Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 458

May 31, 2013: Ryan “Stitch” Nixon answers your questions!

Today, it gives me great pleasure to turn this blog over to blog regular, tech consultant, and – most important of all – Stargate fan Ryan “Stitch” Nixon.

Enjoy the Q&A and, tomorrow, I’ll be the one answering your questions in a dedicated mailbag (including a couple of outstanding queries – Das, this means you).  So post ‘em if you got ‘em and, in the meantime, over to Ryan…

Tam Dixon asks: ”I’m excited about Ender’s Game! It’s not being released until later this year though right?”

Answer: Correct, it will not be out in the states till November 1st of this year, the trailer can be seen here…

Tam Dixon asks: “I have a couple of friends that retired from the military (forced out in the downsizing) and they had a devil of a time transitioning into civilian life. One friend was in the Air Force, switched to Marines to fly helicopters. After over 15+ years of flying/mechanics with helicopters, he found a job in home improvement instead of a pilot type job. How did you get involved in “show business?” I’m glad it worked out for you, by the way. ”

Answer: Well I too was forced to retire. I did have my 20 years in so I could retire and was not kicked out. Downsizing has really hurt a lot good careers for a lot men and women! It was tough and the pay cut was pretty bad for me. I struggled for about a year then got phone call one day from old pilot and asked me how would I like chance to work in the F-35, I about dropped the phone! I was only making a third of what I used to and it came on fast! I did a phone interview for BAE Systems (a subcontractor for Lockheed Martin) building the new F-35. That turned into a flight to Ft Worth, TX and 2 and half hour interview with three guys grilling me on my military service and flight gear knowledge. So they start telling me they knew I was experienced, but I’d probably never seen the F-35 gear or know anything about it. I started laughing and they all stopped and stared at me??? I said: ”Well if you wait about two weeks you can see my work on the big screen”. I went on to tell them about Green Lantern and all the research I had to do on the F-35 gear. I had seen a lot of it! “I said I figure if I can FAKE it, I probably can do it for real!”

Two weeks later I get call I have been selected and I am their guy! They were just waiting on funding to hire me… I had even quit my part-time job because they wanted me back in TX for training in a few weeks and in place in FL in less than month and half… ya then the defense budget hit congress and the bottom fell out… No job again! So yes I can relate!

So how did I get started in all this?  Well it didn’t happen overnight that’s for sure!… Apollo 13 was a bit of right place – right time. Ron Howard approached the Navy for help and we were only one of three units still flying the H-3 at the time in 1994. Lucky for us the only unit on the west coast and being in San Diego, only few hours south of Hollywood and the shooting of the film. Mr. Howard was a stickler for the details so I was ordered to find all kinds of goodies. I spent hours hunting down old gear from the 60′s and 70′s not used anymore. Was not an easy task. We also were in the middle of transitioning to NEW helmets in the Navy for the pilots. So everyone in the film had to go back to their old helmets which for most part we had torn down for parts and thrown into a storage locker, I never threw anything out and that was one day we got lucky! I remember the night before one shoot it was 5pm, we all were getting ready go home and we got word that EVERY helmet in film had to have new logos to read the actual unit that picked up the astronauts back in April of 1970. It was a long night to say the least! Once in a lifetime, right? Or so I thought! =)

Flash forward 16 years! I was 6 months from retiring and was starting to let my guys run the show. I would sit back and just make sure they didn’t screw up anything major! It was January of 2010 and  Ijust got in from morning PT and my MMCO walks in with three guys in shorts, polo shirts and ball caps with cameras… Average looking guys. I figured some pilots brother was in town and wanted what we call a “dog and pony show” – show them around, dazzle them with cool stuff and back to work. He introduces me to them and says “If you need to know about flight gear here is your guy.  He is one of the best and is retiring in 6 months we will miss him” and walks out…

I’m still puzzled but I tried to help them.  I could tell by their questions they didn’t have a clue about flight equipment. I was asking what was this for? They were being very vague… They only said they were working on a project… I became concerned about safety issues if they were trying to really fly, but then they told me it was for a movie! I said WOW I LOVE MOVIES! Then proceeded to tell them I did prop and costuming as a hobby with my wife and walked them over to my cork board with two 4×6 pics of me and the wife in full Stargate gear of course!

What I didn’t know was I had the PROP MASTER fresh off the set from TRANSFORMERS and he and his boys were standing in my shop and I just said the magic words! PROPS! He raised an eye and asked for my info and they were gone in a flash! My guys were all excited and kept saying how perfect of a job that would be for me.  I never thought I’d hear another word! That was a Tuesday.  2 hours later my OUTLOOK goes off and they ask if I could come in Sat morning for an interview? So time to get educated on Green Lantern and Hal Jordan! I read and looked up everything I could find.  I even went to Best Buy and bought Green Lantern: First Flight, the animated movie went right home and watched it!

With some good advice from one of my pilots, I typed up a resume with all my military skills and as he put it “that costume stuff you do” and was off to downtown New Orleans. After a non-disclosure agreement and a peek at the story board, I was introduced to all the big wigs. The 2nd asst director came by and my boss introduced me and handed her my resume.  She looked up and said “Where in the world did you find him?” Hire him, whatever it takes!

g-force writes: ”Question for Ryan: In your role as consultant, what exactly do you do? And, do you have input through the whole process, or just at the beginning?”

Answer: I was there originally to just advise and to tell them what to buy, how to make it look and what looked correct or how stuff should appear on camera. I was just hired originally as a prop consultant, then I was working on the actual props, fixing them once they saw my skills and they had 100 other things to do.  He just turned me loose and I was like a kid in a candy store!

So there I was on set my first big day.  I walk into this fake locker room and it’s a mess to be honest. My boss said this doesn’t look like your shop does it? Nope, I said, give me 30 mins, and he left… I started moving stuff and changed a lot of it.. re-hung every garment and moved stuff all around. He came back and loved it, told me stay put.  Next thing, Martin Campbell the director of the entire film is standing there and shaking my hand for first time. My boss is such a pro and the nicest guy in world. I love working for this man… So I am standing in the room.  He shakes my hand and says looks great! Not all of the set guys knew who I was or why I was there. I always felt I was in the way or steppin over cords and trying to stay out the way! First day for me I worked from 3PM till 4AM.  We all were exhausted and I had just gotten back from a trip and was still jet lagged.

A few weeks later I got loaned out to help the costume department with some the flight clothing issues and found myself working for Ngila Dickson academy award winning costume designer for Lord of the Rings. We got into some “discussions”, after all who was I to her? some military meat head… Holy crap and I have to tell her she is doing it wrong? YIKES… She didn’t always like that, but she did listen and I would just offer my advice and how it should be, but it was always her choice. In the end, she did take my advice about 75% of the time, but it was her movie and it was also Hollywood.  Everything did not have to be perfect! She hated it when, in the end, what I said from start looked better, but I had been working with that stuff for 20 years and she started to respect that.

Then, set designers needed my help for staging and how some the aviation rooms should look. Some of the AD’s then wanted me to work with the extras and teach them what to do on camera since I had worked around planes for 20 years… What should they be doing? they always ask me…

Also, for the flight sequences I helped the pilots who were from my unit as well.  I knew them well… They would assist in directing Ryan and Blake on flying and I would make sure the gear looked correct for every shot. I even had to ask Martin to CUT a couple time because of a missed chin strap or something dumb, but they always did it and would re-set!

When we did the ejection shot I had just walked Ryan from his trailer and we talking about the shot.  I was trying to remind him of what he was about to do and all we had taught him over past few weeks.  I had no idea what I was about to walk into! I thought was just going to be a normal day. Martin the director walks up to Ryan and starts to tell him what we are doing.  He looks over says “Yeah Ryan told me on way over!” I was like “Oooh crap…”  ”Oooj, ok.  T hat’s good,” he says… So next, Martin walks over to me and says “Ok mate, how should we shoot this?” I looked at my boss and was asking why the director was talking to me? I could only reply: “Isn’t that your job, sir?” LOL He got a good laugh and said: “Well this is why you’re here.  How should we do this?”  I was in shock and the entire crew is looking at me like “Who is this guy?” I could only reply: “Lots of wind?”

Next, Martin is barking orders,  the crew is running around and I am freaking out. Next, he wants me in his chair behind the camera and watching all of Ryan’s shots. So we did one take and it was just off— Ryan wasn’t shaking up enough for just punching out of a $143 million dollar airplane, Martin goes over and pulls me with him to give Ryan a pep talk! What most did not know was that Ryan had a skydiving mishap years prior and it scared the crap outta him and he swore never to doit again! http://www.digitalspy.com/celebrity/news/a325707/ryan-reynolds-nearly-died-during-skydive.html It had come up one day when talking with him and I asked him: “Don’t you ask an actor to use real events to get in mind set when acting?  ”Yeah, totally,” he said.  So the whole time I’m thinking about this… After Martin gave his pep talk and as we walked away I looked at Ryan and under my breath so only he could hear me said one word! “Skydiving” and winked… He got a huge grin and “Yeah yeah… I got it!” Second take… ACTION! and CUT… Martin looks at me and say “Well?” I said; “1000 times better!”, Martin shouts out “I totally agree.  Lets shoot it again!” Six takes later the bell rings, Martin shakes my hand thanks me and tells me he will see me later! Ryan walks over, puts his hand on my shoulder and says: “Thanks! I needed that!” Then my boss walks up with a huge grin.  ”Nice job!”

I just directed a scene in my first Hollywood film.  Holy crap.  I needed to sit down! I was shaking… Later I was talking to one of the prop gals that came on later in the film while were shooting two units and needed more manpower.  She asked me how many movies I had done. I laughed saying: “Oooooh, counting this one? Two…”. Her jaw hits the ground.  She asked: “You’re getting paid, right?” I laughed… “Yes”.  Then she starts telling me how many years she had to work for free as an intern just to get close to a movie of this size. I wasn’t sure if she was just mad or jealous but she made sure to tell me how lucky I was.  And I knew it!

I am still in shock. I did so much and I still didn’t make the credits. I should have been listed as UCAV Operator #3. I guess after the the military and the DoD gave them thumbs down on the original script and said no to helping them, they got nervous about me working on film and still being active duty, afraid they would get in trouble.  They practically hid me under the carpet. I reminded them that I was retiring and no one cared.  It was all run through my chain of command and didn’t interfere with my duties.  Those were disappearing fast. I was pretty much done. I do have to thank my chain of command and the support they gave me until I was on terminal leave and started working full time on set. I was getting ready to move and they even asked me to stay on longer so I had to push my move date back to work on the film longer.  Bummer right? =)

So yeah, g-force I had some input you could say.  What a ride it’s been! Seriously, I feel very fortunate for all the opportunities I have been given and honestly would love to work for Alex and Stephen Kendrick from Sherwood Pictures on a faith based film if ever given the chance! I love their work and would love a chance to use my talents on a movie like that!

Green Lantern cameo.

JeffW asks: “For Ryan, my daughter is a big fan of the John Stewart Green Lantern. Was there any thought given to basing the movie on other Green Lanterns, or was it always Hal Jordan?”

Answer: Jeff, as far as I have read there were a few versions of the script, but they ALL were based on Hal Jordan. I recently was talking with a friend and my own opinion is if we see a Green Lantern 2 and it is NOT Ryan Reynolds, I think we may see a part 2 as John Stewart or Guy Gardner, but that is just my take on it.

stargateatlantisseasonsix asks “Hey, “Stitch”, long time since we talked last after Propworx’s first live Stargate Auction in Seattle; my mom says ‘Hi.”…anyways, other than Stargate, what other series are you affiliated with doing fan costuming for? STAR WARS? Star Trek? BSG? etc.”

Answer: Well as “baterista9″ so helpfully pointed out LOL I am member of the Rebel Legion- Star Wars costume group, still working on 501st membership, cannot decide what costume I want to do. You can see a couple of my costumes here if you scroll down and click on the pics… http://www.rebellegion.com/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5506

I do want to do Mando Merc Mandalorian type costume with a color shift paint. Like in this thread by “Corbin Dane” http://mercs.firespray.net/forum/index.php?topic=62386.0 So hopefully some day in the near future with time and money allowing me to do so I can get started.

I never got into the BSG costuming.  My wife helped with some the uniforms and they came out great for some close friends of ours, but she was so burnt out after making them and I never had the heart to even ask… I did enjoy Blood and Chrome!

The wife (Katie) and I have done a lot random things as well. A few Harry Potter based things. She made me a Quidditch robe for my Bulgaria Quidditch for the book release in 2007. I even got the opportunity to choke Professor Umbridge …We did the first Hunger Games movie costumes for the premiere in our local town, got some looks for sure, even made the local paper AGAIN.  At least I have stayed out of the police blotter! =)

Mike A. asks: “Ryan, what item do you have, from the SG franchise, is your absolute favorite? It can be real(show used), or a recreation/copy. Is it something you bought at that auction or subsequent auctions? Is it something you’ve made or were given? Or if you can’t nail it down to one, what items are your favorite? Are you working on any current/new reproduction SG props? I saw people on the SFH forum were working on a SGA ARG, but I haven’t checked their progress in many months. I remember seeing and handling those AND the “staple gun” Replictaor Neutralizers at the auction. Man, those were cool!!!”

Answer: Wow, I don’t even have a list with everything I have. I bought as much as I could afford from all three auctions and got some great pieces and costumes. I have a small chunk of the SGA gate, an SGA Life Signs Detector, and SGA GDO. I bought vests from ALL three shows to help me with my recreation for my website. We pride ourselves on replicating what the production department and Val Halverson’s people did over the years! I hope to interview her one day for my blog…

I have started collecting Indian Jones replica props and I do have a nice hat and even a jacket made by the same company! So far I have a replica of Sir Richard’s shield from The Last Crusade and a nice casting of the Holly Grail! I would have to say two of my favorite pieces are my HOMEWORLD COMMAND sign from SGU and as many of you may not know… because of Stargate my wife and I met… So it will always hold the biggest part in our hearts. Katie LOVES doing Vala and has created her own blog as Joe has seen a few times. http://becomingvala.com/ As a couple of you may know from the auction I even bought her Vala’s real throne from “The Powers That Be”. How many husbands can say they purchased a throne for their wife? =)

So that December, she ran out to the storage unit where I had hid it and framed up the COA and placed it under the tree Christmas morning and like a true costumer in 20 degree weather donned her Quetesh costume she made years prior! Yes, even her Harley Boots are screen accurate!

However, wrapping this post up I must say we love doing charity events when we can.  It’s so fun when the kids think you’re real. One event we attended was at the Baton Rouge Zoo. I think it was called “Light the Night”. This was a special event for terminally ill children and their families. So halfway through the night this mother comes up to me almost balling and thanks me for making her child smile for the first time in like 9 months. Its was all I could do to hold it together.  As she walked away, I stood there as tears began to run down my face. You walk 5 steps and pose for another picture. My wife and I often have talked about how maybe we are in some family’s scrapbook or in frame on a mantel in their home and maybe that is the last picture of someone’s child smiling they have to keep. Some of these kids are so brave it breaks your heart! Yes, it’s a blast to run around and act like a kid or be someone else for the day, but it’s days like those that make all the cost and hard work totally worth it and it can be so rewarding too!

May 30, 2013: Desserts – doggy and otherwise!

Back when I was working in Toronto, Akemi used to send me off every morning with my own breakfast bento box stuffed with oatmeal and fruit lovingly shaped into cartoon forest animals.  Well, given the fact that I’ve been freelancing from home of late, Akemi hasn’t had the opportunity for much creative bento expression.  Until earlier this week, that is, when I dropped off the dogs at doggy daycare – snacks in tow…

The girls at the daycare marveled at what a terrific job Akemi did getting the ears right.

The dogs get a Hello Kitty bento box.  Ironic, no?

And, inside: two types of cookies and dental bites for the two dogs who still have most of their teeth.

Of course the dogs aren’t the only ones who have been enjoying some special treats of late…

The Meringue Parfait at Fable Kitchen.

The Peanut Butter Smore – also at Fable Kitchen.

Dessert trio – brownies, coffee macarons, and lemon finaciers – at, yep, Fable Kitchen.

Clockwise from left to right: brownie and the OMG from Pure Bakery, and the home made chocolate chip cookie from some kid (‘s mom?) who was selling them curbside.  Not enough chocolate chips in the cookies.  I’ll have to complain to the kid this weekend.  

As if that wasn’t enough, Akemi and I tried our hands at Jeff and Barb’s white chocolate cheesecake…

We made a half portion and, instead of following the recipe by waiting a few hours, we served it some twenty minutes after coming out of the oven with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Outstanding.  The graham cracker crumb crust with the white chocolate pieces was especially good.  Akemi liked it a lot (finishing the last piece moments before we went out for dinner yesterday!) but didn’t love the addition of the almond extract.  I, on the other hand, loved it.

So, how did your respective white chocolate cheesecakes turn out?

Next week’s episode recipe…

DP’s Cobbler Recipe

1 cup self-rising flour1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

4 cups fruit*

1 stick (1/2 cup) butterPre-heat oven to 350 deg. F. Melt butter in oven in casserole dish.

Mix flour, sugar, and milk. Pour batter over melted butter. Put fruit on top of batter.

Bake at 350 deg. F. for 1 hr. or until the batter that rises to the top browns.

*Use any fruit. Less than one qt. down to 1 cup and/ or sour fruit is fine. Batter sweetens sour fruit as it rises. My favorite is blackberries, 2 cps. ripe, 2 cps. 3 days under-ripe.

Tagged: doggy bento

May 28, 2013: Upcoming under-the-radar movies to look forward to! Or not!

A few days ago, I offered a rundown of some of the upcoming high-profile movies poised to hit the big screen in the coming weeks (May 26, 2013: Upcoming movie releases to look forward to! Or not!). Today, I’d like to alert you to some of the smaller upcoming releases that have captured my interest…

THE KINGS OF SUMMER

Release Date: May 31, 2013

What it’s about: A coming-of-age comedy about three boys who run away from home to live in a tree house in the woods.

What it’s got working for it: Has a Stand By Me vibe.

What it’s got working against it: I think it’s a mistake to market this movie as a comedy given that everything I’ve seen so far suggests some fairly subdued humor.

SHADOW DANCER

Release Date: May 31, 2013

What it’s about: An Irish mother is arrested and sent back to Belfast as an undercover operative.  To save her family, she must betray it…

What it’s got working for it: One helluva a set up.

What it’s got working against it: It looks very dark.  But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

VIOLET & DAISY

Release Date: June 7, 2013

What it’s about: Two young female assassins get more than they bargained for on their latest hit.

What it’s got working for it: Potentially/delightfully weird and over-the-top.

What it’s got working against it: Potentially/ridiculously weird and over-the-top.

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO

Release Date: June 14, 2013

What it’s about: The line between fact and fiction blurs when a British sound engineer travels to Rome to work on an Italian horror film.

What it’s got working for it: Looks like an awesome homage to cinema giallo.

What it’s got working against it: Alternately, could turn out to be plain weird and inaccessible.

A HIJACKING

Release Date: June 21, 2013

What it’s about: Somali pirates hijack a cargo ship and demand a ransom for the captive crew.  The CEO of the shipping company engages the pirates in a battle of wills while the lives of his employees hangs in the balance.

What it’s got working for it: Looks gritty, smart, and suspenseful.

What it’s got working against it: Also looks kinds of bleak.

BYZANTIUM

Release Date: June 28, 2013

What it’s about: Two female vampires arrive in a small coastal town

What it’s got working for it: Moody, atmospheric.  A gorgeous-looking movie.  Female vampires are a bonus!

What it’s got working against it: Style over substance?

COPPERHEAD

Release Date: June 28, 2013

What it’s about: “Copperheads” = northerners who opposed the American Civil War.

What it’s got working for it: Directed by Ron Maxwell (Gettsyburg, Gods and Generals).

What it’s got working against it: Might be a little dry.

Mailbag:

Magsol writes: “In this case, ownership becomes even more complicated. It was Aaron Sorkin who created the character, and Schiff who brought it to life, but Sorkin left after season 4 to pursue other interests and was in no way involved in the writing after that point. Hence, the new direction for the Ziegler character was entirely John Wells’ doing; Schiff was the only constant throughout.”

and

M Reed writes: “The two leads of Supernatural were recently discussing that it puzzles them that new writers come in and retcon history regarding the characters of Sam and Dean Winchester and that they don’t blame the audience for complaining about these sudden changes in the history of the characters.”

Answer: Ah, but these are very different situations.  In this case, we’re not talking about the writer who created the characters and developed them over the course of those early seasons.

M Reed also writes: “In the case of SG1 yit gets even more complicated.”

Answer: True, given that Jack O’Neil(l) was a character who predated the series.  Still, the Jack the fans came to know and love was created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, then brought to life and shaped by Richard Dean Anderson.

M Reed also writes: “Who really owns the characters of O’Neil(l) and Jackson?”

Answer: Oh, that one’s easy.  MGM!

shinyhula writes: “I’d think studio interference would cause the most problems on set than divas.”

Answer: Well, interference, either by a studio, network, or anyone involved in the production, would be a bad thing.  In a more general sense, studio/network notes can change the creative direction as well, but like cast input, it’s not really a big issue and can be addressed – so long as it’s not something that crops up at the 11th hour (or worse, some time after!).

Ryan “Stitch” Nixon writes: “Personally, the editing was the biggest downfall, they spent so much money I do not understand the cutting it down to LESS than 2-hours when most superhero films now are pushing 2.5 to 3 hours.”

Answer: Hmmm.  While I’m sure a 2.5 – 3 hour version of the movie would have made it “better” in the sense that it would have done a better job of reflecting the original script, I think a longer run time would have hurt the the movie even more.  As Cookie pointed out in his review, unlike Watchmen, Green Lantern was essentially a fun romp, a popcorn movie, not an epic.

HBMC writes: “And Joe, wouldn’t you say that your question – who owns a character – works very differently between television (where the writers often run the show) and movies (where writers are not to enter the actors’ eye-lines, ever, on pain of death)?”

Answer: Most definitely.  In film, it’s the director who sees most of the frontline action.

HBMC also writes: “As to Joe’s actual post – who owns the character, the person who writes them or the actor that plays them, I don’t think it’s a black and white either/or answer. I remember in Uni they once brought in some actors to act out scenes from the scripts we were all writing. It was fascinating because when they went through the particular scene I had written they did things in a completely different way to what I imagined in my head, and in some cases the decisions they had made were better than what I have originally thought of.”

Answer: So true and this is something I’ve mentioned in previous entries.  We, as writers, create the characters but it’s the actors that bring them to life and, consequently, influence their development.  They take what’s on the page and interpret it onscreen.  We see how they’ve interpreted and shape the character accordingly.  It’s a constant collaborative back and forth.

Tam Dixon writes: “Did you try the cheesecake recipe yet?”

Answer: Yep.  Full report tomorrow.

gforce writes: “I’ll go ahead an ask the obvious one – any word on the Dark Matter front, or the other projects?”

Answer: Apparently, June 6th is the date when all our questions will be answered.

gforce also writes: “Also, do you know if Cookie has and ideas for future reviewing projects after the superhero movies?”

Answer: Not so fast.  A thorough audit of the superhero movie catalog by yours truly reveals a bunch of review candidates Cookie (mistakenly?) missed.  Entries like the 1978 t.v. movie Dr. Strange and the equally horrendous Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. starring the Hoff warrant screenings as well.  But there’s no reason why, in addition to these gems, Cookie couldn’t review a few non-supermovies as well.

gforce also writes: “Are you watching the S4 of “Arrested Development” on Netflix? I think it’s brilliant, but you have to watch several episodes to start to figure out what’s going on.”

Answer: I loved the first three seasons of the show and fully intend to check out the fourth – but, at present, my t.v. dance card is full.

baterista9 writes: “As I’ve learned more about the film industry, I’ve gotten the impression that individual divas are in the minority. Am I correct in thinking that most participants “play well with others”?”

Answer: True.

 

Tagged: A Hijacking, Berberian Sound Studio, Byzantium, Copperhead, film & television, Shadow Dancer, The Kings of Summer, Upcoming Movies, Upcoming Releases, Violet & Daisy

May 28, 2013: Whose character is it anyway?

Lulu demands a script rewrite. And a bigger trailer.

I was interested to read the news regarding actor Christopher Abbott’s decision to leave the HBO series Girls.  The official word is he elected not to return for the show’s third season in order to pursue other opportunities – however the timing of his exit (depending on who you talk to either before or just after production started on season three) suggests there’s more to the story.  Rumor has it he split due to “creative differences” with showrunner Lena Dunham.  The New York Post cites a source that claims Abbott wasn’t happy with the direction his character was headed.  HIS character.  Hmmm.  I’m reminded of a Vanity Fair article on Sopranos creator David Chase.  In the piece, reference is made to a story involving an actor who once told Chase: “”My character wouldn’t say this.” To which Chase responded, “Who says it’s your character?”

(http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/04/sopranos200704)

So whose character is it?  The writer who created him?  The actor who plays him?  Can we be diplomatic and say they both share in a co-ownership of the character?  Sure, I suppose we could.  But what happens when there is a creative disagreement?  Back when I was on Stargate, the cast would sometimes swing by the office to suggest tweaks to their dialogue, and we were always perfectly willing to accommodate them.  Occasionally, they would stop in with concerns about their characters or ideas for future storylines and, again, we were happy to work with them.  Episodes like Reunion, Broken Ties, and The Hunt came about as a result of conversations I had with my actors.  Of course, these are examples of best case scenarios, amicable collaborative efforts that yielded great results.  But what happens in those worst case scenarios where writer and actor have very different takes on “their” character?

I’m reminded of another story, this one told to me by a friend who, back in the day, had written a script for a series he was showrunning. A fairly well-known (at the time) television actor was hired to guest star in the episode.  Upon his arrival during prep week, he requested a meeting with my friend and, during the sit-down, asked for a not-so-minor alteration to the script.  As written, his character was a loopy doctor who, at episode’s end, is revealed to be a murderer.  According to the actor, his fans wouldn’t accept him as a murderer so the script would have to be changed.  My friend pointed out that the change would require a wholesale rewrite only days away from production and further reminded the actor that he had already signed on to do the script which he’d presumably read beforehand.  But the actor was adamant.  The script would have to be rewritten.  And my friend was equally adamant.  If memory serves me right, the actor ended up shooting the episode under protest and my friend cut around his performance and got the ending he wanted.

Granted, it’s an extreme example, but similar scenarios play out behind the scenes more than you’d think.  Remember Katherine Heigl’s ungracious dig at the Grey’s Anatomy creative team when she turned down an Emmy nomination because, according to her: “I do not feel I was given the material this season to warrant a nomination.” (‘Grey’s’ insider calls Heigl’s Emmy comments ‘an ungrateful slap …)?  Ouch.  Or Community showrunner Dan Harmon’s very public feud with Chevy Chase (‘Community’s’ Dan Harmon tells fans about Chevy Chase feud – Los …)?  And then there are all the other incidents you never hear about that are ultimately resolved through some sort of grudging compromise or, in rare instances, with the ouster of one of the combatants (“Hey, I can’t believe they killed off [fill in the blank]!”).

Step back and you can see both sides.  On the one hand, the actors object to what they perceive as someone screwing with the character they brought to life; on the other hand, we have the writers taking umbrage with someone dictating the terms of what can and can’t be done with a character they created.  There’s no denying both creator and actor make significant contributions to the development of a character, and I think that in those worst case scenarios, a little empathy would go a long way toward resolving the issue.  Ideally, each side should understand that the other is greatly invested, creatively and emotionally, in ensuring the character’s best interests.

Ideally.

But if all else fails, I, personally, tend to adhere to the adage: “No one is bigger than the show”.

*

Hey, blog regular Ryan “Stitch” Nixon has kindly agreed to do a Q&A for the blog.  Ryan was a consultant on Apollo 13, Green Lantern and, most recently Ender’s Game.   If you have questions for Ryan, post ‘em!

Received an email from my friend, fellow Hong Kong Movie Nite Crew member, and lover of all things Japanese, Ron Harris, who has a solo exhibit of his photography ongoing at Les Ateliers Lozeau in Montreal. The exposition runs from May 23rd to June 18th with a vernissage featuring his work between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. May 30th.  Congrats, Ron!

You can check out his work online here: http://500px.com/ronthemon

May 27, 2013: The Supermovie of the Week Club reconvenes! Cookie Monster reviews Green Lantern!

What if Deadpool became Green Lantern?  Dis seem to be de qwestion dis movie try to answer.

Unlike it’s more ambitious predecessors, Green Lantern aspire to be little more den a quasi-entertaining kids movie.  And it aktually succeed, offering a uncomplikated story devoid of riveting drama or charakters but also free of de stoopid plot twists dat tipify de genre. GL may not be a great movie, but it certainly not as terrible as monster expekt!

Wit dis ring, I thee kick ass.

A short time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a dangerous creature called Parallax eskape from space prison.  He attack a space station manned by alien named Abin Sur, member of intergalactic police force known as De Judoon Peacekeepers Rangers Green Lantern Corps!  Abin Sur eskape and, seriously injured, crash land on Earth.

Parallax have serious case of dragon breath!

Realizing he be dying, Abin Sur take off his power ring, de source of his power (dats why it be called a POWER ring) and send it off to find someone worthy.  It fly off and choose…brash, quippy mercenary test pilot Wade Wilson Hal Jordan, gifting him ability to fly, create giant green hard light constructs out of his imagination, and squeeeeze into tight green spandex outfit.  Why it choose Hal?  Because he be fearless!  Not “missing his amygdalae and literally can’t experience sensation of fear” fearless but “cocky and stoopid” fearless.  Er – close enough.

Egghead Eggplanthead scientist – Hector Hammond

Meanwhile, government diskover crashed alien ship and hire nerd scientist, Hector Hammond, to study dead alien.  Unfortunately for HH, he end up getting infekted by second alien life form (Parallax) and acquire abilities like mind reading, telekinesis, and literal “fat head”. Also emphysema.

Hal go for a space joyride, get into trouble, and wake up on OA, planet and HQ of De Green Lantern Corps where he meet other weird-looking Lanterns, train, and get showed up by Lantern leader who look like love child of Spock and Clark Gable.  But monster not trust dis guy at all. Why not?  Becuz his name be…SINESTRO!  Come on!

Lanternpaolooza!

Hal return home after deciding being a Green Lantern not for him.  But he keep de ring anyway.  Just in case.  Back in space, we diskover Parallax on his way to OA for revenge.  Turn out he a former chairman of de board of OA who went all evil and transformed by de power of fear and de color yellow.  Yep.  Yellow!  Sinestro suggest only way to stop Parallax be to harness power of fear…and yellow…into a ring!  Yep! YELLOW!

Would you trust dis guy?

Back at sekret government lab, government agents chatting to Hector Hammond fail to notice his head be expanded to five times its usual size, so Hector able to get drop on dem wit his telekinetic powers.  BUT Hal, who changed his mind about de whole Green Lantern ting, show up in nick of time.  Why?  How he know where to show up?  Good qwestion!

Hal find out Parallax planning picnic stopover at Earth on way to OA so he can snack on human fear and power up.  Hal fly to OA and tell dem. For some reason, OA be dicks and not want to help.  But Hal say he not need help.  He just ask dem to let him fight for his world.  Hunh?  It not made clear why he need deir permission and, after not getting it, he fly back to Earth and do it anyway.

Hal showdown wit Hector.  Parallax show up and start feeding on people’s fear.  Hal battle him, creating all sorts of silly giant green weapons like catapult and rail gun.  It about at dis point in dat me realize Green Lantern be one helluva silly superhero and his powers just slightly less embarrassing den Elongated Man, Matter Eater Lad and Infectious Lass (who, incidentally, Grover dated for five months back in 2011).

Dey take battle to space.  Hal use sun’s gravitational pull to defeat Parallax and, before he can get swallowed too, he get reskued by Green Lantern Corps lead by Sinestro!  But monster still not trust him.  Why not?  Because his name be SINESTRO!

Ho hum.  LOVE!

Cue compulsory love scene between Hal and his girlfriend.  De End.

Except for last quick scene in which Sinestro, for some reason, decide to put on yellow power ring.  Oh, wait.  Me know reason why.

Because he be named SINESTRO!!!

Verdikt: Me expekting a lot worse.  It aktually NOT terrible!  But not great either.

Rating: 6.0 chocolate chippee cookies

P.S. Ryan “Stitch” Nixon – Monster want to hear from you!  What de inside skoop?  Was Parallax a diva?

Tagged: Comic Books, Comics, Cookie Monster, Cookie Monster movie reviews, Cookie Monster reviews Green Lantern, Green Lantern, superhero, superhero movies, SuperMovie of the Week Club

May 26, 2013: Upcoming movie releases to look forward to! Or not!

AFTER EARTH

Release Date: May 31, 2013

What it’s about: A father and son find themselves stranded on Earth, roughly a thousand years after humanity abandoned the planet.  With dad injured, son must find a way to brave the strange and dangerous new/old world to ensure their survival.

What it’s got working for it: It’s scifi and we all love scifi, don’t we?

What’s it’s got going against it: Just because it’s SF, doesn’t mean it’s good.  In fact, more often than not, it isn’t.  Also, these father-son outings (starring real life father and son Wil and Jaden Smith) inevitably play like Disney adventures where the threats and suspense are muted by the foregone happy ending.  ALSO, it’s directed by M. Night Shyamalan who hasn’t delivered a good movie since The Sixth Sense.

NOW YOU SEE ME

Release Date: May 31, 2013

What it’s about: An elite FBI team faces off against the world’s greatest illusionists turned bad.

What it’s got going for it: An impressive cast.

What it’s got working against it: Despite the out-there premise, it isn’t a comedy.

THE INTERNSHIP

Release Date: June 7, 2013

What it’s about: A couple of out-of-work salesmen land internships at Google.  Hilarity ensues.

What it’s got going for it: Will Ferrell is part of the cast.  He’s pretty funny.

What it’s got working against it: Didn’t someone declare a moratorium on these Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn movies?

THE PURGE

Release Date: June 7, 2013

What’s it about: In the not too distant future, the government deals with crime by allowing criminals one annual 12-hour state-sanctioned reign of terror.  Just to get it all out of their systems, y’know?  On one such night, a family has their lives upended by an intruder who breaks into their gated community.

What it’s got going for it: An intriguing, albeit somewhat silly, premise.

What’s it’s got working against it: An intriguing, albeit somewhat silly, premise.

THIS IS THE END

Release Date: June 12, 2013

What it’s about: Six buddies try to survive the apocalypse, and each other, in this end-of-the-world laugher.

What it’s got going for it: A darkly humorous premise and the always-funny Craig Robison (Daryl from The Office).

What it’s got working against it: I think Seth Rogen is funny too – his movies not so much.

MAN OF STEEL

Release Date: June 14, 2013

What it’s about: Superman.

What it’s got going for it: Brought to you by tremendously talented director Zack Snyder and tremendously talented writer Davis S. Goyer.

What it’s got working against it: I’ve yet to meet a Superman movie I’ve liked.

WORLD WAR Z

Release Date: June 21, 2013

What it’s about: Brad Pitt battles zombies on a world-wide scale.

What it’s got going for it: The book, by Max Brooks, is excellent.

What it’s got working against it: What made the book so great, it’s sequential, multi-voiced narrative, is exactly what makes it impossible to translate to the big screen.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

Release Date: June 21, 2013

What it’s about: A young, idealistic Mike Wazowski’s college plans are upended by an all-out rivalry with big-monster-on-campus James P. Sullivan.

What it’s got going for it: I loved Monsters Inc.

What it’s got working against it: It IS a sequel…but I’m cautiously optimistic.

THE HEAT

Release Date: June 28, 2013

What it’s about: A by-the-book FBI agent (played by Sandra Bullock) teams with a loose cannon cop (played by Melissa McCarthy) to take down a drug kingpin.

What it’s got going for it: Melissa McCarthy.

What it’s got working against it: The premise aint exactly fresh.

WHITE HOUSE DOWN

Release Date: June 28, 2013

What it’s about: Terrorists take the White House and only one man – a guy with something to prove and nothing to lose! – can save the President!

What it’s got going for it: I’m going to need more time to think about it.

What it’s got working against it: Didn’t this exact same movie come out a couple of months ago?  Only back then, it was called Olympus Has Fallen.

Tagged: After Earth, film & television, Man of Steel, Monsters University, Now Your See Me, Superman, The Heat, The Internship, The Purge, This is the End, Upcoming Movies, Upcoming Releases, White House Down, World War Z

May 25, 2013: The Marvels of Modern Technology II!

Today, I received a text from our old pal and former Stargate Executive Producer/Writer, former Bored to Death Supervising Producer/Writer, and former former L.A. Complex Executive Producer/Writer (and occasional Director) Martin Gero who was inquiring about the status of my projects.  As many of you know, I’ve been in a holding pattern since, oh, George Bush Sr. held office.  At first, we were told we’d hear something in January.  Then February.  Then March.  And so on.  And so on.  The last time my agent inquired, he was told that they had passed on everything they didn’t like which meant we were still very much in contention and would hear word sometime in early June.

Which, incidentally, is about when Paul and I plan to be in L.A. looking for work.  Now I’m not saying I’m dubious about the prospect of finally hearing word soon, but let’s just say I can foresee a future blog entry going something like: “Well, still no word but by agent tells me they will absolutely, positively have a decision next week.  It’ll be the best Christmas gift ever!”.  So we’ll be hedging our bets by heading down to scout the L.A. area in advance of our big move.  As I mentioned in a previous entry, it turns out I actually have more friends in Los Angeles than I do here in Vancouver, so that should make the transition a lot easier.  As will the pizza oven Martin built into his backyard.  And then there are all the new friends I’ll be making: co-workers, neighbors, Ricky Gervais.  I really look forward to comparing it to Vancouver which has a bit of a rep for being a tough place to make friends.  It’s not so much that Vancouverites are unfriendly as they are quite satisfied in their existing cliques and not interviewing for openings.   Toronto, on the other hand, I found downright cold, both figuratively and literally. Of course both cities compare unfavorably to my hometown of Montreal, the party capital of Canada.  I’m curious as to how all of you feel your respective hometowns compare.  Should I reconsider and think about writing from San Antonio?  Gainesville?  Kalamazoo?

Anyway, Martin and I texted back and forth until, finally, my phone rang.  ”This is ridiculous,”said Martin.  ”What are we?  Teenagers?”

True and, to be honest, when I first heard about texting, I wondered what all the fuss was about.  Why take the time to write out a message when you can just phone someone up and tell them what you want to say.  But it wasn’t until much later that I discovered the truly impersonal nature of texting – and fell in love.  I mean, why talk to someone unless you absolutely have to?  Conversations are fraught with pitfalls like awkward lulls and tedious tangents.

“True,”Martin conceded.  ”For instance, if I was talking to you on the phone and suddenly hung up, that would be considered rude.  But if I just stopped texting, you’d probably think ‘Damn, he must be busy!”.

It’s all so easy now.  Too easy.  You’d think the quick convenience of getting email on your cell phone would be a good thing but, in truth, all it really achieves is it allows you more free time to obsessively check your cell phone for emails.  And so today, as  little experiment, I’ve decided not to check my email until I’ve racked up (a randomly selected) 21 unread messages in queue.  It’s 7:00 p.m. and I’m at 13. Wonder what I’m missing out on?  Well, I’ll tell you what I’m not missing out on: shopping for olive oil, walking the dogs, and filing!  For one day, I am free of the shackles of modern technology.

Free and intensely curious.

 

Tagged: emails, technology, texting

May 24, 2013: Thanks! And News of Note!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to offer tech advice on my printer issues (see yesterday’s blog entry).  As it turned out, astrumporta offered me the solution.  It was a simple matter of doing a little research, then downloading the old HP driver to match my antiquated operating system and voila!  I have a wireless printer.  And all it took was ALL DAY!

Get this kid some fish oil!  How to spot a murderer’s brain | Science | The Observer

The Top 5 Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Masterpieces – Video – TIME.com  Anything to add?

“He goes down onto one knee and collapses sideways onto the floor. He rolls onto his back, arms splayed and palms up. He’s making sounds that are hard to transcribe. Mostly vowels.” Now THAT is spicy!  The Gut-Wrenching Science Behind the World’s Hottest Peppers | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine

See, this is why I never drink scotch at TGI Fridays: Scores of TGI Fridays in New Jersey ‘busted for selling caramel-colored rubbing alcohol as… www.dailymail.co.ukInvestigators went to 63 New Jersey establishments they suspected were scamming customers, ordered drinks neat and then covertly took samples for testing. Of 150 samples collected, 30 were not the brand as which they were being sold.

“Touch Woody…the Internet Pecker”.  The 6 Most Baffling Marketing Disasters by Famous Companies

Which comics supervillain really deserves a shot on the big screen?

My pick = Rainbow Rider!

Bon Appetite!  http://www.buzzfeed.com/h2/shfke/kevintang/11-horrifying-facts-about-your-groceries

From the What the Hell Were They Thinking files: Best and worst band photos

For all you wrestling fans.  Yes, you know who you are!  The 5 Greatest Unscripted Disasters in Pro Wrestling

May 22, 2013: Ah, the marvels of modern technology! Sidebar! Mailbag!

My new $175 paperweight.

My old high school buddy, Cas, has been staying with us this past week or so and, as a thank you for hosting him, he bought me a new wireless printer.  I told him he didn’t have to do it, that I was perfectly happy with my old, dependable plug and print, but he insisted it was time to move on.  Think of all the time I’d save printing from anywhere in the house with just the push of a button.  Despite my protests, he bought me an HP 6600 series, just like he has at home.  And, after setting it up, we were good to go!  All I had to do was print a test page from my laptop and I would finally enter the 21st century.  I selected print and -

Nothing.  I waited.  A little onscreen window informed me that the printer was busy and that it would attempt to reconnect in another five seconds.  Busy?  Doing what?  It was just sitting there!  Five seconds later, the little onscreen window informed me that the printer was still busy, but that it would attempt to reconnect in another ten seconds. Then, thirty seconds.  ”Make sure to add the new printer to your computer,”Cas advised.  Silly me.  Of course!  I went into my printer settings, input the IP address for the new printer, hit print and -

Nothing.  I waited.  The little onscreen window informed that the printer was busy and that it would attempt to reconnect in another five seconds.  ”Here,”said Cas handing me the software disc that came with the printer.  ”Install the driver.”  So I slid the disc into my Mac, clicked the little install icon and -

Nothing.  Another little window popped up, informing me that the HP software was not compatible with my Mac (he’s Baptist, she’s Southern Methodist) and that the installer required MAC OS X version 10.6 or later.  ”No problem,”I said.  ”I’ll just hit the old “Software Update” option on my Mac and then, it’ll be smooooooooth sailing.  So I hit the software update and -

Nothing.  My software is, apparently, up to date.  ”You need to go online and download the driver from the HP site,”Cas suggested.  So I went to the HP site, downloaded the Mac version of the driver for the 6600 series.  I got rid of my old, potentially confusing printer settings. My laptop detected the new printer.  Bingo!  I hit print and -

Nothing.  I went back to my printer settings and added the new IP address.  Hit print.

Nothing.  My new printer was, apparently, unable to connect…but perfectly willing to retry in 5, 10, and 30 seconds increments.  Worse still, an annoying pop-up window started to appear, unprompted, to inform me that the “Application HP Device Monitor Quit Unexpectedly”, offering me the choice to “Quit”, “Report”, or “Relaunch”.  Okay, I thought, and clicked “Quit”.  Seconds later, the warning popped up once again.  Again, I hit “Quit” and, seconds later, it reappeared.  I clicked “Relaunch”.  The window reappeared within seconds.  I settled on “Report”.  And still the window reappeared.  No matter what I clicked, it just kept reappearing, annoyingly persistent as an ad for Hangover III.  ”Maybe you need to reboot,”suggested Cas.

Ah, reboot – the last refuge of the weak, the desperate, and the technologically inept.  I was all three, so who was I to argue?  Within seconds of rebooting my laptop, the window popped up once again. Exasperated, I turned things over to our resident all-around expert, google, and was promptly directed to a forum where I was offered instructions on uninstalling the HP software.  Which I did.

While I’d love to admit my incompetence and tell you I’m back at “square one”, the truth is that, having wiped my original printer settings and unable to find the set-up disc for my old printer, I’m actually worse off now than when I began.  So what can I do now if I need something printed?

That’s right.  Absolutely nothing.

A SIDEBAR ON MY SIDEBAR -

May I direct your attention to my sidebar to the right of this text.  It’s chock full of interesting goodies like…

A handy search option that allows you to  seek out specific subjects I’ve covered in past blog entries like “Atlantis”, “SG-1″, and “Crispy prawn head recipe”.

A drop down Archives section allows you peruse past entries by month.  Look!  December 27th!  My Snow Monkeys are world champs!

A section dedicated to our Supermovie of the Week Club gives you a rundown of the superhero-themed movies up for review and discussion in the next few weeks.  Looks like the Green Lantern is up next, with this blog’s resident film critic, Cookie Monster, weighing in with his review on Monday, May 27th.

The Stuff I’ve Worked On section lets you know the projects I’ve worked on the last ten years or so.  I hope to add one or two (maybe more!) to this section before year’s end.

Consult my Watching window to find out what I’m currently viewing. At the moment, I’m halfway through the second season of Girls.

Consult my Recently Watched window to find out what I’ve just finished viewing – most recently, the second season of Downton Abbey. Damn, I can’t believe how much I love this show.  I was planning to jump on a couple of other shows before moving on to Downton Abbey’s third season (I figured it would make the looong wait for season four more bearable), but I’ve been suffering withdrawal pangs and fear I won’t be able to hold out past the weekend.  Wonderful characters, especially Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess.  I ♥ Violet Crawley.

A little further down you can check out what I’m Currently Reading.  At present, I’m doubling up on true crime.

And, below that, you can peruse my list of Recently Read titles.  A lot of true crime in there as well in addition to David Sedaris’s latest and the terrific first book of a new-to-me fantasy trilogy: Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice.  Great stuff.  I’ll be ordering the next two books.

And, finally, a list of Categories.  Want to read through all of my Fantasty Football-related entries?  No problem.  Just click on the Fantasy Football.

Mailbag:

Kathode writes: “Did your mom really tear your exercise book in half?!? (Or were you taking poetic license in writing that?) Was she THAT angry at you for quitting, or was the book-tear merely a clever dramatic show intended to guilt you into keeping on with your piano lessons? Have you discussed this with your mother since you’ve become an adult, to get her side of the story? Does she even remember this incident? I am fascinated with this story. I want to know more.”

Answer: Oh, she did tear it in half.  And cried.  And made my sister cry.  When I asked her about the incident years ago, she drew a blank.

dasndanger writes: “So, can you play the piano?”

Answer: Yes, I’m able to play all five songs I happen to remember from back in the day.

Ponytail writes: “How is Bubba’s paw healing?”

Answer: Bubba is back to his old lazy, anxiety-prone, walk-loving self. Thanks for asking!

luis811 writes: “Can you get the recipe for Cas workout Shake?????”

Answer: Mixed frozen berries, fresh pineapple, banana, pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, one lime (rind and all), toasted oats, greek yogurt.

JeffW writes: “We made the Sancocho a couple of days ago and we enjoyed it…very gumbo like. Did you try the Gouda grilled cheese with it? It made for a nice “soup” and sandwich combo.”

Airelle writes: “Joe forgot to ask, are you packed for a trip to LA?”

Answer: Not yet.  Paul and I should be making plans early next week.

Answer: I had the sancocho with cheddar and havarti grilled cheese (and steak and chicken and avocado and caramelized onions) sandwiches.

Delicious!

Today’s entry is dedicated to Bethany!

Tagged: 6600 series, Assasin's Apprentice, Downton Abbey, HP, HP 6600 series, printer

May 22, 2013: The Chapters (Indigo Books) Cheat! Spectacular Sancocho!

I was at my local bookstore, Chapters/Indigo Books, the other night and had just lugged a stack up to the checkout counter.  Some ten books, they were all research materials for an upcoming project.  The cashier rang up the sale and, as I swiped my credit card, I asked how much I was saving on the purchase.  ”Nothing,”she said.  ”But you have a twenty dollar gift certificate.  Would you like to redeem it?”

A twenty dollar gift certificate?  Surely, she was mistaken.  I’ve had a Chapters/Indigo irewards card that has allowed me to save on my purchases for years – a not insignificant amount since I’m one of those individuals who still prefers the feel of a real book over the ethereal tidiness of a digital copy.  Not only that but I’m a spontaneous shopper when it comes to books, often picking up anywhere from six to a dozen titles a visit based solely on what captures my interest on the day: the cover, the write-up on the book jacket, the recommendation of some passerby.

“You DID have a reward card that let you save on purchases,”the cashier informed me after checking on her computer, “but it expired last year.  Your new card lets you earn points toward certificates up to a $100.”

WTF?  Why the hell would I switch to an obviously far less advantageous card? Well, the simple answer is: “I wouldn’t”!  Who knows how much money I could have saved over the last year if the store had done me the service, as a long-standing loyal customer, of NOT CHEATING ME.

“We can switch you back to your original membership card,”offered the cashier.  ”For a thirty-five dollar annual fee.”

Really?  So let me get this straight: They expect ME to PAY THEM for the privilege of giving them my business?

Yeah.

No.

Hey, I’ve got an even better idea.  Do you know what would save me even more money than purchasing an ireward membership card with a thirty-five dollar annual fee?

Doing all my shopping online through Amazon.com from here on in.

Apologies to those who have joined me on this blog-sponsored culinary odyssey.  We’ve been working our way through some inspired recipes provided by blog regulars and, to date, have prepared Puerco Pibil and Chicken Breast with Brown Butter and Sage Leaves without burning down the kitchen.  Last week, we were supposed to tackle Shiny’s sancocho (I’ll step in preemptively here to say – Das, get your mind out of the gutter!) but I didn’t get around to it until yesterday. Apologies!

So, how was it?  Well, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much beyond “good”.  The ingredients sounded weirdly uncomplimentary.  Sausage and plantain?  Gnocci and shrimp?  Beans and cabbage?  I was, admittedly, dubious.  But, boy, did this dish deliver.  It was nothing short of fabulous!  The myriad ingredients worked incredibly well together, offering layers of flavor and texture.  Akemi loved it too and we both ended up eating waaaay too much.  This is a dish we’ll definitely be adding to the rotation!

Looking ahead to next week, let’s try a little dessert…

Jeff and Barb’s White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe:

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 cups Keebler Graham cracker crumbs

½-Cup White Chocolate Morsels

2/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

Mix the crumbs, morsels and sugar and then add the melted butter. Mix thoroughly and then let sit. After a couple of minutes, mix again. Spray the sides of your 10” springform pan with cooking spray and crimp parchment paper over the bottom of the pan (trim excess paper from the bottom side of the pan). Dump the mixture into the pan and press it down into a level, flat disc that covers the bottom. Put the pan with crust into a freezer to prepare for the next step (this will harden the crust and create a nicely defined boundary between the crust and cream-cheese filling). You will end up with a crust around 1/3 inch thick.

The cheesecake batter will be made in two batches; one batch of regular cheesecake batter and one batch of white chocolate cheesecake batter. We’ll start with the regular first:

2 warm packages cream cheese

¼-cup sour cream

¼-stick butter (2 Tbsp)

2 eggs

1-1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3/4 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Start by melting in a micro-wave a 1/4 stick of butter (use a 20 or 30% power setting at 30 second increments to avoid boiling the butter). Then add the result to your mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients and use a mixer to blend them until free from lumps.

n.b. – some cream cheeses will produce small, BB-sized pellets of cream cheese when mixed (most notably, Lucerne Cream Cheese seems to behave this way). This is not necessarily a problem and can add texture and flavor to your cake so don’t be concerned if this happens to your batter. These cream cheeses also seem to have less of a tendency to crack while cooling.

Now, dump the batter into your pan on top of the crust. Try to level it with a spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect; some leveling will occur during baking.

Now we’ll make the White Chocolate Batter.

2 warm packages cream cheese

¼-cup sour cream

¼-stick butter

1/2 cup of white chocolate morsels

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. almond extract

¾-cups sugar

Same as you did for the regular batter, start by micro-waving the 1/4 stick of butter. After the butter is melted, add in the White Chocolate Morsels (stir) and then micro-wave in 30 second increments at 20 or 30% power until you achieve a pudding like consistency. Remember to stir the mixture in between heating sessions. When thoroughly melted, add the resulting mixture to your mixing bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients and use a mixer to blend them until free from lumps (see note above about lumps).

Now, dump the batter into your pan on top of the regular batter, leveling it with a spatula.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350, and then reduce the heat to 250 and bake for another 90 minutes. Be sure to place a catch pan under the cheesecake to catch any butter that may leak out.

Overcooking or fast cooling can cause cracking of the cheesecake. Proper cooking time and cooling is essential to avoiding this. Some experimentation may be necessary to “dial-in” how your oven cooks at these low temperatures. Start with proper cooling; once the cooking time is done, turn off the oven and prop the oven door open a few inches and allow it to cool for three hours (overnight is preferred). If cracking occurs, then on the next cheesecake, reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes (up to a maximum of 15 minutes). If cracking still occurs, try changing cream cheese brands. Baking multiple cheesecakes can also affect this (more cheesecakes means more cooking time), so you could find that two cheesecakes baked together will not crack, while one by itself will. In this case, reduce the cooking time by 10 or 15 minutes for the single cheesecake.

After cooling, use a butter-knife to separate the side of the cheesecake from the side of the springform-pan and then pop the side of the pan (if you don’t separate it first, some of the cheesecake will inevitably stick to the side of the pan and crack the cake when released). Cover and refrigerate at least three hours or better yet, overnight (you may want to wait until after refrigerating to separate the cake from the pan as the cake will be “harder” and separate more cleanly at this stage).

STRAWBERRY SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 16-oz. Package of fresh strawberries

5 tbsp. sugar

Note, the best time to prepare the strawberry sauce is while the cheesecake is baking. The great thing about making this strawberry sauce is that it requires no cooking! Strawberries will make their own syrup if sliced, sprinkled with sugar, and then refrigerated. You can either dice or slice (I prefer pencil-thick slices). Layer the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar with each layer. Make sure to use a dish that can be covered with an air-tight lid; you’re going to leave this in the refrigerator a day or two and you don’t want it picking up other food flavors.

When the cheesecake is chilled, pour the strawberry sauce on top (holding back the strawberries). Next, Arrange the remaining strawberries on the top of the cake. For a bit of color (or if your making it for Christmas), garnish with mint leaves.

Keep the cheesecake chilled until your ready to serve it.

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular Sparrow_hawk.  And her noggin.  Speedy recovery!

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