Alan & Jono's Watching/Reading List: July 2023 (Patreon)

Alan:

Hello Heroes!

July! It’s happening! It’s hot! I went to Lake of the Ozarks for a family reunion!

What I’m reading!

Zoe’s Tale and The Human Division by John Scalzi. More Old Man’s War books. They’re a really fun diversion, and there are some interesting bits of commentary about capitalism, etc. in them. Nothing spectacular, but they’re awfully fun. I love me some Scalzi dialogue!

Burn It Down by Maureen Ryan. A scathing look at how the Hollywood system functions, by someone who has been reporting on it for almost 30 years. Makes me feel bad about my life choices, my chances of actually “making it” in Hollywood, and what it means about me if I do. Interesting, but a real downer for the most part.

To PIXAR and Beyond! by Lawrence Levy. He was the Chief Financial Officer that Steve Jobs brought in to PIXAR to help take it public. Very inside-baseball film business stuff, but I'm super-interested in it, because I want Telekinesis Studios (my production company) to basically do what PIXAR did. It's not well-written. I'd avoid it unless you're a die-hard PIXAR fan and not just obsessed, but deeply invested in the film business like I am.

What I’m watching!

BarbenHeimer, or, since I’m watching them in reverse order: OppenBarbmer! A wacky fun romp, and a thoughtful treatise on the place of women in society! I loved both!

Mission:Impossible(s) Had to get ready for Dead Reckoning, and hoo boy, I love these movies. This is basically what I want to make. Globe-trotting adventures with stunts, twists, chases, and fights. Granted, I’d like to care just a bit more about the characters (save Fallout, which has some really solid character work). I don’t understand how the IMF works. I don’t understand who Ethan’s boss is. I don’t get why he goes rogue on literally every single mission, but you know what? It doesn’t matter. Each one is fun.

Ozark. It’s basically blue-tinted Breaking Bad. Still, really solid acting by the cast, and really assured direction from one Mr. Jason Bateman, who directed at least four episodes a season. I didn’t love it. But I also didn’t hate it. That used to be most of my TV watching, but we’re so spoiled for choice now that usually, if I don’t love a show within 3-4 episodes, I just bail on it. Which brings me to…

The Afterparty S2 started on Apple TV+. This was one of my favorite shows last year, and this season’s mystery is shaping up just as cinematically fulfilling, silly, and twisty as last year’s. This comes from Lord & Miller, who might just be my second favorite working Writer/Director/Producers (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie, 21 and 22 Jump Street, and writer/producers on the Spider-Verse movies. Also produced The Mitchells vs. the Machines!).

What I’m playing!

Literally nothing this month. Too busy. I hate it. I just want to finally beat The Witcher 3! Can I just get 100+ hours with nothing to do! And no kids around, because it’s definitely not kid-appropriate.

And…

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

Jono:

Hi everyone! I'm watching the TV series New Amsterdam. Wholesome and uplifting if you like medical dramas. Also, the therapist on there is on my short list of excellent pop culture therapists. I just watched the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. I'm also revisiting my Harry Potter Blu-rays with my kids. I diverge with J.K. Rowling on some key issues in real life, but I still love the art.I just read Zachary Levi's Radical Love, which is a powerful look at his journey to self-acceptance and mental health. I just started BJ Fogg's book TINY HABITS, about small changes in daily choices that make a big difference.

What have you been watching and reading this month?