To think the Opening Ceremony was truely appalling and here's why

[kate2mum]

Danny Boyle - a cool dad in jeans who thinks of the world through the prism of music of his youth. He sees everything through music.
Had Viv Westwood been in charge, for example, the history of the UK would have been seen through fashion.
But, no, a billion people have to listen to the personal playlist of a Nick Hornbyish (oh, they are friends!) music trainspotter.

Shame if you don't see the world through that sort of music - but I guess you had to be there, and DBoyle probably was.

Tribute to NHS!!! Sorry, but I didn't know everyone who works for the NHS were all angels and volunteered for free instead of working for one of the biggest employers in the country. And just remembered this event is about SPORT and the way it can transform, so why oh why demonstrate 100's of "sick" children - to demonstrate how "caring" the NHS is.

Then children's literature done by the man who bought us Trainspotting - initially I thought the scene was still about the NHS turning into a nightmare, but NO, the best way to illustrate childrens' literature is to show how truely scary it is! Yes, reading can be terrifying and books are a fearful place. Not a place of safety, or unlifting, not inspiring, not poetic, just a nightmare (where were all the positive characters???).

Only people Danny Boyle's age would thing Mary Poppins was appropriate..

My children fell asleep; they could have cut most of it, had David Beckham ride in on a motorbike, light the flame, and then have some fireworks.

Lighting designer was good though.

My favourite bit was the break dancing victorian .

Didn't like abide with me. She sounded like she had a cold

I wasnt keen on abide with me either, i thought there where some note issues and the music was very slow and sombre, I have always known it to be quite a strong and poewrfull hymn, but i wouldnt critisise as i cant even sing , let alone get up and manage to hold my nervs in such a stadium.

She sounded very nervous and breathy (a bit nasal)to me. But it worked well, because it sounded emotional

I thought the Abide with Me went well at that point - it was different but I rather liked it.

Rollmops

As posted above:

The 'strange' story of the girl who loses her phone was a celebration of the rise and importance of social media - based on the invention of the World Wide Web, by Tim Berners-Lee. A British man. So yet another contribution from Britain.

I'm amazed at the favourable views on here! It made me cringe, even though i normally love a big patriotic extravaganza and I do like Danny Boyle as a film maker. The nhs thing was frankly bizarre. We are hardly world leaders in healthcare. The first part (countryside and industrial revolution) was ok but only ok. The one thing I did like was that it was genuinely inclusive.

I found the lighthearted, silly nature of some of the segments hugely appealing, we're in a recession and it's nice to have a collective laugh I think. The last thing I want to see is a pack of twatting Pipers or a bastard Flatley-led Riverdance, to me that would have demonstrated a complete lack of thought and originality and would have been painfully dull to watch.

The Industrial Revolution part built up to a staggering visual crescendo and was really the most arresting part of it all I thought. I loved the almost anti-establishment vibe and I think Boyle was ballsy with some of his visual and musical choices. The NHS part was sublime and beautifully orchestrated and I have to admit to tearing up when the signing children's choir sang.

The digital age section was clearly there to represent Youth culture and it was the least appealing part for me. Still, it had wonderful spirit and a sense of organised chaos about it. I enjoyed seeing many British films I know and love (Kes, Gregory's Girl et al) and if there is one thing the UK can boast of, it's a very rich and significant National jukebox.

All in all I thought it was typically British and bonkers. The Queen proved to be a great sport, the lighting of the cauldron was a lovely touch, I loved the use of Tubular Bells and thought the young choir boy sang Jerusalem beautifully. Bean was daft and good fun, The Arctic Monkeys were great (even if the spawny bastard out front appears to have hijacked Richard Hawley's entire image).

Some of the visuals like the rings and the workers rising from beneath the tree and the winged cyclists were awe-inspiring...I could prattle on but I'm sure you have already gathered that I thought it was a great success and very enjoyable to watch.

It wasn't perfect but it was a wonderful spectacle and I think Boyle can feel proud of what he achieved last night.

The less said about Macca, the better. It's a shame that people feel compelled to wheel out this irrelevant husk of a man to do a little turn every time we have a National event on. He's a sour-faced, miserly berk who has spawned a bunch of entitled twats...he also couldn't hold a tune in a bucket these days if his life depended on it. Still at least we didn't have to suffer Brian May doing God Save The Queen on leccy guitar. Phew.

the message wasn't about being world leaders in health care - it was acknowledging the fact that the Uk were among the first in the world to have health care for all

I loved that they played the sex pistols twice, especially 'God save the queen!'

I loved:

The drummers at the beginning who had those metal drums
The dancers under the yellow sun, think they were dressed in yellow or red
The deaf lady drummer who put me in mind of Animal from The Muppets (in a good way) :)
The cauldron
The 'forging' of the Olympic rings

Turned it off when Mcartney came on & went to bed. Not keen on the huge Voldemort, I think the children's lit part could have included other things but its the first Olympic opening I've seen & I liked it muchly.

Bear in mind it could have been organised by a committee of braying Tories trying to create a Britain of classical music & horses that would be unfamiliar to most of us

Yes, the digital age section didn't really do it for me, either.
But DD (13) liked it & loved recognising the music of her generation included (Bonkers & Pass Out) so that gives the lie to it being aimed at Danny Boyle's generation.
She recognised Kes but really didn't know what to make of Gregory's Girl .
I've just remembered that Brookside's lesbian kiss sneaked in to the TV montage (yay!) though I doubt many non-Brits would even have realised it was two girls.

I am so glad they avoided Elton John, the Proms, The Spice Girls, Brian May and only succumbed to Macca.

Thank god Oasis have split up.

Spice Girls are at the closing ceremony

FFS

Love and concur with LRDs Eaton Mess analogy. But I guess that's also a brilliant analogy for Britain itself.

My personal highlight was the smiley face dance formation to Blue Monday. I pretended that bit was put in just for me :)

DH and I found it quite odd. Bear in mind we're American and had to watch it on NBC, which was a travesty in itself. To us, lots of parts felt like we were watching a (dare I say cheesy) Disney or Glee rendition of the opening ceremonies with all the odd inflatables, big baby, Peter Pan version of the NHS, and so on. I think the Chariots of Fire/Mr. Bean bit perfectly embodied the distracting farcical (dare I say cheesy again) spin that permeated every part of the ceremony (DH was fully expecting Hobbits to come out during the pre-industrial revolution part, because it just seemed like it would have fit in with the tone of the rest of the ceremony). And it just seemed like a disjointed mishmash of culture references that didn't flow or connect as an overall program.

I loved it and so did all my family.Brought a smile face that's still there and in current recession that's no bad thing.Loved the music throughout,but did I miss something?The Who ,Beatles ,Queen, Bowie et al but no Oasis.Whatever you think of the Gallagher boys they are an iconic Brit band surely ?
And sorry to be a pedant OP but the word is truly.

I really liked it and I usually hate shite like that. I actually stayed up to just before 1 to watch the end of it, I don't think I've stayed up past 11.30pm in 7 years

I too loved Blue Monday and Relax - really made my night, but I'm old and probably see life through music tinted glasses as well!

I have been v miserly about the Olympics and as a pretty die-hard Scottish nationalist I don't usually get into 'British pride' type things. I thought it was awesome.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony. It was disjointed in parts, but i loved the totally British humour and the fact that it was inclusive.
I switched off when Macca came on, i cannot bear him.

'Appalling'? Really? That's quite a strong word.

I think you are being extremely unreasonable and am sad that the day after such an uplifting, joyous celebration people feel the need to snurk and sneer. Every time I've seen this thread in Active Convos today it's made me angry and depressed.

You are of course entitled to your opinion but have my first .

Music wise they also left out the Welsh Mens Choir. They are amazing and I would have loved to have heard them sing something to represent Wales or just anything at all.

I don't know how I would have represented Scotland and Northern Ireland. For Scotland it is a bit twee to just have a bagpipe going.

I agree that Oasis should have been included. I would have picked all around the world.

It was disjointed-but then, did it matter, as it was referencing various bits of our history/culture?