Lopez Blogs

I never got round to my series round-up so I might as well go with my "Strictly Come Dancing In A Nutshell" (with apologies to Harry Hill!): Craig Kelly was rubbish, got evicted in Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Brucie got sick, Laila got injured, Jade got injured, Jade remained injured, Jade left, Chris Hollins was an irritating little dancing hobbit with stupid facial expressions, ditto, ditto, ditto, Ali & Brian were robbed, Ricky & Natalie were robbed, the hobbit won, Ali & Brian deservedly got their revenge and won the Christmas special. Whether controversial judging choice Alesha Dixon will return next series is anyone’s guess, while guest judge Darcey Bussell didn’t really add anything to the panel. Add to this the tension between Craig Revel Horwood and Len Goodman which could get a bit much at times: surely there will be an overhaul of some description in time for the next series? And if the recurring rumours are true....then it could be Alesha out, and Arlene back in....?

Over the Christmas and New Year period, I spent a lot of time catching up with some films I’d taped off the telly.

Being a child in the early 70s I remembered a lot of stuff on the news about "Watergate" but I wasn’t really familiar with the real story of former US president Richard Nixon’s downfall, or its aftermath. "Frost/Nixon" was a very good film with compelling performances by its leading actors, and the story simply focused on a series of interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon, which was a true story that I knew nothing about before the film. Well worth watching.

I had to check out "The Love Guru" which reunited my Austin Powers favourites Mike Myers and Verne Troyer in the cast. Although there were a few laughs here and there, it fell well short of that Powers magic. Interesting appearance by Justin Timberlake though :)

Ken Loach's "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" is a fictional film from a few years back, but which was based on an actual period in recent history - the lead-up to the founding of modern Ireland. A gripping film which pulled no punches and spared no brutality: and its focus on two brothers eventually finding themselves on opposite sides also made it a very engaging film.

If you like undemanding festive fare then Christmas 24 was the place to be over the festive season. A movie channel from the people behind True Entertainment (which is also a wonderful place for a TV-movie-wallow, if you’re partial to that kind of thing), it certainly kept us entertained during a time when there was very little else to watch on the box.