Michael Jackson's This Is It

[Captain Eo]

Was an amazing film. I recommend everyone see it, fan or not. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments during the film, it really humanizes him. You see him make mistakes, but you also see the brilliance of him refining every little detail from lighting to audio.

I dragged my girlfriend along who despised him, but although I wouldn't say shes a fan now she was laughing and smiling right along with the rest of us in the audience.

It's a bittersweet film. Michael always said his music videos were his "short films." Back in the late 80s it was always a possibility that the big screen would be the next evolutionary step in his career. He finally got his starring role and it literally brings me to tears knowing that as I sat there in the theater every passing minute was nearing closer to the last time the world would see his brilliance alive on stage.

I along with millions of other people around the world lost someone I truly loved on June 25th, this film among him albums, and other concerts remain to keep his legacy alive, but at the end of the film I just wished that he was still here. It's great that this film was made and will show the critics that Michael still had his talent untainted by the missteps in his personal life, that he was going to do those 50 shows which from the footage really showed that nothing so elaborate had every been staged before, and it shows his character. He's humble, gentle, and a perfectionist. You'll see something not go the way it's intended and he'll say to the crew "That's not right, it should be like this. You meant well though, it's with love."

There's so much more I could say, but unless you're already a fan it's likely to go over your head how much this film could really mean to someone like me. But the bottomline is even if you're not a fan, watching this film you'll leave realizing that Michael was a human his interaction with the crew proves he wasn't a Howard Huges recluse incapable of human interaction. He cared about children, and the planet. Which towards the end of the film he reveals what the title "This Is It" truly represents, and it's a touching but tragic moment laced with realization the his message wouldn't be told through the concerts he was going to put on, but will live through this film forever.

This Was It.

Michael was 19 days from the greatest comeback of all time.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Interesting. I've heard some mixed reports. I'd like to see what others on here who aren't Jackson fans think (not that I'm interested in going to watch it, but it's being advertised pretty heavily over here)...

Of course such a release would have to be one of the most carefully regimented releases to put Jackson across well because of the circumstances. I'm not really surprised that he comes across as a gentle perfectionist though.

I would also imagine that if it was for an artist I personally had real interest in then I'd be heading off to see it on the first day of release.

[METALMAN]

forget this. mistake. I thought the internet froze up and it didn't get posted so I rewrote it again. >_>

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I'm a real Sigur Ros fan but I refuse to accept the existance of their first album (much like them in fact.... )

[METALMAN]

I'm quite interested in seeing the film. One thing I don't like however is the marketing of the soundtrack, which is such a disgustingly blatant cash in. Fourteen songs you already have, one "new" song - a cast off from 1983 or something which is average at best, and the new song again but with orchestra overdubs. What makes this worse is that the new song is not available in any other way - even on itunes when you can normally buy songs separately it can only be acquired by buying the full album. Of course, going by the comments this hasn't put off dozens of numbskulls. To paraphrase one - "YOUR NOT A REAL MJ FAN IF U DON'T HAVE ALL HIS SONGS".

Motown are even worse however. At HMV there is generally a new Motown compilation of early MJ songs every couple of weeks. Recently we have had several remix albums, plus an A CAPELLA ALBUM. It's quite shameful. What makes it worst is that barring Shake Your Body Down To The Ground, I Want You Back and Blame It On The Boogie - all of which are wonderful - Michael Jackson's pre epic recordings are for the most part utter shit. He was basically a black Donny Osmond, but that doesn't stop them cashing in on him.

Anyway, yes, I would like to see the film. ^_^

[Crybaby Bunting]

The bit I don't like is how they've overdubbed the members of the Jackson 5 over his new song, which as some people have already commented on, means that the Jackson 5 can make money out of the song... at the cost of screwing his kids out of a percentage of the sales.

If Jackson wanted to record with them when he was alive, why didn't he put them on this song before then?

Edited October 28, 2009 by The General

[OGpistolpete]

I will probably not see the movie, even though I really like Jackson. Is it just clips of him preparing for his comeback show (which was going to be amazing)? Or does it feature interviews with people talking about the late great singer?

[Captain Eo]

Just the buildup to the show.

There's a few interviews thrown in between. They probably make up 10 minutes of the whole 111 minutes. There's absouletely no talk about his death besides a very short text intro ala Star Wars.

[Scott McFly]

Did you prebook or just buy the tickets there and then? My nearest cinema are showing it a helluva lot and I can't imagine they'd have sold all the tickets in advance.

[Skummy]

The lady in my life is really keen to go and see this, so I'll probably get dragged along - the last couple of films we went to were more my choice than her's, anyway - and I'm not a Jackson fan by any stretch of the imagination, and even before he died was baffled by the hero worship he got - I'll admit he was a great performer, but so were (and are) plenty of other people.

So...yeah, hopefully I'll be able to give a relatively unbiased review. Though upon seeing the trailer I did say to the lady, "Great, I really hoped we'd get another film that makes out that Michael Jackson is Christ" - though I think that was the absurd trailer we saw more than anything.

[METALMAN]

On an aside, his guitarist is a bit of a piece.

[Bigal]

I got tickets for tomorrow night. Rather looking forward to it.

[Captain Eo]

I might see it again.

There's a conspiracy theory going around about something that occurs after the credits.

[apsham]

Wait, what now? I'm likely not going to see it in theatre.. what's the deal?

[METALMAN]

there's also a conspiracy theory about Michael Jackson not actually being in large parts of the film because they got stunt doubles or something.

[apsham]

I think that's been confirmed as false, and it's just Joe Jackson pulling his shit.

[Bigal]

The bit after the credits is a waste of time. I saw it by accident while waiting for my girlfriend, who was in the loo.

The film's pretty damn good as a concert movie, but there's next to no insight into the events around the music.

[Herr Matzat]

there's also a conspiracy theory about Michael Jackson not actually being in large parts of the film because they got stunt doubles or something.

Hassent it been wideley knowen that he never was on stage for the fullshows in the past? I saw him life once in Bremen and half of the show clearly was Playback. (than again, there was so much show/dancing that it might just have been very hard to deliver live singing) - I at least highly doubt that MJ was taking a JetPack out of the Statium in the end of the Show.

There are plenty of recordings of the Dangerous and History Tour. Some from TV (like munich) and one on DVD/VHS from Bukarest. Check them out and make up your mind.

YouTube Playlists of these Concerts.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_playlists&search_query=Michael+Jackson+History&uni=1

Edited October 31, 2009 by Michael Matzat on a Plane

[Captain Eo]

there's also a conspiracy theory about Michael Jackson not actually being in large parts of the film because they got stunt doubles or something.

Hassent it been wideley knowen that he never was on stage for the fullshows in the past? I saw him life once in Bremen and half of the show clearly was Playback. (than again, there was so much show/dancing that it might just have been very hard to deliver live singing) - I at least highly doubt that MJ was taking a JetPack out of the Statium in the end of the Show.

There are plenty of recordings of the Dangerous and History Tour. Some from TV (like munich) and one on DVD/VHS from Bukarest. Check them out and make up your mind.

YouTube Playlists of these Concerts.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_playlists&search_query=Michael+Jackson+History&uni=1

You really should rephrase that, the way you have it worded makes it sound like he constantly used body doubles during his concerts which is 100% false.

There's only 3 instances of this during his touring career.

One is during the Dangerous tour in the

from "Workin Day And Night" to "Beat It" which was done for obvious reasons. Another for Thriller, which again is for the purpose of an magical illusion. And lastly the one you mentioned, the end of the Dangerous tour ended with "Michael" flying a jetpack out of the stadium. He doesn't leave the stage until the very end of "Man In The Mirror."

As for the playback issues that was mostly on the HIStory tour where that occurred I'd agree for more than half the songs, but he was so active otherwise on the stage I can see why. Judging from "This Is It" however I think this concert was going to be mostly live.

[Herr Matzat]

Might be, i have only seen History Live Live and therefore always took it for granted that he might not have been on stage for one half of the show.