Shows / Can’t Look Away
Can’t Look Away
I was a kid in the 70s, a teenager in the 80s and in my twenties in the 90s — and movies have been part of the ride all the way. From old favourites and forgotten gems to films I’m watching for the first time, I revisit the movies, share the memories and talk about whatever gets me thinking.
Episodes
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 141: High Heels (1991)
A glamorous, twisted and surprisingly emotional Almodóvar ride where family, guilt, sex and murder collide.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 140: Capricorn One (1978)
A solid 1978 conspiracy thriller with a brilliant premise, great suspense and plenty of 70s paranoia. It’s a little overlong and a few plot points require some…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 139: Black Rain (1989)
I revisit Ridley Scott’s slick, atmospheric late-’80s thriller where Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia and Ken Takakura collide with Tokyo, the Yakuza and each…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 138: The King of Comedy (1983)
I revisit Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, a brilliantly dark and funny film about ambition, obsession and one man who simply cannot read the room.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 137: Easy Rider (1969)
I revisit Easy Rider and finally understand the film that completely lost me when I was 17. The music, the motorcycles, the counterculture and that devastating…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 136: Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
I revisit Raise the Red Lantern, a film I remembered loving in the 1990s and now realise, 30 years later, is an absolute masterpiece.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 135: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
45 years after seeing The Empire Strikes Back at seven years old, I revisit one of the biggest films of my childhood — and discover that while some of the…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 134: Betrayed (1988)
I went back to a VHS favourite from 1988 and found a film that’s still intriguing, uncomfortable and well acted — but nowhere near as good as I remembered.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 133: To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
A grimy, stylish ’80s crime thriller I somehow missed the first time around — and the perfect Friday-night film to watch with a beer in your hand.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 132: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Revisiting Nineteen Eighty-Four at 53, I found John Hurt brilliant and Orwell’s world as bleak as ever, but maybe I’ve seen too much to be shocked by this…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 131: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
I can appreciate the madness of Herzog’s achievement, but after 90 minutes of drifting down the Amazon, I still couldn’t work out what everyone else seems to…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 130: Shock Waves (1977)
Nazi supermen, synth music, Peter Cushing and a whole lot of nostalgia — Shock Waves still works for me.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 129: Crimes and Misdemeanours (1989)
A solid Woody Allen drama with plenty of laughs, a terrific Martin Landau performance and some really interesting ideas about guilt, morality and getting away…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 128: The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)
A wildly romantic, dirty and visually spectacular love story where two damaged souls find their own little corner of Paris and somehow make it work.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 127: Down by Law (1986)
Three misfits, a New Orleans prison and a trip through the Bayou sounds like the perfect Jarmusch setup, but for me Down by Law needed a little more than…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 126: The Elephant Man (1980)
David Lynch somehow turned one of the saddest true stories imaginable into a beautiful, haunting film about the best and worst of human nature — and it hit me…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 125: The Graduate (1967)
The Graduate still feels like a cheeky, funny and surprisingly modern kick in the guts about sex, expectations and having absolutely no idea what the hell…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 124: Obsession (1976)
It’s a beautifully shot, very Hitchcockian thriller with fantastic Italian locations, a terrific Bernard Herrmann score and plenty of the themes De Palma would…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 123: A Star Is Born (1976)
A film I’d tried to watch twice before but never got past the first 10 or 15 minutes. This time I stuck with it and found a lot to enjoy, especially Barbra…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 122: House of Games (1987)
I revisit David Mamet’s House of Games, a clever and fascinating film about confidence men, manipulation and the art of the con. I love movies like this, and…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 121: Go (1999)
A brilliantly chaotic 24 hours that captures the energy, recklessness and sheer fun of being young in the late 90s — and it still moves like a rocket.
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 120: American Honey (2016)
I revisit American Honey, a film I already loved, and found even more to appreciate this time around. Andrea Arnold’s direction, Sasha Lane’s fantastic…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 119: Sid and Nancy (1986)
I revisit a film that was a big deal for me when I was 17 or 18 and getting heavily into the Sex Pistols and punk. I was fascinated by the film and blown away…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 118: Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
I revisit Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, a film I saw more than 20 years ago and remembered as a murky, confusing mess. This time around I found a beautifully…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 117: Don’s Party (1976)
I revisit Bruce Beresford’s Don’s Party (1976), a wild and very funny snapshot of Australian life that takes place on election night in 1969. It’s a film about…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 116: Fletch (1985)
I revisit Fletch (1985), a film I’ve probably seen 20 times and still consider one of the funniest comedies of the 1980s. Chevy Chase is at the height of his…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 115: The Card Counter (2021)
I revisit Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, a film I’d only seen once before but remembered really liking. This time around, I found myself thinking much more…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 114: Following (1998)
A revisit to Christopher Nolan’s first feature film, Following — a low-budget black-and-white thriller that already contains many of the ideas he would explore…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 113: Three Days of the Condor (1975)
A CIA conspiracy thriller starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway, Three Days of the Condor captures the paranoia of 1970s America. I revisit a film that…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 112: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
I revisit Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, a film I first saw when I was about 17 and one I’ve never forgotten. It was rated R, so…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 111: The Dirty Dozen (1967)
I revisit Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen, a film that has always been regarded as a classic and one that I mostly knew through my dad’s memories of it…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 110: The Duellists (1977)
The Duellists was Ridley Scott’s first feature film, but it already shows the visual confidence that would define his career. I revisit this Napoleonic-era…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 109: She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
I revisit Spike Lee’s debut feature She’s Gotta Have It (1986), a film I hadn’t seen since the 1990s. Coming back to it nearly 40 years later, I found myself…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 108: Irma Vep (1996)
I revisit Olivier Assayas’ Irma Vep (1996), a film about filmmaking, creativity, ego and the changing world of cinema. I first saw it in the 1990s and found it…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 107: One from the Heart (1982)
I revisit Francis Ford Coppola’s One from the Heart (1982), a film I first saw more than 25 years ago and didn’t connect with at all. Coming back to it now…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 106: At Close Range (1986)
In this episode I revisit At Close Range (1986), James Foley’s powerful crime drama starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. More than a story about…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 105: The Offence (1973)
Sidney Lumet’s The Offence (1973) is a dark psychological drama that shows a very different side of Sean Connery. Far removed from James Bond, Connery plays a…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 104: Semi-Tough (1977)
I revisit Semi-Tough (1977), a film that promised a lot on paper — Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, professional football, romance and…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 103: Lenny (1974)
I revisit Lenny (1974) and came away even more convinced that this is one of Dustin Hoffman’s finest performances. Whether or not it perfectly captures the…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 102: River’s Edge (1986)
In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I revisit River’s Edge (1986), a film that still feels incredibly unsettling nearly forty years later. The murder itself…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 101: Dillinger (1973)
In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I revisit John Milius’ Dillinger (1973), a crime film that feels less like a Hollywood gangster movie and more like a…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 100: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
I revisit Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), a science-fiction classic that I think deserves to be mentioned alongside the very best dystopian films ever…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 99: Paths of Glory (1957)
Revisiting Paths of Glory nearly 30 years after first seeing it, I found Stanley Kubrick’s early masterpiece just as powerful as I remembered. More than a war…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 98: Secretary (2002)
Today I’m revisiting Secretary, a film I first saw around the time of its release and remembered as something completely different from anything else around…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 97: Erskineville Kings (1999)
Erskineville Kings turned out to be much more than a nostalgic trip back to Sydney in 1999. I revisit this gritty Australian drama and explore why it captures…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 96: Kiss the Girls (1997)
In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I revisit Kiss the Girls (1997), a film that arrived during what I still think was one of the greatest years at the…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 95: Malice (1993)
I revisit Malice (1993), a 90s thriller I barely remembered but found much more clever and entertaining than expected. With a great cast led by Alec Baldwin…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 94: Carlito’s Way (1993)
I revisit Carlito’s Way (1993), a film I absolutely loved when I first saw it at 21. I made a copy on VHS, watched it repeatedly, and was completely drawn into…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 93: Swimming Pool (2003)
In this episode I revisit François Ozon’s Swimming Pool (2003), a beautifully understated mystery set in the South of France. I talk about the wonderful…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 92: Death Wish (1974)
I revisit Death Wish (1974), the film that helped define the vigilante genre and gave Charles Bronson one of the most memorable roles of his career. Watching…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 91: The Breakfast Club (1985)
In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I revisit The Breakfast Club (1985), the John Hughes classic that strangely never connected with me the way Ferris…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 90: Romper Stomper (1992)
I revisit Romper Stomper (1992), one of the most confronting films to come out of Australia. Seeing it again more than 30 years after first watching it in the…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 89: Waiting for Guffman (1997)
I revisit Christopher Guest’s Waiting for Guffman (1997), a small-town mockumentary that I had almost no memory of seeing before this rewatch. What starts as a…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 88: Cat People (1982)
I revisit Paul Schrader’s Cat People (1982), a stylish and undeniably strange cult film I’d been wanting to see again for years. With memorable performances…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 87: Smoke (1995)
I revisit Smoke (1995), Wayne Wang’s beautifully understated character drama written by Paul Auster. Built around a Brooklyn cigar shop and the lives of the…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 86: The Killing (1956)
I revisit Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing (1956), a tightly constructed crime thriller that shows the early signs of the filmmaker he would become. Following a…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 85: A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) remains one of the funniest comedies of the decade. In this episode, I revisit a film I first saw with my dad at the cinema, look at…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 84: Fish Tank (2009)
I revisit Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank (2009), a film that completely blew me away when I first saw it and feels even more powerful on rewatch. It’s a raw and…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 83: Passion Fish (1992)
I revisit John Sayles’ Passion Fish (1992), a beautifully made character drama about two damaged people who slowly learn to understand each other. Mary…
- Can’t Look Away
Episode 82: Rumble Fish (1983)
Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish (1983) might just be his forgotten masterpiece. In this episode, I revisit its stunning black-and-white cinematography…