The Filtered Excellence: October 23, 2014

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks picks of the best things towatch, 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:

Revenge Of The Green Dragons. Acclaimed international director Andrew Lau (Young & Dangerous, Infernal Affairs, The Stormriders) joined forces with director/writer Andrew Loo and Executive Producer Martin Scorsese to put a unique spin on the gangster film. Based on the explosive New Yorker article by Fredric Dannen, the film tells the story of The Green Dragons, a violent Chinese street gang who shook down business in the growing Asian communities in Queens. Their story is told through the eyes of Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu), two close friends who are first bullied by, then recruited, to join. Quickly rising within the ranks: Sonny overseas the collections and Steven as his trigger happy wing man. Things get complicated for Sonny when Steven becomes more unhinged, and their bosses Paul Wong (Harry Shum, Jr) and Snakehead Mama (Eugenia Yuan) ventures into drugs and human trafficking. There’s also NYPD Detective Tang (Jim Auyeung) and FBI Agent Bloom (Ray Liotta) quickly building a case that can bring The Green Dragons down for good. Adding to the complications is Sonny’s girlfriend Tina (Shuya Chang), who, in order to get her father out of prison, weighs on an offer to tell Wong and Bloom what she knows about the Dragons. When a series of betrayals hit close to home, Sonny must battle the very gang who made him to get his revenge. Lau and Loo have crafted a well detailed and tension filled film that combines the energy of a Hong Kong action film with a New York crime thriller to bring an untold story of the dark side of the American dream to life. It’s dark, bloody but a highly entertaining ride.

Summer of Blood.  An impressive little movie from comic Onura Tukel who attacks hipsters and vampire movies On Demand just in time for Halloween. Turkel stars as an anti-social egomaniac that would make Larry David uncomfortable who loses his girlfriend, job, and is turned into a vampire (at least he doesn’t lose his apartment). While New York in the summer is the best place to be a vampire, it does make him into a sex machine. The small, Brooklyn made movie is well worth a look if searching out a comedy-horror movie that embraces awkward comedy. Summer of Blood is available on iTunes and On Demand.

Saturday Night Live hosted by Jim Carrey. This weekend, Jim Carrey returns to host SNL for his third time. A hosting favorite, (unless you’re part of the gun lobby) Jim will be promoting his new movie “Dumb and Dumber To”, the sequel to his 1994 hit comedy from 10 years ago. He’s part of the great comedy guests being brought back to host during SNL’s 40th anniversary season. Special musical guest will be Iggy Azalea. Saturday Night Live airs Saturday, October 25th at 11:30 pm et on NBC.

Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown. Produced by Mick Jagger and directed by Alex Gibney, this new HBO documentary follows the career of the hardest working man in show business from his small town roots in South Carolina to becoming a transformative figure in music and the Godfather of Soul. The film uses James Brown’s own words to take you through this journey through rare footage of interviews and appearances on the Mike Douglas Show and Soul Train. There are also interviews with James Brown’s former band members who were there to witness it all. Besides his music, the doc also looks at James Browns’ political side including his part in the civil rights movement and his endorsement of Richard Nixon for president which cost his some loyal fans. Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown premieres Monday, October 27th at 9 pm et on HBO

Alpha House:Season 2 Premiere.  The political comedy series from “Doonesbury” creator Garry Trudeau is back for a second season on Amazon. The series stars John Goodman as Senator Gil John Biggs along with Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy and Mark Consuelos. It focuses on four U.S. Senators sharing a place to live in Washington DC and who are enduring the pressures of partisan politics and the humiliations that go along with a very public life. With the mid-term elections coming up in real life, it may be hard to tell fact from comedy fiction when the second season of Alpha House debuts on Amazon.com. Guest stars this new season include Bill Murray, Jane Pauley, Matt Lauer and David Axelrod. The new season of Alpha House is available on Amazon starting on Friday, October 24th.

READ THIS:

Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol. With spiked hair, fist pumped and a curled lip sneer, Billy Idol was a mainstay on the charts and a MTV staple throughout the 80s and 90s. Idol also lived the rock n roll lifestyle so close to the edge that it’s a miracle he’s still here. Now in his new memoir, Idol recalls his formative years in England and New York; being a part of the British punk scene in the 70s with his band Generation X; re-locating to New York in the 80s to launch his solo career and finding chart topping success with such hits as ‘Dancing With Myself’, ‘White Wedding’, ‘Eyes Without A Face’, and ‘Cradle Of Love’. Idol also tells how his hard partying lifestyle first nearly cost his leg (in a motorcycle accident) and later, his life (from drug overdose in 1994; how the failure of his 1993 album Cyberpunk (which was one of the first albums to be recorded using a Mac and ProTools) nearly destroyed his confidence and finding the balance being married with children and being a rock star. Told in his usual, straight forward, in your face style, Dancing With Myself is a honest, entertaining look at one of rock’s most endearing, enduring front men.

Dancing with Myself is available now through Amazon.com.
You can also go to www.billyidol.net for more information.

LISTEN TO THIS:

Flesh & Machine by Daniel Lanois. For his latest solo album, legendary producer/singer/songwriter Daniel Lanois initially was going to do an ambient album much along the lines with his previous work with Brian Eno. Instead, Lanois – along with long time collaborators Brian Blade and Jim Wilson – has constructed a work that marries traditional instruments (steel guitar, guitar, bass, and drums) with new spins on modern studio techniques (dubbing, sampling and processing) to turn an astonishing new musical corner. At times, it puts you in a trance, other times, its a complete audio assault on the senses. One moment, you are transporting back into another place and time, and the next, you get hints at what music will sound like in the future. An exciting new chapter in a Hall Of Fame worthy career. Flesh & Machine will be available on Tuesday, October 28th.

Resolve by School Of Pisces. School Of Pisces is the brainchild of Michael Reidy – better known as Mister, who is the chief songwriter, singer and guitarist. For their 2nd EP, there’s elements of garage rock, Beatlesque power pop, and the DNA of all rock n roll, the blues. With fantastic vocal harmonies, bright guitars and funky grooves, Resolve manages to echo all of the components that make up classic rock, but with a eye set straight ahead to the future. Solid from start to finish.  The band is comprised of Mister, the songwriter, who plays the guitars and sings. With the help of Mister’s musician friends, tracks are recorded, mixed, and mastered in his own studio.

DO THIS:

NEW YORK CITY: Jerry Lee Lewis. At 79 years old, the Killer is still going and doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down any time soon. Jerry Lee Lewis is on tour and performing in NYC at B.B. King’s Blues Club. He’ll be taking his rightful place behind the piano and playing the songs that made him a music icon and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer including “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire.” Jerry Lee Lewis will performing at B.B. King’s on Friday, October 24th at 8 pm. Doors open at 6 pm and a second show is being added to meet the demand for JLL. It’s your chance to see an American original in action.

NEW YORK CITY: Buster Poindexter. Feeling hot, hot, hot? The New York Dolls former frontman David Johansen is bringing back is alter ego, Buster Poindexter from the late 80s.. Buster is doing a week of shows at Café Carlyle that wrap up this weekend. There will be plenty of bad jokes and music. Buster Poindexter pulls from every music genre possible while performing. He’ll be doing R&B, soul, country, pop, jazz, blues, rock and calypso with his signature song, “Hot, Hot, Hot”. Buster is backed up by a four piece band. There’s three shows left this weekend. Friday night, October 24th at 8:45 pm and two shows on Saturday, October 25th at 8:45 pm and 10:45 pm at Café Carlyle.

NEW YORK CITY: Militia Vox @ Times Square. Whether its fronting Swear On Your Life, the all-female Judas Priest tribute band Judas Priestess (the only tribute band to get an endorsement from The Metal God himself, Rob Halford) or making memorable guest appearances at various shows on both coasts, Militia Vox, has been one of the premier hard rock/metal vocalists for close to a decade. Just in time for Halloween, Militia will have a residency at Times Scare in New York City, to unveil material from her forthcoming solo album Bait, which will be released on, you guessed it, Halloween! Expect plenty of tales about femme fatales, the dark side of love, and of course, songs that will make unleash the headbanger in you! Militia Vox will be at Times Scare October 27th and November 2nd.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bob Dylan and His Band. The North American leg of Bob Dylan’s so-called Never Ending Tour has begun. Bob is back in the U.S. and is doing a three night stand in Los Angeles. So far, 2014 has taken Bob Dylan and his band through Asia, Europe and Oceania. Now he’s on the West coast and receiving great reviews for his shows. The American music icon will be performing some his fans’ favorite songs during his upcoming L.A. shows including Workingman’s Blues, Forgetful Heart, Simple Twist of Fate, Tangled Up in Blue, Love Sick, High Water, All Along the Watchtower, and Blowin’ in the Wind. Bob Dylan and His Band are playing the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 24th, 25th, and 26th. All shows start at 8 pm.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: The Chicago International Film Festival 50th Anniversary Exhibition. This exhibition is a celebration of 50 years of the Chicago Film Festival and its winning films. The exhibit at Expo 72 includes dozens of photographs taken at the festival over the years by photographer Victor Skrebneski including shots of Sigourney Weaver, Francis Truffant, Orson Welles, Kathleen Turner, Robin Williams, Bette Davis, Oliver Stone and Dennis Hopper. There also an extensive collection of movie trailers to view and the main attraction is a giant mosaic made up of film festival posters from around the world. This is the last week to catch the exhibit at Chicago’s Expo 72.

For more information, go to cityofchicago.org

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