Lopez Blogs

Blimey. The shop's ain't half busy. I've been barged, poked, prodded, rudely moved aside, felt up, molested, sneezed on (ew. What happened to catch it, bin it, kill it?!), boob-bashed, growled at, hissed at, talked about on a phone loudly, cock-blocked and eye-stuck (by an errant baby's podgy fingers)! All while standing innocently in HMV fingering Gavin and Stacey (series 3 out already on dvd before it's even finished on tv)...(this was almost as bad as my festive "people" experiences from a few years back!) Anyway, back to the safety of armchair shopping, my gaze fell upon the quite exquisite looking Harry Potter Ultimate Collector Editions for films one and two. Only out in the states so far, but I'm there Christmas Day and have "multi regional" capabilities. I'm ever so excited about this development. Nearly as excited as Hogwarts opening at Universal next year. Oh how I adore Christmas cashing in when it's things I like (I note that as predicted last year, Mamma Mia is now out in a 2 disc edition)... On with the post!

CHRISTMAS FUTURE:

God bless Kylie Minogue. She really is quite smashing isn't she? Sure, everyone and his dog (including me) had an opinion on what should have been on X, what should have been a single from X and how it would have been more massive - but that's only because people care and just adore her. And fresh from her triumphant US tour (ooo that was a bit press releasy wasn't it!), she has quickly put together a live download package of every single blooming song she performed. And if that wasn't glorious enough, there are 3 new Steve Anderson studio versions of some her funkiest numbers - including Speakerphone 2009, (stream here). It's been wonderfully reswizzled and sounds ultra modern, seductive and sleek. Not only does it sound like it would work wonderfully as a live set piece, it works as a stomping dance number which is bound to get my annual festive bash pumping a week on Saturday :) Plus, I'm absolutely dying to hear Steve's new production of Light Years - from one of my favourite albums of the millenium... You can stream the album on Kylie's youtube from Sunday 12th and buy it from the 14th. Oh and if you are feeling particularly rich, there is a paperback version of the glorious coffee table tome Kylie by William Baker out now (£85!!!!). It's all so Gossip Girl Wealth Level Secret Santa Tastic!

CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

Talking of Gossip Girl (you might think I just throw these posts together randomly and often I do. Just sometimes I'm able to segue quite nicely and make it look planned), Leighton Meester aka ice queen of Manhatten Blair Waldorf has released quite a surprisingly rich and enjoyable version of Christmsa (Baby Please Come Home). I really like the tone of Leighton's voice on the song and the arrangement works really well for her. Surely there must be an opportunity for an all musical gossip girl where she sings this to Chuck "I look like i'd be absolutely filthy in the sack" Bass. That would please me very much indeed. Actually it's such a beloved Christmas fave, that I was worried that she would piss all over it, but no it's come out quite lovely. Phew.

CHRISTMAS PAST:

My god, how often have I written about the Barenaked Ladies singing the simply fantastic Elf's Lament (with Michael Buble)? The answer is every year since 2006, so apologies if you have been reading this blog since then, but you are going to have to put up with it once more. You know what Gregory Maguire did with Wicked - where he totally spun the world of Oz on it's head? Well that is what the Ladies have done in this song - taken our deeply ingrained image of happy little elves beavering (titter) away for the good of the world and given it an "up the union" type slant. Maybe working conditions aren't so great. Maybe the pay isn't as wonderful as it should be. Maybe the job satisfaction is minimal. It's all addressed here, with some grand harmonies, a kicking chorus and an infinitely catchy hook. And despite it being a good old moan (albeit with a slight wink), it certainly is one of the perkiest and upbeat (musically) Christmas songs of recent years. Quite simply marvelous.

CHRISTMAS MOVIE:

Well it's not a Christmas movie at all, but it does have a rather brilliant festive break in the middle of it. Mean Girls is one of those ace films I can watch almost anytime over and over again and be utterly entertained. The clip above alone is worth your time if you haven't seen it before - Lindsay, Claudia Party of 5, the dead one from Veronica Mars and uh, another one basically do a really slutty version of Jingle Bell Rock. In two mins they cram in so many comedy moments - the desperate to be young mom choreographing the whoreathon, the parents faces at the moment of ass slappage, the kicking of the cd player into the jock boyfriend's face - all leading to a lovely heartwarming singalong. Altogether now... "what a bright time, it's the right time..." No? Boo you whores :)

"We all need a little Christmas" warbled Angela Lansbury in Mame. And for me that sort of describes my year round attitude to pop/feelgood movies/musicals etc. It's all about the feel good factor. I'm unconcerned primarily with what other people think of things - if it gives me a great big happy, then I'm all aboard. Entertainment Weekly put this theory in a more modern context with their review of Spectacular the other week:

"But honestly, has there ever been a better moment for cheery kids put on a show Spectacular? The economy is in the crapper. We're fighting two wars. Even our gold plated Olympic hero gets busted for allegedly doing bong hits. We could use a little shiny-happy optimism!"

And Spectacular was full of the happy. Sure it didn't reach the conclusion you expected it to, but people did the right thing! They followed their path in life! They sang and danced til their little feet could dance no more! Really, if life was more like Spectacular the world would be a more cheerful place. And I would be driving a beemer with the license plate SHW BOY. Magnif. So in honour of Spectacular being released on DVD, here are the first ten things that sprang into my mind that give me that ridiculous giddy to my tummy feeling each time i see or hear them :)

1. When Simon Curtis (above at the Nick Kids Choice Awards - love how braces and shoes match. Like a metro collar and cuffs :P) sings 'as a kid I got a lot of shit for/liking my music "but what is it for?/You should listen to this because it gives more"/Yeah but it sounds lousy on the dancefloor' in the epic xenomaniac Put Your Makeup On, it instantly validates generations of pop lovers gone by and those to come. HAPPY!
2. The little boy running through the airport to tell some ten year old hussy he loves her/Colin Firth tracking down Aurelia in a little French village in "Love, Actually (see here for brilliant Love, Actually joke). Amazing manipulative uplifting music powers the scenes along to their ridiculously sweet and romantic conclusions. HAPPY!
3. Johnny comes in, does the corny but brilliant "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" line, and then Baby/Francis does the jump-lift in Dirty Dancing. Meanwhile old Daily Mail reading dowagers shrug off their fur stoles and shimmy on the dancefloor. HAPPY!
4. The key change in Taylor Swift's Love Story when she sings "marry me juliet you never have to be alone...". It's romantic bliss. And well done key changes always lead to a - HAPPY!
5. Graduation/Proms - England doesn't really do Proms. But when Buffy gets that crappy umbrella in "The Prom" and Veronica Mars gets a loud cheer from her classmates when she graduates, it's all rather lovely and emotional. HAPPY!
6. You need to grab onto the happy moments in Harry Potter, otherwise you will never be able to produce a Patronus worth your while. So when Hermione smacks Draco in the face in the Prisoner of Azkaban, although i don't condone violence, it's marvy pants and groovy because you sense it's the moment that coppertop Ron Weasley fell irrevocably in love with her. HAPPY!
7. During the final two choruses of "Human Again" in Beauty and The Beast - there is something rather exhilarating about the hope and redemption of the animated inanimate objects in this definitely not throwaway cartoon ditty. The visuals are just the icing on the cake. HAPPY!
8. When Lois proposes to Clark in "Ultrawoman" (season 3 ep of Lois & Clark), well sure it's goopy as unwhipped candy floss, but it's payoff to weeks of will-they-won't-they, and despite the shows flaws, two things were certain - Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain had great chemistry, and Lois and Clark were destined to be together. HAPPY!
9. The fact that Pushing Daisies existed at all - even if only for 22 episodes. Ditto Same Difference. One full season and one album of sugar coated delirium is better than nothing. HAPPY!
10. "and nobody in all of oz/no wizard that there is or was/is ever going to bring me down" - Elphaba gets her groove on, flies and closes the first half of Wicked with a little ditty so inspiring, so just-stand-up-for-what's-right that you can't help but cheer your little vocal chords raw. H-A-P-P-Y!

This post is dedicated to AA, SS and all those who deserve to be happy :)

What makes you happy?!

1. Thank God. Gossip Girl is back. That is all I have to say about the marvelous occassion. Let's just say it was a lot better than the very unnecessary remake/spin-off/lack of originality show of 90210. Plus Penn Badgely has turned into a temporary slut in it! What more can one ask?!
2. Talking of spin-offs, yes 90210 so far (double opening episode) is completely and totally irrelevant. Instead the floundering CW should watch this rather brillo advertisement and get Charlotte Church to play an Alexis type bitch in Dynasty: The Next Generation. The reruns on soap net are bur-illiant. I have come to loathe Krystle and Blake. They are so self righteous. It's all about the bitches.
3. Vampires! I am finally, belatedly getting into Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series (despite the bad bad press surrounding the final tome) and of course the Adem recommended True Blood starts on HBO on Sunday. However, it just makes me wistful for Buffy. I caught the pilot again the other day, and was just reminded of it's excellence when Buffy was talking to Angel, he walks away from her only to reveal he was standing over a sign saying "Watch your step". It's the little things that count.
4. Autumn! Which means lots of lovely new clothes are in shops under the auspices of "fall/winter collection". My current personal favourite - this delicious little jacket cum sophistimacated casual evening top from the patchy but good when good River Island. (Bugger - can't link it as is in stupid flash. Go to the website, click on men, just arrived, and go to page 7. It's the only item for £59.99 on the page!)
5. It's all in the Details. Still my second favourite american magazine. Why oh why have they photoshopped and airbrushed harry potter into a mix of Elijah Wood and Zac Efron though>?? Nice shirt and tie set that i'm just sure he wore to commemorate ten years since the first book was released :)
   

Miley Cyrus Harry Potter

you're never too young to die!