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

Alan:

Hello Heroes!

It’s sooooo hot. Maybe I’ll read a book.

What I’m reading!

Lord Hornblower by C.S. Forester: This is one of the lesser Hornblowers, but it’s still a (mostly) nautical adventure from a grumpy Brit’s perspective. So… I’m here for it. I’m such a freaking dad.

What I’m watching!

Lots of new movies! Some of them we’re going to talk about on the show!

The Devil Wears Prada 2: This could so easily have been a re-hash garbage legasequel. But it was actually a really great movie! Honestly, it feels like a faithful continuation of the characters we love, it’s funny, the plot all works. If you’re going to make a sequel, this is the way to do it!

Disclosure Day: Guys. Spielberg’s still got it. I know the third act was divisive. Some people loved it, some hated it. I’m firmly in the loved it camp. I was transfixed. The woman playing the TV news anchor is a revelation. Get used to seeing her, she’s a movie star. Also, all the other performances are top notch. It’s got a couple signature Spielberg set pieces, it’s kinda weird, and a little shaggy. Like, it’s not a Pixar-Perfect-Picture™, and sometimes I want something a little loose.

Shrinking S2-3: Catching up on this show with Megan. It’s cozy. TERRIBLE therapy and therapist/client relationships, but it’s funny and cozy. 

What I’m playing!

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Resync: One of my favorite games of all time remade with ray-tracing and super-improved graphics? Sign me up! I’ll be playing this a lot for… a while.

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

Jono:

Hello all! How was your July? I'm hoping you're enjoying summer movie season!

WHAT I'M WATCHING:

Minions and Monsters is the funniest movie in this franchise since the first Despicable Me, thanks largely to its unbridled love for classic movies as your favorite little yellow freaks invade early Hollywood. There is still zero plot or character development, but the jokes and homages definitely landed.

Young Washington was decently well-made for what it was. His early life is fascinating, especially his failures as a young commander in the French and Indian War that shaped his later maturity. Not crazy about the use of generative AI (I found out after or I might not have seen it).

Hadestown: this pro-shot of the musical with the original Broadway cast was excellent, engrossing, emotional, and catchy. Limited engagement was well-worth catching with my kids, whose school performed it last year. This version was much better, obviously.

The Odyssey: a masterpiece as far as the wife and I were concerned. Controversy is much ado about nothing. Very well-paced, three hours hummed by. Visually-stunning, great audio (I can actually hear the dialogue, thanks Nolan!), excellent performances, and a surprising amount of humanity.

The Rocky series. Revisiting these at home for the 50th anniversary of the first film. If you've watched our episode on this, you know I adore these movies and this character. Shoutout to the Rocky IV director's cut, which improves on the original to a shocking degree.

WHAT I'M READING: Starting my hardcover of Homers' The Illiad/The Odyssey this week, inspired by my watch of the film. Haven't read it since high school, so I'm excited to revisit!

What have you all been watching and reading?