Advertise on podcast: Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Film critics Adam Nayman, Hanna Flint, and Kaiya Shunyata join guest host Rad Simonpillai to discuss the new Tom Cruise political satire ‘Digger,’ the erotic thriller ‘Verity’ starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, and Netflix’s new miniseries adaptation of John Steinbeck’s ‘East of Eden.’

The new animated film Forgotten Island follows a pair of best friends who, right as they’re about to begin the next chapter of their lives post-high school, find themselves pulled into a mythical world full of monsters. Set in the Philippines in the ’90s and 2000s, the film puts Filipino culture and folklore front and centre. Filmmaker and musician Romeo Candido and film critic Kristy Puchko join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to review the coming-of-age adventure, and whether it could be the next KPop Demon Hunters. Plus, with calypso lovers across the world mourning the death of the Mighty Sparrow, Juno-nominated musician and calypso history archivist Jesse Ryan discusses the legacy of the undisputed King of Calypso.

We're seeing new public works from Indigenous artists pop up all over Canada. They're big, outdoor installations from artists like Cheyenne Rain LeGrande, Brain Jungen and Kent Monkman. Celina Yellowbird and Reneltta Arluk join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about these works, and how public art can help further reconciliation.

Media giant Black Entertainment Television has deleted all of its digital articles from its website as part of its move to prioritize video content. Journalist Dalton Higgins and hip-hop broadcaster Jay Smooth join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to react to the news and its larger ramifications for the preservation of Black pop culture.  Plus, film critic David Ehrlich talks with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the Resident Evil movie and what makes it a successful video game adaptation.

The new Netflix reality series 'Wonka's Golden Ticket' is based on the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory universe and features an A.I. recreation of the voice of the late Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the original 1971 film version. TV critics Alison Herman and culture writer Anne T. Donahue join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss why the series may be a new low for reality competition shows. Plus, the new book ‘Save A Seat For Me: Notes on Black Fatherhood’ dedicates a chapter to Black TV dads. Author Mark Anthony Neal looks at some of the noteworthy portrayals of Black fatherhood on the small screen over the past 50 years.

Elamin is joined by film and TV critics Jackson Weaver, Sarah-Tai Black and Roxana Hadadi to discuss the growing buzz and critical acclaim surrounding the feature film and directorial debuts from Lance Oppenheim (Primetime) and John Wilson (The History of Concrete).

The Tamil Canadian actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's career has been on a roll since her breakout performance in Never Have I Ever. Now she’s starring in the new Netflix movie Best of the Best. And while many critics like the movie, some Sri Lankans are mobilizing to review bomb it – and everything else she’s been involved with. Nedra Rodrigo, founder of the Tamil Studies Symposium at York University and CBC journalist Joyita Sengupta join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to explain the controversy, and the consequences.

Angine de Poitrine is the winner of this year's Polaris Music Prize. The polka-dotted duo took home the 30-thousand dollar best-album prize at last night’s gala in Toronto. The annual award is given to the best Canadian album of the year as selected by more than 200 music journalists and broadcasters, and it's based solely on artistic merit. Angine de Poitrine also won the 10-thousand dollar best-song prize for 'Fabienk.' Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp joins Elamin to talk about the win, who she was rooting for, and to weigh in on how Canadian music has changed over the years. Plus, it almost feels like an understatement to say that Heated Rivalry and Off Campus exploded the sports romance genre on TV. Now, a new show about a queer softball beer league called Slo Pitch is putting a comedic spin on playing the field. But is the series a home run? Culture critic Riley Yesno and journalist Allie Graham stop by Commotion to give Elamin their reviews of Crave's Slo Pitch.

Neil Peart is arguably one of the greatest drummers of all time. And now, a new documentary about the legendary Rush drummer and lyricist is coming to CBC Gem. Drummer Marek Tyler and music journalist Maura Johnston join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about 'Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple,' and how it captures Peart and his legacy. Plus, Ed Sheeran returned to the stage for the first time since the Macklemore controversy. Culture critic David Dennis Jr. unpacks what happened at the show and the reaction from his fans and critics.

The Toronto International Film Festival is over for another year. But some of the biggest films out this fall aren’t coming out on the festival circuit. Teri Hart and Radheyan Simonpillai get into why that is, and look back at the highlights, award winners, and controversies that made this year’s TIFF what it was.

Culture writer Mel Woods, author/rapper Rollie Pemberton aka Cadence Weapon, and Exclaim editor Megan LaPierre join the Group Chat to discuss B.C. pop star Carly Rae Jepsen’s long-awaited double-album return; how Drake’s new short film factors into his current comeback campaign; and why this year’s Emmy Awards telecast felt a lot more Canadian than usual.

On Monday, news broke that Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s North American tour after the rapper made pro-Palestinian comments on stage. Multiple venus dropped Macklemore. In a statement, Sheeran said he is "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine," calling the suffering on "both sides" a "human tragedy," but defended his choice not to take a public stance. In response, every other musician on the tour, including Sheeran’s backing band, have pulled out. Culture critics Jay Smooth, Sara Yasin, and Niko Stratis join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to break down what happened and what it says about this moment.

Just as Stella Lefty’s music career started to go right, things took a turn. The up-and-coming singer-songwriter’s hit song Boston has been unavoidable this summer, but so has the criticism about her billionaire father, her country sound despite being from Chicago, and her biggest song’s similarities with Noah Kahan’s Stick Season. The New York Times culture reporter and Popcast co-host, Joe Coscarelli and Vulture writer Fran Hoepfner explain who Stella Lefty is exactly, and why she’s turning so many heads. Plus, Elamin is joined by C.T. Jones to discuss season 1 of the Netflix reality series ‘Earle Meets World’ about the life of a Gen Z influencer. C.T. gets into whether the series offers anything new to the celebrity family reality show format.

For years, parents have relied on Netflix as a source for quality children’s-television programming, particularly as YouTube has become increasingly dominant in the kids-media space with influencer-driven content. However, now some of that YouTube-spawned content is turning up in Netflix’s menu of kids programming, and TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk and digital policy analyst Vass Bednar explain why parents are seriously upset by this shift. Plus, Justin Trudeau recently announced he's starting up a new production company called Hope & Hard Work, focusing on Canadian content. Culture critic Nicholas Quah joins guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the former Canadian Prime Minister’s new venture, and what lessons can be learned from similar media companies created by Barack and Michelle Obama, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of ‌Sussex.

For a while it seemed like Celine Dion might never sing again. She was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition four years ago. But she is SO back – and what a time it is to be a Canadian cultural icon with a comeback story for the ages. Elamin Abdelmahmoud meets up with Eugénie Lépine-Blondeau, host of Radio-Canada's Admission Générale podcast and Benjamin Locoge, Editor In Chief for Culture of Paris Match, the morning after Celine Dion’s first concert in Paris.