Top Picks: Yuja Wang and Gustavo Dudamel's new album, Brandon Staton's 'Humans of New York,' and more
The end of 鈥楥amelot鈥�
Nov. 22 marks the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy鈥檚 assassination. 鈥檚 Killing Kennedy, based on the book by talk-show host Bill O鈥橰eilly, stars Rob Lowe as the president and is directed by Ridley Scott. The film tracks the movements of the killer and the leader of the free world as each moves toward that fateful moment. This is a compelling narrative without delving into conspiracy theories. It airs Nov. 10.
Powerful piano classics
The incandescent young Chinese pianist teams up with the equally explosive (of the Los Angeles Philharmonic) in this Deutsche Grammophon album featuring two warhorses of the piano concerto repertoire. Wang plays works by Russian masters Rachmaninov (Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor) and Prokofiev (Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor) in this superb debut collaboration. They are accompanied by the Sim贸n Bol铆var Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.
Green, nuclear power?
To be anti-nuclear is to be in favor of burning fossil fuels, says one of the committed environmentalists at the heart of the documentary Pandora鈥檚 Promise, the latest from CNN Films. The movie details the intellectual journey these liberal environmentalists took as they changed their views on nuclear power. They point to statistics that may startle: Only 56 people died at Chernobyl, contrary to popular belief. They also compare the anti-nuke environmental movement of the past to the climate change deniers of today. It airs Nov. 7 at 9 p.m. on .
New York stories
Since 2010, Brandon Staton has approached strangers in New York City and asked to take their photos and post them online on a website called Humans of New York (). Eventually, he started adding a few poignant lines about his subject鈥檚 life stories. The profiles are as familiar as they are unique, revealing humanity in a New York outsized way. 鈥淗umans of New York鈥� is also now available as a book featuring 400 of Staton鈥檚 photos.
Gone country
Veteran rock star has been leaning country for a long while now. 鈥淧icture,鈥� her 2002 duet with Kid Rock, was a big step, for sure. With her new album Feels Like Home, Crow has gone all in, with every track sounding like a modern country hit. Co-writing with some of Nashville鈥檚 star songwriters, Crow sounds comfortable and confident in the genre, singing better than ever on the new tunes, be they gritty (鈥淪hotgun,鈥� 鈥淏est of Times鈥�) or pretty (the touching 鈥淲aterproof Mascara鈥�). The girl鈥檚 done good.
Hendrix and his guitar
鈥檚 鈥淎merican Masters鈥� focuses on Jimi Hendrix to celebrate what would have been his 70th birthday with Jimi Hendrix 鈥� Hear My Train A Comin'. It鈥檚 an in-depth look at his life and influence, and features commentary from his family, band members, and legends such as Paul McCartney. The film traces Hendrix from his humble beginnings in Seattle, a stint as a US Army Paratrooper, and as unknown sideman to R&B stars such as Little Richard. Who knew? It airs Nov. 5.
