by James Coulter
He started as a drug dealer. Then as a king pin. Now Tyrone is back in his newest hit comedy as a trap lord. Join Tyrone as he engages in wacky shenanigans in his new movie Tyrone Da Trap Lord, a production of Beanie Baby Films, premiering this July 4 on YouTube.
Ever since he watched the blacksploitation classic Dolamite with his parents, Eddie Bower dreamed of filming and directing his own movies. This local filmmaker has since achieved his dreams, with his latest movie being the third in his Tyrone comedy series.
“My main message is that the streets ain’t no good for nobody,” Bower said. “You ain’t got to be a drug dealer to have money. You ain’t got to be in the streets to be popular or cool. You ain’t got to be gang-banging to be somebody who can stand on your own. I just wanted people to take from this movie that it is always good to transition to something better in life other than being in the streets.”
As a young man watching Dolamite, what impressed Bower the most about the film was how its director filmed it on the cheap. If someone like D’Urville Martin can direct such a cult classic without much money, then surely someone like him can do likewise. And that’s how his production company, Beanie Baby Films, came to be.
“That inspired me to go out and film my own movie, even if it was just with my iPhone,” Bower said. “What inspired me to make the movies that I make is the people, the fans who watch it, when they watch them and give me the feedback, whether it is good or bad. I like just to know that they are watching me and that inspires me.”
Other directors who have served as main inspirations for this aspiring local filmmaker have been Don Singleton, Ice Cube, and Tyler Perry. His latest movie had Bower traveling from Atlanta to several other filming locations in Florida like Gainesville and Miami. So far, this film has been his favorite to direct in the Tyrone series, even if others didn’t share his enthusiasm.
“It took me six months to make this movie,” he said. “I had people mistreating me and stuff. But it fueled me. It made me go harder so I can prove to those people that I can do it. And I did it.”
Bower has many more ideas for future Tyrone comedy films, though he also has aspirations for making serious movies as well. Only time will tell what the future holds for this ambitious filmmaker, but his ambitions remain as big as he can dream them.
Tyrone the Trap Lord premieres Thurs. July 4 on Eddie Bower’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@beaniebabyfilms1369
