The Filtered Excellence: November 17, 2011

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” Its 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:

WATCH THIS:

Woody Allen: A Documentary.  A part of the American Masters series, this two part, three and a half hour documentary on one of the most brilliant comedic minds of our time is our pick of the week.  Woody Allen has remained an elusive, inaccessible and yet, romantic mythical figure in our culture.  Filmmaker Robert Weide has changed that and given us the authoritative Woody Allen history, something we never expected to see.  Get all the details here.  It airs Sunday, November 20 and Monday November 21 at 9pm on PBS.

Live with Regis and Kelly: The Farewell Special.   Regis Philbin says goodbye to Live with Regis and Kelly. It’s bound to be emotional for everyone, especially the guest of honor himself.  We’re expecting tears, special guests, balloons, maybe even monkeys on unicycles?  Well maybe not.  But you have to tune in to find out.  Friday November 18 beginning at 9am, ABC.

Tyrannosaur. Actor Paddy Considine (In America, Dead Man’s Shoes) makes his feature debut as writer-director in this very brutal British film about rage, violence, addiction, and friendship.  See the trailer here.  A bleak miserablist piece- sublime acting performances, in particular by Olivia Colman.  In theaters November 18th.

The Artist.  A silent French film !? Michel Hazanavicius directs The Artist, focused on Hollywood in 1927. It’s the story of a silent movie superstar on the cusp of the advent of “the talkies,” and a young actress, an extra, as her career begins to take off. The Artist tells the story of their intertwining journey. (The Weinstein Company).  See the trailer here.  In theaters November 23rd.

READ THIS

Pulphead:  Essays by John Jeremiah Sullivan.  John Jeremiah Sullivan’s essays, (printed in GQ, The Paris Review, and many other magazines) uniquely cover a variety of subjects ranging from Axl Rose and Michael Jackson to Christian Rock Festivals…to Hurricane Katrina and family member’s brushes with death.  Sullivan writes about what interests him, and it IS all really interesting; from the pop culture to the personal.  These stories are about everything, while also being about the author. What’s incredibly remarkable about the collection is the way in which these very differing stories and topics of interest all seem to fuse into something almost like a journal or a memoir. This is exciting, entertaining, and insightful writing.  Get it here for Kindle or order the book.

The Walking Dead Comic Book.  Disappointed so far in the second season of AMC’s The Walking Dead?  If so, go back and check out the superior source material, a monthly comic book that is up to 90 issues.  Don’t worry about giving yourself spoilers for the TV series.  While some characters and plot points are the same, the stories diverge to a great degree.  Check out the first 8 issues collected in a trade paperback here.

The Doors:  A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years.  Griel Marcus is one of America’s most respected music critics. Having written books about Dylan, Van Morrison andElvis Presley, this time he does a series of essays on songs from The Doors.  The Doors have haunted American radio for the last 40 years, seemingly getting bigger every year.  And you couldn’t possibly be in better hands than having Griel as your guide.   Available now in hardcover here.

LISTEN TO THIS:

The Dreamer by Etta James.  Due to a number of health issues, 73 year old Etta James announced that this album would be her last and that she would be retiring from music.  As the final statement of her career, it does not disappoint.  Her voice, while somewhat weathered by age and possibly health, is still extremely strong and the songs chosen only benefit from the character her voice now has.  Standout tracks are “Misty Blue” and “Boondocks”.  She also performs an out of left field cover of Guns n’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” that is far better than would be expected.  Order it here now.

BROWSE THIS

Biblion: The Boundless Library: Exploring the 1939-1940 World’s Fair “The World of Tomorrow”  This is really cool- such an interesting site, so many storylines.  Biblion encourages, “Multi-linear reading.” Discover the story within the story, within the story…It’s an online, interactive museum exhibit that delves deep.  In this edition, the reader is encouraged to, “Enter the World of Tomorrow” through one of the NYPL’s most popular archival collections: the official records of the 1939–40 New York World’s Fair. The documents, audio, photos, music, film, and essays, all directly from the Library’s collections, are historically fascinating. They reflect our country at a time and tell the larger stories as well as those of the individual.  This website and the free Biblion iPad app.  Here’s a little how-to, introduction to how rad Biblion can be.

Thanksgiving: The Right Way.  That’s right we’re plugging ourselves.  Don’t miss this comprehensive resource to everything you need to know for a great Thanksgiving.  Includes a list of some of our favorite products to buy or order, as well as a special Thanksgiving edition of WHAT TO WATCH.  Pay particular note to the Cooks Illustrated Thankgiving Survival Guide.  It’s the best holiday resource anywhere.  Here’s a link if you’re too lazy to click on The Right Way.

TRY THIS

Butternut Mountain Farm Barbecue Sauce. Made with Vermont Maple Syrup, this sweet and rich barbecue sauce has a taste is absolutely perfect as a sauce for pulled pork.  Available for order here or at local Whole Foods.

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