Stay ConnectedBig laughs. Smart takes. Every day. Commotion is where you go for thoughtful and vibrant conversations about all things pop culture. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud calls on journalists, critics, creators and friends to talk through the biggest arts & entertainment stories of the day, in 30 minutes or less.
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Music journalist Maura Johnston and Oasis super-fan Alex Spears talk about Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger, the new documentary chronicling the Britpop legends’ 2025 world tour, and why it strikes a deeper emotional chord than most rock and roll documentaries.
Comedian Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim have teamed up for a documentary about Theranos founder and notorious fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. Today on Commotion, film critic Adam Nayman, journalist Alyssa Bereznak, and filmmaker Chandler Levack try to pull back the curtain on ‘You Can See Everything.’
Comedian Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim have teamed up for a documentary about Theranos founder and notorious fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. Today on Commotion, film critic Adam Nayman, journalist Alyssa Bereznak, and filmmaker Chandler Levack try to pull back the curtain on ‘You Can See Everything.’
One of the fundamental tenets of independence movements is that you need a distinct culture if you’re going to have a nation. So what makes Alberta culture distinct – and how are people in both camps using culture to persuade Albertans to vote to leave, or stay in Canada? Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by strategist Zain Velji and singer songwriter Mariel Buckley to discuss.
With the release of the new HBO docuseries ‘Jay-Z in 8,’ Elamin is joined by culture critics Jay Smooth and Shamira Ibrahim to discuss the deep dive into the lyrics and director Rick Rubin’s approach to unpacking Jay-Z’s musical legacy.
Plus, from 'Night of the Living Dead' to 'Resident Evil,' zombies have endured in the public imagination for decades. But what if we’ve been getting the undead all wrong? A new documentary, 'Black Zombie,' traces their history back to the Haitian Revolution, breaking down how Hollywood co-opted a spiritual figure to produce a racist trope. Director Maya Annik Bedward joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about her film, 'Black Zombie,' and why zombies aren’t the monsters American cinema says they are.
Aaron Sorkin is back with another film about Facebook. While he says The Social Reckoning isn’t a sequel to the 2010 hit film The Social Network, it’s hard not to compare the two movies and look at how they reflect our changing relationship with Mark Zuckerberg and Meta. Critics Fran Hoepfner Radheyan Simonpillai, and public policy expert Vass Bednar chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the new movie, and how it handles the current moment we’re in with big tech.
Music journalists Liisa Ladoucuer and Emilie Hanskamp and CBC art critic Charlene K. Lau discuss the new Art Gallery of Ontario exhibit showcasing the ‘90s-era photos of Hole/Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, and how it captures the final days of a pre-digital culture that no longer exists.
Music journalist Annie Zaleski, pop critic Sandra Mills, and film critic Kaiya Shunyata join the Group Chat to dig into Netflix’s Newfoundland-set thriller ‘Below’ and Prime Video’s new adaptation of the Stephen King classic ‘Carrie.’ Also, they remember the late Canadian singer and songwriter, Sass Jordan and the blueprint she set for women in rock music.
This week, Canadian writer Anne Carson was announced as the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her masterpiece, Autobiography of Red, changed literature. Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney talks about how encountering Carson's work opened new doors for him.
The Irish actor and creator Sharon Horgan has seen us through several stages of life with hit comedy-dramas like Pulling, Catastrophe, Motherland and Bad Sisters. Now in her 50s, Horgan is back with a new show called Youth. Culture critics Aoiffe Barry and Kathryn VanArendonk join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about Horgan’s trademark mix of sharp humour and genuine pathos – and why she’s such a unique voice.
American country music star Riley Green is headlining this year’s Grey Cup Halftime Show. Writer Steacy Easton and CBC Sports contributor Morgan Campbell stop by Commotion to talk about how Green has a history of wading into controversy -- and why this decision by the CFL misses the moment.
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