The identity crisis at 60 Minutes

As CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss prepares to unveil a new era of 60 Minutes, questions are mounting over what America’s most-watched news program will look like under her leadership. Following the exits and firings of several correspondents and senior producers since Weiss arrived at the network, newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton faces the challenge of reshaping the show without alienating its loyal audience. Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw examine what the next chapter could look like for the CBS News institution.

Lance Oppenheim on his wild Ren Faire succession story

This week, The Business revisits a conversation between Kim Masters and Lance Oppenheim, director of the HBO docu-series Ren Faire. He talks about honing his intimate, uniquely collaborative style of filmmaking and his interest in subjects who become “entombed” by their own fantasies. The filmmaker also shares how he cold-emailed his way into director Darren Aronofsky’s inner circle.

Will Poulter and Adam Meeks lead with empathy in Union County

First-time director Adam Meeks’ new film Union County takes on addiction with empathy and hope. The film, which stars actor Will Poulter, looks at the opioid crisis in rural Ohio through a real-life rehabilitation program that has had promising results. Poulter plays a recovering addict going through the program alongside many non-professional actors who are on their own sobriety journeys. Meeks and Poulter talk to Elvis about documenting real recovery stories, what Poulter's conditions were before taking on the part, and why he often plays characters wrestling with their own pride.

David Archuleta On Leaving The Mormon Church to Find Himself

David Archuleta shot to fame while competing on American Idol when he was just 17 years old.

During his time on the show, he was a poster boy for his Mormon faith, but behind the scenes he was forced to hide his sexuality and queerness. He describes all of this in his memoir Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself. David talks to Sam about learning to accept himself, why his time on American Idol was terrifying, and the surprising ways he’s found community after leaving his religion.

Weekend Film Reviews: Hope, Practical Magic 2

There’s no outrunning it. Anyone writing a monster movie must eventually decide whether or not they’re going to show their monster. As Steven Spielberg demonstrated in Jaws, it’s usually more frightening to hide the face of the beast. But if the credits roll and it’s still hidden, the audience is going to be mad.

In Hope, an alien movie set just south of the Korean DMZ, director Na Hong-Jin puts off the inevitable for more than 60 minutes as an anonymous force wreaks havoc on a sleepy harbor town. “The first hour of this movie when we don’t see the monster is incredibly intense and incredibly involving,” but “the CG doesn’t hold up” when the monster finally arrives, says William Bibbiani, film critic for The Wrap. Witney Seibold, senior writer at SlashFilm, says the visual effects looked “about 30 years old,” which made it feel like a B movie. “For me, that worked,” Seibold says. “But I could see how it could also be very, very distracting.”

Bibbiani and Seibold also review Practical Magic 2, The Uprising, and Black Zombie.