In July 1961, on London’s South Bank, Gustav Metzger put on a gas mask, rubber gloves and a hard hat and proceeded to spray hydrochloric acid in elaborate patterns all over three large screens of white, black and red nylon. Filmed up close, the quick melting and tearing away of fabric is beautiful, disturbing and captivating. Seen from 10 feet away, it looks like a hazmat worker messing around with tattered, ripped sheets.

The full blog post, on the Serpentine Gallery’s Gustav Metzger retrospective, is at the NEW YORK TIMES.

I’ve seen “Do the Right Thing” many times, and have observed and participated in many debates about its value and meaning. But this particular London screening reminded me of just how well it captures the little things that not only set people off, but also calm them down and even make them laugh. There are incendiary and violent moments throughout the film (based on actual events), but there is also plenty of humour and humanity.

The full blog post, on the 20th anniversary screening of Do The Right Thing in London, is at INTELLIGENT LIFE.

In London, about 1,100 people gathered in Leicester Square for the premiere. Video screens showed red carpet arrivals from Los Angeles, the dance troupe Diversity — winner of the television competition “Britain’s Got Talent” — performed a Jackson tribute, and enthusiastic fans wore Jackson-inspired fedoras, gloves and jackets.

The full story, reported by Ben Sisario with contributions from myself and two other reporters, is at the NEW YORK TIMES.

Savy wants Sci-Fi London to be more than just monsters, robots, and space battles. “Many people think sci-fi and instantly think Trekker,” he wrote. “Perhaps when reading the movie/TV guides you will just flick past something that says sci-fi without another thought, missing movies like ‘La Jetee,’ ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ ‘Stalker,’ even Soderbergh’s ‘Solaris’.”

The full blog post, on Sci-Fi London’s 2009 Oktoberfest, is at the NEW YORK TIMES.

Judging by the musky, sweaty smell wafting throughout the room at a recent Bicycle Film Festival screening, my guess is that many in attendance pedalled their way there. A crowd of 100 or so, often in click-in bike shoes and ripped shorts, with messenger bags slung over their shoulders, grabbed bottles of beer and filed into a screening room at London’s Barbican Centre for day two of the festival, which took place from September 23rd to 27th.

The full blog post, on London’s 2009 Bicycle Film Festival, is at INTELLIGENT LIFE.

Kanye West’s self-help book is a small, spiral-bound thing, too big for your back pocket but a perfect fit for the coffee table. Its bright yellow, blue, pink and green text is printed on glossy black paper, often in quite large sizes. It’s durable, so much so that you could throw it across the room and it would survive the launch unscathed.

The full blog post is at INTELLIGENT LIFE.

For several hours on Sunday, Oct. 4, London’s heavily-trafficked Trafalgar Square will be HQ for the city’s ninth annual Diwali on the Square, a cultural observation of the Hindu Festival of Lights that will include fireworks, live music performances, and dancing. Event organizers wouldn’t comment on specific festival details or elaborate on Diwali’s contemporary meanings, but did say they designed the event to be as inclusive as possible.

The full blog post is at the NEW YORK TIMES.

In Jose Eduardo Belmonte’s award-winning 2008 Brazilian film, “If Nothing Else Works Out” (“Se nada mais der certo”), Brazil is not lush and sunny, nor is it filled with soft, warm breezes and rhythmic bossa nova tunes. Instead Belmonte turns his lens on urban Sao Paulo, where skies are often grey, traffic is endless and times are tight for many.

The full blog post is at INTELLIGENT LIFE.

It doesn’t take an ashram to achieve transcendence. From Sept. 25 to 30, London’s Barbican Centre will aim to prove that enlightenment can occur in a formal setting too, by hosting a series of concerts exploring devotional, spiritual and sacred music from around the world. The Transcender Weekender series will feature music designed to encourage contemplation, meditation, and if all goes well, even ecstasy.

The full blog post is at the NEW YORK TIMES.

Shows are relatively small and intimate, start early, usually have shorter set times, and cost nothing. Being able to say you saw a now-famous band in their early days at a small record store also tend to become bragging rights of the highest order. The vibe can sometimes be a little DIY, but hey, it’s free.

The full blog post, on free in-store music performances in London, is at the NEW YORK TIMES.