The Filtered Excellence: March 15, 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
Moxie. Amy Poehler, goes behind the camera to direct, co-produce and co-star in this Netflix adaptation of Jennifer Mathieu’s book. It stars Hadley Robinson as Vivian, a shy high school junior who, after discovering her mother’s riottt grrl past, anonymously starts Moxie, a zine that openly addresses the sexist, toxic culture within the school. As the Moxie movement gains traction, Vivian finds herself with a new set of peers, a boyfriend, Seth (Nico Hiraga), and a better sense of identity. But she and her friends must also confront the inevitable blowback, led by the popular school quarterback Mitchell (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Principal Shelly (Marsha Gay Harden) and Vivian’s long time best friend Claudia (Lauren Tsai). Poehler – working with Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer’s screenplay – makes a smooth transition into the director’s chair, putting her own mark on the high school comedy while addressing issues such as sexism, racism and toxic masculinity. She also puts in a strong supporting turn as Vivian’s been there, done that, mother. Robinson is firing on all cylinders as Vivian, capturing all of the nuances of a quiet teen using parts of the past to discover her own voice. Hiraga is just as strong as Vivian’s very woke boyfriend, bringing the right mix of aware and awkward in a performance that will provide a blueprint to how male characters are portrayed in teen comedies. Schwarzenegger is all snark and sleaze as the big man on campus who wears his sense of self-entitlement like a crown. Alycia Pascual-Pena (Lucy), Sydney Park (Kiera) and Anjelika Washington (Amaya) nearly steal the movie as the foot soldiers in the Moxie movement, initiating actions that give Vivian the spark to take the campaign to the next level. With a solid cast and an energetic, all-woman soundtrack, Amy Poehler has crafted a comedy that ties in well with the times. Moxie is available now on Netflix.
The Changing Times Of Ike White. When director Daniel Vernon tracked down the elusive musician Ike White, he thought he was going to put a cap on one pop music’s greatest ‘What If’ stories. Instead, Vernon went down a musical rabbit hole that all involved are still recovering from. This new documentary tells the story of how White – who was serving a life sentence for murder – was discovered by music producer Jerry Goldstein. Convinced that he’s found the next musical genius, Goldstein arranges to have White record in prison. Released in 1976, White’s album gets strong reviews, drawing comparisons to Sly Stone, Snuggie Otis and Stevie Wonder, who personally champions to have White’s case reopened. Wonder helps White get a new lawyer and before the decade closes out, White gets released. But instead of taking advantage of his newfound freedom and the media attention surrounding it, White – who had married Goldstein’s secretary during the recording – all but disappears from the public eye. Meanwhile, the album becomes a cult classic, but finds a new audience when rappers such as Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg begin sampling White’s songs. Nearly 40 years later, Vernon finds White, now working the L.A. lounge scene as David Maestro, to document his side of the story. When White gives Vernon his extensive collection of photos and videos, it takes the director, White’s current wife Lana and the audience into territory no one is prepared for. While the comparisons to the Oscar-winning Searching For Sugarman are inevitable, this film plays more like a mystery than it does your average music doc. It does capture why White was so endearing and captivating to people, making the subsequent revelations about him even more intriguing. It’s a strange and wild take on a musician who is more enigma than legend. The Changing Times Of Ike White is available now on Amazon Prime.
LISTEN TO THIS
The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers by Valerie June. For her 3rd major label release, Valerie June fully taps into what Gram Parsons once called ‘Cosmic American music’. Working with producer Jack Splash (Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, Anthony Hamilton), June incorporates country, Memphis Soul, folk music, choral pop into a sweeping, dreamlike song cycle that is hypnotic, colorful and trip-tastic. Songs such as ‘Why The Bright Stars Glow’, ‘Stay’, ‘You And I’ and ‘Home Inside’ are breathtakingly beautiful pieces of art. While many of today’s artists are focused on the latest single, Valerie June has crafted an album that demands to be heard in a full sitting. An instant classic and one of the year’s best. The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers by Valerie June is available now through all major streaming services.
Digging In The Dirt by Janita. The latest EP from this Brooklyn based singer-songwriter, has her taking on the Peter Gabriel classic to channel new emotional depth and meaning in a post pandemic world. It follows in the line of singles that she released throughout 2020, and all of which are represented here. ‘Not What You’re Used To’ is a defiant, sophisticated fusion of rock and pop, while ‘Our Love Is All We Have’, ‘I Do’ and ‘Bliss I Once Had This’ are sweeping soundscapes that take the craft of songwriting and arrangement to the next level. A full length album isn’t due until late spring, but if these songs are any indication, it has the making of a classic. Digging In The Dirt by Janita is available now through all major streaming services.
STREAM THIS
We Dissent…And We Are Grateful. March 15th would have marked the 88th birthday of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and to celebrate, The Brooklyn Museum will honor the borough native with a one-night only virtual program. It will feature such acclaimed feminist voices such as Kathleen Chalfant, Noma Dumezweni, and Karen Finley readings some of Ginsburg’s most monumental opinions and arguments. To hear Ginsburg’s words read aloud reminds us yet again that her life and legacy will continue to live on. We Dissent…And We Are Grateful takes place March 15th at 6pm and you can purchase tickets to view the program through the Brooklyn Museum’s website, www.brooklynmuseum.org.
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