Nina is an interesting and charismatic character, so I can see why my father loved her music. He would be so excited that two films are in production about her life, and I am thrilled as well despite the controversy.

"You were on your way to something. Don't stop." That kind of encouragement, greatly needed by a forlorn young woman, is the spirit that drives this ...

This weekend will be a critical marker for the burgeoning independent Black film movement. Opening in theaters in select cities this Friday, Middle of Nowhere is a compelling drama about a young newlywed who puts her happiness on hold as she eagerly awaits for her husband's early release from a five-year prison sentence.

It's puzzling why an African American director would choose this unsettling project in the first place; his fans will be perplexed. All that went right in his previous film has gone awry in this sour, bitter-tasting mint julep.