Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 99

January 28, 2023: Stargate SG-1 season 5 – concept art and episode insights!

You?

Today’s Yes/No…

Fish Head Pie? Yes/No
Thanks (?) to @Hadel for the tip.
Controversial cuisine: Fish head pie and 'devil's dung' https://t.co/JNDPuyRmOA via @CNNTravel

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 28, 2023

According to Akemi, there’s an Edo period preparation that substitutes the pie for rice.  I suggested she try the recipe some day.  She was…unethusiastic.

Bringing you more from the Stargate vault…

Enemies…

I always found it interesting that, whenever certain fans took issue with a creative decision, they would always blame TPTB (The Powers That Be) as if we were one giant multi-headed monster.  In truth, we’re individual little monsters who have had our share of disagreements over the years on everything from wardrobe decisions to major character arcs.  Season five had seen its share of minor debates, but this episode stands out as the first big blowout.  I don’t even recall exactly what was being disputed; I only remember it had to do with story structure.  That and being really impassioned and, ultimately, very annoyed. In the end, Paul and I handed off the episode to Rob and shifted focus to another script, The Fifth Man – and Enemies turned out to be a terrific episode.  Also, FYI – the working title for this one was Serpent’s Hat.  Don’t ask.

Threshold…

No concept art.

One of my favorite moments of these early fifth season episodes is the Larry David staredown Bratac gives Teal’c to discern whether he is lying or not (I believe it’s in the previous episode).  That bug-eyed gawk would always leave me chortling.  A great Teal’c episode, though less so for Chris Judge who had to brave the elements on this one.  On the day they headed out to shoot the exterior scenes, they discovered a thick blanket of snow on the ground.  Oops.  It provided what I imagine must have been a somewhat uncomfortable bedding for the shirtless Chris to lie down on.

Ascension…

This was one of those episode’s that hadn’t sold me at the script stage but really came together once we started shooting.  Sean Patrick Flanery was great and had terrific onscreen chemistry with Amanda.  Another perfect example of writer-producer’s remorse: an actor who does such a good job that one regrets killing off his character.

The Fifth Man…

Actor Dion Johnstone assumed a number of very different roles over the course of the franchise’s run.  He drew on his extensive theater background to play the part of Chaka in The First Ones (reprising the role in Beast of Burden), doing a brilliant job of conveying a wide range of emotion through some heavy prosthetic make-up.  In this episode, he plays another alien – of sorts – the mysterious Lieutenant Tyler whose existence no one but SG-1 can recall, and delivers another great performance.  One of the things I remember about this episode was the hell of a time editing had cutting around all the Jaffa bodies O’Neill has to negotiate on his way to the gate.  I mean, holy crap, does he kill a lot of ’em!  Apparently, Brad felt the sea of corpses put a damper on an otherwise happy ending.

Red Sky…

No concept art.

Ron Wilkerson’s first and best script is a terrific SF tale anchored by one of Richard Dean Anderson’s greatest performances.  It’s a darker side of Jack O’Neill we rarely get to see – angry, intense, and deadly serious.  The episode also offers up a side of Carter we rarely glimpse as well: fallible and wrestling with self-doubt.  Many layers in this one and it all plays out in very counter-Star Trek fashion as the team attempts to force a solution upon the planet’s inhabitants. Tres Anti-Prime Directive, no?

Rite of Passage…

No concept art.

This one offered us the rare opportunity to give Dr. Fraiser some screen time and touch on one of Carter’s few onscreen non-romantic relationships.  The unfortunately monikered Hanka children were named after then MGM studio exec Hank Cohen (who would make a cameo in this season’s Wormhole Xtreme as, surprisingly enough, a studio exec).

Beast of Burden…

No concept art. 

Dion Johnstone reprises his role as Chaka in this follow-up to season four’s The First Ones.  While Peter DeLuise did the scripting honors on this one, Martin Wood assumed the directing reins.  This one is a bit of a blur but I remember being genuinely surprised by early discussions to offer the role of Burrock to Larry Drake.  His performance as the mentally challenged Benny Stulwicz on L.A. Law had been so damn brilliant and convincing, I’d actually assumed they’d hired a intellectually disabled actor to play the part!

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January 27, 2023: The Horror Marathon continues!

Lovely Molly (2011)

Newlywed Molly moves into her deceased father’s house in the countryside, where painful memories soon begin to haunt her.

My thoughts: There are some truly unnerving moments here as the film walks the fine line between psychological and supernatural. The fact that it never ultimately lands on neither makes for an unsatisfying conclusion.

3/5

The Call (2020)

Two people live in different times. Seo-Yeon lives in the present and Young-Sook lives in the past. One phone call connects the two, and their lives are changed irrevocably.

My thoughts: This one is pretty bananas in its treatment of time travel and alternate timelines, but once you accept the rules, it works pretty well…until its inconsistent and illogical twist ending.

3.5/5

Compliance (2012)

A normal Friday service at a fast food restaurant becomes interrupted by a police officer who claims an employee stole from a customer, but something more sinister is going on.

My thoughts: Shocking and disturbing – all the more so given that the film is based on actual events.

4/5

Bedevilled (2010)

A woman subject to mental and physical abuse on a remote island seeks a way out.

My thoughts: Brutal on both sides of the equation. Revenge is sweet.

4/5

The Invisible Man (2020)

When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

My thoughts: A smart and suspenseful modern-day reimagining – minus the questionable logic at movie’s end.

3.5/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Opera Frappuccino? Yes/No
Starbucks unveils second Valentine’s Day Frappuccino in Japan https://t.co/qV10Sbx65A via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 27, 2023

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January 26, 2023: Undiscovered (well, technically “discovered”) Stargate treasure!

Well, this is cool.  Akemi has been obsessively and meticulously cataloguing my immense toy collection over at the newly created instagram account: Toys My Husband Won’t Throw Away.

Today, while going through the endless storehouse of items, she came across THIS –

Back in the Stargate days, the producers would receive their very own copies of the previous day’s dailies, all the the raw footage shot that day.  The editor would use all this footage to assemble an editor’s cut which was forwarded to the director who would use it – and his knowledge of existing footage – to put together his director’s cut.  At that point, the episode’s producer would take over and work off the director’s cut to create their producer’s cut.

Every day, we would sit in the writers’ room, eat lunch, and watch the previous day’s dailies.  When we were done, we would toss the VHS tapes (eventually discs) into a bin for recycling.  For some reason, perhaps old times sake, I ended up holding on to a few of these tapes from some memorable (to me) episodes: Window of Opportunity, Wormhole X-Treme, Revisions, It’s Good to be King – and, for some reason, Small Victories and The Warrior.  I’d forgotten I’d even had them and so they remained, stacked away in deepest storage, until Akemi’s amazing find this morning.

So, the obvious question is Now what?  There must be easily 150-200 hours of unseen footage on those tapes – alternate takes, outtakes, deleted footage, maybe even the occasional blooper.  But there’s no way to know for sure until I check them out.  Of course easier said than done since I haven’t owned a VCR since, oh, 1999.  Fortunately, however, there are video transfer services that can digitize the contents of old cassettes, storing them onto equally obsolete discs and USB’s.  The average cost is about $15/hour of footage.  Since this could all get very expensive, I’ve decided to start with two episodes – Window of Opportunity and Wormhole X-Treme.  Apparently, the quality of video cassettes degrades after 20 years (and it’s been closer to 25) so there’s no telling what we’ll get, but I’m curious to find out.

It’ll probably take me about a week to get organized enough to get over there and drop off the tapes.  Then, the process takes about two weeks.  So tune in late February for an update.  Hopefully I’ll have interesting news for all you Stargate fans.

Maybe more like this?

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January 25, 2023: Amazing Covers!

Siren’s Gate #3 – cover art by Shannon Maer

Sins of Sinister #1 – cover art by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau

Junkyard Joe #4 – cover art by Gary Frank, Brad Anderson

Action Comics #1051 – cover art by Jorge Fornes

Punchline: The Gotham Gate #4 – cover art by Warren Louw

Blade Runner: Black Lotus #1-4 – cover art by Jeffrey Spokes, Jung-Geun Yoon, Jesus Hervas, Dani Strips

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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January 24, 2023: Controversial Best Picture Winners!

1941: How Green Was My Valley (beat Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, Suspicion)

Citizen Kane, considered by many as perhaps the greatest film ever made!

1944: Going My Way (beat Double Indemnity, Gaslight)

Double Indemnity and Gaslight are two seminal films.  Not sure the same can be said for Going My Way.

1965: The Sound of Music (beat Doctor Zhivago)

Doctor Zhivago was pretty epic and I’d have leaned that way – but I’m sure my mom, who watches The Sound of Music whenever it airs, would disagree.

1976: Rocky (beat All the President’s Men, Bound for Glory, Network, Taxi Driver)

I mean, Rocky was a seminal film as well, but it wasn’t a better movie than any of the aforementioned.

1979: Kramer vs Kramer (beat Apocalypse Now)

Apocalypse Now is another film that makes many critics’ Top 10 lists.

1980: Ordinary People (beat Raging Bull, The Elephant Man)

With all due respect to perfectly Ordinary People, Raging Bull was a tour de force.

1981: Chariots of Fire (beat Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Chariots of Fire was perfectly fine, but Raiders was tremendous.

1985: Out of Africa (beat The Color Purple, Prizzi’s Honor, Witness)

This selection was a bit of a head scratcher.  I’d have gone Witness.

1990: Dances with Wolves (beat Goodfellas)

Goodfellas is not just one of the greatest gangster movies ever made, but certainly one great movie.  Dances with Wolves…meh.

1994: Forrest Gump (beat Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption)

Lotsa love for Forrest Gump.  I found it hokey but understand respect the opinion of those who enjoyed it…but The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies ever made.

1996: The English Patient (beat Fargo)

I thought I was the only one who found The English Patient insufferable until I saw that Seinfeld episode.  Fargo is magnificent.

1998: Shakespeare in Love (beat Saving Private Ryan)

Missed this one when I was putting together this list, but someone reminded me about this outrageous choice.

Agree?  Disagree?  What did I miss?

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January 23, 2023: The Horror Marathon continues!

The Platform (2019)

A vertical prison with one cell per level. Two people per cell. Only one food platform and two minutes per day to feed. An endless nightmare trapped in The Hole.

My thoughts: While the messaging ain’t exactly subtle, its delivery is unique, provocative, and immensely engaging.

4/5

Forget Me Not (2019)

Recent high-school graduates become prey of the vengeful spirit of an innocent girl they wronged long ago.

My thoughts: On the one hand, clunky direction, wooden performances, cliche dialogue and lame jump scares – on the other hand…enh, I got nothing.

2/5

There’s Something Wrong with the Children (2023)

A family takes a weekend trip with friends and their two young children, but they suspect something supernatural when the kids behave strangely after disappearing into the woods overnight.

My thoughts: Starts slow and when it finally gets going, its awkward and silly in its execution. The music is overwrought but the titles card is killer.

2.5/5

Goatling (2020)

Split into three chapters, “Cabrito” tells the story of a man haunted by his loved ones.

My thoughts: A middling, low budget horror feature made up of three middling low budget horror shorts. The fact that subs were unavailable and I had to watch an atrocious dub did not help.

2/5

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes (2021)

A couple spend eternity in a castle until their reality starts to shift, as the unknown moves into their lives.

My thoughts: An atmospheric ode to 70’s Euro-horror that is at turns visually striking, joyously weird, and annoyingly incomprehensible.

3/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Hibiki and Yamazaki Nama Chocolates? Yes/No
Premium Japanese whisky is now in chocolate form with Suntory Yamazaki and Hibiki nama chocolate https://t.co/EM73OJebx5 via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 23, 2023

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January 22, 2023: Suji Sunday!

Ready to head out!

Wait!  I still need that!

Wakey wakey!

Out for a stroll.

Girls’ night out!

 

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January 21, 2023: Various updates!

Thanks to Tim Gaffney for reminding me about yesterday’s missed post.  For those who missed it, I’ve submitted five more horror movies for your consideration.  I’m 167 movies into this horror marathon and am thinking about stopping at 200.  Or 250.  What do you think?  Maybe then I’ll switch gears to another theme. Maybe Korean gangster movies?

Well look at what arrived in the mail today…

Courtesy of The Popcast Guys.  Order your Dark Matter swag here:

https://mixedtees.com/dark-matter

The results of my endoscopy are in and…inconclusive.  I’ve actually stopped taking the meds and switched to incorporating apple cider vinegar and sauerkraut (awful) into my daily food regimen. The results have been surprising.  I’m actually feeling pretty good.  In the meantime, I received a form from the endoscopy clinic suggesting a blood test for celiac disease.  This sounds suspiciously close to that gluten intolerance bunk.

Akemi has started a new Instagram account in which she catalogues and comment son my toy collection: Toys My Husband Won’t Throw Away.

Signing with a comic book agent.  Have four pitches out and hoping to have something rolling by the time San Diego Comic Con rolls around.  Anybody going?

Akemi is picking the Bengals to defeat the Eagles in the Super Bowl.  Place your bets accordingly.

Out for a special multi-course sushi dinner tonight.  Wish me luck!

The post January 21, 2023: Various updates! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

January 20, 2023: Going back in time to upload this missed post!

The Meg (2013)

A group of scientists exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the largest marine predator that has ever existed – the Megalodon.

My thoughts: Cheesy fun heavy on the cheese and light on the fun.

2.5/5

Saint Maud (2019)

A pious nurse becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient.

My thoughts: Terrific performances but not much depth to either character or story. Pretty much goes exactly as you expect it to.

3/5

Crawl (2019)

A young woman, while attempting to save her father during a category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

My thoughts: The dialogue is occasionally hokey, but the direction is first-rate in this taut, suspenseful aquatic thriller. A popcorn movie done right.

3.5/5

Shrew’s Nest (2014)

1950s Madrid: The agoraphobic Montse raised her now 18 y.o. kid sister. The upstairs neighbor falls down the stairs and breaks a leg. The crazy Montse takes him in.

My thoughts: Although at times it has the feel of an overwrought Spanish version of Misery, the ending is delightfully horrific and shocking.

3.5/5

Trick ‘r Treat (2003)

Five interwoven stories that occur on Halloween.

My thoughts: At times clever and creepy; at times scattered and silly. Still, one of the better horror anthologies.

3.5/5

Today’s Yes/No…

Mountain Dew hot sauce? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/sNhgQELK3j

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 20, 2023

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Completing that Stargate: SG1 concept art drop with accompanying episodic insights!

Chain Reaction…

No concept art

The fact that the late Don Davis considered this episode one of his personal favorites makes me exceedingly proud.  It was one of those rare episodes that explored Hammond and offered us a peek of the man behind the uniform.  Don was his usual brilliant self and the palpable love and respect SG-1 held for their commander reflected the similar love and respect Don commanded, not only from his fellow cast members, but the entire crew as well.  Although I got along well with the entire cast, Don was the one I would occasionally go out to dinner with, sharing a love of food with the fine, Southern gent.

2010…

Not concept art

Anytime we can kill off all main characters is an opportunity not to be missed.  And they go out in blazing style in the closing moments of this episode, my favorite Brad Wright script of the show’s fourth season.  This was the first part of what could have been an Aschen trilogy, bookended by 2001, but that third episode – like many intriguing notions – just never came to fruition.

Absolute Power…

…corrupts absolutely.  Actors love to play bad guys and, in this episode, Michael Shanks delivers a terrific portrayal of our Daniel gone dark side.  Destroying Moscow is pretty bad, but one of the most unsettling acts he commits never found its way into the finished version of the episode.  In an earlier version, there is mention of the fact that Teal’c inexplicably vanished years ago.  The truth about his mysterious disappearance is revealed when Jack stumbles upon his old friend, a prisoner of Daniel who has been experimenting on him, transfusing blood from the Jaffa in an effort to master control of goa’uld technology.

The Light…

While the final quarter of the show’s fourth season delivers some great hits (Entity, Exodus) it also offers up a few misses, this episode being a big one in my books.  The beat of Jack rushing Daniel back to the planet aside, the episode never really delivers – surprising given what was, up to this point, a fairly strong season.  In similar fashion…

Prodigy…

No concept art

This one was another disappointment.  I believe I’ve already mentioned elsewhere how the character of Jennifer Hailey was originally conceived as a younger version of Carter (Samantha Jr.) but, in the end, came across as petulant and unlikable.  Without a doubt, our weakest script of the fourth season, but an episode notable for the very first onscreen appearance of Ivon Bartok who plays the cadet, in opening tease, who asks: “Did you say TEN dimensions?”. Brilliant.  The role of Hailey came down to two extras, Elizabeth (who eventually won the part) and an actress named Jennifer Halley.  It stuck in my head because, in my first draft of the script, the character had been named Jennifer Halley before Paul changed her last name to Hailey.  Anyway, Elizabeth was better suited to the role of the young ingenue, but Jennifer would later land the role of Lieutenant Tolinev in season 5’s The Tomb.  The seemingly distant cousins of the alien life forms (zapping bugs) that complicate matters in this episode put in an appearance in Stargate: Atlantis’s The Defiant One and Stargate: Universe’s Water.

Entity…

The premise was fairly standard but, like most every episode, what set it apart was what made it special for our characters – in this case, Amanda who got to go all Terminator, and Jack who is faced with a very tough call in dealing with the threat.  What I found particularly interesting about this episode was that, after many stories in which Jack’s military stance conflicts with Daniel’s peaceful civilian position, invariably resulting in the latter being proven correct, the results are reversed here.  Jack was right.  He should have destroyed it when he had the chance rather than allow Daniel and Sam to attempt communication with the entity.

Double Jeopardy…

No concept art

SG-1’s fourth season finishes strong with two terrific back to back episodes.  This one saw the return of the team robots, last scene in Tin Man, and offered up one of my favorite act outs ever: Daniel Jackson’s apparent decapitation.  No, wait!  Speaking of DJ, this episode marked Michael Shanks’s directorial debut and it was a doozy.   With all the twinning and big action sequences, Double Jeopardy would have proven a challenge to even the most seasoned of directors, yet Michael stepped up and the result was spectacular.

Exodus…

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