Author Topic: The Olympic opening ceremony (Read 44244 times)

citoyen · « **Reply #175 on:** 28 July, 2012, 01:08:10 am »

I loved the Team GB outfits and I loved the music and I loved the fact that they let the kids light the torch.

Highlight though was the troupe of Mary Poppinses swooping in to save the NHS from ~~Cameron~~ Voldemort.

Bloody magic.

Hope Cav is managing to get a good night's sleep with all that racket going on...

d.

David Martin · « **Reply #176 on:** 28 July, 2012, 01:09:35 am »

Epic cauldron lighting. Imaginative, artistic and poignant. Now to get some sleep before being up in 4hrs time to cheer on TeamGB.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #177 on:** 28 July, 2012, 01:12:07 am »

Quote from: why1040 on 28 July, 2012, 12:42:43 am

I loved the torch lighting, Paul McCartney sounds like he's croaking

And it wasn't even the Frog Chorus!

Jaded · « **Reply #178 on:** 28 July, 2012, 01:15:44 am »

Off to bed, then up at 4:15 to set off for the rowing.

contango · « **Reply #179 on:** 28 July, 2012, 01:25:04 am »

Quote from: Psychler on 28 July, 2012, 01:07:01 am

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Until Macca!

Me too. I wasn't going to watch it but happened to go downstairs at about 30 seconds into the countdown so thought I'd see a bit of it. The first part I thought was pretty good, found the endless procession of national teams painfully dull so went to do something more interesting, then came back for Team GB and the last part.

I thought it went really well, not a big fan of the Arctic Monkeys but they were OK, and then found myself subjected to Paul McCartney. Why oh why does that dirge Hey Jude still get dragged out at every opportunity? Lesley Garrett in Paris after the Tour de France made me want to put pins in my eyes but I'd rather listen to her again than Paul McCartney.

I must admit I liked the way they let the budding athletes light the cauldron, and people who actually built the stadium got a look in as well.

I just wish the athletes who were parading didn't feel the need to scream at the cameras as they walked past. I'm not a dentist, I don't want to see the inside of their mouths in that kind of detail.

Basil · « **Reply #180 on:** 28 July, 2012, 01:33:10 am »

Choice of person to light the flame very very good, very very good and very very clever.
#2 son and I were enjoying the mix of British chunes during the athletes parade when - U2. wtf?

spesh · « **Reply #181 on:** 28 July, 2012, 01:56:29 am »

The first part, prior to the interminable parade of the athletes was by turns, epic, moving and gleefully subversive. It was kind of obvious what the copper bowls/petals were for, but the Olympic flame thingy wasn't quite what I was expecting. Fortunately, by the time Macca came on, I was down the pub, so the sound was turned down.

Apart from the fact that Team GB were dressed as chavs on holiday in "Shagaluf" it was pretty good.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #182 on:** 28 July, 2012, 02:13:02 am »

The association between Mike Oldfield and the NHS might have caused some confusion worldwide. Giving rise to the impression that Great Ormond Street Hospital is devoted to the treatment of demonic posession, which seems surprisingly widespread in the UK, especially given the Harry Potter interlude.

Valiant · « **Reply #183 on:** 28 July, 2012, 03:38:32 am »

I think all in all I liked it. Apart from Macca. Wasn't too sure about the whole social media thing though.

Thing2 · « **Reply #184 on:** 28 July, 2012, 05:46:02 am »

We're watching this in the US with it time delayed to start at 7:30pm local time. It's interesting to see/hear the ceremony from a foreign perspective. Many of the cultural references were completely ignored/not understood.

My favorite quote from the US comentators:
"at the end of the stadium, there's something called Glastonbury Tor".

They seemed slightly bemused by the celebration of the NHS. They didn't try and explain what the National Health Service was.

I've enjoyed it so far (we're just watching the parade of athletes). I particularly like the use of music.

Jaded · « **Reply #185 on:** 28 July, 2012, 06:27:50 am »

On reflection we all thought it was brilliant, apart from the athletes coming in should have been faster. They did get speeded up later on.

Choosing Underworld to be musical directors was inspired. That's one in the eye for the foreigners.

Gaston Lagaffe · « **Reply #186 on:** 28 July, 2012, 07:23:05 am »

I don't recall where I fell asleep, but it should be on the sky box.

I'm not sure if I'll watch the end, what I saw was mind numbingly AWFUL

rogerzilla · « **Reply #187 on:** 28 July, 2012, 07:42:12 am »

Quote from: Exit Stage Left on 28 July, 2012, 02:13:02 am

The association between Mike Oldfield and the NHS might have caused some confusion worldwide. Giving rise to the impression that Great Ormond Street Hospital is devoted to the treatment of demonic posession, which seems surprisingly widespread in the UK, especially given the Harry Potter interlude.

"Tubular Bells" apparently sold particularly strongly to users of recreational chemicals, so maybe all those kids were just in rehab. They looked pretty healthy, bouncing on the beds and stuff.

Rhys W · « **Reply #188 on:** 28 July, 2012, 08:07:21 am »

It was also released on Virgin, and Richard Branson is set to personally profit from the NHS's privatisation.

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #189 on:** 28 July, 2012, 08:09:10 am »

Oops! Missed it..

There's always iPlayer.

Arch · « **Reply #190 on:** 28 July, 2012, 08:10:16 am »

I loved it. For the logistics of the staging (where DID those chimneys come from???), the humour, the drumming, and the fact that the drums were buckets and compost bins.

Especially: the flowing molten metal effect of the ring forging. The moment I realised that the queen was The Queen. The cauldron.

But most of all. The wings. I want some wings!

Huge praise to the drummers I think, who just kept going all night. They'll have tired arms today.

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #191 on:** 28 July, 2012, 08:11:07 am »

Quote from: Rhys W on 28 July, 2012, 08:07:21 am

It was also released on Virgin, and Richard Branson is set to personally profit from the NHS's privatisation.

Is there anything Branson does not profit from?

clifftaylor · « **Reply #192 on:** 28 July, 2012, 09:22:28 am »

Enjoyed it, and hadn't expected to. Apart from Mr Fucking Bean.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #193 on:** 28 July, 2012, 09:27:20 am »

I'm quite pleased with the two people who appeared whom I recognised immediately: Evelyn Glenny & Daniel Barenboim. Sorry, three: Bradley Wiggins, of course.

I had to check with Dez that the queen really was the queen and not Helen Mirren or someone.

andyoxon · « **Reply #194 on:** 28 July, 2012, 09:39:13 am »

Quote from: Oranj on 28 July, 2012, 12:23:51 am

Jeez, only now does my HDD relent and flick to record.

I just selected BBC1 on the 'HDD's' EPG, and then pressed record on the unit itself... But we still stayed up, even though young mini ao fell asleep.

Thought it was great; though the Hey Jude 'grand finale' should definitely be given a rest now. I assume the towers were fabric, with some sort of telescopic cage mechanism... How can people not like Mr Bean.

Biggsy · « **Reply #195 on:** 28 July, 2012, 09:41:29 am »

I didn't remember who Danny Boyle was until Googling shortly before the start of the event. I had Frankie Boyle in mind - doing off-script jokes about Paralympians and Al Qaeda.

Anyway, I found the ceremony an enjoyable piece of bonkers art. Well done Her Majesty and Dizzee Rascal.

andyoxon · « **Reply #196 on:** 28 July, 2012, 09:43:11 am »

Definitely bonkers. I enjoyed the humour e.g. 007 going to the palace and then HM parachuting in...

Arch · « **Reply #197 on:** 28 July, 2012, 09:44:53 am »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 28 July, 2012, 09:27:20 am

I'm quite pleased with the two people who appeared whom I recognised immediately: Evelyn Glenny & Daniel Barenboim. Sorry, three: Bradley Wiggins, of course.

I had to check with Dez that the queen really was the queen and not Helen Mirren or someone.

Oh, Wow, surely even you recognise the Queen? I mean, she's on the stamps and all....

I was gobsmacked at that point, I admit.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #198 on:** 28 July, 2012, 10:09:42 am »

The problem with trying to recognise the queen is that there are many imitators and the approved images are often over-flattering. I thought that the speed with which she disposed of her parachute and joined Bone-head in the royal box showed remarkable agility for a nonagenarian.

Arch · « **Reply #199 on:** 28 July, 2012, 10:17:32 am »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 28 July, 2012, 10:09:42 am

The problem with trying to recognise the queen is that there are many imitators and the approved images are often over-flattering. I thought that the speed with which she disposed of her parachute and joined Bone-head in the royal box showed remarkable agility for a nonagenarian.

*Ahem* Octogenarian!

(I just checked by typing "how old is..." into my address bar, and Google Chrome offered me a few guesses as to who I was asking about - Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, and The Queen!)