Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 73
November 16, 2023
November 16, 2023: The Crime Binge blazes on!
Payback (2023 – ) Season 1
Lexie Noble becomes entangled in a police operation to topple a notorious crime lord, Cal Morris.
My thoughts: Love the premise Less enamored of the execution. A resounding meh.
3/5
Snabba Cash (2021 – ) Season 1
The entrepreneurial jet set and the criminal world are more brutal, chaotic, and ruthless than ever. When these two worlds collide, loyalty, friendships, and business partners will be tested in the never-ending quest for easy money.
My thoughts: This one was a pleasant surprise. Evin Ahmad’s Leya is terrific.
4.5/5
Blanca (2021 – ) Season 1
Blanca, a blind profiler, comes back to Genova, her hometown. A difficult case forces her to remain and to face with her mysterious past.
My thoughts: Silly and rife with implausibilities, but fun, a visual delight, and Maria Chiara Giannetta is oh so watchable.
4/5
Snabba Cash (2021 – ) Season 2
The lives of an ambitious businesswoman, a troubled teenager, and a charming gang enforcer collide during a desperate, and sinister, pursuit of wealth.
My thoughts: A thrilling descent into the gritty Swedish underworld, but the finale wraps up in all too convenient fashion.
4/5
Unforgotten (2015 – ) Season 4
London detectives investigate crimes from the past, unravelling secrets left buried for years.
My thoughts: One of the better season-long mystery shows. Solid, but not as strong as season 3. And that ending….
4/5
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November 13, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
For some reason, my November 13th blog entry did not post, so here it is…
The Bay (2019 – ) Season 1
Police in the Morecambe Bay area in Lancashire investigate missing persons and suspicious deaths.
My thoughts: Didn’t grab me. Felt very run-of-the-mill
DNF
Unforgotten (2015 – ) Season 3
London detectives investigate crimes from the past, unravelling secrets left buried for years.
My thoughts: This show keeps getting better and better. Well-plotted mysteries.
4.5/5
Line of Duty (2012-2021) – Season 5
The series follows the actions of Superintendent Ted Hastings, DI Kate Fleming and DS Steve Arnott as they investigate an Organised Crime Group with links to missing undercover officer DS John Corbett.
My thoughts: Riveting, always surprising, but not as strong as previous seasons.
4/5
Utopia (2013 – 2014) Season 1
After a group of people, who meet online, discover a bizarre graphic novel which seems to hold mysterious answers, they find themselves being tracked down by a merciless organization known merely as ‘The Network’.
My thoughts: If quirky conspiracy shows are your thing (I have discovered they are not mine) then this should could be for you.
3/5
4 Blocks (2017-2019) Season 1
Based in Neukölln, Berlin, Toni manages the daily business of dealing with the Arab gangs and ends up wanting to leave his old life behind for his family, but as expected, it’s never that simple.
My thoughts: The strong brotherly bond at the heart of the show and the unique Persian underworld setting goes a long way, but not enough to keep me watching past the first season as it ultimately felt all too familiar to me.
3.5/5
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November 15, 2023
November 15, 2023: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Black Panther #6 – cover art by Stephanie Hans
The Cull #4 – cover art by Tula Lotay
Batman and Robin #3 – cover art by David Finch
Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #2 – cover art by Riley Rossmo
Red Sonja #5 – cover art by Lucio Parrillo
Clear, vol. 1 – cover art by Francis Manapul
So, which were YOUR favorites?
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November 14, 2023
November 14, 2023: This and That!
The movies that made me fall in love with sci-fi pic.twitter.com/bQZ1HJSsCY
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) November 14, 2023
And you?
You've been given the creative freedom and budget to reboot ONE comic book character/team for the big screen. Who/What is it going to be?
— Joseph Mallozzi
The t.v. shows that made me fall in love with horror pic.twitter.com/ziHpC8gEXu
— Joseph Mallozzi
Is a PhD in Marvel studies required to enjoy their new movies?
— Joseph Mallozzi
The t.v. shows that made me fall in love with sci-fi pic.twitter.com/gOwKYUzbCt
— Joseph Mallozzi
I once had a financial advisor who kept his dog in his garage. The dog would go nuts because, as I pointed out to him, it was like being in solitary confinement all day.
At some point, he got tired of the dog and had it put down. So I fired him.
— Joseph Mallozzi
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November 12, 2023
November 12, 2023: Sharky Sunday!
Our boy is settling in nicely and, the longer he spends with us, the more we get to know about him. Like the fact that it takes him approximately 30 seconds to eat his meals. And the fact he doesn’t like water (rain, drinking it, but especially baths). And the fact he likes small dogs but is freaked out by big dogs.
He also enjoys outings, especially visits to our local pet shops or coffee shops. He is surprisingly chill.
He is also VERY food-motivated. Surprise surprise for a pug!
Sharky trying to get around with the halo Akemi got him. Frustrated!
Very relaxed…
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November 11, 2023
November 11, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Annika (2021 – ) Season 2
Witty, enigmatic DI Annika Strandhed heads up the Marine Homicide Unit, tasked with solving murders in and around the Scottish waters.
My thoughts: I continue to enjoy the series on the strength of its sharp humor and strong performance by Nicola Walker. I just wish the mysteries were better crafted.
3.5/5
#CrimeBinge Happy Valley (2014-2023) Season 3
Drama set in Yorkshire about a troubled police sergeant coming face to face with her past.
My thoughts: Speaking of terrific performances, this series has them in spades highlighted by Sarah Lancashire. The strong yet complex family dynamics continue in a third season that, while not as strong as its predecessor, does a great job of wrapping things up all the same.
4/5
The Capture (2019 – ) Season 1
When a British soldier is charged with a crime, the tenacious young detective handling his case begins to uncover a conspiracy.
My thoughts: A fantastic premise but ultimately altogether disappointing in that it cheats the viewer through narrative trickery, nonsensical time shifts, and flashbacks that never really happened.
3/5
Blue Lights (2023 – ) Season 1
Follows rookie police officers working in Belfast, a city in which being a frontline response cop comes with unique pressures and dangers.
My thoughts: A show that treads a lot of the same ground as its North American counterparts but with the intriguing background and socio-political ramifications of its Northern Ireland setting.
3.5/5
The Therapy/Sebastian Fitzek’s Therapy (2023 – ) Season 1
A psychiatrist deals with loss of his daughter, who has been missing for years.
My thoughts: I was honestly apprehensive going into this one because my friend, Alexander M. Ruemelin, is the showrunner and he is well aware of my very tough critique of the shows I’ve watched to date for this Crime Binge. “Don’t watch it,”he said. “Please, I beg of you.” But I went ahead and watched – and was pleasantly surprised with this dark and haunting psycho-thriller about the pain of loss and the mind’s ability to cope.
4/5
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November 10, 2023
November 10, 2023: This and That!
The books that made me love horror…
What do you think?
Must it really come to this? “Gardner watches movies each week and doesn’t leave his seat. He prepares for long movies by adding more salt to his lunch, which he says helps him retain water. He doesn’t drink anything at the theater. “That’s the kiss of death,” he said. ”
Wow. Came across this artist’s work today: https://www.danorgillart.com
Thinking of commissioning some villains. If I can decide on which ones.
Maybe instead of another dog, we’ll get Sharky a beaver pal instead…
This beaver was orphaned and rescued as a newborn,
Watch the incredible instinct to build a dam, even though it’s never seen it’s parents build one.pic.twitter.com/NRjnECozgK
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) November 9, 2023
Need one of these…
The 3,270-year-old Hove amber cup, found in 1856 in Hove, England. It's made of a single piece of amber from northern Europe, suggesting trade links between England and the Baltic even that long ago.
Hove Museum and Art Gallery pic.twitter.com/rQ8SrjQ5rS
— History Defined (@historydefined) November 8, 2023
Off to the Farmer’s Market tomorrow. Do any of you visit your local farmer’s markets and, if so, what do you usually pick up?
The post November 10, 2023: This and That! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 9, 2023
November 9, 2023: Books that inspired me!
The books that made me fall in love with fantasy…The books that made me fall in love with science fiction…
The books that made me fall in love with fantasy…
23 seconds. That’s the record for the quickest I’ve given up on a show. In this case, the pilot episode opens with a dog being flung off a building. And I’m out. Avoid the Indian series Sacred Games.
Out of the almost 70 shows I’ve checked out as part of my ongoing #CrimeBinge marathon, I’ve given up on 14 either partway through or after watching the first episode. Life’s too short.
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November 8, 2023
November 8, 2023: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
G.O.D.S.#2 – cover art by Mateus Manhanini
X-Force #46 – cover art by Jeff Dekal
Batman #139 – cover art by Gabriele Dell’Otto
Birds of Prey #3 – cover art by W. Scott Forbes
Blue Beetle #3 – cover art by Mikel Janin
Poison Ivy #16 -cover art by Otto Schmidt
The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #12 – cover art by Christian Ward
Vampirella/Dracula: Rage #3 – cover art by Mike Krome
So, which were YOUR favorites?
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November 7, 2023
November 7, 2023: Hurry up and wait!
As we head into November, we also head into the t.v. industry’s slow season. With Thanksgiving on deck and the Christmas season soon to follow, it’s hard to get executives to focus, much less read your project. More than likely, it ends up in a pile that they won’t get around to until AFTER they get back from the holidays, some time in January. Presumably.
Had a zoom call yesterday about the kpop/sci-fi series as well as the android murder mystery series. Revising the pitch deck for the former and looking to make some changes to the latter with the intention of going out with both top of the year. Love both these projects but I honestly feel like I’ve been working on them for as long as I can remember. And it’s exhausting.
We’ve attached a lead actor and a director to my action-adventure project and that one will, presumably, go out in January as well. It has apparently garnered some fair interest, especially overseas. If this one goes, it would see me working with an actor I worked with a few years back.
Meanwhile, the murder mystery pilot and deck are locked. Zoom chat on Wednesday to discuss the game plan. Really do like the producer I”m working with on this one. He’s very straight-forward and always keeps me in the loop.
Finally, the financing for that horror movie is in limbo as we await the lawyers – who don’t seem to be in any rush. Which is a shame because, while they dither, we risk losing one of our key locations in Bulgaria.
Delivered all the scripts for my five-issue horror comic (due out early 2024). Was informed I’d be meeting with the new editor via zoom the week before last but, alas, nothing has materialized. Ideally, would be great to get – and implement – any notes prior to December because, once the 4th rolls around, I am in Japan-mode.
Speaking of Japan-mode…
Stop everything you're doing and post a gif of an anime you really like. https://t.co/ZLnZs3I1VZ pic.twitter.com/fzySUZ5UvR
— Joseph Mallozzi
P.S. Thanks for all of the great advice regarding the treatment of dogs with separation anxiety. (Drea, you were particularly detailed and thorough!). We started to implement and test several of your suggestions.
I honestly can’t believe it’s almost Christmas 2023 already. It feels like just yesterday we were wiping down our mail with clorox wipes and being advised to rinse our produce in diluted bleach. What a difference 2 YEARS makes!
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