Author: Kevin Bourne

For the first time since 1990, hip-hop doesn’t have a top 40 song on the Billboard 100 chart. SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne offers four reasons why. The hip-hop world is reeling from the news that for the first time since 1990, hip-hop does not have a Top 40 song on the Billboard 100 chart. after Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” left the chart. Some may see this as just a little blip, but for others it’s a sign of impending doom. Now, hip-hop has seen the signs that something was wrong. In 2023, the big news was that it took hip-hop…

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, one of the more highly anticipated biopics in recent years “underperforms” and falls a bit flat” says Kevin Bourne. Don’t look now, but we’re in the midst of boom when it comes to biopics. Last year alone, there was Reagan (Ronald Reagan), Queen of the Ring (Mildred Burke), The Apprentice (Donald Trump), Bob Marley: One Love (Bob Marley), Unstoppable (Anthony Robles), Shirley (Shirley Chisolm), Saturday Night (Saturday Night Live), Back To Black (Amy Winehouse), and A Complete Unknown (Bob Dylan) to name a few. This year, we have The Smashing Machine (Mark Kerr), Christy (Christy…

From humble beginnings in Toronto’s east end, Lauren Walters has worked with some of the biggest names in the biz, from Drake and Justin Bieber, to Jay-Z and Beyonce. “Scarborough is where it all began for me,” Walters recalls. “It’s my foundation. Along with my Jamaican roots, it made me the person I am today; my values, the way I see the world. It all comes back to being that Jamaican kid from Scarborough.” – Lauren Walters Although Scarborough, Ontario, the eastern suburb within the City of Toronto, seems like a world away from the stars, palm trees, and sandy…

Season two of Nobody Wants This is “quirky, funny, and well worth the wait” says SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne. Here’s our Nobody Wants This season two review. The show that sounds like a bad joke (“A rabbi and a podcaster…”) is officially back.  Season two of Nobody Wants This begins with our favorite sisterly podcast duo discussing the latest between Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody), a clever way of updating viewers on what’s been going on since season one. Things appear to be going well as we find them navigating the honeymoon-ish phase of their relationship. Now their next…

Although Season 2 was a tough act to follow, in his The Diplomat Season 3 review, Kevin Bourne says the latest season “builds to become the best season yet.” It’s the moment fans have been waiting for; the return of Netflix’s acclaimed political thriller The Diplomat. With Season 2 garnering multiple Critics’ Choice, Primetime Emmy, and Golden Globe Nominations, and being a hit with both fans and critics alike, the latest season has some massive shoes to fill. Oh, the burden of being great. The season opens with a lot of commotion as the American embassy grapples with the sudden…

The Victoria Beckham Netflix series, simply titled “Victoria Beckham’ is an “inspiration” and ‘a must-watch” for anyone with a dream. Two years after the release of her husband’s docuseries Beckham, former Spice Girl turned fashion designer, Victoria Beckham, is back with a self-titled docuseries of her own. It tells the story of her rise from being a daughter, loner, and a not so talented yet ambitious young performer to global brand. Most of us know the story of Victoria Beckham, even if at a surface level, but here are some takeaways from the series. Victoria Beckham wasn’t so posh after…

In his True North film review, Kevin Bourne calls the documentary “a must-see for all Canadians and Black people everywhere.” When we think about Black activism and civil rights, we often think about the United States, and figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rose Parks, but a new documentary, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, is changing that. Directed by Michèle Stephenson, True North chronicles the events leading up to and during the Sir George Williams Affair, the biggest student protest in Canadian history, which took place at Sir George Williams University, now known as Concordia University, in…

John Candy: I Like Me is an intimate look at the genius, ambitions, and legacy of a Canadian comedy legend. Canada has had quite a few major talent exports who have been instrumental in front and behind the camera. In recent decades we’ve had big names like Jim Carey, Ryan Reynolds, and Mike Myers, to name a few. But before them, there was the Second City crew, many of whom went on to star on SCTV and Saturday Night Live before moving on to Hollywood. Chief among them was John Candy, aka Johnny Toronto, who despite being surrounded by generational…

Degrassi: Whatever It Takes is some good old Canadiana mixed with nostalgia, and an ode to one of Canada’s greatest entertainment exports. The Toronto International Film Festival features films and series from all over the world, but despite the festival’s global profile and influence, it’s still the preeminent platform for Canadian films. One that had locals buzzing this year was Degrassi: Whatever It Takes which chronicles the rise of the legendary drama series, from its humble beginnings to its rise to global phenomenon. The story of Degrassi wouldn’t be what it is without starting with its creator, teacher turned producer…

James Vanderbilt’s historical drama is “dark” and “haunting”, but a “magnificent piece of storytelling.” Here’s our Nuremberg film review. The 2025 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival featured a few historical and political dramas. One of them was writer-director James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg, based on Jack El-Hai’s 2013 non-fiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. The film is a retelling of the events leading up to and throughout the Nuremberg Trials which brought the Nazi high command to justice after World War II. It was a seminal moment in world history—a first of its kind international war crimes tribunal presided over by…

Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League is informative and inspiring, proving dreams do indeed come true. One of the series premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival is Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League. Co-directed by Richard Brown and Tebogo Malope, and produced by basketball heavyweights like former Toronto Raptors vice-president and chairman, Masai Ujiri, the series documents the NBA and FIBA’s creation and launch of the Basketball Africa League, known affectionately as BAL. The league was the brainchild of former Dallas Mavericks scouting director, Amadou Gallo Fall. But the series isn’t just about the creation…

In his Hedda film review, Kevin Bourne says Nia DaCosta’s latest is “bold, sexy, and brash” and “still relevant in 2025”. Brooklyn-born writer and director, Nia DaCosta, has been making some noise since her success with Candyman (2021) and her return with The Marvels (2023). which was popular with fans despite receiving mixed reviews and bombing epically at the box office. Now, DaCosta comes to TIFF 2025 with her latest film based on a beloved classic. Set in 1950’s England, Hedda is a modern take on Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 play Hedda Gabler. Starring Tessa Thompson (Creed), Imogen Poots (Green Room),…