Alan & Jono's Watching/Reading List: March 2026 (Patreon)

Alan:

Hello Heroes!

What did I even do this month? Is it March? Are we even real? Spending free time writing, and shuttling kids around to various activities, so not as much to report this month.

What I’m reading!

David Lean by Kevin Brownlow. This is a biography fit for the man who directed Lawrence of Arabia. It’s huge. Detailed. Maybe a bit too long. But you know what else it is? Gripping. I’ve got a whole list of David Lean films to watch and rewatch now. What an incredible filmmaker, and what an interesting, flawed, incredible man and filmmaker. 

Before & Afters #33 - Andor S2. More B&A. I love this magazine. This issue covers all the practical stuff they shot, that was then digitally enhanced and stretched. One of the reasons it all feels so real and physical. If there’s any you find interesting, there are digital and print copies available at the website: https://beforesandafters.com/magazine/ or on Amazon. 

What I’m watching!

Project Hail Mary. I love this book! And you know what: the movie is also very good. I have a weird nitpick about it that really affected my enjoyment of the movie, but I think I’m alone on weirdo island with that one. Gosling is perfect. Rocky is even more perfect. And the cast back on earth is great. 

Buster Keaton’s Two-Reelers. I found a Blu-ray collection of all of Buster’s short films (that still exist). I mean, feels silly to say it, but what a genius. Dude literally invented 30-50% of cinematic grammar for comedy and genre stuff. Still gets used all the time. Still (still!) nobody has done it better. I’m really excited to dig into his features. I’ve only ever seen The General and part of Spite Marriage.

What I’m playing! Still! 

Nuclear Option. This is a flight sim (pretty arcade-y) that allows you to drop nukes! Fun! It’s actually really fun and kinda deep, but I don’t really have the rig for it. Still enjoying it though.

Half-Life 2. This is my third or fourth playthrough. What a great game. Man I wish Valve still made games. They were really good at it. Though I’m glad they made me a Steam Deck. This is basically just a copy-paste of my reminiscence about Portal 2.

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

Jono:

Hello everyone! How is your March going? What have you been up to? What have you been enjoying?Me, I've really enjoyed both HOPPERS and PROJECT HAIL MARY in theaters. All the people who say "I don't go to the movies because there's nothing good" people no longer have an excuse. If they ever did, in my experience there's almost always at least one good pick at the multiplex. But these were both first-rate!I've been getting back into BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, which to me is somehow both super beloved and not loved enough by the general public. I think it belongs right there with the best TV comedies of all time. Phenomenal cast, belly laughs every episode. Andre Braugher (rest in peace) as Captain Holt is a revelation. Now that I've seen the movie, I'm going to read the book version of PROJECT HAIL MARY. Excited to get further into that world!What have you all been enjoying?