The Filtered Excellence: December 29, 2011
Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” Its right here. Here are this weeks picks of what to WATCH, what to DO what to TRY what to READ what to LISTEN TO and more:
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WATCH THIS
The Guard. Very much dug this buddy-cop movie, Irish style. Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, the film stars Brendan Gleeson as an unconventional, “morally flexible,” but lovable Connemara county constable who is reluctantly paired with a straight-laced FBI agent, played by Don Cheadle. The resulting film is one which blends comic banter with cop vs gangster violence. Great performances too. (on DVD Jan 3)
Game of Honor. Showtime you’ve done it again. This great documentary starts with a quote by John F. Kennedy, “It’s easy to pick the real winner of the Army- Navy college football game; the people of the United States.” By the end of this documentary, You will believe just that. Showtime sports takes us where cameras have never been, deep into the lives of the cadets and midshipmen who play in the greatest rivalry in all of sports. No easy ride for these kids, they have to do everything the other cadets and midshipmen do and then go out and play Division One football. Airs Friday December 30 11pm est on Showtime Extreme and January 4 at 11pm est on Showtime Extreme or watch the weekly web series anytime at cbssports.com
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve. We’re suckers for some traditions, and this is one of them. It’s comforting knowing that after 40 years, Dick Clark will still be leading the countdown to midnight in Times Square. If you’re looking for traditions of a more classic kind, we have other options for you.
The Three Stooges Marathon. If you’re not going out on New Year’s Eve, IFC will be airing episodes of our favorite knuckleheads Larry, Moe, and Curly (and sometimes Shemp) from 6PM to 6AM. It will be wall to wall face slaps, eye pokes and running in place. We hope they are ‘Micro-Phonies’, in which the boys take over a radio show. Is it a good time? Soitenly!
The Honeymooners Marathon. If you’re in the New York-New Jersey area, local TV station WPIX will be continuing its annual tradition of airing 19 hours of the classic TV series from 11pm to 6pm. Watch Jackie Gleason and Art Carney at the peak of their comedic powers. To the moon Alice!
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LISTEN TO THIS
HotHeavyBad by Joi. Singer-songwriter-Joi (daughter of former Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Joe Gilliam) has been blurring the lines between rock, funk, soul and R&B for close to two decades. Her debut album, ‘The Pendulum Vibe’ laid the blueprint of where R&B/soul/pop was headed for the next decade (Madonna and Lenny Kravitz both publicly stated how much it influenced their music). Now, Joi marks another remarkable new chapter with the release of ‘Joi Presents HotHeavyBad’. Collaborating with multi-intrumentalist Devon Lee, the album explores electro-funk, Spanish music and sci-fi soul. It’s either be the last great release of 2011 or the first great release of 2012.
The Hotel Sessions by The Lemonheads. Most rock types paint Evan Dando as a desperate drugged up washout from the 90s but this is a really great album of him running through some of his better known songs primarily from the 1993 album Come on Feel The Lemonheads from a hotel room in Australia. Each song has commentary and provides a cool alternative to a typical greatest hits package.
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DO THIS
Chuck Berry at B.B. King’s Blues Club NYC. If you’re in New York and Times Square is just too cold for your tastes, ring in the New Year with the true King Of Rock n Roll. Hard to believe that Chuck’s eighty-five, but he’s still got the chops and still do the Duck Walk! So expect to hear all of the songs that shaped the sound of American music. Go to www.bbkingblues.com for more information.
Jimmy’s Corner. Tired of being a tourist? Want to see the real New York? Located right off Times Square on 44th Street between 6th and 7th, Jimmy’s Corner is like stepping back in time when the local bar or tavern was truly the safe house from all of your problems. Jimmy Glenn, former cornerman for heavyweigtht champions Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali, still can be found behind the bar, and giving lip to those to who don’t come into his place correct. A jukebox cranks vintage Sinatra, Ray Charles, funk and R&B. The walls are plastered with photos and mementos from Jimmy’s ring days that remind us of a time when boxing truly was the sport of a kings and New York was where it held court. A true slice of old school New York that has not been consumed by time and tourism.
Mummers Parade. Philadelphia, PA Jan 1st. New York City may be THE traditional place to be on New Year’s Eve, but you can’t beat Philly on New Years Day. While elsewhere many people start the 1st of the year beginning work on their resolutions, here the first brings mass revelry in the streets. The main attraction, of course, is the annual Mummers Parade. It only happens once a year, and these 44 clubs make it count. Comics, Fancies, and String Band Brigades will spend approximately 8 hours strutting up Broad Street, from South Philly to City Hall. Floats, costumes, dancing and music… Go see the Mummers in all their feathery, glittery glory. Work on your strut and dance in the street- It’s one of the greatest days to be in Philadelphia. (Parade starts at 10 AM, but arrive early to secure a good spot for viewing along Broad).
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BROWSE THIS:
8 Tracks. This is a fun site for music fans to browse- Stream 8-track playlists made by music lovers from all over… Find mixes by tags (like Christmas, Best of 2011, chill, loud…etc), listen to free internet radio, or share your own online mixtapes…
Jim Carrey’s Website. We’re not entirely sure what information you can find on Jim Carrey’s website but we had too much fun playing with it to care. It’s like an easter egg paradise, with little things to click that take you on journeys and reward you with the bizarre inner workings of the mind of Jim. Okay so maybe it’s not excellence but its kind of fun in a weird way.
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