Often been surprised by a movie after what a film critic said about it? Ever felt cheated out of big bucks on the recommendations of a punk 24-year-old? Or really loved the ones they panned? Well, you no longer need to feel out of step with the current movie review band. Different Drummer is for you. Read more about our take on the film world. And get ready to relive your favorite movies with the recipes that follow each review. You can find many other great recipes in Different Drummer’s own Appetite for Murder: A Mystery Lover’s Cookbook.
Forget John Travolta in Urban Cowboy (1980), the countrified version of Saturday Night Fever (1977) and join Idris Elba in the real thing. These are no honkytonk Gilley’s Club mechanical bull riders. They ride real flesh and blood horses, and Idris Elba’s character Harp even houses his in the living room.
Read MoreDid unimpressed critics turn you away from this delightful romantic comedy, one that celebrates the curative power of love and laughter? Well, it’s time to remedy that.
Read MoreThis original Swedish film is the best of the bunch and head an shoulders above any sequels or the American versions that followed. A disgraced journalist and a troubled computer hacker find more than they bargain for as they explore a forty-year-old disappearance. Each clue leads them into a darker realm in this finely plotted, stark vision of power, violence, and depravity.
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Don’t miss Jim Caviezel’s compelling thriller, which displays the courage and conviction of the actor as well as the Christian blogger he portrays on film. Written, directed, and produced by Iranian-American filmmaker Cyrus Nowrasteh, it is based on real life Robert Levinson and a composite of several other innocents who died in the Middle East.
Read MoreIf you let the cranky critics scare you away from this fairly pleasant diversion, stream it now. Expect to be awed by the beauty of Rome – the gilded inner courts of the Vatican, the magnificent fountains, the centuries old marble statues still guarding this ancient city -- all of which stand up considerably better than the over-stretched plot.
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Released more than three-quarters of a century ago, this epic film still resonates. O-Lan (Luise Rainer), the Oscar-winning female lead, is fearless and resolute in ways today’s feminists only dare dream of. And her goodness shines forth like rays of sunshine warming her beloved earth.
Read MoreMy new novel, The Serpent’s Tooth: A Texas Mystery is now out in paperback. Get your new year off to a great start with this terrific Warm Red-Skinned Potato Salad Recipe, one of 10 delicious ones in the book.
Read MoreIf you loved Wind River, you might like this other frigid thriller from Netflix. Or maybe not.
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A thoroughly delightful new spin on the Sherlock Holmes saga introduces Enola, the heretofore-unknown younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft. She is a feisty, fiery feminist in the making, but she also has the great deductive powers of her brother.
Read MoreSure, we can understand the lure of these underground caverns, cool and dark, softened by cool mist and electrified by the spirit of adventure! But the buff sextet of British babes on screen get more than they bargain for in their descent not only into Mother Earth but madness as well?
Read MoreStylishly seductive, this slickly choreographed killing spree is one supersized guilty pleasure. Exotic and glamorous foreign locales a la a James Bond backdrop and armed combat performed with martial arts finesse.
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Daniel Craig takes his final bow as the inimitable James Bond, pulled back into the spy game just as Michael Corleone was pulled back into the mafia in The Godfather Trilogy.
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We’ve all adored Vicar Sidney Chambers, a scotch drinking smoker who loved jazz and was not unappreciative of the ladies. But now there’s a new vicar in town, and the young motorcycle riding vicar is just as rebellious as Sidney.
Read MoreThe green fields, rocky outcroppings, and gentle rivers of Northumberland are now the haunts of former Scotland Yard detective Inspector George Gently, who finds crime in the gentle outbacks just as compelling as it ever was in London. Now, thanks to the wonders of streaming, I can transport myself to the North of England. So can you.
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Today’s Mother’s Day Pie recipe is from Different Drummer’s novel, The Serpent’s Tooth, which ends with a glorious outdoor feast.
“New report dismantles viral rumors about serial killer in Austin.
Social media hype fueled panic over a serial killer that didn't exist.”
The new study involved 22 years while the body count has increased drastically in the last 3 years.
In the past three years, the causes of death have been mainly attributed to accidental drownings. Second is suicide, as well as drug overdoses, and natural causes.
By using a longer period of time, the average deaths obscure the more recent uptick in deaths. And buried in the report is the fact that of the recent deaths, “About half a dozen called “unknown.” The link below features facts, interviews, and family members who are not content with the Austin Police Department’s dismissive views on the drownings.
Read more at this link:
This one appears to be an accident, but what about the “Over 3 Dozen Bodies Found in or around Lady Bird Lake since 2022.
Read more here https://www.differentdrummer.cc/main/body-of-paddle-boarder-found-in-ladybird-lake-june-3-2025
For a more complete summary of events read more here: https://www.differentdrummer.cc/main/rainey-street-drownings-the-smiley-face-killer-connection?rq=Petition%20Demands
"Very scary, especially given that I live in this neighborhood," said Neda, who lives near the lake.
The woman's body was found Sunday, Dec. 1, in the water near Brazos and East Cesar Chavez Streets.
"A 911 call was received from a kayaker who was paddling upstream and observed some type of object in the water," said Officer Leah Ratliff with the Austin Police Department.
Police say it appears the woman was homeless, in her 60s, and may have been trying to keep warm, when she somehow ended up in the water. Detectives do not suspect foul play.
"There's nothing that appears to be suspicious. There's no type of connection that they believe," said Ratliff.
o Another body was found in Lady Bird Lake on Dec. 2
o The death was one of at least six near the lake so far this year
o Another death in the lake sparks renewed concerns
AUSTIN, Texas - There are renewed concerns after the body of a woman was found in Lady Bird Lake over the weekend. This is one of at least six deaths in or near the lake so far this year.
"Very scary, especially given that I live in this neighborhood," said Neda, who lives near the lake.
The woman's body was found Sunday, Dec. 1, in the water near Brazos and East Cesar Chavez Streets.
"A 911 call was received from a kayaker who was paddling upstream and observed some type of object in the water," said Officer Leah Ratliff with the Austin Police Department.
Police say it appears the woman was homeless, in her 60s, and may have been trying to keep warm, when she somehow ended up in the water. Detectives do not suspect foul play.
"There's nothing that appears to be suspicious. There's no type of connection that they believe," said Ratliff.
A petition calls out the Austin Police and City officials for what it terms “a miscarriage of Justice,” hinting that there is something “darker at play” here, and accuses officials of treating the victims’ families “callously and without empathy.”
Victim’s family pleads against plea bargain for this Austin Serial Killer.
https://www.differentdrummer.cc/main/i-survived-the-rainey-street-ripper
“I survived the Rainey Street ripper': Drugged man who plummeted 25ft off bridge believes 'serial killer' stalking Austin tried to drown him.” Daily Mail
Twelve bodies have been found in Lady Bird Lake and Colorado River since 2022
Police insist there is no serial killer but the mounting bodies sees rumor persist
Jeff Jones survived falling off bridge near river, thinks he may have been pushed
Read more here
The Serpent’s Tooth: A Texas Mystery
Austin is now the trendy number one city, but back in the eighties it was more laid back – not so many skyscrapers and urban hipsters. Just outside of town, you'd be likely to run into old cowboys, ranch hands, and a diamondback or two. And just maybe – an accidental death not as accidental as it seems…
Complete with Texas Recipes for the Oktoberfest Dinner where all is revealed.
An Illustrated Introduction to Classical Horsemanship: Concepts and Skills from A to Z
by Gary Borich
A comprehensive resource in a succinct alphabetical format that brings the beginning rider through every aspect of learning to train and ride for show and trail.
o Another body was found in Lady Bird Lake on Dec. 2
o The death was one of at least six near the lake so far this year
o Another death in the lake sparks renewed concerns
AUSTIN, Texas - There are renewed concerns after the body of a woman was found in Lady Bird Lake over the weekend. This is one of at least six deaths in or near the lake so far this year.
"Very scary, especially given that I live in this neighborhood," said Neda, who lives near the lake.
The woman's body was found Sunday, Dec. 1, in the water near Brazos and East Cesar Chavez Streets.
"A 911 call was received from a kayaker who was paddling upstream and observed some type of object in the water," said Officer Leah Ratliff with the Austin Police Department.
Police say it appears the woman was homeless, in her 60s, and may have been trying to keep warm, when she somehow ended up in the water. Detectives do not suspect foul play.
"There's nothing that appears to be suspicious. There's no type of connection that they believe," said Ratliff.
o Another body was found in Lady Bird Lake on Dec. 2
o The death was one of at least six near the lake so far this year
o Another death in the lake sparks renewed concerns
AUSTIN, Texas - There are renewed concerns after the body of a woman was found in Lady Bird Lake over the weekend. This is one of at least six deaths in or near the lake so far this year.
"Very scary, especially given that I live in this neighborhood," said Neda, who lives near the lake.
The woman's body was found Sunday, Dec. 1, in the water near Brazos and East Cesar Chavez Streets.
"A 911 call was received from a kayaker who was paddling upstream and observed some type of object in the water," said Officer Leah Ratliff with the Austin Police Department.
Police say it appears the woman was homeless, in her 60s, and may have been trying to keep warm, when she somehow ended up in the water. Detectives do not suspect foul play.
"There's nothing that appears to be suspicious. There's no type of connection that they believe," said Ratliff.
https://www.differentdrummer.cc/main/body-of-paddle-boarder-found-in-ladybird-lake-june-3-2025
