Dave’s Movie Diary

I revisit Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville (1965), a film that fascinated me even while I wasn’t always sure what was going on. Blending film noir, science fiction and philosophy, it’s a remarkably early look at technology, logic and the loss of humanity. In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I explore Godard’s unique style, the unforgettable Lemmy Caution, and why Alphaville still feels surprisingly...

I revisit Peter Weir’s Witness (1985), one of my favourite films of the 1980s and, for me, one of Harrison Ford’s finest performances. In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I look back at Peter Weir’s move from Australian cinema to Hollywood, the unforgettable romance between Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, and why this beautifully told thriller still holds up so well today. You can also watch...

A look at Sam Peckinpah’s dusty, violent Western about ageing outlaws, moral collapse, and one final blood-soaked stand. I talk cast, style, slow-motion violence, and why this feels like a turning point in cinema. Available now on Spotify, Apple Music, and Dave’s Movie Diary on YouTube.

I revisit Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise, a film that surprised me with how strongly it connected to memories of my own early twenties. More than a traditional plot, it’s about drifting, friendship, boredom, adventure and those strange little moments that stick with you years later. In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I talk about Jarmusch’s unique style, the unforgettable characters, an...

I recently revisited Eraserhead (1977), a film I didn’t really connect with when I first tried it years ago. Watching it again now, it feels less like a story and more like an experience — pure atmosphere, anxiety, and sound. In this episode of Dave’s Movie Diary, I talk through what it felt like going back to it, how strange and immersive it still is, and where it sits in relation to Lynch’s late...

I revisit Paul Thomas Anderson’s debut feature, Hard Eight (1996), a film I remembered as being all about gambling but discovered is really about guilt, redemption and surrogate family. I also look at the wonderful performances from Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson, and compare this understated first feature with the remarkable films PTA would make over the...

Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece still has the power to shock more than 60 years later. I revisit Psycho and talk about why it’s much more than just the famous shower scene, Anthony Perkins’ unforgettable performance, Bernard Herrmann’s iconic score, Hitchcock’s genius for suspense, and why the film completely changed cinema forever. Plus, I discuss how it holds up today and where it sits among Hitc...

A revisit of one of the great prison dramas, with Clint Eastwood giving one of his most restrained performances in a tightly directed true-story thriller from Don Siegel. I talk prison films, Eastwood’s dramatic range, why this works so well as pure storytelling, and whether this is a date film or hangover film.

This episode of Dave’s Movie Diary looks back at Caddyshack, one of those chaotic comedies that probably shouldn’t work as well as it does. From Chevy Chase and Bill Murray to Rodney Dangerfield stealing every scene he’s in, I revisit a film I grew up with and look at why its loose, anything-goes energy still makes it such a fun watch all these years later.

This episode of Dave’s Movie Diary revisits The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle — a wildly entertaining snapshot of the chaos surrounding the Sex Pistols and the late 70s punk explosion. Still funny, provocative and completely off the wall, this one brought back a lot of memories of my teenage fascination with punk music and everything it represented.

This episode of Dave’s Movie Diary takes a look at Another Woman, one of the more serious and overlooked films from Woody Allen. It’s a thoughtful film about regret, emotional distance, and looking back on the choices we make in life. Not classic Woody Allen comedy, but a mature and intelligent drama that probably hits harder the older you get. Definitely one of his quieter films, but one I apprec...

A revisit of Rosemary’s Baby after first reading Ira Levin’s brilliant original novel and comparing how closely the film follows one of horror’s most influential stories. In this episode I discuss Roman Polanski at the height of his early powers, the performances from Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes, what made the film so shocking for 1968 audiences, and whether revisiting the book immediately befo...

Revisiting Repulsion after years away — and it hit very differently this time. Polanski’s early psychological horror about isolation, breakdown and reality collapsing inside an apartment. A film that feels slow, unsettling and far more internal than I remembered, and one that raises bigger questions about perception, pressure and control than I expected.

This episode is on Weapons — a horror film I actually gave up on the first time around despite all the hype. Revisiting it now, I found a lot more to admire, particularly the performances, the atmosphere and some genuinely effective scares, even if ultimately it reminded me that supernatural horror just doesn’t hit me the same way more grounded horror films do.

This episode is on Bonnie and Clyde, Arthur Penn’s landmark crime film that helped change American cinema forever. I revisit this classic and talk about its incredible energy, iconic performances, daring filmmaking and why it still feels fresher than films made twenty years later.

I revisited Parasite after first seeing it around 2020 when all the Oscar hype surrounding it was everywhere. It’s Bong Joon-ho’s story of a family slowly working their way into the lives of a wealthy household, with the incredible house itself almost becoming a character in the film. In this episode I revisit my first impressions, the rewatch, the performances, and whether this hugely acclaimed f...

A revisit of Halloween and a reminder of why John Carpenter created one of the most influential horror films ever made. More than just a slasher film, Halloween remains a masterclass in suspense, atmosphere, and making everyday suburbia feel genuinely terrifying.

This episode is on Chopper (2000), directed by Andrew Dominik and starring Eric Bana in his breakout role as Melbourne criminal Mark “Chopper” Read. It follows Chopper after his release from prison in the mid-1980s as he tries to navigate life outside, but quickly falls back into the same world of violence, manipulation, and criminal dealings that defined his earlier life. What unfolds is a series...

This episode is about Opening Night, John Cassavetes’ fascinating backstage drama starring an extraordinary Gena Rowlands as an actress spiralling under the pressure of ageing, identity and performance. A raw, emotionally volatile film full of remarkable acting, long intimate close-ups, and a reminder of just how fearless Cassavetes was as a filmmaker. One of the most challenging and rewarding wat...

This episode is on The Doors. I first saw this around the time it came out, when I was heavily into both The Doors and Jim Morrison after reading No One Here Gets Out Alive. Oliver Stone captures the band’s rise through the late 60s brilliantly, while exploring Morrison’s creativity, intellect, self-destructive streak, and the chaotic energy that made both him and the band so fascinating.

This episode is about Terms of Endearment, a beautifully written family drama based on a novel by Larry McMurtry and directed by the always impressive James L. Brooks. Featuring wonderful performances from Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine and an effortlessly charismatic Jack Nicholson, it’s a film full of warmth, humour, emotional honesty and characters that feel remarkably true to life.

This episode is about The Cell (2000). I remember it at the time as one of the more visually striking and disturbing films I’d seen, built around the idea of entering a serial killer’s unconscious mind in order to locate a missing victim. It blends psychological thriller elements with surreal dreamlike imagery and a race-against-time investigation led by Jennifer Lopez’s character and Vincent D’On...

This episode is on Magazine Dreams (2023), an intensely uncomfortable film about obsession, loneliness, and what happens when someone builds their entire identity around a single dream. Featuring an extraordinary performance from Jonathan Majors, it’s a powerful but deeply unsettling look at ambition in its most destructive form.

This episode is on Interiors (1978), a film I hadn’t seen in nearly 30 years and remembered as one of Woody Allen’s more serious departures from his usual style. Revisiting it now gave me a chance to look again at its striking visual style, the family dynamics at its centre, and a very different side of Allen as a filmmaker.

This episode is on The Sixth Sense (1999), a film I first saw in cinemas back when twists like this could still genuinely surprise audiences. Rewatching it now, I was struck by how well it still holds up — extraordinary performances from Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette and Bruce Willis, plus a brilliantly original script that remains just as rewarding even when you know exactly where it’s going.