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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Film critics Radheyan Simonpillai, Rachel Ho, and Kyle Buchanan join the Group Chat to discuss Canadian horror-master David Cronenberg’s deeply personal, oddly poignant new film 'The Shrouds,' how the media coverage around Ryan Coogler’s Sinners reveals the differing standards for success that Black filmmakers are held to, and a peculiar new rule being enforced by the Oscars.
The second season of the critically-acclaimed series ‘Andor’ dropped this week. Elamin is joined by Inverse journalist and Star Wars fan Lyvie Scott to tee up the new season and why this latest installment in the Star Wars franchise continues to break new ground.
Elamin is joined by political watchers Justin Ling, Riley Yesno and Robyn Urback to discuss the role social media and non-traditional media platforms has played in politics and civic engagement this Federal Election.
Every episode of the show Black Mirror presents a new and terrifying prediction of how technology is going to shape our future. And when Charlie Brooker first created Black Mirror back in 2011 — our relationship with technology was a far-cry from what it is today. Nicholas Quah and Hanna Flint talk about Black Mirror's seventh season. Plus, could Meta be forced to sell WhatsApp and Instagram? Vass Bednar, a policy expert at McMaster University, discusses the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against Meta that's underway now.
After the death of Pope Francis, cardinals from around the world will gather in the Vatican to choose the next pontiff. And if there's one film on people's minds right now it's Conclave. The Academy award winning film explores the secretive process of electing the next Pope. Elamin chats with film critic Radheyan Simonpillai, comedian and podcast host Ashley Ray, and entertainment reporter Teri Hart about how Pope Francis, and the Papacy, is portrayed in film and TV, and what it says about this moment.
Let's be honest: we all love to gossip. But we don't necessarily like owning up to how much we love gossip. So why do we still do it, and what does our penchant for gossip mean for our relationship to truth? Today on Commotion, author and podcaster Kelsey McKinney joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how we as a society think about gossip — and why that thinking might need to evolve.
Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Jackson Weaver and Rollie Pemberton join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about Ryan Coogler’s new film 'Sinners.'
Montreal singer-songwriter Bells Larsen joins Elamin to talk about why he was forced to cancel an upcoming U.S. tour due to Trump-administration visa policies that directly target trans people. His upcoming album 'Blurring Time' is out April 25. Plus, 'Art of Dancehall,' is a new book by Major Lazer's Walshy Fire, and it documents the genre’s rise from the streets of Jamaica to the global stage through the flyers and posters used to promote local dancehall club nights and street parties. Elamin speaks with one of the book's contributors, Toronto-based dancehall archivist Sheldon Bruce, AKA Muscle.
To commemorate National Canadian Film Day, Elamin is joined by Jesse Wente, Sarah-Tai Black and Nathalie Younglai to discuss the state of Canadian filmmaking in 2025 and how our current political moment is shaping our sense of Canadian film culture.
The adaptation of Margaret’s Atwood dystopian novel - The Handmaid’s Tale – is into its sixth and final season. It’s been described as a window into the future when it comes to reproductive rights and women' s autonomy, but it also has a lot to say about the dynamic between Canada and its neighbour to the south. Elamin speaks with Arizona O’Neill and Moira Donegan about the latest season.
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