bgdrewsif
-
Posts
304 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Posts posted by bgdrewsif
-
-
ugh... assault on my ears...
-
I think any jazz for "God Save the Queen" will be bad.
As for the Star-Spangled Banner, my vote goes to Whitney. Hands down.
I didn't necessarily mean JAZZ when I said 'jazz it up'... so much as the figurative sense of speed it up or embellish it a bit... and yes, whitney at the super bowl during the first Gulf War was by far the greatest rendition of the Star Spangled Banner EVER and there there ever will be...
-
The only version of God Save the Queen I've liked was the version at the handover. The small choir they assembled and the harmonies made it sound light and rather ethereal. I wouldn't mind at all if we had the same thing again, considering there's only so much you can do with that horrible piece of music.
Yes, I too really enjoyed the singing of the British anthem in the birds nest in Beijing... a simple anthem needs to be kept simple... now the version of O Canada performed by Inward Eye at the vancouver closing was great, whereas the opening version sung by Sara Yanvorski (sp?) was dreadful... if they wanted to jazz up God Save The queen a bit like vancouver did in their closing that would be one thing, it was energetic and positive, but not necessarily 'urban' or 'rock'
-
Oh no. I'm all for pushing the envelope, but leave "God Save the Queen" alone. A traditional orchestral rendition, please. There will be plenty of other opportunities to get edgy. Just listen to the hash that is made of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at most sporting events these days. Anthems can go downhill incredibly fast when you try to make them hip.
Pomp and circumstance has it's place. Especially in Britain.
Total Agreement... one of the things I am looking forward to in this Opening Ceremony is a classic, timeless, and bombastic rendition of God Save the Queen for the ages... not some god-awful pop/rock/punk version of it... I have seen the American anthem BUTCHERED at so many sporting events, particularly NBA events that try and turn it into some sort of 'urban' rap/pop monstrosity... God Save the Queen is simply not suited to being 'hip' nor should it be... Britain ought to be able to embrace its classic pomp and circumstance while also being a modern, diverse, and inclusive society without pandering to the urban masses... Danny Boyle has an immense challenge in balancing the classic with the 'hip' and 'modern' in this ceremony but the Anthem should not be a point of compromise...
-
1
-
-
On the other hand, Rio might decide to fool the world and revert to the traditional Summer opening format of keeping the athletes in the infield, deciding that ticket sales are more important than sitting the spoiled athletes.
Wow... its like we have our own Rush Limbaugh of the olympiad on these forums...
-
Well, that is certainly a big bell... very Big indeed... I wonder just how booming it will be... As for the athletes being seated... I don't think it is some sort of wild change... it has been common in the winter games for some time now... I do wonder if perhaps the athletes will be entering somewhat earlier so that they too may enjoy the spectacle... It would make more sense to seat the athletes if they were entering the stadium earlier in the show... (and frankly, a bit 'fairer' to have them get to see the show that they are supposed to be the guests of honor for...)
-
I cannot understand why London is not extending tube service hours past 12:30... not only are late events an issue for visitors but also the nightlife and issues of hundreds of thousands of tourists wanting to go to bars, clubs, and other events at night during the games... I think it would make much more sense to extend hours to 2am during the games. Is this some type of issue in which the Tube workers union refuses to chip in and extra 90 minutes for 2 weeks?
-
1
-
-
I cannot understand NBC. If there was an Olympics where the BBC refused to show the opening ceremony or 100m final live - no matter what time of day - there would be outrage. I had no idea this sort of thing went on.
I think the last time Americans saw a live Opening Ceremony was Salt Lake 2002 and Atlanta 1996 before that... I live in Arizona and we did not get Vancouver's Ceremony live...
-
And what would they move to NBC in it's place? Gymnastics and diving (less so diving in the past decade since the United States hasn't won a medal since Sydney) are the big ticket events along of course with track & field and swimming. They need to be on NBC to draw those big audiences, they don't belong on cable. Bravo could potentially reprise the Oxygen role from Beijing and air some gymnastics coverage, but except the primetime show for London to be full of a lot of the same events they had in Beijing.. the big 4, maybe some beach volleyball, don't know you'll see too much else.
Quaker, I was joking... trying to be subtle to not offend (too much...)
Think about the Bravo network for a while... 
-
If NBC wanted to effectively use its networks they would move gymnastics and diving to Bravo to appeal to that network's core audience...
-
Kim Kardashian? What is here reation of London 2012? Or is that a social commentary/joke on the ubiquitous omnipresence of the Kardashian Klan?
-
I think it is surprising that the planners of the Orbit would promote that video on behalf of their creation. It is hardly a glowing review or inspiring response to the Orbit... the general response that is projected through that video could be described as 'tepid ambivalence' at best... Only time will tell of course, but I have my doubts that in 20 years there will be some level of public adoration and acceptance that the Eiffel Tower attracted over time in Paris despite how much Boris keeps trying to plant that comparative seed in the public consciousness.
-
Found it for ya, Sir Roltel!
Really damn funny! (stadium is actually Telstra Stadium filmed of course)
Great commercial! We'd never get that here un the states, it would be too controversial...
-
It's really like some brain-damaged choreographer took over or . . .the French were in effect telling Samaranch (after he manipulated Barcelona's victory over Paris)...F&CK YOU!!
as good of an explanation as any other! I would also have accepted they are French and French = Weird & Creepy
-
An even more BIZARRE moment from the Albertville 1992 Opening I had never seen before...
Was there any part of the Albertville ceremonies that was NOT bizarre???
I remember watching it on RV with my mother when I was just 9 1/2... the Costumes were weird, the choreography mad no sense, the music sounded like some sort of nightmarish Phillip Glass composition... I am willing to declare the Albertville ceremonies and the most bizarre of my lifetime... that clip you posted is not even the most unusual... The ceremony seems so ill-concieved especially when compared to the Lillehammer ceremony from just 2 years later which was the epitome of winter serenity, tranquility, peace, and wholesomeness and Albertville 2 years earlier looked and sounded like Cirque du Soliel's idea of what hell would be like... Albertville shall forever stand as an example of what NOT to do for a Winter opening ceremony.....
On TV, not RV...
-
Umm, am I the only one not 'wowed' by this "Nimrod" piece of music... I don't get what all of the fuss is about... I had never heard of it before a week ago, listened to it twice since, did not move me in any way whatsoever... I'm no classical expert by any means but I am certaily more appreciative of the genre than your average 29 year old American... but i'll take John Williams over this piece anyday... `
-
Brian Williams? I'm guessing this is a different brian williams that the great and mighty Brian Williams from NBC News in the USA?
-
I'm not used to foreign terms in tourism, what you mean with 2+1 flat?
About sharks, don't worry about them, more than 60 years without attacks in Rio, but be aware if you go to northeastern Brazil, specially around Pernambuco coast.
Im not sure what a 2+1 is either... maybe 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom?
-
How about the bunkers at the Maginot Line?
Ohhh, thats a good one! Someone pass it along to Seb quickly!
-
OK, then the Swim stade would serve as the holding tank for the performers. But how is that possible if the Aquatic Tongue doesn't have access to the stadium floor?? Where will they place the 10,000 performers?
Basketball arena? Temporary tents? Secret underground Anderson shelters left over from the blitz? Hidden inside the undergrowth of Mayor Boris' unkempt hair?
-
My goodness, look how organized and well-behaved the athletes are as they march in (yes i'm still stuck on that) I like how Munich has a short piece of music tailored to the entry of each country (As the Saints Go Marching In for the USA Oh the good old days...
-
Contrast that mess of an entrance in 1996 to how the USA team entered 12 years earlier at the previous American summer games in Los Angeles 1984:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akCndyEaiL0
Note not only the difference in timing, but also in the behavior of the athletes... in line, walking together, not posing for the cameras or making hand signs, not running up into the crowd to high-five people, not stoping to take pictures along the way.... I thing the biggest difference of all is their BEHAVIOR....
-
And of course by Atlanta, the US team entrance was the worst of the lot, the first 100-200 US athletes came down the ramp in a group and by the time the last 200 or so made it over the rise, they were coming into the field single file... I remember that the first of the US athletes were already on the opposite side of the track while the 'stragglers' (the 'dream team' basketball stars mostly) were still coming down the ramp by themselves... Of course, the USA having the largest-ever olympic team did not help speed things along... This is evident in NBC's coverage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRgxbyJLQZw&feature=related
Dick Enberg even commented "Some of the Dream Teamers have yet to make the rise and entrance into the stadium..."
-
Yes, the US team, starting with Seoul 1988 just moved into the field as one BIG BLOB, in undisciplined rows. And after that, the nice marching formations quickly fell apart. Again, all this is discussed in the chapter,"Marching in the Nations," in that great BOOK!! That's another reason, I personally, have lost much interest in the entry of the athletes. As I quote myself: Why even bother to watch something so sloppily put together without care, much forethought or planning?
Actually I thought the US team entered rather organized in Seoul... it was Barcelona that it really became a mess... Although in the previous games, the teams entrances were almost military-like in their precision..
Opening Ceremony
in London 2012 Ceremonies Discussions
Posted
Amen to that... the ONLY part of Torino's opening that didn't come off that way was the bit with the giant rings being erected (I think it was called "passon of the Games" or similar) The ABSOLUTE worst part was the bit with people running around on the field in the shape of a skier going down the hill and taking off... they wore raincoats with head-mounted flashlights and plastic wrap... it was beyond 'tacky' or 'cheap'
I am just praying for no rapping, beatboxing, or British hoodie-thug-grafitti-ASBO nonsense... As an American I can tell you that is NOT what the world wants to see of London and the UK and it would NOT serve the interests of the UK a a whole... it would be a major turn-off to viewers around the world and potential tourists... That crap at the Beijing handover was bad enough... the best part of the 2008 handover presentation was the singing of the UK Anthem by that young (20-somethings it looked like) choir...