Some What-It-Is About “This Is It”
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Could there be a more appropriately ghoulish time to release the posthumous Michael Jackson behind-the-scenes aborted-concert-tour film documentary "This Is It" than the week before Halloween? Um...no. (Maybe they should've titled it "That's That." Too soon? Just be glad I'm not making any "Wanna Be Endin' Somethin'" jokes.)
Let's forget for a moment that the movie, haphazardly pieced together from hours upon hours of rehearsal footage like some Frankenstein's monster before the electro-shock, was a failsafe measure by the companies that had so much invested in Jackson's comeback/farewell tour. (Box office and CD sales may defray the losses incurred when Jacko passed away before the tour.) Don't think about the spectral, cadaverous look of the 50-year-old M.J. in most scenes. (And I'm not talking about his make-up in the newly pre-recorded "Thriller" video segment planned as a component of the live concert.)
Instead, we should consider "This Is It" a rare opportunity to watch a master showman pull together an extravaganza, despite his skills having eroded a bit. That's a plus, as is the chance to see some of the other prepared clips - especially a cool "Smooth Criminal" video using computer magic to place Jackson in a noir-ish movie fantasy with Rita Hayworth, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson.
We now know that Jackson was essentially in physical jeopardy with a longtime reliance on heavy meds when he expired. But watching him and tour director/co-producer/choreographer Kenny Ortega (listed as the director of the "This Is It" feature film) shape the concert and interact with the devoted, often star-struck musicians, dancers and singers in the assembled troupe is pretty fascinating stuff.
On the other hand, there's a slapdash, quickie, unfinished feel to the whole deal. A great documentary it is not. But if you're interested in catching the cinematic equivalent of a riveting tabloid piece or reality TV show that revisits some crucial pop music and cultural touchstones of the last 35 years, you should probably see "This Is It." And if you're a rabid Michael Jackson fan, and there are many, it's a no-brainer. You might wanna prepare yourself to get a little teary-eyed - even if I didn't.
Comments (30)
i do not think i will EVER glimpse anymore than what you posted.
i am sure of it
It's weird to think he has a legacy..yes, he did some big things,giant things,iconic things..but he really didn't do that much in total. If all the appraisals of great talent arbiters out there are correct, isn't it a shame how little there is to show for such a long,long career.
throw out the moonwalk and thriller
and you have doo doo on a stick....
Off the Wall wasn't too shabby, and the J5 had some good tunes..but really, the projects that were under his creative guidance were very few.
My wife- always a big fan of his music, if not his persona- dragged me to see him at Madison Square Garden about 20 years ago. A friend of hers' father was a big executive at Pepsi so we had great seats.
Jackson was a very talented performer, no doubt, but the highlight of the show for me was when Steve Stevens made a guest appearance and played some smoking guitar work for a couple of songs.
I have been surprised to see the overall reviews of this film have been good (Rotten Tomatoes score of 79 so far; meaning 79% of the critics' reviews have been positive).
But I'll wait until it's on cable.
yeah that rat song is like the greatest song
EVER
the entities of MJ & the Jackson 5 are seperate to me
i like J5 music better overall
oh, ok throw out moonwalk,thriller & off the wall n you have pee pee in a cup
Insult the Comic Dog did a piece one time where he was interviewing MJ Fans waiting outside as one of his court hearings.
Everyone of the THOUSANDS of people where unbalanced individuals. To take time during a weekday, to go and support a bleached skin over medicated over plastic surgeoned gargoyle of a man who was on trial for touching little boys.. not to mention the fact it was probably more psychological for the fact he was wanting to BE a little boy than it was sexual.
He liked to hang his infants off of balconies as if they where trophys... and you could almost hear his inner voice screaming to the crowd as he did it (insert best pinnochio voice here) "Im a Real Man".
Now....
Granted, Billy Jean.. Smooth Criminal... and a select few other tracts.. where brilliant..... even if you do not like the genre of music it comes from.. "POP/R&B" ... (it does a disservice to Rythym and Blues the way R&B is used these days)...
And Granted, he is the byproduct of a fruitcake control freak dad who pushed his children into show business and god knows what else happened behind closed doors.....
But I fail to see why anyone considers him anymore than a washed up pop star with a list of examples a mile long as to why he is a nutjob (Liz Taylor/Skin Color/Nose Jobs/Cheek Bone work/Phobias etc..) but to add in child endagerment and the child molestation charges.......
And you go back and watch that Insult the comic dog footage... and you have to know... this is a guy you do not want to give him or his estate any money.
hahaha YES!
on the first question: you're right.
on the second question: good call.
i suppose one of MJ's biggest downfalls is that everyone around him always relied on him to earn more than his greatness was worth, to the very end.
i was gonna comment on this post, but i think i'll do a rapid "hit and run" since i pretty much disagree with all of the posts above.
i saw the flick today and it was quite easy for me to not think about ANY of the bad news and just watch what i consider to be a real talented performer at work. i probably enjoyed the movie even more than i would have enjoyed the concert because as a producer i loved watching the interaction behind the scenes. i think michael was much more talented than you guys are acknowledging and seeing him direct his musicians, dancers, film people, lighting people etc; with a vision of where the show should go and watching it develop was great. i've seen and known a ton of great artists with major problems and Michael's up there with the worst of them, but today i was just looking at this artist at work. i think he's given us a lot.
i'm also a fan of "insult the comic dog" and his COMEDY routine.
Hi Mike!
I'm with Robin on this, and I'm afraid I may be an "unbalanced individual! :-) I also saw the movie today, and I agree that it is not a finely crafted documentary - but I don't believe that it has ever been advertised as such. The opening of the film is captioned, "For the fans..." and that's what this is - a love letter to those of us who were impacted by his music and uniqueness as an artist.
One thing that crossed my mind was how powerful a performer MJ was during these rehearsals, even after a decade of not being a touring musician. The dancing was continuous and strenuous, and - dancing with his group of twentysomething super-buff male dancers - he definitely did not look like an out-of-shape, drug-addled 50 year old man. Also, the moments when he actually went for it vocally (which wasn't all the time, as these are rehearsal excerpts) brought tears to my eyes. During "Human Nature", his clear, high and plaintive notes sounded just like they did in 1982, full of honest emotion.
Another thing revealed in the behind-the-scenes footage was the manner in which he communicated with the dancers and musicians. It is rare that the actual artist is the one doing the choreography and working with the dancers. MJ is seen working directly with his dancers, demonstrating how to isolate their body movement for a specific dance segment. He speaks to his band with respect and as an articulate fellow musician. His expression of the scope of his vision for such an ambitious show is amazing - I can't think of another current recording artist who is this kind of intense Renaissance man.
So in that way I definitely agree with you, Mike - those were the most fascinating parts of the film when there wasn't a musical number going on. There is one moment when the rehearsal comes together perfectly and at the end of one song, you see a slow, sincere smile grow on Michael's face. That was heartbreaking to me. As you say above, Mike, he was a master showman, and this would have been an amazing show. Wish he could have carried it out, and that he - and we - could have seen it.
I realize it's difficult to separate a man and his alleged crimes from his art, but if you can look at this film as a portrait of Jackson as a working, brilliant, singular artist, you will find it satisfying, though sad, in the end.
Ah, dissent! Controversy! Diffidence!
ROCKNROLLPIMP: Ha! I'd expect nothing less - or more from the Pimpster. More or less.
Cody B: Fair. That "greatest-hits" album is a double-lengther, though. And pretty impressive.
Fasted: Not your cuppa. But get the plasma-screen warmed-up and flowin' bright, because it is a compelling peek into his professional life - and it should be broadcast sooner rather than later.
Ghost in You: I'm very familiar with that Triumph piece - in fact, all of Triumph's bits on the Conan show. And the Jacko trial one is right up there with the "Star Wars" premiere and Chinese New Year segments for pure hilarity and shock value. Yes, Jackson was creepy and victimized - and perhaps unhinged and a little predatory. And his best music was nothing more than great pop. But great pop is far from a sin. I'd say he was a tragic, talented figure who struck a chord with the masses. And that's what makes this film worth seeing. Of course, I've seen enough M.J. for now, while I can never get enough Triumph.
poebegone: A master showman. A meal ticket.
Robin: I figured that you would find it as compelling as I did. I too enjoy watching the process. And oddly enough, I am personally acquainted with two of the people who were essential to this production - Ortega and designer Michael Cotten - making it even more interesting to me. But, as Celia says, it's hard to separate the man from his art and vice versa. And that tabloid sensibility and modern-day celebrity hysteria make it worse. Context, man.
Celia: For the record, I would never call you unbalanced. A skilled singer? A charming woman? A bright light on the L.A. music scene? Yes, yes, and yes. But unbalanced? Not a chance. And it seems we agree on the merits of this, regardless of my usual knee-jerk sarcasm.
thanks for this. I am so glad to see both sides.
Cpetersonart3, one thing about MOG, is you will see both sides to just about every topic and multiple views of all kinds of music.
Some of us are pot stirrers/devils advocate types (<<<--- Me), and some of us are a bit more level headed(Robin and Mike), but the kewl thing about MOG, is that you walk away from all discussions a little wiser than you where when you got there. Albeit Music, Politics or Current Affairs.
As far as MJ is concerned, we may never really know if he was guilty or not guilty.......... the only thing we know for sure.........................
I mostly blame his handlers, parents and the star machine. Yeah, Micheal was a "triple threat", but the system he was in and helped create only allowed us to see a little. Taken seperately his music output is certainly quality over quantity.
I mean in a lot of ways, he could have done so much with what he had and we got just a slice. I am not disparaging him on the art or talent side (although I can't buy into an auteur vision of Michael)..on the business side,yikes! Not his fault there.
As a person who had unlimited resources and talent, my only issue is that he wasn't able to lay it all out there..like say a James Brown or Prince or even Ray Charles.
To Ghost in You I have been on MOG for over two years and this is precisely why I like it hear.I may not agree but I do like the full spectrum. My view is often from the artist side,a painter myself, and look at the work rather than the image, persona, and character flaws.I don't excuse the behavior only looking at the art.
By the way, your painting/avatar is very haunting and wolfmanesque this hallows eve.
that is my first moon painting I did about four years ago, thanks
So much for the “hit and run” and you’re right, Ghost--I’m level headed.
Looking back, I think my bad on this was expecting what I saw on the front page of MOG to be a movie review, forgetting that it was a blog. There is a section named “Reviews” and this post isn’t on it, for a good reason. The thread here isn’t really about the film; it was just inspired by the film’s release. It may contain opinions on Michael’s work in general, but it is mostly about the “life vs. art” aspects and how they affect our views on artists. It’s no surprise to me that the rotten tomato numbers are good, but not over the top and Celia’s post gave good reasons for that. They are “Reviews” and this is in “Context”. 2 things seem for sure though. We all love reading the variety of opinions (thanks Mike) and people that can’t get past the personal issues should NOT see this film. Personally, I have easily separated the artist from the person.
Regarding Michael’s personal issues, although people’s lines are drawn in different places, he’s obviously given the public a massive amount of reason for disrespect even disregarding the alleged crimes. Although I am heavily affected by child-molestations and the movie “Little Children” shook me up, I still don’t really know what is true here. It’s easy to believe that money can buy you out of trouble, but I really don’t know enough to have an opinion. When looking at all the other things, whether it is skin color and plastic surgery, drug abuse, phobias or friendship with Liz Taylor (?), it’s easy for me to group Michael with other troubled artists like Lord Byron, Van Gogh, Elvis, Kurt Cobain and Marvin Gaye. It’s not the same for everyone though and for some reason, I really believe OJ was guilty of his alleged crimes.
Regarding his life as an artist, I think Michael’s work more than speaks for itself. Cody--you may wish Michael contributed more but I think his catalog and impressions on a generation hold their own with the artists you’ve listed quite well and this is the part that is purely opinion. Although people will always criticize a body of work over time (whether Prince, a painter or an actor), I think that his contributions go WAY over a double album of greatest hits and include songs that will always make a lot of respectable people feel real good no matter what else is going on in their lives. His input was also a major part of the actual production of those records, which was brilliant. Getting back to the movie, it was also great to see the best musicians, dancers and technicians in the world reacting to his talents, not just in interviews but in unscripted reality show style footage of them working together. Besides being fans they were learning. The show aspect was light years beyond what other respected artists are presenting in that genre and they got it from him to begin with.
Speaking of where we get things, props to Celia for the Lord Byron reference.
I think its great that fans are getting another glimpse of Michael but the man needs to really rest in piece. I think the "This Is It" song is just ironic for that to be the base of this whole craze with the movie riight now.
good call, punk. it's also ironic that it's a Paul Anka composition.
RIP
Thanks Robin..I believe we (as in MOG) had a similar back and forth about MJ when he died. I disagree with you on the point of his musical contribution, 'cause I don't think it had any influence on the actual sound of pop music...Almost no one could hope to attain the combination of the best studios,best producers,best song writers,best session cats and almost no one is/was casting a net as wide as MJ. To some that is a detriment..
Do I think he inspired many? Yes
Did he make a lot of impressions:Yeah, he was ubiquitous
Do I think he was talented? Yes
Do I think his are some finely crafted pieces of pop music? Yes
From 1979 - 2001 he released 60 songs (not counting b-sides etc)..I'm just saying that isn't very much..
Do I think his music alone is influential? Not really
Is it exclusively the merit (talent,skill,professionalism) in his music that has made so many people purchase it?
In some ways you are right..simply by the size of his audience he was able to influence and inspire many,many people.
But wouldn't the same be true of Billy Joel or Elton John or Jay-Z or The Eagles or AC/DC or Kiss or The Beatles or Elvis or Jimi Hendrix...all of whom, started folks playing an instrument or getting involved with the arts.
None of this is to sit in judgement of Michael Jackson, who I have said over and over, is a very talented individual..most of what I say is about context. I can appreciate the things he did, but it doesn't blind me to the fact that post-Thriller his stuff was approaching,more and more,product. Great sounding, top of the line production, top musicians, but still somewhat sterile, almost otherworldly, market tested pop. Which is fine, but to me..vibeless.
Like Elvis and the Beatles, only more so because of the reach of the entertainment industry, Michael Jackson became a commodity from the time he was a small and very talented boy. He lived as a recluse for a huge portion of his life because of it. He was an incredible student of the ever more generic pop culture spreading out before him. He made mabe 3 great albums worth of material, which is more than many folks can say. And I believe he probably inspired more people to enter into the arts than any one person.
An incredible legacy for sure. Do I think he was more influential, musically, than James Brown or Ray Charles..nope.
Overall, as the most famous person in the world, did he touch more people than JB,RC, or anyone..Yes.
I guess I'm in the pot stirrer category too..
hey cody. in a way i'm glad you guys kicked this around already because i think i'm ready for the RIP part. it's quite cool to disagree and stir the pot and as usual, it was good to get your read on things.
sorry you were wrong though........wink, wink, nod, nod.
It would definitely not be the first time. RIP MJ.
It was really fantastic and it made me crazy with super dances of Michael Jackson. When I was too little I imitate him. But I could never be like him. When I was young i became a huge fan of him. When I heard that he passed away I could not bear and I cried, cried and cried throughout the week. By the by This Is It was marvelous movie
Source
http://blog.80millionmoviesfree.com/in-theaters/watch-michael-jacksons-this-is-it-online
The pot continues to be stirred! Delicious!
cpetersonart3: In other words, like Joni Mitchell, you've looked at both sides now. But can you write a song about it?
Ghost in You: My head is nothing if not level. ;-)
Cody B: Were they handlers or predators (in the business and emotional sense)? That's the loaded question, especially considering the allegations about his private life. And by the way, I am completely in agreement with your pithy critical estimation of his solo output and influence.
Robin: I'd suggest that, despite the bloggy setting, it is my "movie review" of the film, albeit in shorthand. Then again, most of my reviews are essays of sorts, and the feedback on the thread has become more the point than the original post. (And I still don't think of more than about 24 of his solo tracks being worthy of a greatest -hits package.
punkrawk: To think that "This Is It" is amusing to me. Like Elvis, John Lennon, Nick Drake, Buddy Holly, Kurt Cobain and lesser musicians such as Jim Croce, Jackson will only gain greater esteem in death. Expect repackages, lost tracks, out-takes, etc. for years. The cash-cow will give milk to its owners until it's completely dry.
roger mark: Hilarious - and a wee bit sad.
The men don't know, but the little boys understand.
Ha! I am amused.