Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 56
May 1, 2024
May 1, 2024: Amazing Covers!
Blood Hunt #1 – cover art by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
Blood Hunt #1 – cover art by John Tyler Christopher
The Invincible Iron Man #19 – cover art by Kael Ngu
Space Ghost #1 – cover art by Francesco Mattina
Space Ghost #1 – cover art by Bjorn Barends
King Spawn #33 – Puppeteer Lee
Gumaa: The Beginning of Her #6 – Jee-Hyung Lee
Tales of Asunda – cover art by Iga Oliwiak
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post May 1, 2024: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 30, 2024
April 30, 2024: BTS Photos of the Sandstorm Sequence – Stargate: Atlantis “The Last Man”
Going through some old hard drives and came across these behind the scene photos of the sandstorm sequence from Stargate: Atlantis’s “The Last Man”…
The post April 30, 2024: BTS Photos of the Sandstorm Sequence – Stargate: Atlantis “The Last Man” appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 29, 2024
April 29, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst!
Frozen Cotton Candy drink? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/mXlHvjwAc9 pic.twitter.com/n3RzXYvq6j
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) April 8, 2024
Black Curry? Yes/No
Japanese black curry “experiment” takes place at an unlikely restaurant branch in Tokyo https://t.co/Hw6v6UQcoT via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Boozy Orange Aperol Spritz Cake? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/PsPjmX3Ird pic.twitter.com/d5DGRgZPci
— Joseph Mallozzi
Everything Bagel Ramen? Yes/No
Cup Noodles Everything Bagel surprises ramen lovers around the world https://t.co/mR2Ca9kT31 via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Dill Pickle Doughnut Fritters? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/X7v3HrkN4H pic.twitter.com/ZUMjNQXQUF
— Joseph Mallozzi
Chicken Katsu Mabo Curry? Yes/No
Tokyo restaurant’s chicken katsu mabo curry is hard to pin down, easy to love https://t.co/dnt60uZi5a via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Waffle Cereal? Yes/NOhttps://t.co/gYaYz33b9V pic.twitter.com/9ijstGnKWo
— Joseph Mallozzi
Mojito Cake? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/b7ecePml4I pic.twitter.com/IVH632KwSo
— Joseph Mallozzi
Evil Wings? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/VLY72wR47E
— Joseph Mallozzi
Strawberry Daifuku Liqueur? Yes/No
We tried Japan’s Strawberry Daifuku? liqueur, one of three dessert-themed liqueurs https://t.co/kKQeHfVtAu via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Best: Evil Wings
Worst: Dill Pickle Doughnut Fritters
You?
The post April 29, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 28, 2024
April 27, 2024: Sharky Sunday!
It has arrived. We’re going to take a sample and send it off to the lab for analysis. Any predictions? What does he look like to you?
Hmmmm.
A good chin rub –
Out and about with Sharky…
Crazy kicker…
Also, Sunday is bath time for Sharky…
The post April 27, 2024: Sharky Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 27, 2024
April 27, 2024: The Crime Binge continues!
Berlin (2023 – ) Season 1
Back to his golden age before the events of “Money Heist,” Berlin and a masterful gang gather in Paris to plan one of his most ambitious robberies ever.
My thoughts: The prequel to Money Heist is a fun romp but, after a while, the escapes become so contrived and nonsensical that they diminish the stakes and undermine the drama.
3.5/5
Florida Man (2023 – ) Season 1
When an ex-cop returns to his home state of Florida to find a mobster’s runaway girlfriend, what should’ve been a quick gig turns into a wild odyssey.
My thoughts: Fun premise but the show’s flip attitude really begins to grate after a while.
3/5
The Brothers Sun (2024 – ) Season 1
Charles Sun, a Taipei gangster who’s settled into his life as a ruthless killer, must go to L.A. to protect his mother and younger brother after his father is shot by a mysterious assassin.
My thoughts: Annoyingly overly-stylized, just another in a long line of recent highly polished but ultimately empty kooky crime shows.
3/5
Reacher (2022 – ) Season 1
Itinerant former military policeman Jack Reacher solves crimes and metes out his own brand of street justice. Based on the novels by Lee Child.
My thoughts: Perfectly average actioner that delivers as no more or less as expected. Dialogue and direction are the entertainment equivalent of fast-food.
3.5/5
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024 – ) Season 1
Two strangers land jobs with a spy agency that offers them a life of espionage, wealth, and travel. The catch: new identities in an arranged marriage.
My thoughts: 25% fun and 75% annoyingly pointless banter and insufferable bickering. Also, spoiler alert, they kill the cat.
3.5/5
Alas, I can only recommend shows with a 4/5 score or higher and none of today’s selection make the cut. Better luck next time!
The post April 27, 2024: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 26, 2024
April 26, 2024: Projects Percolating!
Boy, you don’t realize how hard it is to get a project off the ground until you try getting a project off the ground. It’s a lot of hard work, seemingly endless waiting, and plenty of disappointment. There are even times when you get close, very close, so close that you make the mistake of actually believing something is going to go – at which point it all dissolves away. But, after a while, you become habituated to the constant setbacks.
Having said all that, I honestly feel I’m close on several projects – one of which, I just have a feeling, will be going to camera sooner than later.
First up is that action-adventure series I’m pitching as National Treasure meets Castle meets White Collar. We’ve attached a star and a director, are negotiating a deal with a new partner, and are looking to take it out in the coming months. It’s a solid package, but it’s not without its challenges.
Second is that cozy mystery series. We have a buyer that loved the pitch and is reading the script now. My producing partner’s feeling on this is that they may want to turn the pilot into a movie, ideally the first of many in a series as part of a Mystery Wheel in the vein of the NBC Columbo/McCloud/MacMillan and Wife days. I await their response.
Third is another action-heavy thriller that has garnered some interest as a possible international series (that may, if all the pieces fall into place, see me re-teaming with my old friend and fellow writer-producer Alexander Rumelin).
Fourth is that high concept low-budget horror-comedy that I initially planned to produce myself. But it’s pretty clear at this point that aint happening so I had my agent send it out. So far, it went to four places. Two got back to me immediately with interest. This one is a no-brainer and as much as I’ll be happy to see it onscreen, I have no doubt it will make someone else a lot of money.
Fifth, there’s two other horror features I’ve had in my back pocket. As I solidify relations with these horror houses, I’ll send them their way as well and see how it goes.
Sixth, there’s the various comic book projects. To be honest, another crapshoot.
Finally, on more of a general note, I ended up meeting writer-producer Simon Barry (Warrior Nun, Continuum) the other day. My plan was to be in and out in an hour as I’m not a fan of the industry meet-and-greets, but we ended up hanging out for a little over three hours, discussing the industry and comparing war stories and very similar approaches to our craft. A very talented genuinely good guy (and you know I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it).
As my buddy director-producer J.B. Sugar is fond of saying: “Onwards!”
The post April 26, 2024: Projects Percolating! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 25, 2024
April 25, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst!
Cappuccino Ramen? Yes/No
Cappuccino Ramen becomes super popular in Japan, but is it worth the hype? https://t.co/H3ItVyDPqV via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Suruga Bay Blue Gelato? Yes/No
We try super rare Shizuoka food souvenirs in the form of blue gelato and purple baumkuchen https://t.co/mfbszkCln7 via @RocketNews24En pic.twitter.com/IioJCITqMQ
— Joseph Mallozzi
Reiwa garlic chive ramen? Yes/No
New famous food of Akihabara! Reiwa garlic chive ramen is delicious two times per meal https://t.co/l91Y9mSHwJ via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Japanese chiffon sandwiches? Yes/No
Japanese chiffon sandwiches are a treat worth travelling for https://t.co/AzvG5OqkWe via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Chocolate Guinness Cake? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/zExH7sVGga pic.twitter.com/tid4ul6k1y
— Joseph Mallozzi
Muscle Bread? Yes/No
We try the free muscle bread distributed by macho dudes at a one-day, pop-up event in Tokyo https://t.co/mmfL6aUvJP via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Gold Leaf Pizza? Yes/No
Japanese pizza chain releases gold leaf pizza for 40,000 yen https://t.co/tU3jjxBQcU via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) Burger? Yes/No
McDonald’s Japan teases customers with a crazy mentaiko burger https://t.co/WsezN8DnZZ via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Gin and Tonic Traybake Squares? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/2YBROBguj6 pic.twitter.com/FrXeFalJV0
— Joseph Mallozzi
Gohobi Frappuccino? Yes/No
Starbucks unveils new Gohobi Frappuccino in Japan https://t.co/9xI0SSZMeO via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Best: Suruga Bay Blue Gelato
Worst: Gold Leaf Pizza
And you?
The post April 25, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 24, 2024
April 24, 2024: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
G.O.D.S. #7 – cover art by Mateus Manhanini
Wolverine: Madripoor Knights #3 – cover art by Nic Klein
The Infernals #3 – cover art by Sam Wolfe Connelly
Batman: Dark Age #2 – cover art by Steve Pugh
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12 – cover art by Simone De Meo
Detective Comics #1084 – cover art by Javier Fernandez Barranco
The Penguin #9 – cover art by Francesco Mattina
Jennifer Blood: Battle Diary #5 – cover art by Joseph Michael Linsner
Red Sonja #10 – cover art by Bjorn Barends
Kill Town #1 – cover art by Todd Skull
Lipstick Cliqa #2 – cover art by Todd Skull, Rob Prior
Pooh vs Bambi #1 – cover art by Pierluigi Abbondanza
Spectrograph #1 – cover art by Martin Simmonds
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post April 24, 2024: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 23, 2024
April 23, 2024: The Crime Binge continues!
Aranyelet/Golden Life (2015 – 2018 ) Season
A corrupt businessman and family man attempts to navigate his way through increasing domestic, legal, and financial problems.
My thoughts: The Hungarian thriller does a terrific job of exploring themes similar to those touched on by shows like Breaking Bad as an average family is drawn into a world of crime and chaos. Season 2 builds beautifully on all of the narrative elements established in the first season.
4.5/5
C.B. Strike (2017 – )
War veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike solves brutal murders with the help of his trusted partner Robin Ellacott.
My thoughts: A pretty good mystery series. I like the way our two leads play off each other, but the endings feel rushed and dramatically unsatisfying.
3.5/5
Blood Coast / Pax Massilia (2023 – )
A group of police officers with particular methods who track down a dangerous criminal in order to prevent Marseille from plunging into a bloodbath.
My thoughts : When I saw that Olivier Marchal, the creator of the fantastic series Braquo was involved, I put this one at the top of my watch-list. What a disappointment. Incoherent story and uninteresting characters in a paint-by-numbers thriller.
2.5/5
Escale Fatale/Taken Down (2018)
Showcases the violent death of a young Nigerian migrant. The investigation brings us into a twilight world of the new Ireland, where slum landlords and criminals prey on the vulnerable.
My thoughts: From the creators of one of my favorite crime shows, Love/Hate comes a haunting and depressing mystery with pacing issues and an ultimately unsatisfying ending.
3/5
Detective Forst/Forst (2024 – )
Tatra Mountains will become an arena of brutal murder. The investigation is carried out by a cynical but effective policeman, Wiktor Forst.
My thoughts: At time convoluted, at other times cliche. The ending is nonsensical.
2.5/5
The post April 23, 2024: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
April 22, 2024
April 22, 2024: E. coli? Yes/No
We were at the farmer’s market on Saturday morning where I spotted a rare sight: grass-fed beef ribs! I snatched up the last rack (much to the disappointment of the woman shopping after me) and headed home, formulating my culinary game plan. That night, I salted the meat, let it sit for an hour, then seared it off in a heavy skillet to get that nice mahogany crust. Then, after letting it rest for half an hour, I seasoned generously with more salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, thyme, and oregano. I elected to go slow cooker over oven-roasted so, when the time came, I set the the rack in my crock pot and covered it with a bottle of cooked-off red wine, olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, and one can of DOP San Marzano tomatoes. Everything was set up. All I had to do was press START before I went to bed and the ribs would be fall-off-the-bone done in the morning, slow simmering until lunch.
The next morning, Akemi woke up first and headed into the kitchen where I heard her utter a “Oh no.”. I assumed it had snowed. It was only while I was brushing my teeth, thinking about those delicious ribs, that I realized the “Oh no” had not been a reaction to the weather. It had been a response to the discovery I had forgotten to press START!
The beef ribs had sat out all night in the marinade, roughly 12 hours. What was I to do? On the one hand, the FDA advises people NOT to consume raw meat that has been left unrefrigerated for more than two hours. On the other hand, I was REALLY looking forward to those beef ribs.
A quick internet search yielded conflicting advice. There was the very real danger that the meat was, by now, covered in dangerous pathogens that would make us very, very ill. And yet, I was somewhat comforted by seemingly knowledgeable experts posting in foodie forums who pointed out the FDA was just covering their asses with those guidelines and, besides, people in countries without refrigeration leave their meat out for days. So, who was I to believe? In the end, my twitter followers…
Yes, I put it to a vote. And received a lot of interesting opinions. I left my fate (and lunch plans) in the hands of roughly 1,100 mostly strangers. The results…
And so, 4+ hours later after cooking on high, I deemed the beef ribs “done” and put them under the broiler for 2 minutes each side (in the hopes that would kill off any toxins), then brushed them with a glaze comprised of amaro (reasoning the alcohol would also sterilize the ribs), honey, a mango-based hot sauce, and olive oil and seared them off one last time.
I mean, they looked pretty tasty.
Despite the confidence of two-thirds of the random twitter users who voted, I remained cautious and only had a single rib. Akemi, for her part, only hazarded a bite. Delicious! Sweet and savory, slightly spicy, with nary hint of bacterial infection. To be on the safe side, I chased it down with a shot of amaro figuring the booze would kill any potential bacteria and, after all, who ever heard of anyone getting sick after drinking alcohol?
Most food poisoning takes effect within an hour or two after consumption, so I anxiously awaited the results. Three hours later, I posted an update:
Feeling no ill effects, I had another rib for dinner. Akemi, for her part, went all in, consuming three (!). We slept on it/them. And the following morning…
I guess that’s it. Unless it turns out to be one of those rare cases where food poisoning kicks in days, sometimes weeks later, I think we’re all good.
In the end, not only did I enjoy some delicious ribs, but I was provided much-needed material for this blog! All the same, next time around, I’ll definitely be hitting “ENTER” on that slow-cooker.
The post April 22, 2024: E. coli? Yes/No appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
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