London Olympics Opening Ceremony
- empath
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Well, I liked what they did, but yeah - my Inner Whovian felt a tiny bit let down...
- WBAGNR
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Elomin Sha wrote:WBAGNR wrote:I don't understand this love-in for Tennant...
If you don't know.
There was an episode where Tennant's Doctor arrives in 2012 just before the Olympics to save an alien creature. After a torch bearer is injured by a bolt of lightning Tennant picks up the torch and lights it.
Is that the one with the annoying whispering girl and him saying someone from Papua New Guinea would win the shotput?
If so that's a very tenuous reason for him to light the torch.
- Metcarfre
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
IMO it would have been silly to have an actor light the torch. ...Not that much of the rest of the ceremony wasn't silly.
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- Geoff_B
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
We are talking about the same ceremony that had ROWAN ATKINSON as MR BEAN in CHARIOTS OF FIRE are we not? David Tennant would have been quite tame in comparison.
- empath
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
And Mary Poppins saving kids from a giant Voldemort? (so I'm told, I tuned in somewhere after that part)
Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
No, you got it right. Voldemort and Mary Poppins.
The David Tennant thing is just because we're Whovians. It would have been a cool thing, and anyone who saw the episode would go "Hah!"
The point was, we knew it was a bit silly, and didn't really expect to happen, but it would have been cool.
Is it better for it to be athletes? Almost certainly. Do I still lament what could have been? Of course.
Was actually a bit pissed off today when I read the Washington Post article that basically said of the ceremony: "Yeah it was really shit and I didn't get." I just thought, "No it fucking wasn't." Then later I thought: "It wasn't perfect, but it was pulled off with gusto and it's a lot better than the cheesy, pre-packaged, 'Allo Guvnor! Tea and crumpets!' Britain we could have ended up having on show. And as someone who was cynical enough that he was planning not to watch the Ceremony at all, and then ended up watching the whole thing, I would say it had some entertainment value. I'm just glad they managed to capture the quote-unquote "spirit" of England without making me want to cringe." Is what I thought.
The David Tennant thing is just because we're Whovians. It would have been a cool thing, and anyone who saw the episode would go "Hah!"
The point was, we knew it was a bit silly, and didn't really expect to happen, but it would have been cool.
Is it better for it to be athletes? Almost certainly. Do I still lament what could have been? Of course.
Was actually a bit pissed off today when I read the Washington Post article that basically said of the ceremony: "Yeah it was really shit and I didn't get." I just thought, "No it fucking wasn't." Then later I thought: "It wasn't perfect, but it was pulled off with gusto and it's a lot better than the cheesy, pre-packaged, 'Allo Guvnor! Tea and crumpets!' Britain we could have ended up having on show. And as someone who was cynical enough that he was planning not to watch the Ceremony at all, and then ended up watching the whole thing, I would say it had some entertainment value. I'm just glad they managed to capture the quote-unquote "spirit" of England without making me want to cringe." Is what I thought.
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And that's the news. Skeptics remain skeptical.
And that's the news. Skeptics remain skeptical.
Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Fezzul, as usual, is bang on the money.
Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
I did not get to see all of it as i was doing other things at the same time, but i liked it, i though that it was better than the last opening in china.
Yes the other one was grander, and there was some cheesy bits, but all in all it was a very British way of doing it.
Yes the other one was grander, and there was some cheesy bits, but all in all it was a very British way of doing it.
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- empath
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Aye, Fezzul aptly sums up my feelings about the opening ceremonies, too.
- Jasbraman
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Let's be honest, ALL olympic opening ceremonies are silly. At least the British one tried to inform people about our history and culture...albeit in a very bizarre manner.
I also think nobody has any right to be dissapointed that David Tennant didn't light the flame, just because you hear a three second soundbite of TARDIS engine noise from Dr Who. Besides, this is the Olympics, not the BAFTAs.
That being said I also agree with Fezzul. I also really liked the bit with all the Air Benders.
I also think nobody has any right to be dissapointed that David Tennant didn't light the flame, just because you hear a three second soundbite of TARDIS engine noise from Dr Who. Besides, this is the Olympics, not the BAFTAs.
That being said I also agree with Fezzul. I also really liked the bit with all the Air Benders.
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- TheRocket
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Jasbraman wrote:Let's be honest, ALL olympic opening ceremonies are silly.
^THIS. I appreciate the Olympics even though I don't avidly partake in watching. But all the mascots, hype and opening ceremonies always are silly and come with a bunch of people whining about how much it cost or how much better it should have been. To me they are just kind of tacky ways to showcase the stereotypes of your country.
Walk in like DeNiro, and leave like Brando.
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- Dutch guy
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Air benders?? I'm not sure what you are referring to.
THE DUTCH!! THE DUTCH AGAIN!!!!!
Elomin Sha wrote:Dutch guy is the King of the Dutch.
- Merrymaker_Mortalis
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
I really like the ceremony.
It will look shit to people channel surfing.
I was a little emotional through some bits. And the Cauldron was just, amazing. It didn't line up perfectly but I didn't care. I love shit like that. Starts of ambiguous and then it fits together.
It will look shit to people channel surfing.
I was a little emotional through some bits. And the Cauldron was just, amazing. It didn't line up perfectly but I didn't care. I love shit like that. Starts of ambiguous and then it fits together.
- Jasbraman
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Dutch guy wrote:Air benders?? I'm not sure what you are referring to.
the bit with the big orange sun and the bald guy and the little kid in yellow with all the people dressed like Air benders in the background!
the Jazz Doctors were pretty cool too.
"Where the shitting crikey is my nose?"
- Deedles
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Oh, the part where that woman sang Abide By Me, right?
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- Merrymaker_Mortalis
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
I didn't recognise the Welsh Famous song that was sung in the montage in the beginning. Perhaps because it was the English Words.
- tak197
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
TheRocket wrote:Jasbraman wrote:Let's be honest, ALL olympic opening ceremonies are silly.
^THIS. I appreciate the Olympics even though I don't avidly partake in watching. But all the mascots, hype and opening ceremonies always are silly and come with a bunch of people whining about how much it cost or how much better it should have been. To me they are just kind of tacky ways to showcase the stereotypes of your country.
Merrymaker_Mortalis wrote:I really like the ceremony.
It will look shit to people channel surfing.
I was a little emotional through some bits. And the Cauldron was just, amazing. It didn't line up perfectly but I didn't care. I love shit like that. Starts of ambiguous and then it fits together.
Oh I totally agree with all of this. Even I got emotional at bits during the opening, and I'm in the US. The meaning behind the cauldron was really cool too, that all 204 countries come together for one massive event. (Plus the camera shot from inside the cauldron pipes after they hit the afterburner was amazing, like the whole thing was molten.) "Second Star to the Right and Straight On Til Morning" was very sentimental for me, because of all the memories of children's lit that they listed.
Siobhan is right, when it comes to the Olympics, the cultural program in the ceremonies are always a huge cheese fest. It's all basically "look at us and how awesome we are, LOOK AT IIIIIIIIIT!" sort of thing. I personally loved the comedy bits at the closing in Vancouver for that reason.
I did see that there were bits that NBC edited out that I missed. Some futuristic rocketman thing, and the memorial to the 7/7 victims.
- Metcarfre
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
Merrymaker_Mortalis wrote:I didn't recognise the Welsh Famous song that was sung in the montage in the beginning. Perhaps because it was the English Words.
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- Jasbraman
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
The futuristic rocket man thing was during the history of music bit, where they played some stuff from Ziggy Stardust (I think). Also, the Arctic Monkeys were kind of bad. They could have gotten a much better band to play.
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- Merrymaker_Mortalis
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
The Arctic Monkies are probably the most current band that represents a huge influential music movement of Brit Pop two decades ago. That's my reasoning. Still, it was quite surprising.
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And "This is the first time in Olympic History where all Competing Countries has female athletes"
*Cuts to various live shots of random females in the stadium, not necessarily from the countries where they were suppressed*
I understand the intent of the camera direction, but it came off very patronising in my own opinion. CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE A WOMAN! or THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A WOMAN!.
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And "This is the first time in Olympic History where all Competing Countries has female athletes"
*Cuts to various live shots of random females in the stadium, not necessarily from the countries where they were suppressed*
I understand the intent of the camera direction, but it came off very patronising in my own opinion. CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE A WOMAN! or THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A WOMAN!.
- CommanderKeen
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremonies are traditionally a "Hey, welcome to our country. This presentation will give you an idea of our culture, because it may be different from yours." Britain has really transformed itself since the the end of the Empire and because it's not politically correct anymore to acknowledge the MASSIVE influence is has on the rest of the world. Great Britain doesn't get to toot its own horn, the other night it did. The closing ceremonies are traditionally a lot more fun hence things like giant mounties and hockey players at Vancouver's closing, so I would expect more pop-culture references there.
Poppins defending against the dark lord? There were many other villains from children's literature there. Cruella de Vil and Captain Hook I saw as well.
As for Tennant not lighting the torch, to be perfectly honest despite the fandom, no one would have understood why. Especially an international audience that would ask the question "Doctor Who?" unironically.
From a technical standpoint. I was blown away. But I would also expect that for 27 million dollars. (or pounds I'm not sure on the currency) Funny what happens when you fund the arts.
Poppins defending against the dark lord? There were many other villains from children's literature there. Cruella de Vil and Captain Hook I saw as well.
As for Tennant not lighting the torch, to be perfectly honest despite the fandom, no one would have understood why. Especially an international audience that would ask the question "Doctor Who?" unironically.
From a technical standpoint. I was blown away. But I would also expect that for 27 million dollars. (or pounds I'm not sure on the currency) Funny what happens when you fund the arts.
Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
CommanderKeen wrote:From a technical standpoint. I was blown away. But I would also expect that for 27 million dollars. (or pounds I'm not sure on the currency) Funny what happens when you fund the arts.
It's pounds not dollars, you'll have to convert that yourself. Especially impressive compared to the chinese ceremony which cost more than double that.
Although (and I say this with affection) to completely engulf the english spirit the ceremony missed everybody standing up and declaring it would be rubbish. Once before it started and once after it finished.
@MrParivir:
- Merrymaker_Mortalis
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
I thought the middle was a bit boring. The History of British music. It was a good idea, but I thought the visuals didn't captivate me like the Industrial and Political History of Britain, NHS and Children's literature and the finale.
It was the weak link and I spent most of my time face down playing my DS listening because of combo of those two were more awe-inspiring.
It was the weak link and I spent most of my time face down playing my DS listening because of combo of those two were more awe-inspiring.
- CommanderKeen
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Re: London Olympics Opening Ceremony
You gotta remember that the history of music bit was more a "how did britain get from being a post-war country to the one it is today." It was also a reflection on the average British family going out for the night.
The Chinese ceremony also killed people in rehearsals. Just sayin'
The Chinese ceremony also killed people in rehearsals. Just sayin'
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