The Filtered Excellence: September 3, 2015

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:

 Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine. It’s without question that Steve Jobs forever changed how the world communicated and how we listen to music.  But who was the man behind the innovations?  That’s at the heart of this new documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Alex Gibney.  Using tons of archive footage, interviews with associates, friends and family, Gibney gives a multi-layered, pull no punches look at the man who made Apple synonymous with computers and set a standard of excellence that other companies are still trying to match.  This is another extraordinary doc from one of the best in the game.   Steve Jobs:  The Man In The Machine opens in theaters and on demand on September 4th.  You can go to www.magpictures.com for more information.

NFL Kickoff Game . Football is back and this season’s opener will have a new element of drama.  The New England Patriots will raise another championship banner and begin their title defense against the Pittsburgh Steelers.   The Pats off season was dominated by ‘DeflateGate’ and Tom Brady’s 4 game suspension for his role in the scandal.  But thanks to a federal judge, that suspension was overturned and the four time Super Bowl champion – and future Hall Of Fame QB – will be under center to start the season.  To say this game will have added attention will be an understatement.  The Patriots and the Steelers kick off the 2015-16 season on September 10th at 8:30 Eastern on NBC.

READ THIS:

Andy Warhol: Polaroids 1958-1987. Andy Warhol was all about capturing life’s fleeting moments.  Carrying around a Polaroid camera with him from the late 50s until he passed away in 1987, Warhol built up an enormous collection of photos showing the famous to the obscure, friends, lovers, various scenes and, of course, himself.  Richard B. Woodward, Reuel Golden and The Andy Warhol Foundation selected choice shots from what Warhol’s ‘visual diary’, to document the various circles that the pop art icon ran with throughout his life.  Portraits of Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson, and Deborah Harry are coupled with snapshots of characters and objects from New York City’s high and low life to astonishing effect.  Predating Instagram by decades, this Polaroids offer a unique look into a pop culture icon.  Polaroids 1958-1987 will be available September 10th through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major book retailers.

LISTEN TO THIS:

The Essential Van Morrison. As part of a new deal with Sony Music (and to coincide with his 70th birthday), a massive reissue campaign of Van the Man’s catalog kicks off this 2-CD retrospective.  It’s the only one that covers his entire 50 year career, starting with his days with the group Them and concluding with his recent live album featuring material from Astral Weeks.  In between is some of the finest songs of his or any other generation.  Blues, jazz, Celtic, soul, folk, rock n roll, all tied together by one incredible voice, its 37 incredible songs all in one package.  A great introduction for someone looking to get into Van’s work and a great summation for long time fans.  The Essential Van Morrison is available now through Amazon, Itunes and all music retailers.

Thunderbitch – Thunderbitch. Just four months after Alabama Shakes released their second (and mighty fine) album Sound + Color, Brittany Howard has just released an equally wild and raucous solo album under the name Thunderbitch.  Members of the bands Fly Golden Eagle and Clear Plastic Masks round out the group and their sound is summed up in their bio:  ‘Rock n roll. The end.’  And man does it rock, echoing the spirit of those primal 1950’s 45’s, 60’s garage rock and proto punk bands like The New York Dolls, The Stooges and MC5.  It’s edgy, seductive, slinky, sexy and dangerous – everything that great rock n roll should be.  The next time someone tells you that ‘rock is dead’, put this on and wait for the apology.  Brittany Murphy isn’t the next big rock star, she IS a rock star.  One of the year’s best. Thunderbitch is available now through Amazon, Itunes and all major retailers.

DO THIS:

NEW YORK CITY: Set It Off: L.A. Hip Hop on Film.  As evidenced by the box office success of Straight Outta Compton, the urban L.A. experience became the backdrop for a number of films in the early to mid 90s.  This four day retrospective features some of the best of the genre:  Boyz In The Hood, Menace II Society, Poetic Justice, Set It Off, South Central, The Glass Shield and comedy classic Friday will be featured through the extended holiday weekend.  It;s a great chance to see how future stars such as Chris Tucker, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinckett-Smith making their rise into the national spotlight.  Set It Off: L.A. Hip Hop On Film will be at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music September 4th through the 8th.  You can go to www.bam.org for more information.

>NEW YORK CITY: See It Big!:  New York In Film. The latest installment of MoMi’s ‘See It Big!’ series will look at films that effectively used New York City as its creative canvas. It will include gems such as Sweet Smell Of Success, Rear Window and Dog Day Afternoon, along new classics such as The Royal Tenenbaums, Eyes Wide Shut, and Carlito’s Way.  Of course, this retrospective would not be complete without two of NYC’s greatest cinematic ambassadors, Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, The King Of Comedy) and Spike Lee (Do The Right Thing, 25th Hour), all of which will be screened in 35mm.  But the centerpiece of this series is a new cut of Sergio Leone’s final film, the sweeping epic Once Upon A Time In America.  It will include many of the restored scenes that were originally cut out by U.S. distributors back in 1984, and this 227 minute version is the closest to how the late director envisioned the work.  This is a fantastic look at cinema’s ongoing love affair to the greatest city in the world.  See It Big: New York In Film will be at the Museum Of The Moving Image September 4th through the 27th.  You can go to www.movingimage.us for a complete rundown of films, run times and additional info.

>NEW YORK CITY: The Black Rock Coalition 30th Anniversary Kick Off Party.Founded in 1985 by Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, artist rep Konda Mason and writer/musician Greg Tate, The Black Rock Coalition serves as a means to promote the full scope and spectrum of Black music – not to reclaim its rightful place to rock out. As part of the BRC’s ’30 Years In 30 Days’ celebration, there will be a full on party at The Bell House in Brooklyn.  Teen metal sensations Unlocking The Truth and super cool rock goddess Betty Black will perform full electric sets while Vernon Reid & Corey Glover of Living Colour will perform a rare duo acoustic set.  There will also be an after party from 10p-1am with The Veldt and Burnt Sugar performing sets.  Tickets are on sale now at www.thebellhouseny.com.  You can also go to www.blackrockcoalition.org for a full rundown of ’30 Years In 30 Days’ events.


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

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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.