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With a title that plays knowingly on Nwa, this autobiographical debut from 21-year-old writer-director-star Zephyr Benson swaps the black L.A. ghettos of Straight Outta Compton for the white, middle-class milieu of Manhattan's Lower East Side. Shot on location with a bracing, handheld immediacy, it's an engaging but ultimately overstuffed morality tale that blends crime thriller, addiction saga, and coming-of-age elements. The lazily charming Benson — whose messy tangle of mud-colored curls, oblong, off-porcelain face, and giant green eyes lend him the look of a live-action Botticelli — plays Gene, an outwardly cocky high-schooler suffering reverberations from the death of his mother and subsequent abandonment by his businessman father (who appears in chronic...

Following in your famous father’s footsteps while pursuing your own showbiz dreams can prove to be a daunting career path. Just imagine if Dad were as beloved as Robby Benson, a teen heartthrob in the ‘70s in such films as the basketball drama “One on One” and the skating romance “Ice Castles.” He would move on to more mature roles in the ‘80s such as “Harry & Son” opposite Paul Newman and leave an enduring mark on animation history as the voice of the Beast in 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast.” And then there is Mom, Karla DeVito, no slouch, either. The actress/singer, once dubbed “The Sweetheart of Rock and Roll” by David Letterman, sang backup for Meat Loaf on his Bat Out of Hell tour and starred on Broadway in “The Pirates of Penzance.“ It makes sense, then, that their progeny and quadruple threat Zephyr Benson, who turns...

• Who Gets the Dog? has found its lead in Alicia Silverstone. Steven C. Miller will direct from a script by Matt J.L. Wheeler and Rick Rapoza. The romantic comedy follows a divorcing couple that fights for custody of their pet. [Variety] • Sharon Stone has been cast as the lead in Darknet. Jacques Malaterre will direct the psychological thriller, which also stars Billy Zane, Gina Gershon, and Caterina Murino. Set in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, the film takes a deep dive into the world of organ trafficking. It centers on Stone’s character whose husband is murdered when he nearly uncovers...

Zephyr Benson just landed a big acting role. The up-and-coming filmmaker was cast alongside Oscar winner Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”) in “Coming Through the Rye,” TheWrap has learned. Benson is set to play Gerry, brother to one of the two teens hellbent on tracking down famed American author J.D. Salinger. Emmy winner Jim Sadwith (“Sinatra”) is writing and directing the film, based upon his life and in production. Alex Wolff (“Hair Brained”) and Stefania Owen (“The Lovely Bones”) star as two teens desperate to find the “Catcher in the Rye” scribe. See photos: Hollywood's New Movie Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain,...

Guns and drugs and fight clubs — whoa. The first trailer for Zephyr Benson's drug-fueled New York City crime drama “Straight Outta Tompkins” has more running, snorting and fighting than you can shake a stick at. But don't blame the writer (also Benson) for being over-dramatic, because the film is actually based on a true story. See video: ‘Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever’ Gifts the Internet With First Trailer The now 21-year-old director/writer/producer plays Gene, a middle class teenager who befriends a Lower East Side drug dealer while he is battling addiction. The bold directorial debut parallels...