FILM: Tonight at 7:30 pm is a preview screening of Ashes of Time Redux by Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai. The 1994 martial arts epic has been digitally restored and recut with cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma. “A highlight of this year’s Cannes, this dreamlike adventure of lone swordsmen and unrequited love is set in the Gobi desert.”

DEBATE*: The second McCain v. Obama presidential debate takes place tonight at 6 pm. There are a number of debate-watching parties including one at Boulevard 3 in LA organized by pro-Obama groups. There’s a $10 donation at the door. There are a few McCain-Palin parties out there, too.

WORDS: The Hammer Museum will hold the forum “Counting Votes and Making Votes Count” tonight at 7 pm. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who is responsible for overseeing state and federal elections to ensure the integrity of voting machines, will discuss the status of voter reform in advance of the November Presidential election. She’s joined by Professor Richard Hasen, one of the leading experts on voting systems, election law, and campaign finance regulation, and co-editor of the Election Law Journal.

SLASH: Slash – yes, that Slash of GNR fame – is scheduled to make a meet and greet tonight at the Sam Ash Music Store on Sunset from 4-6 pm to celebrate the release of the new Gibson USA and Epiphone Slash Signature Les Paul model guitars.

LEARN: Blankspaces hosts Hollywood and Creative Career Coach David Brownstein for the discussion “Creative Career Strategies: How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want.” This serves as the October Meetup for Blankspaces, a co-workspace community for entrepreneurs.

Photo by victoriabernal via LAist's flickr pool.

*Pencil pick of the day

Check out other upcoming events on our LAist Agenda: October.