Free Zero Effect
Genres: ComedyThrillerMyst
Starring: Bill Pullman, Kim Dickens, Angela Featherstone, Ben Stiller, Ryan O'Neal, Hugh Ross, Sarah DeVincentis
Director(s): Jake Kasdan
Country: USA
Year: 1998
IMDB Rating: 6.9
Daryl Zero is a psuedonym taken by a paranoid genius. His ability to make observations and then relate them into facts is remarkable. He has curried this ability into a small fortune solving seemingly unsolvable detective cases in inhumanly short periods of time. He is no less than a private investigator savant. While his paranoia requires him to use a front man for all contact with his clientelle, he performs all the actual sleuth work himself, albeit undercover. His tortured relationship with his front man and his first romantic involvement, met while performing his investigations, both serve to distract him from solving a blackmail case. In a nice twist, he falls in love with a woman every bit the genius that Daryl is.
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Zero Effect (iPod) | Resolution: 480x256 px | Total Size: 241 Mb |
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Zero Effect (DivX) | Resolution: 688x368 px | Total Size: 649 Mb |
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Visitors Review
(15 May 2013)
It's good, but I don't know why
This movie is great, and it gets better every time, but I don't know why. I guess you just keep noticing things that make it funnier or have it make more sense. Bill Pullman is funny as Daryl Zero; he starts off by saying that he is the greatest detective in the world. Ben Stiller plays his sidekick, and he has an "I don't care attitude" throughout the movie, which makes it that much funnier.
(15 May 2013)
Excellent, excellent Sherlock Holmes update
This review is from: Zero Effect (DVD) Before 2010 BBC's brilliant redo of Holmes and Doc Watson (Sherlock: Season One), back in 1997 there was The Zero Effect, an amazing Holmes revisionist piece starring the wonderful Bill Pullman (The Virginian [VHS]) as the sociopathic Darrell Zero and wonderful Ben Stiller (There's Something About Mary [Blu-ray]) as his Watson type assistant. No Moriarty here but Ryan O'Neal is really great as a particularly slimey villain. I think this ingenious and delightful movie was well- reviewed but generally overlooked when it was released. What a shrame as it was written, directed and produced by Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story [UMD for PSP]). The plotline borrows from Coyle's 'A Scandal in Bohemia' and so the socially inept Zero sets out to solve a mystery and develops a fascinating love interest along the way. Holmes' drug usage, powers of observation and much more are all here. I have taken this movie over to lots of folk's houses to share and they have just loved it! Do yourself a favor and see it immediately.
(11 May 2013)
Zero Effect
Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) is the greatest private investigator in the world, but he's an eccentric mess when he's not working. This movie is about a particular case which he and his "representative" Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller) get involved in. I felt that this movie was well directed. The opening scene, switching between Arlo describing Daryl Zero to a potential client and describing him to a drinking buddy, is perfect. The "P.I. work" aspect of this movie is handled well. If you enjoy watching amazing feats of knowlege and deduction you will enjoy this movie. Also very well done, is the comedic aspect. Daryl Zero has some very funny moments, especially when he's narrating the memoir of his investigatory technique, which he is writing. These things take center stage over the actual mystery and surprises. Although I am a fan of Ben Stiller his character in this movie was nothing spectacular. It seems, to me, he only shines when he's playing an over-the-top character such as in "Heavy Weights" or "Zoolander". When he's playing a 'normal' character he can be rather boring in my opinion. Daryl seems to be the only character who has much depth until Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens) enters the picture. Some might think the romance between Daryl and Gloria (whom he investigates) detracted from the movie. Usually I dislike romance in movies, because its shallow and corny. In this movie I actually found it worked well and did not succumb to either of the aforementioned flaws. Perhaps it was because I found the two characters likable and real. It did, however, slow the movie down some and there may be those who would not appreciate it.
(10 May 2013)
Zero Effect
I didn't want to miss one word of this movie. I loved this movie. My review is really a question, does anyone know whether there is a book that this movie was based on? I want to share this story with a blind friend and I believe he would enjoy it best if he had it on cassette in book form. Please Help.
(21 April 2013)
Plummetting bird
I really liked this movie and will try to be helpful without repeating all that has been said.First for the bad parts. It is a new director and it shows some. There appears to be a change in tone. The movie starts out more absurd and then changes as the case gets on. Secondly there are some directorial decisions which are questionable such as a long tracking shot from under a table which has little meaning and detracts. You also have the subplot with Arlo and his girlfriend which could have been eliminated. Films seem to need a whiny woman as a subplot for some reason that I can't explain.For the good--you have a hero who lives by cunning and wits with almost no violence in the movie. You have a movie with little or no out of whack plot devices. The characters act consistently and humanely. There is no cold-blooded Clint Eastwood type hero who is more wicked than the villian. As Arlo says, there aren't good guys and bad guys, its just a bunch of guys. The movie thinks and has a genuine romance by two people that seems real. And then for the capper, they stick to their nature and there isn't a forced ending! I would hope that there would be another one but this thing didn't play well in the theaters though everyone I know who saw it (and I heavily recommended it) liked it alot. So if you want a thoughtful detective story with some humor and don't need to see guns or car chases, give it a view.
chris111-1 (20 April 2013)
stylized noir homage
Most good actors occasionally find themselves in a role so superbly suitedto their physical appearance and mannerisms that you can't tell they areperforming. Darryl Zero is such a role. BIll pullman turns in theperformance of his career running through a dazzling array of emotions whileappearing deadpan.This homage to detective flicks of the 40s and 50s is smart, funny,touching, and sad. I can't understand why this movie wasn't a hit. Catch itfrom time to time on Bravo or the sundance channel.
(12 April 2013)
Intriguing, if familiar, mystery
Pullman and Stiller are excellent in this modern day remake of the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia". Plot twists keep you guessing, and Kasdan doesn't let us down with contrivances or cliches. Offbeat and and occasionally strange, highly entertaining and well worth seeing; with Pullman putting in an astonishingly good performance as a present day American Holmes.
Steven D. Souza (12 April 2013)
I gave this one a "10"
Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller are great in this unusual mystery/comedy/drama/romance. I enjoyed the hero, Darryl Zero, revealing some of his secrets of observation and deduction (much like Sherlock Holmes) as we come along for the ride. By then end of the film I found myself really caring for Darryl Zero because you not only respect him, but also because you feel close to him and some sympathy (and joy). You know a movie's good when you feel a little depressed knowing there will probably never be a sequel and therefore no more adventures to experience.
Erica (17 March 2013)
The world's most private private detective
Ever see The Big Chill? Remember that scene at the party after Alex'sfuneral where the little boy asks Tom Berenger for hisautograph?That little guy grew up to be Jake Kasdan, who wrote and directed "TheZeroEffect," the best movie no one's ever seen. Kasdan has since gone on todirect episodes of the fabulous cult show "Freaks and Geeks.""The Zero Effect" is a work of comic genius and has the added bonus ofbeinga titilating mystery. The soundtrack is killer and Bill Pullman is thefunniest he's been since "Ruthless People."Ben Stiller is very effective as the lawyer Steve Arlo, without whom DarylZero could not be the greatest, strangest detective since Sherlock Holmes.The movie is a study in the comically mundane and absurd. Paranoid,twitchyand pilled-up, Daryl is the antithesis of all the investigators seen inmovies and on tv."The Zero Effect" is also surprisingly moving. Zero's monologue in the icecream shop to Gloria (Kim Dickens) marks a turning point in the film fromzany mystery to heartwrenching drama. The introverted investigator'smovingaccount of his childhood is so carefully worded and deliberately revealingthat it adds a completely new and unsuspected dimension to the character.The relationship between Arlo and Zero is also one of the greatestdepictions of a working friendship. Arlo's faithful dedication to Zero isadmirable; no one else could possibly understand or appreciate a complexcreature that is Daryl Zero.Zero's various disguises and corresponding fake driver's licenses areworththe price of the DVD, but blink and you will miss the hiliarioushairstylesin the photos. The airport phone booth conversation between our hermitdetective and the irritated lawyer is also a finely crafted scene, bothtouching and inane.The film begs for a sequel. Daryl Zero is one of the finest and mostcompelling American film characters to come around in a while and hisadventures MUST continue in some shape or form. We can only hope JakeKasdanhas more adventures of Daryl Zero filed away somewhere in his wildlycreative, genius mind. 10/10
(17 March 2013)
Unnoticed film
It is exciting at times and original. Although somewhat unbelievable for someone that know the limits of memory and technology it still is convincing to those who can suspend belief a little.I loved it and was waiting for every twist and turn!
Steve Ripple (17 March 2013)
Great Filmmaking and a Story in the Holmesian Tradition
Other comments and reviews have missed what to me is obvious andintriguingabout this film. It is based on the premise of Sherlock Holmes broughtintothe 1990's, more than a hundred years into the future. There is SteveArlo,a lawyer in the stead of a doctor Watson. There is the detail of the drughabit of the greatest living detective, Zero; methamphetamine , instead ofinjects of a 7% solution of cocaine. Then there is the story which isbasedon a few Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories, especially "AScandal in Bohemia" where Holmes encounters "The Woman" Irene Addler.The film also explores the nuances of a Holmesian personality, thereclusiveness, the unrelenting observational compulsions, an over activeego, Zero's dependence on his employee and friend Arlo, Zero's difficultyatcoming to terms with his feelings for "the woman" etc. All these themesrunthrough the film, yet don't take away from the storyline, and only maketheplot twists more interesting.Holmes fans will, I think, love this film, and will ask for more.Unfortunately, given, this film's uninspiring action at the box office(dueto lack of any real promotion) I think we have seen the last ofZero.
jonmon (17 March 2013)
Jon Monsarrat review: nonsensical & fails to be clever
Zero Effect is supposed to be a comedy, but the actors play itstraight, and the parody elements don't work. So ultimately the filmturns out to be a detective story.Unfortunately, there are some serious disconnects between the way thecharacters are supposed to behave and the way it comes across onscreen. Daryl Zero, the famous detective, is both arrogant but alsosweet. He is clever, but also stupid. He doesn't know how to act aroundpeople, but can pull off the most difficult nuances of humaninteraction.Comedy is partly timing, and the timing is all off in the film. Thereare weird disconnects from scene to scene. For example, in a runninggag, Ben Stiller is forced to fly across country back and forthrepeatedly. The "straight man" bit never comes across well.To cap it off, both romantic plot lines fail completely. There isn't aromantic tension, and without giving anything away... the ending wastotally nonsensical. The casting and editing were pretty bad, but Iwould mainly fault the writing, and the performance by Bill Pullman.Who should see this film:-- nobody, even if you think you might want toI'll give Zero Effect an awful 3 out of 10, which is the lowest ratingI'll give a film that I could actually get all the way through.
(15 March 2013)
delicious mystery with comedy and romance
I loved this movie. I rented it last night and now I'm going to buy it. The plot is full of wonderful twists, yet none of them seem too outrageous. The plot doesn't overwhelm the characters. It's a real mystery, but with plenty of humor and irony, and even a touch of romance. Pullman plays Zero as a cross between Sherlock Holmes, Howard Hughes, and Elvis, but yet pulls it off beautifully, and Stiller is great, too. The movie does have a few minor flaws. The sound track was a bit disappointing, but that's a quibble. I can't think of a mystery to match it.
shervinv (15 March 2013)
watch it
Good acting, good atmosphere, interesting plot. Will be slow for youactionbuffs, but for those who enjoy a mystery and appreciate subtle humor,you'lldefinitely enjoy Ben Stiller's comic interjections and pace of this film.Iwas impressed by Ryan O'Neal's acting in this film which was a surprisebecause I hadn't seen him in anything interesting (to me) in a longtim.
Jaime N. Christley (07 February 2013)
Bill Pullman: Best Actor of 1998
If I were to choose the nominees for 1998's Best Actor Oscars, they wouldinclude:Tom Hanks, for "Saving Private Ryan"Robert Downey, Jr., for "Two Girls and a Guy"Warren Beatty, for "Bulworth"John Travolta, for "Primary Colors"and Bill Pullman, for "Zero Effect"The winner, if I were to pick that, too, would be Pullman. In a performancethat can only be described as a work of art, Pullman knows when to cutloose, such as his first scene (unshowered, incoherent, obnoxious), and whento have restraint--the scene where he talks about his father to Kim Dickens.He's funny and touching, annoying and endearing, a nerd as well as, well,"the world's greatest detective". Bravo!
(06 February 2013)
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DR. WATSON / VERSION 1998
The least one can say about ZERO EFFECT is that the script is very intelligent and reveals the work of a genuine writer. Jake Kasdan has certainly read the adventures of Conan Doyle's super detective Sherlock Holmes with great delight. Like Holmes, bill Pullman likes to teake drugs (amphetamines for Bill, heroin for Sherlock) and to play music (guitar while Holmes had a predilection for violin) when he's out of work. Like Holmes, Bill stays away from women who could deconcentrate him and loves to surprise his audience with his wonderful sense of observation and the amazing logic of his deductions. His only problem : Watson isn't a Doctor but a lawyer who will not (ungrateful Ben Stiller !) write the story of the numerous cases he has solved during his career. So he has to open his PC and do the job himself. The scene in which Bill Pullman tries to find keys in Ryan O'Neal's office is undoubtedly an homage to E. A. POE's detective Auguste Dupin in THE PURLOINED LETTER (1845 !). In fact, nothing new under the sun ! But these references are discreetly hidden in this movie and demands a constant attention in order to appreciate them. ZERO EFFECT is the first movie of Jake Kasdan and I look forward for his next films with great impatience. A DVD to buy and to add to your collection of " unknown great movies "
Dissatisfied Customer (05 February 2013)
Super Sleeper
This movie has it all; comedy, romance, drama, mystery. An ending as good as any ever written. Pullman was brilliant, and Kim Dickens is adorable.
JamesH (05 February 2013)
Zero Effect (1998)
APPEALING CAST. BILL PULLMAN AND BEN STILLER ARE BOTH GOOD. RYAN O'NEAL IS ESPECIALLY GOOD. I JUST FOUND IT TO BE A LITTLE UNINVOLVING AND SLOW, BUT STILL QUITE WATCHABLE.
(05 February 2013)
Wonderful take on a modern Sherlock Holmes.
This is what Sherlock Holmes would have been if he were a modern detective. Great acting performances by all the cast. Hillarious lines. The DVD has director commentary by the first time movie director. It shows from the performances he gets out of his actors that the director is an old hand at play direction. Other than the star actors, all other extras were locals.
(05 February 2013)
I watched it last night...
and I keep thinking about it today! I'd never heard of it before seeing it on the video store shelf, and I'm glad I rented it. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie, although it got a little slow in one or two parts. Bill Pullman gave an excellent performance.
Review total: 20, showing from 1 to 20