Entertainment

ABOVE PHOTO:  Roger Ross Williams Interview with Kam Williams In 2010, Roger Ross Williams became the only African-American to win an Academy Award for directing and producing the documentary Music by Prudence. Three years later, he directed God Loves Uganda which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to enormous critical acclaim before airing on the…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  The 2015 Kennedy Center Honors Honorees, from left, actress Cicely Tyson, conductor Seiji Ozawa, actress and singer Rita Moreno, filmmaker George Lucas, and singer-songwriter Carole King stand on stage during a reception for them in the East Room of the White House, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) George Lucas,…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Jesse L. Martin in character as Marvin Gaye   Might F. Gary Gray be working on one?   By Tambay A. Obenson Shadow and Act I was updating my annual list of announced biopics of black public figures that still haven’t been made, and, while researching to find out if there have been…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Bill Cosby (Photo: Randy Miramontez / shutterstock) By Denise Lavoie associated press BOSTON– Lawyers for Bill Cosby said Friday they will fight an attempt to require his wife to give a sworn deposition in a defamation lawsuit filed by seven women who accuse the comedian of sexually assaulting them decades ago. A lawyer…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Andra Day  (Press Line Photos / shutterstock) By Mesfin Fekadu associated press NEW YORK — If The Associated Press could create its own “NOW” compilation album of 2015, this would be it. Here are the top 10 songs of the year, according to AP music editor Mesfin Fekadu: 1. “Where Are U Now,” Skrillex…

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By Jake Coyle associated press NEW YORK — Star Wars: The Force Awakens has already surpassed $100 million in North America and $250 million globally, setting it up for a record-breaking weekend. The Walt Disney Co. on Saturday said the film made an estimated $120.5 million from Thursday night previews and opening day Friday. That…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Will Smith in a scene from ‘Concussion’. Review by Kam Williams In 2002, Will Smith landed his first Academy Award nomination for Ali, a riveting biopic about Muhammad Ali directed by Michael Mann. Although a cultural icon in his own right, Smith managed to disappear into the role in the process of delivering…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Nate Parker as Nat Turner in a scene from ‘Birth of a Nation’. By Tambay A. Obenson Shadow and Act Here’s a first look at one of the official images from Nate Parker’s much anticipated The Birth of a Nation, which the actor wrote, directed and also starred in, playing Nat Turner. The…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Writer/director Ryan Coogler (l) and Michael B. Jordan on the set of “Creed”, a Warner Bros. Pictures release.  (Photo Credit: Barry Wetcher) Interview with Kam Williams Filmmaker Ryan Coogler hails from the East Bay Area of Northern California. In 2011, his student film, Fig, which followed a young street prostitute’s fight to keep…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Keke Palmer  (Photo: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com) Find out why the singer will not label herself as gay or straight. By Renee Samuel BET.com Keke Palmer is not the “traditional” woman.  In an exclusive with People.com, the actress and singer talks her new video “I Don’t Belong to You.” By the end of the…

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