Um. I’m sorry, people. I HAVE to tell you about this and I HAVE to be kind of ridiculous about it.

Five years ago I saw the most incredible movie ever, which is saying a lot because I am not huge on movies. I don’t own DVD’s and I don’t really watch movies unless they come on cable. I have a short span of attention and the commercial breaks (plus the amusing profanity voice-overs- What the french, toast?? LOL! ) break movies up into digestible parts for me. And so, I was saying, five years ago, I saw Crash, starring…..a whole buncha awesome people, and one of them became a new favorite of mine- Chris “Ludacris”  Bridges. SIGH.

Since I worked in radio, I knew Ludacris by his music. I didn’t even realize that he was in the movie until I saw him on the screen. You’d never know he was new to acting. I kinda sorta fell in like and have been a Luda Fangirl ever since. I’ve tried to follow his career from a respectable distance, but I do own most if not all of his albums and follow him on Twitter. I’ve eaten at his restaurant Straits Atlanta (if you haven’t gone, GO. Everything I put in my mouth from the pre dinner drank to the champagne sorbet for dessert was to. die. for.) and I follow the work he does with the Ludacris Foundation. Many people don’t know that Luda gives back to his community, hand over fist, all year long. From giving kids haircuts, school supplies and new shoes every year to a Christmas in July celebration he has coming up, Luda loves the kids!

This week is the Atlanta Film Festival, and last night Ludacris hosted a showing of the film Crash and hosted a Q&A after. It. was. spectacular. I own probably 5 DVDs. Crash is one of them (Pride and Prejudice parts 1&2 are the others, and I have an *NSYNC DVD, shut up). LOVE this movie. I’ve seen it about six times now and every time I watch it, I notice something different. The cast is fantastic, the message is great and still so relevant and it also made me LOVE Matt Dillon and Ryan Phillipe… how great were they?? And how did I not notice that the woman that played Dori’s mother was Counselor Troi on Star Trek? GAH.

After the film was the Q&A. First? Dude is fine. FINE FINE FINE! I love that he took his braids out a few years ago. LOVE that he was wearing a suit (I love a man in a suit). I love the sound of his voice. Holy… ugh.

So, a few mins after he started talking, some people moved and sat right in front of me  >_< <— grump face so I couldn’t get more pics. He was handsome and personable and warm, not at all PC, and very gracious. He’s so incredibly humble as well and passionate about the things he does.  (And his new album Battle of the Sexes is available in stores and on iTunes (pluggityplug ) – my fave track is Sexting. SO. MUCH. FUN.)

He talked about what making this movie meant to him– it was really his first foray into a major picture with major stars, and a project that so many people wanted to be a part of. All of the actors took union scale just to be in the film. He told some funny stories about a confrontation with Kevin Bacon and how Samuel L Jackson didn’t know who he was until he presented Luda with an award at the SAG Awards for Crash. Hilarious story!

When he was asked how he felt about his lines in the film, about his character saying, ‘hip hop is just a bunch of mumbling idiots’, he said he strives to be different, to make sure everyone can understand every word that comes out of his mouth, because hip hop is a movement and it’s part of our history. He was also asked if his daughter, Karma, said she wanted to go into music, what would he tell her? He said he would make sure she knew what she was gettng into, whatever she said she wanted to do. When she found out the real picture, the real story, and how much hard work goes into what he does, if she wants to stay in the game, she’s welcome to it. She won’t get his support, though, until she’s run through the crash course and really dug in to find out what it’s all about, whether it’s Clown College or being a Singer or joining the Circus. It should make her happy. Period.

I was SO excited to go, and really nervous that only five people would show and that Luda would bail. Not at all… he was on time and alert and willing to stay and answer questions.  The theater was full and he showed up and I’m SO HAPPY I went! There was an afterparty at his restaurant, but I was sure it would be groupie city, and I didn’t feel like paying for parking, and it was after 10, and there is nothing at Straits but trouble for my diet plan at this stage. Not like I would have been able to sit near him anyway, so it wasn’t worth it to me to go there.

Oh! pictures! They are crappy cameraphone pics, but if I see some good ones online I’ll post them, too.

Random Q- why are movie theaters always so COLD?!  I was wearing a jacket and was SHIVERING. It was ridiculously cold!

1. Luda is growing facial hair. gggggrrrrrooooooowwwwwwwwllllllll…

2. I missed Luda on Jimmy Fallon.

3. DAAAAAAAAMN Luda is short.

And actually, Jimmy is….. Yeah I’ll be nice tonight.

I need to go to bed.