But nothing matches the spectacle of wildlife we found on the coastal plain of America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
And with the economy distressed, that might get worse.California, of course, isn't alone in its budget woes, even if others can't match the spectacle of its $14-billion 14-billion $15 billion
Although many people immediately think of the Triumph March from Verdi's Aida ("Gloria all'Egitto, ad Iside") as the prototype for handling operatic crowd scenes -- especially in outdoor venues like Rome's Verona Arena -- few have ever matched the spectacle of 1998's staging of Puccini's Turandot at the Forbidden City in Beijing.
If "The Great Gatsby" succeeds, it may open the door to a new generation of sophisticated movie dramas that will match the spectacle value of the animations ("Happy Feet Two"), action films ("Underworld: Awakening") and elaborate fables ("Hugo," "The Adventures of Tintin") that now fill Hollywood's 3-D release schedule.
Where it falls down is a lack of personal intensity to match the spectacle.
And it had the lineup to match the spectacle.
The strange, singular beauty of his clothing was matched by the spectacle of his legendary fashion shows, which demonstrated his outstanding showmanship and consistently pushed the boundaries of runway events.
But none of these responses quite match the wretched spectacle of former EDL leader and sun bed shop owner Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (known by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson), who, in his capacity as a presenter on the Canadian website Rebel Media, went to Westminster hours after the attack to condemn Muslims, verses from the Quran and politicians who allow immigrants into the country.
But none of these responses quite match the wretched spectacle of former English Defence League (EDL) leader and tanning salon owner Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (known by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson), who, in his capacity as a presenter on the Canadian website Rebel Media, went to Westminster hours after the attack to condemn Muslims.
Of course, there was no way for show producers to completely match the grand spectacle of the Oscar-nominated film, with its $165-million budget and enormous crew of animators.
He may not have been quite as angry as Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty were at each other but, in fairness, it would be hard to match that spectacle of spite, which provided a fair amount of the drama of the evening.
