After seeing Michael Jackson's This Is It for the second time in four days, I can say that it is a little easier to accept his death. It is still incredibly sad. But watching him on the screen with this backstage documentary of what was to be his farewell tour, I felt uplifted and I got a sense that he was in a different place than he had been a few years ago when he was going through his trials and tribulations. It seems that he had come full circle and reached a point in his life where he was at peace with himself.

He was poised for a comeback and this tour would have been spectacular. It included his greatest hits and a few new songs with contemporary themes such as saving the planet. Jackson seems to be in his element throughout this project whether it is rehearsing onstage or working with the musicians, singers, and dancers behind the scenes. He knew every nuance and detail of the show and his directions served as an inspiration to the entire cast.

Some of the most intimate moments of the movie are when Jackson mentors outstanding guitarist Orianthi Panagaris, telling her "this is your moment to shine" and when he shares a spontaneous duet of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with Judith Hill. You can almost feel the excitement and pure joy of being coached by the King of Pop.

What struck me was the vitality and sense of abandonment he projected. He was like the MJ of old, mesmerizing with his dance moves and sweetly serenading with his vocals, even though he said he was conserving his voice. I can only imagine how he would have soared on the tour.

This movie should put to rest any of the tabloid fodder about Michael losing his voice or being a skeleton right before he died. I was amazed at how smoothly and elegantly he danced onstage. He certainly did not look, sound or move like a 50-year-old. Indeed, the autopsy reports had confirmed that he was in good health overall, making his passing all the more painful for his many fans.

MJ, appearing a bit psychic, stated that this tour would be his "final curtain call" at the press conference near the beginning of the film. His demeanor then was upbeat and triumphant which indicates to me that he was fired up and ready to go on this, his last adventure.

The constant admiration shown to MJ by his fellow artists throughout the documentary highlight the contributions he has made to the music world. In fact, after my first screening of the film as I was driving home listening to the radio I was amazed by how many of today's pop and rap artists show an influence of Michael Jackson. MJ's music will never go out of style. Even the Jackson 5 tunes felt contemporary when recreated in the film.

One of the most moving parts of the movie for me was near the end when the cast and director, Kenny Ortega got in a circle interlocking arms and Michael declared they were a family, that they should do their best and not be nervous and look at it as a big adventure. He then said it was about love, loving the earth and that he loved everyone there. That was when I realized that MJ had reached a deep place in his journey.

In June I had written an article in the Huffington Post stating that Michael did not love himself because of his constant quest to change his appearance and his blocking out of those who loved him. I was basing this on interviews he gave about four years ago. After having seen this film I must revise my thinking on that.

When he rehearsed certain songs alone while his dancers became his audience, his performances were received with thunderous applause and cheering. MJ's reaction was to humbly say "God bless you." He seemed to be able to take in the admiration and appreciation and beam it back to them. The love was palpable.

I am grateful that we have this documentary as the final legacy of one of the greatest entertainers of the century. With this film, it almost seems that Michael never left us. In a way, he never has, as his music will always be with us and his influence will continue to inspire generations to come. God bless you, Michael.

Special from CSMonitor.com
Can 'This Is It' rehab Michael Jackson's image?

This Is It" shows Michael Jackson’s brilliance

October 29, 2009, 5:38AM - blog.syracuse by Joan Vadeboncoeur

Christopher Ena/AP Michael Jackson fans are seen prior to the screen´ing of “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” in Paris on Wednesday. Musically, “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” is brilliant. Deservedly, his name belongs in the film’s title. The film exudes his amazing talents, be it dancing, singing, staging or simply insisting on the beat and movement he feels in the music. And the late superstar gives back to his fans unstintingly.

Little about the personal Jackson can be gleaned, except that the profanity of many pop artists is not heard in his conversation or that of his associates while at work. More often, he invokes the name of God, as in “God bless you.”

Also, it is clear he absolutely trusts Kenny Ortega, the film’s director and co-creator of the London gigs for which Jackson was rehearsing before his June 25 death. Yet it also is evident Ortega defers to Michael’s soft-spoken demands for changes.

The King of Pop’s health seems fine, although any footage to the contrary could have been edited. Jackson does talk of conserving his voice and in a couple of numbers plainly is conserving his physical energy, which is normal for high-energy performers. Safety is a concern as Jackson rides a cherry picker high over the seats.

The London concerts would have been a smash, from the new, mostly spectacular music to the revival of such megahits as “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and a fresh “Thriller’’ video.

" Watching the film made this reviewer forget all the controversy of Jackson’s life and just think what a pity it is he died so young "

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" is exuberant and moving

(Source: Jacksonville)

At 2 a.m. at a movie theater, it’s easy to see the most dedicated fans, and there were a few in Jacksonville who went to Tuesday night’s midnight showing.

Those Michael Jackson fans in Jacksonville were taking part in the same late-night screenings as fans all over the world.

 At AMC 24 in Regency Square, Jackson fans were treated to a 9:30 p.m. show that was attended by hundreds. But the midnight show only attracted a handful of fans. That meant they could get the seat their choice of in front of the theater’s giant IMAX screen to see the King of Pop.

At 2:05 a.m, when the mostly young crowd started heading home, the instant reviews from  fans were all raves.

“Incredible, awesome,” was what Heaven Brooker, 25, of Jacksonville called “This Is It.” Brooker and her friend Holly said it was worth every minute. Brooker said the film made her feel that Jackson was not really gone.

What about the music? Dressed in Michael Jackson garb, teenager Karrie R, a big fan, said the movie featured plenty of fresh music, but also old favorites.

“I liked it a lot,” Karrie said, adding that the movie left her feeling that Michael Jackson is now an “angel.”

Even those who were not Michael Jackson fans thought the film was good fun.

“I was dragged here,” one person yelled out, “but I liked it.”

If you had time traveled into a screening of “This Is It” from, say, 2008, you could watch the entire movie and not know that Michael Jackson is now dead.

That’s how restrained, how remarkably unsentimental, is this exuberant, astonishingly entertaining concert film. It doesn’t try to deify him or explain him, and it’s all the more moving for that understatement.

You may cry as he sings “I’ll Be There,” part of a medley of Jackson 5 songs – plenty of people at the screening I attended did. But “This Is It” doesn’t try to jerk those tears from you; it just offers up the song, the performance. The tears? They come by themselves.

“This Is It” was made quickly, opening at midnight Wednesday, barely four months after Jackson’s death. Yet it was made with such care that it doesn’t seem a quick ripoff: You don’t need to be a Jackson fan (I wasn’t) to be blown away by this.

Most of the movie is taken from 120 hours of rehearsal footage from this spring, as Jackson, his dancers, his band and his crew prepared for 50 comeback shows in London.

The film’s director, Kenny Ortega, was also director of the concert show. For “This Is It,” He makes a couple of crucial decisions that take the film close to perfection. The first, mentioned above, was resisting the temptation to milk the story for cheap sentimentality – there are no tears over Jackson’s death, none of the nonstop news coverage, no solemn platitudes, no trite foreshadowing.

The second was allowing the songs – some two dozen of them – to play out in their entirety, often with various rehearsals of the same song melded into one take, without gimmicks and quick-cut editing.

The rehearsal footage is spectacular, a mind-boggling display of top-notch musicianship and exuberant yet precise dancing. It’s intimate as well, shot up close, with flubs and do-overs left intact – you see the effort, the thinking behind it.

There are high-tech moments too, of course. Some of the green-screen visual effects that were created for the concert tour are showcased judiciously during the performances, including a new 3-D collection of the undead for “Thriller.”

Even better is the presentation of “Smooth Criminal,” in which Jackson is plopped into 1940s’ film noir, admiring the amazingly sexy Rita Hayworth croon in that famous black dress from “Gilda,” then exchanging gunfire with Humphrey Bogart.

It’s great stuff.

At 50, weeks before his death, Jackson was frail-looking, thin as a nail. Yet he could still more than keep up with dancers half his age.

That’s not really a surprise though. What is surprising is how he comes across: Enthusiastic, likable and eminently capable of inspiring devotion. We know that demons tormented him, but they’re not on display here. Oddly enough, he seems almost – well, normal.

He’s is a perfectionist, insisting that everyone get it right, though if he was a diva, it’s not evident. Instead, he is patient, deferential and polite as he takes everyone step-by-step through the slightest details – and he’s always right.

“This Is It” is, happily, pretty funny in spots. Ortega himself is on screen numerous times, and he graciously serves as sort of a comic foil, attempting Michael Jackson dance moves and forever deferring to the man he called “sir.”

And watch how Jackson’s dancers are trained to perfect the famous crotch grab – apparently, to get it right, it’s not as easy as it looks.

Perhaps the sweetest, most revealing moment in “This Is It”  is one of its smallest. It comes early in the film as Jackson and his dancers get a routine down just right, just perfect, and as the last note fades, you see a genuine smile cross his face, a smile he couldn’t keep from coming.

Moments like that, it’s clear, is what he lived for. “This Is It” doesn’t need to pound that point home, though. It just shows you.

4 stars. 1 hour, 52 minutes. PG, for some suggestive dancing.

Is this it? King of Pop Jackson aims for king of music film status on 'This Is It'

By David Germain (CP) - Oct 26 2009

LOS ANGELES — The 50 comeback concerts Michael Jackson planned in London last summer sold out in a few hours.

With those shows relegated to what-if status by his death in June, the question now is how well the singer can pack movie theatres with "Michael Jackson: This Is It," a chronicle of his concert preparations that now stands as his final performance.

Advance ticket sales have been brisk, but no one has a handle on how big the turnout might be this week.

Some think it's likely to surpass the $31.1 million opening weekend and the $65.3 million lifetime haul of "Hannah Montana&Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," the biggest concert movie on record.

Some expect a $100 million total domestic haul. Others think it could go much higher, but how high is anyone's guess.

"It reminds me of 'Blair Witch,' it reminds me of 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' it reminds me of 'Passion of the Christ.' You even have to throw in 'Snakes on a Plane.' Films that are bigger than life and just unpredictable. We don't really know how they're going to do," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com

For the record, "The Blair Witch Project," "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "The Passion of the Christ" all were hits. "Snakes on a Plane," despite tremendous advance buzz, fizzled.

Not quite a concert film, not quite a documentary, "This Is It" is like nothing that has hit theatres before. It comes just months after Jackson's death, with fans still eagerly digesting every scrap of news about him. It distills more than 100 hours of footage shot as Jackson rehearsed for the concerts in the weeks before his death. And it truly is a final glimpse of an artist who ruled the pop charts in the 1980s before retreating to a reclusive life late 90s.

Distributor Sony is treating the film like the crown jewels, keeping it under wraps until the big blowout Tuesday night, when there will be simultaneous premieres worldwide, followed by advance screenings for paying customers ahead of Wednesday's official theatrical debut.

No critics have seen it, and entertainment journalists were shown only 12 minutes of footage last week before interviews with the filmmakers.

Sony, which paid $60 million for the film rights, plans to have the movie out for just over two weeks, lending it some of the exclusivity of Jackson's aborted concert stand in London.

"We think the 16 days is right. It's sort of a special event that you want to frame in a special way," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony.

If business really takes off, Sony could extend the film's run, as Disney did with Cyrus' concert movie, which originally was scheduled for only a one-week leg in theatres.

Concert films historically have been a niche genre, with only a few finding a lasting audience in theatres or on home video, among them "Woodstock," "Monterey Pop," "Madonna: Truth or Dare," the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and "Shine a Light," The Band's "The Last Waltz," the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" and "U2: Rattle and Hum."

Box-office results for concert flicks have been petty cash compared to blockbuster action films and comedies, with last March's "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" running a distant second to Cyrus' film in the record books, topping out at $19.2 million.

The Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" took in $67.2 million on opening day, more than Cyrus' concert movie did in its entire run.

"This Is It" opens in about five times as many theatres as Cyrus' movie, which played in only 683 cinemas because of the limited number equipped to show digital 3-D films.

Advance ticket sellers Fandango and MovieTickets  report that sales for "This Is It" are running about where Cyrus' film was days before its release.

Comparisons between the two movies are dicey, though. Fans of Jackson, who was 50, are much older than Cyrus' and generally less inclined than young audiences to make the trek to movie theatres. Yet Cyrus does not have the huge global appeal of Jackson, whose film is opening in virtually every country at the same time.

"As big as she is, I don't think she holds a candle to Michael Jackson around the world," said Walt Borchers, senior vice-president of sales and marketing for MovieTickets

And, added Borchers, the fact that Jackson now is out of reach deepens his film's appeal.

"Miley, you could have seen her in concert. Now nobody is able to see Michael Jackson in concert. On this film, that does add some fervour," Borchers said.

Based on the initial fervour when tickets first went on sale in late September, Fandango expected that "This Is It" easily would shoot past the box-office receipts of Cyrus' movie, said Rick Butler, chief operating officer.

Since then, though, sales have levelled off, so it's uncertain Jackson's movie will hit that mark, Butler said.

The movie's durability ultimately will come down to how good a performance Jackson gives, Butler said. In trailers and the footage shown to reporters last week, Jackson was in prime musical form.

"It's all going to be about his voice. How good does he sound? And boy, the voice sounds as good as it ever did," Butler said. "There's no reason to believe that whatever snippets they've given us for whatever of his songs, he won't sound that way with everything in his repertoire."

New album heralds start for celebrations of life of Michael Jackson

Oct 26 2009

A NEW album of Michael Jackson's music was released today, kicking off a week of celebrations of the late singer's life.

Jackson died in June aged 50, just weeks before his 50-date comeback concerts, also titled This Is It, were due to start in London. 

"Michael Jackson's This Is It" will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from March through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius, and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show.

The two-disc record, titled This Is It, contains songs included in a documentary film of the same name about the singer, which will have simultaneous premieres around the world later this week. 

The first album disc boasts the original album masters of some of Jackson's biggest hits, arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. 

The second disc contains previously-unreleased versions of some of the artist's classic tracks and a "touching" spoken word poem titled Planet Earth. 

Accompanying the album is a 36-page booklet featuring photos of Jackson from his last rehearsal. 

The public appetite for Jackson's back catalogue has seen many of the singer's best-known hits rocket back up the charts following his death. 

A song from the new album, also titled This Is It, received its first airplay earlier this month, and it later emerged that the tune was originally written in 1983 by the star and singer Paul Anka. 

Meanwhile, members of the media will get a glimpse today of an exhibition of Jackson's personal memorabilia, which goes on show for the first time in London later this week. 

The star's Rolls-Royce, an original Jackson Five contract and a signature white glove will be among the collection. 

The three-month event will take place at the 02 Bubble, in the same complex as the 02 Arena, where Jackson's This Is It concerts would have taken place. 

It will open to the public on Wednesday, just hours after Jackson's This Is It film - the documentary of the singer's final months as he rehearsed for his string of comeback gigs - premieres. 

Kenny Ortega, the choreographer of Jackson's ill-fated shows, said the singer had envisaged having a representation of Victoria Falls on stage during his concerts. 

He told the BBC: "What Michael wanted was the Victoria Falls in 3-D pouring over the stage - with him in front of it, singing!" 

Here is the complete tracklisting to the new This Is It album: 

Disc 1 

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 

Jam 

They Don't Care About Us 

Human Nature 

Smooth Criminal 

The Way You Make Me Feel 

Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) 

I Just Can't Stop Loving You 

Thriller 

Beat It 

Black Or White 

Earth Song 

Billie Jean 

Man In The Mirror 

This Is It 

This Is It (Orchestra Version) 

Disc 2 

She's Out Of My Life (Demo) 

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Demo) 

Beat It (Demo) 

Planet Earth (Poem)

[from dailyrecord]

Michael Jackson Bigger Than New Moon, Miley? Yup
Oct 2 by Joal Ryan

Edward Cullen has met his match: Michael Jackson. Since going on sale Sunday, tickets for Jackson's This Is It have been selling hotter than, well, Robert Pattinson's vampire.
Fandango said the concert movie was its new top-seller, ousting The Twilight Saga: New Moon. MovieTickets.com said it had already recorded more than 550 sellouts. And to put a global point on it, Sony Pictures bragged about big business from Britain to Japan.
This Is It opens Oct. 28, if you don't count sneaks on Oct. 27. Sony says the movie, culled from rehearsals for the late Jackson's not-to-be London shows, will play only two weeks.
And if the limited-engagement line sounds familiar, then perhaps you've rushed to buy tickets to a concert movie before…
Last year, Disney billed Miley Cyrus' Best of Both Worlds show as a one-week-only event. Then the film scored a $31 million opening weekend, and one week turned into 15. Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus became the top-grossing concert movie of all time.
So far. While it's still early, This Is It is on track to top Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. During its first three days of sales, Fandango said, Jackson's film outpaced Cyrus' first three days by a wide three-to-one margin.
The stat's a good reminder that even a pop phenom like Cyrus, or Pattinson, isn't the pop phenom.

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Ticket Sales Break International Records

Documentary has sold out hundreds of screenings across U.S. a month before its release.

(Oct 1) Even in death, Michael Jackson continues to be a guaranteed superstar. Just as the initial run of his planned concerts at the O2 arena in London sold out almost instantly earlier this year, the posthumous documentary about the King of Pop's preparations for that residency," Michael Jackson's This Is It' has broken advance ticket sales records for a movie.

According to Reuters, hundreds of screenings in North America have already sold out, a month before the film's October 28 opening.

Among the cities with the strongest sales are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and New York. Records were also set in Japan, where more than $1 million in tickets were sold on the first day they were available. In London, fans bought more than 30,000 tickets on the first day, eclipsing the advance interest in the "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" films, which were wildly popular in Britain. Record sales were also reported in Holland, Sweden, Belgium and New Zealand.

The documentary will have a limited two-week run, which might explain the rush on tickets. On Sunday, all 3,000 spots for a Los Angeles advance screening of "This Is It' on October 27 sold out within two hours.

The film follows Jackson as he rehearsed and prepared for a 50-date run of concerts, which were scheduled to begin in London just weeks after his death on June 25. Sony Pictures Entertainment paid $60 million for the more than 100 hours of hi-def rehearsal footage. The film, which was directed by Kenny Ortega, will feature behind-the-scenes footage as well as Jackson and his band and dancers rehearsing for the tour.

Last week, it was confirmed that a two-disc album featuring a new song, 'This Is It' will be released on October 27 to coincide with the movie's theatrical release. The new single drops on October 12.

Tickets for Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' going fast

Published September 29, 2009 11:09 AM
By Suzanne Kayian

Advance tickets for the Michael Jackson [ tickets ] film "This Is It" were snatched up in record time in the US and around the globe, according to a Reuters report. Tickets for the movie, made up primarily of rehearsal footage taken in the weeks before Jackson's death, went on-sale Sunday (9/27).

Early sales have resulted in hundreds of sold-out showings in North America, with particularly strong sales in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and New York.

Outside the US, more than $1 million in tickets were sold in Japan on the first day.

In London, where the "This Is It" tour had been scheduled to play 50 dates, more than 30,000 tickets were bought by fans, topping advance interest in the "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" films.

Fans eager to be a part of Jackson's final legacy also lined sidewalks waiting for tickets in Paris, Bangkok and Munich.

The film is scheduled to open Oct. 28 for a two-week run.

By now, everyone knows that when Michael Jackson died, he had been exhaustively preparing for a series of London comeback shows massive in scale and mind-blowing in presentation. What everyone doesn't know is what the King of Pop was like during the final phase of his life. On Tuesday night (October 27) at 8:30 p.m. ET, MTV News will try to fill in those biographical blanks when we air a live, secret-filled special from the red-carpet premiere of "This Is It," the documentary about MJ's efforts to launch those concerts.

But for now, we're giving you a little taste of what you'll see on the special, hosted  by Sway and Tim Kash.

For example, what's the deal with Jackson's iconic socks — stark white and sticking out from beneath his high-cuffed pants? Even his dancers weren't sure at first. "You'd always think, 'Where's he coming from?' " Devin Jamieson said. "He's Michael, he can do whatever he wants, he can wear whatever he wants. But why? The story was that he wanted everybody in the back of these massive arenas to see his feet."

There have been a lot of rumors over the years as to why MJ taped the tips of his fingers before concerts, but music supervisor Michael Bearden actually asked the man himself to get the truth. "That was one of the things I asked him," Bearden said. "And he said, 'Because it feels good.' And then when he throws his hand a certain way, the white catches your eye. So if you're doing that" — [shoots his hand into the air, à la MJ] — "automatically, you're gonna look right there. It's just a show thing."

While fans could see the socks and tape, what they could never know was what it was like to stand next to Jackson. And as nearly everyone involved in "This Is It" remarked, MJ always smelled amazing. "He'd have these custom fragrances done for him and designers would send him fragrances and he would tend to mix them rather innocently," choreographer Travis Payne said. "And it just always smelled great. You'd know if he was approaching, or it would linger after he was gone."

Dancer Timor Steffens smiled fondly when remembering that lingering, slightly flowery scent. "His smell was so present, when I hugged him and let go of him and he walked away, I still had his smell on my hand," he said. "I was smelling my hand like, 'That's Michael! That's Michael!' "

Oct 21 2009 6:27 PM EDT

'MJ Was So Solidifying'

"And not only did we get to see him perform, but we got to see the building blocks, we got to see the process behind it," back-up dancer Devin Jamieson says. (10.21.09)

Nov 2 2009

Oscar voter: Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' will be nominated for best picture

Photo: Sony Pictures

‘This Is It' more than movie

There were critics of the Michael Jackson memorial who beat up on fans with the words "news flash - Michael Jackson is still dead."

They should see "This Is It." Maybe this will help explain what all the fuss was about.

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" was created from footage shot in advance of his planned London concerts with the assumption they might be a nice background documentary. It was to be the comeback show to restore his musical reputation. Instead, with his death in June, days before the first concert, "This Is It" became a poignant, emotional and unusually instructive insight into The Man in the Mirror.

"This Is It" reminds us of the extraordinary personal discipline he brought to his work and the demands he placed on every aspect of his productions to push the envelope, to do what had never been done before.

"This Is It" portrays a leader in his field, someone who relished going back where he belonged, and the thrill that endeavor brought to an international cast longing to work with him.

"This Is It," reveals a side to Michael that led a veteran musician to share the King of Pop was not only a perfectionist and a genius, he was a good guy. A humble man. Someone who tried to help every performer shine, have his or her day in the sun.

"This Is It" is like seeing Michael Jackson for the very first time. The updated 3-D version of "Thriller" is fantastic.

I noticed things while watching the movie in a local theater. An older white couple perhaps as old as Michael's parents, young Hispanic families, teens and pre-teens coming in groups and middle-aged black guys like me sitting down for what we knew would be a sad ending.

Kids weren't running around. Annoying cell phones were turned off. Look around and our wiggling chairs said we were all moving to the music. I make this demographic point because Michael Jackson's reach was universal and extended over the decades.

A real cross-section of humanity found that they loved him, and missed him, perhaps more than they thought. Close comparisons might have been Elvis Presley, whom he respected, or slain Beatle John Lennon.

Sitting in the theater, I couldn't help but remember that, like Elvis, Michael has his faults and lack of judgment that may have contributed to his untimely death. The curse of superstardom kept "yes men" around, blocking him from those who loved him and wanted to get him off of drugs, get him some sleep, get him to eat more than a canary.

The molestation allegations were never proved, but he put himself up for ridicule and blackmail, or  worse. He went too far to retain his sense of childhood.

I've had more than a little discomfort over the years in his skin color change and obvious plastic surgeries. He was a perfectly good-looking young man in his teens and 20s. I never understood that odd war within himself.

Had the London concerts taken place, it was hoped the past would be washed away and his performance stature would pick up where he left off in the 1980s. He was heard to say he wanted to perform now so his children could see in person what others had before they were born.

His messages in "This Is It," understandable at any age, are to love the art of music, to love the ones working with you, to love your family, to love your fans and to love the planet. His new environmental song is haunting and inspiring even if you don't believe in global warming, and I don't.

I found myself in another level of loss that this man would never visit theatrical schools taking questions from students. This film is a clinic on putting together a world-class event that's techno savvy yet never losing the human touch. He could have elaborated on his old-school love for Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly all of whose styles he borrowed much from.
I know there are those who say Michael Jackson was just another entertainer. If that's all he was, then the Gettysburg Address was just another speech. The Eiffel Tower is just another building. The Grand Canyon is just a crack in the ground.

I will stand with Motown creator Barry Gordy who said at Michael Jackson's funeral that he was the greatest entertainer who ever lived. The King is dead. Long live the King.

yumasun.com
---
Mike Shelton is a Yuma resident and guest columnist for the Yuma Sun. E-mail him at mikshelt@msn.com

Michael Jackson - This Is It - Epic Film for an Epic Man

November 7, 5:39 PM[NY Examiner] Kristen Davis

It is a damn shame that “This Is It” is the last glimpse of the Michael Jackson everyone knew and loved.

He was definitely startin’ somethin’ as the song goes.

The film “This Is It” sheds a nice light music legend Michael Jackson. Through pyrotechnics and elaborate stages and lighting techniques, the audience is able to see behind the curtain of a mysterious man and what could have been an amazing concert experience.

Cobbled together from footage intended for Michael Jackson’s personal archives, the film serves a medley of Michael’s greatest hits. The concert would’ve been a surefire money maker for Jackson, but it also would have been the ultimate love letter to the fans that have stood by him. Unlike other artists who jukebox their way through comeback concert after comeback, it seems Michael was really trying to breath new life into his songs and make the good even better.

In “This Is It,” Michael doesn’t just come in for soundcheck – he had his hand in every aspect of the show, from picking dancers, to fine tuning piano riffs, to what the giant bulldozer should do on stage.

Yes, a bulldozer. Michael seemed really on top of his game creatively and in good spirits. This did not look like a frail man who was drug dependent. He bantered with band member Mo Pleasure over putting a little more “booty” into the instrumentals. He demonstrated to dancers exactly what he was looking for from them. He transformed into an old school gangster for a black and white filmed montage for “Smooth Criminal.” He was having a ball.

For fans, besides enjoying the music and spectacle of the film, it is really interesting to see Michael working and joking. He never knew this footage would be aired, so you really see his true self. He was humble and polite to all around him and seemed grateful to the whole crew. It was refreshing to see a person who certainly had the talent be so kind, unlike so many other stars who lack talent and are divas.

Despite the plastic surgery, Michael was channeling his heyday, from his curly ponytail, to his moves, to his vocals. Despite holding back in rehearsals to rest his throat, his presence was still overwhelming to those around him.

For the singers and dancers who stated how big this tour was to them at the beginning of the film (and to the fans who loved him), one of the best scenes was at the end of the film – just Michael alone dancing on stage, losing himself in the moment. Not resting his vocals. Not resting his body. Going full out.

He just couldn’t help himself, he was a star and he had to give them a show.

‘Michael Jackson’s This Is It’ Makes Movie And Album History

Posted on November 6th, 2009 by Joelle Tomlinson

What better way to honor the prince?

“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” made motion picture history as the highest grossing concert film of all time. That’s not all. The two-disc companion to the movie released by Sony Music’s Epic Records makes its first week debut in the #1 spot on Canada’s Nielsen SoundScan Top 200 album chart, the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as the Soundtrack album chart in both countries.

Sales totaled 44,441 in Canada and 373,100 units in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, and this figure does not include significant sales from non-traditional retailers. In Canada, “This Is It” is Jackson’s first number one album since the establishment of SoundScan in 1997. With over 40,000 in first week sales, the album claims the third best sales week of 2009, trailing only behind U2 and Eminem’s releases. It’s no surprise that “This Is It” also claimed the #1 spot in 15 other countries, including Japan, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Turkey, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the Middle East and Colombia. It was also top-3 in the UK, Australia, Argentina, Austra, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain. Furthermore, a simultaneous #1 album and #1 documentary film as not happened since 1971 when the Rolling Stones did it with the album “Sticky Fingers” and movie “Gimme Shelter.”

Michael Jackson albums now occupy the top five spots of Billboard catalog album chart at #1, #3 and #4; his Number Ones album is this year’s best-selling overall album year to date. Michael Jackson’s accomplishments continue in Canada with eleven albums charting in Nielsen SoundScan’s Top Catalogue Albums including Thriller (Remastered), Thriller 25^th Anniversary Edition, Essential Michael Jackson, and Number Ones. Throughout his career, Michael Jackson has spent a total of 51 weeks at #1 on the Billboard album chart. Only The Beatles and Elvis Presley have spent more weeks at the top.

According to the press release, Disc one features the original album masters of some of Michael’s biggest hits such as “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,”  ”Human Nature,” and “Thriller” arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of “This Is It,” the original and an orchestral version.  Disc two offers fans a rare listen to the early demo versions of classics “She’s Out Of My Life,” “Wanna Be Startin’,” “Somethin’,” and “Beat It.” This disc also features a recently discovered spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled “Planet Earth.”

 [andpop.com]

This Is It' footage shows Michael Jackson's take-charge style

Oct 20, 2009 

In an exclusive viewing of the some of the upcoming movie of the singer's last rehearsals, Jackson appeared in good health and full of energy.

'This Is It' (Associated Press)

In the footage, Michael Jackson comes across as many things: an arresting performer who still possesses a vast arsenal of streetwise dance moves at age 50. A snappy dresser fond of Froot Loop-hued clothing. A take-charge field general who authoritatively issues orders to his collaborators from the stage. A creative force who was personally invested in the smallest details of his concerts.

But not a dying man.

On Oct. 28, for a limited two-week engagement, Sony Films will release "Michael Jackson's This Is It" -- a feature-length documentary comprised of video footage from rehearsals for what would have been Jackson's return to performing. After a 12-year touring absence, Jackson was set to embark on "This Is It," a series of 50 sold-out concerts at London's O2 Arena. Exclusive footage that Sony Films screened for The Times provides a revealing glimpse of Jackson's take-charge side that few outside the singer's inner circle have seen until now.

"He was the conductor. He was the man," said the movie's director Kenny Ortega, who worked closely with Jackson as director of "This Is It." "He didn't just work through a show, he worked each audience differently. And the band, the dancers, the tech people, the lighting people had to be paying attention to that. He made sure everyone was in touch with that."

Although the singer died on June 25 of acute intoxication by the powerful anesthetic propofol, the footage gives no indication that Jackson was in anything less than good health. And according to his director, choreographer and backup dancers, he was focused, emotionally prepared and fit.

"He was a true dancer," said Daniel Celebre, a "This Is It" backup dancer. "Always moving. He could not stay still."

Fellow dancer Timor Steffens added: "You'd get nervous standing next to Michael. That energy coming from him was so powerful."

In one clip, edited together from four separate performances of his 1983 hit single "Human Nature," Jackson appears sinewy -- thin, to be sure, but not painfully so -- as he effortlessly executes a number of pop-locking-inspired dance moves. Unaccompanied by "This Is It's" retinue of 11 dancers, his singing and dancing (as opposed to the elaborate staging, illusions and aerial dancing being developed for "This Is It") are in the spotlight. And those loyal to the King of Pop will not likely be disappointed: Jackson's ethereal falsetto sounds strong and clear, his movements vigorous and precise.

A second sequence is plotted around a high-tech tableau that was to have been the concerts' visual cornerstone: a 90-foot electronic scrim that Ortega refers to as "the world's largest high-definition 3-D video screen." A metal scaffolding designed to resemble the steel girders of a skyscraper in the process of being built looms in front of the digital projection of a New York cityscape; dancers, dressed as construction workers, lounge on its beams snapping their fingers. The sequence, conjured up by Jackson, is an homage to Lewis Hine, a turn-of-the-century photographer whom the pop icon admired.

Jackson arrives onstage to sing his 1987 single "The Way You Make Me Feel" wearing one of his trademark fedoras and a seersucker blazer. But he interrupts the segment's Broadway musical-like staging to give instructions to the dancers.

"I gotta cue that so you gotta watch me for that growl," Jackson says, with uncharacteristic forcefulness.

The choreography later in the scene is straight out of the song's original music video, which features the singer walking along a city street at night singing to and trying to cajole a young woman to take his romantic overtures seriously.

At the end of the sequence, Jackson can hardly contain his enthusiasm.

"I feel totally, totally nourished!" he exclaims.

( The Los Angeles Times)

Posted: Oct. 29, 2009

Michael Jackson on stage, in control

'This Is It' celebrates his life, talent

It's hard to approach "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the behind-the-scenes documentary in which Jackson prepared for a series of sold-out concerts, without some cynicism.t's hard to leave it without excitement and respect, tinged with regret for what might have been.

Jackson died in June before embarking on the 50-show stand in England. When it was announced that a full-length movie consisting of footage from Jackson's rehearsals for the concerts would be released, it was easy to dismiss it as one last trip to the Michael Jackson Money Machine before it ran dry.

Too easy, it turns out. Yes, "This Is It" is a vanity project, existing in part to offer a view of Jackson as a vital entertainer in full control of his career.

And in that, the movie succeeds without reservation. Though noticeably thin, Jackson is in full vocal command, particularly on hits such as "Human Nature" and "Beat It," and his dance moves are everything you would expect.

Some will note that Jackson doesn't always sing songs the whole way through, as in the opening "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," but remember, this is a rehearsal. At times he seems to be more concerned with getting the feel of a song, with making sure his dancers and musicians are executing what he's seeing and hearing in his head, than with performing himself.

Kenny Ortega, a friend of Jackson's and the director of Disney's "High School Musical" films, directs the stage show and the film from more than 100 hours of footage. But the movie is constructed in such a way as to make it clear that Jackson directed everything else. Jackson gives detailed instructions to the musical director, going more on feel than technique, till he gets what he wants. Indeed, most of what he does seems intuitive, leaving the musicians and dancers with the staggering task of keeping up.

Any evidence of eccentricity or scandal is missing. In its place is a performer in full command of his gifts. Even those who aren't fans of Jackson's will find value in the sheer amount of effort that goes into producing such a spectacle.

That high-pitched, soft voice Jackson spoke with the last few years? Gone. Instead, Jackson uses a much more confident tone. And why not? When he was on stage, he was away from everything else. He was in his element.

He was home.

Of course, it's now clear that not all was well. One might suppose that at least some hint of the lurid details surrounding Jackson's death would pop up, some sign of failing health. But Jackson seems just fine as he sings and dances. His energy and enthusiasm prevent you from looking too closely for any signs of trouble.

Is it the same experience as a concert film? No. In some respects, it's better. It's more fascinating to watch Jackson and his creative team work out the details of what would have been a monstrously elaborate show, to sweat every little thing, than it would be to see the polished final product.

"This Is It" is not, ultimately, the story of Jackson's last few weeks alive, but instead stands as a celebration of a life and career that still held the promise of more to come.

 [freep.com]

Michael Jackson Movie May Not Have Advance Screenings
By Roger Friedman   //   October 7, 2009

God channeled ideas for concert to Jackson: report

Oct 20, 2009

 

1 of 6Full Size

Michael Jackson's posthumous movie "This Is It" has sparked a huge amount of speculation over what will be in it and the reasons for making it, but one thing is certain if the late pop star himself is to be believed -- God had a hand in its production.

Entertainment Weekly magazine on Thursday revealed details about the making of the film, saying the series of planned London concerts on which it is based featured 22 different stage sets, aerial dancing and magic. Jackson even wanted a reproduction of the world's largest waterfall, the Victoria Falls in Africa, before producers balked.

"God channels this through me at night. I can't sleep because I'm so supercharged," the 50-year-old "Thriller" singer told his director, Kenny Ortega.

Ortega asked: "Can't God take a vacation?"

"You don't understand -- if I'm not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince," Jackson answered, referring to the rival pop star.

Jackson died in June of a prescription drug overdose before the London concerts hit the stage. His estate's administrators, concert promoter AEG Live and movie studio Sony Pictures Entertainment agreed to use video footage of the shows' rehearsals to make the movie.

The film, which is part concert film and part documentary of his last days, hits theaters worldwide on October 28 for a two-week run.

When Jackson died, he was reported to be as much as $400 million in debt and his Neverland Ranch had been sold, leading to reports he needed to perform solely for the money. But AEG Live president Randy Phillips told Entertainment Weekly that Jackson was doing it for his three children.

"I asked him, 'why now?'. He said 'Because I've spent 12 and a half years bringing my kids up, and now they're old enough to appreciate what I do -- and I'm still young enough to do it,'" Phillips said.