The Filtered Excellence: April 14, 2016

tribeca film

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Once a week we take a break from comedy to bring you this weeks picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more.


WATCH THIS:

Confirmation.  Sexual harassment in the workplace became front and center during the 1991 Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings in 1991. At the center of the controversy was Anita Hill, who worked under Thomas during his time in the Circuit Court.  Hill claimed that Thomas made numerous overt sexual advances to her and had witnesses to back her claim.  Those witnesses were never called and the Senate confirmed Thomas by a narrow margin.  Nevertheless, Hill’s testimony launched a campaign that led to a national discussion on sexual harassment in the workplace and sweeping changes in policy.  A new HBO film looks back at the events leading up to Thomas’ confirmation and its lasting effects on the nation.  Kerry Washington (who also is on board as Executive Producer) stars as Anita Hill, with Wendall Pierce portraying Thomas.  They anchor an all-star cast that includes Jennifer Hudson, Jeffrey Wright, Greg Kinner, and Treat Williams.   Expertly directed by Rick Famuyiwa and working off a script by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), the film is part courtroom drama and tense political thriller  A great look at a key moment in modern American history.  Confirmation premieres April 16th on HBO.  You can also go to http://www.hbo.com/ for more information.

Jackie Robinson.  He was one of the most important people in American history, but who was the real Jackie Robinson?  That is at the heart of this new two-part, four hour documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon.   As with most Burns productions, this documentary is rich in research, uncovering new information about Robinson’s early years growing up in a single parent home in California, early brushes with the law in regards to racial matters; and his exceptional career and high school and collegiate athletics.  It also gives new insight into his stint in the Army, where he was subjected to court martial hearings after refusing to move to the back of an unsegregated Army bus.  All of which serves as a necessary prelude to being the first Black player to play Major League Baseball and how it kicked off the American Civil Rights Movement.   Burns also devotes a significant portion of the doc on Robinson’s life after baseball, as he broke the color barrier in the corporate world and navigated his way through sometimes uneasy relationships with civil rights leaders, political leaders and even with Major League Baseball.  It also deals with Robinson’s home life, the unbreakable bond between him and his wife Rachel, and his often difficult relationship with his oldest son, Jackie, Jr.  Much like Robinson, the Burns family and McMahon have crafted an honest, open and uncompromising portrait of an American icon.  Jackie Robinson is airing now on select PBS stations.  You can also go to http://www.pbs.org/ or the Thirteen Explore app for more information.

 

LISTEN TO THIS

Call It What It Is by Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals. After spending the last few years forming two new bands (Relentless7 and Fistful Of Mercy) and collaborating with artists ranging from Charlie Musselwhite, Dhani Harrison and his mother, Ellen Harper, Ben Harper is back with his long time recording and touring unit, The Innocent Criminals.  In their first joint release in nearly a decade, Harper & Co sound as tight and focused as ever, rich with introspective ballads, hints of reggae and Latin music, and full throttle rock n roll.  The group hasn’t a lost a step and you can make a sound argument that this is their best effort to date.  One of the year’s best.  Call It What It Is is available now through Amazon, Itunes and all major music retailers.  You can also go tohttp://www.benharper.com/ for tour dates and additional information.

The Shocking Fuzz Of Your Electric Fur: The Drake Equation by The Veldt. By blending a wall of feedback and rich atmospheric textures on top of highly soulful vocals, The Veldt were poised to take their rightful place in the growing Alternative Rock scene of the 90s.  Despite three critically acclaimed releases, record companies didn’t quite know what to do with a Black Rock band that was more My Blood Valentine and Cocteau Twins than Lenny Kravitz and Living Colour and The Veldt quietly called it a day.  Twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis rebranded the band as Apollo Heights and released another critically acclaimed gem, White Music For Black People in 2010.  Meanwhile, the pop world finally caught up with The Veldt’s brand of shoegaze soul with artists such as Frank Ocean and The Weeknd scoring major hits.  This new EP – which will serve as a primer for a full length album coming out later this year – has The Veldt picking up as if they never left.  Songs such as the gospel influenced ‘Sanctified’, the epic ‘One Day Out Of Life’ and the sweeping closer, ‘And It’s You’, truly takes you off into another dreamy place.  It may have taken 20 years, but it looks as though the world is ready to finally meet The Veldt.  A pop-rock-soul tour de force.  The Shocking Fuzz Of Your Electric Fur is available now through Bandcamp.  You can also go to https://theveldtmusic.bandcamp.com/releases for more information.

READ THIS

Bowie by Steve Schapiro. In 1974, Steve Schapiro, already a highly respected L.A.-based photographer, got a call from David Bowie’s manager to shoot a private session with the singer.  The session went from four in the afternoon until dawn, with Bowie making a series of costume changes and experimenting with new personas.  The results provided images for the albums Station To Station and Low and other shots ended up in several magazines including People.  Now Schapiro has assembled all of the photos from that marathon session into a new book.  He wonderfully captures Bowie at his most playful, relaxed, and creative as he’s about to embark on yet another career reinvention.  Bowie gave Schapiro his full blessing on this project before he passed earlier this year.  It’s easy to see why.  Bowie by Steve Schapiro will be available April 20th through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all major book retailers.  You can also go to http://www.steveschapiro.com/ for more info.

DO THIS

Record Store Day.  In 2008, Record Store Day was established to ‘celebrate the unique culture of independent record stores and the special role they play in their communities’.  Eight years later, Record Store Day is all but a national holiday for the hardcore record collector, with just about every major artist contributing a unique, one of a kind album or single as a way of saying thanks.  Whether you buy vinyl, CDs, cassettes or regulate yourself to shopping online, Record Store Day will offer a variety of specials and sales ranging from the rare to the recently released.  A fun day for the hardcore music fan or the recently converted.  National Record Story Day will take place on April 16th.  You can go to www.recordstoreday.com for a complete list of participating stores and outlets.

New York City:  Tribeca Film Festival.  15 years ago, The Tribeca Film Festival was a three day event that was designed to bring light to an area hardest hit by the 9/11 attacks.  It is now one of, if not, the premiere film festivals in the United States stretching out nearly two weeks.  This year’s edition promises to be its biggest to date.  Among the many events happening:  The 40th Anniversary screening of Taxi Driver at the Beacon Theatre with a post screening panel featuring Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro and Jodie Foster; the premiere of Elvis & Nixon starring Kevin Spacey and Michael Shannon; Mr Church, a highly anticipated film starring Eddie Murphy; Special Correspondents, the new film written and directed by Ricky Gervais; Panel discussions featuring Francis Ford Coppola, Alfonso Cuaron, J.J. Abrams, Chris Rock, Tina Fey, John Oliver, Idina Menzel and much, much more.  There will be tons of short films, special screenings of hit TV shows, competitions and a lot more.  Simply put, this is a must see event for any film fan.  The Tribeca Film Festival runs through April 24th.  You can go tohttp://www.tribecafilm.com/  for a complete rundown of events, tickets and more information.

New York City: Hey! Ho!  Let’s Go!  The Ramones & The Birth Of Punk.  In April 1976, rock n roll officially hit the reset button with the release of the first Ramones album.  It was loud, fast, cool and dangerous – everything that embodied rock itself.  It officially kicked off the New York punk movement and continues to inspire musicians and fans worldwide.  To coincide with the 40th Anniversary of that seminal work, The Queens Museum has teamed up with the Grammy Museum to present a new exhibition that celebrates the band’s legacy and their New York roots.  Loaded with tons of posters, photos, artwork, and gear from band members and private collections, this exhibit is captures the D.I.Y spirit of the times, life in New York in the 70s and 80s, and, of course, celebrates one of rock n roll’s most influential and beloved bands.  A must see for anyone who lives in or is visiting New York City.  Hey!  Ho!  Let’s Go will be at the Queens Museum through July 31st.  You can also go to www.queensmuseum.org for tickets and additional info.

Los Angeles: Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium. The work of Robert Mapplethorpe got thrust into the culture wars when his exhibit of sexually explicit photographs led to an arrest of a museum director and a strong rebuke on the Senate floor by Jesse Helms.  But his art covered a lot more than his interest fetishism:  He was an extraordinary sculptor, graphic artist and portrait photographer.  Now, The Mapplethorpe Foundation has paired up with the Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to present the most extensive retrospective to date.  It will include early drawings, collages, sculptures, Polaroids; a score of archival materials; his exceptional Black & White portraits; rare color photographs and his experimentation with multi-media.    This is a once in a lifetime chance to see a master artist unfiltered and more importantly, uncensored.  Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium will be at The Getty Museum and The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art through July 31st.  You can also go to http://www.lacma.org/ for more information.

 


Want more excellence? Read last week’s The Filtered Excellence and visit The Interrobang Recommmends

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Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.
Earl Douglas
Earl Douglas
Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.