The Filtered Excellence: May 26, 2016
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:
It’s So Easy And Other Lies. Today, Duff McKagan is a successful musician, author and businessman, husband and father. But the path to success was marred by drugs, alcohol, divorce and a near-death experience. Based on his New York Times best seller, McKagan teams with director Christopher Duddy for this new documentary that illustrates the many stories that make up his extraordinary life. Filmed live at The Moore, McKagan reads passages from his book, performs and uses animated clips to show how a tall, skinny kid from Seattle became an international superstar. There’s also archival footage, photos, and new interviews with Slash, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx, friends, family and associates to round out the doc. An extraordinary look at the rise, fall and rise of a seminal member of not one, but two legendary bands. It’s So Easy And Other Lies is in theaters now.
All The Way. The not-so-easy path to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the basis of this new HBO film from Jay Roach (Recount, Game Change). Bryan Cranston portrays President Lyndon Johnson, who, in the wake of President Kennedy’s assassination, civil unrest, and intense pressure from civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Mackie), tries to push forward this landmark piece of legislation. Standing in the way of its passage are Southern Democrats, who are threatening to leave the party if the bill passes – which, of course, torpedo any plans of getting re-elected. Cranston delivers an outstanding performance as the embattled 36th President, navigating his way through choppy political waters to insure equal rights for all. He’s backed by a strong supporting cast that includes the always great Melissa Leo as First Lady Johnson, Mackie as MLK, Frank Langella as Senator Richard Russell Jr and Ned Van Zandt as Senator J. William Fulbright. Roach, who is no stranger to political dramas, gives the actors and the material plenty of room to breathe as the tension mounts to the vote that will transform a nation and define a President’s legacy. Another winner from the HBO Films camp. All The Way is airing now on HBO, HBO Now and HBO Go. Go to http://www.hbo.com/ for run times and additional info.
That Gal…Who Was In That Thing: That Guy 2. Breaking through as an actor in Hollywood is hard. To keep working is even harder. If you’re a woman, it’s next to impossible. This new documentary talks with eight veteran actresses – Jayne Atkinson, Paget Brewster, L. Scott Caldwell, Alicia Coppola, Roxanne Hart, Catherine Hicks, Roma Maffia, Donna Massetti and Christine Rose – discussing how they have managed to maintain careers in an industry that is male-dominated and obsessed with youth. They also talk about how they have wrestled with race, sexism, nudity, age, family and the double standards that they face almost on a project to project basis. It is a probing, biting look at a side of Hollywood that needs to be discussed more often and at length. That Gal…Who Was In That Thing is airing on Showtime and Netflix. You can go to http://www.sho.com/ or http://www.netflix.com/ for more information.
LISTEN TO THIS
Fallen Angels by Bob Dylan. In 2015, Bob Dylan surprised even his most hardcore fans when he released Shadows Of The Night, an all-covers album featuring songs made famous by Frank Sinatra. Uncle Bob doubles down again with The Great American Songbook with the release of his latest album, Fallen Angels. As was the case with Shadows Of The Night, the album was recorded at the famed Capitol Studios in Hollywood (where Sinatra also cut some of his best work) and features legendary songs by Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, among others. Dylan and his excellent touring band – Charlie Sexton, Stu Kimball, Dean Parks, Donnie Herron and Tony Garnier – treat the material with complete reverence and respect, breathing new life into songs from a long lost time. Dylan’s vocal styles have always been subject to scrutiny, but here, with this rich material and strong band backing him, excel. In a career that has spanned over 50 years and had its share of abrupt changes, Dylan has emerged The Great American Songbook’s strongest advocate. Another masterpiece. Fallen Angels is available now through Amazon, iTunes and all major music retailers. You can also go to http://www.bobdylan.com/ for tour dates and more information.
Everything’s Beautiful by Miles Davis & Robert Glasper. To coincide with what would have been his 90th birthday, Robert Glasper has assembled an all-star cast of musicians to remix, revamp and reinterpret select tracks from Miles’ iconic catalog. As he did with his best selling albums Black Radio and Black Radio 2, Glasper has once again merged the worlds of jazz, hip hop and R&B to make a deeply heartfelt and sensitive tribute to the social music icon. Studio recordings of Miles instructing (and sometimes chastising) musicians runs throughout the album, serving as bridge and ghost, as Bilal, Erykah Badu, Laura Mvula, Illa J, Phonte, Hiatus Kaiyote, King, George Anne Muldrow, Ledisi and John Scofield all run the musical voodoo down for Miles. There’s also a killer appearance by Stevie Wonder as he closes out the album with ‘Right On Brotha’ playing harmonica that channels Miles’ distinctive tone. Glasper and Co have put together a collection that manages to reach back and move forward at the same time. Not easy, but they get it done. A moving and loving tribute. Everything’s Beautiful will be available on Friday through Amazon, iTunes and all major music retailers. You can also go to http://www.milesdavis.com/ for more information.
DO THIS
New York City: Attitude: Portraits by Mary Ellen Mark 1964-2015. Whether she was on a film set or doing portraits, Mary Ellen Mark was able to bring out the best in each of her subjects. Her passing last year, left a void that has yet to be filled. The Howard Greenberg Gallery is presenting a new exhibit of some of the dynamic portraits that she shot during the course of her 40 year career. The shots range from celebrities such as Marlon Brando and Sean Penn to those that Mark felt ‘away from mainstream society and toward its more interesting, often troubled fringes, this exhibit shows the true essence of both the photographer and her subjects. It’s a fitting tribute to an all-time great. Attitude: Portraits by Mary Ellen Mark 1964-2015 will be at The Howard Greenberg Gallery through June 18th. You can go to http://www.howardgreenberg.com/ for more information.
New York City: Mad Max Weekend. Released in 1979, Mad Max made international stars out of director George Miller, its star Mel Gibson and launched a franchise that is still captivating audiences worldwide. This weekend, The Museum Of The Moving Image will present the complete series that features Max making his way through a post war Australian wasteland. All of the Gibson films (Mad Max, The Road Warrior, Beyond Thunderdome) and the Academy Award nominated Fury Road with Tom Hardy as Max and Charlize Theron as Furiousa will be screened in glorious 35mm and digital. If you are looking to see an action series of the grandest scale in a state of the art theater, make sure to check out these dynamic films. Mad Max Weekend will happen at the Museum Of The Moving Image May 28th through the 30th. Go to www.movingimage,us for run times and more information.
Want more excellence? Read last week’s The Filtered Excellence and visit The Interrobang Recommmends
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