The Filtered Excellence: August 7, 2014

the-dog

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are 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:

The Dog.   Get a close up look at the real life events and the man who inspired the movie Dog Day Afternoon, and its even weirder than you think.  If John Wojtowicz were more media saavy, current times would look at him as a trailblazer and the ultimate outlaw. In August 1972, Wojtowicz, along with Sal Naturale and Robert Westenberg attempted to rob a Brooklyn branch of Chase Manhattan with the hopes of using the money to fund a sex change operation for his lover, Ernest Aron. When it was over, Naturale was dead and Wojtowicz was looking at 20 years in prison (he served 5 years before getting paroled). Those events became the inspiration for the classic 1975 Sidney Lumet film Dog Day Afternoon starring Al Pacino. Despite the success of the film, Wojjtowicz laid low after his release and died of cancer in 2006. Directors Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren spent 10 years going through archival footage, interviewing his Wojtowicz’s first wife, mother, former associates in the gay rights movement, one of his former hostages ane Wojtowicz himself to paint the ultimate portrait of ‘The Dog” in all of his paradoxes. He underwent many transformations: from pro-military Goldwater Republican to anti-war McCarthy peacenik; a man who married his high school sweetheart in 1966, to a proto-LGBT advocate who ‘married’ Aron pre-sex change operation in 1971;someone who distrusted of media and the system yet went to it to try and secure his spot in pop culture. It’s a fascinating look at the man behind one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema. The Dog opens at the IFC Center and The Film Society Of Lincoln Center in New York this Friday. There will also be Q&A’s with directors Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren following various screenings throughout the weekend.

You can go to www.drafthousefilms.com for additional information.

The Knick. Friday nights at 10pm on Cinemax. There’s a huge buzz over Cinemax’s new leap into original programming and for good reason: Academy Award winner Steven Soderburgh is attached to the project, directing all ten episodes of the series. The show takes place at Manhattan’s Knickerbocker Hospital circa 1900 and stars Clive Owen as new Chief Surgeon Dr. John Thackery. Fueled by enthusiasm – and cocaine – He’s the eagerly experimenting with the new medical treatments to help a city that is surging in population and sickness. The new surgical techniques haven’t caught up yet, which means more people are dying on the operating table than heading on the road to recovery. This only fuels Thackery’s ambitions and his demons. Thackery’s inner circle also has professional and personal dilemnas: Dr Alegernon Edwards (Andre Holland), is an equally gifted surgeon dealing with racism on and off the job; Hospital manager Herman Barrow (Jeremy Bobb), skims money from the coffers to cover his gambling debts; Lucy Elkins (Eve Hewson) is the new nurse looking to prove that she belongs there. Cornelia Robertson (Juliet Rylance) is a philanthropist actively involved with The Knick’s affairs since her family is a significantly donates to the hospital. Dr. Everett Gallinger (Eric Johnson) is the 2nd highest ranking surgeon on the staff and openly hates Edwards’ presence. Add to this a corrupt health inspector, a chain-smoking nun, a thugish ambulance driver and a LOT of blood guts, and you have the makings of television’s next great series. The Knick premieres Friday, August 8th at 10pm Eastern on Cinemax.

You can go to www.cinemax.com for additional run times and more info.

Garfunkel And Oates. Thursday nights at 10pm Eastern on IFC. This new series stars Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel) and Kate Micucci (Oates), a comedy team whose satirical and often dirty songs often puts them at odds with friends, potential lovers and peers. In other words, expect high levels of awkwardness and a lot of laughs. Garfunkel And Oates have been tearing up the comedy circuit for nearly a decade and this show should take it to a whole new level. Garfunkel And Oates airs Thursday nights at 10pm Eastern on IFC.

You can go to www.ifc.com for exclusive clips, behind the scenes material and additional info.

’50s & ’60s Rock Rewind: My Music. PBS is presenting this brand new My Music special doc on Saturday, August 9th. It’s a look at the music from the R&B pioneers to the pop teen crooners that help create Rock and Roll’s first revolution. Rock Rewind features interviews done at the time with early Rock and Roll artists and uses archival footage with performances from back in the 1950s and 1960s from acts like Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Bo Diddley, Johnny Otis, Buddy Holly and The Platters. Be sure to check local listings for when ’50s & ’60s Rock Rewind: My Music premieres in your area.

For more information, go to pbs.org

The Killing on Netflix. Fans of The Killing are rejoicing that the series has been saved for its conclusion by Netflix. The Killing was originally on AMC and was cancelled twice before Netflix came in and ordered a 6 episode fourth and final season to wrap the murder mystery. Netflix has just released the final season this past week. The Killing is the story of homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder played by Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman working to solve the murder of 17 year old girl in Seattle where the investigation also wreaks havoc on a family and brings a political campaign into question. Season 4 of The Killing is available now on Netflix.

For more information, go to netflix.com

 

LISTEN TO THIS:

When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day by Mirel Wagner. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Finland, singer-songwriter Mirel Wagner jolted the music world with her 2012 self-titled album. She sang sparse, blues-based songs about death and all of its consequences and was a far cry from the sunny pop that’s dominating the airwaves. Now signed to Sub Pop, Wagner adds only a touch of added musical instrumentation – a guitar solo here, light orchestration there – but the theme of to the events leading to and after death remain the same. Murder ballads, songs about the bodies buried in the basement, yet the hope of love conquering the great beyond run throughout the album. Wagner’s vocal delivery – a cross between a child and a ghost, will haunt your dreams. Think of this album as the imaginary soundtrack to American Horror Story. It’s also one of the year’s best albums. Deep blues are back and we’re all the better for it.

When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day will be available on August 12th through Amazon, Itunes and all major music retailers.
You can also stream the album for a limited time through NPR by following this link.

READ THIS:

The Skeleton Crew: How Amateur Sleuths Are Solving America’s Coldest Cases by Deborah Halber. Right now, you’re reading this post on the internet. Chances are, you’ve probably been on your computer or phone today: looking at posts, conducting business, checking email, etc. It’s hard to remember when we didn’t spend a lot of time online, but it was less than two decades ago that most people didn’t have access to computers. Which means prior to the internet, it was a whole lot easier for people to disappear, willingly or unwillingly, because information didn’t travel the superhighway. It wasn’t until 1999 that law enforcement officials were required to enter the names and descriptions of people missing more than thirty days into a database. And people go missing all the time: Right now, there are over forty thousand unidentified sets of remains sitting in boxes and drawers across the United States. The Skeleton Crew tells the stories of several armchair detectives, i.e. non-law enforcement workers, who spend time scouring reports about missing persons and trying to match them to found remains. It’s a fascinating book, not just for the stories of the living and the dead, but for all the politics, red tape and territorial issues that come along with this sort of work.

 


 

DO THIS:

NEW YORK CITY: Americanafest NYC at Lincoln Center Out Of Doors. The critically acclaimed Americanafest teams up with Lincoln Center Out Of Doors to bring some of the sights and sounds to the City of New York. Scheduled performers include Roseanne Cash, Cassandra Wilson, Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Tiff Merritt, The Campbell Brothers, The Devil Makes Three, The Old 97’s and much more. If that wasn’t enough, there will be screenings of rare films, archival materials and symposiums featuring many of the artists. And its all FREE. A great way to celebrate and discover American roots music. Americanafest NYC runs through August 10th.

You can go to www.lcoutofdoors.org to get a complete rundown of events.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: The Murray Affair: The Bill Murray Art Show. This exhibit is being called “the world’s largest and greatest Bill Murray art tribute show”. Artists were invited to participate in the exhibition and to create a work of art that depicts the splendor and nuance of Bill Murray. The Murray Affair captures all aspects of Bill Murray’s career, from early SNL days to Ghostbusters to Groundhog Day to his work with Wes Anderson. And it’s showing for one night only! The Murray Affair will be on display at the San Francisco Public Works on Friday, August 8th at 8 pm.

For more information, go to themurrayaffair.com

ASTORIA QUEENS, NEW YORK: Movies on the Waterfront: The Wizard of Oz. Every Monday is movie night on the water at Astoria Park in Queens. Each Monday evening, movie lovers can head to the Great Lawn in Astoria Park at Shore Boulevard between the Hell Gate Bridge and the Astoria pool at 8:30 pm. This Monday in particular is really special. It’s an outdoor screening of the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz” starring Judy Garland. Bring a blanket and refreshments will be available for purchase.

For more information, nycgovparks.org

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA: Pageant of the Masters. This is an amazing exhibit that’s part of the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts. Pageant of the Masters is an annual event where artistic pictures come to life. The show is 90 minutes long and uses real people posed to look like both classic and contemporary works of art. This year’s theme for the Pageant of the Masters is “The Art Detective” and will focus on art pieces that were lost and then later found and some of the secrets behind famous paintings. Pageant of the Masters is going on now through August 30th at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts.

For more information, go to foapom.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Paul McCartney at Candlestick Park. It’s the final event for San Francisco’s legendary stadium, Candlestick Park. And the iconic venue is going out with an iconic act, Paul McCartney. Candlestick has a special place in music history and McCartney. It was where the Beatles played their final concert all together on August 29, 1966. “Farewell to Candlestick: The Final Concert” will happen just weeks before the 48th anniversary of that historic night. Paul McCartney performs Thursday, August 14th at 8 pm. After this final concert, some of the main parts of Candlestick will be auctioned off, like the scoreboard and seats, and then it will be bulldozed.

For more information, go to sfrecpark.org

 


 

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