The Filtered Excellence: July 24, 2014

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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:

A Most Wanted Man. “A Most Wanted Man,” is the film adaption of famed British espionage novelist John le Carre’s 2008 work by the same title. The slow-burning suspenseful, thriller unfolds in the port city of Hamburg, gloomy and gray. A savagely beaten and tortured Chechen-Russian man illegally immigrates to the city’s Islamic community with a whole lot of money and seeking political asylum, thus igniting the interest of both German and US agencies. The spy games are on. What is this man’s true identity, and will they find out the truth before it’s too late? It’s a post 9/11 tale that is quite relevant to our times, in which covert transgressions are often carried out in the name of national security. In what was to be his last completed film, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Günther Bachmann, a cagey, shrewd, loner of a German intelligence officer who leads a deeply classified anti-terror unit. Supported by a solid cast including, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, and Rachael McAdams, Hoffman gives a subtly understated, yet true-to-form powerful performance as a somewhat burned-out, yet uncompromising, weathered old pro in this Official Selection of The 2014 Sundance Film Festival, directed by Anton Corbijn.

Magic In The Moonlight starring Colin Firth and Emma Stone. Written and Directed by Woody Allen. The latest offering from Woody Allen – who has written and directed a least one film a year since 1975 – continues on his explorations on matters of the heart. The film stars Colin Firth as Stanley, a famous magician (who performs his act under the persona of Wei Ling Soo) who questions the existence of God and spiritualism. Those beliefs are put to the test when he’s asked to prove that Sophie (Emma Stone), a spiritualist about to marry into a wealthy family, is a fraud. Not only does Sophie appear to be the real deal, Stanley finds herself falling for her as well. Using the 1920’s as a backdrop, this is a light breezy romantic comedy that has all touches on familiar Allen themes. Light years ahead of what is passing from rom-coms these days. Magic In The Moonlight opens on Friday. You can also go to www.magicinthemoonlightmovie.com for more info.


 

LISTEN TO THIS:

The Breeze: An Appreciation Of J.J. Cale by Eric Clapton & Friends. It was no secret that Eric Clapton was a fan of J.J. Cale. Two of Clapton’s biggest hits, ‘After Midnight’ and ‘Cocaine’ were Cale compositions, and ‘Lay Down Sally’, and ‘Promises’ owed a lot to the Tulsa sound that Cale helped pioneer. Clapton and Cale would also team up to record the Grammy winning album ‘The Road To Escondido’. To mark the 1 year anniversary of the passing of singer-songwriter-guitarist J.J. Cale, Eric Clapton assembled an all-star band to pay tribute to his long time friend and collaborator. Clapton plays tasty guitar on all of the tracks and sings lead on several including a joyous romp through ‘Call Me The Breeze’. But the album belongs to the guest stars. Tom Petty eerily recreates Cale’s raspy whisper-like vocals on ‘I Got The Same Old Blues’ and ‘The Old Man And Me’. Cale disciple Mark Knopfler is exceptional on ‘Someday’ and ‘Train To Nowhere’, while John Mayer continues to elevate his musical chops with his extraordinary takes on ‘Lies’, ‘Don’t Wait’ (a duet with Clapton) and an aching version of ‘Magnolia’. Cale contemporary Willie Nelson adds his usual elegance to ‘Songbird’ and’Starbound’ while longtime Cale bandmate Don White almost steals with the show with passionate reads on ‘Sensitive Kind’ and ‘I’ll Be There’. ‘Crying Eyes’ is a fitting coda with Clapton and Christine Lakeland sharing vocals and Derek Trucks adding a mournful guitar. This is a beautiful labor of love that wonderfully honors an exceptional musician, singer and songwriter. If you are fan of J.J. Cale, you’ll love this album. If you’re not a fan of J.J. Cale, this will make you one.

Eric Clapton & Friends – The Breeze (An Appreciation of JJ Cale) will be available on July 29th through Amazon, Itunes and all major music retailers.

READ THIS:

Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller’s Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman. Michael Rockefeller, son of the governor of New York and grandson of the America’s first billionaire, was only twenty-three when he disappeared off the coast of New Guinea in 1961. His boat had capsized and dumped him and his guide into the water, so Rockefeller began the swim to shore to get help. What happened to him after that, no one knows. Despite exhaustive efforts to locate him, he was never seen or heard from again. In Savage Harvest, Hoffman details Rockefeller’s love of primitive art and drive for adventure that led him to New Guinea, as well as his own journey to recreate Rockefeller’s trip and learn about the customs and people who live there. He also shares his own theory about what happened to young Rockefeller, a theory soaked in blood, revenge, and native customs. Both journeys make Savage Harvest a fascinating read.

 


 

DOWNLOAD THIS

Wider Image. This app shows the events of the world as seen through the eyes and lenses of Reuters award-winning photojournalists. Using photos and video, you’ll uncover stories, people and places that won’t make the daily news cycle. There’s also expansive behind the scenes images and insights about the photojournalists who are there in the trenches. New content flows in daily, so there always something new to experience.

The Wider Image app is available exclusively through the Apple App Store.

 

BUY THIS:

Leica D-Lux 6. Leica continues its 100th Anniversary celebration with the latest in their acclaimed D-Lux series. Compact and lightweight, the D-Lux 6 can comfortably slip into your bag or your jacket pocket c. It features a 10.1MP 1/1/7″ CMOS sensor and a maximum aperture of f/1.4 and an ISO sensitivity ranging from 80-12800. In short, it’s super fast, captures fast moving subjects and produces crisp, high contrast shots regardless of low lighting . All this, plus the ability to shoot full HD 1080p video. Don’t let the $699 retail price scare you away: This is a concise, durable camera that will produce high end work that will pay dividends for decades.


 

TRY THIS:

Damn Good Chicken.  Chef Rob Derin developed his damn good chicken recipe in the style of Cornell chicken BBQ.  Using only the freshest ingredients and local vendors, Rob marinates his chicken for 24 hours before grilling it over natural hardwood charcoal and continuously basting for moist chicken with a crisp skin.  Not only do they make Damn Good Chicken, but they make a damn good chicken sandwhich.


 

DO THIS

NEW YORK CITY: The Animation Block Party. Now in its 11th year, BAM’s Animation Block Party has been the East Coast’s premier festival showcasing international films, experimental shorts, award winning films, student films, special Animations for Kids shows and much more. This year, there will be a 35mm screening of the 1990 hit film Space Jam starring Michael Jordan, Bill Murray and a virtual Who’s Who of cartoon greats. This is a great festival that honors the past, but also has both feet planted in the future. The Animation Block Party will take place at The Brooklyn Academy Of Music July 25th through the 27th.

NEW YORK CITY: The Deep Roots Of Rock n Roll at Lincoln Center Out Of Doors. The Black Rock Coalition – under the direction of Toshi Reagon – and Lincoln Center Out Of Doors team up to present a musical travelogue that honors the many pioneers and innovators that helped create America’s greatest contribution to the musical landscape. Scheduled performers include Nona Hendryx (LaBelle), Vernon Reid & Corey Glover of Living Colour, V. Jeffrey Smith of The Family Stand, poet-singer-songwriter Carl Hancock Rux as your DJ and guide, plus much more. The show received great reviews when it premiered at Pace University last November and with this lineup, it promises to be even more electric. A great afternoon for the entire family. The show starts at 2pm in Hearst Plaza and admission is FREE.

NEW YORK CITY: Heathers at McCarren Park, Brooklyn. Before Mean Girls, there were the Heathers: Heather Duke, Heather McNamara and Heather Chandler, three wealthy girls who ruled Westerburg High with unyielding authority. When the Heathers invite – then discard Veronica from the group, Veronica – along with her rebel outsider boyfriend Jason ‘J.D.’ Dean decide to bring the clique down. Only J.D. wants their downfall to be a permanent one. That was the basis of Daniel Waters’ super dark 1988 comedy Heathers, which was ahead of its time in introducing themes such as homophobia, bullying, and suicide pacts into mainstream films. The movie will screen for free in McCarren Park July 30th and Sean Lennon’s band The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger will play live beforehand. Cool, yet odd way to spend a Wednesday night in the park.

PORTLAND: Rock Poster Artist EMEK is showing at Peoples Art of Portland. EMEK is a rock poster artist who has created memorable concert poster art for bands like Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Van Morrison, Audioslave, Flaming Lips, The Allman Brothers, The Black Crowes, Neil Young and so many others. Emek combines psychedelic ’60s imagery collides with ’90s post-industrial iconography and all his posters are hand drawn. He has painted album covers for Neil Young and Pearl Jam as well as for many punk and alternative bands. He was invited to exhibit at the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame “History of Rock Posters” exhibition and has been featured in national and international magazines, and three of his posters made Billboards list of the top 25 Rock Posters of All Time. The exhibit opens on July 29th at People’s Art of Portland.

PORTLAND: Wes Anderson Film Festival at Portland Art Museum. This unique film festival has been pairing a great selection of Wes Anderson films paired with some of the key films that influenced his own. This weekend you can see “The Magnificent Ambersons” directed by Orson Wells, Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” and Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud.” More great pairings will continue through the month of August so check the website for more information.

PORTLAND: Oregon Brewfest. Celebrating 27 years of craft beers, Portland Oregon’s Waterfront Park hosts the 27th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival July 23 – 27, 2014. The fest will be pouring 88 different craft beers from around the country – plus another 100 in the Specialty Tent, all taking place on the west bank of the Willamette River, with towering Mt. Hood as a backdrop. It’s one of the nation’s longest running and best loved craft beer festivals.


 

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