The Filtered Excellence: January 24, 2021
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 week’s 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
One Night In Miami. Academy Award winner Regina King goes behind the camera to direct the big screen adaptation of Kemp Powers’ play. It’s a fictionalized account of the night Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr), and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adair) met in a Florida hotel to celebrate Clay winning the heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston. All are at personal and professional crossroads: Malcolm is preparing to leave The Nation Of Islam; Brown is weighing leaving football for a film career; Cooke is make the move into producing and developing new acts; and the young, brash Clay is about joining The Nation Of Islam. During the course of the night, the four of them will debate how these individual challenges and choices will impact the American Civil Rights movement – and their lives. Playing these cultural titans is a tough task, but all of the actors add weight and dimension, and unexplored emotions that capture their full essence of their character. Ben-Adair and Odom deliver stand out performances as Malcolm and Cooke, two self-made men who continuously butt heads about how to bring their people to the next level. King gives Powers’ script and the strong ensemble plenty of room to breathe, emphasizing more on each characters nuances to avoid falling into caricature. What makes the film resonate even more is that many of the issues that are addressed still ring true today. With rich direction, story, and performances, this is film is a shoo-in to be all of the award season conversations. One of the year’s best. One Night In Miami is available now on Amazon Prime.
How Does It Feel To Be Free. The latest edition of American Masters profiles six groundbreaking Black women: Actresses Diahann Carroll, Pam Grier and Cicely Tyson; and singers Lena Horne, Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln. Directed by Yoruba Richen, it covers their formative years, creative and cultural peaks, overcoming the overt racism and sexism; their ties to the American Civil Rights Movement and how they laid the groundwork for current generation of African-American women artists. With appearances by Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Shonda Rhimes, Alicia Keys and Samuel L. Jackson, it pays a beautiful tribute to six African-American iconoclasts. How Does It Feel To Be Free is available now on PBS and the PBS app.
LISTEN TO THIS
What By Not Person. The latest project from former Tiny Hazard guitarist Ryan Weiner bridges the worlds of psychedelia, alternative, DIY, and country into a sweeping, tripped out, mind excursion. The Beatles influence runs through out, as ‘Bells’ and ‘In’ are wonderful homages to John Lennon and George Harrison. The 80s also plays heavy into the collection , with ‘Wait’ being a subtle nod to Giorgio Moroder’s film scores, and ‘OK’ fusing big synths with guitar work that recalls early Dire Straits. Clocking in just under 30 minutes, it leaves you asking for more and wondering what will be the next musical progression. It’s a bold, exciting new chapter for one of the indie world’s most adventurous artists. What by Not Person is available now through Apple Music and Bandcamp.
STREAM THIS
Lift Every Voice: Why African American Poetry Matters. If you were blown away by Amanda Gorman’s poetry at the Inauguration, you’ll get a chance to hear her speak again at the upcoming virtual reading, Lift Every Voice: Why Africa American Poetry Matters. This free event will coincide with the release of the new anthology, African American Poetry: 250 Years Of Struggle & Song, edited by Kevin Young, poetry editor of The New Yorker and director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History. It will also feature readings from Robin Coste Lewis and Safiya Sinclair, plus music from Kris Bowers. It’s a great opportunity to hear dynamic work from some of the nation’s best young poets. The event is free, but if you purchase the $50 ticket, it will be donated to the Library Foundation of Los Angeles and you’ll receive a free copy of the book. Tune in for the next wave of literary greats. Lift Every Voice: Why African American Poetry Matters will take place Thursday, January 28th at 5pm East vid Zoom. You can go to www.lfla.org to reserve or make a donation.
DO THIS
Photography 4 Humanity. Whether its photojournalists on assignment or every day citizens using their cell phones, nothing has better captured key moments in the ongoing struggle for human rights than a photo. Fotografiska’s New York gallery is presenting Photography 4 Humanity, an international initiative that has culled together some of the most arresting images that capture injustice, despair, courage, compassion and hope. The centerpiece is ‘The Last Rites’, Anindito Mukherjee’s 2020 Global Prize winning look at the human and systemic costs of COVID-19 in Delhi. It’s an exhibit that urges everyone to remain active and stand up for human rights for all. Photography 4 Humanity will be at Fotografiska New York through February 14th. You can also go to www.fotografiska.com for more information.
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