Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 526

August 30, 2011: Transporter thank you's!

http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/cinemaxs-transporter-showrunners-exit/

Well, hmmm.  Didn't realize we'd be dropping an official press release this quickly.  I just assumed, one month from now, I'd start posting pics of Akemi and me back in Vancouver enjoying dinner at Refuel and have you connect the dots.  Guess this means I'm going to have to put that blog entry of dinner with Golden Boy Martin Gero on the backburner and dedicate today's write-up to The Transporter…

After 11+ years working on the Stargate franchise, my plan was to take a year off – go to cooking school, work on a novel, and watch the entire run of Ralph Bakshi's hallucinogenic Spiderman cartoon in one glorious sitting.  And then, in January, my agent informed me of an opportunity to work on The Transporter t.v. series based, of course, on the successful film franchise.  Being a big fan of the movies, I jumped at the chance and, before I knew it, my writing partner Paul and I were in Toronto, working on scripts, then prepping, then well into production. Like most first year shows, there were challenges.  But there was/is also enormous potential – in the form of an established brand and an incredibly dedicated cast, crew, and production team who will, no doubt, deliver a fantastic series when The Transporter premieres in early 2012.

As I prepare to sail off into the sunset (or, rather, fly back home with four small dogs, my girlfriend, and about a half dozen supervillain statues), I'd like to take a moment to thank a few people.

Thanks to Robert Cooper, one of the smartest, most creative guys in the biz, who helped us get the show off the ground and was always on hand to offer much-appreciated guidance along the way.

Thanks to Klaus Zimmerman and Fred Fuchs for their hard work and unflagging commitment to the production.

Thanks to Sue Murdoch for her tireless efforts on behalf of not only the show, but the people who make it happen.

Thanks to pilot director Stephen Williams, director Bruce McDonald for being such a great shooter and one helluva great guy, and my buddy, director Andy Mikita, for putting sleep on hold to guide this production.

Thanks to the cast and, especially, Chris Vance (our Frank Martin), one of the kindest, most down-to-earth actors I've ever had the pleasure to work with. Here's hoping we do it again some day on another show – but, hopefully, not for at least another five years since he'll be busy on this one.

Thanks to the dedicated crew (Derick, Angela, Simon and countless others) who made every day on set an experience so positive that I'd sadden at the prospect of returning to the production offices.

Thanks to the equally dedicated personnel working in the production offices (Mega, Trevor, Anna, Sonia, Patricia and countless others)who made every day at the office an experience so positive that I'd sadden at the prospect of returning to set.

Thanks to the gang in post and VFX (and a special hats off to the stellar Brendan Taylor).  Catch you on the next go-round!

Thanks to our amazing stunt teams led by Cyril Raffaeli and Michel Julienne who delivered action sequences like no other on television.

Thanks to my friend, Carl Binder, who dropped everything and came to Toronto to support us.

And, chiefest of all, an extra big thanks to the heart and soul of the series, the one guy I'll miss most of all, Show Runner Alexander M. Ruemelin.  Keep fighting the good fight, buddy!

Finally, hats off to Steve Shill who now takes the reins of The Transporter.  The series is in very good hands and I have no doubt that, with all of the talent backing him up, he'll deliver a show that will blow everyone away.

As for me?  Well, those 52 episodes of the 1967 Spiderman cartoon aren't going to watch themselves!

August 29, 2011: "Never take a person's dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you." ~ Frank Barron

"Be nice to those you meet on the way up.  They're the same folks you'll meet on the way down."  ~Walter Winchell, 1932

Back when I was a young freelance writer, looking to break into the wonderful world of live-action television, I wrote a spec script for a young teen series.  It was an unsolicited submission (one of those things every industry professional advises against), a shot in the dark – but it had been fun to write and at worst, I figured, I could always use it as a writing sample.  Well, about a week after sending it off, I received a call from one of the show's producer.  He'd read my script and loved it.  Only problem was they had just a couple of slots left to fill for that season.  Following a brief conversation on the script's strengths and weaknesses, he suggested that, if I didn't hear back from him soon, I should touch base before the weekend.  He stressed the importance of this: my getting in touch with him BEFORE THE WEEKEND.  Any later and I risked missing the boat. And so, after a couple of days went by and I hadn't heard from him, and with the weekend fast-approaching, I gave him a call.  He wasn't in and so I left a message on his answering machine.  A day passed.  Then another.  It was Friday morning and I still hadn't heard back!  Was it possible he'd inadvertently erased my message?  It wasn't outside the realm of possibility.  I'd done it myself countless times.  To be on the safe side, I picked up the phone and tried him again.  And, again, I went straight to voice mail.  I left another message and then went about my day, assuming he would no doubt call me back.  I waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.  I started to stew.  Here was my big break, slipping through my fingers, and all because I wasn't able to honor a simple request to get in touch with him BEFORE THE WEEKEND.  Well, with the minute hand ticking past six p.m., I decided to try one last time, leave a final message.  If nothing else, at least he would know I'd made every attempt to honor that request.  So I called.  He picked up on the third ring – and then proceeded to berate me for pestering him. Needless to say, that opportunity didn't pan out.

Fast-forward to several years later.  I'd established myself as a writer, a story editor, and a director of development for one of North America's premiere animation studios.  Part of my duties of the latter position required me to take show pitches from various producers and freelancers.  One day, I walked into the board room and was introduced to the individual I'd be taking a pitch from that day.  Turned out he'd developed a popular teen show but, since it had gone off the air, hadn't done much of anything.  As I took my seat at the conference room table and this disheveled, desperate-looking guy started pitching his series idea, I started flipping through his resume and suddenly realized who he was: ole "get in touch with me BEFORE THE WEEKEND".  He obviously hadn't made the connection.  But I did.

Oh, I did.

"I want to mention one of the obvious symptoms [of a sick culture]: Violence. Muggings. Sniping. Arson. Bombing. Terrorism of any sort. Riots of course–but I suspect that little incidents of violence, pecking away at people day after day, damage a culture even more than riots that flare up and then die down. I guess that's all for now. Oh, conscription and slavery and arbitrary compulsion of all sorts and imprisonment without bail and without speedy trial–but those things are obvious; all the histories list them."

"Friday, I think you have missed the most alarming symptom of all."

"I have? Are you going to tell me? Or am I going to have to grope around in the dark for it?"

"Mmm. This once I shall tell you. But go back and search for it. Examine it. Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms such as you have named… but a dying culture invariable exhibits personal rudness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot."

"Really?"

"Pfui. I should have forced you to dig it out yourself; then you would know it. This symptom is especially serious in that an individual displaying it never thinks of it as a sign of ill health but as proof of his/her strength." - Robert A. Heinlein, Friday

It's been my experience working in this industry that you CAN succeed without being a complete and utter asshole.  Sure, you hear stories about those who have back-stabbed and blind-sided their way to the top, but every so often karma rears her beautiful head and these same individuals suddenly find themselves at the not-so-tender mercies of those they've wronged, ridiculed, or forced to go out and pick up their dry-cleaning or drain their dog's anal glands.  I personally know of two former executives who had no compunction about bullying and belittling those beneath them back when they were at the top of the heap, only to have fortune turn for them in a nasty way.  Their eventual falls from glory were all the more spectacular for the number of former associates who went out of their way to ensure they not only went down hard but stayed down for the count.  Neither has really worked since.

It's not that hard to avoid their fate.  It doesn't take any extra effort to be nice to someone whoever they may be, from the established director to the humble driver. They are, in the end, people just trying to make a living.  It doesn't kill you to show them respect.  That production assistant you diss today could some day hold your career in their hand. Remember, Michael Ovitz once worked the mail room at William Morris and before she struck it big, Madonna Louise Ciccone served up tasty treats at Dunkin Doughnuts.  Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger started off as a bricklayer while Matthew McConaughey once shoveled chicken manure to make ends meet.  Colin Powell worked at a baby furniture store, Stephen King was a high school janitor, Ralph Lauren sold gloves, and Larry King drove a truck for UPS.

I've been fortunate to work with some great people.  And some bad ones as well.  Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to tell you about the former (like, say, Chris Vance, The Transporter's Frank Martin – a great actor, hard worker, and one hell of a genuinely good-hearted guy who is simply adored by those he works with).  And nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see the latter receive their occasional karmic comeuppance.

"If I ever pass you along in life again and you were laying there, dying of thirst, I would not give you a drink of water. I would let the vultures take you and do whatever the want with you with no ill regrets. I plead to the jury tonight to think a little bit about the island that we have been on. This island is pretty much full of only two things – snakes and rats. And in the end of Mother Nature, we have Richard the snake, who knowingly went after prey and Kelly who turned into the rat that ran around like the rats do on this island, trying to run from the snake. I feel we owe it to the island's spirits that we have learned to come to know to let it be in the end the way Mother Nature intended it to be – for the snake to eat the rat." – Susan Hawk, Survivor: Borneo

August 28, 2011: Baby!

My pug Maximus isn't the only one struggling these days.  Apparently, mom's cat, Baby, is very ill and, sadly, on his last legs.  Sad.  Back in the day, he and Jelly used to play together when they were both much spritelier.  Jelly would bound down the hallway and scatter the cats like bowling pins while Baby would scramble to avoid being tossed like a hapless matador.  Hopefully, the two will get a chance to reconnect one last time before I head back to the west coast.

An abbreviated blog entry today as I switch gears to finish up my latest rewrite of Payback.  I've incorporated Director Bruce McDonald's notes, lost the flashback sequences, and now have to tweak a little dialogue.  Once that's done, it'll be smooooooooooooooth sailing!

August 27, 2011: Wvrst! Geek Fest!

Last night, we checked out a place seemingly tailor-made for my buddy Carl: Wvrst.  The name is unfortunate and the room's acoustics are terrible (Carl and I, sitting across from each other, had to shout to be heard), but the food is great.  On the menu: sausages and beer.  You choose between currywurst (sausage served with a sauce that's a tasty mix of ketchup and curry) or sausage in a bun (along with two of four toppings: sauerkraut, jalapenos, sweet red peppers, or caramelized onions), then get to choose from a variety of sausages.

Carl, all smiles. I have a feeling this is going to be is home away from home while in Toronto. He'll just pack up his stuff at the hotel and move in here.

Banquet seating.

A terrific meal.  Akemi loved her Italian sausage because it was, to quote her – "shauwissen" (meaning it was just bursting with meat juices).  I loved my duck with maple and foie gras.  And we ALL loved the duck fat fries!  About the only thing nobody loved…

The Church Key Scotch Ale. Brutal. Carl likened it to drinking motor oil.

No dessert menu at Wvrst.  Fortunately, Soma was on the way home.  We stopped by for – oh, everything: chocolates, ice cream, flourless chocolate cake, and cookies.

Carl tut-tuts my boorish behavior.

Today, Akemi and I met up with Carl and dog park friends John and Nancy for lunch and Fan Expo.  We were really looking forward to enjoying a meal at our favorite Jamaican restaurant Ackee Tree…

Only to learn it had closed down. John was crushed.

We ended up at Bier Markt instead, another one of Carl's favorite haunts.  They do a killer Ahi Tuna burger.  But the highlight of the menu…

The Markt Poutine.

 Finally, it was time to hit the Fan Expo.  And, after coughing up $40 to get in (Actually, Carl treated!) we were in…

Carl having the time of his life.

Akemi and her Japanese buddy. We watched a trailer for what looked like Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots: The Movie.

March of the storm troopers. Dispatched for crowd control.

At the Space booth: Mark Askwith and fellow producer prep for the big show.

As I was leaving the Space booth, I was approached by Andrew here who recognized me (and not from that America's Most Wanted episode!). We chatted Stargate for a while.

Speaking of Stargate - it was nice to see the fans representing.

And a little something for Das!

GORN!!!

I gave myself top points for actually recognizing this character from the Silent Hill video game.

DC Heroes on display.

Perhaps the worst case of jaundice I've ever seen.

Spirited Away!

No, not really.

You climb in, they lock you up, then bury you out back. Two hours later, they dig you back up.

Hmmm. I think I know why that Wonder Woman pilot didn't go to series.

The Joker and Harley Quinn out and about.

I score two more supervillain statues for my office collection: The Vulture on the left and Modok on the right.

Carl calls it a day.

 "This was my second geek festival.  I think pretty successful." – Akemi, August 27 2011.

August 26, 2011: Feeling logy!

Whew.  For some reason, all sorts of exhausted.  Could be work.  Could be the lack of working out.  Could be the Maximus situation.  Could be the scramble to deal with Akemi's visa situation. Could just be the end of the week.  Or, it could be I'm still feeling the repercussions of last weekend's weird food blow-out at the CNE.

Not exactly weird, but notable…

Heard from my longtime Stargate VFX Supervisor, Mark Savela, who informs me he'll be in town next week pitching Echoes.  I foresee another Stargate alumni dinner in my future!

An interesting article our assistant, Trevor, sent our way:  People are biased against creative ideas, studies find.  Hmmmm.

Received the summary from Maximus's second visit to University of Guelph.  Among the points of interest:

Assessment: good response to the first RT but now has evidence of regional lymph node metastasis

Comments: Will include the lymph node for the next 3 radiation treatments and hope that the melanoma vaccine will turn on the immune system.  Prognosis is still guarded with an expected survival of 6-8 months.

Today's entry is dedicated to Debra.

August 25, 2011: Maximus's Radioactive Road Trip III! In my mailbox! Baby!

"It's cold out.  I think I will wear my window-breaker."  Akemi, August 23 2011.

Early this morning, we were back at the University of Guelph Small Animal Hospital for Maximus's 3rd (of 5) radiation treatments and anti-cancer vaccine. Needless to say, my boy was less than enthusiastic…

Maximus looking all anxious heading into this third radiation treatment.

There have been some notable changes in Maximus over the past month.  Beside the obvious – lethargy, loss of appetite – he's become unusually needy. Apparently, if we're all in the car and I pop out to get something, he'll cry until I come back.  He used to do this all the time back when he was a puppy, and it's unusual to hear he's suddenly doing it now.

Bummed.

Anyway, like I said, his Maximus's appetite has been off of late.  He's no longer the voracious eater he used to be, polishing off his meal before the rest of the pack were halfway through theirs.  Lately, he's been turning his nose up at dog food and so Akemi has been making him simmered chicken breast that he'll happily consume so long as its shredded and fed to him by hand.  The radiation oncologist told us that the treatment may affect his olfactory sense and suggested we try sprinkling parmesan on his food.  That or serve him scrambled eggs. Akemi tried the latter this afternoon and that did the trick.  Apparently, he scoffed them down like his old self.

Contemplating matters.

According to the radiation oncologist, the tumor is shrinking.  A hopeful sign.  The aim is to get it to divide and die, a process that – if successful – may not come about for months after the completion of the therapy.

Anyway, Maximus was in great spirits when we picked him up later that day.  I dropped him and Akemi off, then headed to the office where I found some mail awaiting me.  First -

An awesome get well card from PBMom, Jeff, and Patrick. Maximus thanks you!

And then -

A Pugs Not Drugs t-shirt from my friend Kellie!

A HUGE thank you to both.

Oh, by the way.  With time to kill while we waited for Maximus to complete that morning's treatment, we headed over to the nearby mall where we strolled the aisles of the neighborhood dollar store.  I couldn't resist snapping a pic of this -

I'm no expert but...

Fan Expo this weekend – from what I hear, the biggest con after Comic Con and The Big Apple Comic Con.  I'm thinking of going on Saturday to check out the supervillain statues.

And heckle Michael Shanks who'll be making an appearance along with his lovely wife Lexa.

Finally, I leave you tonight with a pic of mom's cat, Baby, after bath time.

Cute, no?

Today's entry is dedicated to blog regular Das and everyone affected by Hurricane Irene's approach.  Stay safe!

August 24, 2011: Yet another Carl Binder belated birthday dinner! And another Weird Food Purchase of the Day video installment! And one more bento box masterpiece!

Last night, we went out for yet another Carl Binder belated birthday dinner.  I mean, seriously.  How long is he going to keep milking this?  I think his birthday was back in March!

Anyway, we all gathered at Babur Restaurant that Carl happily declared his "favorite restaurant in Canada"!, apparently beating out the likes of Earls, Red Robin, and that little Mexican place with the taco soup they don't call "taco soup".

The birthday boy, all smiles.

With super special guest star: Alan McCullough.

Mike Dopud, in town shooting our show - and about a half dozen other shows as well.

Alexander and Sarah. Alex has been putting in such late hours that we actually had to wake him up for this picture.

Me and Akemi. Post vindaloo.

Alexander and Sarah surprise Carl with the perfect gift: one heavy-ass beer keg he had to lug all the way back to his place.

Today's weird food purchase of the day video installment: the classic deep-fried Mars Bar.

Finally, today's bento breakfast masterpiece compliments of Akemi…

Kuma-chan!

Hmmm. Many of you seem to be experiencing technical difficulties trying to play the videos on this blog.  Someone suggested it may be browser-related.  I just noticed my own browser-related quirk.  For some reason, I can't approve comments if I open this blog in Safari.  My "approve" button just doesn't exist unless I use Firefox.  Odd.

P.S. A huge thanks to everyone who has been offering advice on the whole Akemi immigration thing.  Extra special thanks to Lise for the informative pointers.

August 23, 2011: Lou and Hugo together at last! Doggy R&R! The Weird Food Purchase of the Day: Deep-Fried Jos Louis!!

Editor Lou Anders and his new budy

Congrats to my buddy, editor Lou Anders, for picking up his very first Hugo Award!

Prometheus Books put out the following press release:

"Anders received the trophy for "Best Editor–Long Form" at a ceremony on Aug. 20 at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. Jay Lake and Ken Scholes presided as masters of ceremony, with additional presenters including Renovation Guests of Honor Tim Powers, Boris Vallejo, and Ellen Asher, along with leading genre writers George R. R. Martin and Robert Silverberg.

The Hugos are international, fan-voted awards. All members of the World Science Fiction Society are eligible to vote.

This was the fifth consecutive nomination and the first win for Anders in the category.

 "Words cannot express what an honor this award represents to me," Anders said. "But what I can express is how privileged I feel to work every day with the host of brilliant authors who have made Pyr what it is."

"Lou's taste, vision, and stewardship have been instrumental in shaping the Pyr brand," said Prometheus Books President Jonathan Kurtz. "We're extremely pleased and grateful for the tremendous reception Pyr has received since its inception."

Prometheus Books, an independent publisher of thoughtful nonfiction, launched the Pyr imprint in March 2005. Since then, it has become a brand known for books with quality both inside and out, from rich, engrossing narratives to award-winning cover art and design. Although technically an imprint, Pyr was called "one of a very few publishers I know of who have no bad books to their name" by a BiblioBuffet writer, and "one of the most exciting publishers in the business" by Black Gate magazine."

Hugo!

If you're interested, you can check out the whole ceremony here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16783348

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Checking in with the dogs…

Lulu's eyeing you!

Bubba squeeeeezes in.

Jelly's look of disdain

Maximus - hopefully on the mend.

Hanging out for the weekend.

Lulu all sprawly-comfy.

Yet another Weird Food Purchase of the Day installment.  Today – the deep-fried Jos Louis…

Goodnight!  I'm off to walk the dogs, then watch Bruce McDonald's director's cut of episode #102, 12 Hours!

August 22, 2011: If the karoshi doesn't kill me, the deep-fried fudge might!

"Have a good day.  Don't karoshi!" – Akemi, Every morning before I leave for work.

From wiki: "Karōshi (過労死?), which can be translated literally from Japanese as "death from overwork", is occupational sudden death. Although this category has a significant count, Japan is one of the few countries that reports it in the statistics as a separate category. The major medical causes of karōshi deaths are heart attack and stroke due to stress."

Hmmmm.  I suspect that, in her subtle way, Akemi is trying to tell me something.  But what?  WHAT?!!

Speaking of work – prep continues on my block (episodes #103 and #106, Sharks and Payback) as we try to cast, nail down locations, and get through that final round of meetings in advance of next Monday's start of production.  Also, have my hands full with these seemingly endless script revisions.  This morning, I received a call from one of the broadcasters informing me that the script for episode #103 was in great shape!

And that I could expect the next round of notes by day's end.

Anyway, the production express stops for no one.  I'm on board and racing toward the finish line – now December 2nd.  I'm sure that by that point, we'll have a thoroughly awesome first season under our collective belts and will have established a well-oiled machine for the second season's producing team (And, yes, I have no doubt that there WILL be a second season).  Following Christmas in Montreal with mom and sis, I'll be headed back to Vancouver for a much more easy-going 2012.  Hopefully, Akemi will be along for the return trip.

To all of you inquiring about Akemi's future here in Canada – well, I've retained the services of an immigration lawyer to help us out.  With less than three months and counting before Akemi's visa expires, here's hoping we can figure something out.  I know that Carl would miss her terribly.  Tonight, we start by filling out oodles of paperwork!

A Weird Food Purchase of the Day video installment.  Deep-fried chocolate fudge!

August 21, 2011: Daredevil Eats at the CNE! The Return of the Weird Food Purchase of the Day!

Today, we hit the CNE (Canadian National Exhibit).  My goal: to eat as much crap as possible.  And, I'm pleased to report, this mission was a huge success…

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My back-up on this day: Akemi, Carl, and Karen. They were on hand to eat what I couldn't finish and, if need be, call an ambulance on my behalf.

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Akemi foolishly filling up on healthy calories.

Carl's "Your gonna eat what?!" look.

We arrived a little before 1:00 p.m. and ignored the solitary concessions, games, and rides, heading straight for the giant food court.  I was on a mission…

We arrive at Food Central. Let the games begin!

Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. Everything looks so not good...

Finally, we find what I'm looking for – my reason for making this trip…

The Luthor! A cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, bacon, and a fried egg sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts. And only 1500 calories.

So, how was it?

Carl was NOT a fan of the sweet doughnut/burger combination but I thought it worked just fine.  It was actually the fried egg I had a problem with.

Anyway, with the Luthor under my belt, I was free to adopt a more scattershot approach to my menu selections.  Next up was some not bad deep-fried chocolate fudge (see tomorrow's entry for the video) followed by…

Deep-fried mac 'n cheese curds.

While everyone else was taking a breather, I swung by another booth and picked up a medley of treats…

From bottom left clockwise: deep fried Jo Louis, deep fried Mars Bar, and deep fried Twinkie.

Rather than go with the deep fried pickle, Akemi elected to go with plain old plain. Crazy, no?

We intended to head back only discover it was pouring rain outside.  So headed back inside and killed time by walking around – and eating some more.  I sampled some deep-fried coca cola (I believe they deep-fried the syrup and the result resembled a brown funnel cake).  I also picked up some wings at this place that offered choices ranging from mild to suicide.  When I ordered the suicide, the girls at the counter chuckled.  They told me it was because the suicide was insanely hot but I suspect it was actually because they knew I'd be disappointed by their weak kick.

Lonely boy eating his wings.

At this point, Akemi began to fear for my life and suggested it was time to go.  It had stopped raining so we headed out.  Along the way, we happened by a few more concessions…

Hot waffle ice cream sandwich.

We were almost at the exit when THIS caught my eye.

 How the hell do you deep fry butter?  Well, I'm glad you asked!

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First you take the butter...

Then you dip them in batter...

Then, fry 'em up...

Top with various syrups and serve. Bon Appetit!

And that was it!  Oh, except for this -

Deep fried cherry aid.

Okay.  At this point, I started feeling a little dizzy, no doubt a result of the drop in barometric pressure.  So we decided to call it a day.

Homeward bound!

Carl and Karen will no doubt be back next weekend.

All in all, a truly memorable outing.

I was so full that I figured I wouldn't eat until breakfast tomorrow.

But got hungry at around 7:00 p.m. and cooked up some insanely hot peppers and scallops.  Fortunately, I was able to cool down with some Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream.

Needless to say, I fully expect NOT to sleep comfortably through the night.

Tomorrow, I try to tackle the mailbag!