By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic Fifty years and 23 films later, the James Bond 007 franchise is alive, well and kicking. This latest installment, which firmly cements Daniel Craig as one of the best Bonds ever, feels more serious, less gimmicky, more geared towards mature adults. The action, eventful though not spectacular, is thoughtfully interspersed among engaging thrills, suspense and solid drama. The ...

by Alexis Taylor Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper Months after his death from lung cancer on July 25 at age 74, the body of sitcom actor Sherman Hemsley has yet to be buried. The popular sitcom icon’s remains are currently locked away inside the San Jose Funeral Home in El Paso, Texas, where a refrigerator is keeping the actor’s body cold until a court settles disputes over who truly has ...

by Kimberly C. Roberts Special to the NNPA from The Philadelphia Tribune Comedian J. Anthony Brown co-stars on “The Rickey Smiley Show,” which airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on TV One.— “The Rickey Smiley Show,” which premiered on Sept. 18, had an auspicious beginning, giving TV One its “biggest debut in its history.” Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m., the sitcom, “loosely based on his own life,” stars radio host Rickey S ...

by Gregory Dale Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper Actor Mike Epps is set to portray legendary comedian Richard Pryor in an upcoming film about jazz singer Nina Simone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cynthia Mort wrote the script for the biopic, and the title character will be played by actress Zoe Saldana. In the film, Epps will play Pryor, who opened for Simone during their rise to ...

By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic Grass. Booze. Cocaine. Veteran pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) hits the drug-abuse trifecta.  And that’s just hours before he straps himself into the cockpit of a 50-ton jet, with 96 passengers and six flight crew members aboard. On the plane’s ascent from the Orlando, Fla. airport, he battles treacherous weather with blinding storm clouds and hurricane-like winds; h ...

Your reason for walking in the American Cancer Society Making Strides walk is as unique and special as the story that motivates you. More than likely, you’ve been affected by breast cancer in some way, and our Making Strides walk empowers you to make a difference and fight back. This is your opportunity to honor breast cancer survivors, remember those we have lost to this disease, and raise funds and awaren ...

The brother of Baltimore Ravens receiver Torrey Smith died in the early morning hours of Sept. 23 following a motorcycle crash in Virginia, the team announced. Tevin Chris Jones, 19, died following a crash in West Moreland County, Virginia, the team said in a statement. Smith was informed of his brother’s death at approximately 1 a.m., and immediately left the team to be with his family, the Ravens said. Ra ...

The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) announced on Oct 1, an exclusive partnership with Tyler Perry, the award winning actor, director, screenwriter, playwright and producer, to become his singular destination for all new television series and projects, including two new scripted series for the network to premiere in mid 2013. These will be the first original scripted series for OWN, and Perry will executive prod ...

The Columbus Park Chicago Chargers Youth football and Cheer (CCYP) youth have all worked hard for 8 months; the kids are all having a great season. All 5 CCYP teams are winning, four are 5-2 and heading to the playoffs with intentions on making it to the national championship and one level is 7-0 and is already eligible to compete at the UYFL National Championship in Tampa bay, Florida from December 1st – 8 ...

by Starla Muhammad Special to the NNPA from The Final Call Lana Michele “MC Lyte” Moorer burst on the rap scene in the late 1980s, and immediately established herself as one of the best female emcees in the game and one of the most popular. She was the first female rap artist to release a full length solo album, be nominated for a Grammy award and to be inducted into VH-1’s Hip Hop Honors. Never one to be o ...