Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 68
November 29, 2023
November 29, 2023: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Captain America #3 – cover art by Bjorn Barends
Captain America #3 – cover art by Jesus Saiz
Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #4 – cover art by Chris Samnee
X-Men Blue: Origins #1 – cover art by E.M. Gist
Amazons Attack! #2 – cover art by Dani
Power Girl #3 – cover art by Guillem March
The Flash #3 – cover art by Mike Deodato Jr.
Titans: Beast World #1 – cover art by Bjorn Barends
Titans: Beast World #1 – cover art by Bruno Redondo
Assassin’s Creed: Visionaries #1 – cover art by Rafael Albuquerque
Basic Instinct #1 – cover art by Patricia Martin
Belle: The House of Glass Slippers – cover art by Cedric Poulat
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post November 29, 2023: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 28, 2023
November 28, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Manhunt (2019 – ) Season 1
Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton tracks down a serial killer.
My thoughts: A well-written but dry exploration of the bureaucratic side of criminal investigations.
3.5/5
Dark Heart (2016 – 2018) Season 1
DI Will Wagstaffe and his team investigate horrifying and brutal attacks.
My thoughts: A little silly, a little cliche, a little cheesy.
2.5/5
Giri/Haji (2019)
A detective from Tokyo scours London for his missing brother, who’s been involved with the Yakuza and accused of murder.
My thoughts: Overly stylized and, at times, downright silly. Aims for Pulp Fiction but ends up more Boondocks Saints.
3/5
Craith/Hidden (2018-2022) Season 1
Police investigate when the body of a girl is found in a lake.
My thoughts: I found this one painfully slow-moving and generic.
3/5
Sommerdahl (2020 – ) Season 1
A love triangle between Dan Sommerdahl, his wife Marianne Sommerdahl and their best friend Flemming Torp occurs as they try to solves killings in Helsingør.
My thoughts: I can see how it might appeal to some, but I found it too soapy
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November 27, 2023
November 27, 2023: Snow Monkeys poised to pounce on an unlikely victory?
Well, that’s it. It finally happened. I accidentally replied-all when I should have sent a direct email. Mildly embarrassing but, I suppose it could have been worse. Much worse.
Has something similar ever happened to you? Answered reply-all and included recipients you really wish hadn’t received your email? Do tell.
Well, we’re almost into the Winter deep freeze and I am pleased to be leaving Canada next week, albeit for only two weeks, and only to come back in time to head to the winter wonderland that is Montreal. Still, it’ll be nice to get away somewhere the wind shear won’t make my ears feel like they’re on fire.
Unlike previous years where I’ve booked most of the restaurants, I’ve left this year’s Tokyo/Osaka itinerary to Akemi. So, instead of back to back to back to back Michelin-starred meals, we’ll be mixing it up – a few high-ends, a lot of casual fare, and a few open lunches and dinners where we’ll be playing it by ear. I’m especially looking forward to any of the pistachio-themed desserts and seasonal specials they’ll be rolling out in December. As in previous years, I’ll do my best to update my blog with my daily culinary discoveries – and occasional mishaps.
Could it be? Are my Snow Monkeys about to pull the upset and live to fight one more week in my fantasy football Guillotine League? All I need is 7 points from Minnesota tight end Hockenson and I’ll be duking it out in the finals next week for all the marbles!
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November 26, 2023
November 26, 2023: Sharky Sunday!
He’s like a real live teddy bear.
Getting into the holiday spirit.
Coffee outing
A total momma’s boy
Sweet dreams
Started a new video series: Sharky Savors!
Sharky Savors roasted maitake mushroom…
Sharky Savors egg yolk…
Sharky Savors broccoli…
Sharky Savors short rib…
The post November 26, 2023: Sharky Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 25, 2023
November 25, 2023: What lies ahead!
Wow. Hard to believe that in ten short days, well be boarding a flight for Japan. It’s been five years since our last trip and we are looking forward to checking out our old haunts – Pizza Serinkan, Butagumi, Esquisse, the basement dessert floor of Ginza’s Mitsubishi – as well as all of the new places we’ll discover. I much prefer the flight from Vancouver as it’s shorter and the time difference not as great but, all the same, it will be great to return to my home away from home. The only drawback will be not having Sharky around. In the month+ we’ve had him, we’ve really grown to love the little guy and I know we’ll miss him, just as I’m sure he’ll miss us. Not too much I hope as he’ll be spending the two weeks with our amazing vet tech and accompanying her to work every day where he will, no doubt, become the clinic’s defacto mascot.
Things are slowing down considerably as we head into the year’s end. I’ve got that new pilot rewrite to hop on, a couple of scripts to review, a contract to close, and still awaiting notes on the comic book project that, alas, probably won’t be addressed until the new year as I have no intention of working while in Tokyo, Osaka, and Montreal. Meanwhile, my other two pilots are out and making the rounds. Everyone is in the post-Thanksgiving pre-Christmas holiday mode so I don’t expect to hear anything from them either, but I’m willing to be happily surprised. A fairly relaxed week ahead will include a zoom session with a friend who is now an executive at a horror studio, and a Friday lunch with another friend.
Goshdarnit! My Snow Monkeys are in danger of falling out of playoff contention in one of my fantasy football leagues, barely holding onto a playoff spot in another, and face elimination this week in my Guillotine League where only three teams remain from the initial nine that started the season. I’m going to need big games from Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, and Michael Pittman in addition to whoever I decide to play at RB2 be it Rachaad White, Kyren Williams, Jaylen Warren, Rhamondre Stevens, or Deandre Swift. But I suspect it will all come down to TJ Hockenson on Monday night.
So, how does this upcoming week look for all of you?
The post November 25, 2023: What lies ahead! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 24, 2023
November 24, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Outlaws (2021 – ) Season 1
Seven strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol.
My thoughts: Broad humors, cliche characters, and stock plotting.
DNF
Line of Duty (2012 – 2021) Season 6
AC-12 investigate DCI Jo Davidson’s apparent mishandling of the murder of an investigative journalist.
My thoughts: Not as strong as season 2-4 and the ending is a bit of a letdown, but still a superior crime show.
4/5
New Blood (2016)
The series follows junior investigators Stefan and Rash, who are brought together by a link between two seemingly unrelated cases.
My thoughts: The villains are arch, the direction clunky, and the humor mostly falls flat in this formulaic buddy-cop series.
DNF
Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)
A devout detective’s faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder seemingly connected to an esteemed Utah family’s spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government.
My thoughts: Would have made a good movie.
3/5
Mare of Easttown (2021)
A detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart.
My thoughts: Minor logic quibbles aside, it delivers superior character work, a great central mystery, and a rare surprise ending.
4/5
The post November 24, 2023: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 23, 2023
November 23, 2023: Recent Eats!
Black garlic ramen
Dim Sum: chicken feet, steamed pork buns, sticky rice, pan-fried turnip cakes
SOMA chocolates
Pan-fried soft shell crab
Hummus
Nduja-stuffed olives and fried chicken
Lemon meringue pie and foie gras sundae
The post November 23, 2023: Recent Eats! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 22, 2023
November 22, 2023: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Avengers Inc. #3 – cover art by Marc Aspinall
Immortal X-Men #17 – cover art by Phil Noto
Catwoman #59 – cover art by Tirso Cons
Green Lantern: War Journal #3 – cover art by Rahzzah
Harley Quinn: Black, White & Redder #5 – cover art by R.B. Warren Louw
Nightwing #108 – cover art by Mike Deodato Jr.
The Bone Orchard: Tenement #6 – cover art by Andrea Sorrentino
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post November 22, 2023: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 21, 2023
November 21, 2023: This and That!
Akemi is trying to choose between the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 8, or the Pixel 7 Pro. Which should she go with and why?
(Drea, my wife is counting on your keen insights on this one!)
Short list of stuff I'm going to try when I'm in Tokyo next month:
Spicy Miso Fried Chicken
Cheesy Matcha Frappuccino
Lacquer-black Cheesecake Ice Cream Bar
Häagen-Dazs Brûlée Brûlée Brûlé
Butter Pudding
Butter Frappuccino
Uji Matcha Cinnabon
Tomahawk Tonkatsu pic.twitter.com/jjXg9eQ9FP
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) November 21, 2023
I’m especially looking forward to that black lacquer cheesecake ice cream bar. Hopefully it’s still around in two weeks.
I'm doing my part for the environment by using those biodegradable dog poop bags my wife bought. You know, the ones that fall apart in your hands?
— Joseph Mallozzi
Also, those biodegradable straws that turn to mush after three sips and, it turns out, aren’t any better for the environment than their plastic counterparts.
If love the idea of eggnog more than I like actual eggnog. For some reason, I always expect it to be thicker and yolkier than it actually is. pic.twitter.com/jlhlWHG2a6
— Joseph Mallozzi
I want something more like the consistency of the Vietnamese egg creams (coffee, chocolate, and condensed milk) or the sabayon (beaten egg yolk and sugar) mom used to make for me when I was a kid.
SHOWBIZ TIP #37
Always assume everyone is lying to you even if there is no point in doing so or it works against their better interests. Consider it their default setting, and plan accordingly.
— Joseph Mallozzi
SHOWBIZ TIP #63
There will come a time when someone will take credit for your work. And this will not be the last time this happens.
— Joseph Mallozzi
More often than not this is not an insidious action but simply part of the business. In the writers’ room, for instance, a lot of the ideas you come up with will be contributions to someone else’s script. Hell, I remember one Atlantis episode where I came up with the idea for the story, all the act breaks, and every gag – before the script went to another writer. And then there are all the uncredited rewrites, occasionally page one full rewrites, that you do as part of your job as a showrunner.
The post November 21, 2023: This and That! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 20, 2023
November 20, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Comrade Detective (2017)
Detectives Gregor Anghel and Joseph Baciu investigate the murder of fellow officer Nikita Ionescu and, in the process, unravel a subversive plot to destroy their country that is fueled by the greatest enemy: Capitalism.
My thoughts: Like a one-gag sketch stretched out over hours.
DNF
Shetland (2013 – ) Season 1
A local police team investigate crimes within the close knit island community of Shetland.
My thoughts: Very well done so far as rustic rural mysteries go, but I guess I ‘m just not a fan of rustic rural mysteries.
3.5/5
The Thaw (2022 – ) Season 1
The body of a young woman is discovered in the icy river. The investigation is led by Zawieja for whom solving the case will be a fight for herself.
My thoughts: Dumb luck trumps incompetent police work in this Silence of the Lambs clone.
3/5
Sherwood (2022 – ) Season 1
Two shocking and unexpected murders shatter an already fractured community leading to one of the largest manhunts in British history.
My thoughts: Coincidences and contrivances mar the whole.
3/5
Unforgotten (2015- ) Season 5
Human remains are discovered in a newly renovated period property in West London. But is this a murder dating back to the 1930s or has the body been disposed of in more recent times?
My thoughts: Still a plotted show, but something is definitely missing this season…
4/5
The post November 20, 2023: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
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