Torontoist » lectures

Schooling T.O. Cinephiles on Polarizing Filmmakers, Puns

Adam Nayman lays out some of the knotty equations his new film series will attempt to solve. In school—even in film school—they don’t teach you that Showgirls is a deceptively clever camp satire, or that Robocop is a cheeky Christ allegory. And they certainly won’t let slip the secret that for all his self-consciously cerebral [...]

Evolutionary Psychology

Photo by Andrew Louis/Torontoist. Richard Dawkins came to town this week, and boy were his fans excited. Dawkins, if you are unfamiliar with his work, is an evolutionary biologist and science writer by turns renowned and reviled for his sustained arguments against creationism and against the existence of God. His latest book, The Greatest Show [...]

Taking It to the Streets

Photo by sniderscion from the Torontoist Flickr Pool. No victors were declared last night in the ongoing struggle between the street and the man, between high and popular culture, between the alleyway and the gallery. In a panel discussion on the evolving nature of street art, the only consensus was that more conversations—open-ended, open-minded, open-hearted—are [...]

The Future Is Now?

Photo by Hamutal Dotan/Torontoist. David Miller is breaking the hearts of Toronto’s progressives. He genuinely appears to care as they do and to want what they do, yet at every turn he seems to let the measures they hope for slip between his fingers. This frustration was evident last night as Miller drew lukewarm reactions [...]

Let’s Get Metaphysical

“Socrates was a shit-disturber and Darwin was a super-nerd,” says Peter Stevens, working on his “shortlist” of philosophers (and philosophies) to include in his “All the Philosophy” lecture this Thursday. Even if Hegel isn’t your homeboy, Stevens claims he can help you find that certain someone—that certain “old, bearded, white dude”—who’ll knock your proverbial socks [...]

Urban Planner: November 7, 2008

LECTURE: Still have celebratory (or sorrowful) election bubbly coursing through your veins? President of the White House News Photographers Association Dennis Brack will discuss his experiences as a political photographer, having snapped every president since Lyndon B. Johnson to the present day. He’s also had a photo in every issue of Time Magazine for the [...]

Urban Planner: October 6, 2008

MUSIC: Lambchop frontman Kurt Wagner will make a rare solo appearance tonight: the Nashville alternative-country singer is playing at the Drake Underground. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), 8 p.m., $15. POLITICS: There is a debate tonight for Toronto Centre MP candidates, featuring Green candidate Ellen Michelson, NDP candidate El-Farouk Khaki, Conservative candidate David [...]

Urban Planner: October 3, 2008

ART: “Off Camera” is an exhibition at the new Filmport Studios, featuring more than 200 works from 50 artists currently working in the Toronto film industry. The reception tonight will include musical performances and a silent auction, and did we mention you get to go inside Filmport Studios? Filmport Studios (Studio 7, 225 Commissioners Street), [...]

Urban Planner: September 30, 2008

MUSIC: Tonight’s No Shame music showcase is over at the Silver Dollar Room, and will serve as a Pop Montréal preview for those lucky enough to attend the festival this weekend (and presumably as some sort of compensation for those who are not). Toronto favourite the Rural Alberta Advantage will be playing, along with the [...]

My Other City is a Farm

Photo by mama loo from the Torontoist Flickr Pool. Cities can, should, and may need to start producing much of their own food. Four panellists—a farmer, an historian, an architect, and an activist—collectively presented a vision of cities as centres of agriculture at the From the Ground Up lecture, held Wednesday night at the Gardiner [...]

Urban Planner: August 13, 2008

LECTURE: Dr. Marianne Sommer of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology is giving a lecture called “Popular Primates: A Time-Travel Through National Geographic.” The talk is a reflection on the history of National Geographic, and how public interest in primates has been shaped since the publication’s inception in 1888. Hosted by broadcaster Erika Ritter. OISE [...]

Urban Planner: July 21, 2008

READING: Before his band’s show tonight at the Music Gallery, Drew Daniel of electronic duo Matmos will be reading from his tribute to Throbbing Gristle’s album 20 Jazz Funk Greats (as part of the 33 1/3 book series). This Ain’t the Rosedale Library (86 Nassau Street), 1 p.m., FREE. MUSIC: The Eagles are a cover [...]