TALK* Zócalo asks “Is Business Abusing the Ballot?” in a panel discussion tonight. “California businesses are increasingly taking their disputes with cities, labor and especially each other to municipal ballots in the form of initiatives and referenda. As a result, voters, not the market, are forced to pick business winners and losers and decide complex development, planning and zoning questions that are supposed to be handled by city governments.” To discuss this trend are......

This is hot tofu. Cold Tofu brings their brand of Asian-American improv to the New LATC tonight. THEATRE Hot & Ready are two one-woman plays about dating and looking for love. And a few other things. Vanessa Williams’s “Feet on the Ceiling” are stories of a sexual revelations . Juliette Jeffers’s “Looking for a Chocolate Match.com” chronicles Internet dating. 8 pm // Elephant Space Theater // 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles // $20.......

Bikes and graffiti are on tap for today. / Photo by Lush.i.ous via LAist's flickr pool. GRAFFITI ART Ghettogloss presents the graffiti art of Jersey Joe in Silverlake. The exhibit runs until March 20, but the opening reception is tonight from 7-midnight. 7 pm // Ghettogloss // 2380 Glendale Blvd #C, Los Angeles // Free. RIDE & TALK * RIDE-Arc monthly ride -- themed "Trolly" -- happens tonight. The group rides along for awhile......

Can you re-imagine the LA Riverfront? Then checkout tonight's lecture at SCI-Arc. / Photo by Lush.i.ous via LAist's flickr pool. FILM* A classic Japanese double feature plays at the New Beverly tonight and tomorrow. While these films were made more than 50 years ago, the themes are timeless: Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (1952) focuses on a housewife who’s sick and tired of her boring life with her business-minded husband as her niece......

Lots of old school films happening around town tonight. / Photo by get directly down via flickr. THEATRE You have a hand at commenting on the Theatre of NOTE’s play selection this week and next. NOTEwood is their comprehensive series of public readings featuring new, original works. The 2009 season will be chosen from the 30 scripts selected to be read aloud at the year’s NOTEwood reading – but there’s a talk back session......

Drinks with Digital LA tonight at Bodega Bar in Santa Monica (and yes, this is not the Bodega bar) / Photo by C-Monster via LAist's photo pool. FILM I am so scaaared. Writer/director Eli Roth (Hostel) continues his reign at the New Beverly in “The Greats of Roth” series. Tonight, he’s screening the double-feature of The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Cannibal Holocaust (1980), an earlier film that deals with a missing documentary film......

Do you think this is part of the Reno 911! marketing campaign? / Photo by Bernard Mickey Wrangle via flickr. COMEDY* Paging Reno 911! fans: Robert Ben Garant, who plays Deputy Travis Junior, hosts The Armando Show tonight. (It’s an hour-long improvised comedy show inspired by an audience suggestion). He’ll be joined by a few other Reno castmates: Carlos Alazraqui, Thomas Lennon, Niecy Nash, Kerri Kenney and Cedric Yarbrough. 8 pm // iO West......

Life doesn't stop in LA because it's raining. / Photo by kristi.nicole via LAist's flickr pool FILM The American Cinematheque’s Outfest Wednesdays continue at the Egyptian. On the big screen tonight is With You! -- director Yaniv Dabach’s documentary on the formation of New York City’s first gay rugby club, the Gotham Knights. A discussion with Dabach follows the screening – plus there’s a reception hosted by Absolut. 7:30 pm // American Cinematheque at......

Killing on the big screen at the New Beverly tonight, courtesy of Eli Roth. / Photo by hemmob via flickr. TALK Author Katha Pollitt discusses her new book On Learning to Drive: And Other Life Stories with UC Irvine Professor Jon Wiener as part of the ALOUD at the Central Library series. Pollitt is a poet and columnist for The Nation who’ll discuss her latest essays that deal with sex, death, ex-lovers, politics, motherhood,......

Arts and Crafts class at the Craft and Folk Art Museum tonight. / Photo by CarbonNYC via flickr. GET CRAFTY Make your Valentine’s Day gift tonight instead of picking through the lame leftover cards in the Ralph’s card aisle tomorrow. The Craft and Folk Art Museum hosts “A Creative Valentine” and provides materials for you to let your inner artist loose. Couples are encouraged to attend to get a jump start on the Valentine’s......

And you thought the Burger King Chicken was crazy? Check out the Crazy Chickens this week at the Mayan / Photo by upslases via flickr. TALK Could you not get into Michael Pollan last night at the Central Library? No worries because American eating habits and food policy are a hot topic this week. Tonight, the Center for Healthy Communities presents “Hungry for Change: The Politics of Food with Marion Nestle.” The nutritionist, author......

LAist contributer Osmany Rodriguez found a few fresh new Banksy paintings near the New Beverly Cinema. As you may already know, Banksy is the elusive guerrilla street artist responsible for some of the most interesting art in the city (not to mention the entire world). He's a trickster figure who never shows his face, but joined Steve Jones in the Indie 103.1 studios earlier this week (that's how we know he's been in L.A.......

If you see folks walking around with some dirt on their foreheads today, they proabably did it on purpose. It is Ash Wednesday, where Christians are supposed to fast, pray, repent after the debauchery of Mardi Gras and (Super Tuesday). So here' are a few debauch-free events for tonight: WORDS The ALOUD series continues with John Burnham Schwartz, author of Reservation Road, who talks about his new novel set in 1959 Japan where a non-aristocratic......

Yes, we know that rainy days and Mondays can get you down. And doubly so today. But you can turn that mood around by stepping out tonight to one of these great events. Just watch for puddles. TALK Jill Leovy probably writes the Los Angeles Times best blog (excepting LAist’s own Adam Rose, natch). She chronicles almost every murder in LA to give a human element to what would be another crime blotter. Tonight Leovy’s......

TALK What’s up with all the development in Downtown LA? What’s it going to look like in 5, 10 or 20 years? Moderated by Christopher Hawthorne, Los Angeles Times architecture critic, ALOUD at the Central Library features panelists Lauren Bon, Tom Gilmore, Martha Welborne and James Von Klemperer, AIA to discuss all things Downtown and development. 7 PM // ALOUD at the Central Library: Mark Taper Auditorium // 631 Fifth & Flower streets, LA......

We leaf through various calendars so you don't have to. HOLIDAY FUN: The folks at the Troubadour Theater Company who brought us It's a Stevie Wonderful Christmas and Fleetwood MacBeth are back with A Charlie James Brown Christmas. The show features Charlie Brown singing "It's a Man's Man's World" or maybe James Brown singing "Christmas Time is Here." Or maybe it's both? 8 pm // Falcon Theatre // 4252 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles // $20-$37.50.......

FASHION: Inside Project Runway hits Beverly Hills tonight. Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the production, the catfights and, oh yeah, the fashion. Heidi Klum will be there, and organizers promise a few surprise guests. (The main auditorium is sold out, but a few tickets remain for the overflow theatre.) 7 pm // The Paley Center for Media // 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills // $7 for closed-circuit viewing room. OPERA:The LA Opera brings......

For me, Edgar Wright is one of those directors whose films I see the moment they hit theaters. Both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz share a comic spirit that never diminishes even after many viewings. This past August, Wright hosted several sold-out screenings of his films at the New Beverly Cinema and starting December 2nd the New Beverly will turn over its programming reins to him for what is sure to be......

News earlier this month of the death of Sherman Torgan, the owner of the New Beverly Cinema, sent waves across the film community. Waves that reached all the way to London, where filmmaker Neal Romanek was prompted to pen this remembrance and send it along to LAist. At the beginning of the month, I'd swing by the New Beverly to get a new schedule - usually parking illegally on Detroit - usually snatching up......

New Beverly Cinema owner Sherman Torgan died yesterday, unexpectedly, of a heart attack. Two local film blogs, Hollywood Elsewhere and Cinema is Dope are reporting it, and LAist has confirmed the sad news with the revival movie theater. Projectionist Jeff Nowicki of the New Beverly said on the phone with us that Torgan had indeed died in Santa Monica yesterday of a heart attack while on a bike ride. While the theater will be......

• The Grindhouse Film Festival returns to the New Beverly Cinema tonight at 7:30 PM, featuring screenings of The Hollywood Hillside Strangler (aka Hollywood 90028) and Don't Go In the House. Show up on time for the free raffle and vintage exploitation trailers. Admission is $7. • San Francisco avant-pop band (and great live show) Deerhoof are at The Echo with the Flying Luttenbachers and Mika Miko. Show starts at 8:30 PM; tickets are......

FRIDAY • 826LA hosts a conversation—sponsored by Believer Magazine—between Mike Davis (author of City of Quartz and The Ecology of Fear) and Joshuah Bearman, with special guest activist and photographer Monique Verdin. The conversation starts at 7 PM. RSVP here or call (310) 305-8418. • Stars will play an acoustic set from their album Set Yourself on Fire at Amoeba Music at 6 PM. Admission is free. • El Cid features Cerberus Shoal, Mike......

TUESDAY • Show up when doors open at 8 PM to see Broken Social Scene with Feist at the Henry Fonda Theater. Tickets are $23. • Andy Bell (of Erasure) will be putting together a DJ set, along with Cooler Kids present boygirL and DJ Scarlett Casanova tonight at the Knitting Factory. Tickets are $15 and the show starts at 8 PM. • The New Beverly Cinema has a double feature of Bottle Rocket......

Yet again, Halloween approaches and all the ghouls and goths come out to play. Get your blood-and-guts fix this week and next when ScreamFest and the Grindhouse Film Festival hit town. SCREAMFEST LA Founded in 2001, this festival was started to give writers and directors in horror and sci-fi a place to showcase their works to fans and the industry. This year, the festival runs from October 14th – 23rd at the Loews Universal......

THURSDAY • Bernhauser, Anchors for Architects, Seven Times On The Sea, Sticky Children and El Ten Eleven are playing tonight at the Knitting Factory. The show starts at 8 PM. Tickets are $5. • The UCLA Live season kicks off with live theater, featuring plays by Charlie Kaufman and Francis Fregoli, plus music by Carter Burwell and featuring Hope Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan, Meryl Streep and David Thewlis. The plays......

WEDNESDAY • The Decemberists and Sons and Daughters perform tonight at the Henry Fonda Theater. Doors open at 8 PM; tickets are $18. • Spaceland hosts a Katrina benefit featuring Dirty Kings, Numchuck, The Ringers, The Absentee and Demo Team. Doors open at 9 PM. • The UCLA Live season kicks off with live theater, featuring plays by Charlie Kaufman and Francis Fregoli, plus music by Carter Burwell and featuring Hope Davis, Peter Dinklage,......

TUESDAY • The Grindhouse Film Festival returns to the New Beverly Cinema at 7:30 PM, featuring screenings of The Psycho Lover and The Toolbox Murders (the original), with special guests Robert Vincent O'Neil, Frank Cuva, Pamelyn Ferdin, Marianne Walter and Gary Graver. Admission is $7. • Head for the Santa Monica Pier at sunset—or 8 PM for you punctual types—for a free outdoor screening of Zoolander at the Santa Monica Drive-In at the Pier.......

TUESDAY • The Knitting Factory hosts an Iggy Pop concert DVD release and screening tonight at 7 PM. • The Fold at Tangier features Devics, Sabrosa Purr and Annie Stela tonight at 8:30 PM. Cover is $10. • The Grindhouse Film Festival returns to the New Beverly Cinema, this month featuring Shock Waves, directed by Ken Wiederhorn, and Burial Ground, directed by Andrea Bianchi. Admission is $7 and the features start at 7:30 PM.......

THURSDAY • Let's Go Sailing, Say Hi to Your Mom, Summer at Shatter Creek and The Cloud Room are at The Echo tonight at 7 PM. Tickets are $7. [18+] • The Echo hosts another Irregular Wine Tasting on the patio, featuring the films of Verna Bloom along with "A Best-of-the-West Six-Pack of Polite Whites & Rude Reds." Tickets are $18 and the tasting starts at 8 PM. [21+] • At the ArcLight, take......

WEDNESDAY • The Like, Jesca Hoop and Blackbird are at Spaceland tonight. Doors open at 9 PM. • The New Beverly Cinema features Born into Brothels at 7:30 PM, followed by In the Realms of the Unreal at 9:15 PM. • Vroman's Bookstore presents David McCullough at CalTech's Beckman Auditorium, discussing and signing 1776 at 8 PM. McCullough will sign one copy of 1776 as well as one backlist title; there will be no......