The Best Podcasts of 2018: “I love movies, but I can’t stand a lot of movie-review podcasts. There’s only so much pontificating I can handle before I start wondering why I’m not just listening to myself talk out loud. I can waste my own time talking about movies, but I can’t do what Black Men Can’t Jump in Hollywood does. I’m not that funny, for starters.
In BMCJ, comedian/actor trio Jonathan Braylock (a practicing Christian!), Jerah Milligan and James III come together to break down films with leading black actors, providing solid reviews and provocative discussion (but as Jerah will tell you, they’re not a political podcast). The conversations cut deep, and it’s hard to pick a best episode of the year. I went with their coverage on Black Panther because it reflects that cultural moment so well. They aren’t caught up in discussing how Hollywood has let them down (again). They don’t have to take a director to task for writing a token character or for failing to achieve the courage of their convictions. No. With “Black Panther,” they just got to enjoy Black Excellence, and it’s especially funny and touching after some of the movies they’ve had to endure. It’s also a great chance to relive one of the few genuinely exciting and positive cultural moments of 2018.”