Joseph Mallozzi's Blog! (SPOILERS For All SG Shows and Dark Matter)

[Jumper_One]

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April 2, 2011

Photos: Comic-related office adornments, Maximus, Jelly, Bubba, Lulu, Fondy, Akemi, Stewie, Brie

Today, the sun came up, the temperature rose and, for the very first time, I thought there was a chance I could actually starting liking Toronto. Following my first early morning workout in ages, I took the dogs for a stroll, showered up, dressed, then headed out to explore the city. We drove around, picked up some soaps and shampoos at Lush, a blender at Future Shop, some awesome comic-related office adornments at Silver Snail Comics, and an eviction notice. We also had some terrible Italian food and -

What?

What did I say?

I said I picked up some comic-related office adornments at Silver Snail Comics. Check ‘em out:

The Deadpool comes with a veritable arsenal of weapons including -

What? Oh. AFTER that?

Yes, we were driving back from playing tourist when I received a call from my realtor. Apparently, someone lodged a formal complaint about my dogs with the strata of the building we’re staying in and we need to vacate the premises immediately. That or, presumably, put two of the dogs down. Not really sure what the issue is as the pooches are neither noisy nor aggressive and spend most of their time simply lazing about, but clearly someone is a stickler for rules. That and a giant douchebag. For my part, I greeted the news with a resounding “Meh”. The place is dated, a bit of a dump, not particularly well-located for those early morning dog walks, and the washing machine in the apartment caps each cycle with a thunderous KAGLANG! This was only a temporary stay I was willing to suffer through until I could find something half-ass or better with an actual yard that wouldn’t require me to run an hour-long gauntlet of traffic. Besides, I’d made it perfectly clear prior to my T.O. arrival, that I would require a place that was okay with the dogs. All four of them. So, with all due respect and in the words of my buddy Bruce: “F ‘em.”. Akemi, however, didn’t take the news as well. Sensitive as she is, the poor gal was almost in tears at the prospect of someone snitching on the dogs.

“Why so mean?”she asked, downcast.

“Because,”I informed her matter-of-factly, “it’s Toronto.”

Anyway, we returned home, dropped off our purchases, picked up the dogs – all four of ‘em – and headed over to Fondy’s place to pick up Jelly’s meds, some red velvet cake, and find out if Lulu would hit it off with Brie and Stewie...

Tonight, I attempt to shift focus to the outline. Tomorrow, was planning to take a tour of a Toronto landmark we’ll be using as a possible location for my episode but may stick around the home front lest the strata militia kick in the door and attempt to confiscate my dogs.

Instead, I’ll try to hit the mailbag.

[Jumper_One]

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April 3, 2011


Well, we’ve found a new place. And it’s only one block over. And one floor up from where my writing/producing partner, Paul, is living (His response when I told him: “I’m afraid I’m going to have to complain, buddy. I don’t want people with multiple dogs living in my building.”). It has a fitness room, a swimming pool, and a deck I’ll never ever step out onto. We move in tomorrow night! Please leave your apartment-warming gifts in the main lobby with the concierge. Thanks.

I’m off to work on an outline. Here, entertain yourselves with a long overdue mailbag...


Angelus writes: “You mean the “super secret project” A.K.A “Transporter TV Show” of which everyone has been aware for the past couple of months? That super secret project?”

Answer: Yes, that one. Shhhhh.

cherluvya writes: “Now…Carl isn’t leaving LEAVING is he? Just for the writing period…right?”

Answer: Alas, Carl is just freelancing on the show. He’s going away to work on his script and will be back sometime in the near future to break his second episode. As Paul pointed out last night, even though we’ve known Carl longer, Alexander will probably miss him the most. Those two really hit it off. They were beste of freundes.

irish pete writes: “Will this new series have as much action as human target?”

Answer: That’s a pretty safe bet.

David J writes: “has Brad and co made any new progress then last you said they had made progress (earlier last month) not that you could tell us much but has there been ANY moves forward for SGU?”

Answer: Last I heard (on Friday) there was some movement but, curiously, it was neither forward nor backward but sideways. Strange but true.

DP writes: “Questions about the new series: 1. What does the new series have in common with Stargate?”

Answer: Action, adventure, engaging characters, interesting relationships, a sense of fun, and humor.

“2. What does the new series have in common with the Xbox game Simpson’s Road Rage?”

Answer: Fast-paced four-wheel action. And colorful characters.

“3. What are some locales we’ll see in the new series?”

Answer: The series will have a certain European flair.

“4. Who is your favorite character?”

Answer: Right now, I’m loving them all – however, I do hold a special affinity for our protagonist, Frank.

“5. What are some of the main character’s quirks or, oh, let’s say, rules that govern his/her behavior?”

Answer: Oh, he’s got a few. He’s quite regimented that way.

“6. What has the main character been doing since the last movie?”

Answer: Ah, you’re assuming the series picks up where the last movie left off. Not quite.

“7. What will the main character be doing in the pilot that we’ve seen him/her do before?”

Answer: His job.

“8. What does the main character do for a living?”

Answer: Helps people in need. For a price. So long as their need requires getting something from point A to point B.

“9. Does the main character have any special skills?”

Answer: Oh, plenty. Don’t get on his bad side or you’ll experience them firsthand.

“10. Is the main character an upstanding, square-jawed hero?”

Answer: Definitely not.

“11. What does the main character have in common with you?”

Answer: He’s not an upstanding, square-jawed hero. Also, we both drive Audi’s.

“12. Does the main character have any pets?”

Answer: Nope. Maybe a couple of pugs in season 2?

dasNdanger writes: “Since it’s fresh on my mind – any news on the comic book front?”

Answer: We’re looking at an early 2012 release.

Lou Zucaro writes: “1) How many black Audis does the production have, and are they owned / leased / fake?”

Answer: We’re still in early prep and have yet to close the deal on the cars. Once ours, they will need to be modified in order to pull off some of the ambitious/awesome stunts we’re scripting.

2) The new A8 is pretty f’ing phenomenal…is that what we’re going to see on-screen?

Answer: That’s the plan.

3) Did you open the package?

Answer: I’m incredibly curious and impatient so, yes, I couldn’t resist and opened the package. It contained gummi bears and a coupon for a free tractor trailer ride at the local county fair.

Andrea-Fonville White writes: “Have you thought of casting any one from Stargate?”

Answer: I’ve certainly suggested some former Stargate vets as we gear up for auditions.

Thornyrose writes: “So, as an executive producer, will you have to fly over the pond for the European side of the production? If so, how often?”

Answer: That task would fall to someone else. Chances are I’ll probably be quite busy on this side of the pond. Still, if it was necessary, I do speak French and do love French food…

Sparrow_hawk writes: “Did I miss some posts or haven’t we gotten any Q&A responses from the authors on the recent books?”

Answer: Nope, ’tis true. We’re awaiting Q&A responses from our last three guest authors. In all fairness, I told them not to rush and to turn their answers around at their earliest convenience.

Sean D. writes: “What would you say are some key similarities and differences, so far, in your experience with the new franchise as compared to the Stargate franchise?”

Answer: When Paul and I joined the Stargate franchise, the production was a well-oiled machine that had been humming along for three years. All the major start-up issues had been addressed and it was a simple matter of stepping aboard and enjoying the ride. In the case of this new series, we’re essentially building the foundation for what will hopefully be a nice long run. Like Stargate, the people we’re working with are terrific, which is key.

Sean D. writes: “How does the restaurant scene in the Toronto area compare to that of the Vancouver area?”

Answer: Sushi aside (I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that I can give up any hope of enjoying a Japanese meal for the duration of my Toronto stay), pretty good. I hit some pretty fine restaurants on my initial trip here (Nota Bene, George, Splendido) and discovered some very good casual eateries on this swing.

KEK writes: “Is there any way you could push for MGM to commission a novelization of your script that you and the other writers would consider canon?”

Answer: Alas, it’s out of my hands. For what it’s worth, I think it’s a terrific idea.

pennlynn writes: “How has your stress level been??”

Answer: 95% of my stress revolves around dog issues (their safety, their health, the fact that they’re well taken care of). I can pretty much roll with whatever punches life throws at me on all other fronts.

Ivon Bartok writes: “Stop talking **** about Toronto, Mallozzi…”

Answer: A Vancouverite such as yourself wouldn’t understand…

Stu writes: “Come on, there are douchebags in every major city, small town, hamlet, and outpost in the entire world. Don’t **** on an entire city because of one a-hole. [...] Meh, you just lost a reader.”

Answer: What are you, the mayor of Toronto? Look, I’d love nothing better than to say the city is beautiful, the traffic is awesome, the people are friendly and, up until recently, the weather has been delightful – but I can’t. Hopefully, in time, I will. Still, I’m sorry if I offended you.

And your Maple Leafs suck.

Ulrike Tannenberg writes: “Someone commented a few days ago that the chances for a 3.season are zero (sad, but I knew that) and the chances for a movie are almost zero (that was new to me and totally shocked me, as it is/was something of a last hope). So the question is: is it true – almost no chance for a SGU-movie?”

Answer: Someone commented? Was this someone an official spokesperson for MGM? If so, then they would know. If, on the other hand, that someone was some nameless noob on a discussion forum, then they don’t know anymore than hou do. A third season of SGU is not in the cards, but a movie is still a possibility.

paloosa writes: “1) Since the show is in early pre-production, will it be airing in 2012?”

Answer: Yes, the plan is to premiere in early 2012.

“2) Any chance for casting any Stargate actors?”

Answer: I did make some requests for people I wanted to see audition.

“3) Is this strictly a Canadian production, or will it include American or European actors, writers and directors?”

Answer: It’ll be a melting pot of talent in front of and behind the camera.

“4) Will there be less studio or network involvement in the creative decisions than you were subjected to with Syfy?”

Answer: No, I’m sure the networks will be equally involved on the creative front. Their first round of notes were quite good.

[Jumper_One]

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Video: Cat massage video

April 4, 2011

Photos: April showers, Sanko, chicken piccata


Moved into the new place this evening and, while it’s an improvement in many ways (includes work-out room, working tea kettle, oven mitts!), it’s also has it’s share of problems. The air circulation is poor, there’s no main floor closet, and my spot is located so deep in the bowels of the parkade that I’m parking between the falsifiers and the sowers of discord. Still, it’s well-located next to a quaint little park where, today, the dogs enjoyed a late afternoon stroll amid the singing birds, the burgeoning bushes, and the homeless man relieving himself on a nearby tree. Ah, city life.

Anyway, this was in marked contrast to last night’s April showers -

And by “showers” I mean “snow”.

Yesterday, we checked out three local comic book shops. I couldn’t help but notice that the friendliness of the staff is inversely proportional to the size of the store. Silver Snail Comics was by far the most impressive. There, I purchased a Dr. Octopus statue from a guy who seemed unusually irritated by the prospect of having to pack away an assortment of faux metal tentacles. Over at 1000000 Comix, where I purchased an Ultron statue, the guys were polite and helpful. I didn’t buy anything at Hairy Tarantula (a tight space tucked away at the top of a sketchy-looking staircase), but was so charmed by the ebullient Irish guy at the cash that I vowed I’d be back for all my trade paperback needs. And volume 3 of Death Note for Akemi.

We also checked out Sanko, a Japanese konbiniya on Queen Street West, where Akemi went absolutely nuts, picking up a rice cooker, green tea and sesame cookies, sake kasu, yuzu, nori, sakura-shaped cookie cutters, enoki mushrooms, and ramen. She suggested we also pick up some rice bowls, choosing a beautiful blue fish-themed handpainted wonder. For my part, I went with this -

Why, yes, now that you mention it, it IS pink. But look at the cuuute cat!

As I settle in, I’m starting to do a little more cooking. Last night, it was Chicken Piccata -

Want to know the secret to juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breasts? Okay, I’ll tell you. Ready? Simmer the meat over low heat. Yep, that simple. Slice your chicken breast into two thinner slices. Pour some chicken broth in a pan. Toss in some rosemary, thyme, a couple of bay leafs, two cloves of garlic, and a chopped shallot, season with salt and pepper, then bring to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, bring it down to a low simmer, then lower your chicken breasts into the savory stock. Make sure the meat is completely covered. Leave it to slow simmer until it loses all traces of surface pinkness, then remove from the pan and season with salt, paprika, oregano or dredge in a seasoned flour mixture. Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Re-dredge the chicken in the flour mixture (if that’s the way you’re going), then sear the meat, about a minute a side. Remove the meat, add another tablespoon of olive oil, add some chopped garlic, and sautee over medium heat. Then, add a cup of white wine (capers, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or whatever else strikes your fancy), reduce by half, add the chicken back into the pan and let it cook for another minute. Take it off the heat, toss in a tablespoon of butter, and baste the meat with melted butter-white wine reduction. Plate and serve.

Let me know how it turns out for you.

Finally – a couple of weeks ago, I found out that yet another one of my friends had had their yahoo account hacked. Figuring my four letter password made me a perfect target, I made it a point to change it to something a lot more complicated. So complicated, in fact, that when I went to check my email this morning and discovered I’d been logged out, I couldn’t remember what it was. After many failed attempts, I clicked on the “I’m too stupid too remember my password” button which directed me to the “Change your password, you idiot” option. Alas, the back-up email I provided two years ago when I first created my yahoo account is now defunct so I had to go the “Answer the personal questions” portion of the show. I got the first one but then, when it came to the second one, it told my my answer was incorrect even though I know for a fact that my favorite food when I was a kid WAS NUTELLA! ”Smoked oysters?”offered Paul helpfully. I tried. It didn’t work. Neither did powdered doughnuts with milk, smoked meat, or duck a l’orange (actually, my late father’s favorite). And then yahoo informed me that I was locked out and wouldn’t be able to attempt to access my account for another 12 hours. Ironically, I AM able to access my yahoo email on my iPhone, but am unable to access my account (which would allow me to change my password and solve the problem). Suggestions? Besides subscribe to mobileme?

Finally, allow me to leave you with THIS awesome cat massage video. You’re welcome:

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...l-of-language/

April 5, 2011

Photos: St. Lawrence Market, Cookie, Portia, Lulu, Jelly, Maximus, Bubba


I was in the kitchen, packing away the dog food, when I heard Akemi, in the next room, drop three successive f-bombs as she struggled with her laptop. Sweet, polite, demure, soft-spoken Akemi! ”Where did you learn that?”I asked/admonished.

“Joe’s school of language,”she informed me without missing a beat. And then, redirecting her attention back to the laptop: “Jesus Crisis!”.

So, okay, I’ll admit I’m not a great role model. Especially when I’m behind the wheel. In traffic. Late for appointment.

Still, Akemi’s outburst was a unique experience – and, frankly, perfectly acceptable given the circumstances. It was ticking close to 1:00 a.m. and we’d spent the last three hours moving across the street and one block over to our new digs. We were exhausted. And by the time we crawled into bed, it was almost 2:00.

I figured I’d be able to sleep in. The dogs, on the other hand, figured otherwise. And so, at 8:00 a.m. this morning, I was heading out with Bubba and Lulu for their first walk of the day. It wasn’t a great start to the day. As I was stepping off the elevator, I glanced down and noticed Lulu had vomited. In a matter of seconds, I was multi-tasking: holding onto the dogs, fishing out my doggy bag, holding the elevator door open, and apologizing profusely to the gentleman about to step inside. He smiled and offered to hold on to the dogs for me while I cleaned up the mess and then, handing the leashes back, offered a “I’ve got one of my own.” before heading into and up. The interesting thing about this incident was not so much the dog vomit or the kindness of this stranger but the fact that I knew the guy. Well, not exactly. I mean, he looked incredibly familiar. I’ve seen him somewhere – probably on television – but I couldn’t place the face. Apparently, the hotel/residence we just moved into is quite popular with productions. I passed a couple of Warehouse 13 cast members on my way to the park.

I finally got around to doing a work-out, my first in over two weeks. I ran for thirty minutes, hit the weights for another twenty, then celebrated by visiting St. Lawrence Market and enjoying a highly-recommended Mustachio veal and eggplant sandwich...

The verdict? Two huge thumbs up. If there’s one thing I can say about Toronto, it’s that I WON’T be going hungry here.

Thanks to everyone who weighed in with their helpful suggestions for dealing with my lost password problem. There are a lot of very smart people out there. Which begs the question: What are they doing reading this blog when they could be out there inventing something?

Worked on the outline today. One more scene to go and I’m done. I’d have completed it had I not gotten distracted by the character breakdowns and audition sides I had to put together for Dieter, Olivia, Sergei, and Nicolai. Well, in truth, the outline won’t truly be complete until I’ve taken that tour of Casa Loma this Friday.

Today’s entry is dedicated to Arctic Goddess. Good luck on your surgery!


Mailbag:

Michael writes: “We need some photos of the dogs in the new place.”

Answer:

Bailey writes: “If you do another mailbag, did you even consider mentioning Jonas in tonight’s SGU ep?”

Answer: Yes, in fact I gave a note at the script stage that, at the very least, some mention should be made about the fact that Jonas Quinn had retired from public office. Don’t know what happened but it obviously didn’t make it onscreen.

Lou Zucaro writes: “But why not just buy a domain and have e-mail at your own domain? It’s not very expensive. I own a hosting company and could help with it if you so desired. I’m assuming you own either (or both) mallozzi.com and josephmallozzi.com, but if not, I registered joemallozzi.com for you in case you want it (just tell me).”

Answer: Very kind of you, Lou. I may take you up on this once things settle down here.

Jason writes: “I would contact yahoo technical support/customer service and explain the situation, and offer to verify who you are using the yahoo email account. They can email your yahoo account some unique phrase or something, and you can read it back from the phone.”

Answer: Hey, Jason, thanks for this. May use this as a last resort.

majorsal writes: “what about an amalgamation of the three series into one stargate movie?”

Answer: That was one of the ideas floated at one point.

Randomness writes: “For anyone thinking SGU will get a movie, see the most recent ratings.”

Answer: Said it before and I’ll say it again – the ratings will not impact a decision on the movie.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ndido-mailbag/

April 6, 2011

Photos: Joe's mother’s dog, dinner at Splendido


Success! I finally have access to my yahoo email! And it only took me an entire afternoon and approximately one hundred letter and number combinations to get it!

Let’s celebrate with a pic of my mother’s dog in silly outfits!

My other objected not so much to the fact they looked silly, but the fact that they looked like they were wearing pyjamas. So she made my sister return the outfits. If you ask me, I think they look like they’re prepping to perform surgery.

Last night, I hit what was my favorite restaurant the last time I was in town: Splendido...

The high-point of the night were the first round of appetizers: a) a delicious Shalom Farm Red Deer Tartar with pistachio, sorrel, and grilled bread, and b) the house charcuterie platter that included, among other things, a perfect terrine of foie gras as well as sweet and savory boudin noir with whipped pork fat.

For round #2, we split two pasta plates: a) a good venison ravioli and and even better b) tagliatelle with Quebec rabbit, pancetta, and parsley.

For our mains, the ladies went with the butter poached lobster while I opted for the Yorkshire Pork Tenderloin with sultana raisin and pork sausage, and sage and walnut bread & butter pudding. All very good but I was already slowing down. So much so, in fact, that I only ordered two desserts: the Niagara Spy Apple and Saskatoon Berry Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream and creme anglaise, and the dark chocolate and mascarpone parfait with chocolate sorbet and espresso anglaise. Nothing to complain about but, ultimately, nothing to really love either.

Tomorrow, it’s back to the office to discuss oautlines and one-pagers. We’ve got scripts for episodes 1 and 2, and stories for episodes #3-8. Four more to go and we’ll have our first season mapped out. After that’s done, all that will be left to do is prep and produce season one. Smoooooth sailing!


Mailbag:

Michael writes: “1) Was there any consideration for Mr. Woolsey or Ambassador Ovirda to mention Dr. McKay’s failure with Project Arcturus in SGA, during the meeting?

2) Telford took two SG-units with him on the Langara mission. Were they specific ones like SG-3 or SG-5?

3) That was really cool to hear a little of the SGA theme when McKay walks in. Who’s idea was it?

4) Was it ever planned to include something like a brief one sentence ‘update’ on the status of Atlantis?”

Answers: 1) There was not. While interesting, it wouldn’t have added anything to the scene and, quite the episode, would have only confused the issue for viewers unfamiliar with SGA.

2) To the best of my knowledge, they weren’t.

3) That would have been the magical Joel Goldsmith, expert musicsmith.

4) Nope. We were keeping it purposely vague in order to keep our options open for any potential movies.

Lou Zucaro writes: “Joe, if you do want to use that domain I got, you can get my e-mail address from your blog.”

Answer: Will do. Thanks, Lou.

Ulrike Tannenberg writes: “But I did not quite get, whether it would be possible to retrieve Ginn and Perry or not.”

Answer: It was kept vague, however, there were plans for a cool early season 3 story involving Ginn that would have totally changed shipboard dynamics for many of our characters. Remind me to tell you about it sometime.

Ulrike Tannenberg also writes: “About making an amalgam movie of all 3 Stargate incarnations – please don’t. I know many people here are fans of SG1 and SGA so I have been holding back with my opinion on those – at least mostly. Just don’t. That would be like mixing night and day – it will not work out.”

Answer: Well, in your opinion, did it work out in Seizure? Ultimately, it would really depend on the characters crossing over.

Simon writes: “1) Can you dedicate a blog post to your Transporter: The Series show? IE going into further detail without giving too much away ect

2) Do you have an interested network? If not then may I suggest going to the USA network as it would fit in nicely with their other shows, Burn Notice (You ever watch it?) etc.

3) Mike Dopud being considered for the lead?

4) Speaking of SGU, any word from Brad about the movie(s)?”

Answer: 1) Sure, eventually. Right now, the series is in the early prep stages and we’re still in the process of hammering out stories and assembling our team.

2) We already have an American broadcaster and it is a perfect fit for this high-octane, sexy, action-adventure series!

3) We’re presently auditioning for several roles and I have asked to see Mike.

4) Still no word. Sorry.

chevron7 writes: “How’s Jelly doing with the colder weather?”

Answer: She’s a shiverer. I carry her out, set her own, wait for her to do her business, then scoop her up and head inside.

hal ehlrich writes: “Well I am crossing my fingers that a movie ends up coming out. Do you have any timeframe when they might be letting us know if and when it may happen?”

Answer: I don’t and I honestly feel it has to be sooner than later if we want to take advantage of actor availability.

N writes: “Since people’s consciousness can be uploaded and downloaded to and from the chair would it be possible to change the person’s code and their personalities while they are in Destiny’s mainframe?”

Answer: With the proper knowledge of how to go about “changing the respective programs” it might theoretically be possible to excise certain memories, even personality subroutines which would, in effect, be the equivalent of brain surgery. It would be unpredictable, however, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Randomness writes: “Sorry Joe but I disagree about your comments about the ratings not effecting the movie.”

Answer: Disagree with me all you want. Regardless of whether this movie gets made or not, at the end of the day I’m someone who has worked on the franchise for over a decade and have access to certain information like, for instance, what variables are being considered in the decision-making process, and what variables aren’t (ie. ratings).

Randomness also writes: “…and Syfy on the verge of pulling the show off the air like they did with Caprica…”

Answer: Really? What’s the source of your information? Or is this merely an assumption on your part?

Randomness also writes: “Speaking of which, I really can’t understand why you, Paul, Carl etc have all joined the Transporter, all of you including Brad should of done a 4th Stargate series.”

Answer: Our focus was on SGU. Our plan was to continue the series, not set up a back-up spin-off. Rob left the franchise to pursue other projects. Paul and I said that if and when SGU ended, we would move on as well. Brad, who co-created all three shows and has been with the franchise longer than anyone, is looking to provide SGU fans with a satisfactory conclusion to the story of Destiny’s mission.

Thornyrose writes: “So, you WILL tell us who the kind stranger/familiar face is when you eventually identify him is, won’t you?”

Answer: Sure, but it could be months, perhaps years, before I can place the face.

chevron7 writes: “Could you please do me a favour and close the ankle bracket after blockquote in the previous comment.”

Answer: The what in the what now?

[GATEGOD]

DP writes: “Questions about the new series: 1. What does the new series have in common with Stargate?”

Answer: Action, adventure, engaging characters, interesting relationships, a sense of fun, and humor.

WHAT THE FRAK.

So you create a show just like SG-1/SGA right after you're all so invested with creating something super different and dark with SGU? What was that just a one night stand and now you want to get back into a real relationship.

UGH!

[Egle01]

So you create a show just like SG-1/SGA right after you're all so invested with creating something super different and dark with SGU?

What's so terribly wrong with that?

[carmencatalina]

WHAT THE FRAK.

So you create a show just like SG-1/SGA right after you're all so invested with creating something super different and dark with SGU? What was that just a one night stand and now you want to get back into a real relationship.

UGH!

Chill. JM didn't create this show, he was hired as a writer. To do what he does for a living, write. It isn't all about us or about Stargate.

Center of the universe, we are not.

[thekillman]

at least JM can say he prefers it now. he has done SGU and it's clear he prefers the SG1 type show. does it matter? no. it's preference. he doesn't hate it.

[blazingfire]

Chill. JM didn't create this show, he was hired as a writer. To do what he does for a living, write. It isn't all about us or about Stargate.

Center of the universe, we are not.

Riiight.
But, hey, cute unicorn.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...uction-update/

April 7, 2011

Photos: Lulu, Bubba, Jelly, Maximus, chewed-up chapstick


Look at ‘em. So easygoing and laid-back. Little angels they appear to be. Certainly not the type capable of something like...

I’m baffled as to who the guilty party is. In The Big Red Chewing Gum Incident, Jelly’s cinammony breath was a dead giveaway. In the Mystery of the Missing Curry Fusilli, the fact that Maximus was suddenly incapable of fitting into his hitherto roomy harness proved his undoing. And in the Case of the Disappearing Chocolate-Covered Almonds, Bubba’s eyes whispered “Innocent.” while his explosive diarrhea screamed “Guilty!”. In this case, I’m not sure. Although I have to say Lulu’s lips have never looked more lustrous.

Three links to three different Stargate-related interviews for you to check out, compliments of Steve Eramo over at SciFiandTVTalk:

A chat with Alexis Cruz: http://scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/sc...gate-sg-1.html

An interview with Kavan Smith: http://scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/sc...-from-you.html

And a sit-down with the lovely Carl Binder: http://scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/sc...rl-binder.html

We were back in the office today to give/get notes on the outlines and one pagers for episodes #3-8. It ultimately fell on me to tweak the one sheets, reformat them, and then send them out. As much as I enjoyed the experience, I must admit to enjoying the experience of passing these duties on to an actual script coordinator even more.

Tomorrow, I’m off to Casa Loma for a little location scout after which I’ve got a slew of auditions to check out.

Hey, did I mention I’m working on Transporter: The Series?

No? Well, I’m sure you already figured it out.

[Alan]

So there's going to be a Transporter TV show. Can't say I'm happy about it. I loved the movies with their short and snappy stories and their scale and was really hoping for a fourth movie. I don't think its gonna work out being draaaaaaaaaaaaagged out episodically. I think there's only so many times a story of a transporter collecting and delivering something can go wrong before it gets tired and thats why I think having a series of movie stories spread out across a few years is a much better idea for The Transporter rather than an episodic TV show. I really do think its gonna get tired fast.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...art-to-my-day/

April 8, 2011

Video: 5:30 a.m.

Photos: Bubba, Akemi, Casa Loma, Joe Mallozzi


Ah, apartment life. This morning, at a tick past 5:30 a.m., we awakened to this:

The dogs were freaked out by the alarm, Lulu in particular who just sat at the top of the stairs, refusing to move until I went up and got her. At one point, a voice came over the P.A. to inform us that they were investigating and stay tuned for another announcement in two minutes. Back to the soul-quaking blare. I took the time to brush my teeth and put on pants. Five minutes later, when the second announcement came, it went like this: “The fire department has been called.” And nothing else. No “Stay put while we investigate further.” or “Guests are urged to make their way down to the lobby.” or “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!”. I was leaning toward heading back up to bed to wait for the next announcement but noticed that Akemi already had her coat on and was headed out the door with all four dogs. I followed her out into the empty hallway. Had everyone else already made their way down? While Akemi attempted to coax a skittish Bubba and Lulu down the stairs, I scooped up Jelly and Maximus, a pug in each arm, and followed.

Not surprisingly, in the end, it was all for naught. Akemi and I (and the four dogs), along with the other dozen residents who bothered evacuating, cooled our heels for about an hour (And I do mean cooled. It was ****ing cold outside!) before we were allowed back upstairs.

One week in the new place and one fire alarm. That’s some average. On the bright side, given that we were up so early, we had the whole day ahead of us. Theoretically. I went back to bed and slept in until 9:30 a.m.

Today, it was back to St. Lawrence Market where we picked up more produce – and partook in another terrific Mustachio’s sandwich, this one the chicken parmsean -

After dropping off our purchases back at the place and taking the dogs for their second walk of the day, we headed out for my location scout to Casa Loma, the possible sight of the big episode 5 climax...

In a perfect bookend to my day, I locked myself out of my apartment tonight. Fortunately, the affable security guard had the master key and was kind enough to open my door for me – while informing me that Stargate: Universe didn’t have enough action and was too complicated for him.

[Gatefan1976]

Chill. JM didn't create this show, he was hired as a writer. To do what he does for a living, write. It isn't all about us or about Stargate.

Center of the universe, we are not.

Can I request that to be framed somewhere please

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ching-and-you/

April 9, 2011

Photos: Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King, Eden of the East, Gin Tama, Sgt Frog, lunch, Akemi, Anne-Marie, dessert


So what are you guys reading? Watching? Before leaving Vancouver, I loaded up my kindle, stocking up for the long months ahead. I figured I’d blaze through the selection in no time. Instead, I’ve managed to read a whole half book since hitting T.O. The fact is I just haven’t had the time. Between the show and the settling in and the walking of the dogs and the blogging and the trying out of the new restaurants, I’ve been lucky to have any time for much else. Still, I have been enjoying my latest read -

With the exception of The Gunslinger, the first book in his Dark Tower series, Stephen King has never disappointed. His latest is a collection of four novellas. I’ve only read the first two – ” Big Driver” (the one I started with because, inexplicably, my kindle opened the book on the second story) and “1922″ – and both are classic King: creepy, often grisly, and deeply unsettling, mainly as a result of his ability to craft believable characters with whom the audience can sympathize.

Would love to be watching more but, alas, the crappy DVD player in the apartment is pretty damn finicky and will only play one of every four dvd’s. We were working our way through Top Chef Masters which, alas, I thought was going to a lot more fun than it actually is. Also today, I swung by Anime Extreme and picked up a few titles I won’t be able to watch anytime soon unless I get a new DVD player...

I believe one of you recommended this one. Anyway, Akemi can’t wait to start watching. Which she’ll have to, of course. Also...

Watched the first volume of this hilarious over-the-top series a couple of months and loved it. Haven’t been able to track down volume 2 yet but snagged volume 3 when I saw it sitting on the shelf. And...

An Akemi request. Any Sgt. Frog fans out there?

We took a walk through Chinatown, stopping to check out a barbecue restaurant for lunch. The service was perfunctory (typical of most casual Chinese eateries) but the food was quite good. While Toronto apparently can’t serve up a sushi platter to save its reputation, it DOES do Chinese well...

After lunch, I put prepped my port-raised short ribs, then headed to the Senses Cafe where I met up with an old friend -

I hadn’t seen her since leaving Montreal for Vancouver some twelve years ago. And she hasn’t changed at all. Loved working with her back in my animation days and enjoyed catching up over desserts -

Anyway, she’s in town for some Writers Guild of Canada to-do and we’ll be meeting up again tomorrow night for dinner at Lai Wah Heen, purported to be the top Chinese restaurant in the city.

Hey, my second to last episode of Stargate: Universe, The Hunt, airs this week. It’s an interesting episode in that I tried very hard to make sure most every character got the opportunity to make a contribution. I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts and will make it a point to field your questions after the episode airs. Tomorrow, I’ll upload the pics of “the beast”, from concept design to sculpt to almost finished.