Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 76
October 15, 2023
October 16, 2023: L.A.-bound!
Today, Akemi and I celebrated our wedding anniversary and my birthday by getting on a plane and flying for 5+ hours enroute to a very late lunch and hopefully early(ish) dinner at Akemi’s favorite restaurant in L.A. tonight. Then tomorrow is the BIG day when we visit Pug Nation of L.A. to pick up the new addition to family, Sharky –
But, just in case, we’ve brought along a second pet carrier and booked two dogs in cabin for your flight back in the event another needy pug pulls on our heart strings.
We’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, check out my chat with Jeff Howard and Mizz Marsha as we discuss Stargate, Sci-Fi, and Screenwriting.
The post October 16, 2023: L.A.-bound! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 14, 2023
October 18, 2023: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Avengers Inc. #2 – cover art by Aka
Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy #1 – cover art by John Tyler Christopher
The Invincible Iron Man #11 – cover art by Ali Granov
Antarctica #4 – cover art by Will Roberts
Catwoman #58 – cover art by Gabriele Dell’otto
Justice Society of America #8 – cover art by Tony Harris
Wonder Woman #2 – cover art by Daniel Sampere
Sirens of the City #4 – cover art by Justine Frany
Hydra #1 – cover art by Pierluigi Abbondanza
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post October 18, 2023: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 17, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Love/Hate (2010-2014) – Season 2
The story of the organized crime scene of Dublin is revealed, centered on Darren, who wants to stay out of trouble but ends up returning to his old habits and his old gang.
My thoughts: I was on the fence about this show after its first season, but am now firmly a fan after season 2.
4.5/5
The Mire (2018)
In an early-’80s Polish town, a prostitute and a youth leader are found killed, but the police’s handling of the case makes two journalists suspicious.
My thoughts: Bleak, slow, and somewhat confusing.
3/5
Cardinal (2017-2020) Season 1
Detectives John Cardinal and Lise Delorme investigate the murder of a young girl, while Cardinal struggles to right past wrongs that could derail the investigation and end his career, as the case grows more violent and twisted.
My thoughts: Covers well-trodden ground in well-trodden ways.
3/5
Luther (2010 – 2019) Season 1
DCI John Luther is a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can’t always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.
My thoughts: Elba is great, but his Clarice-Hannibal relationship with Ruth Wilson’s Alice Morgan is pretty ludicrous.
3.5/5
Vigil (2021)
The mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death onboard a Trident nuclear submarine bring the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services.
My thoughts: A taught, suspenseful thriller with some masterful episode outs.
4/5
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October 14, 2023: The NYC summary!
We arrived in New York a little before noon on Monday and checked into the Archer Hotel, a somewhat pricey boutique hotel near Bryant Park. Then, we headed off to a highly recommended taco place called No. 1 Tacos. There are several throughout the city (two equidistant from our hotel) and we decided to check out the one by Central Station.
We got the beef, the pork and the chicken tacos. They were very good, but were they #1? Alas, no. That honor goes to the Taqueria in Vancouver. But these were a solid #5.
Following a stroll through Central Station, we happened upon a coffee shop Akemi had heard about. And the Grumpy Cafe lived up to its name. “Order 34!”announced the barista as he slid a latte across the counter. “What is this?”I asked as Akemi and I had ordered two different lattes. “34,”she informed me. “Yes, but what is it?” “34,”he snapped back. At which point someone else pointed out that he had missed one of the orders. He apologized and made the second latte. I actually assumed it was part of the cafe’s theme, so took it in good stride. Both lattes were delicious. I had the seasonal vanilla while Akemi went with their honey oat latte which she loved.
One of the high points of our trip to NYC was our visit to the library. Akemi LOVES libraries!
I told Akemi that this is how they used to pickle people in the old days before factory automation made the whole process easier.
Also putting in an appearance – Winnie the Pooh (who is apparently celebrating his 100th birthday) and the rest of his gang.
Akemi attempting to take flight.
We took an afternoon walk, admired the architecture, and racked 20k steps, working up an appetite for one of the dinners Akemi was especially looking forward to…
I ordered an almond-themed cocktail. “It’s pretty sweet,”warned our waiter. Perfect. For starters, we had the grilled mushrooms, onion tart, and pizza bianca. The pizza bianca was fine, the mushrooms were terrific, but the onion tart was the star of the night, if not the entire trip so far as Akemi was concerned. Packed with caramelized onion flavor. Sweet, savory, and delicious.
For our mains, we had two pastas – a salty but delightfully al dente rigatoni with guanciale and black pepper, and an equally salty stracci with rabbit and white wine that proved less texturally interesting. We also had the braised lamb I had really looked forward to given it along and involved preparation, but I found it disappointingly dry.
Following another sleepless night due in most part to the hotel’s insubstantial pillows (I ended up folding and stacking three to no avail), we took a leisurely stroll to our lunch destination, the famed Gramercy Tavern…
We kicked things off with two promising starters – the steak tartare (Akemi loved) and an equally great chicken liver mousse.
My confit duck sandwich was surprisingly duck light while Akemi ordered the closest thing she could find to a salad that apparently wasn’t salady enough. Hate to say it, but the pork was just bad. Overall, Akemi not impressed with the quality of the ingredients.
So, while I was very much looking forward to dessert, I was muting my expectations as we headed over to Lysee, a quaint little dessert cafe run by a wife and husband team (she makes the pastries while he makes the breads).
This place was, in a word, fantastic. We were seated in a private little room where sampled just aa few of the exceptional menu items…
Sweet potato latte topped with vanilla beans, the corn mousse cake, the kouign-amman, the V.I.C. (Very Important Chocolate Cake), and the Lysee (Korean Toasted Brown rice mousse with caramel, Elliot Pecan Sablé, Praliné).
Wow! They were all fantastic. Service was also exceptional – friendly, prompt and professional. 11/10!
https://www.lyseenyc.com/ourcollections
Our trip to New York was surprisingly pug and french bulldog-free until we ran into this little gal. Meet my new best friend, Pretzels!
We walked around to work up an appetite for second dessert and happened by the Harry Potter shop. Although she’s never read any of the books or seen any of the movies, Akemi was all sorts of excited.
I was hoping to score a pair of Dementor cufflinks but, alas, none were to be found. The wands, however, DID catch my eye – but I have a feeling that if I start buying, there will be no end to my collection. How many official wands are there?
Second dessert was the pistachio mille crepe and the ube mille crepe at Lady M. Both very good.
And, after even more walking, it was finally time for the second dinner Akemi had been looking forward to all trip – Casa Dani.
We started with the croquetas de jamon iberico, the ox-tail brioche, and the Spanish omelette with caramelized onion. All three were fine, but I preferred the brioche.
Our main: squid ink paella with grilled octopus. Was…also fine. The table-side presentation was impressive, but Akemi felt it wasn’t served hot enough (she had a similar critique of the starters) and it needed a touch of an acid. Also, she missed being able to scrape away the bits of crispy rice that had adhered to pan. This version was fairly uniform, lukewarm and crispless.
Overall, Akemi felt the meal failed in its execution. It has the look (and certainly the price) of a higher end restaurant but ultimately felt more standard fare.
Another sleepless night with those damned paper thin pillows and I was ready to head home. BUT we still had one more meal to squeeze in – lunch at the Szechuan Mountain House. Given the relatively underwhelming meals we’d had so far on this trip, we again tempered our expectations…and, again, were pleasantly surprised.
The restaurant is located in the East Village, a neighborhood Akemi absolutely loved strolling through. Can’t help but think we’d have had a better time if we’d stayed in this area instead.
Hoowee! This meal was a flurry of punches to the tastebuds. We had the tongue with pepper sauce that delivered on the peppery spice, then a chicken dish that offered a completely different spice profile in the numbing sansho-like pepper. Then we were served a literal shovelful of fried chicken with spicy chilis. Here, the heat was more direct, in your face and down your throat. And finally, we had the signature Swing Pork Belly. Here, the spiciness came from the raw garlic paste. Hell, even the complimentary pickled cabbage served at the beginning of the meal had its own unique heat level. I mean, I’m sure there are non-spicy items on the menu, but we didn’t opt for any of them. And, to be honest, we were very happy with what we ordered;. Our best meal in NYC.
We ended up back at Lysee for one more round of their spectacular desserts, as well as a couple of take-home items (the pain au chocolat for Akemi and their lighter than light kouign-amman for yours truly).
So ended our trip to NYC. It was…fine. A few of standout experiences (the library tour, Lysee, Szechuan Mountain House and, of course, meeting Pretzels) but I’m not so sure we’ll be in any hurry to go back any time soon.
Now, we have the weekend to rest up before we’re back on a plane Monday morning for L.A. – and a meeting with our new pug.
Or pugs.
The post October 14, 2023: The NYC summary! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 13, 2023
October 13, 2023: Homeward Bound!
Sitting at the airport waiting for our flight. Moreover, we’re so early that we’re actually waiting to see if we can get on the earlier flight. I am exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed – for the next three nights, and then it’s off to LA to pick up a pug. Or two. The plan is to adopt Sharky from pug Nation of LA but, just in case, we’re traveling with an extra pet carrier and have booked room for 2 dogs on our return flight. You never know!
Blogging via the app on my iPhone has not been ideal. My posts don’t appear. Then they disappear. Then I try to post again and they disappear. And then I share my post and it still doesn’t appear. Then three different entries suddenly appear out of sequence. I’ve got to come up with a better system before Monday.
Which happens to be my birthday as well as our wedding anniversary. I’ll be celebrating by waking up at the crack of dawn after a doubtless sleepless night after which I’ll spend a couple of hours in line and waiting, the mom a 5 hour flight before touching down on one of my least favorite cities, Los Angeles. I informed my agent last minute (in response to a related question he had) so that he would t have time to book me any pointless meetings. Dinner that night will hopefully see us catch up with a Dark Matter cast member, approximately three weeks after our dim sum lunch with the ever awesome Zoie Palmer. It’s nice. I’ve kept in semi-regular touch with every former Raza crew member. A truly great bunch.
Why pay to see the truncated 3 and a half hour version when you can wait to see the 9 hour director’s cut.
See you in Toronto!
So, what’s I miss while I was away?
The post October 13, 2023: Homeward Bound! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 12, 2023
October 12, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
October 12, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
— Read on josephmallozzi.com/2023/10/08/october-12-2023-the-crime-binge-continues/
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October 11, 2023
October 11, 2023: Amazing Covers!
October 11, 2023: Amazing Covers!
— Read on josephmallozzi.com/2023/10/08/october-11-2023-amazing-covers/
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October 10, 2023
October 10, 2023: Podcasts!
In the past, I have always been very accommodating about appearing on podcasts, youtube streams or variations thereof, hosted by everyone from professionals to thos new to hosting. It has been, for the most part, very rewarding. But occasionally, I have had to sit through some pretty dire guest appearances. Spots so bad that they made me swear off doing podcasts for almost eight months. But over the past several weeks or so, I have gradually been wading back in, doing a guest spot here and there. And I’ll continue to do so – until I find myself in one of those interminable appearances that will have me swearing off podcast for another 6-8 months.
So, what is the difference between a great podcast experience and a terrible one? In one word: the host. In another word: preparation.
For starters, do some research. You don’t have to watch every youtube and podcast I”ve ever been on, but check out a few to see which questions I’ve answered multiple times and try to avoid them. Also, if you’re going to answer industry-specific questions, please do a little research on said industry so you know what you are talking about. And finally, try to keep your questions specific. Looking back, one of my favorite experiences was with host PJ and the gang at Orville Nation. Every week, we got together to discuss a different episode of Dark Matter. PJ and the guest panel were prepared with episode-specific questions and they always mixed things up. It was a blast. Another great one was the Dial the Gate series I did with host David Read that followed the same basic formula – specific questions about specific episodes, this one related to Stargate. I have also had some great experiences on shows that took a more general tact, talking about my experience breaking into the industry, working my way up, and projects past and present. In the case of the latter, the questions were more general but the host always followed up with some great follow-up questions.
So, preparation is key. Research. Prepare your questions in advance. And when it comes to questions, please avoid the following…
1 – Could you tell us a funny story or a practical joke from the set of Stargate/Dark Matter?
This is more of a cast question. I was in my office for much of production, rewriting scripts or prepping episodes.
2 – What advice would you give writers dealing with writer’s block?
Unpopular opinion, but writer’s block is a luxury issue, one a writer can only afford if they’re working at home on an original pilot or feature. But I’ve always said that the best cure for writer’s block is a deadline. If you’re being paid to deliver a script on time, the prospect of that missed deadline should be motivation enough. If it’s not, then chances are whoever assigned you that script will deem you unreliable and not hire you in the future. And that bitter experience can also be used as fuel to combat your next case of writer’s block.
3 – What advice would you give writers who have to deal with online criticism?
Any working writer must face the reality that they will face criticism, justified or not. My advice would be to grow a thicker skin. Failing that, I’d suggest avoid reading any comments as you blindly attempt to promote yourself online. Failing that and if you truly can’t stand to have your feelings hurt, stay off the internet. Or find another line of work that is beyond criticism. Good luck with that.
4 – What is something you have always wanted to tell the fandom?/Do you have a message for the fandom?
Respectfully, I’ve been blogging every day for over 15 years and maintain a regular presence on reddit and twitter where I engage with fans on a daily basis. I have had more than ample opportunity to ask any burning questions.
5- What is a question you wish someone would ask you that you’ve never been asked?
Seriously? This is just lazy.
Having said all this, one upcoming guest appearance I am very much looking forward to is my Saturday, October 14th chat with the great Jeff Howard. Jeff is an industry heavyweight, an excellent writer, and informative host, and he’s backed by the terrific Miz Marsha who has coordinated the event. Tune in to find out how it’s done – and throw a few burning questions my way (so long as it’s not any of the above)!
The post October 10, 2023: Podcasts! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 9, 2023
October 9, 2023: Recent Yes/No’s – Pick the Best and Worst!
Peach Caprese? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/1Jbhnk8S2n
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) October 9, 2023
Honey Cheese Cake? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/aebE5dayZb
— Joseph Mallozzi
Deviled Egg Burgers? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/qfkIGsD6ZK
— Joseph Mallozzi
Ghost Pepper Whopper? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/gIhuWhaSxn
— Joseph Mallozzi
Sake Coffee? Yes/No
Local Japanese coffee business teams up with local sake brewers to make Sake Coffee drip packs https://t.co/B1fGt0hR2R via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Pink Frosting Creamer? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/oNYc24kIZs
— Joseph Mallozzi
3D printed meat? Yes/No https://t.co/SoMuaTUQRo
— Joseph Mallozzi
Chocolate Moussed Latte? Yes/No
We get a taste of Starbucks Japan’s new coffees and sweets, including one that’s here to stay https://t.co/rANgxY6XtL via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post October 9, 2023: Recent Yes/No’s – Pick the Best and Worst! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 8, 2023
October 11, 2023: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Guardians of the Galaxy #7 – cover art by Marco Checchetto
Destiny Gate #1 – cover art by Rahsan Ekedal
Damn Them All #9 – cover art by Martin Simmonds
House of Slaughter #18 – cover art by Raul Allen
Batman and Robin #2 – cover art by Francesco Mattina
Horror Comics #27 – cover art by Brian Denham
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post October 11, 2023: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
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