner with Brad Wright.  Tomorrow, we sit down with the director of our opening two episodes – and, maybe, in honor of Carl Binder, dinner with our script coordinator at his favorite Toronto restaurant.

Fielding some of your early show-related questions…

arcticgoddess writes: “Since your team is writing scripts a year in advance, what happens if one or more of your actor choices go awry and do not work for your series?”

Answer: This is a very serialized show, so we’re approaching the 13 episode first season as an extended mini-series.  We’re not writing the scripts a year in advance but will have all 13 scripts completed by November – roughly a month a half before the commencement of principal photography – so that we can plan ahead and make the most efficient use of our time and resources.  It also allows us to make adjustments to any of the scripts early, for whatever reason, rather than have to scramble and make last-minute changes that compromise the story.

Bailey writes: “Sometimes actor chemistry just changes things on a show and can’t be predicted.”

Answer: True but, like I said, we know the story we want to tell, but can certainly make adjustments to the various character relations based on performance and onscreen chemistry.  I liken it to adapting a book.  You need to be flexible enough to make necessary changes but you’re not going to overhaul the entire script.

Line Noise writes: “So is there a ready-made production company for you to use in Toronto? Or did you have to build your own? You seem to already have a production team and art department on tap so I assume they come with the studio?”

Answer: Yes, we’re working with a production company here in Toronto.  Over the course of the past couple of days, we met all the department heads and they’re a great bunch.  We’re really looking forward to working with them.

It’s time to play Guess the Show by the Teefury t-shirt!

P.S. Under the terms of the deal as this blog’s resident film critic, Cookie Monster is sitting through Kick-Ass 2.  You can expect an angry review within the next few days.  Screen the movie if you have time and want to commiserate!

October 7, 2014: Moving Forward, Looking Back!

Today, we discussed casting, the budget, locations, post-production, and superheroes.  Okay, maybe that last one was a little off-topic, but still – another productive day.  I have to say I am very pleased with all of the people I’ve met to date.  Super-talented, super-positive, and super-pleasant – I really look forward to working with them.

We’re going to get rolling on casting asap – as soon as I can possibly get the sides out – so I’ll be staying up late, choosing two perfect scenes for each of our seven cast members.

I’m burning the midnight oil – and we’re not even in production yet!

And missing the gang back home…

October 6, 2014: Prep Meetings! Twin Peaks Returns?

I’m exhausted.  I slept fitfully last night because of the time change and then woke up at the crack of dawn – because the morning sun shines unobstructed through a blind-free section of my patio window.  Fortunately, the meetings were plenty interesting enough to keep me wide awake throughout the afternoon.  We started off with our costume meeting in which we discussed wardrobe for our crew, the android, “planet-dwellers”, and corporate guard.  Then, we moved onto the directors’ schedule and nailed down all but the late season two-parter.  We discussed Directors of Photography (we’ll be sitting down with a few over the coming days), then headed downstairs to check out what the Art Department have in the works.  We’ve got a great-looking hero ship and an equally awesome space station design.  The designs for the ship and space station interiors, corridors and rooms, are very clever.  We’re close on the exterior shuttle design but have yet to start work on the interior.  I expect we’ll see more in the coming days – and more in the days to come as we’re about three weeks away from the start of construction.  On deck tomorrow: casting, locations, and post-production.

Oh, and, apparently, the official announcement is coming sometime next week. Unofficially.

Saw this today…

Apparently, the cult series will be returning to television in 2016.  I have mixed feelings about this.  I loved the first delightfully eccentric first season of the show but hated the meandering, ponderous second season.  With the exception of the final episode that ended the series in perfectly depressing fashion.  But, like the conclusion to Blake’s 7, it’s a classic.  I’m not sure what more can be added to the story (like most, I skipped the Fire Walk With Me prequel movie).  And I honestly don’t know if I’d be all that interested in finding out without the quirky Agent Cooper leading the investigation.  But I certainly would love to know what they have planned.

The story apparently picks up 25 years later.  I wonder how many of the original cast they’ll bring back.  Sadly, some of the actors who played a few of my favorite characters have passed away since Twin Peaks arid back in 1990-1991.  Piper Laurie (Pete Martell), Jack Nance (Peter Martell), and, of course, Don S. Davis (Major Garland Briggs).  Don, who, for many years, played the part of General George Hammond on Stargate: SG-1 loved attending the occasional Twin Peaks conventions and meeting his many fans.  One afternoon, he was sitting in my office and told me about the atypical way he was cast for the role of Major Briggs.  According to Don, he went in for an audition.  While waiting for his turn, he struck up a conversation with show co-creator and director David Lynch who was, presumably, on break.  They hit it off immediately and spent a long while talking about fly fishing.  Then, Lynch excused himself.  He had a meeting to attend.  He left and Don inquired about his audition – only to be told that Lynch had left so they wouldn’t be seeing anyone else that day.  Don returned home, upset.  After all, he had spent all that time preparing for an audition that never happened.  He phoned up his agent to complain only to learn that the Twin Peaks production offices had called only moments earlier.  They wanted him for the role!

I have to admit, I was a huge fan of the show back in the day and still have the collector card set back in Montreal.  Among them, this – my favorite card:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/10/will-the-twin-peaks-reboot-stay-weird/381159/

October 5, 2014: A Toronto Cameo! Saturday mornings without cartoons?! Say it aint so!

So my flight got into Toronto at about 7:00 p.m. local time and it was a half hour later when the driver dropped me off at my new residence.  I had just stepped out onto the sidewalk with my four pieces of luggage when some passing pedestrian stopped and pointed at me, eyes wide, mouth agape, like Donald Sutherland in that last scene from Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  “Is that guy pointing at me?”I wondered and, since he obviously was, my next question was: “Who is that guy?”.  It was dark and he was wearing a baseball cap but there was something familiar about him.  And, as I stared back, the wheels turning, I realized: “Hey! That’s the star of Saving Hope!”  And then: “And Stargate: SG-1!”  And finally: “Michael Shanks!  I KNOW him!”

What a surprise!

As it turns out, he was on his way back to his place and happened to spot me. What are the chances? Despite an early call tomorrow morning, he helped me roll my luggage over to my new (temporary) digs, then walked back with me to meet up with my writing partner, Paul, for a brief catch-up session before he called it a night.

Chances are we’ll be crossing paths a lot in the coming months.

It was great to see Michael, great to see he’s doing well, and even greater to know we have a prospective dog sitter for our next Japan trip.  Maybe he can keep them busy by getting them guest spots on his show?

Hey, according to this article -

http://gizmodo.com/this-is-the-first-weekend-in-america-with-no-saturday-m-1642441646

This marked the first weekend in America with no network Saturday morning cartoons.  Several reasons are cited, from the FCC’s politically correct strong-arm tactics to the fact that, nowadays, cartoons are accessible 24/7 through a variety of alternate sources.

But the sad fact remains: this is the end of an era.

I remember waking up early every Saturday morning and racing downstairs with my sister to mainline a septuple feature of animated programming.

At the risk of dating myself, these were my favorite cartoons growing up…

10. THE PINK PANTHER

I had a love-hate relationship with this show.  I enjoyed it enough, but really hated that smug panther.  I always thought he was an incredible jerk and tuned in every weekend in the hopes that he would finally get his comeuppance.  No such luck.  I much preferred The Ant & the Aardvark.

9. ROCKET ROBIN HOOD

There was something quaintly endearing about this cheap-as-hell production whose use and re-use of static images made Ralph Bakshi’s Spiderman look like an elaborate Disney movie by comparison.

8. THE JETSONS

Endless Saturday morning viewings prepared me for a career in science fiction.

7. JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS

I mainly checked it out for Melody.

6. THE ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE SHOW

To be perfectly honest, I came for the Sherman and Mr. Peabody but stayed for the squirrel and moose.

5. FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS

I always enjoyed the show up to the point where the gang would play a song at Bill’s behest.

4. SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?

Its comforting, paint-by-numbers plotting would pre-date shows like House by some forty years, yet prove even more durable.

3. SPIDER-MAN

Okay, full disclosure.  If I was stranded on a deserted island and could have only one incarnation of Spiderman to watch, from his humble t.v. beginnings to his recent big screen forays, I’d pick this version who I always felt was closer to the original comic book representation of the nebbish Peter Parker/quippy Spiderman.

 

2. THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW

A cartoon for grown-ups that kids could enjoy as well.   I own the entire Looney Tunes collection and I still find them equally hilarious today.  It’s sad that, nowadays, kids can only watch censored versions of these brilliant animated shorts.

1. THE FLINTSTONES

Another clever animated series, written for an adult audience but enjoyed by children as well.  Nothing takes me back to my youth like that theme song or those trademark sound effects.

Tagged: cartoons, Stargate: SG-1

October 4, 2014: The Farewell Feasts Begin! The Union! Crackle Creme!

I’m off to Toronto tomorrow, returning Friday.  That gives me eight dinners, roughly fifteen meals (minus the turducken/piecaken extravaganza I have planned for Canadian Thanksgiving next Sunday)  to enjoy in Vancouver before I leave it – for seven months!

Last night, Akemi and I got together with our foodie friends, Nicole and Lan, for the first of our many farewell feasts.  Rather than visit an old favorite, however, I decided to try somewhere new – The Union in the city’s Strathcona district – partly because the menu intrigued, and partly because it’s located steps from Crackle Creme and their varied creme brûlées.

The Union is very casual.  Menu items range from spicy wings to Singapore Laksa. Perfect for sharing.  We ended up ordering – well, a lot.  Some of the highlights…

The Cha Ca Hanoi: fresh snapper, market greens, turmeric chill coconut milk, dill, rice vermicelli, nuoc cham, fresh herbs and scallions.  So good I had to resist the temptation to drink the sauce.

Sweet & Sour Pork Crepes with marinated pulled pork and spicy pineapple slaw. Akemi loved these so much she couldn’t stop talking about them.

Sweet & Sour Fried Fish Banh Mi with spicy sriracha aioli, jalapeños, daikon and carrot pickles, cucumber, and cilantro.  This was the first time I’ve tried a fried fish version of the Vietnamese-style sandwich – and I was completely won over.

In truth, pretty much everything we ate was terrific (crispy pork belly banh mi, Hawk thai chicken wings with sweet and spicy nahm jim glaze, fried pork dumplings with scallion soy dipping sauce) with the exception of the bland Nasi Goreng.

Rather than sample dessert (which I’m sure is excellent), we walked over to Crackle Creme for an assortment of creme brûlées…

Owner Daniel Wong fires ‘em up!

Flavors – clockwise from left to right: Madagascar vanilla bean, lemon basil, ferrero richer, black sesame-matcha cheesecake with mango sauce, Guinness-espresso topped with roasted marshmallows.

While I’m away, I’ll have to enjoy my Vancouver meals vicariously through this site – my favorite local food blog: http://dennisthefoodie.com

The Union: 219 Union St, Vancouver – 604-568-3230

Crackle Creme: 245 Union St, Vancouver – 778-847-8533

Tagged: Crackle Creme, The Union, Vancouver Restaurants

October 3, 2014: Best and Worst Book to Film Adaptations!

Whenever I visit Granville Island to pick up some matcha from that little tea shop, I always ask the woman who serves me: “What are you reading?”.  We discuss and I always complete my purchase by recommending a book.  On my most recent trip, she had just finished reading (and throughly enjoying) one of my recommendations, Karen Joy Fowler‘s We Are Completely Beside Ourselves.   Pleased, I offered her another one: “This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper.”  And then, offer her furrow-browed reaction: “They just made a movie based on the book – but don’t go see it.  Read the book instead!”

“Too late,”she told me, and the look on her face told me that her dissatisfaction with the film ensured she would never pick up the book.  I liken it to suffering food poisoning at an otherwise great restaurant.  After that bad experience, there’s no way you’ll be able to go back and fully enjoy yourself.  Just the smell of cumin or the taste of curry or the sight to Timothy Olyphant is enough to send you running for the exit.

Which is why I have – well, I want to say “mixed feelings”, but they’re not really mixed at all, so let’s go with – “homogenous feelings” about the announced big screen adaptation of Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle.  I don’t care who write the script or directs or stars, the movie will NOT be as good as the book.  The best that can be hoped for is something different, a film no better or worse than the source material that, nevertheless, stands on its distinct own as an enjoyable product.

It happens, but rarely.  Most book-based movies range from disappointing to atrocious.  As I gave it some thoughts, numerous bad examples came to mind.  And a few singular good ones.

Here are my Top 5 Best and Worst Book to Film adaptations:

THE WORST

5. I AM LEGEND

The movie, based on the short novel by Richard Matheson, tries to go it’s own creative way – and fails miserably.  A film that will be remembered for only one thing: killing off the dog.

4. THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

Okay, look, ANY film based on the works of writer Alan Moore are going to pale in comparison to the original.  The best you can hope for is “good but not close enough” (Watchmen) to atrocious (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).  Hey, I don’t recall Tom Sawyer in the graphic novel.  Oh, right.  He was added to appeal to an American audience (“Hey!  Tom Sawyer’s in this movie!  Let’s go see it!”said no one ever).  So disastrous that not only did Alan Moore disown it, but so did it’s star, Sean Connery.

3. WORLD WAR Z

It’s the book’s fractured narrative that allows us a sweeping understanding of the global pandemic on both the public and personal level – and the attempt to capture it proves to be the movie’s undoing.

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

My favorite book in the series was the worst film in the series – as far I know given that I stopped watching after this one.

 1. A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

My favorite children’s book series of all time.  The movie gets nowhere close to capturing its clever narrative and darkly humorous tone.

(Honorable mentions: Daredevil, The Fantastic Four [any version]).

THE BEST

5. THE SHINING

I know that author Stephen King was never a fan of the big screen adaptation, but I thought this was one of those rare instances where the  movie almost exists as a separate entity, a different version of the same story that is just as good as the original.

4. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

Like The Shining, this is a case of a film that charts its own stylistic path, creating a visual counterpart that pays its respect to the book but is still very much its own animal.

3. THE PRINCESS BRIDE

I actually fell in love with the movie before discovering – and falling in love with – the book.  It helps that both were written by the same hugely talented writer, William Goldman.

2. MISERY

Loved the book and loved the movie.  This is one of those rarest of instances where the book and film actually co-exist in the same creative world.  Whenever I watch the movie, the experience is complimented by elements I recall from the novel.  On the other hand, whenever I read the book, Kathy Bates is always Annie.

1. BLADE RUNNER

I’m sorry, Philip K. Dick fans, but this is one of those rarest of all instances where the movie is actually better than the book.

(Honorable mentions: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, the 1973 & 1974 Three Musketeers and Four Musketeers, The Godfather)

Just in time for the opening of GONE GIRL…based on the excellent novel of the same name.

Tagged: adpatations, best books to film, best film adaptations, best movie adaptations, worst books to film, worst film adaptations, worst movie adaptations

October 2, 2014: Akemi’s Japan Vlog!

Tokyo!  Tsukiji Market!  Tea Ceremony in Osaka!

Check out the first installment of Akemi’s Japan vlog:

Next time, let’s make it a group vacation.  Who’s in?!!

Tagged: Japan, Japan travel, Osaka, Osaka travel, Tokyo, Tokyo travel

October 1, 2014: Your readerly recommendations!

Unlike last year’s anemic tally (a mere 65 books read) this year has been a very good one for reading.  I’ve surpassed my goal of 120, finishing up my 140th book last night.  I don’t know how busy prep will keep me once I hit Toronto, but I think I can easily hit the 150 book mark by year’s end.

Yes, I do read a lot, but I’ve got A LOT to read.

Every week, I hit my two favorite bookshops:

The Book Warehouse (http://www.bookwarehouse.ca) where I’m now on a first name basis with the gang and regularly go in to chat,  praise, and critique my recent reads.  Unlike megastore Chapters, the staff here have ACTUALLY READ their Staff Picks, offering up a wonderful range of recommendations.

White Dwarf Books (http://www.deadwrite.com/wd.html) for all of my genre needs (SF, Fantasy, horror, and crime).  While I browse, Akemi spends quality time with the owners’ loveable basset hound (who we ended up dog sitting not too long ago).

I rarely ever leave either place empty-handed.  As a result, THIS, is my burgeoning To-Read pile:

It’s like an ever-growing batch of kombucha, expanding from that original literary mother culture (which, if memory serves me right, is Clive Barker’s Weaveworld). And these are merely the books I have on deck, to be read sooner than later.  My downstairs library holds three times as many titles waiting to be called up to the majors.

As much as I prefer real books, I realize that digital is the way to go for the duration of my  Toronto stay.  Rather than lug around a suitcase of books, I can just download the titles onto my laptop or handy reader.

As a result of Amazon’s continuing war with publisher Hachette, I’ve decided to retire my kindle and purchase all future digital titles via iTunes and Barnes & Noble. Yes, the dispute is a complicated one and it’s not as simple as picking a side – but, in my case, I am because Amazon is the party that is inconveniencing me by making it difficult (if not impossible) to purchase the titles I want to purchase.

Anyway, I’m putting together a Toronto Reading Library and am looking for recommendations.  Here’s a list of some of the books that have been recommended to me so far:

Flash Boys – Michael Lewis

Sous Chef – Michael Gibney

Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant by

Love, Nina – Nina Stibble

Black Moon – Kenneth Calhoun

The Slow Regard of Silent Things – Patrick Rothfuss

Complicit – Stephanie Keuhn

The Enchanted – Rene Denfeld

The End of Eve – Ariel Gore

Little Failure – Gary Shtenygart

War Dogs – Greg Bear

The Martian – Andy Weir

Shotgun Lovesongs – Nickolas Butler

Ancillary Sword – Anne Leckie

Silence Once Begun – Jesse Ball

The Paying Guests – Sarah Waters

An Untamed State – Roxane Gray

Winter People – Jennifer McMahon

The Word Exchange – Alena Graedon

J – Howard Jacobson

Season to Taste – Natalie Young

The Lemon Grove – Helen Walsh

The Farm – Tom Rob Smith

Elizabeth is Missing – Emma Healey

The Paying Guests – Sarah Waters

The Bone Clocks – David Mitchell

Letters of Note – Shaun Usher

Wave – Sonali Deraniyagala

The Examined Life – Stephen Grosz

Big Brother – Lionel Shriver

The Reason I Jump – Naoki Higashida

The Silent Wife – A.S.A. Harrison

Kiss Me First – Lottie Moggach

Any of you read any of the above guest and care to weigh in with your thoughts?

Or have a book to recommend me?  Preferably, no: steampunk, alternate wold, magic-themed, magical creatures, vampires, werewolves, zombies, romance, tie-ins, or instalments in an ongoing series.

Tagged: Amazon, Hachette, kindle

September 30, 2014: My new mystery show!

Well, it’s actually a scifi series, but it IS a mystery insofar as no actual details have been released.  I’ve been told the network will only make an official announcement once the deal has been finalized – and it looks like those lawyers sure are being sticklers.  So…soon?

Certainly before we go to camera in early January.

I’m hoping.

To all those of you asking – yes, you’ll able to watch it when it premieres in summer of 2015.  Again, can’t offer much in the way of details but suffice it to say that if you’re able to read this blog, come next summer, you should be able to watch my new series.

Nothing in the way of real details, but I have told you that it’s a ship-based show. And that our cast will be made up of its seven crew members (six humans and an android).  Make of that what you will.

This Sunday, Paul and I catch a flight to Toronto where we’ll be convening with our fellow producers and department heads to discuss – well, on the docket: set design (interior builds, exterior VFX builds, the lighting concept, playback screens, exterior planet designs, spacesuits, weapons, special prop builds, and the general studio layout), locations, casting, production (directors, scheduling, crew, 2nd unit), post-production (schedule, editors, music), D.O.P. meetings, and budget.  And, when we have some free time, we’ll also squeeze in notes sessions on 6 to 9 scripts (depending on how many we’ll have completed by the time we hit Hogtown.

To this point, I’m not going to see it’s been easy (co-writing a pilot, developing a series, breaking a 13 episode first season, and writing four scripts), but I have been able to work from home, at my own pace.  But all that changes in October, first with those initial meetings, then when actual set construction begins at the end of the month.

I look forward to it but, on the other hand, am concerned about Akemi who will know no one in town and will be all by her lonesome (with the dogs of course).  It may not be a big deal during prep but, when production starts up and I’m leaving our place at 6:30 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. call and not getting home until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., I’m sure it’ll begin to take its toll.  Unlike our last stay in Toronto, we’ll be there during the dead of winter meaning a simple walk to St. Lawrence Market for that day’s groceries will be a truly frosty ordeal.  Sadly, most of our former Toronto friends have moved away.  So – I know, I know – it’s time to make new ones.  Easier said than done though.  But in the hopes of keeping Akemi happy and busy while I’m at work, I’m thinking of checking out a bunch of organized events and activities in the 2+ months prior to the commencement of principal photography – dining clubs, doggy get-togethers, maybe even a few Japanese-themed outings – with a mind to making a few connections.

I start my research tomorrow.  Any suggestions?

 

September 29, 2014: Akemi, kids, and dogs!

“I don’t know why I am so popular with kids and dogs,”Akemi mused today after our night out with friends Steve and Jodi and their daughter (Akemi’s new best buddy) Gemma.  And, after some consideration: “Maybe kids think I am kid and dogs think I am dog.”

Maybe.

Akemi claims she essentially re-set her age when she moved to Canada, effectively starting from scratch with a strange new culture and language.  So that explains her rapport with kids.  As for why dogs connect with her so easily?  Well, it could be her proclivity for snacking on their dry sardine treats.

Just finished a script rewrite today – and hope to start work on another one soon. This weekend, we brought an old friend onboard to help with design work and he turned around an awesome space station in record time.  Next up, he’s going to tackle our hero ship  – and, if he has time, two rival vessels.

Big day tomorrow as I attempt to book a Vancouver to Toronto flight for the six of us – three humans, and three dogs.

Speaking of dogs…

House (and bed) guest Petunia snuggles up with her favorite teddy bear.

Lulu – a little stiff.

Jelly reflects on another day’s work well done.

Bubba strikes a resplendent pose.