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[jcjimher]

Beijing vs. London

Best opening ceremony?

Athens 2004. Soulful like London, based on an ancient culture like Beijing, simple like Barcelona. The flooded stadium, DJ Tiesto, the cauldron lighting...

 

[Keyser Soze]

I love you, England, but come on!

Are you US?

Keep watching. It gets less hobbity as it goes on.

 

[MIMIC]

Spoiler

China wins....handily =p

 

[fizzelopeguss]

The revolution stuff was the best thing i've ever seen in an olympics, the rest was pop culture shite.

 

[Clegg]

i don't understand what's going on. why are they showing clips of rugby?

England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Just a moment of great sporting achievement.

It's sort of the whole point of the games isn't it?

 

[GJS]

+ music was fab


= most of the other stuff


- the torch lighting, let the superstars do it, not some fucking kids who have done nothing

It was all about passing it on to the next generation of athletes, they were specifically nominated by honoured people who could just as well have lit the flame.

 

[Zaph]

Lol this thread has just turned into groundhog day. First they doubt, then they're intrigued, then they're blown away.

 

[Grifter]

did i just watch the intro of 28 weeks later?

 

[kharma45]

If only Freddie had been alive to play us out instead of Paul.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

lol commercial

 

[LJ11]

i don't understand what's going on. why are they showing clips of rugby?

Right, I didn't understand that part.

 

[Alucard]

NBC is so fucking bad. Can't wait for the uber-patriotism.

 

[Bossniak]

Commercials!?!?!?

USA USA USA

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

money money money

 

[MThanded]

They better bring the heat.

 

[Subliminal]

It's probably because I'm British, so I actually understood all of it, but this opening ceremony was alot better than Beijing's which was really just a string of 'cool stuff involving loads of people'. This had great sections, with a narrative and excellent music. Felt much more unique. Anyone could do Beijing's opening ceremony, No one could add the style that London did.

 

[Zabka]

Commercials already? Jesus fucking Christ I hate NBC.

 

[DSN2K]

Why are they in the shire?

Britains green and pleasant lands

 

[OpinionatedCyborg]

Pretty good ceremony I think. The Beijing one may be more grand, but I felt like it is more a show case of how their government can spend without constrain.

And the torch lighting is better than Beijing, which had no soul.

you're crazy, the torch lighting in beijing was amazing with a tremendous climax. if you want to talk about spending without constrain, look at London's current Olympic bill.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Beijing is gonna be the best for a while. That shit was unreal. But ive yet to see this one through. Its only okay so far.

 

[shadyspace]

I'm sorry Britain but ya'll some goofy mother fuckers.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

You would expect high price commercials but I'm getting ads for local news.

 

[Ohwiseone]

AH..

NBC cut to commercial right after Kenneth Braghna (SP?) quoted Tempest.


I wanna see this amazing opening.

 

[ColtraineGF]

Gotta sell dat ad time.

Millions of dollars are at stake!

 

[MIMIC]

did i just watch the intro of 28 weeks later?

LOL

 

[Delio]

Why are they in the shire?

Gandalf aint coming ;_;

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

Why are they in the shire?

Because the Shire is pretty much just British countryside with houses in the hills?

 

[Plasmid]

Why are they in the shire?

:lol :lol

NBC putting commercials between this is just fucking bullshit.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Alice was represented during the monsters montage.

Mmm, I just remember seeing Cruela, Hook, Voldemort and Chiti Chiti Bang Bang that segment.

 

[Dr.Acula]

They showed Oscar Pistorius and my brother goes, "oh, it's that guy... Uh, peg legs."
"You mean the blade runner?"
"...are you going to post that?"

 

[Juicy Bob]

Whereas I think the Beijing opening ceremony was about showing off to and impressing the world, this London opening ceremony seemed to be aimed more at a home audience. Which is probably why I loved it.

 

[WillyFive]

:lol :lol

NBC putting commercials between this is just fucking bullshit.

It's time delayed, so they aren't cutting anything out.....I think.

 

[outunderthestars]

God, the opening has been dreadful thus far. NBC's awful commentary and weird commercial breaks certainly aren't helping.

 

[Hot Coldman]

I'm sorry Britain but ya'll some goofy mother fuckers.

We know. We love it.

 

[kharma45]

Opening ceremony soundtrack is up on iTunes now

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/isles-wonder-music-for-opening/id548480746

 

[Shadow780]

Fuck yo commercials.

 

[Daydream Sequence]

Are you US?

Keep watching. It gets less hobbity as it goes on.

Yeah, I'm not giving up. My wife and daughter are loving it. The biggest issue I have now is the fucking commercials NBC put in. Tons and tons of Anti-Romney, Anti-Obama ads.

Amaze me, UK!

 

[Violet_0]

loved the Industrialization part and the healthcare (heh) and child books one (could have done without Rowling though)

 

[Kikujiro]

Lmao. NBC is going to air it this evenign when most Americans are actually able to view it. How terrible of them, right.

Couldn't they just air it live and then a repeat in the evening? They do this in Italy.

 

[BowieZ]

bbc news said an estimated 1 billion watched the opening across world

they say that every time though lol

 

[ckohler]

+ The forging of the Olympic Rings
+ Rowling reading from Peter Pan
+ Bond escorting the queen
+ Rowan Atkinson musical skit
+ Audience chairs as pixels (very cool)
+ Fireworks shooting into the stadium
+ Finishing with "Eclipse"

- Too much pre-recorded video
- Music/Media montages took far too long
- Queen's complete lack of interest
- Torch lighting took way too long
- Ali looking like he's barely alive
- Audio screwup during McCartney

 

[Plasmid]

It's time delayed, so they aren't cutting anything out.

I know but it's just annoying.

 

[D_prOdigy]

Reading all the idiots online not getting the point of the cauldron-lighters just reinforces Danny Boyle's image as a genius here.

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

as ever though, the best thing was from Manchester (industrial revolution)

How was the Industrial Revolution from Manchester? I would have thought either Derby or Scotland would get the majority of the credit for that.

 

[Delio]

Oh lawd trees rising from the ground with epic drums.

 

[MasterShotgun]

Overall, it was much, much better than I was expecting. But Beijing's opening ceremony still reigns supreme.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Because the Shire is pretty much just British countryside with houses in the hills?

Yep, the Shire was Britain as far as Tolkien was concerned, specifically Oxfordshire.

 

[Koodo]

I watch gymnastics for moments like this. I watch to see people choke and fall. That and dramatic moments like Strugg vaulting on a broken ankle. PEACE.

Child please, Nastia's fall was hysterical but I would not want to see gymnasts fall. It could go so horribly wrong.

I cringe every second the women are on the beam.

GIF of the Ceremony:

Sunhi LEGEND indeed.

 

[Violater]

I fucking hate NBC

 

[Tamanon]

Man, I don't like how much they're talking over the ceremony.