The Filtered Excellence: July 4, 2013

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Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks picks of what to WATCH, what to DO what to TRY what to READ what to LISTEN TO and more:

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WATCH THIS:

Ray Donovan Starring Liev Schreiber. This new Showtime original series stars Liev Schreiber in the title role, a problem fixer for the Hollywood elite who can’t shake his past as a thug in south Boston. Jon Voight plays his father, Mickey, fresh from a 20 year prison stint, eager to reconnect with Ray and his equally troublesome brothers, and out to settle old scores. It’s a compelling look at the darker side of Hollywood, as well as a riveting family drama. Schreiber is excellent in the title role and Voight seems to be having the time of his life as the father returning to get what he feels is his. If the pilot is any indication, we could be looking at the next great TV series. Ray Donovan airs Sunday nights at 10pm on Showtime.

The Look of Love. Steve Coogan teams up again with “24 Hour Party People” Director Michael Winterbottom for “The Look of Love”. Coogan stars as the “King of Soho” in the story of Britain’s topless theater and softcore magazine legend , Paul Raymond who opened Britain’s first strip club in the late 1950’s and went on to become the richest man in England by the ’90s. “The Look of Love” will be released in theaters on Friday, July 5th and will be available the same weekend On Demand, Sunday, July 7th.

Oxyana. Directed by Sean Dunne, this must see documentary is now available for download! Both horrific and beautiful. Tribeca film fest has already put it at #5 for must-see documentaries of 2013.    It’s only 3.99 through vimeo.com. Support a great director of independent film and catch this mesmerizing film.

Wimbledon. The oldest and most prestigious championship tournament in tennis continues this weekend from the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, England. The Women’s Singles Championship will be decided Saturday, July 6th at 3pm Eastern on ABC. The Men’s championship game is Sunday, July 7th at 3pm on ABC.

Messi and Friends Versus the Rest of the World. Live from Chicago, soccer’s biggest star Lionel Messi leads a team against a squad of international all-stars in a charity event friendly. It’s a chance to see some of the greatest players from around the world prior to World Cup 2014. The game is live on ESPN, Saturday, July 6th at 7pm.

The Sopranos. One full season every month on HBO On Demand. Home Box Office is honoring the late James Gandolfini by making every season of the award winning series, The Sopranos, available On Demand.  July starts it off with Season 1 and then Season 2 becomes available in August, and so on. The series can also be seen with the network’s streaming service HBOGO.

 

LISTEN TO THIS:

The Best Of Merry Clayton. Merry Clayton, the powerful voice featured on the Rolling Stones’ classic ‘Gimme Shelter’, gets her first ever best of collection.  It also coincides with the release of the documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom, which features Clayton and Darlene Love, among many others.  Clayton personally oversaw the track selection, which features solo material that she cut for Lou Adler’s Ode Records in the 1970s.  Included in the collection is her own funkier version of ‘Gimme Shelter’, along with searing covers of material by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Leon Russell, James Taylor and The Who.  If the film didn’t re-establish Clayton as one of the all-time great vocalists, this album will. The Best Of Merry Clayton will available July 9th through Amazon, Itunes and all major retail outlets.

Neil Diamond – Freedom Song (They’ll Never Take Us Down). The city of Boston holds a special place for Diamond: ‘Sweet Caroline’ has been played at Red Sox games since 1997. Like a lot of people, Neil Diamond was moved by the acts of heroism that occurred after The Boston Marathon bombings. In the wake of the attacks, Diamond wrote and recorded ‘Freedom Song (They’ll Never Take Us Down) as a tribute to those we lost, those were wounded, and all who carry on. All proceeds from the single will benefit The Wounded Warrior Project, which assists veterans wounded in combat, and One Fund Boston, which was established in the wake of the bombings to assist victims and families affected by the attacks. Freedom Song is available now through Itunes and all digital music outlets.

BROWSE THIS:

The Talkhouse (www.thetalkhouse.com). The brainchild of former Rolling Stone Magazine contributing editor (and former musician) Michael Azerrad, The Talkhouse features musicians from all genres and generations to write about today’s current releases. As an added bonus, the only person who can comment about the review is the person who is getting reviewed. So it starts a dialogue (and perhaps a heated exchange) between two artists who may not have had the chance to otherwise, with everyone else watching the sparks fly. The site has received considerable attention after Lou Reed posted a highly favorable review of the new Kanye West album. It also has feature articles (again, written by musicians) and daily forums that center after what’s happening in music today. A great way to insight about music from those actively creating it.

DO THIS:

Iowa City, Iowa. Arlo Guthrie’s “Here Comes The Kid Tour”. Arlo Guthrie celebrates his legendary father, Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday. The tour features Arlo performing his father’s music and telling stories about the folk icon. The show is Wednesday, July 10th at 8pm at Iowa City’s Englert Theatre. Tickets are still available.

Brooklyn, New York. The Works: Bill Murray. This is the Nitehawk Cinema’s career mini-retrospective of Bill Murray. The Nitehawk salutes directors, actors, composers and influential people in film with a 2 month program featuring their work. Beginning Saturday, July 6th, it’s The Works: Bill Murray – starting off with screenings of “Ghostbusters”. The series this Summer also features “Rushmore” and “Caddy Shack”. The Nitehawk Cinema has food and drink (including cocktails) service in all its theaters.

Los Angeles, California. Warner Bros. Presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II. The Hollywood Bowl hosts America’s favorite ‘wabbit’ in “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II”. The evening includes classic Looney Tunes favorites like “What’s Opera, Doc?, “The Rabbit Of Seville”, and Baton Bunny” with a live orchestra performing the classic scores along with the cartoons. The night will also feature two new 3D animated shorts. Performances are Friday, July 5th and Saturday, July 6th at 8pm.

Interrobang Staff

Interrobang Staff