Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess

By Black Love and Cinema

Welcome to Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess, where we break down love and relationships through the lens of your favorite Black movies.

Whether you're single, dating, engaged, or married, we... more

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FAQs about Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess:

How many episodes does Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess have?

The podcast currently has 31 episodes available.

Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess episodes:

December 11, 2025When No One Believes in You | A Jingle Jangle Story About Hope for Dreamers
If you've ever experienced discouragement while pursuing your dreams, this story is for you. Inspired by the 2020 Netflix Film “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey,” written and directed by David E. Talbert, this storybook presentation is designed to inspire belief that is fueled by holiday magic and the love of people who believe in your dreams.FOLLOW OUR PODCAST!
Spotify Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/blac-podcast⁠⁠
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7min
December 09, 2025Finding Joy & Healing in Love: Are You Ready for a Healthy Relationship?
In today’s episode, Jessica dives into a brand-new holiday-season release that’s already sparking debate: Tyler Perry’s Finding Joy (2025). Is it really a Christmas movie? We’ll let you decide—but what it is, without question, is a powerful lens through which to explore personal healing and relationship readiness.

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22min
December 07, 2025Almost Christmas | Celebrating Life and Love After The Loss of A Spouse
Love doesn't end with loss! Tune in as Manny and Jess engage in an honest and uplifting conversation about celebrating life and love after the loss of a spouse.
We discuss practical ways to honor the legacy of your deceased spouse, create meaningful new traditions, and give yourself grace to grieve while celebrating life, joy and peace with the loved ones that remain.
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Set episodes to DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY upon release!
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35min
December 06, 2025Did God Really Tell Me He Was the One? | What the Signs Really Mean
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Set episodes to DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY upon release!
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6min
December 04, 2025Running from Love | A Christmas Story of Second Chances | Fake Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
For the One Who Can't Stop Running from Love, watch our inspirational video based on OWN's Fake Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, a 2025 film.
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Spotify Podcasts: ⁠https://bit.ly/blac-podcast⁠
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5min
December 03, 2025When Your Partner Makes You Feel Neglected | How to Communicate with Emotional Intelligence
Join us as we discuss effective communication strategies in relationships! Understanding emotional intelligence is key to navigating feelings of jealousy and addressing concerns openly. Whether you're a married couple or just dating, our relationship advice will help you build stronger connections and avoid toxic relationship patterns.
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Spotify Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/blac-podcast⁠⁠
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Set episodes to DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY upon release!
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10min
December 02, 2025The #1 Marriage Lesson From The Preacher's Wife That Will CHANGE Your Relationship
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35min
November 28, 2025How to STOP SABOTAGING Your Love Life | The Holiday Calendar Review
Do you need a magical advent calendar to tell you who to date? Or do you just need to look at the evidence in front of you? 🎅🏾📆
Welcome to our COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS! We're reviewing 12 Christmas movies from now until Christmas Eve, and today we're breaking down Netflix's 2018 rom-com The Holiday Calendar, starring Kat Graham, Quincy Brown, and Ethan Peck.
In the movie, Abby inherits an antique advent calendar that seems to predict her future. While she's busy chasing supernatural "signs" and forcing a romance with a handsome doctor, she completely misses the love of her life standing right in front of her: her best friend Josh, a photographer who's been stuck in the friend zone for years.
In this spontaneous recording, we discuss how we almost sabotaged our own love lives by almost getting stuck in the friend zone and relying too heavily on signs.
🎄 The Friend Zone Trap (Manny's Perspective):
Why being "just friends" for years is rarely an accident. Manny breaks down the specific moves you need to make to shift the dynamic without ruining the friendship—or losing your dignity. But he also asks: Was Josh being romantic, or was he just too passive to state his intentions?
✨ Stop Chasing "Signs" (Jess's Perspective):
Why are we waiting for magical calendars, shooting stars, or "signs from the universe" to tell us who we should be with? Jess talks about limerence, confirmation bias, and why we use supernatural thinking as a shield against taking pragmatic action and making real decisions.
We break down:
💬 How to tell your friend you want more without making it weird
💬 Limerence vs. Reality: How chasing "signs" makes us fantasize about what could be while ignoring what is
💬 The difference between being patient and being passive
💬 Why "signs" often just confirm what we want to believe, not what's actually true
💬 When to shoot your shot vs. when to walk away
💬 How to observe actual behavior and evidence instead of hoping for magical moments
💡 KEY INSIGHT: Real discernment requires looking at the cold, hard evidence of how a person treats you—not waiting for supernatural confirmation to make the decision for you.
💬 CONVERSATION STARTER: Have you ever been stuck in the friend zone? Did you stay or did you shoot your shot?
This is MOVIE 2 of our COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS—12 Christmas movie reviews from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve!
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Spotify Podcasts: https://bit.ly/blac-podcast
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Set episodes to DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY upon release!
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25min
November 26, 2025Dating as a Parent: Lessons from "The Perfect Holiday" | Black Love & Cinema
Nancy just wanted a compliment for Christmas. Instead, she got a love story—and a crash course in dating as a single parent. 🎄❤️
In this Countdown to Christmas episode, we're breaking down The Perfect Holiday (2007) starring Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut to talk about one of the most challenging aspects of single parenthood: dating again while protecting your kids' emotional well-being.
From Nancy trying to rediscover herself after divorce, to Benjamin navigating how to blend into a family with protective kids and an ex still in the picture, this movie shows the REAL tension of balancing your need for love with your role as a parent.
What you'll learn:
✅ Why you should wait 6-12 months before introducing kids to a new partner
✅ The importance of neutral territory for first meetings
✅ How to validate your kids' feelings without giving them veto power
✅ Why forcing relationships between your partner and kids always backfires
✅ The truth about blending families: it takes 5-7 YEARS on average

💡 KEY INSIGHT: You deserve happiness AND your children's emotional well-being comes first. This isn't either/or, it's both/and. And with patience, emotional intelligence, and these research-backed strategies, you can have BOTH.

💬 CONVERSATION STARTER: What's the biggest fear you have about dating again as a parent?
FOLLOW OUR PODCAST!
Spotify Podcasts: https://bit.ly/blac-podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3K89h9f
Set episodes to DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY upon release!
Kindly leave a 5-star review to support our conversation and encourage others to join!
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35min
November 23, 2025How to Forgive Family: Lessons from Soul Food (1997) | Black Love and Cinema Movie Review
One Sunday dinner can change everything. As we head into the holiday season, we are revisiting the 1997 classic Soul Food to talk about what it really takes to keep a family together.
From Teri and Maxine's sibling rivalry to the heartbreaking betrayal between Teri and Miles, the Joseph family goes through it all. In this episode, we apply Dr. Everett Worthington's REACH Forgiveness Model to the movie's biggest conflicts to show how you can move from anger toward peace.
We break down:
Sibling Rivalry: How Teri and Maxine eventually moved past years of jealousy and judgment.
Marital Betrayal: Why Teri's decision to forgive Faith wasn't about reconciliation, but about her own freedom.
Restoring Trust: How Bird and Lem rebuilt their marriage after pride and secrets nearly destroyed it.
The Power of the Table: Why showing up for Sunday dinner was the ultimate commitment to forgive.
FOLLOW our podcast!
Spotify Podcasts: https://bit.ly/blac-podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3K89h9f
Set episodes to DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY upon release!
Kindly leave a 5-star review to support our conversation and encourage others to join!
...more
53min

FAQs about Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess:

How many episodes does Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess have?

The podcast currently has 31 episodes available.