The ClearOut

Dara begins this episode by sharing his go-to recipe for making cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake, specifically. Don't ask why - it just felt like the right thing to do. Perhaps he was trying to flaunt his 'new man' credentials in advance of discussing male attitudes to high-profile, successful women in the not-so-distant past.Before he gets to that, Dara revisits Peter Weir's 1985 romantic thriller, Witness, which he rewatched to see if it was appropriate for his 10-year-old daughter to see. He found himself seduced by the chemistry between the two leads, Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The film has aged extremely well in its depiction of the culture clash that occurs when Ford's savvy city cop has to hide out in McGillis's old world Amish community. The cultural and sexual tension ratchet up as the stakes get ever higher. Why is that chemistry so hard to find, and why is it often the linchpin of many TV shows?Dara has been listening to an excellent film history podcast that he just discovered. Listening to its creator and host, the film critic and writer Karina Longworth, discuss erotic movies of the 90s, and quote various contemporaneous publications including Playboy and Gloria Steinem's Ms, it is extraordinary how blatant and unapologetic the sexist backlash was as directed at actresses like Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Drew Barrymore, Alicia Silverstone and more.Discussing his own thoughts on casual misogyny and the fear and hatred of women that some men experience, Dara recalls his own experience of watching the movies and performers in question, and tries to understand why the rhetoric of women being the enemy still has little trouble finding a male audience.After consuming all that bile and chauvinism, Dara turns to a late 90s girl-power movie to provide a cheesy and satisfying antidote...Karina Longworth's excellent podcast on the history and forgotten stories of Hollywood's first century: https://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara is doing what he thinks he should have done last week; namely, reflect on the throughline of one hundred and fifty episodes of the podcast. His mission statement from the original blog iteration of The ClearOut in 2013 remains just as relevant over 10 years later - Decluttering. Clarifying. Connecting. Those three imperatives continue to assert themselves on the weekly attempt to offer something of use to the listener. They, attached to an eye-rolling scepticism about toxic positivity, are at the heart of the podcast's subheading - Wellness with Attitude.Dara recognises a certain amount of nominative determinism in his relationship to clarity. Why does he so badly want to be clear? He equates clarity with calmness, both of mind and emotion, but is quick to acknowledge that clarity in his case does not mean brevity, as he demonstrates on a weekly basis! He discusses the place of intentionality in this mix of wellness and self-awareness, identifying the complexity of intentionality that operates on a more subconscious level.Thinking about his belief in the human capacity for change, Dara tries to accommodate the horror and depravity that humans can visit upon one another. He believes that terrible pain and trauma can be overcome, but only in the presence of patience, time, love, and forgiveness.Finally, the new series about Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley is looked at in the context of clarity, intention and calmness. Why is that beautiful black and white cinematography so pacifying?Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this 150th episode, Dara decides not to lean into what makes the show what it is, but rather opts for the easy entertainment of the career of Tom Cruise. A recent rewatch of Top Gun Maverick prompted the question - what is it about Tom Cruise that audiences continue to buy? What is it about that smile, and that ever-young body?Dara looks at the Cruise filmography and identifies 1983 as his breakout year. That means it is a neat 40 years to last year's Mission Impossible instalment. So, which half of Cruise's career would you take over the other? The first 20 years, or the second 20? At exactly the halfway mark there is a 2003 film that Dara reckons red-flagged the beginning of a Cruise wobble and save for a few notable exceptions, laid the groundwork for dialled-in performances far beneath the leading man's capabilities.Dara wonders who would represent Ireland if there were an acting Olympics. He argues it wouldn't necessarily be the best actor, but perhaps the one that does the best job of representing what we want to believe about ourselves. He thinks Cruise would be the US choice and considers representatives from other countries too.It was in an early Cruise film that Dara responded to two disparate iterations of masculinity - one that he knew was very far from his own natural leanings, and one which he hoped he might one day embody.Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara once again finds himself considering his mental health battles. Emerging from a very recent depression, he examines the difference in his thinking when he is embattled versus when he is well. Why would he choose to believe one reality and not the other? Why, in spite of very persuasive negative thoughts, does his 'better' self prevail? And why does he compare these differing states and beliefs to acting reviews?A relevant aspect of self-care is how we indicate healthy habits to ourselves. How we communicate to ourselves that there are habits of wellness in place can insulate us from true despair. Dara reflects on the current Irish government and argues that they are failing to communicate these signs of care to the electorate. He further argues that that is partly the reason the recent referendum was so conclusively rejected.Speaking of Irish politics, Dara sees a connection between the retirements of Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) and Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager. There is something in their retirement announcements that clearly validated their inner lives and their emotional energy, something that seems relatively new in male leadership. Having spoken in the UK last week at a male-centred public presentation, Dara talks about the need for the demonstrated care, love and validation of men as a counter to what people identify as 'toxic' masculinity.Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara wants to know what vulnerability looks like. He talks about his own sense of feeling vulnerable at this time in his life and tries to contextualise that feeling in terms of age, time spent, and time left. He also reflects on fear, threat identification, and the conviction that one can be 'got'.Having started watching the provocative 2019 series Euphoria, Dara recognises that spending time in the company of beautiful people doesn't do much for his sense of vitality and relevance, but he has a lot of time for the central performance of Zendaya. In spite of her excellence, he wonders about the next generation of Hollywood actors and whether they're all that. Responding to the scenes of debauchery played out in Euphoria, Dara thinks about parenting fears and what dangers lie in wait for his daughter a few years from now. He shares his approach to preparing for those threats and hopes he isn't kidding himself. He also mentions a recent viewing experience with his daughter that was less than perfect.At the end of the episode, Dara reads something he has just written in response to a very enjoyable photoshoot he took part in with the excellent Sharon Smith. Sometimes, things just work out beautifully.Find Sharon's work here: https://hippyandbloom.ie/Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara is looking at life stories. Prompted by a project of his own that he is working on, he acknowledges the difficulties he finds himself facing before discussing several different lives that he has just consumed in artistic form.Before he gets into that, he spares a happy thought for the Oscar success of Cillian Murphy, rewarded for his turn as Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's eponymous film, and recalls seeing the actor in a stunning stage production over 25 years ago. For the benefit of non-Irish listeners, he attempts to break down the unique character and confidence of Cork people.The character studies that Dara looks at in some detail are mostly biopics, but there is also one documentary and a theatre piece. He shares his opinion about how successful or not he found them, and gives his reasons why. The people in question are as follows:Leonard Bernstein in Bradley Cooper's MaestroEnzo Ferrari in Michael Mann's FerrariDanny O'Mahony in Brokentalkers' BellowJon Batiste in the documentary American SymphonyRudolf Hoss in Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of InterestFive very different approaches to capturing a life or a life's work, or simply a key moment in a life. All very definite and considered, each with its own particular flavour. No spoilers, so feel free to listen if you haven't seen the works in question.Also, Dara's favourite 'brother moment' from a movie...Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout