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.
The only 21st century sword and sandal film that deserves a place next to those other classics, Spartacus and Ben Hur. Winner of five Oscars, most notably Best Picture and Best Actor (a magnificent Russell Crowe) as well as 7 other nominations, this is a classic for all time and well worth watching again.
Read MoreWho could resist this trio? Michael Caine as a backwater Texan along with his big brother Robert Duvall, and “I See Dead People” Haley Joel Osment rounding out the crew. They aren’t exactly dead people when their great nephew arrives, but they are settling in for it without much resistance.
Read MoreJimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly! You don’t get much more star power than that! Throw in a big menace with some vintage Raymond Burr before he became the knighted Perry Mason, as well as legendary Director Alfred Hitchcock, and it doesn’t get any better.
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Sidney Lumet directing Paul Newman in his prime, James Mason superb playing the eloquent villain, with a taut and unpredictable script as only David Mamet can pen. About as perfect as it gets.
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“The best Hitchcock movie Hitchcock never made.” And no wonder. We have Hitchcock favorite Cary Grant with echoes of North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief. As well as ever elegant Audrey Hepburn exquisitely beautiful and rivaling the tailored loveliness of Grace Kelly in Rear Window.
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Yes, he’s a con man at best, and a ruthless opportunist who doesn’t seem to care whom he hurts along the way, but his slick charm draws us in even if the prim Clara seems immune to it.
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Downton Abbey Down Under. Meet Miss Phryne Fisher – titled heiress, gorgeous fashion plate, fearless detective, and liberated woman extraordinaire.
Read MoreWine, women, and song, though not necessarily in that order. And let’s change out the wine for some good scotch, at least three fingers full for Chief Inspector Morse. Or maybe some nice frothy brew. Remember, it always tastes better when poor Sergeant Lewis pays the bill.
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Meet Britain’s Vera. Bedraggled, frumpy, both brusque and vulnerable, she has an eye for detail that can almost compete with Sherlock Holmes, as well as a cache of little grey cells to rival Hercule Piroit. And yes, a frumpy trench coat that reminds us of Columbo.
Read MoreThis 1999 flick still packs a wallop. Matt Damon as we seldom see him, a nerdy misfit, “the inverse of The Great Gatsby, a social outsider who beats the wealthy at their own game.” Stir in a fabulous, radiant Jennifer Paltrow and a stunningly handsome Jude Law, who seems born to play the part of an indolent playboy, and we have a luscious and lethal cocktail, a would be menage a trois that sours before it is even poured.
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Despite its 2023 July release, this wasn’t exactly a summer popcorn movie. But it is definitely a must see because it exposes a concealed crisis from which too many wish to avert their eyes: the human trafficking scourge that affects approximately 2 million children a year.
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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
