Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

CBC Entertainment's Jackson Weaver, film critic Radheyan Simonpillai, and poet El Jones join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film 'One Battle After Another,' a prescient action-comedy about a family stuck in a political war, and Apple TV+’s controversial decision to postpone its series 'The Savant.'

Elamin is joined by Kennya Giselle Rivera Sanabria and Reanna Cruz to look back on Bad Bunny’s historic 31 day residency in Puerto Rico (which ended this past Saturday) and what its success might mean for Bad Bunny and Puerto Rico, moving forward. Plus, Elamin is joined by culture critic Matt Amha to discuss the new graphic novel ‘Fela: Music Is The Weapon’ and how Fela Kuti’s legacy intersects wi...

Less than a week after being yanked off the air for comments he made about Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel is back. But will he be muzzled? TV critic Eric Deggans and comedian Ashley Ray join Elamin to talk about Kimmel's return to late night.

Film critics Radheyan Simonpillai and Sarah-Tai Black join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the film 'Him,' a Jordan Peele-produced horror film about American football culture, and the new Netflix drama Black Rabbit starring Jason Bateman and Jude Law. Plus, Toronto critic Joshua Chong discusses the Michael Jackson jukebox musical, ‘MJ: The Musical’ (which recently made its Toronto debut)...

Elamin is joined by culture critic Pablo The Don and CBC Music journalist Kelsey Adams to discuss Cardi B’s new album ‘Am I The Drama?’, the rollout in support of its release, and how the album compares to her 2018 debut. Plus, with four big productions of Samuel Beckett’s iconic play 'Waiting For Godot' being mounted within a single year, theatre critic Aisling Murphy joins Elamin to talk about w...

Walt Disney-owned ABC says it will indefinitely stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! after remarks the late-night host made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks to CBC Senior Writer Jackson Weaver, TV critic Eric Deggans and culture writer Alyssa Mercante about the role of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in this moment and how it's sparking a debate ove...

'Task,' starring Mark Ruffalo, is HBO’s latest big Sunday night show -- and the gritty drama is by the creator of 'Mare of Easttown,' which became must-watch TV when it aired in the same slot a few years ago. Critics Rachel Ho and Kathryn VanArendonk join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about whether 'Task' lives up to expectations.

The winner of this year's Polaris Music Prize is Yves Jarvis and his album, 'All Cylinders.' Elamin is joined by 2022 Polaris Music Prize winner Cadence Weapon and culture critic Riley Yesno to react to this year’s results and assess the awards’ value as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Remembering Robert Redford. The Iconic actor, legendary director, and unparalleled champion of Indie filmmaking has died. Teri Hart describes his contributions to cinema, and how he made the world a better place. Plus, culture critics Thomas Leblanc and Joyita Sengupta join Elamin to talk about SSENSE’s recent financial woes, and how the Montreal brand became a major player in the fashio...

Music journalists Tabassum Siddiqui, Rosie Long Decter, and Suzy Exposito discuss the new documentary, 'Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,' which explores the groundbreaking legacy of Sarah McLachlan’s '90s-era all-female travelling music festival, and why revisiting its story is particularly meaningful in the current cultural moment.  

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart join Elamin to talk about Hamnet winning People's Choice, films they think should've gotten more attention, and reaction to the festival as a whole - and whether TIFF might be too celebrity focused. 

The morning after the Emmy Awards, TV critics J. Kelly Nestruck and Roxana Hadadi talk about the big winners and snubs with guest host Amil Niazi. Plus, a new online trend called 'The Great Lock In' is creating buzz on TikTok. It’s a three month commitment to a rigid routine ahead of the New Year following summer’s indulgence and lack of structure. Is this just another glow up trend or a social re...

Music journalist Maura Johnston, culture writer Richie Assaly, and Leila Latif join the Group Chat to talk about the long-awaited sequel to Rob Reiner’s classic rock mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap; the new album from pop mega-star Ed Sheeran; Justin Bieber’s surprise sequel to his surprise album; and Lizzo’s war on the algorithm. 

Teri Hart and Radheyan Simonpillai join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about some of the performances getting a lot of attention at this year's festival, including Rose Byrne in 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You,' and Dwayne Johnson in 'The Smashing Machine.' Then, they talk about some of their favourite international films in the line up - 'It Was Just An Accident' and 'No Other Choice.' 

People in a small town in Michigan turned on each other trying to figure out who was viciously cyberbullying two young teenagers. In the end, the culprit was one of the victim’s own mother. Journalist Lauren Smiley joins Commotion guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the case, which is now the subject of a Netflix documentary called "Unknown Number: The Highschool Catfish" … and TV critic Kathryn V...

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart join guest host Amil NIazi to talk about whether the Canadian line up at TIFF reflects this country's appetite to consume and support Canadian content. They also discuss why Blue Heron is capturing people's attention, the full circle moment for 'Modern Whore,' and share their favourite Canadian picks. 

With the Toronto International Film Festival celebrating its 50th anniversary, Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by film critics Barry Hertz, Sarah-Tai Black and CBC entertainment reporter Jackson Weaver to celebrate the festival's past wins, present challenges, and how they’d like to see TIFF build on its half-century legacy. 

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart rush to our studios after watching 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,' and discuss the atmosphere outside the screening, the response to the film inside, and give their takes on the film.  

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, the awkwardness of Q&As, and Teri declares 'Tuner' as her favourite film of TIFF so far

'Joni’s Jazz' is a new four-disc box set that focuses on Joni Mitchell’s late-’70s explorations in jazz. Music journalist Carl Wilson and jazz singer Laila Biali join Commotion guest host Amil Niazi to talk about why Joni’s jazz phase is just as significant and influential as her more popular folk-song canon. Also, after more than 30 years, American boxer Roy Jones Jr. received the gold Olympic me...

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart join Elamin Abdelmahmood to discuss some of the films that have a lot of people talking this opening weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival. Plus, they have a difference in opinion over Baz Luhrmann's biographical drama, 'EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert,' and talk about Oscar buzz for Sydney Sweeney.

At New York Fashion week, two names will loom large. Giorgio Armani and Chloe Malle. Fashion writers Danya Issawi, Joan Summers and Mosha Lundstrom Halbert join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about why this will be a fashion week unlike any other. 

Rad and Teri join Elamin to talk about the John Candy biopic, 'John Candy: I LIke Me,' Chandler Levack's 'Mile End Kicks,' and Sydney Sweeney attending the world premiere of her boxing movie, 'Christy.' Plus, they talk about what's on the agenda for this weekend - the movies they are going to see, the parties they may attend, and brunch for Rad. 

Movies about splitting up are typically pretty serious, but two new films, Splitsville and The Roses, buck that trend. Rad Simonpillai, Barry Hertz and Haley Mlotek chat with guest host Amil Niazi about why divorce movies are lightening up.

Saturday Night Live has announced exits and additions to the cast, just weeks away from the season’s premiere this fall. Ashley Ray joins guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the decisions behind the shuffle, where the show is headed, and the audience reaction to it all. Plus, with reports that pioneering Canadian animation company Nelvana will be indefinitely shutting down production, Commotion gu...