Another year, another 365 posts. When I started this blog back in late 2006, little did I realize that I'd still be writing daily instalments - nine years later! Over that time, I've covered everything from my personal life to my job to everything in between, offering readers production insights, behind-the-scene tidbits, reading and restaurant…
December 30, 2015: Things – it may surprise you to know – I DON’T enjoy doing!
10. Renovations. 9. Facebook. 8. Listening to jazz. 7. Holding your baby. 6. Watching the NBA. 5. Tequila. 4. Beaches. 3. Breakfast. 2. New Years Eve parties. 1. Writing
December 29, 2015: Snowed in!
Hey! Hey!!! What happened?! Three days I was looking at this - This morning, I woke up to this! What happened?! Help us, Global Warming! You're my only hope! But rather than let it ruin my day, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to catch a matinee. Between my busy production schedule and…
December 28, 2015: This and that and maple syrup!
In about week from now, I'll be back to this - And this - And this - But, for now, it's a lot of this - This - And, occasionally, this - Today, Akemi and I braved the elements and headed downtown for some underground shopping. Discovered an enormous liquor store where I picked up…
December 27, 2015: Enjoyable Expressions!
Wouldn’t that jar your preserves? This one was my father's. He used to say it, with absolutely no sense of irony, on those occasions when something would burn his ass (another favorite expression of his). Shuck! This one was my mother's. I always assumed it was simply her Italian way of attempting "Shucks" until the day our…
December 25, 2015: Merry Christmas!
Late last night I sent Ivon the following texts: Ate so much I think I may die... And if I do, I just want you to remember one thing... Please delete my search history. The menu last night consisted of: soup, eggplant parmigiana, cannelloni, roasted shrimp, baked mussels, salmon, trout, meat, various cheeses, olives, crackers,…
December 23, 2015: Dinner at LeBremner!
It's a Christmas holiday tradition. I let my sister know when I'm coming into town and she books a bunch of dinners at some of Montreal's best restaurants. Last night, we kicked things off with a tremendous meal at LeBremner in Old Montreal. The place is owned by celebrity Executive Chef Chuck Hughes with Top Chef…
December 21, 2015: Back in my hometown of Montreal!
I was all set to cancel Christmas following my Snow Monkeys upset loss in fantasy football league play (Thanks for - next to - nothing Aaron Rodgers, Larry Fitzgerald, and DeAndre Hopkins), but had a last minute change of heart. And so, this morning, we were up dark and early for our road trip, leaving…
December 20, 2015: Things I have learned of late!
Time IS speeding up. At first, I thought this was merely a personal perception. As my friend, Alex, once pointed out - people experience "time flying" as a result of repetitious experiences. In other words, when you're younger, everything is new and the memories made are more vivid and concrete whereas, as you grow…
December 19, 2015: Dark Matter Mailbag!
baterista9 writes: "Are you requested by “powers that be” to cast guest stars from other NBC /Universal /Syfy /SPACE network series or films?" Answer: In fact, quite the opposite. We try to avoid casting actors who have appeared in other scifi shows on the same network. "2. Do you anticipate any 21st-century product placement in…
December 7, 2015: Final days of prep on Dark Matter Episode 201!
It's the final days of prep on the Dark Matter second season premiere. This morning, I attended and 8 a.m. stage walk-thru with VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson and the rest of the gang. While Lawren was discussing the green screen challenges with Director Amanda Tapping, Director of Photography Craig Wright was running some camera tests of the…
November 30, 2015: It’s on!
Today was our first official day of prep on Dark Matter's second season. Yeeeeah! Following a props meeting to discuss "the claw", we all hopped in the van and headed over to our second stage for a tour of the sets-in-progress with Episode 201 director Amanda Tapping. Check out the pictures above. What a difference a week…
November 26, 2015: American Thanksgiving Treats and Teasers!
I'm pleased to report that I finally pushed through that pesky today. In the end, I went with the one tried and true writer's block-breaking method I failed to mention in yesterday's blog entry: When in doubt, use humor! With that done, it was a nice segue into that delightful Android-Tabor scene. One more scene…
November 15, 2015: Dark Matter = Gilligan’s Island!
A couple of months ago, I came across this interesting little piece which seeks to match the crew of The Raza to the passengers of The S.S. Minnow. http://www.syfy.com/darkmatter/blog/dark-matter-gilligans-island Never mind that actresses Melissa O'Neill and Jodelle Ferland didn't know what the hell the interviewer was talking about (Thanks for making me feel old, ladies!).…
November 12, 2015: A mini mailbag!
Dallas Marshall writes: " Will Bubba get a Daddy-Son day, too?" Answer: Bubba is a big momma's boy. He's much happier hanging at home with Akemi. clevere1 writes: "Is Paul still show running with you Joe?" Answer: Although Paul is a co-creator and an executive producer on the show, I am (and have been) Dark Matter's…