Black Men Can't Jump [In Hollywood]

This week, Jerah and Jon are covering Little Man, 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, much more!...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Mufasa: The Lion King, 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 The Osc...

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...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onuh, screenplay by Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, Julius Onuh, and Peter Glanz, story by Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, and Dalan Musson, starring Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Zosha Roquemore, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. Together, they discuss where they...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are previewing the 2025 Oscars. Together, they discuss who's seen the most nominated films this year, who's seen the fewest, whether or not they've had special intro music for the Oscars episodes in the past, The Jamals, and much, much more! Listen to the full episode on Patreon or Red Circle's Exclusive Feed!

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This week, actor and improviser Sara Caplan (UCB) and comedian Lou Gonzalez (The Other Two) join James and Jon to cover Emilia Pérez, written and directed by Jacques Audiard, starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, and Édgar Ramírez. Together, they discuss their general feelings on movie musicals as a form, how clunky they found the whole film, their favorite absolutely wild lines, why the ...

This week, James and Jon are covering Nickel Boys, directed by RaMell Ross, screenplay by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, Jimmie Fails, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Together, they discuss where Jerah is, what listeners want to hear, the show's plans for covering more Oscar-nominated movies this year, the Oscar nominations Nickel Boys oddly miss...

This week, actor and improviser Shakira Ja'nai Paye (House Party, Will Trent) joins James, Jerah, and Jon to cover One of Them Days, directed by Lawrence Lamont, written by Syreeta Singleton, starring Keke Palmer and SZA. Together, they discuss the state of theatrical comedies, just how close the film came to winning its opening weekend, whether or not they've softened in their coverage over the years, Kat Williams, what ev...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar, screenplay by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, and John "Divine G" Whitfield, starring Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San José, and Paul Raci. Together, they discuss Timothée Chalamet, what's going on with Sing Sing's Rotten Tomatoes score, its awards prospects, and much, much ...

NOTE: In light of the devastating fires in Los Angeles, the show is taking the week off from recording, so enjoy this Patreon episode from the archives. If you can, please donate to the LA Fire Department's Wildfire Emergency Fund or the LA Regional Food Bank, links below. We will be back with a new episode next week!

This week, James, and Jerah are covering Sonic the Hedgehog, directed by Jeff Fowler, written by Pat Casey a...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Transformers One, directed by Josh Cooley, screenplay by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari, story by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. Together, they discuss the sheer number of Transformers films, Transformers One's great Key & Pe...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering The Piano Lesson, directed by Malcolm Washington, screenplay by Virgil Williams and Malcolm Washington, starring Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins. Together, they discuss Rotten Tomatoes' new "Popcorn Meter," popular issues with play adaptations, the state of the Oscar ...

As a special holiday bonus, this week, Jerah and Jon are joined by actor O'Shea Jackson Jr. in advance of the release of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Together, they dive deep on O'Shea's roles in Straight Outta Compton, Ingrid Goes West, and Swagger, the surprising role Twitter played in connecting him to projects, the positives of doing indies and shorts, and much, much more! See Den of Thieves 2: Pantera in theaters on ...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Red One, directed by Jake Kasdan, screenplay by Chris Morgan, story by Hiram Garcia, starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, and J.K. Simmons. Together, they discuss it being the holiday season, how few Christmas movies have Black leads, holiday films being holiday films, whether or not there's ever been a Black Scrooge, and much, much more! Listen to the full episode on Pat...

This week, James, Jerah, and Jon are covering Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott, screenplay by David Scarpa, story by Peter Craig and David Scarpa, starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Roz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Together, they discuss 'Sexiest Men Alive' of years past, the best voice to use to order drinks at the bar, being in the "and Denzel Washingt...