The Filtered Excellence: June 9, 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:
Animal Kingdom. The series adaptation of the 2010 internationally acclaimed film rolls out next week on TNT. Ellen Barkin plays ‘Smurf’ Cody, the matriarch of a Southern California crime family that specializes in armed robbery. Finn Cole portrays Josh ‘J’ Cody, Smurf’s estranged grandson who comes to live with her after his mother dies of a drug overdose. The crew, which is made of Smurf’s sons Pope (Shawn Hatosy), Craig (Ben Robson), Deran (Jake Weary), along with second in command Baz (Scott Speedman) are initially skeptical of the new house guest – especially when they are about to embark on another high risk job. But for Smurf, family still comes first and plans to have J quietly come into the fold. But J quickly realizes that in this family, it’s either adapt or perish. With the lush Southern California landscapes as a backdrop, this is a high octane, adrenaline fueled series anchored by a strong cast and great action scenes. Barkin is electric as Smurf, the undisputed, take no prisoners leader of the family. Despite near incestuous relationships with ‘her boys’, she’s ready to cut bait in the blink of an eye, and takes no quarter from anyone . She put the ‘bad’ in badass. Cole is perfectly cast as J, the grandson who by sheer circumstance is thrust into the dark side of life in SoCal. Barkin is the star, but we really see the story develop through his eyes. Speedman is just as strong as Baz, the second in command who begins to question Smurf’s leadership and the brothers’ loyalty even as he keeps their criminal enterprise moving forward. If you like high powered action crime drama, Animal Kingdom is your show. It premieres on Tuesday, June 14th on TNT. You can also go tohttp://www.tntdrama.com/ for extras and more info.
De Palma. Directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow sit down with legendary director Brian De Palma to discuss his life and career in this exciting new documentary. Candid and pulling no punches, De Palma recalls how witnessing his father perform surgery and later, trailing him with a camera to catch him having affairs greatly influenced his work on such films as ‘Dressed To Kill’ and ‘Body Double’. He also goes into depth on just as much of an impact that the ‘New Hollywood’ directors such as himself, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Martin Scorsese had on cinema – and how that will never happen again. Whether talking about film techniques, battles with the ratings board or dishing dirt on some of Hollywood’s biggest names, this is Brian De Palma unleashed and unfiltered. Loaded with great clips and photos from some of his seminal films, Baumbach and Paltrow have crafted the ultimate portrait of one of a cinematic giant. De Palma opens this Friday.
LISTEN TO THIS
It’s Too Late To Stop Now…Volumes II, III & IV by Van Morrison. Released in 1974, this seminal live album captured Van Morrison at his peak as a songwriter and as a performer. It’s one of the few live albums that’s actually live – Morrison insisted that no overdubs were done and if there were any glaring mistakes, the songs wouldn’t make the cut. Now, as part of the massive digital reissue of the Morrison catalog, this new album features additional tracks from those epic stints at The Troubadour, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and The Rainbow in London. Backed by the 11 piece Caledonia Soul Orchestra (which included a four piece string section), it’s an overview of Morrison’s career from his days with the group Them (‘Gloria’, ‘Here Comes The Night’); early solo gems (‘Brown Eyed Girl’); essential albums such as Into The Mystic, Moondance and His Band And Street Choir), Tupelo Honey; and his most recent efforts, Saint Dominic’s Preview and Hard Nose To The Highway. Morrison also features some exceptional covers of his heroes Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Hank Williams Sr, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Muddy Waters to round out the collection. There’s also a bonus DVD of The Rainbow Theatre show that was recorded for British TV, but for unknown reasons, never aired. To actually witness Morrison and these extraordinary musicians tear through this material is a sight to behold. The original version of It’s Too Late To Stop Now is one of the greatest live albums ever recorded and a must have for any true Van Morrison fan. The additional Volumes more than reinforces this claim. This is as good as it gets. It’s Too Late To Stop Now…Volumes II, III & IV will be available on Friday through Amazon, iTunes and all major music retailers.
American Tunes by Allen Toussaint. Recorded shortly before his death this past November, this album captures the intimacy of his live performances and celebrates the music that inspired him and greatly shaped the American musical landscape. Produced by Joe Henry, it features Toussaint doing solo piano renditions of classic material by Billy Strayhorn, Fats Waller, Earl Hines, and hometown heroes Professor Longhair and Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Other tracks feature Toussaint leading a small band that included, among others, guitarist Bill Frisell, Van Dyke Parks on piano and the otherworldly Rhiannon Giddens blowing the roof off with her vocals on Duke Ellington’s ‘Come Sunday’ and ‘Rocks In My Bed’. The album concludes with Toussaint singing a sparse rendition of Paul Simon’s ‘American Tune’ that adds a poignant and fitting coda to his career. Henry’s low key production gives off a feel that you’re in Toussaint’s living room giving you a master class on American music. Understated but grand, sparse yet rich, this is a wonderful parting gift from a musical treasure. American Tunes by Allen Toussaint will be available Friday through Amazon, iTunes and all major music retailers.
DO THIS
New York City; The 2016 Lower East Side Film Festival. Billing itself as ‘low key highbrow’, the 6th Annual edition of The Lower East Side Film Festival aims to satisfy your movie fix without having a big strain on your wallet. Featuring independent films from all over the world, the LESFF also offers the chance to interact with the filmmakers, producers, screenwriters and casting directors through panels, workshops and of course, parties. Whether you are looking to find the next great director or looking to break into indie film, this is a cool and inexpensive way to network and get informed. The Lower East Side Film Festival will run through June 16th. You can go to http://www.lesfilmfestival.com/ for tickets, a complete schedule of events and more information.
Los Angeles; The Playboy Jazz Festival. Always a seasonal favorite, The Playboy Jazz Festival has been THE place to go to hear the best and brightest in jazz for decades. George Lopez is back as host for the fourth straight year, with the Late Show With Stephen Colbert house band Jon Batiste & Stay Human aboard to headline. Seth MacFarlane, Fourplay and Janelle Monae are also tapped to get The Hollywood Bowl moving and grooving. Prepare to have a perfect Hollywood weekend of music and laughs. The Playboy Jazz Festival happens June 11th and 12th. You can go to http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/ for tickets, a complete schedule of events and more information.
Want more excellence? Read last week’s The Filtered Excellence and visit The Interrobang Recommmends
Read more comedy news, stories, interviews with comedians, videos and comedy clips on our home page. Get more comedy news. Watch more viral videos. Read more interviews with the best comics in the business.
Latest posts by Earl Douglas (see all)
- Earl’s World: The Filtered Excellence: September 7, 2021 - September 7, 2021
- Remembering Fez Whatley - August 15, 2021
- Earl’s World: The Filtered Excellence: July 23, 2021 - July 25, 2021
