The Filtered Excellence: December 17, 2015

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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 to read, our favorite things to listen to and more:


WATCH THIS:

Luther. Idris Elba returns as DCI John Luther in this special edition of the acclaimed BBC series. This time out, Luther is drawn out of self-imposed exile to track down a cannibalistic serial killer terrorizing London. If that wasn’t enough, Luther also has to contend with a gangster who has put a hit on him, a new partner and dealing with the disappearance of his best friend and part time nemesis Alice. Elba is once again in fine form in the title role, a combination of John Shaft and Sherlock Holmes, working off of as angst as he does confidence. It’s as much of a signature role for Elba as his work on The Wire and it’s a much welcome return to one of the best TV characters of the past decade, if not ever. Luther premieres this Thursday at 9pm Eastern on BBC America. You can also to www.bbcamerica.com for more information.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last year or so, the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise finally hits theaters this weekend. J.J. Abrams takes over the directing duties bridging past and present by adding new cast members (John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Issac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o) to go alongside original cast members (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford). The plot is being kept under lock and key, but if the trailers and early buzz is any indication, it captures the adventure of the original 1977 film and the drama of its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. Abrams has already successfully rebooted one franchise with Star Trek and expect him to do the same here. Believe the hype and use the Force. Go to www.starwars.com for more info.

Sisters. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have conquered TV (late night and prime time) and proven themselves to be top flight award show hosts (The Golden Globes), so the move to the big screen was all but inevitable. Teaming up with director James Moore (Pitch Perfect), the former SNL mainstays play sisters who are asked to return home and clean out their old bedroom before their parents (James Brolin, Dianne Weist) sell the house. They decide relive past glories by having one last blowout party with former classmates before moving with their lives. Of course, things get completely out of hand to the point where there might not be a house left to sell. Its no shock that Poehler and Fey play well off each other and they are in peak form as the tight knit but polar opposite siblings. But it’s also the supporting cast – including the always good Maya Rudolph and John Cena (who is proving that he has another career awaiting him once he hangs up the wrestling tights for good) – that solidify the project. It’s a new spin on the ‘house party gone wrong’ concept and has the potential to be the comedy hit of the holiday season. Sisters opens nationwide this Friday. You can also go to www.sistersfilm.com for more information.

Son Of Saul. The debut film by Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes hits U.S. theaters this weekend. Set in Auschwitz during the last phase of World War II, it stars Geza Rohrig as Saul Auslander, part of a group of Jewish prisoners who are forced to assist the Nazis to do the unthinkable: Clean the gas chambers after the mass executions. It’s there that he discovers the body that he believes to be his son. As the others in his group plan one last stab at freedom, Saul is only focused on one seemingly impossible task: To find a rabbi and give the boy a proper Jewish burial. Nemes, along with his cinematographer Matyas Erudely eerily captures the horrors of the concentration camp, but take a path that’s usually reserved for horror and suspense films: It’s not what you see, it’s what you think you see that make Saul’s situation hit even more closer to home. It’s a stunning debut that will haunt you long after its over. It will be the film to beat for Best Foreign Film come awards season, count on it. Son Of Saul opens this weekend in New York and Los Angeles. You can also go to www.sonyclassics.com for more information.

READ THIS:

Boys In The Trees by Carly Simon. She’s a critically acclaimed lyricist and composer, rock star, feminist icon, a wife, a mother and a grandmother.  But who is the real Carly Simon?  Telling her story for the first time, Simon recalls her storied childhood as the daughter of Richard L. Simon, co-founder of Simon & Schuster; teaming up with her sister Lucy to form the folk duo, The Simon Sisters; and her extraordinary run as a solo artist that would include the chart topping ‘You’re So Vain’, ‘Anticipation’, ‘Mockingbird’, ‘Nobody Does It Better’ and the Academy Award winning hit, ‘Let The River Run’.  Simon also dives into how her relationships and encounters with some of the pop culture’s movers and shakers and how it became the source of some of her best work.  She also reveals for the first time, who was the inspiration behind the iconic ‘You’re So Vain’.  As expected, a good share of the book covers Simon’s marriage to James Taylor, in which she gives the highs and lows equal time.  Loaded with great stories, Carly Simon delivers a memoir that is just as powerful and insightful as some of her best songs.  Boys In The Trees is available now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major book retailers.  You can also go to www.carlysimon.com for more information.

DO THIS:

New York City: Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels: Queens Legend: His Life In Hip Hop & Politics.  The Queens Central Library. The hip hop pioneer will sit down with Ralph McDaniels to discuss his life in and out of Run-DMC.”, his recent social activism and his foray into the world of comic books. Expect to hear great stories about being part of the hip hop’s early days, his time with Run-DMC, working with youth groups and as the creator of the DMC comic book. A rare chance to hear from one of the all time greats of the genre. Go to www.queenslibrary.org for tickets and more information.
MTA Shoppers Special. MTA New York City Transit and the New York Transit Museum have teamed up once again for its annual holiday trip down memory lane. For the next two Sundays, commuters will be able to board a vintage subway train from the 1930s which served as the prototype of today’s subway trains. As an added bonus, the rides will be peppered with people dressed from the period and live jazz will be featured throughout the ride. The ‘Shoppers Special’ will run from 10am to 5pm along on the 6th Ave Line from Queens Plaza to 2nd Ave. Get transported back in time and have some fun will you ride throughout the city. Go to www.mta.info for departure times and additional information.
Los Angeles: Holiday Spirit On The Big Screen 2015. This year’s American Cinematheque series of holiday screenings spans several generations. It will feature Christmas standards (White Christmas, Holiday Inn) alongside new entries (Elf and the uncut version of Bad Santa). Rounding out the weekend will be THE standard bearer of all seasonal films, Its A Wonderful Life. Yes, it will show up somewhere on TV all the way through Christmas, but Frank Capra’s timeless classic was always meant to be seen on the big screen. It will be shown at the legendary Aero Theater in Santa Monica for all of those who won’t be getting a White Christmas. A great chance to see George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) get a new lease on life while Clarence tries to earn his wings. Great fun for the entire family. American Cinematheque’s Holiday Spirit On The Big Screen runs December 18th through the 20th. You can go to www.americancinematheque.com for tickets and more information.

 


Want more excellence? Read last week’s The Filtered Excellence and visit The Interrobang Recommmends

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Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.
Earl Douglas
Earl Douglas
Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.