Black Men Can't Jump In Hollywood

Special guest Franchesca Ramsey (MTV's Decoded, Writer on The Nightly Show) is in the studio to discuss the Academy-Award winning Dreamgirls, starring Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy. However, things get a bit heated as the group debates who the film was made for, the potential danger of the stock characters, the portrayal of women, and if this film helped the cause! Also singing. Of course there's singing.

To celebrate our Independence Day we...review a British film. Weird! Or it would be if Attack the Block didn't feature rising star John Boyega (now of Star Wars fame) in his debut film! We discuss the complexity of "hood" characters, what it means to be "from the block" (looking at you J-Lo), and whether or not this film helped the cause.

New movie alert! The boys review the summer comedy blockbuster Central Intelligence starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. We discuss whether or not Hart and Johnson have achieved "cross-over" status, fat-shaming, Will Smith (somehow), and if this film helped the cause.

The NBA Finals are over! To celebrate we reviewed the 90's "classic" Kazaam starring NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal! Recorded LIVE from NYC Podfest, we talk about racial stereotypes (the black genie lives in a boombox), Shaq's rapping, poorly-written female characters, and if this film helped the cause!

In tribute to the greatest fighter ever, Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay), we review the 2001 biopic Ali starring Will Smith. The guys discuss Smith's depiction of Ali, whether Michael Mann was the right director for the project, the importance of black writers telling black stories, and whether or not this film helped the cause.This episode is brought to you by Harry's Razors.

Special guest Kenneth Lee (Talent Agent at Innovative) joins the guys as they discuss the 80's cult classic The Last Dragon starring first time actor Taimak. We talk about Asian-Americans portrayal in Hollywood, cultural appropriation, Vanity, and if this film helped the cause!

Special Guest, Sunita Mani (Mr. Robot), helps us take on Disney's live-action The Jungle Book starring the young Neel Sethi. We discuss Indian-Americans depictions in Hollywood, white-washing, our love of Disney musicals, and whether or not this film helped the cause!

We finally review a Don Cheadle film! The boys get into the 2008 thriller Traitor and delve into the portrayal of Muslims in Hollywood, Cheadle's career, America's ego, and have a heated discussion on whether or not this film helped the cause.

This week we gush over the film Dope, starring Shameik Moore, that made waves at Sundance but under-performed during it's wide release in the summer. We discuss the complexities of the urban black community, the use of the "n" word, the power of a black filmmakers telling black stories, and whether or not this film helped the cause. (Spoiler: ITDID).

Prince left behind a catalogue of hits and an iconic, and truly weird film called Purple Rain (1984). We dedicate this episode to the massive chasm between what most people can get away with, and what Prince could get away with. There’s a lot to say about this movie that has nothing to do with film, and we get into it. RIP Prince Rogers Nelson. Next week we review the film Dope!

Vin Diesel is one of the most successful leading black actors in Hollywood, so why is he rarely in the conversation? We review his first true leading role with the 2002 film xXx. We go deep into the "shade" conversation, Vin Disel's career choices and somehow debate whether Samuel L. Jackson is a good actor.

Guest Colton Dunn (NBC's Superstore, Writer on Key & Peele) stops by to talk Action Jackson, the first and only leading role in a major motion picture for Carl Weathers (aka Apollo). We playfully poke fun at the film, discuss whether Carl Weathers was dealt a bad hand, and chat about Vanity and the stereotypical roles women were give in the 80's! R.I.P. - Prince & Vanity

Seaton Smith (Mulaney, Top Five) guests as the guys dig up a (literally) hidden gem The Spook Who Sat By The Door, the 1973 film starring Lawrence Cook. Why have you never heard of this film that was entered into The National Film Registry? It was removed from theaters by the FBI, the prints destroyed, and wasn't available to the public until 2004. Find out why in this episode!

Special guest Naomi Ekperigin (writer on Broad City) is with us to review Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act II, a film beloved by millennials and hated by critics. We discuss the importance of Whoopi Goldberg, the movie's portrayal of inner-city youth, whether the film desexualized Whoopi, and if this film helped the cause!

Special Guest Victor Williams (King of Queens, The Affair) stops by to talk about the much overlooked drama Antwone Fisher starring Derek Luke, in his cinematic debut, and Denzel Washington in his directorial debut. We question why the film got no love from the Academy and discuss a myriad of issues ranging from physical abuse to black masculinity to the Bechtel test to whether or not this film helped the cause.

Halle Berry, the first (and only) black woman to win Best Actress at the Oscars, stars in the CATastrophic big budget blockbuster Catwoman! We discuss what went wrong, whether this tainted Halle's career and what this film did to the cause of leading women of color in movies. Special guest Jayme Yarow, Jerah's agent, joins us to add some perspective!

Live at the North Door in Austin, Texas, we review the 1997 sci fi adventure comedy Men In Black starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. This movie brings an alien species into the race conversation, while Will Smith rises above any categorization in what Braylock calls his Favorite Movie of All Time. He still only gave it a white palm, so the question remains- did this movie actually help the cause!?

Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? This week Jonathan, James and Jerah take on The Rundown starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in his second ever leading film. We speculate on why The Rock has had such success, whether or not the whips' action scenes were racially motivated and talk a little nostalgia as we decide if the film helped the cause.This week's episode is brought to you by Squarespace.

Kevin Hart is the most sought after black comedic actor working today and Ride Along is his highest grossing film. We discuss Kevin Hart's career, Hollywood's use of police brutality, the merits of Ride Along, and whether or not this filmhelps the cause.

We enlisted the help of the wonderful comedian Phoebe Robinson (@Midnight, Late Night w/ Seth Meyers) to help us make the definitive (and hopefully last) stance on #OscarsSoWhite, why representation in film matters, and why every excuse for the Academy's exclusion is some ol' bullshit.This week's episode is sponsored by Tidal and Squarespace.