Olympics

Brilliant opening ceremony...

Well done Britain!

When I heard about that farm animals I expected to see Sooty and Sweep and an embarrassing occasion for Britain, but what a performance, I thought it was superb.

Interesting Ricks. Personally I thought it was all a bit of a mish mash and wondered what other countries made of it. What did your neighbours think?

One man's mish mash is another persons spectacle.I enjoyed it.

oddball wrote:

One man's mish mash is another persons spectacle.I enjoyed it.

It was fantastic. apart from Macca the entire show was superb. Proud to British, very proud indeed.

Thought it was brilliant . Apparently well received around the world according to reports .
Danny Boyle did good .

What the papers say

I think we had an obligation to present a comprehensible show for the world audience rather than a self indulgent vision of Britain from left leaning media types. I accept I may well be in the minority but Beijing made me go WOW, last night didn't.

It cost £27m - it was good but £27m? Sad to think that just a few miles away, somewhere in London, there was some poor soul sleeping rough next to a dustbin.

Fortunately there are good friends of mine who reach out to those very rough sleepers and they wouldn't make the link between the money spent on the Olympic ceremony (which is a minute drop in the ocean needed to sort out Britain's social woes) and the work they do.

As it happens I thought it was brilliant. I am more than happy to identify with the Britishness of it. Glad it didn't tried to emulate the visual demonstration of state control in Beijing or some quasi pastiche of all singing all dancing American razzmatazz.

I don't even care if other countries didn't get it, fortunately most did, to know us is to love us and I think most will find us more interesting now than the stereotypical view presented at the closing ceremony in China.

There has never been a ceremony like it. Anyone who tries to emulate it in the future will fail. And as for lighting the torch and the torch itself - pure engineering and artistic genius.

I thought it was very good!
Macca was a dick as usual!

I watched a bit but only as much as I could bear. Thought it was total shite.

Total bollocks and is so far removed from the ethos of the Olympics it makes me puke, does anybody want to sponsor me puking up on Macca?
Ps. I think the athletes are fantastic and totally dedicated and that is what the opening ceremony should be about.

Read loads of reviews like this one from Ai Wei Wei architect of Bejiengs Bird Nest Stadium

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The Red Star wrote:

oddball wrote:

One man's mish mash is another persons spectacle.I enjoyed it.

It was fantastic. apart from Macca the entire show was superb. Proud to British, very proud indeed.

This for me. McCartney was shite. Other than that it was brilliant and it's the type of thing that's rewarded with a knighthood. Arise Sir Danny.

I always like a good show, especially if it is written by left leaning sorts....what I call normal folk ..... although one would be hard pressed to glean any REAL left wing politics in that show... this is Team GBR after all.
On the whole, I enjoyed it, and particularly liked the mixing of mediums and the switching between film and music and the 'live' thing ... it's used a lot in theatre these days ... good theatre that is. I like the the juxtaposition such techniques offer...... I do tend to get rather bored looking at one painting on a wall for a long time.
Have always been a big fan of Danny Boyle, and I thought he gave a fair shake to the NHS and military history alike. The satanic chimeys were great, if a bit Jackson Lord of the Rings. the forging of the rings was well done and I suppose Tolkein's literature is seen as one of 'our' best exports. Old rubberface Atkinson was a shoe in given he's more famous than Cameron across the world... seen him do the gag before, but very appropriate ...it still makes me laugh.
Never have liked Brannagh and his desire to be Larry's protege, but he did do a good job of old shorty .... he looked a lot taller than the real thing on Pennycomequick roundabout.
Great use of computerised lighting, and I particularly liked the wave spume at the beginning.
The NHS thing went on a bit too long.
Good music choice, and on the whole, it was a good show, quite English, but I suppose that was a given, seeing the games are being held in London, and not Glasgow or Truro..... and where was Trevithick ?
I did fall asleep thankfully before the Torch thing and Mccartney and Beckham did all their predictable court nonsense.

Didn't watch any of it and went out onto the park and kicked a football around with my Grandson who was staying over. Maybe I'm a Philistine but I just can't get excited over the Olympics anymore. Probably due to the contestants all being richer than Cresus these days and hardly the amateurs of old.

Sensiblegreeny wrote:

Didn't watch any of it and went out onto the park and kicked a football around with my Grandson who was staying over. Maybe I'm a Philistine but I just can't get excited over the Olympics anymore. Probably due to the contestants all being richer than Cresus these days and hardly the amateurs of old.

What else?

Not watching movies or TV because the actors get paid too much - the village play, is it?

What else?......Plenty of empty seats today at several venues.Dont look good in front of the cameras.

The Olympics is the village fete for the global elite... they'll all be there quaffing and munching at the expense of someone else..

I thought it was just me who supposedly liked an argument Rickler. I cannot get excited about the Olympics anymore fullstop. Like most things now it is about money rather than the competition or at least appears that way to me. Anyone for a drugs test by the way? I used to enjoy the Olympics once upon a time but not now. Each to their own though.

I thought it was good. Fock the resta the world.

oddball wrote:

What else?......Plenty of empty seats today at several venues.Dont look good in front of the cameras.

Plenty lining the lanes, roads, and streets of England cheering on the cyclists, though....
And that looked great to the cameras!

I suppose you can't beat free!

Estimate of 1 million watching the cycling at the roadside. Biggest crowd in Olympic history.

The Olympics has always bored the crap out of me. I'm not interested in athletics. That's just the way it is. Apart from excerpts of that baffling opening ceremony I haven't watched any of it and won't be watching any of it. Will be glad when it's all over.

I'm rooting for Paraguay in the women's javelin.
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Leryn Franco for gold!

The BBC HD channels are superb. There's loads of them.

The fencing was astonishing. I don't really understand it and it isn't something I'd choose to watch normally but the presentation was jaw dropping - it looked like something from a sci-fi film.