The Filtered Excellence: March 28, 2013
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:
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship Continues. March Madness continues this weekend with the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds. Sweet 16 match ups this weekend include the number 3 seed Florida Gators facing the Cinderella underdogs from Florida Gulf Coast University and also, #3 Michigan State against #2 Duke. We’ll see which of the top seeds in the tournament can advance to the Elite 8 action starting on March 30th.
Mr. Selfridge. Three time Emmy Award winner Jeremy Piven is back on television, at the helm of a very different kind of series from the hugely popular “Entourage”. This time Piven stars as Harry Gordon Selfridge, the American retail tycoon who’s new department store takes London by storm in 1909. Think of it as “Boardwalk Empire” without quite so much violence. Season one of the series, which has already aired in England, premiers on Sunday, March 31, 9pm Eastern on PBS.
Room 237. An engaging documentary about Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and seven different theories about the hidden subtexts believed to lie within. Room 237 provides an excellent opportunity to revisit a brilliant film, and see it in entirely new ways. Even if you find the theories to be far fetched or stretched thin, the questions raised, and the debate that will follow make Room 237 an excellent watch for any Kubrick fan. You might as well grab a copy of The Shining to watch before and after checking out Room 237. You’ll want to watch it multiple times to test the theories for yourself.
Major League Baseball Opening Day 2013 Season. It’s that time of year when every baseball fan’s team is still in it – Opening Day. The 2013 MLB season opens with the battle of Texas on Sunday, March 31. The first game of the year is the Texas Rangers at the Houston Astros. On Monday April 1, it’s a near full slate of games featuring the Red Sox at the Yankees, the Phillies at the Braves and the Giants at the Dodgers. Watch on ESPN – Sunday, March 31, 8:05pm Eastern.
The Ten Commandments. It’s an annual weekend tradition coinciding of course, with the Passover holiday. Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” starring Charlton Heston, Yul Brenner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson and Yvonne De Carlo. It’s the nearly 60 year old classic epic that tells the story of the Moses and the children of Israel escaping Pharaoh’s Egypt for the promised land. The Ten Commandments airs on ABC on Saturday, March 30, 7pm Eastern.
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LISTEN TO THIS:
Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective. Over 40 years after his untimely death, Duane Allman’s influence on the music scene can still heard through such bands as The Black Crowes and Kings Of Leon. The Allman Brothers Band is still live music staple. Skydog – a limited edition 7-CD box set – is THE definitive look at Duane Allman’s brief, but extraordinary career. The bulk of this box covers session work that he did with Aretha Franklin, The Grateful Dead, Wilson Pickett, Laura Nyro, King Curtis, Boz Scaggs, Otis Rush, Delaney & Bonnie, John Hammond, Jr and many others. There’s also numerous tracks from proto-ABB bands The Hourglass and The Allman Joys. Skydog would not be complete if it didn’t cover his stints in The Allman Brothers Band and Derek & The Dominoes – work that took him from go-to session musician to a full blown rock legend. Duane Allman was only 24 when he passed, but listening to this collection clearly shows that it was a life well spent. Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective is available now on Amazon.
Carry On: Stephen Stills. Graham Nash and producer Joel Bernstein culled through over 250 songs (some dating back nearly 50 years) to present this extraordinary 4-CD retrospective on Stephen Stills. All of his seminal work with CSN&Y, Manassas and as a solo artist are covered here, but the real find is the 25 never-before released studio recordings, and live tracks. There’s an array of superstars who make guest appearances (Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, Booker T & The MGs, Eric Clapton, and Ray Baretto, just to name a few), but Stills is not only the featured artist, but more than holds his own with these artists. Carry On makes a strong case that Stephen Stills is one of the best all-around musicians of the rock era. It’s available now on Amazon and all major retail outlets.
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DO THIS:
New York City: Spectacle: The Music Video @ The Museum Of The Moving Image. Before YouTube and the dot com explosion, music videos were the vehicle for artists to reach a mass audience. The right clip could either make you (‘Take On Me’ by A-ha) or break you (Billy Squire’s ‘Rock Me Tonite’). Now The Musuem Of The Moving Image will present the first museum exhibition showing how the medium has evolved over the last 35 years. 300 videos will be featured including the seminal clips by David Bowie and Madonna alongside current clips by The White Stripes, Radiohead and Kanye West. Spectacle will also look at the groundbreaking clips by directors Michel Gondry, Floria Sigismondi, Chris Milk and many others. There’ll also be interactive features, screenings and appearances by several of the music video directors and musicians. Spectacle: The Music Video will be at The Museum Of The Moving Image April 3rd through June 16th. You can go to movingimage.us for more info.
Queens, New York: “Primer” Special Screening at The Museum of the Moving Image. This is a special screening of “Primer”, the winner of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize. Writer-Director-Star Shane Carruth will be there in person at the special screening to take questions– a rare opportunity for a movie that has been out nine years. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll want to hurry now, before Shane’s new film, Upstream Color, comes out in April. Thursday, April 4, 7pm. The Museum of the Moving Image is located at 36-01 35th Avenue (at 37th Street), Astoria, NY 11106
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Steampunk at Gettysburg. The festival includes performances by bands Frenchy & The Punk, Lord Monty Jacques III, Mr. Saturday & Sixpence and more. There will also be screenings of “Iron Sky” and Blur Studio’s “A Gentleman’s Duel.” And for Sherlock Holmes’ fans, you can take a class in the great detective’s martial art of Bartitsu as well. Be sure to dress up too by breaking out your top hat, lacing up your corset and having your pocket watch on hand.
Nashville, Tennessee: Bernie Taupin. The contemporary artworks of the famed songwriter will be on display until April 13 at the Rymer Gallery in the collection titled “Beyond Words.” Those who purchase paintings prior to the artist receptions on April 6 & 7 will receive 2 tickets to Elton John’s (Taupin’s collaborator) April 5th Bridgestone Arena concert. Opens March 29
