An extravagantly malicious theatre critic who strikes fear into the thespians of 1930s London, Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen) is known for many proclivities, but mostly for his savagery. So when the paper’s new owner threatens his job at the Daily Chronicle, Jimmy’s response is as vicious as that of a cornered honey badger in a cravat. A vulnerable starlet (Gemma Arterton), a lovelorn newspaperman (Mark Strong) and even Jimmy’s live-in “secretary”, Tom (Alfred Enoch), are all collateral damage in his machiavellian scheme.

This adaptation of Anthony Quinn’s 2015 novel Curtain Call, with Patrick Marber as screenwriter and Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie) directing, should be lurid fun. And certainly, McKellen’s characterful countenance is put to expressive use: the camera lingers not just on his eye bags, but on a whole set of face luggage, all of it packed with spite and gleeful vitriol. But despite reported reshoots and a fresh edit after the film’s coolly received premiere last year, its sour spirit and a cluttered, clumsy third act remain a problem.

I know, I know. I hear what you’re saying out there. Some of us remember 1988. A movie from 1988 has no place in a segment about retro movies. It wasn’t that long ago, right? Sometimes, though, a film comes along that transfixes you. It compels you to watch it. This, my friends, is Vibes. All one must do is look over the cast list to wonder how wildly quirky this movie must be. Is this one I’d immediately wonder how I’d missed it? Or should Vibes return to the deepest, darkest corners of the streaming jungle? Read on. 

About Vibes 

Vibes follows two psychics (Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper). Shortly after getting to know each other, they meet a local eccentric (Peter Falk) who promises them $50,000 if they travel to Peru and track down his missing son. So he claims, anyway. As the film continues, they stumble onto questions of mystic treasure, gold, and a romantic adventure that feels inherently at home in the late 1980s. This is Romancing the Stone for the self-identifying “weird kids.” Julian Sands, Googy Gress and Michael Lerner co-star in the movie. Ken Kwapis directs Vibes from a script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. 

To dive right in, the following must be said, “Holy casting decisions, Batman!” Truthfully, this is going to be what draws a majority of 2024 eyes to this project, and it works to a beautifully quirky effect. Goldblum, even at his still relatively young age, is already the lovable character we recognize today. He’s fully formed and delightful. Cyndi Lauper, meanwhile, is her colorful and eccentric self. If you remember the 1980s, you remember Cyndi Lauper.  

RELATED: Retro Movie Review: Cat Women of the Moon (1953)

As a film, Vibes is fully and unapologetically reliant on character and personality. Lauper and Goldblum jump into the lead roles with uninhibited zeal and lean into their immediately familiar personas. Truthfully, this rockets Vibes to a new cinematic plain. This film, as it currently exists, is only possible with Goldblum and Lauper in the lead roles. This is a different and less memorable movie with different actors playing these parts.

Vibes is at its wacky, zany best in Act 2 when Golblum, Lauper, and Peter Falk have the time and the freedom to bounce off each other. Always a brilliant character actor, Peter Falk is having a blast in this role. He’s unafraid to lean into this role and finds an easy verbal slapstick only he could pull off so effortlessly. 

As the film shifts into Act 3, it steps away from its easy sense of humor, and things get a little more traditional. While the leads try their darndest, it slips back into familiar and generic action/rom-com territory. This is particularly frustrating because Julian Sands is the performer who ends up largely wasted. While a film like this probably needs a “straight” man, in a movie with this much personality, his scenes sag significantly. 

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Ultimately, this is a film that, to some, will always feel at least a little dated. Vibes has a big, brash 1980s sensibility. This comes across in everything from the set design to the hair and especially the wardrobe. Cyndi Lauper is in this film, after all. Add in Jeff Goldblum in his Earth Girls Are Easy era and the fluorescent neon circle is complete. Do with that what you will. 

Now, as part of full film critic disclosure, Vibes does not make a great showing on Rotten Tomatoes. In fact, its 13 percent is more than a little daunting. While the movie earns tremendous goodwill for its unabashed personality, anyone coming to this for the action narrative will be left wanting.

RELATED: Retro Movie Review: Avalanche (1978)

The script, in particular, struggles with the treasure story. This is particularly noticeable deep in Act 2 as the final twist materializes seemingly out of nowhere. In truth, this plotline (and the characters stuck within it) feels like an afterthought. This becomes doubly frustrating as the film broadens its scope away from its adorable quirkiness. The narrative groundwork, unfortunately, hasn’t been laid to sustain a more traditional plot. 

When all is said and done, Vibes is a fun and pleasant surprise. This wacky little film came out of nowhere and ended up being an absolute pleasure to watch, thanks to this purely enjoyable cast. This film largely knows where its strength lies, and it isn’t afraid to let its characters steal the show. With a script that doesn’t pull its own weight, they are a welcomed distraction. Goldblum, Lauper and Falk are unapologetically themselves, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Vibes is now streaming on Tubi. 

Everything Coming to Netflix in September 2024

A film nerd from my earliest years watching Abbott and Costello, that eventually translated to a Master’s Degree in Film History. I spend my time working on my fiction projects in all their forms, as well as covering film and television.

Latest posts by Kimberly Pierce (see all)

It seems Sean “Diddy” Combs won’t be handing millions over to a litigious Michigan inmate, who sued him for sexual assault, just yet.

The disgraced music and media mogul, whose alleged history of sexual assault has come to light within the past year, filed a motion Thursday to vacate a Lenawee County judge’s order to pay accuser Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith $100 million in a default settlement. The order was handed down Monday after the rapper failed to show in court and requires Combs to pay $10 million a month starting in October.

Attorneys for Combs alleged in the 83-page motion, obtained by The Times, that the Bad Boy Records founder “was not served with the Summons and Complaint,” which Cardello-Smith had filed in June. Combs’ reps also say he “has no (and never has had any) obligation to respond to the complaint.”

Cardello-Smith, 51, is currently serving time in the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility for numerous criminal sexual offenses, according to a Michigan inmate database. He sued Combs, 54, alleging that the mogul drugged and sexually assaulted him during a June 1997 gathering at a Holiday Inn in Michigan, according to the lawsuit.

Cardello-Smith, who says he was working as a restaurant bartender at the time, accused Combs of touching him on the left buttock and offering him a spiked drink. After he accepted the drink, Cardello-Smith passed out. He alleged that when he came to, he saw Combs having sex with a woman. The rapper reportedly said, “I did this to you too,” Cardello-Smith’s lawsuit says.

In the motion, Combs’ legal representative dismissed Cardello-Smith’s allegations as “objectively unbelievable,” adding the complaint provides a “narrative that is impossible to follow.”

The newest filing challenges the timeline and manner in which Cardello-Smith served Combs and states that the three-time Grammy winner became aware of the lawsuit only after news of the $100 million judgment spread this week.

In response to this week’s order, Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo underlined Cardello-Smith’s criminal history and his litigious tendencies in a statement shared Tuesday.

“This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years,” Agnifilo said. “His resume now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.”

Cardello-Smith is “a self-taught student of civil and criminal statutes” and “known for his long history of challenging the judicial system with civil lawsuits,” the Detroit Metro Times reported. From 2020 to 2024, Cardello-Smith has been a named plaintiff in more than 30 civil lawsuits, some concerning prisoner rights, according to legal documents.

Prior to suing Combs, Cardello-Smith had been sentenced three times in Minnesota criminal court, each time after entering a plea agreement or pleading no contest. Charges against him run from criminal sexual conduct in the third degree to kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct in the first degree during commission of a felony. His most recent sentence, levied in May 2019, calls for a sentence of 17½ to 35 years.

Five of the offenses occurred in September and October 1997, the same year as the alleged incident with Combs. The inmate database says Cardello-Smith will be released in July 2036 at the earliest and, at the latest, in May 2086, when he would be 113 years old.

A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Friday. The Times was unable to contact Cardello-Smith, who filed his case against Combs without an attorney.

Combs’ legal team also filed a motion to dissolve a temporary restraining order Cardello-Smith requested in August against the embattled entrepreneur. A hearing for the motion is set for Monday.

Amid the Michigan case, Combs faced even more legal backlash this week when Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard sued him for sexual assault. Her lawsuit also accuses Combs of harassment and inhumane treatment. Singer and ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones have also taken Combs to court in the past year.