7 Years 129 days - Odyssey7 Years 129 days - Odyssey
I'm Quitting Alcohol
David Boyle reflects on a late-night screening of The Odyssey, sharing blunt opinions on Hollywood storytelling and the joy of quiet time alone. The episode blends film chat, humour and a sober man’s appreciation for simple silence and space.
6:58•21 Sept 2026
Boyle’s Odyssey: A Sober Comic, a Long Film and a Night Off
Episode Overview
- Taking time alone, such as a solo cinema trip, can be a valuable break from everyday demands.
- Books and films offer different ways to find meaning, with books leaving more room for personal interpretation.
- Modern Hollywood films often explain themes very directly, which can feel restrictive for those who like to draw their own conclusions.
- Long films can be less about the story and more about the chance to sit in silence and focus.
- A jaded, humorous outlook can coexist with a serious commitment to staying off alcohol.
“I feel like that's what I liked most about the movie it was like Boyle's odyssey.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? For Australian comedian David Boyle, sometimes it looks like sneaking off to a late-night screening of a three-and-a-half-hour epic just to sit in silence. This short episode of "I'm Quitting Alcohol" drops you straight into Boyle’s solo cinema trip to watch a new version of The Odyssey.
He’s upfront that he’s "kind of shook" from the opening scene, reacting to seeing "that chick from Juno that is now a dude" cast as a warrior, and he leans into his trademark raw, unfiltered commentary on Hollywood, casting, and modern blockbusters. But underneath the jokes and rants, there’s something a lot more relatable: a bloke who’s just grateful to sit in "virtually unbroken silence" with "unbroken concentration" and no demands on him at all.
Boyle even laughs that what he really enjoyed wasn’t the film itself, but the chance to be alone in a comfortable chair, not being asked for anything. For anyone in recovery who knows how hectic life can feel once the booze is gone, that quiet space might sound very familiar.
He talks about repeatedly buying Homer’s Odyssey, reading ten pages each time, then abandoning it, and compares how books let you "interpret" meaning yourself while films tend to "shove" it down your throat. That frustration with being told what to think fits perfectly with his overall style: stubborn, independent, and more than a little jaded.
As he puts it, "I'm a jaded old cunt that doesn't give a fuck anymore." Fans of the show’s mix of sobriety, everyday life, and blunt comedy will get another slice of Boyle’s inner monologue here – part movie review, part reflection on needing time out from everything. When was the last time you gave yourself permission to just sit in the dark and think of nothing?
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