Hello again from Honey Boo Boo Country.

I stopped by the McIntyre, Ga. beauty queen’s home the other day to visit. Today I’m driving sort of near there en route home from the beach. We just passed through East Dublin, home of the “Redneck Games” featured on a past Honey Boo episode.

Anyway, I’ll be discussing the young reality star at about 3:40 pm today on HLN. Tune in and *redneckonize* y’all!

By the way I’m riding not driving. You shouldn’t text and drive. You surely shouldn’t blog and drive!

Continue reading Talking Honey Boo Boo on HLN »

For 20 years now, Jeffrey Fashion Cares has given Atlanta a night of high fashion and stylish mingling all for the sake of charity. This year’s 20th anniversary event, held Monday in the expansive lobby of the American Cancer Society Center in downtown Atlanta, included as special guest New York designer Joseph Altuzarra.

Co-chair Louise Sams with Jeffrey Kalinsky, Joseph Altuzarra, and fellow co-chairs Lila Hertz & Jeffrey McQuithy (photo by Ben Rose)

Minutes before the live auction and fashion show  – featuring looks by Altuzarra, Givenchy, Bottega Veneta, to name a few —  dozens of “dancers” launched into a surprise flash mob choreographed by Desiree Nathanson Fitness.

The pre-fashion show live auction featured impressive bids on items such as the Vogue Fantasy Trip to New York ($6,250) and the Ultimate Atlanta experience package that included a night’s stay in the 2,800 square foot Empire Suite ($6,000).

And if that wasn’t enough over-the-top fun, an after-party at the …

Continue reading Jeffrey Fashion Cares brings night of style for charity »

Josh Hutcherson, shown with co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Jennifer Lawrence, has been spotted in Atlanta. AP photo

Josh Hutcherson, who plays Peeta in the “Hunger Games” series, has been spotted in Atlanta.

A serendipitously placed source spotted the actor at the Target on North Druid Hills Road Friday night, evidently setting up his temporary household.

“He was buying all sorts of home items with an assistant,” we’re told.

“Catching Fire,” the second in the “Hunger Games” movies, starts filming in Atlanta and beyond soon. We’re told the Georgia World Congress Center will be among the filming sites.

Continue reading “Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson spotted in Atlanta »

AP file photo

Former Georgia Tech and NFL running back Dorsey Levens has begun a new career as filmmaker. His documentary, “Bell Rung,” draws on past professional experience, but it’s not exactly a highlights reel.

“The first thing is to bring more awareness to the concussion issue,” Levens said. His documentary, which he screened in Atlanta recently, features former colleagues who are dealing with the mental and physical consequences of sports injuries.

“We’re learning now that every time to get your bell rung it’s an actual concussion,” Levens said, explaining the title of his film. “It happens so often it becomes commonplace. You get a dinger, you shake it off and you go back in.”

Levens, who is hoping his work is picked up by a cable station for wider distribution, said his sport is becoming increasingly hard on its players.

“I think it’s the natural progression of football. Guys are getting bigger, faster and stronger,” he said. “There’s always newer and better training …

Continue reading From football to filmmaking: Dorsey Levens discusses “Bell Rung” »

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By Ernie Suggs, esuggs@ajc.com

The Original Human Beat Box will team up with the Human Jukebox to provide halftime entertainment at the 24th annual Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic pitting Florida A&M University against Southern University.

For the uninitiated, that means that rap pioneer Doug E. Fresh, will headline the halftime show along with Southern’s acclaimed band.

With the hazing death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion last November and the subsequent suspension of the school’s marching band, it became clear early on for planners that the famed Marching 100 would not be accompanying the football team to the game.

So with half-time entertainment limited to just Southern’s band, organizers went to Fresh.

Fresh rose to prominence in the early 1980s as one of rap’s first and most original super-stars. He was one of the originators of beatboxing, a form of vocal percussion which imitates drum beats and musical sounds using the mouth, …

Continue reading Doug E. Fresh to headline Atlanta Football Classic halftime show »

Kelly Stevens thanks everyone for their well wishes. He will be in the hospital for a few days.

A head-on collision on Georgia 400 this morning claimed the life of a 22-year-old Alpharetta woman and injured B 98.5 FM personality Kelly Stevens.

“He is in good spirits and thanks everyone for their well wishes,” his on-air companion Vikki Locke posted on her Facebook fan page with this photo. “His left arm and leg are broken…As of now they say he can expect to be there four more days. He remembers everything that happened in vivid detail.”

Authorities say Carlyn Emily Royball, 22, of Alpharetta, was driving northbound in the southbound lanes when she struck Stevens’ SUV head-on. He discussed the wreck by phone with Locke this morning while still in the Grady emergency room. Stevens suffered a broken arm and leg but said he was ok. He became emotional when discussing the fatally injured motorist.

“It just happened so fast, there was nothing I could do,” he said.

Click the …

Continue reading Audio: B98.5 FM’s Kelly Stevens discusses fatal 400 wreck »

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Actress Lisa Arrindell Anderson, whose film credits include “Madea’s Family Reunion” with Tyler Perry and “Big Momma’s House 2″ with Martin Lawrence, has a fun new role coming up.

She’ll serve as the emcee for next week’s Vox charity spelling bee, benefiting the teen media organization.

The event is planned for 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 29 under the Park Tavern’s garden tent, overlooking Piedmont Park. Individual tickets are $50 (appetizers served family-style and two drink tickets are included) and are available here.

Anderson, whose television credits includes roles on locally produced shows “Drop Dead Diva” and “Meet the Browns,” said it’s an honor to serve as the event’s emcee.

“I volunteer weekly at my home church to work with teenage girls and I absolutely love it – I know I get more out of it than they do,” she said in a statement emailed to us. “It is a joy for me to be there for teens who are journeying down the road we all must travel.”

“There are many potential …

Continue reading “Madea” star to emcee charity spelling bee »

A movie still from "Smart Cookies"

Young actress Bailee Madison spent a good bit of time in Atlanta last year filming “Parental Guidance, ” a family comedy, to be released this Christmas, that stars Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei.

“Bette Midler I got to work with most. She was my grandma in the film. She loves Broadway. She’d always be singing. We’d sing, ‘Poison I-vvvvyy!’ That was a blast.”

While the 12-year-old loved working with the movie’s well-known stars, she took time to meet everyone who worked on the movie, including the many young extras needed for the film.

“There were tons of background [extras]. Mom took me into their lunch tent, ” Bailee said. “They have become our friends forever now. I am so blessed.”

She was back in town recently to spend time with her Atlanta BFFs — and to raise money for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, a charity she serves as national youth spokeswoman.

Bailee and her mom and friends appeared at the …

Continue reading Young star Bailee Madison discusses filming in Atlanta »

Imagine finding out members of your family had been drinkers and fighters whose lucrative business operated a little left of the law.

You could A. Suppress this information and hope it never surfaced, especially if you had political aspirations; B. Ink a deal with a reality show and hope your kinfolk’s antics would pave the way for your new fashion line; or C. Research the matter, write a compelling historical novel about it and then watch your words turn to action on the big screen when the book became a movie.

Matt Bondurant went that last route. He is the author of “The Wettest County in the World,” based on the exploits of his grandfather Jack Bondurant and great-uncles Howard and Forrest Bondurant. The movie adaptation, called “Lawless,” was filmed south of Atlanta and is set for an Aug. 29 release.

“The way they captured the essence, setting and detail was excellent,” said Matt Bondurant, who was in Atlanta recently on a tour promoting the book and movie. “My father …

Continue reading Family secrets inspire book, made-in-Atlanta movie »

Vince Vaughn’s in Atlanta filming a movie called “The Internship” with Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell (in a cameo).

Vaughn was at Tomo in Buckhead this week and posed for this nice photo with Q100’s Bert Weiss and his wife Stacey. Thanks to Bert for sending us this photo. He said Vaughn was “super friendly.”

Wilson has been spotted around town, too. He showed up at “Church,” the eclectic bar on Edgewood Avenue the other night and challenged owner Grant Henry to a ping pong match. Henry won and claimed Wilson’s trucker hat as a trophy. He said Wilson vowed to return for a rematch to get his hat back.

“Internship” has been filming at Georgia Tech lately, where parts of the campus have been tricked out to look like a Google office.

- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com

Continue reading Vince Vaughn, Bert Weiss in Buckhead »