THIS WEEK’S BANTER

The Murdoch family drama continues as courtroom details have been released following a private trial in Nevada. How did News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch fail to secure the direction of his family’s conservative news empire?  Also, why is Harvey Weinstein suing his brother? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni investigate. 

Family feud? After Rupert Murdoch’s failed attempt to hand off the News Corp empire solely to his son Lachland, details have emerged from a private family trial in Reno, Nevada. “All of it is now on display in the New York Times,” says Belloni. “And then couple that with the fact that James Murdoch has now gone public in the Atlantic in a long story the same week, saying that his family has betrayed him and he doesn't speak to his father. It leaves the future of this empire very much in question. That was not what Rupert Murdoch wanted when he initiated this proceeding.”

Executive favor? As the unfolding Murdoch family drama decides the fate of Fox News, is there a scenario where Rupert asks for a presidential favor? “Rupert was certainly at the White House recently chatting with Trump,” Belloni notes. “It would be an extraordinary set of circumstances for the President to get involved in what is essentially an inheritance drama. But Fox News is pretty important to the President, and the future of Fox News definitely hangs in the balance here.”

Last ditch effort? In what appears to be a desperate situation, convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein has sued his brother Bob, and Weinstein Company executive David Glasser — alleging fraud and conspiracy to oust him from the company. “Harvey would not be doing this from prison if he didn't need the money,” Belloni explains. “From everything I've heard around Harvey, his legal bills are very substantial. He had already mortgaged one house, and I think the lawsuit here suggests that he's in a pretty desperate state.”

 Wait, there’s more! Get the full scoop on this week’s audio edition of The Banter.

Pamela Anderson models serenity and speaks on The Last Showgirl

When surveying the American culture that defined the 1990s, you’ll eventually make your way to Baywatch — the first-run syndication juggernaut that defied expectations (many times over). A crucial element of the show’s success was Canadian actress Pamela Anderson and her iconic red lifeguard bathing suit. While Anderson remains a fixture of the cultural consciousness, her acting opportunities have left plenty to be desired. So it’s thrilling to encounter her in this exact moment, post-memoir Love, Pamela and post-Netflix doc Pamela, A Love Story. 

Anderson’s latest acting role is Shelly, the lead character of Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl. On the heels of the acclaim she’s picked up for the film — including SAG-AFTRA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress — Anderson is here to tell us how it all came together. Plus, she reveals some seriously aspirational habits: “Sitting in my garden, being around the trees that have known me since birth, being around my animals, and writing every morning … finding out, ‘what are my original thoughts?’” Keep listening, there’s so much more loveliness where that came from.

Questlove talks Sly Stone and Black genius

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, filmmaker, in-demand DJ, and Musical Director for The Tonight Show, often finds himself in the precise center of the zeitgeist. This is especially true now, as he has two new(ish) documentaries out there making waves: Ladies and Gentlemen: 50 Years of SNL Music on Peacock and SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) on Hulu, which delves into the life and career of musical pioneer Sly Stone.

At last month’s Sundance Film Festival, Questlove joined Elvis for the Elvis Suite, sponsored by Darling and Company, where he shared his definition of “Black genius,” discussed Stone’s lasting impact on music, and teased his next project — a deep dive into the distinct sound of an iconic band.

Comedian Mo Amer on leaning into complication for season two of his dramedy Mo

The second season of Netflix’s award-winning dramedy Mo is out now. Star and co-creator (alongside Ramy Youssef) Mo Amer had a tall order on his hands when it came to putting it together — as both the series and the world have gotten more complicated since the first season ran. Amer is a Palestinian-American comedian who immigrated to Houston, Texas from Kuwait in the early 1990s. The series is loosely autobiographical in its depiction of Amer’s character Mohammed "Mo" Najjar’s efforts to navigate American life as a Palestinian refugee descendant. And in conversation with KCRW, there’s no topic the passionate comedian won’t touch — from his disdain over the world “conflict” being used to describe the war in Gaza, to a fiery recitation of his recipe for hummus. 

Weekend Film Reviews: Old Guy, The Monkey, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

The latest film releases include Simon West’s Old Guy, Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock (4K re-release), and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Weighing in are Alonso Duralde and Dave White, film critics and co-hosts of the movie podcast Linoleum Knife.

In Old Guy, Christoph Waltz plays an aging hitman who trains a young prodigy, but when things go wrong they must battle rival hitmen in Northern Ireland. Up next, The Monkey is based on a Stephen King short story about twins who receive a deadly wind-up monkey toy. It’s also filmmaker Osgood Perkins’ follow-up to his 2024 horror hit Longlegs. For the repertory screening heads, a 4K re-release of Australian director Peter Weir’s seminal and haunting 1975 film Picnic at Hanging Rock is a major cause for celebration. And finally, in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Renee Zellweger returns as Bridget, juggling new romantic prospects alongside an old flame in this fourth installment of the beloved series.