144 replies to this topic

[dirac]

Because we usually have an Olympics thread.Talk about whatever comes to mind.

Initially I didn't get the whole Daniel Craig-Queen thing. Until she turned around I thought I'd switched onto an extended liquor commercial or something.

[Jayne]

Here is what I've posted on FB so far:

I really want to like this Olympic Opening Ceremony, but so far it's been all about sheep, working class blight, and socialized medicine - with QE2 jumping out of a plane. Please, more Shakespeare fantasy, less angsty Hamlet. Oh wait, here comes the children's lit section...

The young ladies marching with sticks with country letters on top remind of Happy New Year's Hats.  Their dresses look like unicef posters.  This is the strangest opening ceremony since Albertville in 1992....

I'd rather have more royal pageantry, pipes tattoos, royal ballet, and/or british composers, and less lame texting love stories.  At least I can still be shallow and judge the national uniforms.  That never changes.  

[Jayne]

Of course I'm watching 8 hours after this happened, because god forbid NBC shows it live (or streams it live) and then rebroadcasts it in prime time.  I doubt they would lose much neilsen share if they did both.  I really miss CBC as my alternative.  Damned comcast for not carrying CTV!   Matt Lauer is proving to all of us that he is the real problem with NBC's morning show - not Ann Curry.

When he and Meredith Viera talked over the *entire* children's choir section, I wanted to reach into my TV and stuff my dirty socks in their mouths.

I respect Bob Costas for taking a stand on a moment of silence for Israel's athletes lost in 1972.  But he still fails as an opening ceremonies color commentator.

[Drew]

I gather NBC cut one of the big dance moments from its television coverage entirely (Akram Khan).

[mimsyb]

IMO one of the lamest Opening Ceremonies in recent memory.  Cluttered and un-focused, it lacked any real visual oomph.  I'm wondering how the people in the stadium saw all the TV close ups. (the sleeping kids!)  Maybe personal screens at every seat?  It was memorable for some of it's supreme lapses.  Where was Monty Python?  Sting?  U2?  C. S. Lewis?  Lewis Carroll?  Royal Ballet? The "Phantom"? To name but a few.  And did I miss this, but where were the Black Watch pipers?  And the running commentary was simply banal.  The entire evening seemed a bit "beige" to me. While I loved the idea of the Queen being a "Bond girl", would it have hurt her Majesty to crack even a small smile during the ceremony?  Actually, it should have been Sean Connery jumping out of the helicopter with QE2!

[atm711]

Was that opening Romney's revenge???

[dirac]

Drew, on 27 July 2012 - 09:18 PM, said:

I gather NBC cut one of the big dance moments from its television coverage entirely (Akram Khan).

Ah. I was wondering, because I was looking for that. I was switching back and forth between something else and doing other things, so I thought I might have missed him.

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While I loved the idea of the Queen being a "Bond girl", would it have hurt her Majesty to crack even a small smile during the ceremony?

She's always looked rather grim in public. She isn't naturally outgoing, so it is work for her. It's too bad, because as photos show she has a nice smile. I do wonder what the kiddies thought as their sovereign gazed balefully on their efforts.

With Danny Boyle in charge and given the horrid economic situation, I don't think too much royal pageantry was ever in the offing, which caused me no great distress. It would have been nice, however, to get a little more Vaughan Williams and less pop.

I tend to be more interested in the bizarro moments like the Giant Inflatable Beaver. The Great Inflatable Baby wasn't quite in that class.

[kfw]

dirac, on 28 July 2012 - 05:29 AM, said:

It would have been nice, however, to get a little more Vaughan Williams and less pop.

What was the deal with having British athletes parade in to David Bowie’s Heroes? The tone of that song is desperate and wistful and ironic. The heroism there is fantasy. I couldn’t hear the lyrics well last night, but I’m guessing they at least cut out the lines about how “you can be mean and I’ll drink all the time.”

[cubanmiamiboy]

Will anybody here follow the men's swimming competition...? (Being the only sport I've ever practiced/watched with passion, I might as well find a partner in crime around here... )

Michael Phelps is my hero..!

[bart]

I didn't watch the opening ceremonies but was impressed by Sarah Lyall's rather appreciative  account in today's NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.c...?_r=1&ref=world

[sandik]

I haven't seen the whole thing through (had to be at a show last night) but I really liked the torch at the end (especially the way it was constructed out of the individual "petals" carried in with each group of athletes -- I'm a sucker for that kind of symbolism) and the miniature hill with all the flags.

Phooey on NBC for cutting out Akram Khan, but I think they also cut out the section where the athletes take the Olympic oath, which is one of my favorite moments in these events -- I'm another one who is really missing the Canadian coverage...

I am hoping to catch some of this online at some point -- surely it will all appear on YouTube eventually?

[Rosa]

I really enjoyed the Opening Ceremony. The children's literature segment was a highlight.  And I thought the lighting of the torch was really cool and original.

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Will anybody here follow the men's swimming competition...? (Being the only sport I've ever practiced/watched with passion, I might as well find a partner in crime around here... )

The men's swimming competition is one of my favorite Olympic sports. Looking forward to it, as well as gymnastics and diving.

[dirac]

bart, on 28 July 2012 - 11:20 AM, said:

I didn't watch the opening ceremonies but was impressed by Sarah Lyall's rather appreciative  account in today's NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.c...?_r=1&ref=world

The Times had a nice pic of the Mary Poppins squadron parachuting into the stadium via umbrella.

[annamicro]

mimsyb, on 28 July 2012 - 04:25 AM, said:

IMO one of the lamest Opening Ceremonies in recent memory.  Cluttered and un-focused, it lacked any real visual oomph.  I'm wondering how the people in the stadium saw all the TV close ups. (the sleeping kids!)  Maybe personal screens at every seat?  It was memorable for some of it's supreme lapses.  Where was Monty Python?  Sting?  U2?  C. S. Lewis?  Lewis Carroll?  Royal Ballet? The "Phantom"?

U2? maybe with Sunday Bloody Sunday? they are from Ireland!
I agree that it looked quite confused on TV: when they were creating the symbol of peace, they looked of the same color og the "stage", almost invisible... maybe the used big screens.
Some great ideas (young athlets to light the torch...but are they lighting it off to move it in anothre place? it cannot stay in the middle of athletics stadium!) and some others I didn't like at all (all the part with "text love story")...

[mimsyb]

Yeah, I know U2 is Irish, but even her Majesty shook hands with the Irish head of state this year.  Plus, they're simply a great band!