The Filtered Excellence: February 16, 2012

at
Share This Post

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:

*****************

WATCH THIS

Drive. If anyone is running a bit behind on movie-watching, now’s a good time to see this film before the Independent Spirit Awards (nominated for 4, I think!). Terrific performances by Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and particularly Albert Brooks who plays a very out of type role for him. Now out on Blu Ray & DVD.

North by Northwest.  One of Hitchcock’s most captivating films, it stars Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason and it’s now finally available on Blu Ray.  If you are a collector, the 50th Anniversary edition is a must-have–  it has a  100% on Rotten Tomatoes it ranks #40 on AFI’s list of 100 Years…100 Movies.  It includes several great extras including the 2000 documentary: Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest.

Life’s Too Short. We haven’t seen this yet but we know two very important things about it. Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant created it. Remember Extras?  Remember The Office?  Do you need to know more to put this on your must-watch list? Add the fact that this show will star Warwick Davis playing a temperamental version of himself, focusing on the day-to-day life of a dwarf in show business… Be expecting some funny, uncomfortable stuff. Premieres on HBO on Feb. 19 at 10:30 p.m.

Eastbound & Down. Season Three kicks off this week and the two best reasons to watch it are season one and season two. Danny McBride’s character Kenny Powers remains one of the most unique characters on television and we won’t miss a minute of season three.

———————————————————————————————-

LISTEN TO THIS

Paralytic Stalks by Of Montreal. There’s a lot going on here. On Of Montreal’s 11th album, Paralytic Stalks, leader Kevin Barnes manages to mix countless genres and influences in each song without ever sounding much like any one. Songs change direction on a dime and are filtered through jam-packed layered production from Jon Brion. The last three songs clock in at least seven minutes apiece. On paper it may sound daunting, but it works. It may take several plays, but listeners willing to make an investment in the music will likely find an extremely interesting and enjoyable record.

Making It by The Negro Problem. Mark ‘Stew’ Stewart formed The Negro Problem in the 90s and released a series of critically acclaimed albums with the band and as a solo artist. He and his partner Heidi Rodewald wrote, composed and performed the music for the highly successful musical Passing Strange, which won the Tony Award for Best Book. The musical became a Spike Lee directed film and with it, offers to score additional musicals. Making It serves as both a document to their early days trying to achieve mainstream success, what goes down when it actually happens and the toll that it has on personal relationships (Stew and Heidi broke up during Passing Strange’s run on Broadway). Think of it as an existential version of Rumours. Stew and Heidi’s depth and introspection in each of the songs are extraordinary.

———————————————————————————————-

DO THIS

David Lynch Month at the 92Y. All this month, the 92nd St Y Tribeca in New York City has been celebrating David Lynch and his most popular creation Twin Peaks with a series of unique events. This Saturday, they will air the memorable first episode and the electronic duo Silent Drape will be presenting a new soundtrack as a backdrop. On Friday, February 24th (the day Laura Palmer was killed) they will show the movie prequel to the series Twin Peaks: Fire With Me (2012 marks the 20th Anniversary of the film). Actor Dana Ashbrook, who played Laura’s boyfriend Bobby, will do a post-screening Q&A. Twin Peaks was one of the most original and daring shows in television history. Come out to find out what all the fuss was about or the rediscover the magic.

Saul Williams on Tour. This Friday (tomorrow), Saul Williams kicks off a 1 month trip through North America in support of his great new album, Volcanic Sunlight. We have it on good authority that the show is going to be an equal mix of funk and punk, so be ready to shake your hips and bang your head.

AMC Theaters Best Picture Showcase. If you haven’t seen all nine films nominated for Best Picture Academy Awards, or if you want to catch them again, here’s your chance to see them all in one place. This Saturday and Next Saturday select AMC theaters will be showing all of them. So save the dates and be Oscar-saavy this year.

———————————————————————————————-

BROWSE THIS:

If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger, There’d Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats. The cultural and personal observations of Team Gunslinger speaks for itself and we promise it’s worth a look. Beautiful photographs, and accompanying thoughts daily.

Miniatur Wonderland On Video. If you don’t care about model railroads or miniatures you’ll still love this. While it’s doubtful that many of you will get the chance to head over to Hamburg Germany to check this out in person, you’ll be fascinated by the video tour. The five minute video is a bit fact intensive but don’t turn it off. It’s just impossible to believe the detail and technology and craftsmanship that went into creating wonderland. We’ve never seen anything like it. Trains of course, but also firefighters putting out fires, a working commercial airport, cities, country, and more.

 

***

Interrobang Staff

Interrobang Staff