Ten must-see events at the Bell Lightbox this fall
Toronto’s film industry is on quite a roll these days. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World opened last weekend to rave reviews (if not outstanding box office results). And judging from the lineup of events for the new Bell Lightbox, Toronto is getting a wicked new film house. The Lightbox is set to open its doors September 12; its programming is centred around the Essential Cinema, TIFF’s selections of the 100 best films of all time, starting September 23. There will be so much going on that a preliminary rundown is essential. Here, a roundup of 10 events to check out this fall.
1. The Passion of Joan of Arc
The Lightbox has hired musicians to play live, on-the-spot accompaniment for five silent films as part of the Essential 100 series. TIFF’s number one–ranked film, 1928’s The Passion of Joan of Arc, will feature the Toronto Consort playing a score by Richard Einhorn. Sept. 25 and 29.
2. Michael Nyman
The ninth-best film, Man With a Movie Camera, is painstakingly reconstructed as a 64-minute experimental film called NYman With a Movie Camera by British composer Michael Nyman (The Piano, The Draughtsman’s Contract). The Michael Nyman Band will perform the score on October 23 and play alongside the film on October 24.
3. David Cronenberg
Toronto’s famed filmmaker will present his 1983 classic Videodrome, ranked 83rd on the Essentials list. Sept. 23 and 24.
4. Isabella Rossellini
The night of October 12 will be a frantic one for the daughter of director Roberto Rossellini and actress Ingrid Bergman. The Italian beauty queen will screen Mom and Pop’s 1953 classic Voyage in Italy; segments from her Green Porno series; Guy Maddin’s tribute to her father, My Dad Is 100 Years Old; and her most famous acting credit, David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. They couldn’t make her stay another day?
5. Peter Bogdanovich
The acclaimed film scholar and director will be wearing his academic hat at the Lightbox, introducing the Orson Welles all-time fave (and second-ranked TIFF fave), Citizen Kane, on October 30 and cowboy classic The Searchers on October 29.
6. Walter Murch
Walter Murch, the multiple Oscar–winning sound editor of Apocalypse Now, The Conversation and The English Patient, will speak about the history of the cinematic world and explore what film would be like if it had been invented 100 years earlier, in 1789. Oct. 10.
7. New movies
There will be various theatrical runs of new movies, but the ones we’re most excited about are Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies (starting October 21), Xavier Dolan’s Les Amours imaginaires (starting September 23) and the Allen Ginsberg biopic Howl starring James Franco (starting October 7). Who would have thought Franco would take on another role as a prominent gay man?
8. Taxi Driver with Liam Lacey
The Globe’s esteemed critic Liam Lacey will present Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (ranked 45 in the TIFF list) on October 14 as part of the series of classic films enjoying extended runs at the Lightbox. Other Globe writers will join in on the fun in a post-show discussion.
9. Wavelengths
Toronto artist Michael Snow will present his pioneering 1967 experimental film Wavelengths on October 4, with a group discussion featuring renowned film scholars to follow the screening.
10. The 120 Days of Sodom
On October 23, John Waters, the man who brought us such notorious cult films as Hairspray, Cry-Baby and Pink Flamingos, will present Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Sàlo, or The 120 Days of Sodom, which is generally regarded as the most shocking movie of all time. Waters, a.k.a. the Pope of Trash, is by far the most qualified person to, um, explain Pasolini’s immensely pornographic take on the Marquis de Sade’s famous work.
• Now in the spotlight: the Lightbox [Globe and Mail]
• TIFF Special Events
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/culture/ten-must-see-events-at-the-bell-lightbox-this-fall/&title=Ten must-see events at the Bell Lightbox this fall&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/passionofjoan.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_35807" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="The Passion of Joan of Arc is TIFF's favourite film of all time"][/caption]
Toronto's film industry is on quite a roll these days. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World opened last weekend to rave reviews (if not outstanding box office results). And judging from the lineup of events for the new Bell Lightbox, Toronto is getting a wicked new film house. The Lightbox is set to open its doors September 12; its programming is centred around the Essential Cinema, TIFF's selections of the 100 best films of all time, starting September 23. There will be so much going on that a preliminary rundown is essential. Here, a roundup of 10 events to check out this fall.
1. The Passion of Joan of Arc
The Lightbox has hired musicians to play live, on-the-spot accompaniment for five silent films as part of the Essential 100 series. TIFF’s number one–ranked film, 1928’s The Passion of Joan of Arc, will feature the Toronto Consort playing a score by Richard Einhorn. Sept. 25 and 29.
2. Michael Nyman
The ninth-best film, Man With a Movie Camera, is painstakingly reconstructed as a 64-minute experimental film called NYman With a Movie Camera by British composer Michael Nyman (The Piano, The Draughtsman’s Contract). The Michael Nyman Band will perform the score on October 23 and play alongside the film on October 24.
3. David Cronenberg
Toronto’s famed filmmaker will present his 1983 classic Videodrome, ranked 83rd on the Essentials list. Sept. 23 and 24.
4. Isabella Rossellini
The night of October 12 will be a frantic one for the daughter of director Roberto Rossellini and actress Ingrid Bergman. The Italian beauty queen will screen Mom and Pop’s 1953 classic Voyage in Italy; segments from her Green Porno series; Guy Maddin’s tribute to her father, My Dad Is 100 Years Old; and her most famous acting credit, David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. They couldn’t make her stay another day?
5. Peter Bogdanovich
The acclaimed film scholar and director will be wearing his academic hat at the Lightbox, introducing the Orson Welles all-time fave (and second-ranked TIFF fave), Citizen Kane, on October 30 and cowboy classic The Searchers on October 29.
6. Walter Murch
Walter Murch, the multiple Oscar–winning sound editor of Apocalypse Now, The Conversation and The English Patient, will speak about the history of the cinematic world and explore what film would be like if it had been invented 100 years earlier, in 1789. Oct. 10.
7. New movies
There will be various theatrical runs of new movies, but the ones we’re most excited about are Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies (starting October 21), Xavier Dolan’s Les Amours imaginaires (starting September 23) and the Allen Ginsberg biopic Howl starring James Franco (starting October 7). Who would have thought Franco would take on another role as a prominent gay man?
8. Taxi Driver with Liam Lacey
The Globe’s esteemed critic Liam Lacey will present Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (ranked 45 in the TIFF list) on October 14 as part of the series of classic films enjoying extended runs at the Lightbox. Other Globe writers will join in on the fun in a post-show discussion.
9. Wavelengths
Toronto artist Michael Snow will present his pioneering 1967 experimental film Wavelengths on October 4, with a group discussion featuring renowned film scholars to follow the screening.
10. The 120 Days of Sodom
On October 23, John Waters, the man who brought us such notorious cult films as Hairspray, Cry-Baby and Pink Flamingos, will present Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Sàlo, or The 120 Days of Sodom, which is generally regarded as the most shocking movie of all time. Waters, a.k.a. the Pope of Trash, is by far the most qualified person to, um, explain Pasolini's immensely pornographic take on the Marquis de Sade's famous work.
• Now in the spotlight: the Lightbox [Globe and Mail]
• TIFF Special Events){kind=link}