Author: Kevin Bourne

Kevin Bourne, also known as "KB The Boss" or simply "KB", is a Toronto-based host/on-air personality, arts & entertainment journalist, TV/film producer, and communications and content strategist. As a commentator and freelancer, he has appeared nationally as a correspondent on CBC News Network and host on CBC Music. He has also appeared locally on CTV, CBC Radio, CityNews, Newstalk 1010, and ByBlacks.com, and in the United States on Fox’s Black digital TV network, Fox Soul. He has covered some of Canada’s top red-carpet events, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Canadian Screen Awards, and has interviewed everyone from Kevin Hart and "Fast and the Furious" star Tyrese Gibson to Ziggy Marley, Ava DuVernay, Dascha Polanco, Lilly Singh, and Howie Mandel. His years of work as an entertainment journalist led to him being named a Golden Globe® Awards voter and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved critic and being quoted as a critic in national ad campaigns for Black films and TV shows, both in Canada and the United States. Pivoting into the world of film and television, Kevin co-founded the film, TV, digital content, and live experiences company, SHIFTER Entertainment, alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah. Through SHIFTER he has produced a number of projects, including the Bell Fibe TV1 unscripted reality series A Date In The Life, serving as showrunner, executive producer, writer and co-director. Now, with a number of pilot and feature film scripts written and projects in development, KB is poised to continue to be a champion for Black entertainment and culture alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah.

Jacques Audiard’s latest is an “award-worthy masterpiece” and “one of the best films of the year” Kevin Bourne says in his Emilia Pérez film review. One of the films you should be hearing more about this award season is Emilia Pérez which recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez, and directed by Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez is about a Mexico City defense lawyer named Rita Moro Castro (Saldaña) whose life is turned upside down when a feared cartel boss named Manitas Del Monte (Gascón) looks to hire her (and pay her…

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Though hard to watch at times for its depictions of Black pain and trauma, Mike Leigh’s latest is still a film to watch and be proud of says Kevin Bourne in his Hard Truths film review. Another Black film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival is Hard Truths, the latest film from award-winning, Oscar-nominated English writer and filmmaker, Mike Leigh. Starring Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, and Tuwaine Barrett, the film is centered around Pansy (Jean-Baptiste), a sharp-tongued middle-aged British Black woman, who seems to find misery everywhere she goes, including…

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In his Transformers One film review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says it is “easily among the best Transformers movies ever made”. It’s only been just over a year since the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Transformers fans won’t have to wait too long to get their fix once again. The next installment in the franchise is set to be released on September 20th, and it’s safe to say fans will be pleased. The idea for an animated Transformers prequel has been discussed since 2015, and it was definitely worth the wait. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett…

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Kevin Bourne says Pharrell’s LEGO biopic is “one of the most inspirational movies we’ve seen in a very long time” in his Piece by Piece film review. Over the years, Pharrell Williams has built a reputation as one of the most prolific creatives of our generation. He’s lent his creative touch to everything from music and fashion, to film and TV, to condo design and product design. So it was no shock when it was announced that Pharrell would be producing a new biopic, and that would be…a LEGO movie. Actually, it was a little shocking. Who would’ve thought about…

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Kevin Bourne says William Goldeberg’s directorial debut “transcends sports, gender, and culture” in his Unstoppable film review. Rudy. A League Of Their Own.  The Blind Side. Everyone loves a good sports movie where the unexpected hero defies seemingly insurmountable odds to come out on top. Well, most of us do. Following in that lineage is a new addition to the sports movie genre—Unstoppable, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity and starring Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, and Don Cheadle, Unstoppable follows the real life story of Anthony…

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SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Dito Montiel’s latest “equal parts dark, irreverent, fun and smart” in his Riff Raff film review. An all-star ensemble cast? Check. An acclaimed author and filmmaker? Check. An accomplished screenwriter? Check. On paper, the John Pollono-written and Dito Montiel-directed pitch-black comedy Riff Raff has all the ingredients for a box office success. Any possible doubts about its execution were quelled at the TIFF premiere. Starring a legendary cast of Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Coolidge, and Bill Murray, Riff Raff is a quirky and comedic yet dark murder film centered around a dysfunctional extended family and their unexpected…

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SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Anderson .Paak’s directorial debut an “endearing, fun, and creatively rich film” in his K-Pops review. One of our more anticipated films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was Anderson .Paak’s K-Pops. Not only did ,Paak co-write the film alongside Khaila Amazan, but it marks his directorial debut. The idea for the film came about during the pandemic where he bonded with his son who was a fan of K-Pop. While the story is a bit over the top at times, the personal touch adds a sense of realism and believability to the story. Starring .Paak,…

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Sasha Ruddock of Flaws of Couture returns with her “The Uniform” Fall/Winter collection, her first collection in two years. Toronto-based plus size designer, fashion Influencer, public speaker, and body positive activist, Sasha Ruddock, has made a name for herself over the years, both in Canada and abroad, for inspiring women to be proud of their bodies, no matter their size. In 2021, she made noise by beating out 30 international designers to win SHEIN’s SHEIN X international design contest, walking away with $100,000 to invest in her inclusive clothing line Flaws of Couture, or simply FLAWS. She also walked away…

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Keshia Chanté celebrates the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album with the release of a new Deluxe Edition. Keshia Chanté is a name associated with longevity and her time on BET’s 106 & Park and ET Canada. A whole generation grew up seeing Chanté in front of the camera as a TV host and personality; so much so that they may not know that she got her start one as one of Canada’s most successful pop/R&B artists. Fans were reminded of her contributions to Canada’s musical landscape at the All Canadian North Stars concert in July 2022 at HISTORY.…

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Long-time comedic entertainer and content creator, Juhahn Jones, recently announced his latest venture, JUDA Network. Here’s the full story. Over the years, Maryland-born, Los Angeles-based actor, comedian, and content creator, Juhahn Jones has carved out a niche as a comedic entertainer, with a loyal fanbase of over 1.4 million and 1.6 million followers on Instagram and Facebook respectively, and almost 400,000 YouTube subscribers to prove it. Although he has almost 70 credits to his name going back to 2005, including everything from TV series to Christmas movies, it’s through his own original content, posted to his YouTube channel, that he’s…

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Wedding bells are in the air as Gary and Andi’s big day is here. Here’s our recap of Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 7 Episode 22. We’ve finale arrived at the Season 7 finale of Tyler Perry’s Sistas and it’s been an interesting season. We’ve had to reluctantly get to know new characters like Jordan, Troy and Tony. Many of us wanted Preston and Calvin back, but eventually the fanbase seems to have gotten used to the new men in the sistas lives (although some fans are still hoping the OG men return next season). Who wouldn’t want to see Danni…

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It’s Christmas in August as Drake drops 100 gigs of unreleased music and content through a cryptic Instagram account and website. Today, Drake surprised fans by releasing 100 gigabytes of unreleased music and content. The music was released on a cryptic Instagram account @plottttwistttttt and at 100gigs.org. Labeled with the heading “100GIGSFORYOURHEATOP”, The website includes 40 folders of including new singles “It’s Up”, “Blue Green Red”, and “Housekeeping Knows”. It also includes video clips spanning different periods in his career, including from his Views and Certified Lover Boy eras. What makes the drop even more impressive is that all the…

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