Theatre show to 'celebrate' van-dwelling community

L.A.'s Sphere-like venue Cosm turns ‘The Matrix' into an immersive experience

Los Angeles Times

4 days ago

Los Angeles Times

L.A.'s Sphere-like venue Cosm turns ‘The Matrix' into an immersive experience

When you watch 'The Matrix' at Cosm, you're essentially seeing a film within a film. A shot inside an apartment becomes a glimpse into an entire complex. A fight scene on a rooftop is now one small part of a giant cityscape. Look to the left, and a once off-screen helicopter is suddenly entirely visible. Cosm has won attention and a fan base for its focus on sports programming. A domed, 87-foot-diameter wraparound screen surrounds audiences at the Inglewood venue, creating an illusion of in-the-flesh presence. Can't make it to that NBA Finals or World Series game? Cosm wants to be your fallback plan, combining front-row-like seats with unexpected views. And now, Cosm aims to redefine the moviegoing experience. A revival of 'The Matrix' opens Thursday in what the company calls 'shared reality,' a marketing term that ultimately means newly created CGI animation towers, over, under and around the original 1999 film. Cosm has in the past shown largely short-form original programming, and 'The Matrix' marks its first foray into feature-length films. The hope is to not only see the film with fresh eyes but to create a sensation of being in the same environment as Keanu Reeves' Neo, Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity and Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus. 'The Matrix' is an ideal film for this experiment, its anti-AI message decidedly topical while its themes grapple with dual visions of reality. There's been a host of so-called immersive ambitions to alter the moviegoing experience over the decades, be it the on-and-off flirtation with interactive cinema, a brief trend in the '90s that recently lived again on Netflix (see 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch'), to more recent 4-DX theaters with movement-enabled seats (see the light, water and wind effects of 'Twisters'). Cosm, like the bigger, more live music-focused Sphere in Las Vegas, seems to have a different pitch: an all-encompassing screen that can provide previously unexplored vantage points, even at times creating a theme park ride-like sense of movement. Cosm's interpretation of 'The Matrix,' a collaboration with experiential creative agency Little Cinema, envelopes audiences from its opening action sequence when a nighttime view of a city skyline seemingly places us on a rooftop. Elsewhere, Neo's office building becomes a maze of cubicles. The film's centerpiece red pill versus blue pill moment centers the frame among oversized, glowing capsules. When Neo awakens, we are lost amid mountainous, industrial pods. The challenge: To not make it feel like a gimmick, yet to also know when to pull back and let the film stand for itself. 'The No. 1 core principle was to enhance and don't overshadow,' says Jay Rinsky, founder of Little Cinema. 'Metaphorically for us, the movie itself is the lead singer and we are the backing band. Let the movie be the star. Let it sing. And basically follow the key beats — follow the sound design, the emotional moments and enhance the action.' The accompanying images get more aggressive as the film races toward its climax. The animations are most effective when they're expanding the screen rather than echoing the action — showing us the viewpoint of a careening helicopter for instance, rather than repeating or mimicking a beat of the film. Having seen 'The Matrix' before, I know the story and its cadence, and was perhaps more willing to turn my attention away from the film, which is placed in the center of the screen and often set within a picture frame. In turn, I was dazzled by the scenes shot inside Morpheus' hovercraft the Nebuchadnezzar, in which the vessel's surroundings — its buzzing, electrical core and its assortment of monitors — are fleshed out around the screen. Film purists, I wonder, may balk at seeing images beyond the director's vision — Rinsky says he hasn't been in touch with directors Lana or Lilly Wachowski — but I found it could help build a world, especially for revival cinema on a second or third viewing. Expectedly, the film's final act becomes a bevy of secondary action. Bullets that fly off the frame of the film now find a landing spot, as building walls shatter and crumble around us. Cosm's screen is crisp and encompassing enough that it can mimic movement or flight, and thankfully this is used sparingly, twisting only when the film's characters take to the skies. When Cosm opened last summer Chief Executive Jeb Terry stressed the venue wasn't in the business of showing films, wanting to focus on sports or original programming. 'We're not a first-run theater,' said Terry. 'We're leaning into the experiential side.' Seemingly, 'The Matrix' fits this plan, as the accompanying CGI images have been in the works since about August 2024, says Rinsky, with the bulk of the heavy lifting beginning in January. Rinsky acknowledges 'The Matrix' fits the format particularly well because it 'plays in a realm of fantasy that allows you to change environments around,' but is quick to add that Cosm and Little Cinema hope to expand the program of enhancing Hollywood products. 'It is a bit of a mission and a philosophy,' he says. 'Every film in every genre has its own unique propositions and can be adopted and suited well. We're excited about horror, and we're excited about comedy.' Future projects have not yet been announced. Cosm also has a venue in Dallas, with spots in Atlanta and Detroit on the way. Rinsky's hope, of course, is that Cosm someday has enough market penetration that filmmakers can create the format from the ground up. 'I'm really bullish about this being the new cinema,' Rinsky says. 'I think in five to 10 years, there will be 100 of these around. Once it hits scale, then big studios will have releases created specifically for this format.' It's an optimistic view of the future that's arriving at a time of disruption in Hollywood, from shake-ups due to the streaming market to artificial intelligence. For Cosm, it's the early days, but it's a vision that needs neither a red nor blue pill. Its outlook is much more rose-colored.

Bono 'grateful' Canada elected Mark Carney: 'The world is in awe of you'

Yahoo

29-05-2025

Yahoo

Bono 'grateful' Canada elected Mark Carney: 'The world is in awe of you'

You can count U2 frontman Bono among Prime Minister Mark Carney's biggest fans. During an appearance on Global's The Morning Show this week, the outspoken rock star said he was 'grateful' for Canadians for 'not electing a populist' leader. 'I was always a fan of your mosaic, your culture, your … kind of reason, but never more so than now,' he told hosts Jeff McArthur and Carolyn Mackenzie. 'The whole world is in awe of what you've done, and thank you for getting together, putting all your politics aside, and not electing a populist,' Bono said, praising Carney, who led the Liberal Party to victory last month. The long-time advocate in the fight against HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty then took a swipe at Carney's political rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. 'Actually competence turns out to be the rarest thing on the planet these days. A numerate, thoughtful leadership. So thank you,' he said, thanking Canadians for 'coming together (and) showing the world how to do it … at this time in your political life.' McArthur reminded Bono of how he said back in 2016 'the world could use a little more Canada,' to which the singer replied with a jab at U.S. President Donald Trump and his pledge to make the country the 51st state. 'Fifty-one reasons to love Canada, I say,' he said. Nearly a decade ago, the Irish rocker urged Canada to boost its foreign aid, telling the Canadian Press in an interview that it was a 'wonderful aspiration' for then-prime minister Justin Trudeau to consider allocating more money from the country's GNI (gross national income) to help the developing world. 'I would ask the prime minister not to let go of it and I think for Canada to have it as a kind of light … have it as a kind of beacon of hope,' Bono said. 'Not just for the people whose lives depend on those Canadian dollars, but actually for Canada itself to have that place in the world.' Bono said he thought Canadians would support sending money abroad as long as they felt their money was being spent wisely. 'I think that Canadians are, in a way, quite unromantic in their idealism. You know, they're sort of quite practical and pragmatic. I like to think I am, too,' he said. After then-Liberal prime minister Paul Martin broke a promise to boost foreign aid assistance during his short-lived tenure as Canada's leader in the mid-2000s, Bono displayed his phone number on a screen during a show in Vancouver and urged the crowd to call him. 'Enough! Enough! Enough of despair! No more! So Paul Martin, I'm calling you!' Bono shouted into the microphone. He later told the Canadian Press that it wasn't 'personal.' 'Paul Martin was, and is, a fantastic person and a very gifted leader — I'm sure he did the very best he could,' Bono said. In that same 2016 interview, he said Canada stands out on an international stage 'filled with a lunacy that we haven't seen in years in terms of hard-left, hard-right uprisings against common sense.' 'You know, anti-immigrant sentiment, you know, awful jingoism,' Bono said. 'I mean, we're seeing it all over Europe, we saw it with Brexit, we're seeing it in America. In Canada, you don't have any.' Bono has long been an advocate for anti-poverty and anti-racism. In the mid-aughts, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer co-founded the ONE and RED charities. And for more than two decades, he has been vocal about urging the world's strongest economies to meet the UN's target of donating at least 0.7% to help alleviate poverty in poorer countries. Last year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that Canada ranked 7th among the world's richest countries in foreign aid spending. But nearly a fifth of that money went to refugees and Ukrainians within Canada. But he's been accused in the past of avoiding paying taxes, a claim Bono dismissed in a 2014 interview with Sky News. 'We pay a fortune in tax. Just so people know, we pay a fortune in tax; and we're happy to pay a fortune in tax, people should,' he said, according to The Guardian. 'It's just some smart people we have working for us trying to be sensible about the way we're taxed. And that's just one of our companies, by the way. There's loads of companies.' Bono has been on a press tour to promote his upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, which captures his one-man stage show he toured with after the release of his 2022 memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. Speaking at last week's Ivor Novello awards, where he and his U2 bandmates received the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, Bono criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas. 'Hamas, release the hostages, stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts,' he said. In a separate chat with the Associated Press at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month, the musician sounded off on countries falling out of love with the notion of embracing globalism saying 'nationalism is not what we need.' 'I can tell you that a million children dying because their life support systems were pulled out of the wall, with glee, that's not the America that I recognize or understand,' he said, adding that 'the world has never been closer to a world war in my lifetime.' But, turning to a page from his activist playbook, he says he is still hopeful. 'I believe there is integrity in the Americans. They will figure it out. Who was it who said: If you give Americans the facts, they will eventually make the right choice. Right now, they're not getting the facts. Think of it: a 70% decline in HIV-AIDS, Republican-led, Democratically followed though. The greatest health intervention in the history of medicine to fight HIV-AIDS has been thrown away,' he said, referencing Trump's cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 'It was nearly there,' Bono said. 'To a space traveller, it's like getting to Mars and going, 'Nah, we'll go back.' It's bewildering to me.' mdaniell@ U2's Joshua Tree Tour: 4 things to look forward to after world tour kickoff in Vancouver '51st governor has some moves': Internet reacts to Mark Carney's 'elbows up' victory dance Trump says Canadians 'LOVE being the 51st State' after Trudeau resignation announcement Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances!

Yahoo

29-05-2025

Yahoo

Bono 'grateful' Canada elected Mark Carney: 'The world is in awe of you'

You can count U2 frontman Bono among Prime Minister Mark Carney's biggest fans. During an appearance on Global's The Morning Show this week, the outspoken rock star said he was 'grateful' for Canadians for 'not electing a populist' leader. 'I was always a fan of your mosaic, your culture, your … kind of reason, but never more so than now,' he told hosts Jeff McArthur and Carolyn Mackenzie. 'The whole world is in awe of what you've done, and thank you for getting together, putting all your politics aside, and not electing a populist,' Bono said, praising Carney, who led the Liberal Party to victory last month. The long-time advocate in the fight against HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty then took a swipe at Carney's political rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. 'Actually competence turns out to be the rarest thing on the planet these days. A numerate, thoughtful leadership. So thank you,' he said, thanking Canadians for 'coming together (and) showing the world how to do it … at this time in your political life.' McArthur reminded Bono of how he said back in 2016 'the world could use a little more Canada,' to which the singer replied with a jab at U.S. President Donald Trump and his pledge to make the country the 51st state. 'Fifty-one reasons to love Canada, I say,' he said. Nearly a decade ago, the Irish rocker urged Canada to boost its foreign aid, telling the Canadian Press in an interview that it was a 'wonderful aspiration' for then-prime minister Justin Trudeau to consider allocating more money from the country's GNI (gross national income) to help the developing world. 'I would ask the prime minister not to let go of it and I think for Canada to have it as a kind of light … have it as a kind of beacon of hope,' Bono said. 'Not just for the people whose lives depend on those Canadian dollars, but actually for Canada itself to have that place in the world.' Bono said he thought Canadians would support sending money abroad as long as they felt their money was being spent wisely. 'I think that Canadians are, in a way, quite unromantic in their idealism. You know, they're sort of quite practical and pragmatic. I like to think I am, too,' he said. After then-Liberal prime minister Paul Martin broke a promise to boost foreign aid assistance during his short-lived tenure as Canada's leader in the mid-2000s, Bono displayed his phone number on a screen during a show in Vancouver and urged the crowd to call him. 'Enough! Enough! Enough of despair! No more! So Paul Martin, I'm calling you!' Bono shouted into the microphone. He later told the Canadian Press that it wasn't 'personal.' 'Paul Martin was, and is, a fantastic person and a very gifted leader — I'm sure he did the very best he could,' Bono said. In that same 2016 interview, he said Canada stands out on an international stage 'filled with a lunacy that we haven't seen in years in terms of hard-left, hard-right uprisings against common sense.' 'You know, anti-immigrant sentiment, you know, awful jingoism,' Bono said. 'I mean, we're seeing it all over Europe, we saw it with Brexit, we're seeing it in America. In Canada, you don't have any.' Bono has long been an advocate for anti-poverty and anti-racism. In the mid-aughts, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer co-founded the ONE and RED charities. And for more than two decades, he has been vocal about urging the world's strongest economies to meet the UN's target of donating at least 0.7% to help alleviate poverty in poorer countries. Last year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that Canada ranked 7th among the world's richest countries in foreign aid spending. But nearly a fifth of that money went to refugees and Ukrainians within Canada. But he's been accused in the past of avoiding paying taxes, a claim Bono dismissed in a 2014 interview with Sky News. 'We pay a fortune in tax. Just so people know, we pay a fortune in tax; and we're happy to pay a fortune in tax, people should,' he said, according to The Guardian. 'It's just some smart people we have working for us trying to be sensible about the way we're taxed. And that's just one of our companies, by the way. There's loads of companies.' Bono has been on a press tour to promote his upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, which captures his one-man stage show he toured with after the release of his 2022 memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. Speaking at last week's Ivor Novello awards, where he and his U2 bandmates received the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, Bono criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas. 'Hamas, release the hostages, stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts,' he said. In a separate chat with the Associated Press at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month, the musician sounded off on countries falling out of love with the notion of embracing globalism saying 'nationalism is not what we need.' 'I can tell you that a million children dying because their life support systems were pulled out of the wall, with glee, that's not the America that I recognize or understand,' he said, adding that 'the world has never been closer to a world war in my lifetime.' But, turning to a page from his activist playbook, he says he is still hopeful. 'I believe there is integrity in the Americans. They will figure it out. Who was it who said: If you give Americans the facts, they will eventually make the right choice. Right now, they're not getting the facts. Think of it: a 70% decline in HIV-AIDS, Republican-led, Democratically followed though. The greatest health intervention in the history of medicine to fight HIV-AIDS has been thrown away,' he said, referencing Trump's cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 'It was nearly there,' Bono said. 'To a space traveller, it's like getting to Mars and going, 'Nah, we'll go back.' It's bewildering to me.' mdaniell@ U2's Joshua Tree Tour: 4 things to look forward to after world tour kickoff in Vancouver '51st governor has some moves': Internet reacts to Mark Carney's 'elbows up' victory dance Trump says Canadians 'LOVE being the 51st State' after Trudeau resignation announcement Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances!

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L.A.'s Sphere-like venue Cosm turns ‘The Matrix' into an immersive experience

Bono 'grateful' Canada elected Mark Carney: 'The world is in awe of you'

Bono 'grateful' Canada elected Mark Carney: 'The world is in awe of you'

Theatre show to 'celebrate' van-dwelling community

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Try Our AI Features

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Related Articles

L.A.'s Sphere-like venue Cosm turns ‘The Matrix' into an immersive experience

Bono 'grateful' Canada elected Mark Carney: 'The world is in awe of you'

Bono 'grateful' Canada elected Mark Carney: 'The world is in awe of you'

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