Entertainment

How the 2028 Olympics should showcase L.A.: 9 wild ideas from our wish list

Published

2 years ago

August 11, 2024

How the 2028 Olympics should showcase L.A.: 9 wild ideas from our wish list

Inspired by the profound (and often profoundly silly) Frenchness of the Paris Games, we — like much of the internet — have been thinking about how to showcase L.A. when the Olympics come to town in 2028. While the next edition of the Summer Games has come in for criticism and complaints, it’s also likely to match or exceed events like the Super Bowl and the Oscars in terms of turning the world’s attention to the city. In the spirit of the loud, chaotic, inimitable City of Angels, here are nine wild ideas for making L.A. itself the star in four years’ time.

Erect the Olympic cauldron at Griffith Park…

In the land of sunshine and palm trees, one landmark that (literally) stands out above the rest, situated on the side of a mountain range overlooking the greater L.A. area, is the Griffith Observatory. That it can be seen from nearly every neighborhood and surrounding cities makes it a perfect location to build the cauldron. Imagine taking an evening stroll around the Silver Lake Reservoir and seeing the flame across the surface of the water? Or walking out of a bar in Koreatown and staring north up Normandie at the cauldron? Or staying in Mid-City and seeing the light of the burning fire from miles away? Imagine the photos taken on a clear night from all over Southern California. If the cauldron were built at the Griffith Observatory, it would also take advantage of being next to one of our most famous landmarks honoring our greatest cultural export: the Hollywood sign. —David Viramontes

… and make sure the torch relay visits California’s most iconic peaks

The Griffith Observatory at dusk.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Celebrate California’s 14ers and the highest mountain in the contiguous U.S. by having a hiker or ultra-trail-marathoner take the flame up Mt. Whitney. Or the flame could be taken by a climber (Alex Honnold, maybe roped this time?) up Yosemite’s El Capitan. —Rebecca Bryant

Perform a “La La Land”-inspired dance on the 105 and 110 interchange

Paris has the glimmering Seine, we have . . . majestic freeways. It seems only appropriate that Olympic festivities involve commuters (or actors pretending to be commuters) in bumper-to-bumper traffic. An opening ceremony that acknowledges L.A.’s infamous traffic woes, rather than pretending they don’t exist, would be a sly way to nod at the inevitable slow roadways that the 2028 games will bring. And hey, I bet Ryan Gosling would be game to participate. — Alyssa Bereznak

Plant out L.A.’s ugliness

LAX, for example, is bleak. Aside from the difficulties of getting in and out of the airport, it’s such an ugly introduction to L.A. Back during World War II, The Times encouraged residents to plant victory gardens and even led by example; this time, residents, business owners and municipalities should plant trees and install planter boxes outside their homes and businesses and LAX should use them to soften passenger arrival and departure lanes. Why not counter the starkness of the cityscape with color and fragrance unique to our region? The catch: L.A. needs to start planting now, with trees, shrubs, etc. that take about three years to get established. Already, there are community groups trying to organize this, but their voices are small. Let this be their megaphone: If everyone pitches in, we can make our city more beautiful before the world comes calling. —Jeanette Marantos

Create a mechanical surfing ride for spectators

There could be several with different degrees of difficulty, so beginners can simply try to stand up on the board, while semi-pros ride waves closer to those faced in competition. It’s safer than the open water, and of course comes with lots of possibilities for commemorative photos. They do water rides at theme parks, where people get drenched. Why not the Olympics? —Jeanette Marantos

Mount a Randy’s Donut’s / rhythmic gymnastics crossover

Picture it: A giant Randy’s Donut, modeled on the famed Inglewood shop, rolls right into the stadium during the opening ceremony, helped along by a CGI rhythmic gymnast. Then a troupe of actual rhythmic gymnasts rolling rings that look like the doughnuts spread across the field. I’m kidding. But only sort of. —Rebecca Bryant

Griffith Park's resident mountain lion and unofficial mascot of sorts

Make a mountain lion the LA28 mascot

Recently, I’ve taken a deep dive into Olympic mascots after being wholly enamored by France’s Phryge — a red hat with expressive eyes that has taken a tumble, jet-skied and become a celebrity in Paris.

In 1984, Sam the Olympic Eagle strutted down in a stars-and-stripes top hat and bowtie at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. And in 2028, it should be a mountain lion — donning sparkly eyeglasses or streetwear or whatever else is adorable — that welcomes athletes to Los Angeles.

It makes sense, and, no, it’s not too niche. L.A. is the only place on this side of the Earth that has big cats living within city limits, according to the National Park Service. Not only will this pay homage to the mountain lion king of Griffith Park — P-22 — but it’s also a chance to highlight a species that has long captured the zeitgeist of L.A. —Angie Orellana Hernandez

Turn the Hollywood pitch meeting into an Olympic short film

In this vision, an Olympic torchbearer makes their way into a studio building — could be a lot, could be CAA or somewhere corporate. It’s all filmed with GoPro. They get a fist bump from the valet. Run through the mailroom. Ride up in an elevator (Sly Stallone cameo). Race down a hallway. Finally, they sit in a private conference room or office. We cut to the runner and it’s Timothée Chalamet or someone of similar star quality. They make a beautiful pitch about the “spirit of the Games, the essential humanity of the moment. It’s bigger than Hollywood — bigger than all of us.” Cut to the studio executive and it’s Albert Brooks: “That was more than 25 words.” —Joshua Rothkopf

Launch a parade of taco trucks (and other homages to L.A. culture)

This one’s a no-brainer. Match them with lowriders cruising, maybe with Snoop Dogg leading the cruise. Aztec dancers and some ballet folklorico at Placita Olvera. How about a sea of performers dressed up as the al pastor vertical spit? Dancing trompos! I’d like to see two murals that are critical to L.A. art history and which were originally censored to be celebrated grandly: “America Tropical” by Siquieros and Barbara Carrasco’s “L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective” at Union Station. Reopen the murals in time for 2028! Plus, let’s see evocations of the tagged up walls of the L.A. River, Five Points in East L.A., the Compton civic center, a soccer game at MacArthur Park, the Korean Friendship Bell, a bonfire at Dockweiler, and cameos by Tommy the Clown, Angelyne if she’s available, and please, please, Harry Perry, the roller skating guitarist from the Venice Beach walk. —Daniel Hernandez

Entertainment

Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman

Published

53 minutes ago

April 24, 2026

Press Room

Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman

Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to listen to all the country music your heart desires. You can get your country heartbreak on with Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman and Cody Johnson, and then rock out with Counting Crows. If you prefer EDM, you can catch Diplo and Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) as Friday’s closing acts.

The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch beginning at 3 p.m. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances along with a special edition of the Music Row Happy Hour. The station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Friday evening.

Here are updated set times for the Stagecoach livestream Friday performances (times presented are PDT):

Channel 1

3:05 p.m. Noah Rinker; 3:25 p.m.; Adrien Nunez; 4 p.m. Ole 60; 4:25 p.m. Avery Anna; 5 p.m. Chase Rice; 5:55 p.m. Nate Smith; 6:50 p.m. Ella Langeley; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 8:55 p.m. the Red Clay Strays; 10 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11:30 p.m. Diplo

Channel 2

3:05 p.m. Neon Union; 3:25 p.m. Larkin Poe; 4 p.m. Marcus King Band; 4:50 p.m. Lyle Lovett; 5:35 p.m. BigXthaPlug; 6:30 p.m. Noah Cyrus; 7 p.m. Wynonna Judd; 8 p.m. Counting Crows; 8:50 p.m. Sam Barber; 10 p.m. Dan + Shay; 10:45 p.m. Diplo featuring Juicy J; 11:05 p.m. Rebecca Black; 11:45 p.m. Dillstradamus

Sirius XM Music Row Happy Hour

1 p.m. Avery Anna; 2 p.m. Nate Smith; 2:30 p.m. Josh Ross; 3 p.m. Cody Johnson; 3:30 p.m. Gabriella Rose; 5:15 p.m. Nate Smith; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 9:30 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11 p.m. Diplo

Sirius XM Y’Allternative

5 p.m. Ole 60; 6 p.m. Larkin Poe; 7 p.m. Marcus King Band; 8 p.m. Sam Barber

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows

Published

11 hours ago

April 23, 2026

Press Room

Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows

Forget the “video game movie” curse; The Mortuary Assistant is a bone-chilling triumph that stands entirely on its own two feet. Starring Willa Holland (Arrow) as Rebecca Owens, the film follows a newly certified mortician whose “overtime shift” quickly devolves into a grueling battle for her soul.

What Makes It Work

The film expertly balances the stomach-churning procedural work of embalming with a spiraling demonic nightmare. Alongside a mysterious mentor played by Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire), Rebecca is forced to confront both ancient evils and her own buried traumas. And boy, does she have a lot of them.

Thanks to a full-scale, practical River Fields Mortuary set, the film drips with realism, like you can almost smell the rot and bloat of the bodies through the screen.

The skin effects are hauntingly accurate. The way the flesh moves during surgical scenes is so visceral. I’ve seen a lot of flesh wounds in horror films and in real life, and the bodies, skin, and organs. The Mortuary Assistant (especially in the opening scene) looks so real that I skipped supper after watching it. And that’s saying something. Your girl likes to eat.

Co-written by the game’s creator, Brian Clarke, the movie dives deeper into the demonic mythology. Whether you’ve seen every ending or don’t know a scalpel from a trocar, the story is perfectly self-contained. If you’ve never played the game, or played it a hundred times, the film works equally well, which is hard to do when it comes to game adaptations.

Nailed It

This film does a lot of things right, but the isolation of the night shift is suffocating. Between the darkness of the hallways and the “residents” that refuse to stay still, the film delivers a relentlessly immersive experience. And thankfully, although this movie is filled with dark rooms and shadows, it’s easy to see every little thing. Don’t you hate it when a movie is so dark that you can’t see what’s happening? It’s one of my pet peeves.

The oh-so-awesome Jeremiah Kipp directs the film and has made something absolutely nightmare-inducing. Kipp recently joined us for an interview, took us inside the film, discussed its details and the game’s lore, and so much more. I urge you to check out our interview. He’s awesome!

The Verdict

This isn’t just a cash-grab; it’s a high-effort adaptation that respects the source material while elevating the horror genre. With incredible special effects and a powerhouse cast, it’s the kind of movie that will make you rethink working late ever again. Dropping on Friday the 13th, this is a must-watch for horror fans. It’s grisly, intelligent, and genuinely terrifying.

Entertainment

Former Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns

Published

13 hours ago

April 23, 2026

Press Room

Former Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns

A former executive at Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, is suing the company, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after he raised concerns about alleged financial misconduct and improper accounting practices.

Nicholas Rumanes alleges he was “fraudulently induced” in 2022 to leave a lucrative position as head of strategic development at a real estate investment trust to create a new role as executive vice president of development and business practice at Beverly Hills-based Live Nation.

In his new position, Rumanes said, he raised “serious and legitimate alarm” over the the company’s business practices.

As a result, he says, he was “unlawfully terminated,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“Rumanes was, simply put, promised one job and forced to accept another. And then he was cut loose for insisting on doing that lesser job with integrity and honesty,” according to the lawsuit.

He is seeking $35 million in damages.

Representatives for Live Nation were not immediately available for comment.

The lawsuit comes a week after a federal jury in Manhattan found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had operated a monopoly over major concert venues, controlling 86% of the concert market.

Rumanes’ lawsuit describes a “culture of deception” at Live Nation, saying its “basic business model was to misstate and exaggerate financial figures in efforts to solicit and secure business.”

Such practices “spanned a wide spectrum of projects in what appeared to be a company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures,” the lawsuit states.

Rumanes says he received materials and documents that showed that the company inflated projected revenues across multiple venue development projects.

Additionally, Rumanes contends that the company violated a federal law that requires independent financial auditing and transparency and instead ran Live Nation “through a centralized, opaque structure” that enables it to “bypass oversight and internal checks and balances.”

In 2010, as a condition of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, the newly formed company agreed to a consent decree with the government that prohibited the firm from threatening venues to use Ticketmaster. In 2019 the Justice Department found that the company had repeatedly breached the agreement, and it extended the decree.

Rumanes contends that he brought his concerns to the attention of the company’s management, but his warnings were “repeatedly ignored.”