It seems artistically wise China is a step ahead and not rooted in boring tradition. Mr.Bean is the cherry on top of this disaster.
Good Bowie steered clear of the greatest drug induced show on Earth.
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If I hurted you national pride. Sincerely,
I liked the second half more than the beginning, it's just that I am anti-olympics.
At leat it ended with Heroes.
Pierre
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Weird...I'm watching BBC World News and they are talking about the opening ceremonies also.
I thought the show would be broadcast live around the world. Guess not. I won't be able to watch it for another hour or so here on the East coast of the States.
NBC is showing it at 7:30 pm EST
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The second half was an improvement.Nice touch letting the youngsters light the flame after all the speculation.
Also,very sad to see Ali in such a bad way.
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The first half didn't really work for me. The analogy with Glass Spider is a good one. When there is too much going on the over-all effect is lost. I think the Chinese understand this. They take something simple like someone drumming and then repeat it 20,000 times. This creates a spectacle.
The highlight for me was Team GB entering the arena to Heroes, followed by the lighting of the torch and the Arctic Monkeys were fantastic - cool Britannia indeed.
McCartney? Another poor appearance I think (the other being the Jubilee). I've got no problem with artists continuing into old age if they can still cut the mustard but McCartney's voice has gone. Someone should tell him.
Over-all the ceremony was quirky and quintessentially British but I'm not sure how much of the first half would have been understood by the rest of the world. At least Boyle didn't dumb the whole thing down (Bond sequence not withstanding).
7 out of 10.
UrchinOne
White and Dressed to Kill.
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i know it's impossible our dutch team would walk into that stadium to Heroes, the fact that the british team did is very cool, it's about those people, it's not about paul mccartney singing hey jude again at the end, it's about the team that walked into that stadium and he choose Heroes to go along with that.
that's so f*cking cool, and then the starman moment, and all these ziggydancers, i think bowie was very well represented, more then i expected
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what a beautiful thread, tell the others.
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"Heroes" was majestic, a true goose bumps moment. I agree Mt Bean was pathetic, Industrial revolution and other Bowie bits were great though. It could have been so D grade celeb'/Big Brother dumb type stuff. It was reverential and quaint in parts but not bombastic . . .
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Bowie Base One (Login trevorhalvo) BW Member 92.0.111.204
Great. for me as well.
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July 28 2012, 11:14 PM
Well to be honest I thought it was brilliant.
It played on our heritage and past so what! when you have a heritage and past as good as ours it's something to admire and celebrate. Quite often I find that those who dismiss something on those grounds are jealous because they haven't got much of a heritage or past to call their own that's as rich and diverse as ours, or if they are from this country and they think such things then they are totally unaware of the importance of it because if they were aware of it they would know why its something to shout about and be proud of. Anyway this was an opening ceremony of the Olympic games wasn't it, as such the whole idea of it is to celebrate the particular host countries good points, past and present. Maybe we should have celebrated the winter of discontent at the end of the 70s which caused Thatcher to gain power which fucked the United Kingdom in more ways than one right up to the present day instead? or maybe we should have celebrated within the show how all our home grown manufacturing and service industry bases have now gone, and how everything is now owned by Johnny Foreigner? or that instead of celebrating the concept of the NHS, a system everyone still admires and envies, we should have celebrated that its on it's knees due to Tory cut backs etc, etc, maybe then the naysayers would be happy?
Yes it could have been perceived as a bit of a stereotypical view of our country as seen by the outside world and I did notice a lot of political correctness within the show, but hey! thats the way it is these days and after all it was only a light entertainment ceremony at the end of the day, you know a bit of fun. Making comparisons with China is a bit pointless IMHO. Beijing was spectacular no doubt about that, but to be honest I remember finding it a little bit boring after about half an hour, at least ours kept the attention of the viewer all the way through and was diverse, entertaining, factual, and funny with regards to our unique sense of humour. I thought the linking music / songs throughout the show were good and the 1000 drummers totally captivating, also the sets were very well done and the way it changed from rural to industrial revolution was very spectacular in it's own way. The copper kettles which made up the final Olympic flame center piece was very artistic I thought, so credit where it's due people.
I wasn't too impressed to see a German Mini being used though? surely they could have sourced a proper British Leyland Mini, although they will say it was to celebrate the fact that the German Mini is built here in the UK creating employment instead of in Germany, and that our workforce is still very skilled, blah blah, It was still a German Mini though and didn't quite fit in with celebrating real Britishness and was a reminder that we don't really own any car manufacturers of significant size anymore.
Not enough Bowie? excuse me! it wasn't the bloody David Bowie show you know, and what Bowie we did get was brilliant in the greater scheme of things. I agree Team GB walking out to Heroes was a master stroke and made me as a Bowie fan and Brit feel extremely proud. The music segment was great and was a brilliant reminder that we lead the world in music and everyone else are really just pretenders Oh! and what a great reminder that the Internet which we are all using now was a British invention, one of many!
I'm the first to admit that I can get real downers on when it comes to the state of the UK and the attitude of it's people these days, but I'm still proud to be British, I'm not adverse to celebrating our rich past and our diverse cultures. Despite current woes I do believe that ultimately we as a country will pull through, see sense, fuck Europe off, and get things back onto a realistic track. In the meantime I'm proud that we can still put on a great spectacular when needed and not spend a small fortune compared to others doing it. I've heard it's cost something like 27 million up to now? well look at it this way it's still cheaper than what Andy Carroll cost Liverpool F.C.
COME ON TEAM GB!
Edit... I nearly forgot! Paul McCartney! what a joke, what an embarrassment! I refer back to an earlier thread where I seemed to be mostly alone in saying music artists should know when to pack it in when they reach a certain age. Point well and truly!! proven.
So the whole world stops and no one is allowed any fun anymore because the world is full of poor people many of whom are poor because they are too lazy to get off their backsides to improve things about their life, or as nations they would rather hold conflict against each other rather than work together to create a better life for themselves.
I've every sympathy for those less fortunate than myself and I do!! my bit in my own way to help them, but I'm damned if I'm going to put my short life on hold just because there are shit situations in this world.
My impression was that Mr. Boyle understood from the git-go that he wasn't going to be able to compete with China - the benefits of a command economy - so the ceremony emphasized the democracy, diversity and - I'd venture to say - personality of the venue.
I thought it was nutsy in a charming way. Splendid use of Bowie, too - the Chinese absolutely cannot compete in the field of pop music.
"With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil, that takes religion." Steven Weinberg
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Well if your on the edge of the abyss of misery and doom and gloom Claude then may I respectfully suggest you go and take a running jump into it mate and leave me and the rest of the world to enjoy what hopefully will be a fantastic Olympic Games including the opening and closing ceremony's. Something to help us escape our boring and humdrum lives for short while.
Btw those in the know say the income from tourists etc that the games bring will more than offset the cost of staging them. There ya go a few more million in the UK plc coffers which will no doubt find its way to poorer countries via various UK aid projects.
Maybe they do maybe they don'? I'm not a fan of the Royals but they are part our identity and history, tourists love them, so until they are voted out by democratic means we are stuck with them aren't we.
I'm sure all the people who watched or attended the Olympic Games opening bash would democratically vote it a success and vote people like Claude miserable let's all kill ourselves now gits.
I agree almost 100% what BB1 wrote. I think the opening ceremony was great and I managed to watch it from the start to the finnish, which hasn't been the case in many other opening ceremonies including the last one in China. It was just too boring and bombastic and too long. Tho I don't know how big a role for me as a Bowie fan played the fact that I was secretly waiting for Mr. Bowie to show up, which of course I knew beforehand wouldn't happen. The show was all in all quite funny and let's face it sarcasm and irony, i.e. humor, is after all perhaps the best thing that has ever come out of Britain, at least as far as the rest of the world is concerned.
As for being proud of one's nationlaity, I really don't know how much one should be ashamed or proud of being born to a certain nationality. After all there's nothing much we can do about it, is there. it's just a fact of life. What we do and what we are as individuals is the only thing we can be proud of, not that we belong to a certain nationality, altho' a sound patriotism never hurts as long as it doesn't hurt or insult other nations.
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(( As for being proud of one's nationlaity, I really don't know how much one should be ashamed or proud of being born to a certain nationality. After all there's nothing much we can do about it, is there. it's just a fact of life. What we do and what we are as individuals is the only thing we can be proud of, not that we belong to a certain nationality, altho' a sound patriotism never hurts as long as it doesn't hurt or insult other nations.))
I think one should always be proud of their nationality, it's things like nationality that gives us all as a group of people a sense of purpose as a collective group, it's one thing amongst many others which causes the human race to be able to strive for better and greater things whether it's inventing something or winning a gold medal at the Olympics.
Of course nationality should never be used as an excuse to kill others or to make others feel totally inferior. Having said that there is nothing wrong with a bit of honest rivalry between nations whether it's to strive to be better than other at things or even to have a friendly dig now and again its what keeps us all individual. Keeping a specific identity is vitally important in preserving the diversity of our planet.
An example of what I mean is the British / Germany rivalry in sport and life, yes it goes back to the wars etc but here's a thing ! I've visited Germany, I found it a beautiful country and the people love us Brits and made me feel vey welcome when I was there, in fact Germany is one of my favourite countries in the whole world ( just don't tell them I sad that ) but that doesn't stop me wanting to be better than them as a Brit or wanting to leave the European Union in order to protect the UK wider interests.
I am not against the Olympic Games, but considering the serious crisis in the European Union, Great Britain could give a signal of moderation and simplicity.
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*Claude*
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I just thought the whole Boyle segment was a complete fuck up.
Is it even traditional that the host nation bigs up their own history? I can't remember any.
If you're gonna go down that route,then do it properly.
A rappy texty love story and inflatable house lifted to reveal the embarassed looking internet inventor didn't cut it.
Lloyd Webber should have been given the job.
This message has been edited by lestwh from IP address 86.149.73.91 on Jul 29, 2012 1:11 PM
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(( I am not against the Olympic Games, but considering the serious crisis in the European Union, Great Britain could give a signal of moderation and simplicity.))
Why the hell should we? Besides we did, because we never spent anywhere near what China did. Europe is in crisis so let's ruin a once in a lifetime opportunity for many in our country to host the Olympic Games.
Dream on!
@ Lee .... Some people will always find fault no matter what was organised.
Dash_Away (Login Dash_Away) BW Member 92.233.90.48
Re: Olympic opening ceremony first impressions
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July 29 2012, 3:37 PM
I thought for the most part Danny Boyle did a wonderful job. Wasn't too enamoured of the Mr Bean section and the text/love affair section was a bit off. Maybe he should've thrown in a little more reference to Dickens and the fallen of the two World Wars, but on the whole I thought it original, slightly eccentric, fantastical and funny. Well done Mr Boyle and all those ordinary folk who volunteered.
And, yes, we can moan about the cost, that it is all corporate nonsense, that there are more important things to be thinking about, spending our money on etc etc blah, blah, blah, yawny, yawny.....but at the end of the day the Olynpics ARE here, nothing's going to change that....so just enjoy them and all those who are anticipating; people who've dedicated years and years to get here.
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sonofsilence (Login ziggythecowboy) BW Member 86.182.162.209
Re: Olympic opening ceremony first impressions
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July 30 2012, 5:22 PM
I missed it all as i was out of the country. I thought it was ok. Well it was cheesey but aren't all ceremonies like this cheesey? It's better than the Beijing opening? and even a bit of humour, why not? It's just all around entertainment. God knows what some countries far removed from the British culture think about it though.
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"Suspected of being a shoulder surfer
But he didn't know from shit
About challenge response systems"
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For all those of you who keep wishing David will make a "Come Back" - just look at Paul McCartney's performance at the Opening Ceremony. DISMAL.
David has kept his integrity and his charisma intact.
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Musical legend Paul McCartney once famously sang that all you need is love - and judging by the small amount of money he took in exchange for performing at the recent opening ceremony, he must really love the Olympics.
When the iconic former Beatle appeared in Danny Boyle's 4-hour opening extravaganza, he set aside his usual sky-high performance price. Instead, according to Britain's NME music site, he received one British pound, or $1.57 in American money.
Why the minuscule monetary arrangement? McCartney agreed to perform his 1968 classic "Hey Jude" and "The End" (the last song ever recorded by The Beatles) essentially for free, but a nominal fee had to be charged to make the Olympics contracts binding.
'You start out wrinkled and you cry...you end up wrinkled and you die.'
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The really depressing thing for me is, had David Bowie made a live appearance like Macca and put in a similar dismal
performance, there would still be people coming on here saying he was brilliant, still the best and all the rest of it.
I mean it's like some peole live in some sort of parallel universe where they think the very thought of Bowie succumbing to the natural effects of age is totally unthinkable?
Brett (Login BrettAnderson) BW Member 213.123.114.38
Re: @Nick
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August 1 2012, 3:13 PM
Macca screwed up the beginning because the sound system was on some kind of delay...He began singing and the sound of his vocal came through the pa about a second later. This was quickly put right!!!
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Maccas voice sounded weak and sounded old that's because he is. The cock up at the beginning I can make allowances for, a head in the sand attitude on Maccas part I can't .
Dash_Away (Login Dash_Away) BW Member 92.233.90.48
Re: @Nick
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August 1 2012, 5:43 PM
Macca was a bit off-form, definitely. Didn't really detract from a gloriously bonkers event though.
I just thank Christ it wasn't Coldplay ending the night's proceedings. Imagine dreary, dreary Chris Martin and that nasal, monotone, out of tune voice of his echoing all around the stadium.
Oh Lord.
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sonofsilence (Login ziggythecowboy) BW Member 86.169.107.174
Re: @Nick
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August 1 2012, 5:48 PM
To be fair on McCartney's performance at the beginning of the song. The Backing singers screwed it up by starting the first verse too early. That kind of put him off synch.
Lee "Nothing obviously imperialistic like Spitfires,Nelson and Churchill."
I don't think any references to war would have gone down too well. The missile launches on the rooftops is enough.
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"Suspected of being a shoulder surfer
But he didn't know from shit
About challenge response systems"
This message has been edited by ziggythecowboy from IP address 86.169.107.174 on Aug 1, 2012 5:50 PM
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This message has been edited by lillybrinker from IP address 24.91.164.239 on Aug 3, 2012 12:32 AM This message has been edited by lillybrinker from IP address 24.91.164.239 on Aug 3, 2012 12:30 AM
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![[linked image]](http://th1119.photobucket.com/albums/k635/1ejeej/dieren%20-%20honden/th_Space_dog.gif)
and didn't quite fit in with celebrating real Britishness and was a reminder that we don't really own any car manufacturers of significant size anymore.![[linked image]](http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h293/trevorhalvo/DavidBowieMothership.jpg)
![[linked image]](http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3088/zigthumb.gif)
![[linked image]](http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1343838262.JPG)
