With an opening weekend gross of over 70 million dollars, 300 has stunned critics and sent Hollywood scrambling to figure out the secret to its success. As it turns out, it takes little more than a cursory observation to understand why the movie has performed so well. 300 has a look all its own and treats its distinctive subject matter in a unique and refreshing fashion. In short, it’s original. So you know what that means for movie-goers in the months to come. That’s right. More of the same! More gods! More minotaurs! More epic battles! Look forward to the Special Platinum Edition releases of Clash of the Titans and Hercules in New York as well as a cavalcade of crappy cinematic catastrophes as everyone falls all over each other to cash in on 300 Fever. Greek myth and legend are “in“! Strike while the iron is hot! Of course given the coming glut, studios may have to find a way to differentiate their product from the slightly dissimilar product already out there. Some may attempt to do so by giving their movie a contemporary spin, say marrying their period piece to an anachronistic modern soundtrack, following the leads of such masterpieces as A Knight’s Tale and Marie Antoinette, while others will undoubtedly stick to the tried and true formula of epic scale opulence steered by A-list stars, like such memorable gems as Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven, King Arthur, and Troy. And it won’t stop there. Like their passing dalliances with Kabbalah and Global Warming, celebrities will embrace this equally transient fad, declaring a passion for all things Greek as they unearth delightfully antiquated names for their babies to the amusement of fans everywhere. Get ready for Bellerophon Paltrow, Agesilaus Pinkett-Smith, and Testiculus Jolie-Pitt. I, for one, can’t wait.
An excellent lunch today at work – pictured: lamb shank in hunter sauce, a couscous with chickpea and roasted carrot salad, braised red cabbage, and there’s a turkey meatloaf somewhere under there. For dessert: bread pudding with caramel sauce (the secret is to layer the bottom of your bowl with caramel sauce, THEN drop in your hunk of pudding, and spoon a second dollop of caramel over that). Martin Gero has already wearied of my lunch mockery after only one post and refuses to let me snap a pic of what I think was steamed artichoke hearts in a light balsamic vinaigrette. Or it may have been chicken. Finally, here is a concept drawing of the new Atlantis base mascot: Monty the radioactive gopher. Whaddya think?
Let’s try to keep pace with all those questions –
Anonymous #1 writes: “Why was Mitchell’s role reduced so much in S10?”
Answer: When you have five characters to service, you’re not going to get to spotlight all of them all the time, especially when you bring in a new regular like Vala who may command some stories just as Mitchell, as the new regular in season 9, commanded his own stories. Still, amid the bigger Ori arc than ran through season 10, Mitchell did get his chance to shine in episodes like Uninvited, Company of Thieves, and Bounty.
Zabadoo writes: “Which did you personally prefer, season 10 of SG-1 or season 3 of Atlantis? What is your favorite season of SG-1 and why? Same for Atlantis and do you think that season 4 of Atlantis will be the series’ best so far?”
Answer: Like a parent asked to choose favorites, I’ll say I loved both season of SG-1 and season 3 of Atlantis equally. But loved SG-1’s finale season just a little more, It was the show’s final season after all. As for my favorite SG-1 season? Not sure. Seasons 4, 8-10 stand out. As for Atlantis – I’m enjoying what we’re putting together for season four which will, of course, be the best season ever.
AgentDark writes: “You’ve been working on the show for a while now Joe – who would you consider to be your Sith Apprentice ie the one who, after learning everything they can from you, will rise up to destroy you and take your position?
Answer: Apprentice? Are you kidding? Carl Binder has more experience producing television than anyone while Martin Gero continually blows me away with his production savvy and technical know-how. However, re: the rising up to destroy me and take my position – definitely Gero.
Anonymous #2 writes: “Do you like Ghiradelli chocolate?”
Answer: We had a Ghiradelli’s in Vancouver year’s ago and I used to love their sundaes.
Anonymous #3 writes: “Can we expect some ground shaking character revelations alla The Gift in season 4?”
Answer: Yeah, there’ll be more than a few major revelations upcoming in season four.
Hey, firstly thanks for answering my last question, you have no idea how awesome it is to talk to a guy that writes for my favorite show. I am in film school right now and I was wondering if tv is the easiest way to get in? How hard is it to find a job in a production studio in Vancouver? Is it easier than LA? Should I just head straight into Indies? Lastly, is it easier to jump in as a writer?
As Easter is fast approaching, how about sharing with us your view on a couple of seasonal favorites: peeps and Cadbury cream eggs. Do you partake?
Wow, how on Earth could anyone think that Mitchell of all people has been ignored?? That’s just ridiculous. He got Carter’s place on the team and Jack’s place in the show, and both without explanation. It takes gall (or ignorance) to put forth that Mitchell, and not Teal’c or Sam, has been neglected. Meh.
Hiya Joe,
I was wondering, what do you think we would have seen had SG-1 continued for an 11th season? I know its a bit of a ‘what if’ question but I was curious that before you guys heard that the show was cancelled, what the initial plans were for the next season.
Take care Joe!
Some questions:
1. Will Carter be introduced in the first episode of the season
2. Will Jewel be in the opening credits
3. Will Torri be in the first episodes of the season, or sadly, will she be out of the show from the get-go?
4. Will Weir be in charge of Atlantis in s4?
Thanks for your time 🙂
Hi Joe,
I’m sorry if this has already been asked, but will we see instances of Sheppard having to rely on his team for rescue/bailing out in season 4, instead of him always getting himself out of a tight spot?
Thanks! Keep up the great work!
Stargazer
Hi, just wanted to stop by and say that as a fellow long term supporter of the Sam/Jack relationship, I am also in support of the relationship being hopefully positively resolved (happy ending not involving AU, AT, alien possesions, clones or robots but our Sam and Jack) before SG1 finally ends. I can’t help but wonder if good things really do come to those who wait; I personally think we’ve waited long enough…
Let me also wish you, cast and crew good luck for Season 4 of Atlantis. I loved the Season 3 finale First Strike and thought it was tremendous so I warn you my expectations are very high 🙂
Your writings beg for comment.
Delightful.. as usual and you’re right it will be all things Greek until the next great happening..
Dori
Dear Joe
I am Bethany S. Heard, abd I would just like to make an apology, and to let you know why I think some fans seem so angry with you at the moment. There is a rumour going around that you called us all ‘too dumb to waste a good storyline on’, that you fibbed to us about Ford ever coming back when he first left the show, just to keep us quiet, and that he was just an excuse/a way in for writing The Lost Boys episodes, while you are getting rid of Elizabeth because you believe her similarly weak… Also, there’s a rumour going about that you called us all fickle, and we soon wouldn’t care about Carson leaving with another pretty face in front of us… So, here is my apology: I think I made a mistake in a Save Carson Campaign letter – I answered some points/comments reportedly made by you, and yet, looking over your blogs and the Tribune article now myself, (intending to add a link to them in another letter) I can’t find any of these very offensive comments you are meant to have made… God knows where the fans got it from that you said all that – Even my boyfriend, David, said he’d read that you said that stuff – He is usually the voice of reason in arguments within fandom! Not the kind to make things up, or embelish, as some are… So, he must have read it from a faulty source, too… I answered these supposed comments of yours in a campaign letter, because I thought I could trust the sources, though (fatally, when the original blog links were going around a while back & everyone got angry) – I didn’t read the blog entries… Because I didn’t want to get even more angry myself! I have now read the blog entries though, and the Chicago Tribune article, and I CANNOT find any such comments – Only the ones about campaigns not influencing writing… I can’t call these comments offensive. So, it seems, somehow, I have become a liar and turned into the exact stereo-type you sometimes tease us about!: Lesson learned, I suppose you could say! Is there anything you would now like to say to me or to any of the more irate fans, in answer to these rumours about what you have said about us (to set the record straight)??
I’m watching Conversion now, and I can’t tell you how sad it made me to see the opening credits and know that my two favourite characters won’t be there next year. Two characters whose roles in this episode were so integral.
This is one of the best episodes of Atlantis ever and the key players were Sheppard, Beckett and Weir.
Why in the name of all that is good did you decide that these were the two characters to offload? Because they shine in every episode, they steal every scene they’re in.. or maybe that’s the problem. They take attention away from your ‘team’.
Paul’s character may be dead, but can someone please wake up to how important Torri is to this program?? Because she is. Extremely important.
If she’s not there, I won’t be watching. I don’t think I could sit through the opening credits and see both Torri and Paul missing. One is bad enough. Two is just too depressing to contemplate.
After watching “Unending,” I am perplexed that no one, no even the Asgard, mentioned Jack. It would have been natural, yet it was a missed opportunity.
Do you really consider Marie Antoinette a masterpiece?
It was certainly visually stunning, but in my opinion lacked for a plot and an emotional heart.
My apologies..I am just curious to hear a differing opinion!
“Answer: When you have five characters to service, you’re not going to get to spotlight all of them all the time, especially when you bring in a new regular like Vala who may command some stories just as Mitchell, as the new regular in season 9, commanded his own stories.”
But Joe, doesn’t Atlantis have even more characters? Yet, I never see Shepherd’s role reduced like Mitchell’s was. I guess what I don’t understant is why Joe Flanigan and Ben Browder’s roles weren’t about the same size. Aren’t they both leads of their respective shows?
Now that Martin Gero and David Hewlett have spread their wings into directing and writing, respectively, are there any plans for David to write an episode (I could only imagine what that episode would be like) or Martin to direct one of his own scripts? Thanks Joe for answering all these questions!
Joe, I though “Unending” was a spectacular episode and a fitting end to the series and I just wanted to say thank you for all the hours of quality entertainment you guys have put out and will continue to. I know you get a lot of shit from people who take things far too seriously but just know there are a hell of a lot us who seriously appreciate what you do. Thank You!
Thanks for answering my question. It was the last one you answered in your last blog entry. It’s very cool that you take a little of your time to play with us. No questions for today, just the thank you. I’m already excited and wondering when, which and about who will those major revelation be. Perhaps one for each? Let’s get the speculation rolling and see who gets it right. Something to do while waiting for Adrift….
Hi Joe,
1) If (sorry, when… positive thinking) Atlantis reaches the 100 episode milestone, would you consider just a regular episode or go for something different, a la “Wormhole Xtreme”?
2) With regard to the cameo appearance by Teal’c in S4, what the magic 8-ball say about Teal’c finally setting foot in the city?
Cheers in advance 🙂
Joe, will there be any comedy episodes in season four, a la Irresistible or Bounty?
Love the blog btw!
quesion: out of the episodes written so far which ones will jewel be in??
just wanted to say i thought she did a really good job in first strike and (just in general) im really really really looking forward to season 4!!
Hi Joe,
As the season 10 of Sg-1 and season 3 Atlantis had ended in Uk I decided to tell you which eps I LIKED:
ATLANTIS:No Man’s Land
Misbegotten,Sateda,Progeny,The Real World,Common Ground,McKay and Mrs. Miller,Phantoms,The Return, Part 1,The Return, Part 2,Echoes,Tao of Rodney,The Game,The Ark
Sunday,Submersion,Vengeance,First Strike.
SG-1: Flesh and Blood,Morpheus,The Pegasus Project,Insiders,Uninvited,200,
Counterstrike,Memento Mori,Company of Thieves,The Quest, Part 1,The Quest, Part 2,Line In the Sand
The Road Not Taken,The Shroud,Bounty,Bad,Guys,Talion,
Family Ties,Dominion,Unending
Other than that these were the worst ever seasons of stargates,and I was very dissapointed.I sure hope you will do better with season 4.
:):D
Have a nice and productful year,
take care Joe
Hi Joe!
I love Atlantis’ new mascot, Monty the radioactive gopher. He will fit in wonderfully, I’m certain.
I think a good place for him to sit would be in the Atlantis control room next to good old Chuck. He could wish Sheppard’s team good luck when they have a mission – because they always end up in trouble and could use a good luck mascot! Though if his positive voodoo worked really well and Shep doesn’t get whumped good and proper in season 4, Monty gets it – I’ll personally be sticking pins into his voodoo doll! I think it’s a shame that Lucius the Lemming couldn’t have been chosen instead though! I’m sure he’d be really popular a certain section of the fandom…Lol!
Where do you get those amazing lunches? Do you send out, or do they serve those kinds of things there on site?
Hi Joe!
I posted the following question before but it was way down you blog so I don’t know if you saw it. Please ignore if you have no intention of answering.
You said that you can’t give fans an exact number of Weir episodes on season 4 of Atlantis because you guys haven’t figured out the whole season yet. That’s fair. However, it sounds like you have a decent understanding of the first ten episodes of the season in terms of stories and scripts. Can you tell us how many episodes Weir will be in out of those ten? Thanks.
ALSO
Any plans on Atlantis character cameo(s) in either of the SG1 movies?
dear joe,
do we get to see the daedalus in season 4
Hey Joe!
first time commenter long time reader (if that made any sense :)).
Q:out of all the movies you have seen this year..have their been any that you sat back and thought ‘why the hell were they thinking?’ ‘they should have done it this way?’
The people who want Sam/Jack resolution need to quit asking for it on Atlantis, and start looking at the movies, because they as fans are already having a detrimental impact on Atlantis.
The show is being altered, and to a long-term Atlantis fan, the only reason for it can be to draw in the SG1 fans who don’t watch, and have never shown any desire to watch.
I don’t think I’m ever going to stop being angry over what you’re doing with Elizbeth. This show is over for me and so many others because of what you’ve done. Torri and Elizabeth deserve to be part of this series for the long haul.
I will never again watch SGA unless Torri is given a fair go and gets a decent number of episodes. To me, that’s at least as many as Amanda gets. I’m hoping other Carson and Elizabeth fans will also boycott so that you can see the stupidity of these cast changes.
Joe, you’ve just been tagged with the “Five Things You Didn’t Know About Me” meme that’s been circulating the blogosphere for the past few months. Not quite sure what I mean? Check out the top entry in my blog today.
KJC
http://showbizprgirl.blogspot.com/
Joe,
Please tell me Hermiod was on the daedalus! You must keep him or I will have to run out and buy “savehermiod.com” and start a letter writing campaign. Then I will position people in alien masks all around the studio and tell them they must jump up and down screaming “Crap Indeed”!!!
=D
Here’s one for the ‘how come’ room. I was reading the spoilers on Gateworld for Travelers. If those people were spying on the Atlantis expedition why the heck did they capture Sheppard to fix a Lantean ship that wasn’t working instead of McKay?
hi, joe,
while i admittedly didn’t care for mitchell (because of command issues and calm/wacky behaviors), i’ve grown to like him a lot in season 10. i think i can safely say that’s more ben’s influence and decisions in character portrayal. and while he was still a member of the team, he really didn’t get much character growth in season 10. *i think you guys spent more time writing vala.*
why i’m bringing this up is; is there a chance of mitchell being the lead character in the third series? it’s always a good plan to bring in an already established character into a new show/cast. well, mitchell *is* established, but still has a LOT or character examination to go.
i like ben and i like mitchell; he deserves a second chance to shine.
sally 🙂
Jennifer said…
The people who want Sam/Jack resolution need to quit asking for it on Atlantis, and start looking at the movies, because they as fans are already having a detrimental impact on Atlantis.
~o~
okay, so let’s see if i’ve got this straight…
amanda/sam is a cast member of atlantis. but, i can’t:
* talk about her.
* can’t be excited.
* can’t ask for any storylines to be devoted to her.
* can’t ask for a continuing storyline of hers to be dealt with on the show.
is there anything else i’ve missed?
sally 🙂
… If you could have a robotic arm or a robotic leg, what would you have?
Oh, and i don’t know how much you were involved in Unending, but it rocked.
Hey Joe.
In season 4 of SGA, will Carter regularly wear 1) an Atlantis uniform, 2) an X304 uniform, or 3) an SG-1/SGC uniform?
Looking forward to the back halves of seasons 10 and 3 here in the US. The first half of season 10 was amazing.
Hi, Joe. I just recently saw Unending. Thank you and the entire production team for SG-1, very, very much! It was an amazing series, and it really has meant a lot to me since I started watching it a few years ago.
I have a question regarding Unending, though: who’s idea was it to use the “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” Song?
Joe,
Any word on RDA making an appearance in the DVD movies?
Majorsal…
okay, so let’s see if i’ve got this straight…
amanda/sam is a cast member of atlantis. but, i can’t:
* talk about her.
* can’t be excited.
* can’t ask for any storylines to be devoted to her.
* can’t ask for a continuing storyline of hers to be dealt with on the show.
is there anything else i’ve missed?
Here are a few more to help you out Majorsal
*can’t hope the show doesn’t bomb because she’s on it…
*can’t wish JM well on S4
*can’t like Sam and the promises coming up for the other cast members…
On and on it goes…Don’t bother with it Majorsal.
________________________________
JM–What’s happening? I guess you did make it out okay. I figured the “Scottish” got to you before next week. 😀
Got a wraith Queen question, I was watching No Man’s Land again. And you told me we’d find out about more wraith dna in S4. Will we touch on why the Queen’s are immune to the retro-virus? That being a more specific question.
Joe,
How many ZPM related episodes have you planned in season 4
Thanxs
Your montreal fan
You’ve said in the past that episodes often end up looking differently on screen than they do in your heads when writing them, for whatever reasons that may pop up along the way.
Which episode from seasons 10 & 3 are the furthest from how you conceived them? Which ones turned out better and which worse?
“majorsal said…
is there anything else i’ve missed?
Yeah let’s give Sam a pet dragon! While at it throw in 50 more. Hooraaayyy.
So…Unending….Daniel/Vala get it on, final episode of the show, stuck in time 50 years, and you hit the reset switch. What possible justification is there for not at least mentioning Jack O’neill? Do you hate puppies? Seriously, what the ****?
joe, i just watched ‘unending’. it was beautiful, just beautiful. even the daniel/vala stuff got to me. but it did depress the hell out of me, and not because it was the last episodic show (sg1 isn’t over).
but please, *please* let rob/brad know there’s sam/jack fans that have been waiting for their ship to be fulfilled. it would make a lot of fans very happy beyond words.
what’s left preventing it? (the regs for them are gone because they’re not on the same team or the same base anymore)
i know, broken record, but i’m speaking for every weir fan, beckett fan, jack fan, and any fan that loves a character or storyline so much that it becomes a part of their soul. and that is a testiment to wonderful storytelling.
sally 🙂
Hello Mr. Mallozzi,
In perusing your blog, I noticed your profile picture…
…and the startling resemblance between the Pugs featured in it and those of the wonderful Minigeek.
I was wondering if you stole one of her pictures, or fanboy her and went out and bought some puppies to match…
Cheers,
Starr 🙂
Will you bring the ancient warship Tria back in season 4. Its fate is very murky…. maybe you guys are planning to make it Carter’s flag ship in season 4 …. that will be cool.
Hey Joe.
Did the writers of seasons two and three of Atlantis ever find it cumbersome to fit medical personnel into every episode?
Hey now, Starr. True enough, we do both have three kids. An odd coincidence, that. Slightly unnerving, I’ll grant you.
However my kids’ wrinkles are completely different from Joe’s kids’ wrinkles.
COMPLETELY.
There is no spoon.
Also, my kids are trained with hard labour and heavy lifting from a young age – I like my puppies lean and chewy when I prepare them for dinner.
Takes years.