{"id":"1793457558589-culture-show_open","slug":"thriller-climbs-to-number-two-on-spotify","title":"Thriller climbs to number two on Spotify","summary":"The WBC super middleweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Christian M'billi is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, streaming on DAZN; the cited records are Alvarez 63-3-2 and M'billi 29-0-1, per Variety.\n\nIndian filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, known for “Kaante,” “Shootout at Wadala,” and “Kaabil,” died following a fall at his Mumbai residence on Oct. 30, 2026, at age 59, according to Variety/PTI.\n\nA masterclass with Japanese director Zeze Takahisa took place at the Tokyo International Film Festival's Tokyo Talk program before a full house; Zeze directed the festival opener “Sukiyaki,” and the discussion covered his early pink and indie films, per Variety.\n\nThe report accurately describes Japan's production committee system as a co-financing and rights-sharing model, and says film funds are exploring new financing models beyond it, consistent with the Variety article.","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T14:39:18.589Z","channel":{"id":"culture","name":"Oncast Music","language":"en"},"show":"Culture Morning","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: The WBC super middleweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Christian M'billi is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, streaming on DAZN; the cited records are Alvarez 63-3-2 and M'billi 29-0-1, per Variety.\nSource: [variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-to-watch-alvarez-vs-mbilli-dazn-ppv-boxing-live-online-1236931984/) NAMES: WBC = World Boxing Council;  (https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-to-watch-alvarez-vs-mbilli-dazn-ppv-boxing-live-online-1236931984/)\n\nTRUE: Indian filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, known for “Kaante,” “Shootout at Wadala,” and “Kaabil,” died following a fall at his Mumbai residence on Oct. 30, 2026, at age 59, according to Variety/PTI.\nSource: [variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries-people-news/sanjay-gupta-dead-kaante-zinda-1236935973/) NAMES: Sanjay Gupta = Indian film director, not t (https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries-people-news/sanjay-gupta-dead-kaante-zinda-1236935973/)\n\nTRUE: A masterclass with Japanese director Zeze Takahisa took place at the Tokyo International Film Festival's Tokyo Talk program before a full house; Zeze directed the festival opener “Sukiyaki,” and the discussion covered his early pink and indie films, per Variety.\nSource: [variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/pink-film-veteran-zeze-takahisa-original-stories-1236935968/) NAMES: Zeze Takahisa = Japanese filmmaker; “ (https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/pink-film-veteran-zeze-takahisa-original-stories-1236935968/)\n\nTRUE: The report accurately describes Japan's production committee system as a co-financing and rights-sharing model, and says film funds are exploring new financing models beyond it, consistent with the Variety article.\nSource: [variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/japans-film-funds-beyond-production-committees-new-financing-models-1236935964/) NAMES: production (https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/japans-film-funds-beyond-production-committees-new-financing-models-1236935964/)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"The WBC super middleweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Christian M'billi is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, streaming on DAZN; the cited records are Alvarez 63-3-2 and M'billi 29-0-1, per Variety.","sourceName":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-to-watch-alvarez-vs-mbilli-dazn-ppv-boxing-live-online-1236931984/) NAMES: WBC = World Boxing Council; ","sourceUrl":"https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-to-watch-alvarez-vs-mbilli-dazn-ppv-boxing-live-online-1236931984/","claim":"Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian M’billi on DAZN: Here’s How to Watch the WBC Title Boxing Match Live Online - In a title fight, Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez defends his WBC super middleweight title belts against Cameroonian French-Canadian fighter Christian M’billi in a scheduled fo","author":"Variety"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Indian filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, known for “Kaante,” “Shootout at Wadala,” and “Kaabil,” died following a fall at his Mumbai residence on Oct. 30, 2026, at age 59, according to Variety/PTI.","sourceName":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries-people-news/sanjay-gupta-dead-kaante-zinda-1236935973/) NAMES: Sanjay Gupta = Indian film director, not t","sourceUrl":"https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries-people-news/sanjay-gupta-dead-kaante-zinda-1236935973/","claim":"Sanjay Gupta, Indian Director of ‘Kaante’ and ‘Zinda,’ Dies at 59 - Indian filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, whose credits include the crime thriller “Kaante,” the gangster saga “Shootout at Wadala” and the Hrithik Roshan-starring “Kaabil,” has died following a fall at his Mumbai residence","author":"Variety"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"A masterclass with Japanese director Zeze Takahisa took place at the Tokyo International Film Festival's Tokyo Talk program before a full house; Zeze directed the festival opener “Sukiyaki,” and the discussion covered his early pink and indie films, per Variety.","sourceName":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/pink-film-veteran-zeze-takahisa-original-stories-1236935968/) NAMES: Zeze Takahisa = Japanese filmmaker; “","sourceUrl":"https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/pink-film-veteran-zeze-takahisa-original-stories-1236935968/","claim":"Pink Film Veteran Zeze Takahisa Champions Original Stories at Tokyo Masterclass - The Tokyo International Film Festival’s Tokyo Talk program presented a masterclass with Zeze Takahisa, director of the festival’s opening film, “Sukiyaki.” Held before a full-house crowd at Tokyo Mi","author":"Variety"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"The report accurately describes Japan's production committee system as a co-financing and rights-sharing model, and says film funds are exploring new financing models beyond it, consistent with the Variety article.","sourceName":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/japans-film-funds-beyond-production-committees-new-financing-models-1236935964/) NAMES: production","sourceUrl":"https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/japans-film-funds-beyond-production-committees-new-financing-models-1236935964/","claim":"Japan’s Film Funds Look Beyond Production Committees to Build New Financing Models - Japan’s production committee system, in which a group of companies jointly finance a film and share its rights, has helped spread risk across the industry. But it can also cap budgets at what the","author":"Variety"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-to-watch-alvarez-vs-mbilli-dazn-ppv-boxing-live-online-1236931984/","name":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-to-watch-alvarez-vs-mbilli-dazn-ppv-boxing-live-online-1236931984/) NAMES: WBC = World Boxing Council; ","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Variety"},{"url":"https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries-people-news/sanjay-gupta-dead-kaante-zinda-1236935973/","name":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries-people-news/sanjay-gupta-dead-kaante-zinda-1236935973/) NAMES: Sanjay Gupta = Indian film director, not t","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Variety"},{"url":"https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/pink-film-veteran-zeze-takahisa-original-stories-1236935968/","name":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/pink-film-veteran-zeze-takahisa-original-stories-1236935968/) NAMES: Zeze Takahisa = Japanese filmmaker; “","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Variety"},{"url":"https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/japans-film-funds-beyond-production-committees-new-financing-models-1236935964/","name":"[variety.com](https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/japans-film-funds-beyond-production-committees-new-financing-models-1236935964/) NAMES: production","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Variety"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793457558589-culture-show_open-thriller-climbs-to-number-two-on-spotify","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/culture","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793457558589-culture-show_open-thriller-climbs-to-number-two-on-spotify","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793457558589-culture-show_open-thriller-climbs-to-number-two-on-spotify and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Claudette","text":"Culture Morning, and it's Halloween weekend — Michael Jackson's Thriller just hit a new peak on Spotify."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Oh, the King of Pop is back on top? That song owns October like Mariah owns December."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Pop Base says Thriller climbed to number two on the US chart, up eight spots, with one point three six million streams in a day."},{"host":"Laura","text":"One point three six million? That's a graveyard smash forty years later."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"But is this real staying power or just the Halloween bump? Every October it spikes, then it's gone by November first."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Does the reason matter? The song is a masterwork. Quincy Jones, Vincent Price, that bass line. It deserves the spotlight."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"It deserves it, but the chart is a snapshot, not a legacy. Three days of Halloween nostalgia doesn't prove the song is still relevant."},{"host":"Laura","text":"It proves the song never left. You don't need a billion streams year-round to be iconic. You need to matter when it counts."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"And it matters on Halloween. Fine. But next week it'll be back to whatever Tate McRae is doing."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Tate McRae is doing fine, by the way. Her song Housewife has been number one globally for thirteen days, according to Pop Base."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Thirteen days? That's actual staying power, not a holiday one-off."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Now you're comparing a current pop hit to a forty-year-old classic? That's apples and zombies."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"I'm comparing chart relevance. One is current, one is seasonal. Different things."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Both are on the same chart, same day. That's the whole point of music discovery."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"My point is that a Halloween spike doesn't tell us anything new about the song. It's just the algorithm doing its thing."},{"host":"Laura","text":"The algorithm is people choosing to listen. That IS telling us something."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"It tells us the song is popular on Halloween. We knew that."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Then what do you want from the chart? A song has to be new to impress you?"},{"host":"Claudette","text":"I want a song that charts in March and October. Like a real classic."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Real classics earn their status over decades, not by appearing on a weekly list every season. You're moving the goalposts."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Okay, maybe I am. The Halloween bump is a feature, not a bug. Fine."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Thank you. Now, speaking of Spotify, JISOO's new song Addicted just debuted at one ninety-five globally."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"One ninety-five for a BLACKPINK member? That seems low for a solo release from a global star."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Pop Base says one point two four million streams. Not terrible, but not the blockbuster you'd expect."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Her fans are some of the most dedicated on the planet. They'd stream a two-minute silence if she posted it."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Maybe they did and it still didn't crack the top fifty. The song might just be... okay."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Or maybe the rollout was messy. No music video, no big push. That matters."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Could be. Addicted dropped quietly, almost like a B-side."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Or maybe the K-pop solo wave is cooling. We've had a lot of solo projects lately, and not all of them land."},{"host":"Laura","text":"That's fair. But I actually like Addicted. It's a slow-burn track. Maybe it'll climb."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"We'll see. If it does, I'll admit I was wrong."},{"host":"Laura","text":"I'll hold you to that."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Deal. And while we're on animation, DiscussingFilm posted that Nintendo just dropped a Pikmin animated short, with new shorts coming monthly."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Wait, Pikmin shorts? That's adorable. But has Nintendo confirmed this?"},{"host":"Claudette","text":"No official word from Nintendo yet. Right now it's just the claim from DiscussingFilm."},{"host":"Laura","text":"If it's true, that's a smart move. Monthly shorts could keep the franchise alive between games."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"And Pikmin is perfect for short-form animation. Those little plant guys are endlessly charming."},{"host":"Laura","text":"I'd watch it. But until Nintendo says something, I'm treating it like a rumor."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Same here. But if they do monthly shorts, I'm in."}]}