Black Men Can't Jump [In Hollywood]

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Jurassic World Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards, written by David Koepp, starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Ed Skrein. Together, they discuss who’s to blame for only one movie in the Jurassic Park franchise completely working, who’s reincarnating what kind of animal, whether or not we’re ready to accept hybrid dinosau...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Elio, directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee She, and Adrian Molina, screenplay by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones, story by Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee She, and Julia Cho, starring Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, and Jameela Jamil. Together, they discuss Pixar’s recent rough creative patch, where the word of mouth on this movie w...

CORRECTION: In the discussion this week, we erroneously referred to Andre Braugher being gay. He was not, and we apologize for the mistake.

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Get on the Bus (1996), directed by Spike Lee, written by Reggie Rock Bythewood, starring De'aundre Bonds, Andre Braugher, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Gabriel Casseus, Albert Hall, Hill Harper, Harry Lennix, Bernie Mac, Wendell Pierce, Roger Guenve...

This week, actor and writer Carl Tart (SNL, Grand Crew) joins James and Jerah to cover 1992 (2024), directed by Ariel Vroman, screenplay by Sascha Penn and Ariel Vroman, story by Sascha Penn, starring Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood, and Ray Liotta. Together, they discuss getting more cautious on podcast appearances over time, not believing in Rotten Tomatoes scores, when the movie was, in fact, released, who they all know from LA, a...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Heart Eyes, directed by Josh Ruben, written by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy, starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, Yoson An, and Jordana Brewster. Together, they discuss Slasher Summer, horror films serving as the hot way to introduce new actors to wide audiences, having excitement for love, Mason Gooding's charac...

This week, actor Lucy Dolly Claires (Billions, @lucydshoes on YouTube) joins James, Jerah, and Jon to cover Lilo & Stitch (2025), directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, starring Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, and Maia Kealoha. Together, they discuss the live action Disney remakes they liked, ...

This week, James and Jon are covering The Karate Kid (2010), directed by Harald Zwart, screenplay by Christopher Murphey, story by Robert Mark Kamen, starring Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, and Taraji P. Henson. Together, they discuss their personal experiences with karate, the way the Karate Kid franchise resembles the Child's Play franchise's continuity, whether or not John Voight's going to save Hollywood, where this film...

This week, James and Jerah are covering Home (2015), directed by Tim Johnson, screenplay by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, starring Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Matt Jones, and Jennifer Lopez. Together, they discuss Phil Lamarr's voice work, how many people can fit in Australia, what this movie is, what happened to its follow-up TV series, and much, much more! Listen to the full episode on Patreon or Red Circle's Exclu...

This week, James and Jon are covering Elevation (2024), directed by George Nolfi, written by John Glenn, Jacob Roman, and Kenny Ryan, starring Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, and Maddie Hasson. Together, they discuss just how well the film industry is doing at the moment, whether or not stars are back, where this film came from, the many films it resembles, the set pieces that worked, the set pieces that didn't work, the ups a...

This week, comedian, writer, and actor Rasheda Crockett (The Changeling, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, @RashedaCrockett on IG and all socials) joins James and Jon to cover G20, directed by Patricia Riggen, screenplay by Caitlin Parrish, Erica Weiss, Logan Miller, and Noah Miller, story by Logan Miller and Noah Miller, starring Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impac...

With Sinners continuing to crush at the box office, this week, we're running back our 2018 episode on Ryan Coogler's breakout debut film, Fruitvale Station! We'll be back next week.

Original description:

In anticipation of Black Panther, we review the 2012 film that jump started the career of Ryan Coogler and turned Michael B. Jordan into a leading man: Fruitvale Station. Special guest Mamoudou N'Diaye (Mic) j...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Sinners, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Buddy Guy, Delroy Lindo, and Li Jun Li. Together, they discuss Easter, getting bit by a vampire early, how exciting it's been to watch Ryan Coogler promoting the film, the coverage of the film's production deal wit...

This week, Jerah and Jon are covering Little Man (2006), directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, written by Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans, starring Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. Together, they discuss what James typically does in the cold opens, the Wayans' recent induction into the NAACP Awards' Hall of Fame, where Keenen was during the ceremony, Little Man's creative debt to Bugs Bunny, and much, muc...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), directed by Barry Jenkins, screenplay by Jeff Nathanson, starring Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Blue Ivy Carter, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Together, they discuss what the film's actual title is, Barry Jenkins' history with ...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering The Woman in the Yard, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, written by Sam Stefanak, starring Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahilla, and Russell Hornsby. Together, they discuss each of their experiences with the marketing, M. Night Shyamalan's Trap, the film beating Death of a Unicorn at the box office, what's going on with A24 at the moment, and much...

This week, James and Jon are covering Moana 2 (2024), directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller, and David Derrick Jr., screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, story by Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller, and Bek Smith, starring Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. Together, they discuss whether or not the show ever covered the first film, where diversity and representation are at in Hollywood in 2025, the vibe that might be m...

This week, writer Ben Arogundade (Hollywood Blackout) joins James, Jerah, and Jon to cover Lilies of the Field (1963), directed by Ralph Nelson, screenplay by James Poe, based on the novel The Lilies of the Field by William Edmund Barrett, starring Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala, and Stanley Adams. Together, they discuss Ben's new book, the lack of progress on representation at The Oscars, how the limited number of leading Black a...

This week, actor and comedian Quei Tann (American Horror Story, Bruh) joins James, Jerah, and Jon to cover Tangerine (2015), directed by Sean Baker, written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch, starring Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karragulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanian, and James Ransome. Together, they discuss the financial decision-making of of the sex worker characters across Tangerine and Anora, some of this e...

This week, Jerah and Jon are covering Brown Sugar (2002), directed by Rick Famiyuwa, screenplay by Michael Elliot and Rick Famiyuwa, story by Michael Elliot, starring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Mos Def, Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe, and Queen Latifa. Together, they discuss what they think James might've thought of the movie, the likely upcoming episode on The Woman in the Yard, The Lady in the Yard, some of the things in Bray...