The Filtered Excellence: March 5, 2015
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 toread,our favorite things to listen to and more:
WATCH THIS:
Road Hard. Adam Carolla co-directed and stars in this new feature about the other side of a life in comedy. Carolla plays Bruce Madsen, a former TV and film star, who goes back on the comedy circuit after all of his other options have run their course. Bouncing around comedy clubs, airports and cheap hotels begin to take their toll on Bruce – especially as he sees all of his contemporaries moving onto bigger and better projects. Hoping to jump start his career and have enough money to send his daughter off to college, Bruce realizes that the only path to getting back on top starts with getting off the road. Carolla, along with Kevin Hench, amazingly captures all of the touring’s painful repetitions: living out of suitcase, flight delays, awkward interactions with fellow passengers, fans, club owners along with the isolation and loneliness that builds up it. We also get a rare look at the politics that are involved that separates a comic from being the next big thing to being assigned to an also-ran. Its a funny, dark, brutally honest look at the journey one has to take to make us laugh.
Pre Order Road Hard 
Two Men In Town. Redemption is at the heart of this remake of a 1973 French film from director Rachid Bouchareb. Forrest Whitaker stars as a William Garnett, just released from prison after serving 18 years for killing a cop. He initially struggles with life on the outside, but thanks to a new- found Islamic faith, a sympathetic parole agent (Brenda Blenthyn) and a budding relationship, he seems to be putting his violent past behind him. Sheriff Bill Agati (Harvey Keitel), believes that its only a matter of time before Garnett strikes again and starts a campaign to have him locked up for good. Further complicating matters is Terence (Luis Guzman), Garnett’s former criminal associate who tempts him a lucrative, but shady job offer. Whether or not William will resist going back to his old way of life or press forward is at the heart of the riveting and tense drama. Bouchareb, working with cinematographer Yves Cape captures the vast New Mexican landscape wonderfully, and patiently lets the characters form and develop. Whitaker is excellent as Garnett, a killer who’s desperately trying to walk the straight and narrow, even as the forces around him are telling him otherwise. Keitel is just as strong as Sheriff Agati, whose campaign to put Garnett back in bars is personal as much as it is professional. Blenthyn walks a delicate tightrope as Garnett’s parole agent, trying to keep both forces at bay while Luis Guzman adds wonderful nuances as the rougish, yet dangerousTerence. His offer to pull Garnett back into a life of crime is more out of obligation and loyalty than it is to add to his criminal enterprise. Though its rooted in the present, Two Men In Town has the look and feel of a classic Western and with a timeless theme. A film worth seeking out. Two Men In Town opens in theaters and On Demand on March 6th.
You can go to www.cohenmedia.net for more information.
Grey Gardens. This stunning 1976 documentary about reclusive socialites ‘Big Edie’ and ‘Little Edie’ Beale will have a limited run in select theaters around the country. The aunt and first cousin of Jackie Onassis, the Beales were high society dropouts living in seclusion in a derelict and decaying mansion in East Hampton, New York. Despite their social standing, the Beales home, named Grey Gardens, was in such bad shape, that the Suffolk Health Department threatened to evict them and raze the house. Onassis, along with her sister Lee Radziwell provided the necessary funding to get the house up to code and prevent the eviction. Radizwell would later introduced the Beales to filmmakers Albert and David Maysles, who thought they would be a perfect subject for a documentary. Working alongside directors Ellen Hovde, Nuffie Meyer and Susam Fromke, Grey Gardens shows the dark side of American Camelot through the eyes and spoken by two women who were at the heart of it all. With a new 2K restoration, Grey Gardens packs as much of an emotional punch today then when it was released back in 1976. Come out and see a landmark documentary. Grey Gardens will be re-released in New York on Friday and in select theaters starting on March 20th.
Go to www.janusfilms.com for a complete rundown and additional info.
LISTEN TO THIS:
Mono by The Mavericks. Whoever came up with the name The Mavericks was visionary, lucky or both. Led by Raul Malo, The Mavericks have pulled off the difficult task of being major players within the Nashville music scene, without adhering to a more polished, pop-leaning sound. If anything, The Mavericks, have for nearly 25 years, drawn closer to more traditional idioms – country, blues, soul, old school pop, Texas Dance Hall, you name it – than they big budget production techniques. All of those idioms remain on their new album, but with a new twist: It recorded live in the studio and, going the Phil Spector route and recording in mono. They’ve also added more Latin rhythms and decidedly ska-influenced sound into the mix, all of which works well for Malo’s otherworldly vocals. The band – which includes guitarist Eddie Perez, Jerry Dale McFadden on keyboards and drummer Paul Deakin are in peak form and the album is a joy from start to finish. This is another fantastic album by one of America’s best bands.
Mono
You can also go to www.themavericksband.com for tour dates and more info.
DO THIS:
NEW YORK CITY: Bjork at MoMa. Coinciding with the release of her new album Vulnicura and a series of intimate shows in New York City, The Museum Of Modern Art will present the first full career-spanning retrospective of Bjork’s 20-plus year career. The exhibition promises to ‘chronicle her career through sound, film, visuals, instruments, objects, and costumes’ and will also include a video installation for ‘Black Lake’, a track from the new album that was commissioned specifically for MoMa. Also included will be handwritten manuscripts, the robots used in the ‘All Is Full Of Love’ video, and the now-famous swan outfit that Bjork wore to the Academy Awards in 2001. Despite all of the awesome eye candy, the Bjork retrospective is first and foremost about the music, which she has been delivering in high quality since 1993. This exhibit will blow away long time fans and those just getting turned onto her music. The exhibit will be on display at MoMa from March 8th through June 17th.
You can go to www.moma.org for tickets and additional information.
NEW YORK CITY: Alabama Shakes at the Beacon Theatre. Following a blistering showing on Saturday Night Live, Alabama Shakes will carry on that momentum with a two night stand at The Beacon Theatre. Expect to hear choice cut from their hotly anticipated second album, Sound & Color, along with songs from their much beloved (and Grammy nominated) debut album Boys And Girls. Come out and witness a band about to take it to the next level.
Go to www.beacontheatre.com or www.alabamashakes.com for tickets and additional info.
NEW JERSEY Burt Bacharach at The Bergen Performing Arts Center. The career of Burt Bacharach ranks right up there with some of the greatest songwriters/composers of all-time. Whether it was working with Hal David, Carole Bayer Seger, Elvis Costello or Dr. Dre, Bacharach’s compositions have transcended the worlds of pop, rock, jazz and film scores. Still going strong at 86, Bacharach shows no signs of slowing down: He published his autobiography ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ in 2013, continues to work and collaborate with up and coming artists and has maintained an active touring schedule. This weekend, Bacharach will be at the Bergen Performing Arts Center spotlighting all of the songs that captured the hearts and ears for nearly 60 years. Here’s a chance to hear a master composer working his craft.
Go to www.bergenpac.org for tickets and more info.
LOS ANGELES: Hurray For The Riff Raff at The Troubadour. Led by Bronx-born Alynda Lee Segarra, Hurray For The Riff Raff have quickly made their imprint of the American folk tradition with the release of the major-label 2014 debut, Small Town Heroes. They’ve been touring relentlessly behind it, adding a new legion of believers in their wake. Hurray For The Riff Raff will bring their unique brand of Americana to the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood. Come out and blow away.
Go to www.troubadour.com or www.hurrayfortheriffraff.com for tickets and more information.
CHICAGO: Tweedy at Vic Theatre. Before ramping up another leg of shows with Wilco, co-founder and frontman Jeff Tweedy will do a series of shows with his son Spencer at The Vic Theatre. Tweedy was originally supposed to be a full on solo project, with Jeff performing all of the instruments himself. But his son became so much a part of the project that Jeff turned it into a duo. They will be performing songs from their double CD, Sukierae, stripped down versions of Wilco songs and much more. It’s truly a family affair that promises to be a lot of fun.
Tickets are available now at www.jamusa.com/the-vic.
Want more excellence? Read last week’s The Filtered Excellence and visit The Interrobang Recommmends
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