Carson's memoir, which was crafted with Cecil Murphey, describes life as a child on the mean streets of Detroit. Carson faced difficulties early on, when his father abandoned the family. "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my mother," Carson wrote. Carson's mother pushed her son to become the best he could be through education. Carson recalled her saying over and over to him, "Bennie, if you can read, honey, you can learn just about anything you want to know. The doors of the world are open to people who can read."

With a new pair of glasses and encouragement to spend time at his local library, Carson dove into the world of books. His scholastic performance improved dramatically. He went on to college and medical school, refusing to give up on the dream he and his mother had for his future, even when prejudice and negative peer pressure threatened to stand in his way. Carson is now a best-selling author and director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, where he pours everything he has into helping young people overcome their medical limitations and fulfill their own dreams.

Carson was recently named a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President George W. Bush bestowed the honor on him at a ceremony in June. In the White House announcement, Carson was honored for working throughout his career "to improve the lives of those suffering from neurological disorders. His groundbreaking contributions to medicine and his inspiring efforts to help America's youth fulfill their potential have strengthened our nation."

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One of the brightest stars of the future, David Oyelowo, has a film that be featured at the Toronto Film Feature with his latest film, 'Who Do You Love'. He will be playing the legendary Muddy Waters in the life story of legendary record producer Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records, the label that helped popularize Blues music during the 1950s and '60s.

Also starring in the film are Jon Abrahams as Phil Chess and Alessandro Nivola as Leonard Chess.

Oyelowo was most recently seen in the TV production of 'A Raisin in the Sun' with Sean Combs and Sanaa Lathan and was in the BBC production of 'The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency' with Jill Scott, Idris Elba, and Anika Noni Rose

The film is directed by Jerry Zaks, who best known in the theater world for having won numerous Tony for his direction of 'Six Degrees of Separation' and 'Guys and Dolls'. This is his first feature film he's directed since he did 'Marvin's Room' with Meryl Streep back on 1996.

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Currently on DVD is the latest installment from the animation world of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment - 'The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning', which features the voices of Jodi Benson as Ariel, and Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning takes audiences back to the story's beginnings with favorite characters from the original film as well as a wonderfully wicked new villainess. With a score that continues The Little Mermaid's legacy of memorable, life-affirming songs, the latest animated adventure from DisneyToon Studios will capture the hearts of all ages.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning takes place one year before Ariel meets Prince Eric. Young Ariel and her sisters share a love for music with their mother, Queen Athena. But when the Queen is captured by pirates, King Triton is heartbroken and bans music from Atlantica...FOREVER.

Youngest daughter Ariel discovers her love for music in a secret underground music club. Torn with the choice of whether to hide her passion or share it with her father and risk losing everything Ariel sets off on a daring adventure to restore music to Atlantica.

Most recently, Wright and Benson were joined by celebrity guests to celebrate the 'Blue' Carpet DVD Island Premiere at Catalina Island's Avalon Casino.

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Touchstone Pictures (Disney) has released a batch of new pic from Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna, which will make its World Premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in just a few weeks.

Cast includes Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Matteo Sciabordi, John Leguizamo, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Kerry Washington, and John Tuturro.

Directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay written by James McBride, the author of the acclaimed novel of the same name, the film explores a deeply inspiring, powerful story drawn from true history, that transcends national boundaries, race, and class to touch the goodness within us all.

'Miracle at St. Anna' chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II.

They experience the tragedy and triumph of the war as they find themselves trapped behind enemy lines and separated from their unit after one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy.

'Miracle at St. Anna' will be released on September 26.

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The trailer to the one of the most anticipated films of September and set to debut at the Toronto Film Festival is now online.

'The Secret Life of Bees' features an all-star cast with Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Nate Parker, Sophie Okonedo, and Paul Bettany.

Set in South Carolina in 1964, the film is the moving tale of Lily Owens (Fanning) a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother (Burton). To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father (Bettany), Lily flees with Rosaleen (Hudson), her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by the intelligent and independent Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Okonedo and Keys), Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping, honey and the Black Madonna.

The film opens on October 17 in the United States.

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With the exception of 'Ocean's Eleven', 'Ocean's Twelve', and 'Ocean's Thirteen', most of the films that you've seen Don Cheadle in as of late has him giving dramatic performances.

Whether it's playing opposite Adam Sandler in 'Reign Over Me' or playing the role of Petey Greene in 'Talk to Me', Cheadle brings a level of believability to the characters he plays. With his latest role, not only is he once again bringing in his 'A' game, but the film itself is a suspenseful political thriller without the extreme action-packed scenes you see in other similar films.

In 'Traitor', which was originally conceived by Steve Martin, but written and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, the story revolves around an undercover CIA agent (Cheadle) who is suspected of being a terrorist. Pearce plays an agent looking for him.

Cheadle recently spoke about the role and why the story is relevant to today's world events.

Can we talk about making a movie and then walking the line with dealing with a real issue of terrorism but then yet making it entertaining to keep a movie audience engaged?

Don Cheadle: I think the first job of a movie is to entertain. I'd like to smuggle in things for people to talk about when they walk out of the theater. Those tend to be the most enjoyable movie experiences I have where I can go and sort of escape, but also lead to thinking and having a discussion. I don't mind a debate too. We weren't really trying to answer questions as much as raise them. We were obviously very cognizant of the subject matter and the world that we ware dealing with, so we try to be clear about that. Ultimately for us, the movie was an espionage spy thriller where the background was some real things that are happening around the world.

Was there anything in particular that pulled you into the script? Even as a producer?

DC: Well, at the time this script came across my desk, there were in the news a lot of ideas and stories about security and Guantamano and the Patriot Act and what rights you would give up in order to be secured, and terrorism and radical laws. It was interesting to me because the character that I play in the movie, Samir Horn, seemed to be someone who encapsulated all these questions within his own journey through this film. What is my allegiance to my faith? What is my allegiance to my own country? When I feel, in some ways, that they are both letting me down, who do I believe in and who do I listen? And ultimately, who takes responsibility for these things? In the film, he decides to take responsibility for these things. That was interesting to me as a producer because I thought, 'Wow, here's a story that could potentially can raise a lot of those questions while you are watching a thriller. Have your conscious open up a bit and think.'

As you played the character, was there anything you could relate with?

DC: I don't know. I try to relate to every character I play on some level and find a way in. I relate to a character who feels like he's got to rely on himself and doesn't necessarily trust the people who have been in the position that he is in. He has to try and find a way. That's what is interesting to me as an actor. This guy is wearing a mask and I'm wearing a mask as the character and you try to find those moments where the mask has to be pulled down and you have put it back up. That to me was the fun and challenge of playing Samir. I wanted it to be edgier than when we first got it. We took it from Disney. I didn't think they were going to make the movie anyway and if there were, they would 'Disney' it up. It was leaning towards being white wash than I wanted it to be. I wanted to dirty it up. With the subject matter that we are dealing with, people have to get hurt. There has to be some veracity. There has to be a cost for everything that is happening. This character isn't really weighing anything heavily. I'm putting others' lives at risk. I'm deciding to do that and how do I not deal with the fact that, in my mind, I'm playing God when my faith tells me that I have no right to do that.

How hard was it to learn Arabic?

DC: It's like any language I guess. It's like any language you have to learn. It's an acquired mind. You have to study it and I had tutors everywhere I went. The funny thing about it is that traveling across this country or Australia or anywhere, the dialects are so different. We had one Arabic speaking who mostly spoke Egyptian in the United States and when we went to Toronto, the guy who was telling me how to do things was Sudanese; and when we went to Morocco, we had a bunch of Moroccans... so every word changed as we went to different places. If you questioned the pronunciation of the word, they were positive they were saying it the right way. It was similar to when we did 'Hotel Rwanda' and the dialects were different. We had to find a standard Arabic language and have everyone fall in line with it.

As a producer, how involved are you with the marketing of the film? The trailer reveals a lot. Shouldn't some things be kept as a surprise.

DC: I think it is always a push-pull and this is the most interesting part of the whole movie making process. You can do whatever you do, then you have to deal with the marketing department and how you get this story out and what is the best way to draw in an audience without telling the whole thing. This is a very difficult trailer to figure how to cut commercially. You don't want to give away the plot but you want to say that there is a plot with intrigue and twist and turns. That was a point of contention for me as well. We went back and forth a lot and Jeffrey and I wanted some of that stuff pulled back and it was.

Were you involved in choosing Guy Pearce?

DC: Guy's an amazing actor. He's played a bunch of different roles, different characters with different dialects. We have a few scenes together. Someone once asked, 'What's it like to work with Guy?' I said I don't know. I think I have spent more time with you than I did with Guy in the film.

You have made decisions that are important to world events. At what point did you realize that this project was just as important as the others?

DC: This wasn't one of them. This is something that I thought was important not just to me but everyone. This is a world discussion that everyone is talking about, to some degree, and especially in the United States. Are we safe? How are we safe? What would we do to maintain a semblance of safety? This character was wrestling with all these things too. How much collateral damage is justifiable? That was something that was interesting to me and I tend to find projects that come to me that have an humanistic approach to things like that; but it's not like I go, 'This is an issue I want to attack or let's find a movie that serves that.' It was the same thing with 'Hotel Rwanda'. I found a great script and an interesting story that would be compelling.

What type of research did you do to bring this character to life?

DC: Mostly talking to a lot of people. Mostly interviewing individuals and reading a fair amount of articles and books about Islam and the Middle East and also a lot of stuff about our government and how it works. Jeffrey also did a lot of research and papered me with a lot of stuff. We dug into it.

Do you think America is ready to see this film?

DC: I don't know how they wouldn't be. If they are ready for 'The Bourne Identity', then this is something similar but has something that you can actually have a discussion about. We have everything from this film being too patriotic or that we are humanizing the terrorists. We hear all sides of it. Now, that's a debate, but mainly you want to entertain people. You want to give people something that they can go to and get away for a minute.

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Barely doing better than 'The House Bunny' with slim numbers, 'Tropic Thunder' managed to capture the top spot at the box office for a second straight weekend with $16 million dollars. Despite the 'Simple Jack' retard controversy, having 5 leading actors in a film, and the fact that audiences found the film amusing, the film is holding up amongst the newcomers that came out. Its total take at this point is $65 million dollars.

With 'Tropic' being a male testosteroned action packed film, there had to be something out there for women and was that's what 'The House Bunny' provided. With Anna Faris providing the charm, along with Rumer Willis and Colin Hanks, this 'Legally Blonde-Meets-Revenege of the Nerds' did well enough at the box office to earn second place with $15.1 million dollars.

Coming in third place with $12.3 million dollars was 'Death Race', another action-oriented film featuring Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson. Gibson just loves to be behind the wheel, having displayed similar skills in '2 Fast 2 Furious' and 'Transformers'. Dropping down to $10 million dollars but still enough to be within the top five is 'The Dark Knight'. The year's top grossing has accumulated $489.2 million dollars. With Labor Day weekend upon us, suffice to say crossing $500 million mark should be a given.

Rounding out the top five was 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' with $5.7M and a ten-day total to $25M. Unfortunately, not doing so well was the latest film starring Ice Cube. 'The Longshots' managed only $4 million dollars from 2,089 locations.

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Having left 'The New York Times' in 2004 after six years as one of its film critics, I wondered what Elvis Mitchell would do as a follow-up to that prestigious position.

While he continues to write for various outlets, Mitchell has also begun to use the camera lens as a tool to express his thoughts and those of others. 'Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence', airs on TCM and showcases celebrities talking about the classic films that had an impact on their lives.

The film works as a series of living portraits with prominent African Americans of various professions, disciplines and backgrounds offering their own stories and insights on the struggles, triumphs and joys of black life in this country. In so doing, they turn the term "blacklist" on its head and redefine it for a new generation.

The film includes Toni Morrison, Colin Powell, Sean Combs, Al Sharpton, Chris Rock and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among others, and premieres tonight, August 25, at 9 p.m. on HBO. (For more information about this airing and encore broadcasts, check out the AOL Television listing.)

Mitchell recently spoke about this amazing documentary, getting the talent to participate and his project that airs on TCM.

Where did the idea for the documentary come from?

Elvis Mitchell: Timothy (Greenfield-Sanders) invited me to lunch a couple of years ago. He wanted to do a coffee table photo book on African American life, along the lines of 'I Hear A World' and 'Crowns.' As we talked, I suggested that we call it 'The Black List,' as a way of reclaiming that phrase. To me, so much of African American life has been about reclaiming the negative, and making it work for us; the kind of determination that has been key to the success of our culture here, and it also struck me as being a transgressive thing that would make people sit up and take notice, a signal that this wasn't the usual look at black life -- a group of cool, intriguing African Americans on something called the Black List, making it a positive thing to be associated with and remove some of the stigma from it. Timothy said that it would be a great documentary, and went about finding the money to make it happen. It should be noted that this was an independently financed film that HBO bought at Sundance, and that worked out to our favor. We were able to assemble a list of people that we wanted rather than having it vetoed by others. There were a few guiding principles for me. There should be no academics or scholars commenting on the black experience; in other words, I'm the kind of person who shouldn't be in this film-- which made me decide that you wouldn't see me or hear me shouting out questions off camera. We wanted people who'd been fighting for their survival on the front lines.

What approach did you use to get the participants involved?

Elvis Mitchell: We got in touch with people both Timothy and I knew initially. The first two test subjects, Thelma Golden and Toni Morrison, were old friends of his. He'd been shooting Toni since 1980. Toni did us the enormous favor of relieving people of the necessity of making a decision; if Toni Morrison is in this thing, I guess it's ok. I knew Chris Rock, Keenen Ivory Wayans and came to the immediate realization that we had to have an opening that would make people think this was different, which is why the film starts the way it does. Some of our producers weighed in with other suggestions like Zane and Mahlon Duckett. The film had to be about the African American experience in the 21st century, and catch audiences off guard at the same time, which is why it starts the way it does.

Did everyone make the cut or were there more folks left in the editing room?

Elvis Mitchell: There were some people left out simply because Timothy thought the film had to clock in at 90 minutes, so we couldn't fit in everyone we filmed. Also, there had to be some sense of balance, which also affected choices for inclusion. But everyone is in the book of 'The Black List,' which Atria is releasing September 16.

What challenges did you face as you started the production?

Elvis Mitchell: Each segment was both a filmed interview and a portrait sitting, so that we'd have a book ready at the end of production -- preserving the original motivation. So, that was tricky; we had to maximize the time we had with each person. Because we only had a very limited amount of money, we had to film two or three folks each time we filmed. And, frankly, it was an unusual proposition, because the project was inchoate. Attempting to explain what we wanted as it was formulating, which is why we ended up going to people we knew or who knew of us; Kareem (Abdul Jabbar) said he committed because he was familiar with me from my tenure at the New York Times.

Was there anything you wanted individuals like Toni, Keenan, or Suzan-Lori Parks to focus on when telling their story?

Elvis Mitchell: Sure. I wanted to talk to Toni about dreams which are such an integral part of African American folklore and storytelling, and their presence in so much of her work. For Kareem, as a fan, it was his connection to jazz. He struck me as the Sonny Rollins of ballers, concentration and a consistent awareness of his gifts, as well as the fact that he'd beaten my home team, the Detroit Pistons in his first pro game. Why did he have to dog my homies like that? I wanted Suzan Lori's cognizance of black audiences, and her relationship to them. In each case, we had subjects with an understanding of the history of their field of endeavor and a sense of their own place in that continuum. That was key.

Not to pick straws, but who was the most engaging that you filmed?

Elvis Mitchell: I can't pick straws, because there are several moments in each story that surprised me. Because we were in the unique position to getting people to talk without a new project to promote, I was able to ask questions that weren't related to promotion. That was, I think, enormously liberating to them and to me. There wasn't that moment in which they'd got into a prepared rap about a new book, or an agenda, or start pushing an agenda.

Where do you go from here?

Elvis Mitchell: We're in serious talks about volume two. A funny story; the 'Volume One' part only came because, as we met with HBO, there was some concern that people would object; 'Why is she on the list, and not this person?' I was ready for that argument. We couldn't possibly get all of Black America in the film? And 'The Black List' was meant to be a catalyst for conversation. Interestingly enough, there have been no confrontations. Instead, people have excitedly suggested, 'If you do a sequel, can you get this person?' It's one of the reasons there's a companion website, www.onemillionstories.com , where people can post their own ideas and HBO is sponsoring a contest. The winners will be filmed by us. But HBO was still a little anxious. 'Could be called 'The Black List: A Work in Progress'?' That would make it sound unfinished. So I said, let's call it 'The Black List, Vol. 1,' which begs the question: when is Vol. 2 coming?

I've also done a series for TCM, 'Under the Influence,' which are interviews with filmmakers and actors talking about the movies that affected their sensibilities and approach to their work. The first four episodes ran in July, and the last four will play in November. We've had great luck with it; the first group included Sydney Pollack, in one of his last interviews, Bill Murray, Quentin Tarantino and Laurence Fishburne. The second group has Edward Norton, John Leguizamo, Joan Allen and Richard Gere.

What's worth seeing these days in theaters?

Elvis Mitchell: As a comics fan, I loved 'Iron Man' and 'The Dark Knight,' films from filmmakers who know and respect the comics but who also brought something else to the material. 'Trouble the Waters,' a great documentary I saw at Sundance, is worth seeing. And there's a tremendous film on the horizon called 'Ballast,' which is a powerful and artful look at black life.

If you had to review this film, what would you say to those who are interested in watching it and those who may not know about it?

Elvis Mitchell: That's a funny question, because I never thought of it in terms of reviews. I always thought, though I'm a film critic I'm also a black audience member and I know what I've rarely seen: a documentary on black American life that doesn't sentimentalize achievement. So many docs on our people focus on suffering and victims. I wanted to see something else, which is what I'd say to those who don't know about it. I have to say that HBO's documentary unit, and God bless Sheila Nevins and Lisa Heller, has been spectacular about getting the word out and supporting it. It's the place to be, and we couldn't be happier.

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Carry, III is best remembered as the villain character Sho'Nuff from Berry Gordy's campy 'The Last Dragon', which made Taimak a celebrity and also starred singers Vanity and the group DeBarge. One of the best lines from the 1985 film was 'Who da mastah?' to which many answered 'Sho'nuff!'

The Chicago native had a TV and film career that lasted almost three decades in which he landed a steady stream of acting job on TV shows including 'The Jeffersons,' 'Family Matters,' 'JAG' and 'The Unit.'

Carry is survived by his wife, Naomi; a brother, Ronald; and his mother, the Rev. Helen Carry.

Services are being arranged.

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Ice Cube has done so many films for different genres, and has tackled lots of issues that folks can relate to that you start to wonder what else can he come up with. Well, he's entering the world of sports. Instead of getting on the field himself and playing a game that we would to love to see, he's taking a different perspective and giving a story of guts and glory as well as inspiring many to do what they believe they can do.

In telling the story of Jasmine Plummer, the first female to play in the Pop Warner Football League, in 'The Longshots' through Keke Palmer, and directed by Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst, Ice Cube and the cast give a by-the-books clichéd story that most folks can sit back and enjoy.

Also starring in the film are Tasha Smith, Garrett Morris, Matt Craven, Earthquake, and Jill Marie Jones.

Set in Florida, Cube plays Curtis, an unemployed down on his luck loner looking to cling to the past by always carrying a football with him wherever he goes. When asked to look after his niece while her mother (Tasha Smith) works, Cube doesn't think he can do much with her until he sees her athletic potential while hanging by the football field and watching some kids play some Pee Wee football. After twisting her arm to try the sport, Jasmine shows her uncle how good of an arm she has when throwing the football. With her mother's consent and a little more prodding, Curtis is able to get the Pee Wee football coach of the The Minden Browns to reluctantly put Jasmine on the team as the quarterback.

Before you know it, the team takes an upward turn to success followed by the town's involvement to improve their surroundings and the return of a family member long forgotten. Jasmine has so much pressure placed on her to succeed and win that it's up to Uncle Curtis to keep her focused on doing what's best for herself.

While it may be strange for some to believe that a guy from a nu metal band directed this film, director Fred Durst does show that he has the skills to make it in this business. While the story is filled with many clichés and is totally predicable, it's a pleasant to watch and is inspirational for some. Keke Palmer brings the same level of charm that she brought to 'Akeelah and the Bee', while Ice Cube takes a back seat to let her be the focal point of the film. The only drawback to the film that I noticed was that Smith and Jones were more like props in the film than being central figures. Nevertheless, 'The Longshots' is still a family-filled moving film.

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With the Fall season just about to arrive, folks are waiting for the next Tyler Perry film, and just to give you a taste of what to expect from his next film, 'The Family That Preys', Lionsgate has provided Blackvoices with this exclusive clip from the film that features Sanaa Lathan, Alfre Woodard, and Taraji P, Henson.

The sixth feature film by Perry chronicles the inner workings of two families-one upper-crust and the other working class-that become inextricably linked by scandal.

Wealthy socialite Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) and her dear friend Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard), a working class woman of high ideals, have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout many years. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children's extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved.

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This action-packed crime thriller, in which a veteran cop finds himself ensnared in a deadly web of conspiracy and betrayal. Reeves stars as Tom Ludlow, a hard-nosed detective with a talent for delivering brutal street justice. When evidence implicates him in the murder of a fellow officer, the violence around Ludlow explodes as he realizes his own life is in danger and he can trust no one.

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Looking 40 pounds lighter and working out with Will Smith has given Tyrese Gibson a new perspective on his life and film career. He's wants to do more on and off the screen. With a slew of films being tossed at him from a reunion with John Singleton in 'The A-Team' to another stint with Michael Bay on 'Transformers 2', those films alone are plenty for his plate. Coming up next for him is a role that puts him in a race car again and opposite Jason Statham in 'Death Race'.

Jason Statham leads the cast of an action-thriller set in the post-industrial wasteland of tomorrow, with the world's most brutal sporting event as its backdrop. A penitentiary full of felons has inspired the jailers to create a grisly pastime ripe for lucrative kickbacks. Now, adrenalized inmates, a global audience hungry for televised violence and a spectacular arena come together to form the 'Death Race.'Gibson plays his nemesis Machine Gun Joe.

In speaking with Tyrese, he talked about his role in the film, Will Smith's influence on him, and his 'recent' marriage.

How did "Death Race" come about for you?

Tyrese Gibson: The director Paul W. S. Anderson slipped up and gave me the movie. My people told me Paul wanted to meet with me to determine if he was going to choose me for the film. So we went out to eat I thought he said that I'd get a call in a couple of days after the dinner. But he slipped up and pulled his laptop out at the table and said this is where we are going to be filming and this is the car that you will be driving in the film. So I was like oh, I got the movie. And I don't think he was aware that he was giving up the movie. So I knew then that I had the part.

You also starred in "2 Fast, 2 Furious." You love these fast car movies don't you?

Tyrese Gibson: Listen when I was a kid I always wanted something fast to drive. I never thought that I could ever afford anything fast to drive. So if they were going to give me these cars and tell me I can go and beat them up and have some fun in them then I was like bring it on.

What kind of car do you drive now?

Tyrese Gibson: I drive a Bentley. The GT coupe. It's ridiculous fast. It has more than 400 horsepower. It's white with cream interior. It's the only car that I'd seen on the Internet and printed it out and hung the pictures up in my gym.

Some of the other inmates make the joke that your character Machine Gun Joe is the only one that has guys driving around with him in his car. So are you the gay driver?

Tyrese Gibson: No, no definitely not. (Lots of laughter). The thing is the female drivers weren't willing to get into the car anymore because I ran through so many navigators. The guys came in because they had a little more courage to deal with me and my crazy ways.

These are desperate guys because they are in prison for life and the only way out is this horrible race. How did you prepare for this character?

Tyrese Gibson: I'm not a method actor but I think I touched on a piece of method because this character is so deep and so dark. I had to stay in that space. I didn't want anyone on the set or the cast to look at me like I'm the nice guy that I really am. So Jason Statham will tell you we weren't on the set cracking jokes and having all this good energy. I was dark and heavy the whole time. Towards the last two and half weeks of filming was when I finally got back in the Tyrese mode of having fun on the set.

What's your favorite moment or scene in 'Death Race?'

Tyrese Gibson: I like that my character Machine Gun Joe is crazy, wild and unpredictable. There's a lot of self-sabotage going on with that guy. Every time he kills somebody he slices his face. He's not really anticipating getting out of prison because that's like a big fun world for him. I'm just really glad that Paul (Anderson) allowed me to go dark and have some fun with this character.

Did you see the original movie 'Death Race 2000?'

Tyrese Gibson: No.

You're like a few other rap artists and singers who have successfully made the leap from music to movies. Have movies now become your main priority?

Tyrese Gibson: Yeah, I'm no longer doing music. I'm going to get back to music eventually, but I've done fourteen years of music, and made five albums. I really feel at this point that every blessing taken for granted becomes a curse. Everywhere I went, I got feedback from the performances I'd done in these films--whether big or small budget. I've always been accepting the love but not wholeheartedly accepting it. I'll be on the film looking forward to doing another show and it was just too much going on spiritually to be in such extreme creative spaces. So I've never taken the movie thing as serious like I have music until now. And I want to send all the love possible to my man Will Smith who played a huge role in me making some big, big changes in my life. Will took me under his wing and told me that 'you're that guy; you have what it takes to be the next guy. We've become friends and I've even been training with Will and his trainer and lost 46 pounds working out with them.

So Will said you should concentrate on making movies?

Tyrese Gibson: Well, he didn't say that. It was a decision that I made. Because at the end of the day you have to pay attention to the people that come into your life in a positive way. If I had Jay-Z taking me under his wing and saying I'm going to rap on all your singles and take you on tour with me and do what I have to do to put the stamp on your career on the music side, then I would stay in it. So I have the biggest actor in the world training with me. And whenever I pass out while I'm training, Will is the one reaching his hand out to put me back on my feet. It's really special. I really can't explain how or why it's happened but it has happened. And I really feel like it's God sent and I'm definitely going to take advantage of it.

Have you become a Scientologist?

Tyrese Gibson: No way. Will is not a Scientologist from what I know. He's never talked to me about it or exposed me to it.

Is part of the reason you're leaving music behind for now also based on the music industry going through a myriad of changes?

Tyrese Gibson: Yeah, that definitely played a role in it. Being that my first love is music you do what you have to do to stay in it. I respect all the musicians that are saying hey even though the state of music right now is messed up we're going to still ride this thing out. But when you have another option to another career than why not?

What's life like being 46 pounds lighter?

Tyrese Gibson: The thing is--and I don't want to get all emotional on you--but basically I lost focus. And these film opportunities starting coming so fast, you start taking things for granted.

Were you overeating?

Tyrese Gibson: I was enjoying life. (Lots of laughter). When things start happening fast like the phone calls for movies you take them for granted and you don't want to work as hard. Once I got up with Will and his team it was just crazy. Because I come from music there was no one in my life that saw some movie star stuff nor had the mindset of what it takes to be a movie star. So to be around that entourage that only knows how to build and sharpen up someone to take them to that movie star level is just a different conversation that I didn't know about. They are telling you what is around the corner before you get there. And it's crazy because I'm seeing the results. Instead of you begging and asking someone to give you more shine in the movie, if you show up ready on you're A game it just happens.

Are you married now?

Tyrese Gibson: Absolutely. I'm absolutely married.

Since when and to whom?

Tyrese Gibson: I don't want to say. I live a private lifestyle. I don't want no paparazzi following me around. I don't get off on that.

There's no CGI in 'Death Race' like there was in "Transformers." So was this the toughest movie you ever made and do you think there will be a sequel?

Tyrese Gibson: Not too tough. But I told Paul that this film should not be released in September because I felt that it was a summer smash and it had all the components of something that the kids want to go out to see. And soon as they moved it up to August 22 I was the first one to get a call. I can almost guarantee that there will be a sequel. I'm just thankful that I didn't die in this one.

'Death Race' opens nationwide Aug. 22.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

There is no another way to say it. F. Gary Gray, who made his bones with music videos and then bursting on the Hollywood scene with the gritty cult classic, 'Set It Off', which starred (Vivica A. Fox, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Kimberly Elise) is set to go back to the urban genre with an updated version on Julius Caesar.

Variety states that Mandalay Pictures has acquired bigscreen rights to the Oni Press graphic novel 'Julius', a contempo urban crime adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar.' Gray is attached to direct the film.

The story was written by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Brett Weldele.

Gray's directing credits include 'The Italian Job' and 'The Negotiator.'

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

The Urbanworld Film Festival presented by BET Networks, the largest international competitive festival of its kind, announced that Academy Award-nominated actress Queen Latifah will serve as Honorary Chair of this year's festival. Dedicated to the exhibition of independent and mainstream cinema by and about people of color, Urbanworld also announced it will screen 85 films at this year's festival in New York City from September 10-14. All festival screenings will be held at the AMC Loews 34th Street Theaters.

This year's selection showcases New York-based films and filmmakers celebrating local artists and communities, as well as a strong representation of international filmmakers from around the world. The 2008 slate will culminate in the special closing night screening of The Secret Life of Bees, followed by a Q&A with talent from the film including Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo ('Hotel Rwanda'), and screenwriter/director Gina Prince-Bythewood ('Love & Basketball'

'These are really exciting times for the festival,' said Stacy Spikes, founder of Urbanworld. 'On display we have films of nearly every genre, created by filmmakers of nearly every background. This robust selection of cinema, together with our new partnership with BET Networks, promises to make this the best Urbanworld yet.'

'We're thrilled to have hip-hop's first lady Queen Latifah sign on as honorary chair for this year's festivities,' said Alvin Bowles, Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing, BET Networks. 'The exciting lineup of cinematic talent rounds out our mission to embrace and support the new wave of filmmakers of color through our partnership with Urbanworld.'

'I am thrilled to be the honorary chair of the Urbanworld Film Festival this year,' said Queen Latifah. 'It is an important and exciting festival and the perfect place to showcase my new film The Secret Life of Bees.'

The five-day festival includes feature, documentary, and short film screenings, as well as panel discussions, live staged screenplay readings and the celebrated Actor's Spotlight, featuring Queen Latifah and to be aired on BET, with previous honorees including Vondie Curtis Hall, Samuel L. Jackson, Billy Dee Williams and Rosie Perez.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

What do you get when throw in five leading actors (Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Cruise) in the same film? Enough star power to finally knock off 'The Dark Knight' from the top spot at the box office. Unlike the films that have recently opened up on Wednesday, 'Tropic Thunder' was able to lure enough of an audience to capture the crown this weekend with $26 million dollars. It's five day total so far is a little over $37 million dollars. With all the hoopla over the 'Full Retard' issue, it only increased the interest in seeing the film.

Falling into second place after four week at the top was 'The Dark Knight' with $16 million. As the film that most people has seen twice starts to fade out, it's total gross at this point is $471 million dollars, which makes the film #2 on the all-time box office list, surpassing the original 'Star Wars'. By the end of this weekend, it should be closer to the $500 million plateau.

Playing in 3,452 screens and coming in third place with $15.5 was the animated film, 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'. Opening to dismal reviews, how did this project from the franchise fall off the wagon that built a huge franchise? Maybe folks aren't that interested anymore. Parents would rather wait til the series appear on the Cartoon Network this October than shell out more money in the theaters.

Horror films tend to do well without the benefit of a critics screening and such was the case for 'Mirrors', which came in fourth place with $11.1. The Kiefer Sutherland-Paula Patton film did okay showing in less than 3000 screens. Rounding out the top five was another comedy, 'Pineapple Express' with $10 million dollars and a total gross of $62 million dollars.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

New on DVD is a title that certainly catches your attention, 'I'm Through With White Girls'.

An international festival favorite, the film is a fresh and funny romantic comedy that proves finding love begins with finding yourself. The DVD comes with exclusive bonus features including filmmaker commentary, behind the scenes featurettes, and deleted and extended scenes, and Lamman Rucker Audition Tape.

'I'm Through With White Girls' stars Anthony Montgomery, Lamman Rucker (from Why Did I Get Married?, Meet the Brown's), Lia Johnson, Esther Scott and Kellee Stewart. The film's irreverent and inventive screenplay was written by Courtney Lilly and directed by Jennifer Sharp.

Jay Brooks' (Anthony Montgomery) love life is in drastic need of a change. An African American guy who loves indie rock and graphic novels, Jay is coming off a string of unhappy relationships-all with white girls. After a slew of bad break-ups, Jay swears off dating white women and sets out to find a "sistah" of his own.

Dubbing his mission "Operation Brown Sugar," he bumbles his way through a series of hilariously uncomfortable dates, until he finally hooks up with Catherine (Lia Johnson), a "Half-Rican Canadian" who matches his quirks with adorable idiosyncrasies of her own. But just when he thinks he's found his true love, Jay's commitment issues raise problems that go way beyond race.

I'm Through with White Girls was honored as Best Narrative Feature at the Urban Mediamakers Film Festival, the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, the Roxbury Film Festival, the Hollywood Black Film Festival, and the Pan African Cannes Film Festival. It was named Best Romantic Comedy at the Houston Worldfest Film Festival. In addition, Lia Johnson received the best Actress Award at the Atlanta International Film Festival.

Since there are very few female directors in the game getting projects off the ground, here's an interview that Director Jennifer Sharp and Producer Lia Johnson did.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

To some people, 'Belly' is a cult classic. It's perhaps the first film that features a number of rappers in one film where they are acting and not rapping or making music. Besides 'Scarface', 'Belly' is one of the few films played on a big screen at certain nightclubs. 'Belly' is now available on Blu-ray DVD, the sequel to the film, 'Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club' is also out as well.

'Belly' was directed by music video sensation Hype Williams and starred a bunch of rappers who are still big today. Featuring an all-star hip-hop cast that includes Nas, DMX, T-Boz and Method Man, the film is about two childhood friends who stand on opposite sides of the law.

Special on the Blu-ray disc features include audio commentary with director Hype Williams, a deleted scene, the 'Grand Finale' music video and multiple spoken word featurettes.

'Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club', which stars The Game and Shari Headley (Coming to America).

Rapper-actor The Game stars in the urban film Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club. G (The Game), born into a life of crime, has just spent the last eight years in the pen. Now back out on the streets, he's up to his old ways and wondering if a con can ever really straighten out. Life becomes more complex when G hooks up with Alexis (Headley), who makes her living upholding the law.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

As his next film, 'Death Race', gets ready to hit the screen next week, Tyrese Gibson has been doing lots of interviews to promote the action packed film that also stars Jason Statham, and while talking to my colleagues at moviehole.net, they stated that writer/director John Singleton is in pre-production on an unofficial sequel to his 2001 flick 'Baby Boy'.

'Fight for Love', a drama scheduled to shoot in the Fall, will reunite the stars of the earlier film Tyrese Gibson and Taraji P. Henson.

In the film, Gibson and Henson play a struggling couple, Sir and Cookie, who've two kids, some unapproving parents and a bevy of external forces working against them.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

In a serious bid to make a comeback to the big screen and rather than do another action-packed film that no one sees unless you are a really big fan of his work, Wesley Snipes reprises a role in the sequel 'The Art of War II: Betrayal', which is now out on DVD. The first film came out in 2000.

In 'Betrayal', Agent Neil Shaw (Snipes) who is called out of retirement as a Hollywood film consultant by the murder of his long-time martial arts mentor, "Mother." But Shaw soon finds himself in the midst of Washington intrigue as he uncovers a plot to assassinate several leading Senators and then finds himself set-up to take the wrap of a recent killing. With the help of "Mother's" daughter Shaw goes deep undercover to save himself and to find out who is behind the plot, only to learn that there's more to this story than meets the eye.

Also featured in the film are Lochlyn Munro, Winston Rekert, Ryan McDonald, and Athena Karkanis.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.