The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

There is a delightful new comedy out for teens and 20-somethings. “Lost and Found,” which stars “Just Shoot Me” cast member David Spade, is a comical variation on the same old “Boy meets Girl” plot. “Lost” combines a well-chosen cast, funny-enough jokes, and the character and humorous personality of David Spade.

Spade, who many describe as too sarcastic and a little critical, fits into the is movie like one of those round pegs. His “witty” demeanor goes well with the role he plays: a sarcastic Philadelphia coffee shop owner. His character, Dylan Ramsey, has started a restaurant and needs a sizable loan to complete his dreams. But wait – Dylan’s eyes fall upon the new, breath-taking neighbor: a concert cellist from France who has come to the United States to pursue her dream of playing in the Philharmonic. Ramsey, who is told he comes off as a real jerk at first glance, tries to spend time with the neighbor Lyla — Sophie Marceau — so she will get to know him more than his outer layer of jerkiness. But when opportunities do not come up to be with her, Dylan steals her dog, a yappy Cairn terrier. Ramsey then spends time with Lyla looking for her “missing” dog. But wait! Dylan’s friend asks him to hold on to an anniversary ring that he wants to hide from his wife. Jack, the terrier, hides the ring while playing his favorite game — hide-and-seek. This prevents Dylan from being able to give Jack back until he finds out where the ring is. The plot thickens. But WAIT — Lyla Dubois’ ex-fiance, Renee, comes from France hot on her tail to make amends after their messy breakup. Meanwhile, Dylan Ramsey is doing all he can to keep the wealthy Parisian away from the lovely Miss Dubois.

All of these factors come into play in keeping the plot of the movie going. Even with so many of these underlying complications, the plot of “Lost” seemed to come to a screeching halt at points throughout the movie. It would take a while until the action would start up again. Although guest appearances by Jon Lovitz and Danny Goodman — Cosmo Kramer’s shorter friend in “Seinfeld” — did help to keep you watching. Once again, David Spade has been paired with a larger sidekick, Artie Lang, to accent his own small frame. The deal with Dylan Ramsey and his bigger employee Wally is that Wally wants to be exactly like Dylan. The commercial previews make a big deal out of this part, but it doesn’t play such a big role in the movie.

Aside from the profane jokes, “Lost and Found” is enjoyable as a couple of hours away from the outside world. It generally keeps you interested and snickering from beginning to end.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Following an interim of 16 years since the last “Star Wars” movie, creator George Lucas has returned with a vengeance and the 5 million ‘Phantom Menace.’ I loved it. After so much hype and exposure, I had felt that there was no way the movie could live up to expectations, but it definitely did.

A new “Star Wars” movie spurs many questions: “Wasn’t the trilogy over?” “Who are those characters?” Here’s the explanation: The first three “Star Wars” movies were actually episodes four through six of a six-episode series. “The Phantom Menace” is episode one, which takes place about 40 years earlier and shows how the
villain, Darth Vader, of episodes four through six grew up. Got it?

“The Phantom Menace” contains a few of the characters from the original movies, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. The plot deals with a ban on interplanetary trading in the galaxy and the growing up of Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). The two main characters, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and his Jedi teacher Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), are ambassadors to negotiate the end of the blockade. Little did they know that the evil Federation is using the blockade to wage war. They stumble onto the plan and onto a clumsy, computer-animated, pop-culture-quoting alien named Jar Jar Binks. Jar Jar is the ultimate in comedy relief. He is always quoting many of the ’90s TV shows. Besides being a funny sidekick, he becomes a major character.

Many critics have said “The Phantom Menace” has too many computerized effects, a little over 200. Most movies have about 20. I saw no problem with this. The effects were great, and they seemed so real that you wouldn’t be able to tell that they were effects if you hadn’t known that whatever was happening was impossible.

George Lucas has lived up to the standards he set for himself with the first three “Star Wars” movies. The acting is great, the plot line pretty good, and the special effects unmatched.

I enjoyed the much-anticipated “Episode I” with a half-filled theater of cheering fans. So don’t be cautious about going out to see this movie. Even if you do have to wait, it will be completely worth it.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

The big hits produced in the Midwest during the ’60s are back on this two-CD set. All of those teen bands with such clever names are here: Dudley and the Doo-Rytes, The Trashmen, and, of course, The Unbelievable Uglies! In fact, no band on this album has a name without the word “the” in it. And that’s not the only good thing about the CD.

A lot of the songs provide a beat that you could dance to. Many of them follow a blues pattern that was used excessively in older songs. An example of a song you have probably heard that has used this pattern is “Johnny B. Goode,” but it is not on these CDs.

Most of the lyrics have original thought put into them, but as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, many used that blues chord pattern. This is why many of the songs from that era sound so similar.

At the risk of labeling this music and suffering a fate worse than death, I will not refer to these songs as oldies, but many younger people vow that they absolutely detest oldies. What they do not know is that many of the songs they listen to now are based on songs written a long time ago. Not all of these songs are originals, but some of them are.

Some adults will know most of these songs from their childhood, where hot cars and even hotter music reigned. Teens would cruise while listening to classics by The Trashmen such as “Surfin’ Bird” and — or “The Bird Dance Beat,” both containing the scratchy throat vocals of Tony Anderson.

Seriously now, many of these songs are enjoyable. Some could even be making a comeback. My dad took this CD to the school where he teaches and while he was listening to a certain song, some kid asked him if the song was a remake. it wasn’t the original, but it certainly wasn’t the one he knew.

Many of these bands had their starts at school dances or local garages, as The Trashmen, or Lou Riegart and the Troops did. And you can tell that they weren’t in it for the money; they played to have fun. That is a factor in how enjoyable the music is.

You might call me a “Liar, Liar,” but I say you should get in your “OldsMo-William,” “Run, Run, Run” to the music store and “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Papa-oo-mau-mau!”

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Scott Adams’s newest book, “Journey to Cubeville,” combines well-told jokes with nicely done drawings from the life of Dilbert, the main character of the comic strip.

The strip tells the story of the life of Dilbert and his colleagues. Also included are Dogbert, the canine Network Administrator, and Catbert, the evil Human Relations director.

“Dilbert” is packed with humorous views on company staff meetings, the Internet, and annoying co-workers. Scott Adams must know a lot of annoying people to come up with all of the jokes about them.

The whole basis of this witty strip is pretty much that Dilbert is a pathetic engineer who can’t get a date, talks to his dog, and has an ignorant pointy-haired boss, but it makes for some funny jokes. “Dilbert” doesn’t contain too many detailed drawings, but they get the point across.

I’d just like to say one thing. I have no idea why Dilbert’s tie is curved up like that. It is never straight. It’s just hanging there. And what’s with his mouth? He doesn’t even have one!

Back to something important: A lot of people say that they don’t get the jokes in the strip. Most of the ones people do get have to do with bosses and co-workers, but some of them just don’t make any sense, such as the ones about the dinosaur who gives wedgies. I don’t get how they are funny. It someone can explain them to me, I’d like to hear it.

if you don’t want to go out and buy the book ($12.95), or you want to find out more about what the strip is about, you can read Adams’ humorous take on Dilbert’s life Monday through Saturday right here in The Janesville Gazette.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Robin Williams is hearing the voice of Oscar in his ear once again. He gives an amazing performance in “Patch Adams,” playing a middle-aged medical student who yearns to help people stuck in hospitals. In other words, he wants to “treat the patient, not the disease.”

“Patch Adams” tells the story of a once self-committed insane asylum patient who wants to become a doctor. Adams (Williams) commits himself to a mental institution because he’s suicidal. But he learns that he has a special knack for helping those deemed not able to be helped.

After leaving the asylum, Adams enrolls in med school. There, he becomes one of the top students in his class, but is admonished severely by the dean for visiting patients while only in his second year of school.

By other people’s standards. Adams has a radical way of thinking. People are surprised when he asks about the patients’ names. He treats patients with laughter and amusement; he becomes their friend instead of their superior.

Monica Potter plays Adams’ girlfriend at college. She gives a realistic performance, allowing Williams to play off her personality, making his acting even more believable.

“Patch Adams” is advertised as a comedy, but it is much more than that. Yes, it is, first and foremost, a comedy. but it also is a romance and a drama. it explores the ideas of the mind, equality between patients and doctors, and the value of human life, specifically those people admitted to hospitals.

“If you treat a disease. you win or lose, but if you treat a patient, I guarantee that you’ll win,” Adams says. What he means is: The doctor can either cure or not cure a disease. But the experience and value they gain by becoming the friend of the patient can only benefit them.

Few things about this movie bothered me, one being all of the off-color jokes thrown in. Most of them were unneeded; a few were there to emphasize points that were being made.

“Patch Adams” is based on a true story. one that is still unfolding in real life. Some of the major plot elements seem a little too odd to be real but they are just based on a true story.

This is the fourth time I’ve reviewed Robin Williams on the big screen and as it has been with the majority of his movies, it was funny, entertaining and enjoyable by all.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Contest judge Sarah Finley chose Chris Finke’s lyrics, written to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” as the winner for the JNL holiday contest. Finke, 14, will get for his entry. Here’s what he wrote:

A foreword:

A brand-new Christmas carol
Was what we were to compose
For this JNL contest.
Finley’s mind we must engross.

So here it is, the new lyrics to “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.”

Jerry the rich business man
Was as happy as could be.
“Christmas will bring me profit!”
This is what he did decree.
Standing nearby was Billy,
A seven-year-old shopper.
Horrified at this statement
Was the munchkin eavesdropper.
Billy neared the greedy man,
Cleared his throat and said,
“Sir, it’s not gratuity,
Jesus is the cause for glee.”
Finally Jerry fathomed
Christmas is about Christ’s birth.
From them on, for this reason,
Jerry spread the joy and mirth.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Jerry Seinfeld is back, after the culmination of his hit TV show, with this recording of his Broadway show. He pokes fun at life’s little quirks and discusses important topics, from McDonald’s to skydiving. In this, Seinfeld’s first comedy album, he keeps the audience in stitches 70-plus minutes, all the way from the bit about cell phones to the Q & A at the end, where he takes questions from the audience.

“Did you ever notice…?” Jerry Seinfeld is famous for using this phrase before launching into an amusing tirade about daily life. For example, he talks about McDonald’s and how no one really cares anymore how many burgers they have sold.

Seinfeld recalls from his childhood being influenced by the likes of Bill Cosby and Robert Klein. He explains that he chose to be a comedian because, if you do it right, you can reach the audience on an intimate level, where you
could otherwise not even get near.

You may recognize various parts of the comedy from the television show, most likely some of the things about Superman. Other parts of the comedy act are drawn from his childhood, when everything was up. Wait up, hold up,
I’ll clean up.

There were a couple things I noticed that could have been improved upon. Even though there was not too much profanity, barely any, all of it is used within the space of five to 10 minutes, one right after the other. But 20 out of 21 tracks — that’s about 72 out of 76 minutes — were completely appropriate for all ages.

Seinfeld makes you laugh out loud and leaves you with lots of jokes to pass on to your friends. He has a way about him that makes anything he says seem humorous, probably because it all is.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Ian Michael Smith has his debut in this wonderful film about life, friends and God. Acting in correlation with Joseph Mazzello and Jim Carrey, he does a great job.

The movie is about a 12-year-old dwarf named Simon Birch (Smith). He was recorded as the smallest baby delivered ever in the small town of Gravestown, Maine, but probably with the biggest mouth and sense of humor. He says exactly what is on his mind, along with some other comments that make you think a little, and makes sure everybody knows it.

At 12, he believes God has a plan laid out for him to be a hero. At first, his friend, Joe (Mazzello) thinks there is no God and there is no plan; however, Simon proves him wrong.

Everything Simon does, he does to the fullest. He never gives up and always keeps trying. He plays on the town baseball team with all the other children, and goes to the same school.

Much of the plot is dedicated to the two boys trying to find out who Joe’s real father is. Joe was conceived out of wedlock, and his mother (Ashley Judd) kept the secret of the fathers identity to her death. Parents may be alarmed at the use of a certain word for this situation because it is so often used for cursing, but in this case it is used correctly. The plot keeps you guessing at who the father is throughout the whole movie.

One surprise for most people is that Jim Carrey is in a movie that wasn’t written around his slapstick comedy skills. He plays the adult Joe, and is narrator for the movie, which he did an admirable job at.

Something I must commend the writers for is the way they continued elements of the plot throughout the whole movie. Two such examples of this are Simon’s attempts at holding his breath under water and a solitary deer, both of which are important in the end.

There is some rough language in the movie, about half of it cursing and half of it remarks toward human anatomy. Most of the latter comes from Simon and Joe, two adolescent boys.

When Simon dies, some of the sting is taken off, because you already know he was going to die when at the beginning of the movie they show his grave.

The movie finishes up with some sentimental scenes: Joe finally coming to friendship with Ben (Oliver Platt), who had been his mother’s boyfriend, and also coming to grips with who his father is. The movie gets sorrowful toward the end, but everybody came out of the theater smiling.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Eddie Murphy and Jeff Goldblum star in this new comedy about religion and home shopping networks.

The differences of disposition in these characters allow these actors to work better by bouncing off the other’s personality. Murphy, who has a funny, lighthearted demeanor, and the always serious Goldblum interact and form some comical scenes.

Murphy plays G, a man assumed to be extremely religious and on a pilgrimage. He encounters Ricky (Goldblum) when Ricky’s car gets a flat tire on a busy expressway. Shortly after they meet, G faints from heat exhaustion. Ricky pays his medical bills, and G bonds with him.

G has a different way of doing almost everything. He somehow gets on the air of the Good Buy Shopping Network where Ricky works, and he starts to talk about how material goods are not going to make people happy. People believe him; they trust him. Ricky takes and twists this to use G to sell products, which helps Ricky keep his job. Kate (Kelly Preston) is disturbed that Ricky would use a sweet, trusting, religious man to sell tacky products. Ricky becomes enlightened and realizes that work and money are not everything.

One problem with “Holy Man,” besides the overuse of coarse language, is what audiences may expect from the trailers. The ads show a cheesy comedy with a lot of one liners. But it goes a little deeper, something not expected from an Eddie Murphy movie.

Murphy’s ability to be believable as many different characters helps him in this role. You really believe that he is this slightly odd, religious pilgrim, not just an actor playing one.

“Holy Man” offers more than one liners. It makes you think about your priorities, and it has strong undercurrents about God and religion. With the help of Goldblum and Murphy, it all melds together into a good movie.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

“What Dreams May Come” combines the acting talents of Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr. with amazing scenery and astounding special effects. When you add in the clever writing and spiritual lessons, it factors up to a remarkable movie.

The story is about two soul mates, Chris (Williams) and Annie (Annabella Sciorra). They marry, have two kids, Marie and lan, and become successful. Tragedy strikes when their children are killed in a car crash. Then Chris is killed when he tries to help the victims of another car crash.

Chris discovers that his heaven is inside one of the beautiful paintings created by his wife. Albert (Gooding) is his spirit guide and shows him around. Chris discovers that everything in heaven is directed by his thoughts.

After seeking out his children, he learns that his wife has committed suicide. At first he is happy because he thinks he will finally be with her. But Albert informs him that suicides can’t forgive themselves and can’t go to heaven. Chris, who is known for never giving up, goes on a journey to the depths of hell to rescue Annie, his soul mate.

Max Von Sydow (“The Exorcist”) also contributes first-rate acting as the Tracker, the person who accompanies Chris on his journey.

The title of the movie comes from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”: “To sleep, perchance to dream for in that sleep of death what dreams may come must give us pause.” Another quote that describes the whole movie is from the poet Dylan Thomas, who, drawing from the Bible, wrote “And death shall have no dominion.”

My only criticism is that most of the scenes of the underworld may be too frightening for some people. The movie shows exactly how many people think of hell, complete with fire and brimstone.

“What Dreams May Come” is the best example of stunning visual effects combined with acting and writing that actually makes you think. it excites your mind and shows you that the little things you don’t often think about can mean a lot.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

“Mulan,” Disney’s latest animated feature — that’s “cartoon” in layman’s terms — maintains its standard of excellence.

“Mulan” has the elements of most Disney movies: a brave hero or hero­ine, a goofy animal sidekick, and a good story line.

The story of Mulan comes from an ancient Chinese legend, which is as well-known in China as the story of Paul Bunyan is here. It is the story of a young girt who takes her injured father’s place in the Chinese army when the Huns attack China. Mulan (voice by Ming-na Wen), disguised as a boy named Ping, runs off in the night and meets her fellow soldiers at the camp, but not before meeting someone else, Mushu.

Mushu is brought into the story by how the movie shows the Chinese tradition of praying to ancestors for help. When the ancestors are awakened, they decide to summon the great stone dragon to bring back Mulan, but the only creature that can do this is a dragon named Mushu. An interesting fact that you may not know it that in China, mushu is the name of a taco-like food.

But back to the movie. Mushu, whose voice is by Eddie Murphy (“The Nutty Professor”), messes up and breaks the great stone dragon, so he goes to retrieve Mulan himself. He ends up egging her on in fighting. He is a source of much of the comedy in the movie.

Also accompanying Mulan is Crick-ee, a cricket, which in Chinese culture is thought to be good luck.

The army captain Shang (voice by BD Wong) is tough but fair and demands nothing but the best. His character is the one that helps reveal one of many morals In the story: Strength and discipline should be used to achieve your goals and shouldn’t be burdens.

Mulan goes on to help save the army, but it is found out that she is a girl when she is Injured in a battle against the Huns. Shang does not kill her, which would be the usual punishment. He spares her life because she had saved his.

She saves the entire army from a surprise attack by the Huns, showing the eternal rule that girls can do any­ thing boys can do and vice-versa The emperor (voiced by Pat Morita) awards her the highest honor possible by giving his Imperial medal to her. Mulan runs home to her father who has realized that he didn’t truly appreciate Mulan until the was gone.

One of the best things about this movie was the music. The music set the mood for the scene such as when Mulan is readying herself for war in the temple of the ancestors. The characters also sing songs, such as Mulan’s “Who I Am” or Shang’s “Make a Man Out of You” (with singing voice by Donny Osmond).

I don’t know what I could criticize this movie for, except because it’s a little predictable. But that’s standard in cartoons, and it also has events you never would have expected

This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It is a refreshing break from daily life and can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. I had been worried that when I went to see it that it would be hard to hear because of all of the kids, but the loudest were all of the adults laughing.

I applaud Mark Henn, supervising animator for the character of Mulan, and all other animators who worked on this great film and I anxiously await their next film.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

7 p.m. Monday, channels 9 (WGN) and 18 (WVTV)

This show is one of the best dramas on television. The father, Erik Camden (Stephen Collins) is a minister at the church; the mother, Annie (Catherine Hicks) is a housewife with five kids: Matt, 18, Mary, 15, Lucy, 13, Simon, 11 and Ruthie, 5.

The show deals with the day-today lives of the kids and occasionally includes some jokes. Once in a while, there is a show that is more sadness than gladness, such as an episode dealing with the Holocaust.

A recent episode went like this: Mary (Jessica Biel), who had been hurt in a hit-and-run accident, makes her comeback on the school basketball team. Simon (David Gallagher) tries to avoid his new science teacher who is young, stern and moderately attractive. Lucy (Beverly Mitchell) reunites with a friend who had moved. Ruthie (Mackenzie Rossman) goes on a field trip and gets lost with her mom.

It sounds pretty complicated. But all the events are (usually) resolved within the hour that the show runs, with a few morals thrown in. The characters learn lessons about life and growing up.

“Seventh Heaven” is put together well and doesn’t get too complicated or too far-fetched. You start to relate to the characters and empathize with them in their shared situations. It is a show that a family can watch together and will be enjoyed by people of all ages.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Leslie Nielsen stars in this new comedy as Mr. Magoo, a near-blind character from a children’s cartoon series. He portrays the nearsighted man very well, from the squinting to his well-known laugh, “Oh ho ho, Magoo. You’ve done it again!”

The movie starts out (and ends up) as a cartoon, showing all of the mayhem that the clueless old man causes and how he always ends up without a scratch. It then moves into the live action, still using all of the same characters.

The whole idea of the movie is that Mr. Magoo is involved in a jewel heist and doesn’t know it. Along the way, he eludes the criminals. He is suspected of stealing the jewel by the police, FBI and CIA. The FBI and CIA agents try to outdo each other, resulting in some funny scenes. In trying to get the jewel back himself, Magoo impersonates a billionaire jewel-collecting gangster and a blushing bride. Magoo is assisted by his nephew, Waldo, and his faithful bulldog, Angus.

Lots of the action features people getting hit by things or people running into things, sort of like the -Home Alone” movies, which I personally do not care for. But in “Mr. Magoo,” the action is spaced out more evenly, and it looks much more realistic and some of it is stuff that actually could happen in real life. It does get a little bit overdone, which is one thing that could have been improved.

I think that people of all ages could enjoy this movie. Many adults remember the cartoon from when they were younger and would go see it for the memories; kids will like it for the jokes, action and the way the main character just barely escapes the traps. It’s a funny movie.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Metallica’s newest CD, “Reload,” which is a continuation of its last CD, “Load,” has lots of first-rate music to listen to. It gives their fans more of their well-known music. Using a fast tempo in the majority of the songs on this album, it has an addicting beat and enticing melodies.

“Fuel” is a song using a speedy tempo, and the singer’s voice is deep and rough, like he is yelling. It has some great guitar and drum solos, being one of the best tracks on the CD.

“Devil’s Dance” uses a slower rhythm, and has a depressing sound to it. The lyrics add more and more to the overall glum sound of the song. Again, it has a very enthralling melody.

“Better Than You” is a song that, to me, has some senseless lyrics. Some people prefer this, but I’d rather that the song made sense. The words are repetitious, about some guy that is trying to be superior, hence the lyrics “better than you.”

“Carpe Diem Baby” (which happens to be Latin for “Seize the Day, Baby”) is a song which is similar in the melody and beat to “Better Than You,” but its lyrics actually make sense.

The songs on this album are very similar to the songs on the last one, “Load.” There is not much profanity, which is one thing that many bands seem to use too much of. The beat and melody does not vary too much from song to song, which is a low point of the album. But it is some of the better music that I have heard in a while that is actually worth listening to.

The quick, speedy songs on this CD are sure to please whoever would be interested in this CD even remotely. It is some quality music-maybe not according to some adults I know, but to the younger generation, it provides some great music.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Disney re-released the 1989 animated musical “The Little Mermaid” on Friday, Nov. 14, but only for 17 days. The question is: Did they do it for the children or for the money? People had their own opinions as they lined up to see the show at Janesville’s Mall Cinemas. The romantic movie seems to appeal to people of every age; in line were children who couldn’t walk yet, high school couples, and husbands and wives.

Tammy Rice said she thought the company definitely did it for the money, leaving the children as their second priority. But the kids didn’t seem to mind. Jacquelyn Mitchell, dressed head to toe in “Little Mermaid” merchandise, hadn’t seen the movie before. She was there with her mother and older brother, who was telling inquisitive people that he “really wasn’t interested in the movie” and he was there only because of his sister. Meghan Hulen, 2, had seen the movie before — on video, obviously — but this time she was seeing it in the theater with a friend. She said she liked the movie, especially the lead character of Ariel, the little mermaid.

“The Little Mermaid” won two Academy Awards, one for best song (“Under the Sea”) and for the musical score, and a Golden Globe. It helped bring animation back to theaters and led to a long run of new Disney successes, such as “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.” It’s another famous Disney movie, and it will live in the minds of people for years to come.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

The movie, based on the British television series, is living up to its good reputation. Rowan Atkinson does a great job as Mr. Bean, a very, very strange man. Atkinson is talented in using his entire body while he’s acting. Mr. Bean is a guard at an art gallery in England; however, none of the men on the gallery council want him working there. So when a chance comes up to send an employee to America, the men on the council eagerly choose Mr. Bean so they can get him out of their hair for three months. Bean’s job in America is to help dedicate a painting, “Whistler’s Mother.” He stays at the house of David Langley, played by Peter MacNicol. This results in some of the most bizarre events ever. Bean ends up destroying a painting, performing a surgery and waking a coma victim. But these are just normal activities in the world of Mr. Bean.

There are only a few bad things about this movie. if you have seen the TV Show, you might be in for a big disappointment. One of the funniest aspects of the TV show is that Bean doesn’t talk much. In the movie, he talks too much. Also, some of the language is a bit off-color. “Bean” is a movie that will be funnier to teens and younger people than to adults because dumb jokes seem more laughable to kids than to adults. And the whole movie is full of dumb jokes. If you think that’s funny, try spending a day in the world of Mr. Bean.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

The board game, “Blurt” manufactured by Patch Products of Beloit, is a good fun game for a wide range of ages. It consists of cards that have a definition on them; after the definition is read, the first person to blurt out the correct answer gets to move the specified number of spaces. The first person (or team) to get all the way around
the board is the winner, of course.

On one side of the definition cards are questions for people ages 10 to adult; on the other side are questions for kids ages 7 to 10. This way, the game can be played by a wide range of players. This does pose a problem, though. if you are playing with people in both categories, which side do you use? For both ages, the questions can be challenging, and there are some that are very simple. You’ll find yourself saying, “I know it, but I can’t think of it.” You rack your brain, and then when the answer is given, you yell out, “I knew that.”

You have to pass the box of questions around after every turn, and that gets tedious. It could be easier if the game came with two or even three boxes of questions. Anywhere from three to 12 people can play at the same time. You can’t have less than three because there has to be one person to read the question and two to guess against each other. The maximum is 12 because the company is assuming if people play on teams, they won’t have more than two or three people on a team. If there were more than that, it would get crowded around the board.

Overall, this is a nice, fun game that can be enjoyed by most members of the family. it is interesting to see how many words people guess that are so close to the answer. But the game requires exactly the word that’s on the card. it does have drawbacks, but it’s a good game.

The content of this post originally appeared in the “JNL” section of the Janesville Gazette daily newspaper in the mid-1990s.

Members of Stone Temple Pilots have put together this band, and it’s worth listening to. The singers’ voices aren’t annoying, they have a good sound, and the voices don’t get wavy or soft.

“Ring Twice” combine sadness with a feeling that just can’t be described. The lyrics aren’t sad, but the sound of the singer’s voice clashes slightly with the words. “Hello Hello” tells a story about a girl who is one kind of person but seems like another. This song has some of the better lyrics on the CD, and the music is fast and sort of gloomy. “So Long” is about a guy convincing someone who is depressed not to commit suicide, and about there being bad times before the good times. It’s got the best lyrics on the CD and the best message. “Wash Me Down” uses a softer tone of music and is a little more relaxing, plus it has one of the better melodies on the album. “Fill the Fields” uses an acoustic piano in the background, and it’s relaxing, too.

I have only a couple of complaints. They use the same type of music too much, an d they have some meaningless lyrics, such as “Everybody Loves My Car.” But it’s a pretty good album, fun to listen to and enjoyable.