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, too.
Diddly Squat Farm continues to battle the British bureaucracy, the whims of weather, the travails of falling in love with piglets and baby goats, and the brainstorms of Jeremy himself, not to mention a contest between him and his new “farm manager” Kaleb, who treats his boss as an equal now.
Read MoreThis is a road trip, but don’t expect Easy Rider, Smokey and the Bandit, The Blues Brothers, Little Miss Sunshine, or Thelma and Louise.
Read MoreGo back in time three quarters of a century for what may be the most romantic movie ever – and the most heartbreaking.
Read MoreForget all of Hollywood's hyped heist films and see one based on the real thing. John Frankenheimer’s 1964 film starring the legendary Burt Lancaster is about a real life World War II heist with real men and real machines. Two men of iron will fight for control of an iron horse -- a steam engine loaded with France’s art treasures headed for a quick getaway over the German border.
Read More“Move along everyone. There’s nothing to see here. “ That seems to be the escalating nonchalance citizens are getting from the Austin Police Department regarding the 12 bodies that have been found in or very near Ladybird Lake in Austin Texas in the past 22 months. The last three - one February 6th , another April 9th, and a third on April 13th have not even been identified.
Read MoreWhich is worse? Charlton Heston as the arrogant and moody South American plantation owner, or the marabunda, the plague of army ants moving relentlessly toward him, devouring everything in their path.
Read MoreJust change the point of view and “the greatest story ever told” becomes new and fresh again. This time it is the disciples, uneducated and often lost and confused, who frame this exquisite narrative about Jesus.
Read MoreThink Father Brown time warped back about 8 centuries. Cadfael’s not a priest but a 12th century monk who solves medieval mysteries.
Read MoreIt starts out crass and cliched, but it ends subtle and sweet. Nothing like financial ruin to mend fences between an estranged father and son – not to mention a crumbling estate in sunny Italy that just might save them both.
Read MoreJohn le Carré makes a cameo in this film based on his first post-Cold War 1993 novel. But unlike Hitchcock, he is neither quiet nor demur. In fact, he just about steals the scene and invents some lines impromptu.
Read MoreThis Cold War spy thriller is based on a real life British courier, so it is grounded in authenticity, and it’s highlighted by a masterful performance by Benedict Cumberbatch, maybe his best performance yet.
Read MoreA thriller with as many twists and turns as the Bobs, that famous wooden roller coaster from Riverview Park in my native Chicago. And that fits, too, since the dark deeds occur in a dank corner of that Windy City. Our most important character, though, hails from London.
Read MoreIt doesn’t get much better than this. Different Drummer’s Triple Crown: Favorite mystery writer (Agatha Christie), favorite character (Miss Marple) and favorite Miss Marple actress (Joan Hickson).
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Is it happening all over again? The impulsive romance, quickly souring, and then ending in a brutal murder? Then married couple Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson play two sets of star crossed lovers executing a tortuous pas de deux that mirrors what happened decades earlier.
Read MoreYes, the Italian scenery is terrific, and we love an older Denzel as the still lethal Equalizer, but the violence is over the top.
Read MoreBest of the Best. Sean Connery is the best Bond and From Russian with Love is his best outing. No wonder is was named the 9th best British Film of All Time by Total Film Magazine in 2004, the only Bond film to make the list.
Read MoreSandra Bullock glows as the lovelorn CTA ticket taker hopelessly in love with a regular commuter, but the whole cast is tremendous as well. She is the shimmering star atop the Christmas tree, but the others are the lights and ornaments that make this film sparkle.
Read MoreIt’s time to revisit this classic. Remember when Hollywood valued humor, playfulness, and witty banter? Instead of action, action, action, with a few dollops of self-righteous preaching thrown in for good measure.
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Appetite for Murder: A Mystery Lover’s Cookbook
Also available here
by Kathy Borich
A tantalizing slant on cooking and crime. Relive your favorite classic detective stories and then whip up the food that caught the culprit.
"Look, you don't have to go to law school to figure out there's something very, very wrong at Lady Bird Lake," Nancy Grace says in the episode's opening of her “Austin Serial Killer Fears” episode. She even derides the police who refer to the events as “unfortunate incidents.” Yes, she is a bit over the top, and some of her guests are so called experts not really familiar with the Austin area or the specific cases, but she does have a point.
Move along everyone. There’s nothing to see here. That seems to be the escalating nonchalance citizens are getting from the Austin Police Department regarding the 12 bodies that have been found in or very near Ladybird Lake in Austin Texas in the past 22 months. The last three - one February 6th , another April 9th, and a third on April 13th have not even been identified.
Different Drummer herself has noticed the weak city response in terms of safety measures as she and her husband ride past the Rainey Area near Lady Bird Lake. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. What good are some pallid lights and a split rail fence if there are big gaps with only a sign to warn those of danger? Certainly, someone drunk, as may or may not be the case, probably would or could not read it.
Update: They are beginning to install electricty along the path for better lightning as of April 2024
February 6, 2024
“A body was found Monday, Feb. 6, 2024, in a Texas lake, the same site where other deceased individuals have been discovered in recent months, authorities said.
“At least five people have been found dead at the lake, which is a portion of the Colorado River running through downtown Austin, since last year.” –Louis Casiano, Fox News
The body is that of a woman, which differs from the previous drownings, all of which were men around age 30. As usual, the police are mum and saying there are no signs of foul play, but what else is new? –DD
Different Drummer will keep you informed as further details emerge. Below is the area where the recent body was found.
In 2023 alone, five bodies have been found in in Lady Bird Lake, and according to local reports, as many as eight in the past 10 months.
Different Drummer and her husband Gary have been biking this trail around the lake for decades. They live in the thick of it, on a quaint tree-lined street across the river from the glittering Austin Skyline.
Follow our two Cycling Sleuths chronicle where their path crosses those who did not return home to their loved ones.
Smiley Face Connection: February 2024 Update: Another Body Found
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.
