Alan & Jono's Watching/Reading List: July 2025 (Patreon)

Alan:

Hello Heroes!

July was a crazy month for me. Lots of family trips (reunions and whatnot) along with the usual stuff like writing a movie. Still managed to read and watch some stuff though!

What I’m reading!

The Making of THE SHINING - by JW Rinzler & Lee Unkrich. JW Rinzler wrote the best behind the scenes film books I’ve ever read. He passed away (cancer) a few years ago, and this was his last book. It’s a masterpiece of depth, information, and storytelling. About a movie that I don’t like, and a filmmaker I think is probably the most overrated filmmaker in the history of the medium. Reading this book didn’t change my mind. What a wild ride that was. I just got more and more annoyed, the entire time fascinated by the navel-gazing and overwrought nonsense of it all. Yeesh.

The Professor and the Madman - by Simon Winchester. The true story of a convicted murderer, an American, who contributed more citations and quotations than anyone else to the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. I learned more about philology than I ever thought I’d want to know. And I’m glad I did. This was a stupendous read! Highly recommend the audiobook. It’s read by the author, who has the most British voice I’ve ever heard in my life. I’ve been to England multiple times. This man wins.

Pacific - by Simon Winchester. I was so charmed by the previous book that I took another crack at this author. He attempts to tell the entire story of the Pacific Ocean, its peoples, and its place in the present and future of our world. And he kinda nails it. Seriously. I know Winchester is a bestselling author and has been for a long time, but I’m just discovering him, and you know what? I think I’m going to read every book he ever wrote.

What I’m watching!

Andor S2 (Disney+). Finally finished it. Then we watched Rogue One. The show is some of the best television ever made. Seriously. I don’t think it’s just recency bias talking. It’s a towering achievement. Rich, complex characters. A complicated, but understandable narrative. Gut-twisting tension. Solid humor (though not too much of it) even before K-2SO shows up. I’m excited to go through the whole series again, probably in a year’s time. I love this show.

Rogue One - I did enjoy Rogue One more on this watch than I have in the past, but the show can’t save the movie from its flaws. I’ve talked about this before. I think the film has a GREAT first half. And a very good second half. I just feel like they’re two different movies. Jyn and Cassian make a HUGE change halfway through, that’s unearned, and frankly doesn’t work for me. There’s a lot to love in that movie, but as a whole, it’s a bit of a failure for me.

What I’m playing!

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. I heard a rumor that there was a remaster in the works for this game, and because I’m dumb, I thought, “Huh. I haven’t played that in forever. I’ll just take a look.” I’m like 20 hours into it now. And yes, I will buy and 100% the remaster when it comes out, even though I’ve just played the game a ton. Why do you ask?

Watch Movies! (And television, and read books, and play video games)

Jono:

Hi everyone! Jonathan here, in the middle of a cross-country move. So forgive me for being short and sweet this time. Great month for movies! Jurassic World: Rebirth had a mediocre script and weak characters but was saved by excellent actors and Gareth Edwards directing the hell out of the action and suspense. Superman was everything I hoped it would be as well as so many things I didn't know I needed. Probably my favorite movie of the year so far. I cannot wait to do an episode on this. Fantastic Four is another episode waiting to happen! The cast is great, but Vanessa Kirby steals the movie. Powerful and wholesome family dynamics anchor a really fun Marvel movie.Right now I'm reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, which had such a huge influence on the abolitionist movement of the 1800s. I've heard about it my whole life, but this is my first time reading it. Very profound. What about you all? What are you watching and reading this month?