It's never a bad time to catch a big-screen showing of Kubrick classic Dr Strangelove, but this one's particularly special. Why? Because the film's followed by a live interview with set design legend Ken Adam. We don't use the term lightly; Norman Foster quotes him as an inspiration for some of the firm's grander projects, most notably Canary Wharf tube station -- it's not hard to see the connection. His Bond movie sets are instantly recognisable (we all know that's what the inside of Fort Knox should really look like). The film itself? Many regard it as Kubrick's best, and it certainly has the final word as the satire on Cold War politics, with Peter Sellers in a triple-role tour de force. The Adam sets are hard to forget, most famously the war room (it's traditional at this point to quote the probably-urban-myth that Reagan expected to see the same room when he was first elected -- he was disappointed). Christopher Frayling is on interview duties, by way of a tie-in to his new biography of Adam.

Giveaway: we have three copies of Ken Adam: The Art of Production Design (Faber & Faber) to give away. They'll go to three randomly picked Flashers who can tell us for which two films did Ken Adam receive an Oscar.

More than just a good-vibe groove band that draws jam fanatic hippies in waves across the US, Medeski Martin and Wood are perhaps too quickly categorised with the epic "jam-bands" like Phish and The Allman Brothers. Their music, an easy mix of jazz, funk and hip-hop, is known for its fluidity and amorphous movement from one form to another, and while these might be classic features of the "Epic Jam Band", MMW have developed their signature style through production rather than pure improvisation. Working with artists ranging from John Zorn to DJ Logic, MMW have created a distinct identity for themselves and have developed an "expect-the-unexpected" type reputation when it comes to their live performances. These two gigs are a part of the End of the World Party tour, their most recent album produced by the prolific John King of the Dust Brothers -- a pair of American producers (Beastie Boys, Rolling Stones...) who have served up electro-pop classics to a thirsty audience for nearly two decades. A promising combination that has been leaving a trail of happy groupies across the US and Europe.

NB: MMW play the Jazz Cafe on both Wed 14/09 and Thu 15/09.

Cornelia Parker sparked off attention with her installation The Maybe at the Serpentine Gallery in the summer of 1995. Thousands of visitors flooded into Hyde Park to see actor Tilda Swinton sleeping inside a glass box. Among the other exhibits on show were items that once belonged to key historical figures, including the rug and cushion from Freud's couch, upon which many looked towards the shadowy world of the subconscious. Now, the Turner Prize-nominated artist enters into dialogue with popular psychoanalyst Darian Leader. The author of Stealing the Mona Lisa: What Art Stops Us From Seeing, Leader promises to reveal intriguing insights into the work of Parker, who is perhaps still best-known for Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View (1991), exhibited at the Tate. In the installation, Parker blew up a garden shed with the help of the British Army, before suspending all the pieces together again, orbiting a light bulb in empty space. In the strikingly beautiful void of this work, Parker suggests the hidden layers of meaning explored by psychoanalysis.

NB: Cornelia Parker has a major new work, Subconscious of a Monument, on show at the RIBA from 21/09 to 25/10.

Only the most churlish Luddite would insist that special effects have only added negative elements to modern filmmaking, and while it's all to easy to be frustrated by the layers of CGI which cloud narrative in a lot of today's epics, sneer at onion-headed virtual Oliver Reeds in posthumous exposition scenes and pooh-pooh phoney gigantic gorillas, the advances go a long way to helping suspend audiences' disbelief -- much further, lest we forget, than Ray Harryhausen-style claymation (watch a film such as the Evil Dead now to remind yourself -- yes, it's a wonderful, terrifying achievement, but the FX-laden denouement looks like something an enterprising toddler could have cooked up with access to playdough and a camera phone). But what about ads? Banished so often to the "I'm going to put the kettle on" hinterland, adverts often feature some of the most cutting-edge FX on our screens -- and it's with our ad education in mind that this talk, given by post-production luminaries like Framestore CFC and The Mill, has been organised. Head down for a fascinating insight on how corporations seek to tug our heartstrings and baffle our senses in their quest to get us to purchase.

NB: this talk is part of the London Design Festival (15/09 to 30/09).

Eat Your Own Ears, who host London-wide nights showcasing the cream of the avant-garde electronica scene and some of the most simultaneously fun and cutting-edge acts that the genre has to offer, are bringing the ICA to life this September. Minotaur Shock and Max Tundra, who perform at this aptly-titled English Oddbods Tour, couldn't be more different stylistically -- Minotaur Shock, the man who put the "ace" in face hair, crafts lovely digital songs which combine pirates, Daphne du Maurier and the oeuvres of Steely Dan and Hall and Oates, whereas Tundra (here DJing) digs the crates for those songs you tap your feet to when they come on the radio and wish that there was a club which played them all. Further support comes from Freeze Puppy and the vocoder-styling Mr_Hopkinson and a live performance from Tunng. There are also promises of extravagant visuals and dream sequences, which should draw your attention away from the rather spartan interior of the ICA itself. We wouldn't recommend that you actually eat your own ears, though -- try this alternative recipe instead.

London has too many DJs! Everyone thinks they can do it (KF writers alike). Hence was born the "gaps-between-songs school of djing", and iPod DJs -- nasty, just nasty! While everyone else is fannying around trying to find themselves a club night to promote, some much more clever people have been inventing, developing and honing the art of VJing. Top of these crossover artists is VJ Anyone who is curating, amongst events all over the UK, a VJ Cult night at the ICA where you can see the work of Eclectic Method, Matt Black, The Light Surgeons, Hexstatic, Addictive TV and more. Watch the craft of sampling moving image and sound live and recorded, plus discuss with the masters themselves, and see a growing art form, which is no longer purely for the pleasure of dance music fans. And may it inspire the rest of us to be a bit more careful of mixing and sampling as we butcher the turntables.

NB: on Sat 17/09 (9pm) catch both Addictive TV, as they perform in a Gaiaspace Dome by the OXO Tower, and Hexstatic performing a live set on a screen in the middle of the Thames (both events are part of this year's Thames Festival).

Popular media worldwide is tackling issues of sexual politics with a voracious appetite, frantically gender-bending and triangulating in on the most bizarre sexual identities. While we may be well-versed in the lingo of trans-trans-sexual swingers and all of the infinite possible combinations of sexual preference, the practical realities of our sexual identities are very often overlooked in the fray. The Future of Men series at the ICA addresses the plainly realistic image of the male in the social climate of the day, his changing needs and the "feminisation" of the masculine identity under the eye of the popular media.

Who's a Metrosexual?
Thu 15/09 at 7pm
Perhaps the very nature of the masculine identity is changing. This talk investigates the effects of consumer culture on the male ego, exploring the suggestion that the "metrosexual" male suffers the same types of stress that have, until now, been primarily associated with the female of the species. It will address questions of the marketecture that exists around the masculine identity, and what the social and emotional effects are on the "target demographic". Speakers are Marian Salzman, Frank Furedi, Mark Simpson, Terri Apter and William Leith.

Why Men Kill Themselves
Sun 18/09 at 4pm
This talk explores further the relationship between the young male in contemporary society, and the prevalence of a disturbingly high rate of suicide within his domain. In addition to exploring the social pressures that are so often designated to issues of suicide in young people, this talk addresses issues of violence and politics in relation to the topography of masculine emotion on an individual level. Why Men Kill Themselves will be an open dialogue between Genevieve Morel and Franz Keltenbach, authors of The Suicide Clinic, Susie Orbach, and Andrew Samuels.

Zeitkratzer have been bringing new context to contemporary works, taking them from the concert hall and to new ears in new ways since their conception in 1997. They take musicians from various backgrounds -- contemporary classical, Eastern European folk, free improvisation, electronica and experimental rock music -- and put them side by side in projects ranging from work with Sonic Youth members to live realisations of Xenakis' electronic tape pieces, then place them in less conventional settings, such as rock clubs and fashion shows. This is not only limited to sonic media, the lighting is an integral part of Zeitratzer's performance, and they have also collaborated with video and body performance artists to create a truly multi-sensual experience. This event is no exception -- in Zeitkratzer's debut UK performance they intend to react to architecture of the Serpentine Pavilion, and explore how it reacts to them. What we can expect will only be revealed on the day in a spontaneous manner: as with any improvised event it is down to the performers, and the members of Zeitkratzer should deliver.

NB: the Serpentine Pavilion music series continues on the 23/09 with Paul Panhuysen and Steve Roden literally playing the building.

Alvin Lucier takes a very different perspective on composing compared to most. The core of the music he writes is based on interactions within a system, be it logical, acoustical or mechanical; it is often not how an instrument sounds on its own which is important but how it reacts with another element of the piece. He will then highlight that interaction, often causing the listener to keep that particular perspective and notice subtleties in other music. Like John Cage before him, Lucier expands the world of what can be considered music to the listener, ultimately increasing your appreciation of what is going on, a view shared with artists of other media in the Tate Modern's Open Systems: Rethinking Art c.1970 exhibition, of which this performance plays a part. Alongside the work of Lucier there will be performances by British composers taught by and influenced by him; his late student Stuart Marshall, established composer John White and new works by the up and coming John Lely, Andrew Morgan and Tim Parkinson.

NB: Open Systems runs till 18/09 so make sure you catch it if you have not done so already. From 16/09 to 19/09 Tate Modern is hosting an Open Systems symposium.

London's seminal event for the architecturally enthused (and the just plain nosy) continues to grow, with over 600 buildings open this coming weekend. You know the score by now -- buildings ranging from the very large, through classic icons, to the very small, throw open their doors to the public for one weekend only. In fact there's so much worth seeing, that you'd have to be mad to attempt a "Top Ten" list. So here's ours:

Isokon Building Exhibition
Beautifully thought through renovation by Avanti Architects of Wells Coates' defining early modernist building -- a 1920s ocean liner beached in Belsize Park.

89 Genesta Road
Another early modern classic -- part of Lubetkin's first and only modernist terraced housing.

Fawood Children's Centre
Unintentionally, one of three Alsop buildings on our list. He's just everywhere at the moment (to the annoyance of some).

Artchive -- Philip Hughes Studio
A pavilion/summerhouse/studio/gallery/workshop which apparently uses mirrors and glazed surfaces to produce theatrical distortion of spaces. Can't argue with that, can you?

TUC Congress Centre
Not trendy and new, but an important 1950s modernist piece. Included on our list, as it may soon get demolished.

Gibbs Building, Wellcome Trust
A solid recent work by Hopkins, greatly enhanced by an enormous Thomas Heatherwick sculpture.

Queen Mary College, Institute of Cell & Molecular Science
Alsop at his bonkers best -- black spiky things, orange molecule things, white blobby things. Obviously made sense to him at the time.

61 Courtfield Gardens
The coolest basement flat in London, apparently.

Sponge Trail of Eco-Buildings
The best exploratory trails always end at... the pub!

Goldsmith's College Visual Arts Department
...and finally, a chance to see inside that shiny building with the big squiggle on top.

What does Hoxton mean to you? The Red Room documents stories from its residents and conjure many different answers to that question. Written by Lisa Goldman from that verbatim starting point, this is a promenade in Hoxton's streets and spaces, starting and finishing in the theatre of Hoxton Hall. We're led through flats and estates, galleries and bars, threaded along the history of this community's recent transformation into a hipster ghetto through regeneration money, a regeneration that's left the residents behind; the promenade circles around a massive pile of rubble that was once a youth centre, a stony silent rebuke to all that. It's a thrilling encounter with startling performances -- especially from the youth artists who pepper the company -- in an amalgam of contrasting performance styles. There are unintentionally awkward moments: what do the residents not included in the project know or think as we audience process past? What are we really being asked to do here? But even that unease provokes questions about our own role as audience and arty voyeurs in this community. Required viewing -- an adventure unafraid to make a stand -- if you can get tickets in what's a very limited run.

By the standards of today's films it's easy to forget how a film like Hanif Kureishi's mould-braking My Beautiful Laundrette, directed by Stephen Frears, managed to raise voices of discontent back in the volatile climate of 1985. Omar, a young Pakistani, played by Gordon Warnecke, latches onto the entrepreneurial mood of Thatcherism, and, along with ex-skinhead Johnny, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, takes the reigns of his family's "Powders" laundrette. Their ensuing but tentative love affair, and testing of family ties, become focal points in a narrative which exemplifies the changing face of Britain and notions of Britishness, bringing a frictional combination of issues surrounding sexuality, class and ethnicity to the fore.

NB: My Beautiful Laundrette will also be screened on 15/09 (8:45pm) and 16/09 (4:30pm). On 22/09 (7pm) at the London Review Bookshop catch Hanif Kureishi as he reads from his memoir My Ear at His Heart (Faber & Faber).

Giveaway: we have three copies of My Ear at His Heart to give away. They'll go to three randomly picked Flashers who can tell us the title of the novel that won Hanif Kureishi a Whitebread Award.

Whereas most DJs are happy to bang any old rubbish on that gets the dancefloor moving and hope that their excessive consumption of cocaine and booze allows them to vaguely get the next record playing in time, some like to go one step further, Richie Hawtin being a prime example. Since bursting onto the scene in the early '90s as Plastikman with a series of minimalist takes on Detroit techno, the sound that stripped the genre down to its bare acid bleached bones, he has constantly honed and refined his technique. Now sounding more like a Maths professor then techno DJ, the press release for his latest mix DE9: Transitions eschews the normal patter of prime time bangers, exclusive white labels and hands in the air euphoria for a more considered discussion of spatial awareness, amplitude and time. Whether this will mean jack to the army of pill hungry monsters who make the pilgrimage to see him play an all too infrequent set at Fabric this Saturday remains to be seen. And if that all sounds like too much hard work for a Saturday night then never fear as the rest of the line-up should provide less complicated fun: fresh from his Bestival, Rob da Bank hosts one room alongside Soul Mekanik and Max Sedgley, whilst Slam and Terry Francis go all tech-house in the other.

Fans of Buster Keaton should need no encouragement for seeing his work on the big screen. But a live musical accompaniment from the resident pianist turns the Riverside's screenings into extraordinary live events, where you'll feel buoyed by the waves of laughter from a likely packed house of young-at-hearts. This Sunday is a double bill of two longer features Spite Marriage and The Cameraman, both directed by Edward Sedgwick. Those who don't know Keaton should discover he's the true king of comedy: masterly dark slapstick coupled with an unbending deadpan stoicism and piercing storytelling; Beckett does Loony Toons. Unmissable.

The good news about the end of the summer is that it is the beginning of Dance Umbrella. For over two months the best of international dance companies visit London's vibrant dance scene and bring the flavour of the moment in what is both acclaimed and challenging work. This year the festival comes with a French twist: France Moves, a five-week presentation of some of the very best established and emerging companies and choreographers that France has to offer. Don't miss Lyon Opera Ballet with a show by Phillippe Decoufle (06/10 and 07/10) or of course Sylvie Guillem with Russell Maliphant (30/09 to 03/10). Also check out Rachid Ouramdance/l'Association fin novembre (08/10 and 09/10) with a show about youth and death on the internet. Catherine Diverres brings an homage to Bauhaus master Oskar Schlemmer with San (Beyond), presented alongside a Butoh inspired piece: Stance II (18/10 and 19/10). And if you fancy something a bit more risque why not go to Canadian Daniel Leveille Danse's La pudeur des icebergs (The Modesty of Icebergs) (01/11 and 02/11). And among a great selection of home-grown talents don't miss Rashpal Singh Bansal (21/10 and 22/10). Since the festival is hugely popular, our advice is to check out the programme and book asap!

NB: Dance Umbrella 2005 runs till 13/11.

Don't Fake the Funk return for the third in their new series of Tight nights, bringing some much needed electronic noise to Brixton. Headlining this month are New Zealand-based Coco Solid, a furious mix of booty bass, Detroit techno and avant-garde rap that is guaranteed to see asses being shaken on the dancefloor. In support are the melodic Echaskech who recently headlined the Masterpeace Festival debacle and local boy done good The Byte Strypes, whose acid tinged electronic workouts have seen him snapped up by the ever on point Werk label. DJ SP and Coco Solid's Han Baby fill in the gaps with a filthy mix of electro, weird beat and dirty noise.

Is your iBook and Bluetooth ability all feeling a tad too butch for you? Where's the pus*y in PC World? Or the menstruation in a PSP from Playstation? Crude, we know, but does technology favour the masculine? One look at a tech magazines marketing segmentation plan, and you can probably bet they are thirsting for the pen*s pound. So what does the future hold? Venus Rising at Dana gives you a chance to look for the flaws in our new toys, and figure out how the future of mobile technology can have a bit more of the femme about it. The Dana Centre does for the adult mind what those feely, touchy, riot-inciting exhibits at the Science Museum do for children, it makes science relevant and interesting. Venus Rising gives you the chance press the buttons of Professor Lev Manovich (University of California San Diego) and Emma Westecott from International Film School Wales, but please form an orderly queue -- and no pushing!

NB: this event is free but places must be booked by calling 020.7942.4040 or by emailing tickets@danacentre.org.uk.

Heralded as a lo-fi icon and a statesman of indie-rock, Stephen Malkmus' solo adventures since the demise of Pavement were unlikely to be perceived as important or groundbreaking as his previous work. However, recent release Face The Truth represents a definite return to form, combining the more straightforward songs of his self titled 2001 debut with the further expansive and darker elements of 2003's Pig Lib. Essential Malkmus traits -- noodly intros, ironic refrains and stream of consciousness lyrical interplay -- are intertwined within playful experimentation with synthesisers and drum machines. Standout tracks such as "It Kills", the effervescently melodious "Mama" and the crookedly anthemic "Baby C'mon" convey an unassuming optimism and the whole record suggests a sense of artistic contentment. Malkmus has stubbornly refused to play any Pavement songs since the band's demise -- a stance he is unlikely to alter; however, there is enough quality within his solo catalogue to ensure this rare and anticipated appearance will surprise and impress the curious, whilst cementing his status as a cherished indie-legend.

A ten-day retrospective and symposium to discuss one of the most prolific, controversial and extraordinary European directors makes a brave attempt to show as much as possible of Werner Herzog's 53 films spanning 40 years. Known for capturing unusual people, animals and cultures from the edges of society and the globe on film, his work continuously grapples with human existence by looking at its extremes. For film scholars in the making the weekend-long symposium (16/09 to 18/09) features top academics from Europe, the US and Australia. There will also be a preview screening of his latest feature film, Wild Blue Yonder (16/09), a chance to see the epic period pieces set in the jungle Aguirre, the Wrath of God (16/09) and Fitzcarraldo (17/09); as well as the controversial Stroszek (17/09), where Herzog cast an institutionalised alcoholic to play the lead. The retrospective also features screenings of several of his documentaries where the subject-matters vary from the life and death of a man obsessed with grizzly bears, to the Gulf War and the blind and deaf.

NB: this retrospective runs till 22/09. For the full programme see both the Goethe-Institut and Institut Francais websites. Another film of note screening three times this week is Masumura Yasuzo's Red Angel (at the NFT).

Walking into the lobby of Camden People's Theatre already feels like entering a forest. Not least because of the ultra glamorous nymphs staffing the cloakroom. A Tannoy announcement invited us to enter into a contract with Pacitti Company; do not look over your shoulder once seated in the auditorium, it requested. Needless to say, that alone created tension and amusingly constipated stiffness in our fellow audience members. 30 of us sat in a circle; we felt 12 years old again and on summer camp at night in the middle of a forest about to listen to scary stories. We were about to be presented with a meticulous allegorical ritual, punctuated by stories that had us gasping for fresh air (of which there wasn't any) or silently laughing. Slowly the cast of three, including director Robert Pacitti, built a life size iconic altar-piece featuring a naked man, a branch, coins and all kinds of artefacts. They created the most poignant and exquisite metaphorical tableau portraying capitalism, loss, loneliness and suffering as well as sex, sadism and hope. Supported by a haunting score by Sebastian Castagna and riveting sign language performance this show is challenging, exciting and very sensual. (Runs till 24/09.)

Promotion: buy two tickets for the price of one via ticketweb.co.uk by typing in the following promotion code "spacious" (offers last one day and expires at the end of 14/09).

Much talked about winners of a Golden Lion at 2003's Venice Biennale Oliver Payne and Nick Relph's solo exhibition at the Serpentine shows off the eclecticism of their video work. One of the earlier pieces on display, The Essential Selection, is a trilogy of documentaries lauding, narrating, and ridiculing the subjects of London, suburbia and the countryside. At times the artists reveal their middle-class suburban backgrounds in their paean to London in which, with awe struck mockney accent, they concentrate on cliched elements of the city such as the South Bank skateboarders. Other works appear far more stylised, referencing music promos: the prime example being one of the best pieces on display, Mixtape, in which we are given a whirlwind montage of imagery to an advert friendly soul track. Definitely worth checking out to see what all the chat is about. (Runs till 02/10).

NB: for another excellent but different video exibition make sure you check out Candice Breitz' Mother and Father at White Cube.

Downtown Manhattan's iconic leftfield rockers had hardcore fans harrumphing in 1990 when the quartet -- previously regarded as sainted exemplars of maverick indie-dom -- unexpectedly took the corporate shilling -- and signed with Geffen. Aficionados needn't have panicked. Following up their hugely influential indie album triumvirate, EVOL, Sister and Daydream Nation, the resulting Goo turned out to be arguably their least compromising and noisiest collection to date. It may not have been as exhilarating a blast as its predecessors but within its, by turns, angular and melting avant-rock landscape lie some playfully compelling nuggets. "Tunic" is bassist Kim Gordon's warped but touching tribute to late MOR chanteuse Karen Carpenter while "Mary-Christ" must have rocked the Geffen board room with its lyrics about dating Jesus' mother... Elsewhere Public Enemy's Chuck D joins the fray while leader Thurston Moore sings about girls, frustration and UFOs as he and fellow guitar pyrotechnician Lee Renaldo do their amp-shredding worst. Ultimately, Goo is a minor work in the SY canon but this reissue, which boasts an extra CD of outtakes and alternative version, proves there was such a thing as genuine major label "alternative rock" a good four years before Nirvana hit their straps.

To buy Goo online click here.

This beautiful volume ambitiously rounds up a selection of new comic book material from around the world including the likes of Marcel Dzama (Canada), the poignant autobiographical work of Marjane Satrapi (Iran), the Gothic vision of artist Nikhil Singh and writer John Dunning (Africa), the Hindu-inspired and deeply unsettling phantasmagoria of Jim Woodring (US) and rising UK star Barnaby Richards (recently commissioned by designer Paul Smith), among others. This publication is very much a show of confidence in the UK comic scene that is currently burgeoning with a wealth of underground artists awaiting broader recognition. Take note nascent comic publishers... The book is intended for both comic enthusiasts as well as for lovers of illustrative work, and neither group will be disappointed with the broad diversity of work presented here.

NB: to coincide with the launch of the book there is an exhibition at London's Magma Clerkenwell gallery, which runs till 29/09 (private view on 15/09). The exhibition includes new work from the artists featured in the book, as well as a few notable additions, including comic artwork by UK-based animator Alex Smith.

To buy Pictures & Words: New Comic Art and Narrative Illustration online click here or buy it through Walther Koenig Books at the Serpentine Gallery (020.7706.4907).

KultureFlash is a free, weekly newsletter covering contemporary culture in and around London. Each week we track down some of the more unusual and interesting events taking place in the Capital and deliver them straight to your inbox. Featuring art, gigs, films, talks, clubs and more -- we are committed to bringing you an eclectic mix of the most stimulating events in London.

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