The Filtered Excellence: June 2, 2016

Collage created using TurboCollage software from www.TurboCollage.com

Collage created using TurboCollage software from www.TurboCollage.com

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:

The Witness. The 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese – which took place over 38 minutes and was reported to have been witnessed by 38 people – symbolized a New York City in decline and big city apathy at its worst.  But what if the circumstances weren’t quite as they seem?  That question is at the heart of this new documentary from James Solomon.  The film follows William Genovese – who was only 16 when his sister was murdered – as he tracks down surviving witnesses to ask why no one tried to help as his sister was being assaulted and killed by Winston Moseley.  He even attempts to interview Moseley – who spent the rest of his life in prison – and his children to further help bring some closure to it all.  But what Genovese manages to uncover is almost as shocking as the crime itself.   Solomon plays this all out like a long, unsolved mystery as Genovese peels away layer after layer behind a story that everyone thought they knew.  Watching the witnesses tell what they saw or heard – along with remembrances of those who knew Kitty Genovese – will break your heart.  A powerful and probing look at a murder that condemned a city and defined an era.  The Witness opens this Friday.

Time To Choose. The global ramifications of climate change, along with the viable solutions that are available to stem the tide, are at the heart of this new documentary from Charles Ferguson (Inside Job, No End In Sight).  With narration by Oscar Isaac, the doc talks to those on the front lines of the climate change debate to show how extreme weather events, unprecedented surges in cancer, obesity, record droughts worldwide are all related to environmental abuse.  Not that all of the news is dire.  Ferguson counters this with stories of how several nations are helping reverse the trend by implementing innovative, natural and inexpensive measures to help save the planet.  Whether you believe in climate change or not, this is an important and probing doc that discuss an issue that affects us all.  Time To Choose opens nationwide this Friday.  You can also go to http://www.timetochoose.com/ for more info.

LISTEN TO THIS

Stranger To Stranger by Paul Simon. No one would be mad at Paul Simon if he, for all purposes, phoned it in.  After writing a lifetime of timeless classics – with Simon & Garfunkel and as a solo artist – he’s almost earned the right.  But, as great artists often do, Simon keeps pushing himself, as evidenced by his 13th solo album.  Reuniting with his long time producer Roy Halee, Stranger To Stranger is Simon’s most experimental album to date, rich in echo, rhythm, horns, synths, African woodwind instruments, Peruvian drums, and even a gospel music quartet.  Despite running just under 40 minutes, Simon manages to make this blizzard of sounds work by keeping the lyrical content brief, abstract, insightful, disjointed and humorous all at the same time.  In a career that is loaded with highlights, Simon has crafted an album that deserves to stand alongside his best work.  Stranger To Stranger will be available this Friday on Amazon, iTunes and all major music retailers.  You can also go tohttp://www.paulsimon.com/ for tour dates and more information.

Last Days Of Oakland by Fantastic Negrito. Its been quite a run for Xavier Dphrepaulezz, frontman for the band Fantastic Negrito.  After winning the first NPR Tiny Desk Contest,  Fantastic Negrito has released a universally acclaimed EP, embarked on several successful tours and appeared in the season finale of the hit TV show, Empire.  Last Days Of Oakland is the group’s much anticipated debut full length album and it KILLS.  A beautiful collision of blues, soul, roots much and good old fashioned rock n roll, the album is a song cycle that takes on the socioeconomic, race and class issues Dphrepaulezz witnessed on a daily basis while living in the East Bay.   Songs such as ‘Working Poor’ and ‘Hump Through The Water’ pulls no punches and tells no lies about income inequality and the gentrification of Oakland.  The band’s cover of the Leadbelly classic ‘In The Pines’ (featuring a updated lyric to reference the recent shootings of unarmed black men by police officers) will reduce you to mist.  Timely, yet timeless, angry but hopeful, damming but redemptive, this is the soundtrack to life in 21st Century Urban America.  An instant classic.  Last Days Of Oakland will be available on Friday through Amazon, iTunes and all major music retailers.  You can also go to http://www.fantasticnegrito.com/ for tour dates and more information.

Free The Real (Pt. 1) by Bibi Bourelly. She’s only 22, by Bibi Bourelly already has the resume – and swagger – of a music industry veteran.  The daughter of guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly, she started joining her father on tour when she was 11 and was writing songs before most children her age were learning  how to read and write.  She established herself as a songwriter behind hits for Selena Gomez, Nick Brewer and Rihanna – including her No 1 hit ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’.  Stepping out as a solo artist, Bourelly’s new EP is defiant, profane, brutally honest and kicks some serious ass.  ‘Ego’ is both a summation and declaration while ‘Sally’ shows love and encouragement for her BFF.  Bibi Bourelly is the real deal and ready or not, she’s poised to become the next great force on the scene.  A strong debut.  Free The Real (Pt. 1) is available now through iTunes, Amazon and all major music retailers.

DO THIS

New York City; The Bushwick Collective Block Party. The worlds of art and music come together for this new seasonal favorite.  Some of the city’s best street artists will be on hand to unveil their latest work, with some creating them in real time.  There will also be live music from artists ranging from Jadakiss and Tournament.  Great music, art and food makes a cool way to spend a Saturday in Brooklyn.  The Bushwick Collective Block Party will take place on Saturday on Troutman St and St. Nicholas Ave from 11a-5pm.  You can also go to www.thebuswickcollective,com for more information.

New York City: Brian De Palma at Metrograph. Brian De Palma came from the same ‘New Hollywood’ collective that produced such iconic directors as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas.  So why isn’t he mentioned in the same company as those auteurs?   In the ramp up to the De Palma documentary set to roll out next week, Metrograph is presenting a month long retrospective that aims to put him in that same pantheon once and for all.  Carrie, Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way and Mission: Impossible run alongside underrated gems such as Blow Up, Body Double and Femme Fatale and early works including Sisters (starring a pre-Superman Margot Kidder) and his 1970 dark comedy, Hi, Mom that features Robert DeNiro in one of his first starring roles.  Crime dramas, comedies, suspense, it’s all here uncut and uncensored.  A fitting salute to a film great.  The Brian De Palma retrospective will be at Metrograph through June 30th.  You can go to http://www.metrograph.com/ for a full rundown of events, tickets and more information.

Los Angeles: The L.A. Film Festival. Sponsored by Film Independent, The L.A. Film Festival showcases the best new filmmakers from all over the world.  There’s also a ton of panels and discussions designed to help those looking to break into the industry get to the next levels.  Over 56 feature films, 58 short films and 13 short episodic works from 28 different countries will screen through the 9 day festival, with Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) and Nate Parker – writer/director of the highly anticipated The Birth Of A Nation – among others scheduled to speak about the craft.  A must see event for all aspiring auteurs.  The L.A. Film Festival runs through June 9th.  You can go to www.filmindependent.org/la-film-festival for more information.

Chicago: Invisible Man: Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison In Harlem. Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison are two titans in American art and literature.  While their individual achievements speaks for themselves, they collaborated on a number of projects.  This new exhibit at the Art Institute Of Chicago culls together their collective efforts, which were originally done in 1948 and 1952.  These projects – which were done to highlight the social and economic effects of racism and segregation – were highly redacted when they originally were published, and are presented here in their original, uncensored form.  It shows the good and bad of life in Harlem and presents Black culture as a viable force in America during the post-war era.  Frank, harrowing and blunt to the core, this exhibit shows two American masters at the top of their game.  Invisible Man: Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison In Harlem will be at The Art Institute Of Chicago through August 28th.  You can go to http://www.artic.edu/ for more information.


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

Read more comedy news, stories, interviews with comedians, videos and comedy clips on our home page. Get more comedy news. Watch more viral videos. Read more interviews with the best comics in the business.

The following two tabs change content below.
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.