The Filtered Excellence: September 26, 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:
Muscle Shoals (September 27, 2013- Limited). Muscle Shoals is a little Alabama town by the side of the Tennessee River- a river that in Native American tradition was known as, “The Singing River.” It’s from this tiny town that transcendent sound that would span generations was born; the music that bears the incomparable description that is the, “Muscle Shoals sound.” Muscle Shoals originated some of the most significant and powerful songs ever recorded, hit after hit, and man named Rick Hall is at the core of this phenomena. It was Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios, moving them there in 1961. FAME moved to Muscle Shoals in 1961 and with them some of the greatest artists in Rock music history- artists such as Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Otis Redding, Jerry Reed, Mac Davis, the Gatlin Brothers, Bobbie Gentry and many others. During a time of such racial tensions and social unrest, and in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement in the South, Hall brought both white and black performers to Muscle Shoals, and into his studio, to create music that would change the world. There’s just something about this place. “It’s a field of energy.” This documentary directed by Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier, features Etta James, Greg Allman, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bono, Clarence Carter, Alicia Keys, Percy Sledge and many more artists who attest to Muscle Shoals’ mysterious musical draw and how its legacy remains meaningful to this day.
Saturday Night Live, Season Premiere. The 39th season of SNL kicks off this Saturday night, September 28th at 11:30pm Eastern. The hysterical Tina Fey is back to host with special musical guest Arcade Fire. Plus the new “Weekend Update” news team debuts this season with cast member Cecily Strong joining Seth Meyers at the news desk.
Masters of Sex. This new series from Showtime is about the pioneers in sexual research, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Starting in the 1950s, the new drama shows the groundbreaking work that Masters and Johnson did and the backlash their research caused as they became sexual expert celebrities. “Masters of Sex” has a fantastic cast including Michael Sheen, Lizzy Caplan, Allison Janney and Beau Bridges. The sexual revolution starts Sunday, September 29th at 10pm Eastern on Showtime.
Eastbound & Down, Season Premiere. The awesomeness that is Kenny Powers returns for a 4th and final season on HBO, Sunday, September 29th at 10pm. A fake death can’t keep a good man down. Kenny Powers is alive and well after leaving another chance at the major leagues to return to April. This season we catch up with Powers and the “regular” life he’s been leading. “Eastbound & Down” stars Danny McBride, Steve Little and Katy Mixon. Also, Lindsay Lohan guest stars this season.
Homeland, Season Premiere. The award winning series is back for a 3rd season on Showtime. There’s been a bombing at Langley and Saul is now acting director. Carrie is facing a hostile Senate subcommittee and Brody is still missing. That’s where the new season of “Homeland” picks up. The season premiere is Sunday, September 29th at 9pm Eastern on Showtime and stars Claire Danes, Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin.
Breaking Bad, Series Finale. After 5 seasons of bad things happening, it comes to end on the “Breaking Bad” series finale. The saga of Walter White wraps on AMC, Sunday, September 29th at 9pm Eastern. It could all end in a blaze of glory for Walt as he looks for revenge against just about everybody from Jack and his team to his former partners at Grey Matter. “Breaking Bad” stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. Fans of the show can a join a live chat on theinterrobang.com.
- For more information about the show, go to amctv.com
- Here’s a promo for the final episode of “Breaking Bad”
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LISTEN TO THIS:
The Diving Board by Elton John. For his 30th studio album, Elton John continues to go back to the future. Teaming once again with producer T-Bone Burnett, EJ goes back the piano-bass-guitar-drums sound that was the hallmark of such classic albums as Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau and more recently on 2001’s Songs From The West Coast. With lyrics by long time collaborator Bernie Taupin, The Diving Board finds Elton tapping into the music that inspired him – gospel, blues and the music that came out of Laurel Canyon – to astonishing effect. It’s an album by a musician who is clearly comfortable in his own skin and with his legacy. A late inning masterpiece. The Diving Board is available now through Itunes, Amazon and all digital music outlets.
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BROWSE THIS:
I’ll Be Your Mirror: Photographs & Important Works From The Private Collections Of Warhol’s Inner Circle. 1stdibs.com and Hedges Projects have teamed up to present a series of photos taken by Warhol from the mid 70s and mid 80s featuring some of the movers and shakers of pop and art world. Shots ran the gamut from Basquiat and Julian Schnabel to Bruce Springsteen and Sting. If you want to own some of the prints, be prepared to cough up some serious cash – you’ll need $10K just to join the conversation. But if you want to take an intimate look at some of the cultural tastemakers, you’ll want to browse through the site.
- You can view the I’ll Be Your Mirror collection by clicking on this link.
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BUY THIS:
1 Nikkor 10-100mm Lens. In 2011, Nikon launched its 1 series – high speed mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras, with smaller censors, complete with the ability to shoot high quality HD movies and standard photos at the same time. Simply put, Nikon developed a series of cameras that were compact in size, yet carried the power of a larger DSLR. Nikon also provided a series of lenses exclusive to the 1 series designed to fit specific shooting needs. But with the release of the 1 Nikkor 10-100mm lens, photographers now have an all-in-one lens that can everything from portraits, extreme close ups, landscapes, distance and group shots. In addition to being super-fast, the built in Vibration Reduction feature insures that your shots do not come out shaky – especially when using the zoom. Lightweight and compact, the 1 Nikkor 10-100mm lens is the perfect addition to a camera series that has changed the photography game.
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DO THIS:
NEW YORK CITY: Wild Style. @ The IFC Center 9/27 – 10/3. Charles Ahearn’s seminal 1983 film gets a 30th Anniversary screening at the IFC Center. Wild Style stars Lee Quionones as Zero, a graffiti artist trying to balance art versus commerce while trying to romance a beautiful muralist played by Sandra Pink Fabara. But at the heart of the film is an early snapsnot into the hip hop/b-boy culture with pioneers Fab 5 Freddy, Grandmaster Flash and The Cold Crush Brothers all making appearances. It also serves as a time capsule for a New York City that had breakdancing battles on the streets, a powerful club scene, burned out buildings and tagged subway cars. Without question, it’s the first hip hop movie and the most important of the genre. Wild Style will be at The IFC Center 9/27 through 10/3. Director Charles Ahearn will do post-screening Q&A’s following the 9:55 screenings on Friday and Saturday. You can go to www.ifcenter.com for more information.
COXSACKIE, NEW YORK: Death ‘Til Dawn. It’s a 2 night horror film marathon going on at the Hi-Way Drive-In in Coxsackie, NY. “Death ‘Til Dawn” happens Friday and Saturday, September 27th and 28th and features 5 horror films each night shown in 35mm. Titles include “Evil Dead II”, “Demons”, “Lady Terminator”, and “Re-Animator”. On site camping is available. Gates open at 5:30 and the first screening begins at 7pm.
NEW YORK CITY: MOMA presents Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926 – 1938. This exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York focuses on the work of Rene’ Magritte and the Surrealist work he did in the early 20th century. Paintings are featured from Magritte’s most experimental phase of his career when he said he wanted to create art that “challenged the real world”. The exhibition starts Saturday, September 28th and runs through January 12th at MOMA.
NEW YORK CITY: Mike Piazza Induction Into The Mets Hall of Fame. 12 time MLB all-star catcher Mike Piazza will become the 27th member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame on Sunday, September 29th. The induction will take place in a special pre-game ceremony to honor one of the best hitting catchers in major league history before the Mets take on the Milwaukee Brewers. Game time is 1:10pm at Citi Field.
For more information and tickets, go to mlb.com
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