Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 71
December 6, 2023
December 6, 2023: Tokyo Day #1!
It’s 9:00 p.m. here in Tokyo, 6:42 a.m. back home, and we are exhausted and heading to bed. But first, a quick blog update!
Checking out the doggy station at Pearson Airport
The 14 hour flight was fine. I slept on and off for a total of five hours. Akemi less so. AND, she was sick. My wife is NOT a good traveler. BUT…we’re here!
Our friend, Dr. Blackjack, is also visiting Tokyo at the same time, so we met up for yakitori dinner…
We enjoyed a medly of grilled skewers – chicken hearts, thighs, and butts – some pickled veggies, onigiri for Akemi, and two grapefruit sours for yours truly.
Then, we stopped by 7-11 to pick up a bottle of water and THIS frozen brulee dessert…
Its impenetrable caramelized top defied our flimsy plastic spoon’s best efforts, so we just picked it out of its container and ate it like an ice cream sandwich. It was delicious!
Can’t believe it’s been over five years since our last visit. It’s great to be back, especially this time of year…
The post December 6, 2023: Tokyo Day #1! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 5, 2023
December 5, 2023: Tokyo-bound!
And here are a few of the things I’m looking forward to checking out when we get there…
Cafes!
Our top 3 cafes in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s newest and possibly swankiest shopping complex
This whisky bar/bookstore…
There’s a Tokyo bar with Japanese whisky inside bookstore inside Japan’s tallest building
Some low-key sweets shops…
Hidden in plain sight, low-key sweets shop surviving in Tokyo’s street market is a tasty treasure
Lacquer-black cheesecake ice cream bars…
Japan’s lacquer-black cheesecake ice cream bars, shocking to see, but delicious to eat?【Photos】
This department store rooftop Monet oasis…
Hidden oasis on a Japanese department store rooftop is home to Monet’s Pond in Tokyo
The Tokyo Revengers exhibition…
https://tcv.roppongihills.com/en/exhibitions/tokyorevengers/
Christmas cakes…
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/shopping/best-christmas-cakes-in-tokyo
The post December 5, 2023: Tokyo-bound! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 4, 2023
December 4, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Tokyo Vice (2022) Season 1
A Western journalist working for a publication in Tokyo takes on one of the city’s most powerful crime bosses.
My thoughts: The setting is interesting as is its true life source material, but this series is hampered by cliches, lethargic plotting, and the fact it is padded with too many uninteresting sub-plots.
3/5
The Night Of (2016)
After a night of partying with a woman he picked up, a man wakes up to find her stabbed to death and is charged with her murder.
My thoughts: A solid and compelling series that does a great job of exploring the notion of reasonable doubt, but it leaves us with a not wholly satisfying conclusion.
4/5
A Private Affair (2022 – ) Season 1
Marina Quiroga, a daring upper-class girl with a detective’s soul, sets off to catch the serial killer that has been terrorizing her town with her faithful butler Hector’s help.
My thoughts: Aura Garrido and Jean Reno are terrific in this fun high-adventure mystery series.
4/5
Kleo (2022)
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a former spy killer is set free and embarks on a revenge spree against the people who conspired to betray her.
My thoughts: Too silly and self-aware. The moment two combatants face off like sumo wrestlers was the point where this show went from fun to dumb and I tuned out.
DNF
Lyckoviken/Hammarvik (2020 – ) Season 1
When police officer Johanna Strand returns to her hometown Hammarvik to attend her mother’s funeral, she expects to stay only for a few nights but the body of a young woman is found and she decides to stay and investigate what happened.
My thoughts: The plot developments are annoyingly contrived and it’s all too pat and perfunctory.
DNF
The post December 4, 2023: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 3, 2023
December 3, 2023: Sharky Sunday!
With two days to go before we leave for Tokyo, we can finally rest easy having finalized our plans for Sharky. During our time away, he will be spending time with friends of friends, in a home that has experience dealing with dogs suffering from separation anxiety whose owners are in most of the day . I think Sharky will have a great ole’ time.
Visiting the new local dog-friendly cafe.
In holiday mode.
Sharky getting used to his taxi…
Sharky appreciates strawberries too…
Bubbie came for a visit…
A California pug ready for his first Canadian winter…
Making his pitch for joining us on our trip to Japan…
He insists he won’t take up much room.
My nickname or him is Little Bear.
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December 2, 2023
December 2, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Blazing through these crime shows as our trip to Japan fast approaches. Five more for your consideration. Or not…
Unbelievable (2019)
A teenager is charged with lying about having been raped, but two detectives follow the path to the truth.
My thoughts: Perfectly fine but it really feels like a bit of a ho-hum M.O.W. stretched to its narrative breaking point. Would have made a better 90 minute movie over an 8 part miniseries.
3/5
High Season (2019-2020) Season 1
Two sisters discover disturbing family secrets after a string of mysterious deaths occur on a luxury ship traveling from Spain to Brazil in the 1940s.
My thoughts: Silly high seas melodrama.
2.5/5
In the Dark (2017)
As she deals with an unexpected pregnancy, D.I. Helen Weeks must return to the hometown she loathes, to help her childhood best friend who is in the centre of a media frenzy following the abduction of two teenage girls.
My thoughts: Not particularly compelling nor noteworthy.
3/5
ZeroZeroZero (2019 – 2020)
A cocaine shipment makes its way to Europe, starting from the moment a powerful cartel of Italian criminals decides to buy it, to its journeys through Mexico, to its shipment across the Atlantic Ocean.
My thoughts: One of those rare instances where the parallel storylines are equally gripping and compelling. Terrific.
4.5/5
The Missing (2014 – 2016) Season 1
Tony and Emily Hughes’ vacation turns into a nightmare when their 5-year-old son Oliver disappears from a large celebrating crowd in Northern France.
My thoughts: Sets up an intriguing mystery that devolves into a ridiculous denouement. The final sequence really hits home though.
3/5
The post December 2, 2023: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 1, 2023
December 1, 2023: Recent Yes/No’s! Best and Worst!
And a sneak peek at what I may be checking out in Japan next week…
Grilled Chicken Tails? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/NAFpv48DtF
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) November 17, 2023
Spicy Miso Fried Chicken? Yes/No
KFC releases first-ever spicy miso chicken in Japan https://t.co/Mw9Yk4HysY via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/6OXnrSVjcq
— Joseph Mallozzi
Curry Pumpkin Pork Steak? Yes/No https://t.co/jF1dGlTz3D
— Joseph Mallozzi
Green Bean Casserole Sparkling Water? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/6RUER59xG6
— Joseph Mallozzi
Pistachio Frappuccino? Yes/No
Starbucks Japan gives us a pistachio Frappuccino for Christmas 2023 https://t.co/afN16vwflp via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Giant Strawberry Maritozzo? Yes/No
120-year-old sweets store keeps Japan’s maritozzo boom alive with a massive specimen https://t.co/92zE8vtkzw via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Moist Matcha S'more Brownies? Yes/No https://t.co/619cWWdtdb
— Joseph Mallozzi
Sugar Butter Tree KitKats? Yes/No
New Japanese KitKat flavour, Sugar Butter Tree, is like cracking a chocolate tree branch https://t.co/n6zXclWm7R via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
@BaronDestructo Nanaimo Bar Porter, Yes/No. pic.twitter.com/Kjq1QQ3idn
— eriq49@bsky social
(@eriq49) November 26, 2023
Best: The chicken tails (which will be my first meal upon landing in Tokyo). That said, a lot to look forward on this list including the Pistachio Frappuccino and Spicy Miso Fried Chicken.
Worst: Don’t love the look of that pumpkin curry cutlet, but would have to go with the green been casserole sparkling water.
The post December 1, 2023: Recent Yes/No’s! Best and Worst! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 30, 2023
November 30, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
The Green Glove Gang (2022 – ) Season 1
After a failed robbery, three elderly female thieves hide out in a quiet nursing home. While the police are on their heels, they continue their activities at the center, giving its elderly residents a second youth.
My thoughts: At turns funny, incisive, and heartfelt in its commentary on growing older with dignity.
4/5
Lilyhammer (2012 – 2014) Season 1
A New York mobster goes into hiding in rural Lillehammer in Norway after testifying against his former associates.
My thoughts: Never have I looked forward to checking out a show more – and been so roundly disappointed. Paint by numbers plotting and dialogue. A disappointingly uninspired execution of a brilliant idea.
2/5
My Name/Undercover (2021)
The story about a woman who joins an organized crime ring and infiltrates the police as an undercover agent in order to find out the truth about her father’s death.
My thoughts: Action, violence, betrayals and plenty of melodrama in this solid Korean outing.
4/5
Babylon Berlin (2017 – ) Season 1
Colognian commissioner Gereon Rath moves to Berlin, the epicenter of political and social changes in the Golden Twenties.
My thoughts: Looks great but I had no idea what was going on.
DNF
Dirty John (2018-2020) Season 1
Tells the true story of how a romance between Debra Newell and the charismatic John Meehan spiraled into secrets, denial, manipulation, and ultimately, a fight for survival for an entire family.
My thoughts: The subject matter is maddening, but absolutely riveting. A pleasant surprise.
4/5
Not a bad stretch!
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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?
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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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