The Filtered Excellence: May 1, 2014

marxfest

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:

Louie Season Premiere. The nearly two year wait is over. Named the undisputed King of Comedy by GQ magazine, Louis CK is back with a new season of one of the most original shows on TV, “Louie”. Louis CK went on hiatus instead of returning with season 4 last year. He said his reason was because he wants to make it “even better”. The new season will feature back to back episodes starting on Monday, May 5th at 10 pm on FX and will run for 7 weeks with two new shows every Monday. The original FX order was for 13 new episodes and Louie decided to add a 14th for the fans. This season watch for guest stars including Jerry Seinfeld, Victor Garber, Ellen Burstyn and Jeremy Renner Ellen Barkin and Charles Grodin.

Whitewash. It’s the kind of movie which keeps you on edge from beginning to end. Your mind keeps working from start to finish, trying to figure out exactly what is going on and how everything fits together. But most importantly, this weird, dark little movie is also laugh out loud funny, hauntingly beautiful, and features two of the most entertaining performances from actors this year. A cross between a Kafka story, Fargo, and Unforgiven, the movie is also a truly original work of an intelligent first time feature director. This movie will not be for everyone; it may be too dark or slow moving for some. But for those who settle in and allows the film to simply wash over them, they are promised a great cinematic experience.

Sorcerer (on DVD) starring Roy Scheider. Directed by William Friedkin. In the early to mid 1970s, no director was hotter than William Freidkin. The French Connection redefined police dramas and action films, winning five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. He then followed up with The Exorcist, which breathed new life into horror films and is considered the greatest of the genre. So when it announced that his next project would be a loose remake of the French classic The Wages Of Fear starring Roy Scheider (who was coming of the blockbuster Jaws), expectations were high, Those hopes remained even as numerous production problems caused the budget to swell from $15 million to 22 million. However, when it was released in June 1977, Sorcerer was slammed by the critics. Moviegoers – who had just been dazzled by the feel good escapism of Star Wars a week earlier – ignored the film’s gritty realism. The failure of Sorcercer – along with big budget bombs by Martin Scorsese (New York, New York), Peter Bogdonovich (At Long Last Love) and most famously Michael Cimino (Heaven’s Gate), signaled the end of the director driven films that dominated the decade. Yet, despite having the film’s box office troubles nearly irreparably damaging his career, Friedkin never wavered on the claim that it was his greatest work. He went to great lengths (including suing Universal and Paramount) to have Sorcerer restored for a proper DVD release. Available on BluRay, Sorcerer stars Roy Scheider stars as Jackie Scanlon, the leader of a crew of desperate men drawn together for what seems like an impossible mission: Moving truckloads of unstable nitroglycerin through the treacherous jungles of South America. If they succeed, the bounty they’ll receive makes their individual problems all but disappear. Failure is not an option. Friedkin builds up to the tension to the point of it being unbearable – especially during a crucial scene where the truck must navigate its way across suspension bridge being held together by ropes in a driving rainstorm. Add to this an outstanding score by Tangerine Dream and you have not only one of the best films in the Friedkin canon, but one of the better films to come out of the New Hollywood era. It’s great to see this misunderstood classic finally gets a chance to be re-discovered by a new generation of film fans.

Sorcerer [Blu-ray] is available on Blue Ray through Amazon, Itunes and all major retailers.

The 140th Running of the Kentucky Derby. It’s called “The Fastest Two Minutes In Sports” and “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports”. Both names apply and the Kentucky Derby will be run this Saturday, May 3rd. The favorite in the Run for the Roses is California Chrome who’s won four straight races. California Chrome drew post position five and is the 5/2 morning line favorite for the Derby. Hoppertunity, who had the second best odds at 6/1 and who may have challenged California Chrome, has been scratched from running due to a bad hoof. Other horses to watch include Vicar’s In Trouble and Wicked Strong. Post time for the 2014 Kentucky Derby is 6:24 pm Eastern with coverage starting at 4 pm Eastern on NBC.

For more information about the Kentucky Derby, go to kentuckyderby.com


 

LISTEN TO THIS:

Supernova by Ray LaMontague. Ray LaMontague always sounded like someone transported from another time and place, and his 5th album isn’t any different. Well, actually, it is. If you’re looking for the country-fried soul or intensively introspective ballads, you’re going to be surprised. Teaming up with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys (who produced the CD as well as shares guitar & bass duties), LaMontague offers up a 10 song cycle that has splashes of 60s psychedelia, folk-rock and tripped out pop. Yet he also manages to pull off the difficult task of growing musically, yet retaining signature elements to his sound, namely his exceptional voice and killer songs. The first four albums showed the promise. Supernova shows an artist in full bloom.

Supernova is available now through Amazon, Itunes and all major music retailers.

You can also go to www.raylamontague.com for tour dates and additional information.

The Cost Of Living by The Revelations. For their 3rd album, the Brooklyn based funk-soul-R&B group decided to record at one of soul music’s greatest studios: Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios in Memphis. ‘Game Of Love’ captures the feel and spirit of those classic Al Green/Willie Mitchell collaborations. On top of the new material, the band also puts a 21st century spin on classic songs by The Isley Brothers (Why When Love Is Gone) and Gladys Knight & The Pips (I’ve Got To Use My Imagination). Fans of old school soul, R&B and funk will be happy to know that The Revelations are keeping this vibrant music alive, honoring its past yet pushing it further in the future. A fun album on multiple levels.

The Cost of Living is available now on Amazon, Itunes and all major music outlets.

 

 

READ THIS:

Here Comes The Night: The Dark Soul Of Bert Berns And The Dirty Business Of Rhythm And Blues by Joel Selvin. As a songwriter, Bert Berns wrote such classics as ‘Twist & Shout’, ‘Piece Of My Heart’, ‘Cry To Me’, ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’, ‘I Want Candy’, ‘Hang On Sloopy’, ‘Down In The Valley’, ‘Are You Lonely For Me Baby’, ‘Here Comes The Night’ and ‘Twenty Five Miles’. As a staff producer, he was a driving force behind hits for The Isley Brothers, The Drifters, Ben E. King, Lulu, The Animals, among many others. As the head of two labels, Berns launched the careers of Neil Diamond and a young singer-songwriter from Belfast named Van Morrison. All in just seven years. Bert Berns was poised for even greater success when he died at the age of 31 of a long standing heart condition. Yet, he’s not in The Songwriters Hall Of Fame and, save for family, hardcore music fans and industry associates, has largely been forgotten. Until now. Veteran Bay Area journalist Joel Selvin spoke with family, friends, his contemporaries and even enemies to paint a three-dimensional portrait of one of the lost princes of R&B. At times, it reads like a pulp novel: A streetwise kid from The Bronx with dreams of making it big in the business, while living on borrowed time with a bad heart. Sometimes the story isn’t all pretty: The Mob had a significant hold in the music business and Berns used those connections to strong arm record executives and even his own artists. Here Comes The Night is a wonderful look back at a man who was at the center of one of the greatest, if not, the greatest, moments in pop music and the inner workings that shaped what is now known as the music industry.

Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues is available now through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all major book retailers.
You can also go to www.bertberns.com for more info.

 

DO THIS:

BOSTON, MASS: Women in Comedy Festival 2014. Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival returns for the Sixth Year featuring some amazing headliners like Amy Sedaris, Maria Bamford, and Judy Gold alongside some great improv, and a first-rate line up of panelists and workshops.There are over 200 performers including improv groups, musical comedy performances, and 33 shows over the course of four days, plus workshops and panel discussions.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Aretha Franklin. Here’s your chance to see legend in a legendary venue. The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin will be performing at the historic Chicago Theatre this weekend. Aretha is currently on tour across the United States and she’ll taking the stage and performing her classic hits “Think”, “Respect”, “Natural Woman” and many more at the Chicago Theatre. The show is Saturday, May 3rd at 8 pm Eastern. Tickets are still available.

More more information and tickets go to thechicagotheatre.com

ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY: Joan Rivers. Never more than a word away from controversy, Joan Rivers is bringing her act to the Bergen Performing Arts Center in New Jersey. No one is safe when Joan Rivers is on stage. And as a comedian, talk show host, author, playwright and Queen of the Red Carpet, Joan should have plenty to say. Joan Rivers at the Bergen Performing Arts Center happens Friday, May 2nd at 8 pm. Tickets are sold out, so be sure to look online.

For more information, go to bergenpac.org

NEW YORK CITY: Marxfest. This is a celebration for anyone who enjoyed the comedy and genius of the Marx Brothers. Marxfest kicks off at the start May and runs month long. This year is special for Marxfest. It’s the 100th anniversary of Marx Brothers officially adopting their stage names, Chico, Harpo, Groucho, and Zeppo. Marxfest is full events including screenings of Marx Brothers comedies, contests and panels. One the highlights this year is “The Marx Brothers on TV” hosted by Dick Cavett and media archivist Robert S. Bader. The presentation includes rare clips of the Marx Brothers on television which were thought to be lost and Groucho’s appearances on the Dick Cavett Show. That will be Sunday, May 4th at 8 pm at the Players Theatre in Manhattan.

For tickets for “The Marx Brothers on TV” this Sunday, go to marxfest.com

And for a list of Marxfest events throughout May, go to marxfest.com

NEW YORK CITY: Spring for Music at 2014 at Carnegie Hall. It’s the 4th annual Spring for Music event going on at the iconic venue Carnegie Hall in New York City. The concert series runs starting Monday, May 5th till May 10th. Each night of the week features a different orchestra from around the country. This year’s Spring for Music includes orchestras from New York, Seattle, Rochester, Winnipeg, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The best part may be the price. There are tickets available for $25 for each night of concert series. Carnegie Hall also has a “Spring 6 for 4” offer where you can attend each night of Spring for Music for $100. It a chance to sit inside a remarkable venue known for its legendary sound and hear these orchestras play.


 

Want More Excellence?  Read Last Week’s Edition of The Filtered Excellence, or visit our Filtered Excellence page.