Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 66
January 22, 2024
January 22, 2024: The Crime Binge continues!
Braqueurs/Ganglands (2021 – ) Season 1
Mehdi, a qualified robber, and Liana, an apprentice thief, get involved in a turf war between drug dealers, and have to collaborate in order to save their loved ones.
My thoughts: Was really hoping to like this one a lot given the premise but was let down by the dialogue and direction. The season 1 finale finishes strong but, sadly, that wasn’t enough for me.
3.5/5
Tulsa King (2022) Season 1
Following his release from prison, Mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi is exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he builds a new criminal empire with a group of unlikely characters.
My thoughts: Sly is great and overall the show is entertaining enough in its fairly straightforward and predictable way, but the characters are flat and the performances so glib the narrative loses any sense of real stakes. The Sopranos it aint.
3/5
Braquo (2009 – 2016)
This crime-drama follows a group of Paris police officers who live at the edge of the law, often using violence and intimidation to get the job done.
My thoughts: One of my favorite shows of this Crime Binge continues to deliver the goods. Another solid outing, but not quite as strong as its previous season.
4/5
Gangland Undercover (2015 2016) Season 1
A gritty fact based drama series that tells the story of a drug dealer who was arrested then given a desperate ultimatum: serve over 20 years in jail, or go undercover inside one of America’s most notorious biker gangs.
My thoughts: The Voice Overs, dialogue, direction and performances are all pretty cheesy. Aside from that, its not very memorable.
2/5
The Bad Guy (2022 – ) Season 1
The show revolves around a Sicilian public prosecutor named Nino Scotellaro who devoted his whole life to fighting the Mafia and finds himself accused and condemned of being a mafioso himself.
My thoughts: Fitfully funny but ultimately too far-fetched to be taken seriously.
3/5
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January 21, 2024
January 21, 2024: Sharky Sunday!
Curled up in his mansion. This is his safe spot.
At his comfiest when mom’s around.
Little Bear
Loves his belly rubs
A very dignified doggy
Check out the weird bark…
HIs training is really coming along…
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January 20, 2024
January 20, 2024: My Top 5 Favorite Book Series for Young Readers!
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice, is threatened by Cluny the Scourge savage bilge rat warlord and his battle-hardened horde. But the Redwall mice and their loyal woodland friends combine their courage and strength.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Epic battles between good and evil, fantastic creatures, betrayals, heroic deeds, and friendships won and lost all come together in this unforgettable world, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
George and Martha by James Marshall
Like all best friends, George and Martha do everything together—go to the movies, play at the beach, and just hang around not doing much of anything. George and Martha teach each other (and adoring readers) that even in a close friendship, privacy is important, practical jokes can sometimes backfire, and among other things, pouring split pea soup into your loafers to spare the chef’s feelings is not the best-laid plan.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. After their parents’ death in a fire, the children are placed in the custody of a murderous villain, Count Olaf, who attempts to steal their inheritance and causes numerous disasters with the help of his accomplices as the children attempt to flee. As the plot progresses, the Baudelaires gradually confront further mysteries surrounding their family and deep conspiracies involving a secret society, which also involves Olaf and Snicket, who is also a fictional character who narrated the books series as his investigating documentation about the Beaudelaires’s whereabouts, in honor of her late ex-fiancé Beatrice, who revealed to be the Beaudelaires’s late mother.
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January 19, 2024
January 19, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst!
Hojicha Mochitto Milk Frappuccino? Yes/No
Starbucks Japan releases a sticky rice and roasted green tea Frappuccino for New Year https://t.co/VfD8SsABLO via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) December 19, 2023
Dragon Latte? Yes/No
Starbucks releases a dragon latte containing Japanese pepper in Japan https://t.co/hIs7zNzSM6 via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Maitake Burger? Yes/No
My oh maitake! Japan’s oldest hamburger chain’s new mushroom burger is like eating a forest https://t.co/zBDKfA6ziS via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Barbecue-flavored Whisky? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/ipB73LKuvD
— Joseph Mallozzi
KFC Christmas-only Premium Chicken? Yes/No
Is KFC Japan’s ultra-expensive Christmas-only premium chicken worth it? YES…but also maybe no… https://t.co/qPdSf6bNdv via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Drowning in Cheese Fillet Burger? Yes/No
KFC becomes KFCheese with new pie and raclette “drowning” burger in Japan https://t.co/fUAtU1IWJr via @RocketNews24En pic.twitter.com/Mfa7c8kHgx
— Joseph Mallozzi
Chewy Matcha Cake? Yes/No
Starbucks adds new chewy matcha cake to its menu in Japan for New Year https://t.co/vp2e6U6oHl via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Grilled Banana Pandan Rice? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/gkR4GMDfgV
— Joseph Mallozzi
Godzilla Burgers? Yes/No
Godzilla vs McDonald’s! King of monsters takes on fast food king’s new Godzilla Burgers【Video】 https://t.co/hCcKJZ9FFX via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Birria Grilled Cheese? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/Od7uCc5iaq
— Joseph Mallozzi
Best: I’m going with that maitake burger.
Worst: To be honest, nothing looks all that bad but out of an abundance of caution I’m going with the barbecue-favored whiskey.
The post January 19, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 18, 2024
January 18, 2024: The Crime Binge continues!
Clark (2022)
This is the incredible story behind Sweden’s most notorious gangster, Clark Olofsson, whose infamous crimes gave rise to the term “Stockholm Syndrome”.
My thoughts: The cutty Snatch schtick gets old fast.
3/5
Dirty John (2018 – 2020) Season 2
Anthology series in which each season is based on a true crime story featuring an epic tale of love gone wrong.
My thoughts: Season 1 was great; season 2 a bit of drag.
3/5
The Sinner (2017 – 2021) Season 1
Detective Harry Ambrose investigates various atrocious murder cases and tries to analyze the reasons behind ordinary people committing heinous crimes.
My thoughts: The huge twist relies on characters acting illogically.
3/5
Braquo (2009 – 2016 ) Season 3
Rejected by their peers and superiors, Eddy and his renegade team go from hunters to hunted. Caught in the crossfire of a gang war, they can no longer rely on themselves alone to avoid a total fall from grace.
My thoughts: This show continues to go hard.
4/5
The Head (2020 – ) Season 1
Winter has fallen on the South Pole. A small team, known as the Winterers, will remain at the Polaris VI Antarctic Research Station to continue their innovative research, a crucial part in the fight against climate change.
My thoughts: Gets off to a terrific start but then grows increasingly ridiculous. Perhaps the stupidest group of scientists ever depicted onscreen.
2/5
The post January 18, 2024: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 17, 2024
January 17, 2024: Round and round the projects go. What gets picked up, nobody knows!
Alrighty. My aim this year is to write six pilots. That’s one new script every two months! Just finished up on my first and sent it my agent’s way. He’ll read it this weekend. The plan is to go wide with it in the coming months. Just one more roll of the dice.
My agent also informs me we’re moving forward on the development deal for that monster show.
Meanwhile, movement on that indie horror comedy we’re looking to shoot in Bulgaria. When the final pieces fall into place, we’ll be heading to Sofia for a 5 weeks of prep and 20 days of shooting.
Got some notes on the horror comic and will look to incorporate them in my rewrite of issue #1, which is next on deck.
An update on my action-adventure series. We have our lead and our director. We should be receiving a preliminary budget from a potential production partner this week. Meanwhile, we’re looking to finally take it out to U.S. buyers.
Circling back on the Kpop/Sci-Fi series and the android murder mystery in the coming weeks. Looking to nail down those pitch docs so we can finally take those out as well.
Waiting for word on that cosmic horror series that could take me back to B.C. But I’m tempering expectations as it could all go the way of…
That series proposal I dubbed “Dark Ghostbusters”. Some great initial discussions but when it became clear that the creator didn’t want to budge from any of his initial ideas, it also become pretty evident that I would not be a good fit.
Zoom discussion next week with that other production company about grounded sci-fi.
Still awaiting word on a possible development deal/rewrite for that small-town mystery.
While I await word about that OTHER small-town mystery.
But the one I’m really, REALLY excited about it the cozy mystery series that has engendered some interest south of the border. Mom would absolutely love it!
Today’s Yes/No…
Beer Mints? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/tuEfZ6v6pV pic.twitter.com/qE3W3TudJn
— Joseph Mallozzi
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January 17, 2024: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
John Constantine: Hellblazer – Dead in America #1 – cover art by Mark “Jock” Simpson
Wonder Woman #5 – cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco
Army of Darkness: Forever #4 – cover art by Nick Dragotta
Steel of the Celestial Shadows, vol. 1 – cover art by Drama Matsuura
The P.R.I.S.M. #4 – cover art by Tyler Boss
Avengers: Twilight #1 – cover art by Leinil Francis Yu
Fantastic Four #16 – cover art by Alex Ross
Guardians of the Galaxy #10 – cover art by Luciano Vecchio
So, which were YOUR favorites?
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January 16, 2024
January 16, 2024: Not bad. Not bad at all.
Not bad. After a wild wildcard weekend in the NFL, 3 of my 4 favorite teams advance, while 3 of 4 of my least favorite teams were eliminated.
SuperBowl winner/results by order of preference:
1. Lions
2. Bills
3. Browns
4. Packers
5. Ravens
6. Steelers
7. Texans
8. 49ers
9. Bucs
10. Rams
11. Retroactive rule change admits the Saints/Raiders over any of the below teams
12. Dolphins
13. Cowboys
14. Eagles
15. Game cancelled
16. Chiefs
At this point, I’ll be happy with anyone besides the Chiefs winning.
After two weeks of no added sugar, I can honestly say that I feel surprisingly – no different. My energy levels are exactly the same. I’m not sleeping any better. And I’ve actually put on a couple of pounds. Lesson learned. Bring on the chocolate!
This interesting Hermes print ad I came across while in Tokyo. Uh, interesting…
Today’s Yes/No…
Final Fantasy XIV wine? Yes/No
Final Fantasy XIV wine is here to let you raise a glass to celebrate the RPG’s 10th anniversary https://t.co/l4srByeJdv via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
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January 15, 2024
January 15, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
The Serpent (2021) The twisting, real-life story of Charles Sobhraj, a murderer, thief and seductive master of disguise, who was a hidden darkness in the mid-70’s on Asia’s hippie trail.
My thoughts: The quick-cut hyperkinetic style just becomes too much. It’s clear we have a Guy Ritchie fan here.
3/5
Barry (2018 – 2023) Season 1
A hit man from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city’s theatre arts scene.
My thoughts: A clever, darkly humorous series that stands out amongst the 100+ shows I’ve watched so far for this Crime Binge.
4.5/5
Barry (2018 – 2023) Season 2
A hit man from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city’s theatre arts scene.
My thoughts: The twists and turns keep coming, as does this show’s trademark dark humor. Fantastic.
4.5/5
Barry (2018 – 2023) Season 3
Coming off the rails here! A hit man from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city’s theatre arts scene.
My thoughts: Hmmmm. While it doesn’t completely come off the rails, the sudden shift in the show’s tone makes this third season a marked let-down from the previous two.
3/5
Barry (2018 – 2023) Season 4
I felt like I was watching a completely different show with the same name. A hit man from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city’s theatre arts scene.
My thoughts: Everything that made this show so wonderful in its first two seasons has been stripped away in favor of a humorless, utterly depressing storyline. It’s hard to believe this is the same show.
1.5/5
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January 14, 2024
January 14, 2024: Sharky Sunday!
Our trip to Beatrice Society…
Our trip to Propellor Coffee inside Indigo Books…
Outside Quantum Coffee…
Sharky snacks on maitake mushrooms…
Sharky in his mansion…
Sharky tucked in for the night…
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