Alan & Jono's Watching/Reading List: March 2024

Alan:

Hello Heroes!

March! It’s a month. Things happened during it! (Including Emerald City Comic Con, which was a blast!)

What I’m reading!

• The Shards of Lafayette by Kenneth A Baldwin. The first of a new series of books. It’s an alternate history-fantasy of WWI fighter pilots with magic. So yeah. Pretty much directly aimed at the deepest parts of my soul. I enjoyed it! Well worth a read if you’re interested in fighter planes, slightly-cozy magic, burgeoning romance, or the WWI era.

What I’m watching!

• Night of the Living Dead. I’d somehow never seen this before. It’s an all-time classic of the genre, since it kinda invented (reinvented?) the genre. And you know what? It feels like a really good movie from the '60s. Pacing feels weird by modern standards, and Barbara spends much of the movie being a mid-century caricature of feminine distress. But aside from that, it’s really fun!

• Dune: Part Two. Wow. Just wow. It’s hard to put this into words. I’m obsessed with this movie. I’ve always loved Denis Villeneuve movies. I loved Part 1, but this was something else entirely. Like, a classic on par with Lawrence of Arabia. Also, I don’t live in a desert like Arrakis, but I live near one. A huge one. I spent big chunks of my childhood there. This was weirdly nostalgic for me, given that I never rode a sandworm, or overthrew an empire, or became a messiah (that I know of).

What I’m playing!

• Not much this month. I’ve managed to not get sucked in by Helldivers 2, which is the kind of game that would destroy my life completely if I let it (addiction is a harsh mistress)!

I also launched a podcast called Murder She Rolled. It’s available anywhere you listen to podcasts. It’s a bit less family-friendly than Cinema Therapy, but if you like murder mysteries, Dungeons & Dragons, or just hilarity and mayhem, I think you’ll like it. I’m really proud of what the cast is doing, and our Dungeon Master (David, who edits Cinema Therapy) is one of the best I’ve ever played with.

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

Jono:

Hi all! This month I loved seeing Dune: Part Two in theaters. Thought it expanded on the first in compelling ways and was a visual feast. I was disappointed in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, because I loved Ghostbusters: Afterlife and felt this was a big step down. I also just caught the 25th anniversary screening of The Matrix in 4K Dolby Atmos. That may be the best theatrical experience I've had in my life!

I've been watching Batman: The Animated Series with my kids, as well as the original X-Men animated series from the '90s so that we can enjoy X-Men 97. I'm loving sharing these classics from my childhood with them! I'm also slowly chipping away at Gilmore Girls and getting sucked into the wholesome drama.

I'm reading Secure Love by Julie Mennano. It's all about attachment theory (secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized styles) and how we can build healthy, lasting connections with ourselves and with others. I love books that take clinical information and deliver it to the masses in helpful, easily-digestible ways. Highly recommended. 

What have you been watching and reading this month?