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There’s something inherently exciting about a thriller that takes place entirely within one apartment building or complex — a setting that is contained while threatening potentially nasty surprises behind every door. Prolific indie writer-director-producer Wes Miller’s Orlando-shot “Black Heat” doesn’t offer much more than that basic concept, yet he keeps this high-body-count action exercise pounding along in lively if blunt fashion.

Starring “Straight Outta Compton’s” Jason Mitchell and Tabatha Robinson (aka rapper DreamDoll) as parents rescuing their daughter from criminals at a sprawling housing project, the film could have used some additional polish in terms of both script and style. Still, it’s got enough propulsive energy to keep viewers entertained. Dark Star Pictures and production company BLacklight are co-releasing to over 200 U.S. theaters on March 28.

In the opening sequence, marital couple Malik (Mitchell) and Alexis (Robinson) are traveling in their SUV, bantering about favorite movies like “Boyz n the Hood,...

The lucky 13th season of Fox's wild and wacky reality TV show The Masked Singer has been given a release date of Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Once again, Nick Cannon returns as host of the whodunnit program alongside the same four judges as the two most recent installments: Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora.

Fox has released high-res photos for the following contestants: Ant, Bat, Boogie Woogie, Cherry Blossom, Coral, Fuzzy Peas, Griffin, Honey Pot, Mad Scientist Monster, Nessy, Paparazzo, Pearl, Space Ranger, Stud Muffin, and Yorkie. There's also Lucky Duck, a non-competitive mascot. Be sure to bookmark this page, as many more costumes will be unveiled soon. Who is Your early favorite to win it all?

Scroll through our photo gallery below for everything to know about The Masked Singer Season 13 costumes, judges, and host. The secret superstars hiding underneath these colorful get-ups will be revealed one at...

The Masked Singer has featured some of the most iconic singers, including season 12's most recent winners Boyz II Men (Buffalos) and runner-up Mario (Wasp), but I wish the show would have a whole season of non-professional singers. The Masked Singer premiered in January 2019, with host Nick Cannon and panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger. During season 11, Rita Ora took Nicole's place on the panel while the latter star was busy with other commitments.

The Masked Singer has had twelve winners so far--T-Pain (Monster), Wayne Brady (Fox), Kandi Burruss (Night Angel), LeAnn Rimes (Sun), Nick Lachey (Piglet), Jewel (Queen of Hearts), Teyana Taylor (Firefly), Amber Riley (Harp), Bishop Briggs (Medusa), Ne-Yo (Cow), Vanessa Hudgens (Goldfish), and Boyz II Men (Buffalos)--and all of them are professional singers in some capacity. However, the show has featured many fantastic singers who aren't from the music industry, and...

Warning! This Article Contains Major Spoilers About The Masked Singer Season 12!The Masked Singer season 12 contestants, the Buffalos, won the Golden Mask Trophy during the season finale, and they were revealed to be the legendary singing group Boyz II Men, whose members consist of Wanyá Morris, Nathan Morris, and Shawn Stockman. The Masked Singer season 12 welcomed back host Nick Cannon, along with panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora. During The Masked Singer season 12 premiere, the panelists and fans were delighted to find out that Buffalo was actually a group contestant, with three different singers.

The Masked Singer season 12 started off with Group A, which included Leaf Sheep (John Elway), Showbird (Yvette Nicole Brown), Woodpecker (Marsai Martin), Ship (Paula Cole), and the Buffalos. The Group B contestants consisted of runner-up Wasp (Mario), Dust Bunny (Andy Richter), Chess Piece (Laverne Cox), Bluebell (Natalie Imbruglia), and Goo (Kobie Turner...

Boyz n the Hood was John Singleton's directorial debut, and it earned him an Oscar record that had been untouched for 50 years. Since its release, the movie has been recognized as one of the most significant films of the 1990s, and Boyz n the Hood is credited with having launched the careers of many of its actors. Boyz n the Hood has received numerous awards, and it currently holds a 96% critics approval rating and 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The coming-of-age drama explores the lives of teenage boys living in South Central Los Angeles and deals with themes of loyalty, friendship, and love. Along with various accolades for the performers and his screenplay, John Singleton's work on Boyz n the Hood earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director, breaking a record that Orson Welles had set 50 years earlier.

John Singleton Became The Youngest Best Director Oscar Nominee With...

It’s about that time to break out the Boyz II Men Christmas album, Christmas Interpretations. And in addition to their seasonal music contribution, Variety is now reporting that the four-time Grammy-winning R&b group is now working with production companies to get their story out there in not only a documentary, but a biopic as well. The group hit the scene in the early 90s thanks to super producer Michael Bivens, from Bel Biv DeVoe. Their breakout hit was “Motownphilly,” which was followed by “End of the Road,” “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” “On Bended Knee” and “One Sweet Day.”

Production and financing companies, Compelling Pictures and Primary Wave, are partnering with group members Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris in developing a feature film that tells the story of their meteoric rise. Compelling is also set to begin production on a long-form documentary...

In the modern world, the top reality shows can be affected by how media has changed over the last several years. For example, Jeff Probst revealed how the official Survivor podcast changed the show and Nicole Byer used social media to call out Netflix for how the producers handled issues on Nailed It! On top of that, reality show fans also use social media to speak out about things like the biggest problem with The Traitors and how Phaedra Parks treated Dan Gheesling.

Another way that social media is affecting reality TV is several celebrities who became famous online are getting their own shows. Following in the footsteps of the cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Montana Boyz are making the leap from TikTok to their own reality show.

The Montana Boyz Are Getting Their Own Reality Show

As of October 2024, The Montana Boyz TikTok account has more than one million followers.

The Montana Boyz are going from phone screens to TV screens!

It was revealed on Tuesday (October 2) that the TikTok group – (pictured left to right) Mark Estes, Kade Wilcox and Kaleb Winterburn – will be starring in their own upcoming reality series from Vice Studios and Viral Nation, Deadline announces.

Keep reading to find out more…

The publication reports the working title is currently just their name, Montana Boyz, and will “capture the former college football stars and Montana born and bred boys – or boyz – as they divide their time between working on the ranch, partying in Music City and looking for love.”

“This is a dream come true for our brand and we are so excited to begin this journey together,” Kaleb Winterburn shared in a statement. “We believe this opportunity will allow us to push harder and pave new ways for the Montana Boyz. We are forever grateful for...

Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Disney) grossed $97 million on its second weekend, representing a 54 percent drop. That’s in line with other blockbuster openings and an impressive achievement. Disney now has all four of the top weekend totals this year, including the first two weekends of “Inside Out 2.” (The Pixar smash fell only 34 percent its second weekend).

That gets the third “Deadpool” (and the eighth Hugh Jackman “Wolverine”) movie to $395 million domestic and $824 million worldwide by its second weekend, the best of 2024. Whether it bests “Inside Out 2” (currently $627 million) for #1 for the year remains uncertain. “Inside Out 2” is closing in on “Barbie,” which ended up at $636 million last year, but that’s a trivia point; much more important is what these films brought to the struggling 2024 box office.

Unadjusted, “Deadpool 2” has outgrossed any previous R-rated release. However, higher ticket prices distorts this alleged record; it’s...

Paramount has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports coming to the Paramount+ streaming service in July. The Paramount Plus July 2024 schedule includes season two of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, the music documentary Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, the espionage docuseries Mafia Spies, a 24/7 stream of Big Brother, and more.

It’s been 25 years since SpongeBob SquarePants first made a splash, and we all got swept away in his underwater hijinks. In July, brand-new adventures are in store for the seafaring superstar and the residents of Bikini Bottom when Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years returns for a second season.

Paramount+ is marking SpongeBob SquarePants’ silver anniversary in style with several unique activations. Audiences can customize their profiles with over 15 new SpongeBob avatars, explore the refreshed SpongeBob Universe collection along with special carousels curated for the franchise’s most beloved characters, and check out the SpongeBob takeover on the Paramount+ app.

Eladio Carrión is dropping a surprise EP… because he can. On Wednesday night, the reggaetonero released a five-track project, titled Porque Puedo, in time for his career-defining performances at Puerto Rico’s historic venue El Choli.

The new music follows the release of his full-length project Sol María in January and hears the musician leaning completely into the trap elements fans fell in love with from his earlier Sauce Boyz series. The project includes “Don Kbrn Freestyle” on which Carrión sings and raps over a laidback piano. He also drops...

Siddharth And Aditi Rao Hydari Have Been Dating Since 2021. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Aditi Rao Hydari is having quite a year. The internet darling is awaiting the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series Heeramandi. And if reports are to be believed, congratulations are in order because speculations are rife that Rao Hydari has tied the knot with Actor Siddharth, but a close source reveals it’s all just rumors. But while waiting for confirmation from the actress, we decided to look at the combined net Worth of this hit couple. Siddharth and Aditi Rao Hydari‘s total net Worth is Rs. 130 Crores.

Siddharth is one of the most sought-after actors who has worked in Telegu, Tamil, and Hindi movies. The actor, who debuted in 2003 with the Shankar directorial Boyz, has gone on to do many breakthrough roles. Since then, he has had many hit films with Shankar again, branching out independently.

Get ready to clutch your rosaries and gasp your Hail Marys, because Immaculate has risen to theatres, proving itself to be the unholy offspring of gothic horror and cult craziness we didn’t know we needed. Immaculate takes us on a perilous pilgrimage of a young nun who finds her sanctuary is anything but. Directed with a gothic touch by Michael Mohan, and starring the doe-eyed and scream-filled Sidney Sweeney, Immaculate weaves a tale of faith, terror, and unholy revelations.

“…the unholy offspring of gothic horror and cult craziness we didn’t know we needed.”

Upon her arrival at a picturesque Italian convent, an American nun, Sister Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), finds herself entangled in a web of divine terror. A fish out of water and without a full grasp of the language, Cecilia leans on the well-meaning intentions of her hosts and keepers, proving to be a grave mistake. Mohan...

If Vladimir Putin was watching the Academy Awards on Sunday night from his dacha on the Black Sea, his mood may have been blackened by the Best Documentary Feature category. As Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast had predicted, the Oscar went to 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing film about the early days of Russia’s brutal siege of the Ukrainian port city.

Chernov delivered emotional remarks as he accepted the Oscar, saying he would gladly trade his trophy for the lives of the thousands of Ukrainian civilians killed by Russia’s aggression. Kate McKinnon and America Ferrera served as presenters for that category as well as for Best Documentary Short; Doc Talk called that race accurately as well, predicting victory for The Last Repair Shop, the film by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers.

In the new episode of the pod, hosts John Ridley and Matt Carey react to...

Kristin Cavallari is spending time with her new man!

The 37-year-old TV personality and fashion designer recently started dating model and social media influencer Mark Estes, 24, following her divorce from Jay Cutler.

The two went Instagram official on Tuesday (February 27) with a cute selfie!

Mark also posted a video of him and Kristin on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico!

Keep reading to find out more…

On Friday (March 1), Kristin appeared in a TikTok on the Montana Boyz account, which Mark shares with several of his friends.

In the video, Kristin, Mark, Kaleb Campbell Winterburn, and Kade Wilcox dance to the Jason Aldean song, “She’s Country.”

The post was captioned, “Brother she’s country..”

In case you haven’t seen, Kristin Cavallari explained why she cut her dad out of her life.

Watch the full Montana Boyz TikTok featuring Kristin Cavallari here…

@montana.boyz Brother she’s country.. #fyp...

Chris “Ludacris” Bridges never planned on being an actor when he started his rap career during the late ’90s. He attributes his successful transition from music to acting to late writer-director John Singleton, who gave him his breakout role as Tej Parker in the “The Fast and the Furious” (2001) sequel “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003).

During a discussion about his new role as Eddie Garrick in Disney+’s new Christmas movie “Dashing Through the Snow,” Bridges discussed his more than 20-year career as an actor, and how acting initially was never “part of the plan.”

While his debut role was playing an unsatisfied customer in record producer and filmmaker DJ Pooh’s comedy “The Wash” (2001), it wasn’t until Singleton cast him as a former street racer and mechanic that his acting career went full speed ahead.

“No, it was not part of the plan. I always give credit to John Singleton,...

Long Shot is a delightful romantic comedy-drama with a talented ensemble cast that includes Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. One of the highlights of the film is the chemistry between Rogen and Theron, but the diverse supporting cast, including Andy Serkis and Bob Odenkirk, also shines. The film showcases the comedic charm of Rogen, the versatility of Theron, and the talent of O'Shea Jackson Jr., with cameos from Boyz II Men and Lil Yachty.

Long Shot is a delightful comedy with a cast that includes genre stalwarts like Seth Rogen and critically acclaimed superstars like Charlize Theron. Set to the backdrop of an American presidential campaign, the romantic comedy-drama finds Rogen playing a journalist who crosses paths with his former babysitter — only now the babysitter is the U.S. Secretary of State and aiming for a shot at the White House. Sparks fly as the unlikely duo starts working together,...

It's been just over two years since Jesy Nelson made the decision to leave Little Mix in order to focus on her mental health. Despite the girl band selling over 60 million records worldwide and dominating the charts with hits like "Shout Out to my Ex" and "Black Magic," the foursome became three in December 2020. And Nelson has explained in a new interview with The Sun that she hasn't spoken to her former bandmates Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock ever since.

"I will say this always, your mental health is the most important thing. You only live once so sometimes you have to stop and look after yourself. I needed support and help to overcome that, and there wasn't the time while I was in the band," she says. "I don't have regrets because I had to do what was right for me and I will always cherish the...

Jesy Nelson has revealed that she hasn’t spoken to her former Little Mix bandmates in over two years.

The 31-year-old English singer left the band in 2020, citing the toll she said being in the band took on her mental health.

Nelson was a part of Little Mix since the band’s inception in 2011 on The X Factor, along with Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock.

In an interview with The Sun on Monday (17 April), Nelson revealed that she hasn’t spoken to her former bandmates since she left Little Mix.

“Being in a girl band, you are a machine going all the time,” she said. “You don’t have a minute to breathe and take time out if you just need space. That was something I struggled with.

“For me my mental health issues were an ongoing thing while I was in Little Mix. I was struggling with my body issues,...

Jesy Nelson has received positive feedback on her decision to highlight domestic abuse in her new music video.

The former Little Mix star is set to release the short film to accompany her single “Bad Thing” on Friday (14 April).

In a significant change from the stylings of Nelson’s 2021 debut solo track “Boyz”, “Bad Thing” is an emotional, jazz-infused ballad.

The lyrics detail a woman in a relationship with someone she knows she should leave, but struggles to.

“When I'm 'bout to say bye-bye / I forget about what I cried about last time / Only thing I'm seein' clearly is I'm love blind / I would trade all my sense for a good time,” Nelson sings.

In the music video, set in the Sixties, Nelson plays a barmaid who falls in love with a customer, before their relationship takes a dark turn and becomes physically abusive.

At the London screening of the...

Derek Luke, best known for his starring role turn in Denzel Washington’s directorial debut Antwone Fisher, has signed with Gersh for representation.

Luke, a veteran film and TV actor, has recent credits that include Disney+’s The Crossover, a coming-of-age drama about two middle school basketball prodigies based on a novel by Kwame Alexander, to bow on April 5. The actor also appears in two movies directed by Katie Holmes: Alone Together and Rare Objects.

Luke reunited with Holmes after their work in Pieces of April. He earned an Independent Spirit Award for his breakout role as Hollywood newcomer in Antwone Fisher.

Luke’s other work includes Silas Howard’s Darby and the Dead for Hulu, Dreamworks’ Biker Boyz, Pete Berg’s Friday Night Lights, Phillip Noyce’s Catch a Fire, Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna and Marvel’s Captain America, where he appeared opposite Chris Evans.

On the big screen,...

Singer Bobby Caldwell has died at the age of 71.

The news was announced in a post shared by his official Twitter account, containing a statement from Caldwell’s wife, Mary.

“Bobby passed away here at home,” she said. “I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken.

“Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years. He had been ‘Floxed,’ it took his health over the last 6 years and 2 months. Rest with God, my Love.”

“Floxing” is a term used to describe when a body sustains mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress after taking the antibiotic fluoroquinolone.

Last year, it was reported that Caldwell had suffered a bad reaction to an antibiotic in 2017, which led to a rupturing of his Achilles tendon, and nerve damage.

Caldwell is best known for his 1978 single “What You Won’t Do for Love”, which featured on his self-titled debut album.

Safe to say Britney Spears does not keep up with the Kardashians, but that doesn't mean she isn't totally fascinated by the men in their lives. Britney took to Instagram on Tuesday, March 22, to repost a video from Scott Disick's Instagram Story, which showed him hanging out with Kim Kardashian's boyfriend, Pete Davidson. Pete took control of the camera, filming himself on the couch while Scott and friends took a nap during their movie night. The caption read, "Boyz night was wild." The 40-year-old pop star said she was cracking up at their antics, though she admitted she had no clue who Scott and Pete were. "Sorry had to repost this," Britney wrote in a since-deleted...

Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby dropped their second team-up track in as many weeks with the new single, “Bussin.” Last week, they released the stylish, cinematic “Do We Have a Problem?” visual.

Over staccato, foreboding production, Minaj and Lil Baby take turns on a verse: “I call Baby, ‘Yo, where that stick at?,'” Minaj asks. Lil Baby responds: “Tell them boys come get his shit back.” “If they act up, we gon’ fix that,” she raps. “My new ni–a ain’t with that chit chat.” “You know, you...

It takes a great man to play a great man; Chadwick Boseman did it four times!

To have the gravity, the intelligence, the physicality to portray any of his signature roles — Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and T’Challa, the Black Panther — is a breathtaking feat, but to give four entirely different performances is a striking achievement. Screenwriter Cheo Hodari Coker compared Chadwick to the late great John Cazale, another actor who created an impressive body of work in a very short time before cancer robbed us of him.

We met at the Art and Film Ball at Lacma. Laura Wasserman, a longtime friend, sat us next to each other because she figured we would have a “lot to talk about.” She couldn’t have been more right! Chadwick had just been announced as the star of “Black Panther,” based on a comic book I wrote for four years.

Other winners include the UK’s ‘Looted’ and the Philippines’ ‘Kalel, 15’.

Japanese drama Kontora has won the grand prix at the 23rd Black Nights Film Festival, held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

Scroll down for full list of winners

The black-and-white feature, produced by Kowatanda Films, received its world premiere at the festival and marks the second live-action feature of India-born animator Anshul Chauhan. The story centres on a teenager who searches for a mysterious trove, guided by her grandfather’s WWII-era diary.

Chauhan, who was in Tallinn to accept the honour at an awards ceremony tonight, will receive...

As alt-pop singer Halsey stirred emotions with her moving rendition of “Time After Time,” the 2019 Emmy Awards that aired on Fox on September 22 paid tribute to the television legends who left us in the last year during the show’s “In Memoriam” segment. They included actors Tim Conway, Valerie Harper, Katherine Helmond, Penny Marshall, Luke Perry, Doris Day and Rip Torn.

Let’s look back at some of the contributions made by these beloved TV icons.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2019: In Memoriam Gallery

Tim Conway died on May 14 at age 85. The comedy legend won six Emmy Awards during his lengthy career, including four for “The Carol Burnett Show,” one for “Coach” and one for “30 Rock.” He was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 2002. And he took pride in getting his co-stars on Burnett’s variety show to laugh at his antics and break character.

Legendary singer and...

When I first met John Singleton, I was a newly promoted creative executive at Columbia Pictures under Dawn Steel and Amy Pascal. I was trying to replace myself in the story department with a reader of color.

I’d heard about this kid who was coming out of USC who wanted a job as a reader. When he came in for a meeting, John just wanted to talk

about “Boyz N the Hood.” He was not interested in the reader job. He just wanted to get into a studio to talk about his script and the movie that he was going to direct. He was the most confident neophyte I’d ever seen.

Ten minutes in, I literally forgot all about that reader job. All I wanted to do was get a hold of that script. It took me a while to get it. John already had an agent at CAA.

“At heart, I’m a dude from South Central Los Angeles. We roll the way we roll because we had survival tactics — we had to learn how to adapt. That’s just me.” — John Singleton (1968-2019)

Sometimes the label of trail-blazer is too easily tossed around. But as an African-American who hailed from South Los Angeles, Singleton broke down several barriers when he became the first black filmmaker — as well as the youngest person at age 24 — to be nominated for a directing Academy Award. His 1991 debut, the inner-city drama “Boyz n the Hood,” arrived the same year that motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Lapd officers during his arrest for fleeing the police that would lead to riots after the cops were acquitted the next year.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2019: In Memoriam Gallery

Singleton is now dead at age 51 on Monday after a fatal stroke. Several notable talents took to...

John Singleton had an incredible impact on American culture — on black folk, but on white people, too. Singleton is, of course, the Oscar-nominated director of 1991’s Boyz N the Hood, and Boyz is one of the films that changed, as we say, e'rythang.

It is no hyperbole to note that there was life after Boyz N the Hood, meaning of course that there was a different way of being before it. Before 1991, there was no Twitter. The # was a pound sign, not a hashtag. There was no Facebook. But there was Black Planet — not BlackPlanet.com,...

John Singleton had an incredible impact on American culture — on black folk, but on white people, too. Singleton is, of course, the Oscar-nominated director of 1991’s Boyz N the Hood, and Boyz is one of the films that changed, as we say, e'rythang.

It is no hyperbole to note that there was life after Boyz N the Hood, meaning of course that there was a different way of being before it. Before 1991, there was no Twitter. The # was a pound sign, not a hashtag. There was no Facebook. But there was Black Planet — not BlackPlanet.com,...

John Singleton loved talking movies. Sometimes it was about the art behind the process; sometimes it was just for the fun of it. Singleton’s shocking death at 51, after suffering a stroke that put him in a coma, brought the usual pull quotes about Boyz N the Hood, the 1991 film that put the then-22-year-old in the record books as the youngest person — and the first African-American — to be nominated for an Oscar as Best Director. His debut put his subsequent career in the shadows. Yet he persevered, following Boyz with Poetic Justice,...

Twenty-eight years ago, John Singleton’s feature debut “Boyz n the Hood” (1991) opened a cinematic window into the bleak realities of life in South Central Los Angeles. It also created something entirely new: While Spike Lee paved the way, “Boyz n the Hood” arguably made Singleton the first studio filmmaker to find mainstream commercial success while representing a little-represented part of society. By tackling a very thorny subject in a way that had rarely been seen in a film of its caliber, it humanized its characters as victims of larger systemic issues rather than stereotypes.

“When we first did the movie, we felt like we was teaching America about a part of itself that they don’t see,” co-star of the film Ice Cube told MTV in 2011. “We was teaching you about people like Doughboy and why he is the way he is.”

In the late 1980s and early 1990s,...

John Singleton had just turned 24 when the Academy Award nominations were announced in January 1992, making him the youngest filmmaker ever to compete for a best director statue — as well as the first African-American to do so. This was a quarter-century before #OscarSoWhite hashtag started holding the Academy to task for slighting voices of color. Like Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” “Boyz” was not nominated for best picture. He started young, and he left us too young, when he died Monday at 51.

Singleton’s bombshell debut “Boyz N the Hood” made him the hottest name in Hollywood for a time, leading to a string of films that changed the industry’s and audiences’ idea of the black experience, for the better. Here was a fresh directing talent who had come from Inglewood, Calif., but chosen the right path, avoiding the pitfalls “Boyz” depicted in order to attend USC film school,...

John Singleton, writer-director of “Boyz n the Hood” and industry pioneer, who was the first African American to earn an Oscar nomination for best director, has died. He was 51.

Singleton suffered a stroke after experiencing weakness in his legs, and was admitted to the hospital on April 17. He was taken off life support Monday and died a few hours later at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

His family issued a statement, saying: “We are sad to relay that John Singleton has died. John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends. We want to thank the amazing doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for their expert care and kindness and we again want thank all of John’s fans, friends and colleagues for all of the love and support they showed him during this difficult time.” — The Singleton Family.

John Singleton’s Movie-Making Mantra:

He grew up in South-Central Los Angeles,...

John Singleton has passed away at the age of 51.

The legendary filmmaker, behind one of the most iconic crime dramas of all-time, “Boyz N The Hood,” has reportedly been pulled off of life-support after battling the complications of a massive stroke for the last 13 days.

As mentioned, the director is probably best known for his directorial debut ‘Boyz,’ which hit theaters in 1991, earning Singleton two Oscar nomination for Best Director and Original Screenplay.

Continue reading Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker John Singleton Has Died At Age 51 at The Playlist.

On April 26, 1995, New Line Cinema unveiled Ice Cube's screenwriting debut Friday in theaters, where the comedy grossed $27 million domestically and launched two sequels. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below: 

Something of a lighthearted Boyz N the Hood, Friday is a scrappy and irreverent comedy marking the screenwriting debut of rapper-actor Ice Cube (along with DJ Pooh) and the feature directorial debut of busy music video helmer [F.] Gary Gray.

A colorful take on a day in the life of a South Central neighborhood, the agreeable result may prove a little too benign for those looking ...

On April 26, 1995, New Line Cinema unveiled Ice Cube's screenwriting debut Friday in theaters, where the comedy grossed $27 million domestically and launched two sequels. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below: 

Something of a lighthearted Boyz N the Hood, Friday is a scrappy and irreverent comedy marking the screenwriting debut of rapper-actor Ice Cube (along with DJ Pooh) and the feature directorial debut of busy music video helmer [F.] Gary Gray.

A colorful take on a day in the life of a South Central neighborhood, the agreeable result may prove a little too benign for those looking ...

After suffering what was initially described as a “mild” stroke last week, John Singleton is now in a coma. TMZ first broke the news, noting that the “Boyz n the Hood” director’s mother, Sheila Ward, has requested a judge to appoint her temporary conservatorship because Singleton is “unable to properly provide for his personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.” She has asked for that in order to manage her son’s ongoing business affairs, including a settlement agreement.

For 1991’s “Boyz,” the writer-director earned Academy Award nominations for both Best Original Screenplay and Best Director — the first black filmmaker to receive the latter nod, as well as the youngest at just 23 years old. The 51-year-old has been active in both film and television in the nearly three decades since, helming everything from “Shaft” and “2 Fast 2 Furious” to episodes of “Empire” and “American Crime Story: The People v.

It’s hard to believe “Black Panther” is only the third film Ryan Coogler has ever directed. The 31-year-old wunderkind is on the brink of becoming a bona fide A-lister, as “Black Panther” is poised to break box office records the world over. It wasn’t too long ago, however that Coogler was in film school at USC, making his first shorts and watching Andrea Arnold films.

After an early screening of “Black Panther” this week, Coogler took to the stage at Bam’s Harvey Theater in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. As Coogler answered audience questions, he admitted he was slightly distracted by the sight of his “hero” Spike Lee, who was sitting in the front row. (Lee has lived and worked in Fort Greene for decades.)

When the question of his favorite films came up, Coogler was able to gush further about his hero. Unable to pick just one,...