The Filtered Excellence: January 7, 2016
Chimes at Midnight (1965 France/Spain/Switzerland) aka Campanadas a medianoche
Directed by Orson Welles
Shown: Orson Welles
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:
Shades Of Blue. A lot of star power behind this new NBC midseason series. Jennifer Lopez stars as Detective Harlee Santos, part of a close knit of detectives operating out of Brooklyn. Led by Lieutenant Matt Wozniak (Ray Liotta), the group has no problem bending – and breaking – the law to dispense their brand of street justice. When Santos is caught up in a federal sting, she becomes an reluctant FBI informer trying to protect her family of cops from prosecution while trying to stay out of jail and losing her daughter. This balancing act is made more difficult when Santos’ FBI handler, Special Agent Stahl (Warren Kole) begins to obsess over her and Wozniak begins an all out search to find the rat in his crew. Barry Levinson directs the first two episodes of the series, and writer-creator Adi Hasak (‘Generation Kill,’ ‘3 Days to Kill’) puts together a script that shows the many shades of gray that law enforcement officials have to work through, the lines that they cross and how its easy it is to betray the ideals you have spent a significant part of your life defending. With all of this great talent assembled, this has the makings of a show poised for a strong run. Shades Of Blue airs Thursday nights at 10PM Eastern on NBC.
Chimes At Midnight. Citizen Kane is considered by film fans and critics as one of the greatest films ever made. But it wasn’t Orson Welles’ favorite film. He always considered this 1966 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV his best work despite the fact it was met with critical and commercial indifference upon its release. But as he was with Kane, Welles was one step ahead of his audience and its now earned its rightful place as a crowning cinematic achievement. After years of legal wrangling, Chimes At Midnight will be having a brief revival at select theaters across the country, including a run at New York’s Film Forum. Welles upgrades the role of Falstaff, the boozy, womanizing knight, friend, and father figure to Prince Hal (Keith Baxter) to give broader perspective to their friendship and its sad conclusion. Sir John Gielgud plays King Henry IV, who vainly tries to break their bond and have his son to act more like the Royal than rabble rouser. The movie has everything: Friendship, betrayal, action and class conflicts. Visually, its Welles’ best work: Some of the sequences – including an extraordinary battle scene – surpasses his work on Citizen Kane. Chimes At Midnight is going to finally get a proper DVD release this year, but make it a point to see in all of its glory on the big screen. It will be at Film Forum through January 13th. You can also go to www.filmforum.org for run times and more information.
LISTEN TO THIS:
The Intro by Ruth B. For 20 year old Ruth B, 6 seconds changed her life. In late 2014, the Edmonton native – after binge watching the ABC series Once Upon A Time – posted a six second video of her playing the piano and singing the line ‘“I am a lost boy from Neverland / Usually hanging out with Peter Pan.” The response was overwhelming that Ruth was encouraged to finish the song, using Vine to track the song’s progress. When she premiered the finished piece, ‘Lost Boy’ on YouTube, it received nearly 2 million views. Label interest quickly followed with Ruth signing with Columbia Records in July. As she readies her first full length album, ‘The Intro’ is a 4 song EP that features insightful, soulful songs and a voice that miles above the current group of pop tarts. ‘Lost Boy’, a great spin on the Peter Pan legend is included here, as is ‘2 Poor Kids’, a story of the big city love of two people from the wrong side of the tracks. This is pop in its pure, unpolished form and it’s a nice detour from the super slick beat heavy formulas that we are bombarded with now. A strong, promising debut. The Intro is available now through Amazon, Itunes, and all major retailers. You can also go to www.ruthbofficial.com for more information.
TRY THIS:
The Polaroid Z2300 Digital Camera. The Polaroid instant camera was supposed to be the biggest casualty as photography moved from film to digital. But as film cameras are making a comeback and camera companies designing DSLRs to resemble old school cameras, Polaroid’s latest release gives you the best of both worlds. The Z2300 Digital Instant Camera. features a 10 megapixel camera, a 2.5 inch LCD screen, a 6x digital zoom and a zero-ink printers capable of producing 2×3 color photos. You can also crop, add borders to suit any occasion, apply filters to your shots to your prints and uploads. Basically, it’s like having a one stop camera and print shop in the palm of your hands. If you want an inexpensive camera that marries the traditional with the modern, this is it. The Polaroid Z2300 is available now through Amazon and all major camera dealers. You can also go to www.polaroid.com for more information.
DO THIS:
New York City. Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading. The writings of Charles Bukowski reached such critical mass that he began doing public readings. In front of adoring, often raucous crowds, Bukowski turned it into performance art, smoking, drinking, and actively – sometimes angrily – engaging with the audience. The Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading isn’t quite that confrontational, but it does capture the heart and spirit of Bukowski’s work and presentations. Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes will host a lineup that will include featured readers and an open mic session in which attendees can read or recite their favorite poems. It’s a moving tribute to one of the greatest writers of modern literature. The Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading will take place on January 8th at the Cornelia Street Cafe. You can go to www.corneliastreetcafe.com for tickets and more information.
Los Angeles. Lemmy Kilmister Memorial. The Sunset Strip will be louder than anything else as they will present the memorial service for one of its most famous adopted sons, Lemmy Kilmister. The legendary Motorhead frontman, who passed away on December 28th of cancer made The Rainbow Room his home away from home: So much so that during his final days, the venue had his favorite video poker game moved to his apartment so he could continue playing and is favorite seat will be forever reserved in his name. From 2pm to 2am, fans can come by the Rainbow, Roxy and the Whisky A Go-Go to pay their respects to one of the most beloved musicians in rock history. The Rainbow will be closed between 5pm and 9pm for the private service, and fans are asked to stop by the other venues during that time. Lemmy loved it loud and its all but guaranteed to be not just another send off for a man who was born to lose, but lived to win. RIP Lemmy.
Want more excellence? Read last week’s The Filtered Excellence and visit The Interrobang Recommmends
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