Have you gone back and seen the original Tron? It’s actually quite bad and will never live up to the memory of a 12 year old boy watching is in 1983. But still, I remember the emotion I had when I watched it then and it gives me goosebumps to think I’ll be able to re-visit that place again.
So for fun and your viewing pleasure, there are 3 trailers below. The first one, is the original trailer for Tron. I love watching old trailers. Before there was an understanding of real marketing. Real style and sophistication. They make me laugh. The Tron trailer tries with interjected tag lines (“Where love… and escape… do not compute.” Har har.) And somewhat compelling scenes. Better than most really.
The second trailer came out a few months ago. Apparently, it’s not even in the actual movie. It’s a ‘demo’ to showcase the technology and look for the new film. Brilliant.
And of course, last but not least, the new and real trailer for the movie due out next Christmas. I can’t wait.
As we slowly wake up from our Olympic hangover, rub our eyes, crawl out of bed and reflect on what we’ve been doing for the past 2 weeks (some 6 years), it makes for an unbelievable, yet familiar, story. Before we check our mail and see the bill that we all know is waiting for us… or before we start to do any post-Olympic economic return of investment analysis, we should sit back and try to understand that something truly spectacular has occurred. Not just to Sport. Not just to our city or nation. But to the surprising, pertinacious human spirit.
Long before the torch started its cross country journey, these games were doomed. Vancouver is a city of contradiction. We have a million dollar view of majestic mountains and ocean around us while living beside some of the poorest people of the country. We have a thirst for growth and want to actively play on the world stage while much of being a ‘vancouverite’ means being one with the earth and unabashedly an environmentalist. We want capitalism yet house so many socialists. We look for fun in a quiet city. And since the minute it was announced that we were to be the host city for the 2010 Olympics, we’ve been arguing with each other ever since. The Olympics were destined to tear us apart.
We complained when they announced the street closures. We complained when the ticket prices were announced and the online sale of those tickets was a debacle. We criticized the structure of the Canadian pavilion for it’s un-originality (built by a Chicago company no less) and while some complained that it was too big, others said it wasn’t big enough. The Molson Hockey House was huge. But cost $200 to enter (then lowered to $100). We had protests that not enough was being done for the homeless. We had groups set up to watch the police to make sure no civil liberties would be trampled in the Olympic wake. The Olympic Village was an economic disaster. The world was entering an economic collapse. What are we doing having an opulent event like the Olympics during these tough times? Some said it would help the economy. Many said it wouldn’t. The Olympics were destined to kill us.
The sea to sky highway up to Whistler was too expensive. Never mind that this road really needed to be fixed but it was diverting money away from our far more important social programs.
The heavy hand of the IOC was becoming apparent leading up to the games. The lawyers were out in full force making sure that the Olympic trademark and the sponsors were well enforced and protected. The new convention centre was gated off from the public. Access to other areas were closed. VANOC and the IOC looked to be squeezing the fun out of the games to make room for proper planning. The games appeared to be planned, but were destined not to be fun.
And the weather.
The snow from December turned to mud by February. The warmest winter in 150 years. 150 YEARS! What are the odds? The lack of snow was known everywhere. From monologues on David Letterman to headlines around the world. The Olympics were certainly ruined by Mother Nature.
But the games still came. On time.
On the very first day we lost an athlete. Any momentum we were riding from a thrilling torch relay was extinguished by this tragic news. For some time, athletes from other nations were complaining that they weren’t getting enough practice time on our challenging runs. Perhaps. When the start line was modified to slow the sledders down, the athletes complained that this was an over reaction and they would have preferred to keep the track the way it was.
The opening ceremonies were a success. Except the complaints that they shouldn’t have changed the national anthem music. And the 4th torch didn’t rise out of the ground causing an awkward lighting ceremony. Mind you, I and the people I was with didn’t even notice. But still, people were still complaining.
Some of our Gold hopefuls weren’t winning Gold. Suddenly, the whole ‘Own the Podium’ campaign was under scrutiny. Why did we profess to owning the podium? This isn’t the Canadian way! Maybe American. Maybe even Russian. How could we be so bold? And how much did that cost? Over 100 million? Don’t they know that we have homeless people that could really use 100 million? And the protests came. How embarrassing. Violent protests which, if you can consider anything good to come from it, completely ostracized the activists and created a divide within their own ranks. It happened early and sucked the wind out of their sails. No one wanted to hear it any more. We collectively realized that we needed to all band together. Make the most of what was happening in our city.
And the press! The bad press we were receiving was unrelenting. Poor accommodation. Poor organization. “Worst Winter Games Ever” proclaimed the British journalists.
And then something somewhat unexpected happened. The Whos in Vanc-who-verville were singing.
They’re finding out now that no Olympics is coming.
They’re just waking up, I know just what they’ll do.
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Whos down in Vanc-who-verville will all cry, “Boo Hoo.”
So Fate paused, And put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the mud.
It started in low.
Then it started to grow…
But the sound wasn’t sad!
Why, this sound sounded glad!
Every Who down in Vanc-who-verville, the tall and the small,
Was celebrating! Without any worries at all!
Fate HADN’T stopped the Olympics from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
Fate was puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then Fate thought of something he hadn’t before! Maybe the Olympics, he thought, doesn’t come from a Gold. Maybe the Olympics… perhaps… means a little bit more!
And what happened then? Well, in Vanc-who-verville they say that the Fate’s small skepticism shrunk three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of the Olympics came through, and Fate found the strength of *ten* world class athletes, plus two!
Then we won Gold. First one on Canadian soil. Then another. More medals. More gold. More pride.
Something did happen in Vancouver. Something that many of us didn’t see coming. It gave an entire nation a reason to be together again. Canada is becoming fragmented. We’re all becoming fragmented. We haven’t had reason to look at each other as a neighbour. And what the Olympics did was open that up for us again. I think we so desperately want to be a part of a great nation. We want a reason to raise our flag. I’ve never seen patriotism on display as prevalent, completely, unabashedly, present as I have in the last two weeks. From Montgomery’s call out to Russel, Manitoba, to Toronto closing down Yonge Street after the Gold Medal Men’s Hockey game. To spontaneous outbursts of O’Canada in the streets… to the crowd performing the wave at a curling match. A CURLING match.
I’ve never experienced anything like this and I’m not sure I ever will again. Sure, we have problems. We have systematic issues with our economy, how we treat the poor, the environment… each other. But the spirit of the Olympics, the games, the union… and what it did for a nation, has given us a refueling we desperately needed. Say what you want about any of the details. The spirit of the Olympics were never going to fail.
Flume is a new song that Peter Gabriel posted online for free! Way to go Peter. It's great that he still makes great music after all these years. This song reminds of another classic song "Here Comes The Flood" which is one of my favorites. He has a pain in his voice that comes across very poignantly. His music has a way of taking me to places far away. I'll post both songs for your listening pleasure.
