Arrests, rehab, murder: Mediocre albums, tragic deaths cast negative spell over year in music
At least we can say one good thing about 1996, the year of musician overdoses, arrests and rehab: Hootie and the Blowfish's "Fairweather Johnson" was a flop. No more will the endless cries of "I Only Wanna Be With You," fill our ears ... instead we can rejoice in the new albums from Silverchair and Bush.
Hollywood fills '96 with vicarious thrills, stupendous suprises
In music video, 1996 was the year of the toilet, with urinal-and-stained-mirror-themed videos by No Doubt, Tony Rich and Jewel.
In current events, 1996 was the year of gymnastics, with Kerri Strug and Bob Dole showing their tumbling prowess.
'96 neither best of times nor worst of times for books
As literary seasons go, 1996 was a relatively quiet one. This past year was neither the best nor the worst of times; it produced no instant classics and no phenomenal bestsellers. But 1996 did see a number of acclaimed books from tried-and-true authors like Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood, as well as some surprising literary trends.
Theater-turned-film: Stage begins to enjoy mass popularity of Hollywood
If one could classify the year of 1996 in theater (although it is doubtful), one might say that it was the "Comeback Year of Broadway." Or maybe the "Year of the New Broadway." Or the "Year of the Next Generation of Broadway."
The Daily picks the best films of 1996
Daily staff picks Top 10 albums of 1996
Larry Flynt's no freedom fighter
I have never before boycotted a movie based on principle. I admire cinema as an art form, and just as I will not judge a novel or a book of poetry based on the jacket blurbs, I usually withhold judgement of a film until I actually see it.
1996: The year someone stole my antenna
I'll always remember 1996 as the year I stopped listening to the radio. I turned that little switch on my clock radio from "wake to radio" to "wake to buzzer" so I could hear that nail-biting "Beeeeeeep. Beeeeeeep. Beeeeeeep," instead of Alanis' "You you you oughta knowow" blaring in my ears each and every morning. Best of all, when some bastard stole the antenna from my car, I couldn't have cared less. The only drawback was that I had to listen to static during tape changes as opposed to the grueling guitars of the flavor-of-the month alternative band.
Record sales lag: Industry looks for rebound in '97
The record industry finished 1996 with flat sales, the second stagnant year in a row. Only a Christmas surge avoided what some had predicted would be the first downturn in a decade.
Box office breaks record
Another year, another record, with the 1996 domestic box office totaling $5.8 billion, almost 9 percent over 1995. Two special-effects-driven vehicles - "Independence Day'' and "Twister'' - dominated the year, heading a Top 10 list that, in contrast to 1995's family-oriented mix, contained five big-budget action films.
'X-Files' plans for silver screen; STP's Weiland 'receiving care'
Although the truth may be out there, Mulder and Scully will not always be searching for it - at least not on television. According to USA Today, the 1997-98 season of Fox's "The X-Files" will end with a shocking cliffhanger that will be resolved on the silver screen with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising their small-screen roles.
TV premieres mark new year
Comedies, dramas, thrillers, action-adventures and a news-magazine show are among television's midseason offerings. Several familiar faces will pop up in new series, including Arsenio Hall, Larry Hagman, Julia Duffy, Pam Dawber, Sharon Lawrence and Pauly Shore.
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01-16-97