Some photos from the opening of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics make sense (all courtesy of The New York Times).

Like this great....what......Blade Runner homage?

And, WOW - I love this!

But then......something that requires savvy deconstruction from the NYT, which called this Torino opening ceremonies shot (below): "Fellini-esque."

Umyeah, I suppose it is, at that. But where's the crucifix?

Or at least the speeding white sausage?

One last thought. As I listen to the HORRID American pop accompanying tonight's otherwise grand introduction of the national teams, the phrases which reverberate in my music critic's mind are...pandering, and Italo-induced Western cultural imperialism.

I'd have been way OK with some GOOD Western music for the global soundtrack this eve, although the obvious, classy option would have been a mix of world music.

What dumbass Olympic organizers decided that only Gawdawful Cheese-Whiz American Pop should be the soundtrack for the first hour tonight?

I felt like I was in a cruise ship disco. Any second I was dreadfully expecting "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain and Tenille, or "Brandy," by The Looking Glass.

The brief Psycho-Ferrari episode which aired at 11:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time was wonderfully anarchic, and Italian, but sadly failed to redeem the previous hour's LCD soundtrack.

Ah well. The Games await. Go Latvia!

TECHNORATI TAGS: TURIN, TORINO, WINTER OLYMPICS, 2006, CANOPIED BED, STOCKINGS, FELLINI, SPEEDING WHITE SAUSAGE, LATVIA

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at February 10, 2006 09:58 PM