My Past Loves - January 2003

From Florida's Star Banner for My Love Hewitt News - January 30, 2003

BACHELOR BE MINE CONTEST

Meet one of Ocala’s most eligible bachelors, and tell us: Could you be the one for him?

by ALISON BROWN @ alison.brown@starbanner.com
Staff Writer

Ben Kitzrow had his first kiss in seventh grade. It was on the playground with an older woman — she was in eighth.

"I got all tingly. You know that warm, fuzzy feeling inside?"

Yes. I think I might be feeling that now.

Ben, who turns 26 on Feb. 11, has had kisses since then, but he says he’s never been in love.

He came to Ocala back in the fall to teach exceptional students (emotionally handicapped students with special needs) and coach junior varsity basketball at Forest High School.

Ben is the "Bachelor" in the Star-Banner's "Bachelor Be Mine" contest. We’ll tell you about him, and then you tell us about you. If you think he could be the man of your dreams and you the woman of his; if you are single and available for a special Valentine’s Day date (a romantic seven-course gourmet dinner prepared by chef Felix Loring of Felix's) this contest is for you.

More on that later. Let’s meet Ben.

Ben has a bachelor pad near Forest, but it doesn't have much in it — basically a chair in front of the TV, and an iron. He irons everything (think Gap; large shirt, small waist) except his underwear.

Don’t worry if it takes you a while to get ready for a date: It will take him longer. It starts with Dial soap ("the white, tropical-smelling one") and ends with Armani.

Maybe you could read a book while you're waiting for Mr. Impeccable. Ben loves to read. Especially autobiographies by famous people, coaches and sports idols, in particular. You know how some people breathe air? Ben — you can call him Kitz — breathes basketball.

Summers, as a kid in Grand Rapids, Mich., he bounced a ball from sunup to sundown; and later, as a point guard in college he was the "quarterback of the court."

This jock played baseball and football, too, but he says those games came too easy.

"I picked the sport I was worst at because I need to be challenged, that is just how I am," he says.

John Kerley, Wildcats varsity basketball coach, confirms that. Ben is motivated and driven, he says. Kerley scouted him, identifying, he says, with Kitz’ passion for the profession. Kerley, married four years, suggests being the girlfriend or wife of a coach takes a special kind of person — one like his wife, in fact, who is supportive of the long hours and commitment and comes to games to cheer on the team.

"I’m real, what you see is what you get," Ben says, without knowing he is quoting J. "Jenny from the block" Lo. His favorite song is actually "With or Without You" by U2.

He says he'd like to date someone like actress/singer Jennifer Love Hewitt — if not her.

"She’s just so real, and at the same time she is really cute and has that beautiful look, too. She was in the movie ‘Can’t Hardly Wait.’ Did you see it?" he wants to know.

But what he can’t hardly wait for is going to work out. "If I don’t work out, it’s like I didn’t take a shower for that day. It just cleanses me inside," he says.

But, inside, something is missing.

The toughest part of being a bachelor, he says, is after you’ve been around so many people all day, doing so much, and you come home "hungry and have no one to talk to.

"And I hate to cook."

He’s going to make a skinless, boneless chicken and maybe a salad, maybe not. Ladies, if you can cook or make reservations, you score major points.

"I want to have someone there to unwind with, discuss the day, or go out and do something new together. Even grocery shopping together. I think that’s great."

Sugar is in aisle four.

There's not even a floppy black Lab to greet Kitz at the door (rental agreement) when he gets in, so what is a lonely guy with traditional values and ripped abs to do?

He calls Mom.

Ben says he tries to chat about once a week but ... and I'm sure he's going to say "that's cheesy."

Instead, he’s like, "but sometimes I’ll call her three, four times," he says.

So we call her.

"Mom, hi," he says, "Someone wants to ask you some questions about me." He’s blushing. (By the way, Ben says he’s really shy but open to all new things, so that’s why he agreed to be our bachelor.)

Cindy, up in Grand Rapids — where it is 0 degrees — is cooking up some chicken tenders and corn-on-the cob for one of her grandchildren.

"What type of girl would make Ben happy?"

"Well, she'll HAVE to like basketball," Cindy says.

Saw that one coming.

"Really, I think there is a very special girl that is just right for him. The one that the Lord picked for him.

"This (being chosen for the Bachelor Be Mine contest) is ironic. This might just be the way (he finds the right girl)."

Ben says he models his life after his mother and takes his cue, in matters of the opposite sex, from what he sees as the "unconditional love" she gives his father.

He says he would love to go on long walks with his future wife.

"My parents do that now. Every night about 7 they take the dog out for a walk, and I’m like, man, I want to be able to do that."

For now, Kitz says he enjoys hanging out with his friends, mostly people from work. Sometimes they go bowling or out to eat. Friday or Saturday is movie night — rentals and laughs. Colleague Amber Toole, a physical education teacher and Forest’s cheerleading coach, says that's what she likes about Ben: He makes her laugh and he’s fun to be around.

She remembers the first time her cheerleaders got an eyeful of him.

"They were like ‘Ms. Toole, who is that?’ "

Toole describes Kitz as being genuine. "He loves people, wants to know what you have to say, wants to know about you."

But he is also very focused about what he wants to do. (Ben’s five-year plan: Become a better person, have a varsity basketball program and be married.)

A good match for him, Toole says, is someone who could be supportive of his ideas and challenging at the same time, a self-confident girl with a good self-image.

"And don’t ever tell him it’s just a game (basketball, that is). It is not."

Off the court and on a date, Ben says he’d like to do some walking on the beach. The sun, sand, waves and someone special at his side. The beach at night. For him, a great date "doesn’t even have to be so classy that everything is just right, it could be at McDonald’s. When I’m just looking into her eyes and talking to her about her and she's talking to me about me. I mean, those are the most romantic dinners there are."

Swoon.

"And a long trip, like to Paris or Rome, would be incredible," Ben says, considering a dream date. "Of course me being new here in Florida, every place I go here is new."

He says he likes to listen to music, read, work out. Golf, recreational stuff, hikes, bike rides.

"As far as skydiving, I’m not that person. I’m scared to death of rollercoasters.

"But at the same time, I’m open to trying new things."

So there’s a little bit about Ben. I’ll give you a few more hints: Are you a Christian? Ben puts God first in life and believes God has someone for everyone. Are you gorgeous (read: can you climb into strappy sandals and nicely fitting clothes)? Finally, get your hands on some Angel perfume. I don't know who makes it (and neither does he) but he says it’s a shoe-in, er, slam-dunk.

From PHP Everywhere & iVillage - January 30, 2003

THE YEAR WE LIVED WITH A GOAT

Well, Chinese New Year is coming again, and it's back to Penang, my hometown to meet old friends, relatives, and get fat. For you guys and gals celebrating, Kung Hee Fat Choy! February 1st is the start of the Year of the Goat. Famous goats include Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Mira Sorvino, Bill Gates and

Jennifer Love Hewitt.

This year we celebrate the Year of the Goat. With this gentle Sign guiding most of our 2003, we can expect a time of harmony, tranquility and understanding. The Goat encourages us to be more easygoing and relaxed; for the next year, we'll pledge to live our lives in a quiet, peaceful manner. We'll move slower than usual, taking time to smell the proverbial roses, but we'll also feel less stressed about petty or minor details. We'll spend more time with family and friends, and our kind, compassionate demeanor ensures that we'll make pleasant new connections as well.

Because the Goat is so artistic, we'll spend much of the year pursuing creative endeavors. We'll also indulge our many whims and fantasies -- as long as we get our most important tasks done, we shouldn't feel guilty about catering to our whimsical side. Our imaginations will be given free rein, so we'll be able to come up with innovative plans and solutions. Although we may seem disorganized or scatterbrained at times, we'll actually have everything in order -- it just may take others awhile to see the method to our madness!

Although we'll need some space to dream, reflect and create in 2003, we're sure to take advantage of our boundless artistic talents and find the serenity and peace that we seek.

For the people in Canada....From The Vancouver Sun - January 28, 2003

SPONGEBOB STARTS A NEW LIFE IN CANADA

Animated TV hero has redrawn the boundaries of traditional marketing

by Katherine Monk
kmonk@png.canwest.com

He's a self-obsessed nerd who hangs out with bottom-feeders. He also represents one of the most lucrative product licences in the world.

He is SpongeBob Squarepants -- a deeply flawed sea sponge who lives under the sea, and the latest animated hero who has redrawn the boundaries of traditional marketing theory and demographics.

Since his debut on Nickelodeon in the United States in 1999, SpongeBob Squarepants's fan-base has expanded exponentially -- not just among kids, its primary target audience, but among the highly desirable 18 to 49-year-old hip adult demographic with plenty of disposable income.

Today, the latest SpongeBob release -- Tales from the Deep -- hits video and DVD stores and according to Felice Fleischer, senior vice-president of Paramount Home Entertainment in Canada, it's just the beginning of SpongeBob's life in Canada.

"We're very excited about SpongeBob. It's taken a while for him to break through in Canada, but we're confident it's going to be a huge, huge, huge year for SpongeBob."

Fleischer and other industry insiders have reason to be optimistic.

Last year alone, SpongeBob generated more than $500 million US in retail sales south of the border. That's because with more than 10,000 licensed SpongeBob products out there, he's become the most sought-after property in the $75-billion licensed-product industry.

This year, SpongeBob licensing fees are expected to net media conglomerate and Paramount parent company, Viacom, a cool $25 billion US, thanks to -- among other things -- a popular Sony PlayStation videogame title, a blubbering plush toy that outsold Tickle Me Elmo and a variety of the expected plush toys, fridge magnets and bedding supplies.

"I believe you can even get SpongeBob Kraft dinner now. The pasta is shaped like SpongeBob and the cheese sauce is coloured blue," says Anne Yourt, who handles SpongeBob home entertainment products in Canada for Toronto-based Aerial Publicity and Promotions.

Though relatively new to Canadian viewers, SpongeBob is tracking well. The show was picked up for daily broadcast last fall on YTV, and Yourt says she's since seen concrete evidence of SpongeBob's success north of 49.

When Yourt took a costumed SpongeBob character out on the road throughout Ontario to promote his Canadian debut, she found thousands who were already in the loop. "I drove out to a mall ... and hundreds of people were already lined up -- wearing their SpongeBob shirts and merchandise. Some had their kids with them, others were there just for themselves. They wanted to get their picture taken next to SpongeBob," says Yourt.

The reasons behind SpongeBob's phenomenal success are varied. First and foremost, he's accessible to children. Capitalizing on an obvious, slapstick brand of humour, SpongeBob has been likened to an underwater version of Jerry Lewis.

Kids cannot get enough of SpongeBob's goofy high jinks -- and because he's so wonderfully flawed and trouble-prone, kids find him easy to relate to, without suffering any anxiety about living up to his example.

What makes SpongeBob unique among current kids' shows, is his attraction to older viewers. A cult hero on campuses across the United States, and frequently cited on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, SpongeBob has found a home among young adults -- and hip middle-agers, who've realized SpongeBob is a highly sophisticated sea sponge who often references high art to make his point.

One of the episodes that turned me on to SpongeBob involved a creepy character who continually lurked around the Krusty Krab -- the greasy spoon where SpongeBob flips Krabby Patties. The very last panel of the show actually showed F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu flicking the lights on and off.

It was so bizarre, and so smart, that I instantly became a SpongeBob fanatic.

Some of SpongeBob's biggest fans include Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt -- who even appears in person in the live action part of House Party (see pics), a double episode that's part of the Tales of the Deep compilation.

For all the superstardom showered upon SpongeBob, his creator remains in the shadows -- and that suits Steve Hillenburg just fine. A former marine scientist and surfer who began to appreciate the beauty of tidal pool life, Hillenburg first pitched Nickelodeon on the idea in 1996.

SpongeBob Tales of the Deep is now available on video and DVD. Other titles, such as The Sponge Who Could Fly and Anchors Away are also available.

From The South End Newspaper - January 28, 2003

SEX ON THE CAMPUS: CAN'T START
A FIRE WITHOUT A SPARK

"There's just no spark," said Lexi as she was in the process of explaining to me for the hundredth time why a relationship between her and her friend from work, Steve, would not work.

If I live to be 100-years old I will never understand this. From the outside looking into this situation, Steve would be perfect for Lexi. He is funny, outgoing, and has a great future ahead of him. So what is the problem? Oh, that's right, no spark. So what is this spark that all potential couples crave from each other? What exactly is it that attracts the opposite sex?

As Lexi rattled on about this spark issue, it made me question my own relationship and the relationships of my friends that were involved in long termers. Did they know something that I didn't? I decided it was time to figure out the spark issue once and for all.

Saturday night was as good a time as any to dive into this issue. I had plans with girlfriends and who better to get to the bottom of this with.

As dinner was being served I decided to broach the subject.

"Alright...doesn't the spark fade?"

Sue was the first one in with her response, "everyone always says that the grass is always greener on the other side, what they don't realize is that in times everything fades. That means your looks as well as you guys and that includes the spark."

Great this is exactly what I wanted to hear. If a person is lucky enough to actually find someone that they feel that special spark with, there is a chance that very spark is going to fade away.

This new theory really had my head in a tizzy! Why do people spend so much time trying to find their one true love if it is going to fade into the horizon one day?

I blame the movies.

Picture it, you are studying into the wee hours of the night in the library, suddenly you look up and the cute guy from your U.S. history class is sitting directly across the table from you. Your heart begins to skip a beat. The sparks between the two of you could start a fire on the table.

The guy you have been daydreaming about all the semester is inches away from you. He looks up, smiles at you then tells you he has had a crush on you all semester.

The next thing you know, the two of you are walking hand in hand to the local Starbucks. Things like that happen everyday right? Maybe if you are Jennifer Love Hewitt or Freddie Prinze Jr. What I want to know is what happens after the director yells cut. You never get to see that do you?

The truth is that everyone strives to find that special person in their lives that is going to create an earth-shattering spark. As cliché as it sounds life has its ups and downs. The spark flickers on and off. The trick is finding someone to take the ride with.

Names used are not the actual names.

From The Bristol Press - January 28, 2003

OH, WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE
IN A PLYMOUTH OPEN SLEIGH

by Sally Pfaefflin

PLYMOUTH -- The air was cold with a biting wind on a recent Thursday. But the snowstorm early that day had spread a tranquil covering of white over meadows and woodlands at Wood Acres in Terryville, making it picture perfect, as well as ideal for a sleigh ride. A couple who had taken the 2 p.m. ride were sipping hot chocolate as they warmed themselves in the living room of the restored farmhouse. Meanwhile, Joyce Wood welcomed a family from Washington, Conn. that had just arrived for the 3 p.m. sleigh ride.

The scenic ride over the farm takes 45 minutes. So Joyce’s husband, Ken, was taking a few minutes to warm his hands before leading his new guests to the sleigh in back of the house.

With the guests all squared away, Joyce sat down to share tales of happy guests who have enjoying horse-drawn sleigh or carriage rides over the past 30 years.

Ken Wood originally was a carpenter, but he had a dream of owning a horse so he could ride and drive. In 1972, he finally gave into the dream when bought a team of Clydesdales named Jack and Jill and a wagon. Over time, Ken’s business grew and included hayrides, sleigh rides and a slew of parades.

A scrapbook kept by the Woods includes many of the business’s highlights since those early days. For instance, in 1997, the couple were featured on "The Gayle King Show." There’s a picture of Joyce and Ken with their horse-drawn carriage in front of the state Capitol in Hartford. There are also memories of television and film actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who took a journey around Wood Acres on a sleigh. And in 2002, Ken Wood met award-winning actress Meryl Streep while he was working a fund-raiser for farm preservation in the Litchfield County town of Washington.

The business has expanded to accommodate receptions, birthdays, Christmas, retirement parties, visits to nursing homes, schools, engagement parties and weddings.

And Wood Acres has been an integral part of many a wedding proposal through the years. As she spoke about the business, Joyce Wood recalled one of the most unusual proposals. It was in January 1998 in Waterbury.

A gentleman dressed as a knight in shining armor, Wood said, and he asked the Woods to pick him up in their carriage at a parking lot. They then were asked to drive him in the carriage to where his girlfriend worked. While the Woods waited, the suitor proposed to his girlfriend in her office. Once the proposal was accomplished, he brought his future bride outside, where she was surprised by the sight of a carriage. The Woods then drove the happy couple to a restaurant for an engagement dinner.

Another engagement happened this past New Year’s day. A man named Marco took his friend Lily on a sleigh ride. After drinking hot chocolate at the Wood home after the ride, Marco walked her to the gazebo in back of the house, where he proposed.

Wood Acres also has seen its share of weddings through the years. Joyce Wood has a bagfull of thank-you notes from brides who have been married at Wood Acres, had receptions at the facility, or who enjoyed a carriage ride to or from their ceremony. To accommodate the brides, the farm even has a bridal room, where the bride and her attendants can dress.

A woman recently came to Wood Acres before her wedding. After she dressed for her wedding, she was given a carriage ride to the gazebo where her marriage was performed by John Rogers of Plymouth, a justice of the peace. (Rogers, who owns, rides and drives horses, helps out as driver when they are especially busy at Wood Acres.) After the ceremony, the bride and groom were given a carriage ride around the farm to give them some quiet time before the reception.

Remembering that wedding day, Joyce Wood said, "My favorite part was when they went out to the gazebo to dance by candlelight. I had lit just one candle in the gazebo for them. Then the guests followed them out, each with a lighted candle, and gathered all around the outside of the gazebo."

A completely different experience took the Woods’ horse-drawn carriage to a garden party held inside Riverside Cemetery in Waterbury.

"I know it sounds gruesome," Joyce Wood said of the party, which was a fund-raiser for Mattatuck Museum, "but it was really a beautiful thing. A luncheon was served with music playing and we gave rides throughout all around the cemetery, where apparently a lot of famous people are buried."

The most touching story recalled by Wood was when Wood Acres donated its services for Make a Wish Foundation. A little girl, who was quite sick, wanted to arrive at a castle with a princess in a carriage drawn by a unicorn. The Woods fashioned a cone with gold covering to transform one horse into a unicorn. Then, a member of the girl’s family dressed as a princess. And Ken and Joyce dressed in their tuxedos to drive the happy child to a large building near the ocean at Harkness State Park. Upon their arrival, Joyce gave the little girl a ring with a tiny unicorn.

As Joyce finished the reminiscences, the 3 p.m. ride returned. Christine, one of the children on the ride, came bounding in for some hot chocolate. When asked what she liked most about the ride, she said, "I just liked the entire ride. My toes are cold. I liked it when the beagle came along."

For more information about Wood Acres, access its Web site at www.woodacresfarm.com. All horse-drawn rides must reserved in advance by calling 583-8670.

Well, this does not effect Jennifer Love Hewitt, but this doesn't prove that Love exercised with a bimbo doll.

From Associated Press - January 27, 2003

HIGH COURT REJECTS BARBIE 'BIMBO' CASE

by Anne Gearan

WASHINGTON - Toymaker Mattel lost a Supreme Court appeal Monday over a mocking pop song that called the iconic fashion doll Barbie a "blonde bimbo."

The high court did not comment in turning down Mattel's request to reopen a trademark fight over the 1997 dance hit "Barbie Girl." Mattel claims the preteen girls who buy Barbie dolls were duped into thinking the song was an advertisement for the doll or part of Mattel's official line of Barbie products.

The song, by a Danish group called Aqua, includes the lyrics, "I'm a blonde bimbo in a fantasy world/Dress me up, make it tight, I'm your dolly."

Mattel Inc., which gets $1.5 billion or more annually in Barbie sales, complained that an advertisement for the song ran during Saturday morning cartoons and that MCA Records Inc. even wanted to sell the recording at toy stores.

Ad materials for the song used the same electric pink that Mattel has used to package Barbie dolls for decades, lawyers for Mattel claimed.

MCA sold an estimated 1.4 million copies of the recording. The music company calls the song a parody protected by the First Amendment.

Mattel lost in lower courts, and the five-year tussle has gotten ugly. MCA sued Mattel for defamation after the toymaker likened the record firm to a bank robber.

Last year the California-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the notion that consumers were misled by the song, noting that a pop art painting of a can of Campbell's Soup does not make viewers think Campbell's "has branched into the art business."

Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski, known for colorful language, toyed with the two companies a bit. He noted that the original 1950s Barbie resembled a "German street walker," but was gradually transformed into a long-legged American with a "fictitious figure."

"With fame often comes unwanted attention," Kozinski wrote for a three-judge appeals panel. He closed his written opinion with a warning to both companies to play nice. "The parties are advised to chill," he wrote.

Mattel contended the appeals court rejected the reasoning of other courts in similar cases and ignored evidence that consumers were confused.

The case is Mattel Inc. v. MCA Records Inc., 01-633.

On the Net:

Supreme Court: http://www.supremecourtus.gov

Mattel: http://www.mattel.com

MCA: http://mcarecords.com

From The Journal and Courier of Lafayette, IN - January 25, 2003

SECURITY TIGHT; LAFAYETTE MAN KEEPS IT SO

By Sophia Voravong

George LaPlante is living out the ultimate fan's dream.

The Lafayette resident has rubbed elbows with some of the National Football League's greatest athletes as a member of the Super Bowl security team.

Specifically, LaPlante is the overnight manager at the NFL Experience -- an interactive, miniature theme park adjacent to Qualcomm Stadium, site of Super Bowl XXXVII.

"It's the Disneyland of football," he said in a telephone interview from San Diego.

The 12th annual event offers fans a hands-on football experience, with interactive games and autograph sessions. It is held four days leading up to Sunday's game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders.

As overnight manager, LaPlante is responsible for escorting athletes to and from autograph sessions. And since his arrival in San Diego, LaPlante has met Drew Brees -- now a San Diego Charger, formerly a star at Purdue --and Rosevelt Colvin, also an ex-Boilermaker, now a free agent who spent the past four seasons with the Chicago Bears.

"The list of celebrities attending and performing at the Super Bowl is four pages long," said 51-year-old LaPlante, rattling off such names as Jon Bon Jovi, Carmen Electra, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kid Rock, Bonnie Raitt, Santana, Sting and Uncle Cracker.

And since the incidents of Sept. 11, 2001, LaPlante said, security has been stepped up tremendously.

"Fans must go through several checkpoints, bag searches, wand devices and pat downs before admittance to NFL Experience," he said. "And we've added 500 personnel since Oakland became the other team, to help handle their rowdy fans."

Face scanners and X-ray bag scans will be used at the stadium on game day, he said.

LaPlante has been employed the past 15 years by Contemporary Services Corp., a Northridge, Calif., company that provides security for a variety of CBS Sports events, such as the Olympics and PGA tournaments.

LaPlante, who also has worked security for Purdue University football games and regional PGA tournaments, has worked security for three Super Bowls since 1998.

The company flew in 1,500 employees from 32 branches for the Super Bowl and also recruited 1,500 people from the San Diego area.

Here is a movie made in India that is supposedly an adaptation of "I Know What You Did Last Summer". This movie received three out of five stars meaning it's "good". Speaking of 'adaptation', if you seen the movie, "ADAPTATION" starring Nicholas Cage, the movie is co-produced by InterMedia who is co-producing "IF ONLY" with Love Spell and Love Hewitt.

From India's MID-DAY - January 25, 2003

"KUCCH TO HAI": A FILM REVIEW

by Janhavi Samant

Director: Anil V Kumar
Cast: Tusshar, Esha and Natassha

With any number of ‘k’s and ‘c’s, Kucch To Hai would have still been the same film — an Indian adaptation of I Know What You Did Last Summer.

A group of friends in college kill someone and run away from the scene without reporting it. But the event keeps haunting them and each one of them has to pay for it, even with their lives. Same plot, so what’s new?

Don’t miss the beginning. A couple of good unexpected scares right at the start makes sure that you are hooked.

Then director Anil V Kumar takes a while to introduce you to the main characters who are reminiscent of the Archie Andrews (Tusshar---who looks like Enrique Iglesias) — Betty Cooper (Natassha) — Veronica Lodge (Esha Deol) love triangle and Jughead Pat and Reggie Yash — lovable, yuppy and entertaining.

But the film again reverts to the frights with Rishi Kapoor as the quiet madman Professor Bakshi who is suspected of killing his wife.

The first half of KTH therefore builds up the right pace and tension that makes you eagerly await the second half.

But the second half lets you down. The Archie Andrews love triangle turns into the Kabhi Sauten Kabhi Saheli mode and even one or two shocking horrors (more credit to the lighting and background score than the scene itself) are no compensation. The film becomes worse as it progresses.

A wedding song, a couple of sad songs, some fake scares and some really contrived humour from Johny Lever (he shouldn’t have been there in the first place) could’ve been done without.

The time could’ve been better used to make the otherwise hasty climax and chain murders more spine-chilling.

The drama, suspense and action in the film really leaves no scope for any performances from the actors — which is fortunate.

Tusshar and Esha are getting better whereas Natassha looks plain awkward except in the masala Dil ding dang ding dole.

But maybe Jennifer Love Hewitt in I Know What You… would’ve done a better job of it. Go only to get scared.

From The National Post - January 25, 2003

WHAT WILL ZAYDE SAY? MY LOW CUT DRESS

by Rebecca Eckler @ reckler@nationalpost.com

Jennifer Lopez does it, so does Britney Spears, as do Halle Berry, Elizabeth Hurley and Mariah Carey. But I've never done it. I can't. Or can I?

For the past week, I've been debating about how much breast is too much breast to show. Now that I've bought a dress for my engagement party, a dress that may or may not show too much breast, I'm not sure.

"Hello?" croaked one of my Toronto friends, picking up her phone at 9:30 a.m., an ungodly hour for a freelance writer, when I rang her from New York.

"Yeah, hey. It's me. How much breast is too much breast to show?" I asked.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" she moaned.

"Never mind that. I bought a dress. It might be the dress. But I'm not sure if I'm showing too much breast. How do you know?"

"I don't know. It's like pornography," she answered. "You know it when you see it. Can I go back to bed now?"

The thing is, I know Jennifer Lopez showed a lot of cleavage when she wore that infamous, green, how-does-that-stick-on dress at an awards show a couple of years back. I don't think she showed too much, even though you could see her belly button. I thought she looked fabulous. Of course, maybe there's no such thing as too much, if it's a Versace.

"Movie stars and fashion models are supposed to dress that way. Outside that realm, it's a finer line," said my friend, trying to keep from dozing off, while I explained I'd like to be able to carry off wearing a cleavage dress like Jennifer Lopez. I'm sick and tired of my usual style -- black turtleneck and jeans or, when I'm feeling really funky, black tank top and jeans.

I see women all the time at house parties, at bars or walking down the street in New York, wearing low-cut outfits, and I always say, "I wish I could dress like that."

Another friend, who also relies on the black-turtleneck look, says she once wore a really low-cut dress at a formal event at her law school. "I remember talking to a professor. I was a second-year law student. I saw his eyes looking down at my chest the entire time, because you couldn't help but look, and that made me so uncomfortable. It all depends on how comfortable you'll feel. Are you going to feel uncomfortable at this party with so many of your work people there?" she asks.

"Hell, no. I don't care about them. But my parents and my grandfather will be there. I don't want to give them a heart attack."

"Are you going to be worried about popping out the whole night?"

"Not really, as long as my parents are at the other end of the room," I tell her.

According to one of my larger-breasted friends, who always looks gorgeous wearing low-cut outfits, it's women, not men, who make her feel uncomfortable.

"All of my girlfriends freak out and are the ones who make me embarrassed when I wear something that shows a lot of cleavage," she says. "It's usually my small-breasted friends who make the biggest deal about it. I'll feel confident in what I'm wearing, but then if I show up at a party, all my girlfriends are, like, 'Oh my God. Look at your breasts!' It really bugs me. Sometimes they'll even touch them. It's women who make me think twice about wearing certain things."

Showing breast is a tricky thing. On the one hand, you want the attention and to be noticed in a positive, flattering way. But you also worry about others making judgments, or worse, becoming that woman who's later referred to as "The one with the breasts?"

"Some men will have whole conversations while talking to your breasts," my friend says. "That's so annoying."

That only happened to me once, I tell her, at a formal fundraising event I was covering -- the leader of one of Canada's political parties kept looking at my chest while I asked him questions.

"That's the amazing thing," says my friend. "It's often the men you'd least expect who are tit talkers. I don't think they realize they're doing it, or they think they're looking in a way you won't notice, but of course you notice."

Another of my New York friends, whom I tried the is-it-showing-too-much dress on for, says, "Honestly, for me it's the nipple factor. If you're showing nipple, then that's too much. But come on! It's your engagement party. You want to look sexy. And, after 30, it just goes downhill. Show them off while you can."

Well, gee, that's not depressing at all, I tell her.

"You can wear anything if you have the confidence for it," she says.

"OK, where can I buy that?" I ask.

As Jennifer Love Hewitt said recently in People magazine, "They're just breasts! People should get over it."

And maybe I should, too. Or, maybe, Jennifer Lopez should start wearing black turtlenecks. I'd like to be around for that.

CHAMPIONS STRUT
INTO PRO BOWL

CREATIVITY OFFERS PEACEFUL SOLUTION

by Amanda Anthony

CHAMPIONS STRUT INTO PRO BOWL

CREATIVITY OFFERS PEACEFUL SOLUTION

by Amanda Anthony

CHAMPIONS STRUT
INTO PRO BOWL