The Filtered Excellence: April 3, 2013

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks 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:

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Stripped. Directed by Frederick Schroeder.  This new documentary  is a genuine heart felt love letter to the art and craft of creating newspaper comic strips. The film is just gorgeous and shines a well-deserved light on an under-appreciated art form.   Cartoonist Bill Waterston, creator of Calvin and Hobbs donated the poster for the film– his first new illustration in 19 years and gave his first ever recorded interview.   When a documentary is so good that it inspires members of two massive bands, (Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, and members of DMB) and a legendary illustrator  to donate work, you don’t need our help to convince you to watch it. Bill Waterston, creator of Calvin and Hobbes created the poster for the film– his first illustration in 19 years. Other artists taking part in the film include Jim Davis (Garfield), Cathy Guisewite (Cathy), Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey),  Jeff Keane (The Family Circus),  Bill Amend (Foxtrot),  and more. But the film is not just a reverence piece– important questions are introduced that affect artists in every genre like what happens when an artform loses its home due to cultural change? Re-monitization of art forms affect every medium, making this doc a must-see for anyone interested in the arts of any kind.  Anyone who considers newspaper comics to be a throwaway art form will reconsider their views after watching Stripped.  After only being available for 2 days, it’s already the number one documentary on iTunes.  True filtered excellence.

Mistaken for Strangers.  This new documentary has been getting rave reviews all over the internet, and you can count us in. First time filmmaker Tom Berninger went on tour with his famous brother, lead singer for The National Matt Berninger.  Tom hasn’t found his place in the world yet so he tags along on the tour and shoots over 200 hours of film of his big brother and the band.  Early on Tom’s approach makes him seem like a Chris Farley character, asking goofy questions like “Where do you put your wallet when you’re on stage” but the project evolves into an amazing story about what makes success versus failure, and what is art, and the struggle for younger brother Tom to find his place in the world– all while telling the story of the relationship between the two  brothers.  It’s sweet and touching, and incredibly down to earth.

Alan Partridge starring Steve Coogan. Steve Coogan’s much beloved creation finally makes its big screen debut. Time has not been kind to Partridge – he’s no longer on the BBC and is now doing local radio in the coastal city of Norwich. When the station is bought by a huge conglomerate, Partridge convinces the new bosses to fire his co-worker Pat Farrell (played by veteran Colin Meaney) instead of him. Farrell snaps, takes up arms and holds the station hostage. He enlists Partridge as his co-host, unaware that his new on-air partner was the one who betrayed him. As expected, chaos ensues with Partridge walking a thin line between not getting found out, keeping the situation under control and seizing the opportunity to get back into the national spotlight. Its a much welcomed to one of the most iconic characters in British TV history. The public tends to think so too: A sequel has already been green lit. Alan Partridge opens this Friday.

Under The Skin starring Scarlett Johansson. Scarlett Johansson’s latest – an erotically charged sci-fi thriller directed by Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth) is her most risky and daring project to date. ScarJo plays an alien who is sent to Earth to harvest human organs for her planet. Taking the form of a beautiful woman, she uses the promise of sex to lure her victims into the mysterious black preserving liquid. When she spares a potential victim because of his inexperience and disfigurement, it sets off a chain of events that fuses her alien instincts and her newfound human emotions. Visually, the film looks exceptional – Glazer’s direction makes Scotland look like another world. Johansson is also in fine form as the alien at odds with her true nature and adopted one. Under The Skin lives up to its title, staying with you long after its over. The film opens in New York and L.A on Friday and nationwide on April 11th.

The Unknown Known. (directed by Errol Morris) The latest documentary from acclaimed directed Errol Morris profiles former Secretary Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and its sure to confirm whatever feelings you may have for the chief architect of The Iraqi War. Much like his 2003 doc on former S.O.D. Robert McNamara, Morris speaks has Rumsfeld speak directly to the camera about the events that led up to the U.S invasion of Iraq, the detainee abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo and how the world perceives the U.S. in post 9/11 world. By taking a step back and letting Rumsfeld speak, Morris provides us a sometimes awkward look into the mind of one of the most controversial cabinet members in U.S. history. Whatever feelings you have for Rumsfeld, they will certainly be reinforced in this doc.

The NCAA Final Four. It’s down to 4 teams in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. One team will be crowned the best in college basketball. More importantly than that, someone is going to win your office brackets pool. We find out who will make it to the title game on Friday, April 5th. First, it’s number one overall Florida versus number seven UConn on Friday at 6 pm Eastern on TBS. That came is followed on Friday by number two Wisconsin against number eight Kentucky. Tip off for that game is scheduled for 8:49 pm Eastern, also on TBS. The winners of those games will meet for the championship on Monday night, April 7th to crown a new champion on CBS. The national championship game starts 9:10 pm Eastern.

Silicon Valley on HBO. This is the brand new HBO series from creator Mike Judge (Office Space, Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill). Silicon Valley mocks out the tech world with the story of a master programmer and his team who live together and try their hand at a start-up with a Web-shattering compression algorithm. The premiere of the new series Silicon Valley is Sunday, April 6th at 10 pm Eastern on HBO.

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NYT Now.  Who says the New York times is outdated?  Just this week the NY Times launched their new newsreader app for iPhone.  It’s called “nytnow” and its one of our new favorite apps.  It updates around the clock, gives you morning briefings, full articles, and an easy jump to “our picks” which are the NYTimes Editors picks for the best stories around the web.  Get quick access to breaking news or more detail.  The app is free but if you want to read more than ten articles, you’ll have to subscribe.

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NEW YORK CITY: Permanent Vacation: The Films Of Jim Jarmusch at The Film Society Of Lincoln Center through April 10th. Odd, quirky, yet undeniably original, the films of Jim Jarmusch have come to define the independent film scene for nearly 30 years. As a build up to his latest film Only Lovers Left Alive (which will premiere at The New York Film Festival), The Film Society Of Lincoln Center will present a full on retrospective of Jarmusch’s extraordinary work. It will include the seminal Stranger Than Paradise and Down By Law, mid period gems Mystery Train and Night On Earth, the surreal and hypnotic Dead Man, late period masterworks Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai, Coffee And Cigarettes, and Broken Flowers and the visually arresting The Limits Of Control. The series will also include his debut film Permanent Vacation, his documentary on Neil Young & Crazy Horse (Year Of The Horse), music videos that he directed for Talking Heads, Tom Waits, The Raconteurs, Big Audio Dynamite and much more. This is the definitive look at one of the last true visionaries working in film today. Permanent Vacation: The Films Of Jim Jarmusch will be at The Film Society Of Lincoln Center through April 10th.

NEW YORK CITY: Whitewash at The Jeffrey Leder Gallery. For several years, 5 Pointz, the iconic ‘graffiti mecca’ was in the midst of a highly publicized battle to prevent the space from being razed in favor of high rise (and high rent) condos. The campaign – which included an effort to have area declared landmark status and a lawsuit – ended this past November when building owners G&M Reailty, abruptly whitewashed space overnight. A new exhibit, ‘Whitewash’, will feature several 5 Pointz aerosol artists (including founder Jonathan ‘Meres’ Cohen) and photographers creative answer to what happened that faithful day last fall. The new works express their pain and outrage over what happened and their resolve to continue artistically even as 5 Pointz has faded into memory. It’s the ultimate requiem for a neighborhood staple and a cornerstone to New York City counterculture. Whitewash will be at The Jeffrey Leder Gallery (a few blocks away from the 5 Pointz site) through June 8th.

NEW YORK CITY: Santana Retrospective Redux at Joe’s Pub. For over 45 years, the music of Santana has crossed into just about every popular genre: rock, jazz, Afro-Cuban, pop, and most recently, hip-hop. On April 8th, The Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, under the direction of Santana fan and collaborator Vernon Reid, will present a retrospective that will touch upon all of the band’s musical incarnations. Special guests will include Reid’s Living Colour bandmate Corey Glover, Coati Mundi of Kid Creole & The Coconuts/Dr Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band fame, Sophia Ramos, Melvin Gibbs (Rollins Band) and other surprises. BRC Orchestra shows never disappoint and given the material, this one promises to be quite electric. Santana Retrospective Redux will be at Joe’s Pub on April 8th.

NEW YORK CITY: The Complete Hitchcock: Television. This is a special screening of the Master of Suspense’s television side. The event will feature 20 telefilms that Alfred Hitchcock made for his TV series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. The special will also include documentary features on Hitch as well rarely seen interviews with the people who worked with him. The screenings are Saturday, April 5th through Sunday, April 6th starting at 1 pm at the Paley Center in New York City.

PHILADELPHIA, PA. Philly Tech Week. Philly Tech Week 2014 starts on Friday, April 4th. The kick off event is Arcade @ The Oval. This features the world’s tallest video game as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. A giant Tetris game will be played on the side of the Cira Centre Building. You can even enter to compete in the giant Tetris game. Plus the outdoor arcade includes food from Philly food trucks and a Yards beer garden and live performances. Arcade @ The Oval and the world’s tallest video game begins on Friday, April 4th at 7 pm.

Want More Excellence?  Read Last Week’s Edition of The Filtered Excellence, or visit our Filtered Excellence page.