Opening/Closing Ceremonies Discussion

[Yume-sama]

Some more photos. This was my favorite performance of the night BY FAR. Just amazing.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/syume/4357134154/

Bokeh Overload!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/syume/4356387549/

[SpongeG]

nice pics again

[nova9]

Originally Posted by s211

If anything, Bob Costes' commentary was the highlight for me. Injected just the right amount of glib humour to what was otherwise an embarrassing display of "Canadiana". The punk fiddlers were just about the most jaw-dropping display of "WTF" excreted in public.

Embarassing display? Excrement?

You need to get a hold of yourself and wonder why you're the only one on here that's so extreme in hate about the ceremonies? Most people seem to enjoy it, why didn't you? What would you have wanted I wonder.

In fact, most people thought Bob Costa was a bit of a tool about the whole thing, especially in American media. They have been criticizing him for his non-stop mentions of spectacular Beijing ceremonies.


And in response to another comment, during the poem, the TO skyline was projected but I recall seeing it live that it transitioned into the Vancouver skyline.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by mr.x

The same people also criticized the money being spent putting on the Ceremonies as well as renovations to the stadium.

It didn't need more money to be better - just better taste. Most of it was cheeseball redneck stuff.

For the record, I was all for putting lots of money into the ceremonies and renovating the roof. I want the olympics to go well and I'm tired of people implying that anyone who says something critical is hoping for failure. This is my city and my tax money too, why would I want it to fail?

I would've preferred no olympics, but since we have it, I'd at least like to see it done well.

[nova9]

Originally Posted by Pinion

It didn't need more money to be better - just better taste. Most of it was cheeseball redneck stuff.

For the record, I was all for putting lots of money into the ceremonies and renovating the roof. I want the olympics to go well and I'm tired of people implying that anyone who says something critical is hoping for failure. This is my city and my tax money too, why would I want it to fail?

I would've preferred no olympics, but since we have it, I'd at least like to see it done well.

I mean you're entitled to your tastes and opinions but can you not see how fruitless complaining about taste is? Because it's subjective, that's your opinion. Same goes for me.

I guess my gripe is that I'd like to hear what 'non-redneck' stuff is?

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it seems people from other parts of canada felt left out and not represented by it

How tragically Canadian.

These are the Vancouver Olympics.

When Regina, Red Deer, Halifax, Hamilton, or Chicoutimi have their own world-calibre multi-week sporting event, should I complain that BC or Vancouver are under-represented in the opening ceremonies?

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

I thought the Maple Leaf part was Toronto-ey We don't got Maple Leafs!

Are you forgetting that you do....
They just can't play hockey.

[nova9]

And to be honest, I am trying hard to think of what I would include to make every region of Canada include and I can't come up with anything.

I mean, fiddling and celtic themes cover a huge swath (Maritimes and more). The prairie segment covers a huge swath (Alberta and Sask and Manitoba). The aboriginal welcome covered a lot of the different First Nations. The arctice was covered. Garou covered the Francophones (hehehehhe). And the Cathedral Grove/Emily Carr painting totally set the tone of our province. What else?!?!

[djun]

I found it very representative of Canada in a simple, but elegant way, especially the first time I saw it during rehearsals. But I guess you can't make everyone happy...

Now MP James Moore and Premier Jean Charest are complaining that there wasn't enough French representation...

[big T]

Originally Posted by djun

Now MP James Moore and Premier Jean Charest are complaining that there wasn't enough French representation...

To be fair, there was hardly *any* French during the opening ceremony. One botched sentence by John Furlong and one song. As a francophone, that bugged me, too. Like Régis Labeaume (mayor of Quebec City) said, it's not so much the French language as the place of French Canadian / Québec culture in Canada that wasn't really brought forward at all. Try and put yourself in the shoes of a francophone, in what way would this ceremony make you feel like you are hosting the games? Most of what was showcased as "Canada" was actually quite foreign to French-speaking Canadians. I keep reading here how much some of you guys liked the "slam poet", but he really didn't do much for me -- see what I mean? he wasn't really speaking to me / for me. No one did.

But, whatever, the ceremony was still a great show and these games look more exciting than ever. The atmosphere in Vancouver is incredible!

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Rusty Gull

But - compare this to any Junos program or any other made-in-Canada entertainment special. Have you ever seen anything better? I can say without hesitation that I haven't. People will be talking about this show for years.

KD doing Cohen was 100 times better than any musical performance I've seen during a Super Bowl halftime. The Joni Mitchell prairie sequence was pure magic.

Absolutely true.

I invite people to re-watch the opening ceremony on the CTV website. This version is different from what we saw on TV. It is edited differently and contains different camera angles. It is also more pure and artistic because it is presented without any intrusive colour commentary from television personalities.

Watch the entire ceremony here: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/video/collections/collectionid=40427/index.html

Despite the infamous glitch were all so familiar with, the actual moment of the cauldron's lighting comes off as truly beautiful. It is very dreamy in this version. The entire torch lighting sequence (from Rick Hanson's entry to the actual lighting) would have been a moment for the ages had there not been the glitch and the fourth arm rose as intended.

[KeyPlan]

My impression was that it was spectacular, and genuinely felt pride that we gave such an amazing gift to the world.
And also impressed that such innovative effects were achieved without throwing huge dollars at it.

Relive it here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/opening_ceremonies_for_vancouv.html

[Yume-sama]

Boston.com gallery is spectacular, as is usual from them!

[mr.x]

Guys...the cultural segment was 1-hour long. You can only fit so much in 1-hour, and for those who saw it on tv you missed quite a bit from commercials.

[Prometheus]

I have a question for those who have been so smug in their dismissal of the opening ceremony:

Since you think the ceremony was incredibly "bad" or "boring" or "embarrasing" or "distasteful" or something, it should not be difficult to provide us with a real-life example of a superior show that has taken place in the past.

Putting aside the billion-dollar Beijing ceremony, let us hear what real-life production you consider to have been more beautiful, moving, stunning, and/or revolutionary. Let us hear you positively put your taste and aesthetic judgment on the line for us to see.

So what show is it?

[SpongeG]

i thought the ice part represented a lot of the immigrants their costumes/outfits seemed to represent many different nations

it was all symbolic and not literal - calgary's opening was very literal perhaps people expected part 2

[nova9]

deleted original post.

I found the video on CTV - it's in their opening ceremony collections

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by djun

I found it very representative of Canada in a simple, but elegant way, especially the first time I saw it during rehearsals. But I guess you can't make everyone happy...

Now MP James Moore and Premier Jean Charest are complaining that there wasn't enough French representation...

Charest is bound to complain (just separate already) but Moore should know better.

[Yume-sama]

Not enough French or not enough Quebecois culture ?

Considering every single thing that was said and done was repeated in French, I don't see how that complaint has much merit.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Not enough French or not enough Quebecois culture ?

Considering every single thing that was said and done was repeated in French, I don't see how that complaint has much merit.

French (with English) are the official languages of the Olympics. What they didn't get was any Quebec culture. We got Atlantic, Prairie, West Coast, and of course native from what I could tell. I'm surprised nothing French was in there to be honest...

I'm the first to bash Quebec when they say something stupid, but I'd say they have a valid argument this time.