Special - Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Review #X: Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Cast: 
Michael Jackson, co-starring Ola Ray, with 'Rap' from Vincent Price. Directed by John Landis (#328 - Trading Places, #410 - Coming to America, and #513 - Spies Like Us)

Dancers: Marcea Lane, Kim Blank, Lorraine Fields, Tony Fields, Michele Simmons,,Vincent Peters, Michael Peters, Vincent Paterson, Michael De Lorenzo, Ben Lokey, John Command, Richard Gaines, Mark Sellers, Suzan Stadner, Diane Geroni and Suga Pop.

Review: 
You probably are wondering what am I doing reviewing a music video, especially on Friday the 13th. Honestly, I do enjoy Movie Night and the films that it can cover (for better or for worse), but I decided that it wouldn't hurt to do something that was both interesting and different from the usual content. This is basically a one-off special for me, and I hope you enjoy this, especially for an October like this.

How many music videos linger in your memory? Or more importantly, can a music video be more than just a "vanity piece" for a song/album? If you haven't guessed my opinion, Michael Jackson's Thriller is one of the most memorably crafted pieces of music video ever put onto screen ever since its release in 1983, especially if you enjoy Jackson's music (as I do from time to time) or like the execution of direction and movement. The Thriller album happens to be the world's best-selling album, but the motivation for doing this album is because the record had fallen off being #1 in the summer of 1983. One can't really say anything too substantial about the acting, since it plays only a small role in regards to the "story", but it gets the job done (this was five years before Moonwalker (#403), which was actually stranger, especially since that was an actual film). Jackson and Ray seem to be a decent little duo, but the real star of the show involves the dancing and the "Rap" by Vincent Price, who seems to revel in delivering these lines so capably well, the perfect choice. Landis, who had directed An American Werewolf in London just two years prior (speaking of films, that is one I will have to get to eventually) was recruited by Jackson to make (along with write) the video, and it certainly is interesting seeing how film directors did not generally direct music videos at the time. He does a fine job in setting the mood, with the photography by Robert Paynter being a big help as well in making for a spooky experience, especially with the ending. The choreography by Michael Peters and Jackson is praiseworthy, having movements that are still being done and repeated to this very day. The fact that there are numerous allusions to horror films also helps in making for a interesting atmosphere, from the parody of horror films to the style of the two leads in clothes. Rick Baker contributed to the special effects, and they are the hauntingly spectacular capstone in a video that has expert production values. It was actually screened in theaters (along with the 1940 film Fantasia) in December of 1983 as an attempt to garner a nomination for an Academy Award as a short subject, though it was not nominated. However, it did win a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video (now known as Best Music Film).

Among all of the iconic things one can cite from the film, the jacket (designed by Deborah Nadoolman Landis) worn by Jackson is particularly noteworthy, particularly because of how cool it looks. There is something undeniably entertaining about how he rocks the jacket. You might wonder if it overstays its welcome, seeing how it runs at 13 minutes, 41 seconds. But it really isn't, and that is likely due to how entertaining it proves itself to be, not feeling overtly dragged out. This is a landmark of music videos, to the point that it was even selected for the National Film Registry in 2009 by the Library of Congress, the first ever music video to be selected.

For the rating system, here is something different for the review different from the rest. Enjoy today, along with the rest of the month, folks. I hope you enjoyed this special.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

A Movie Night Christmas Carol.

A Movie Night Christmas Carol.

A person was sitting in his desk, looking at his keyboard and then his screen. He shook his head afterwards. "What am I doing here? Why do I review these films sometimes?", He looked around, trying to find his tie (Presumably to calm himself in anger), but he could not. 

"Ah well. Why should I watch next?", he looked around, trying to see if he could find something good to watch, anything at all in his (somewhat) lone life. He then started to walk to his shelf, when he tripped over the couch, and while trying to stop himself, he hit himself on the shelf. "Urgh..."

"Oooh...." 

"What?"

"Ah, it is you." 

The being resembled a mix between a rock star and a king, with crowns and chains covering his left arm, a cast if you if will. He had a batch of wind with the leaves that seemed to follow him around.

"Who are you?"

"I am Mr. Tomorrow."

"For a moment there, I'd though you'd be Roger Ebert or the Terminator, like my first review. That would've been better."

"Anyway, I am here to warn you about three beings who will visit you soon. They are-"

"Past, Present, and Future?"

"How did you guess?

"Lucky guess."

"That is my cue, goodbye to you, and I wish you well with the three beings."

"Yea, three beings, like they'll be there..."

He did know they were coming. They were somewhere around the corner, all coming in at different times. He suddenly felt a burst of wind, with a breeze not felt of by man ever before. 

"Oh I wonder who it is...", he commented to himself. 

The being approached him, resembling...A guy in a tophat with rainbow colors and sparklers, shockingly enough. He also seemed to cary an unknown jewel, the color kept changing from teal to purple to even maroon. 

"Welcome. I am the Ghost of-"

"Christmas Past. Yea, I know."

"So Mr. Tomorrow told you of me then."

"Not really, I just guessed."

"I'm getting offtrack, I am here to show your past, the early days of reviewing, the good ol' days."

"Did you really say good ol' days? This is going to su-"

"Silence! Let us travel. Willingly."

The two traveled in a puff of odd looking smoke, as the two materialized.

"It looks like a great, hot su-"

"Winter. My kind of weather, shockingly enough."

"Ah. Here, you are, stating reviews...."

"It tries so hard to work everything up to be funny and heartwarming, yet the film just doesn't fall into place."

"See, wasn't that fun saying that and typing it as well?"

"I said that in my review of Christmas with the Kranks. Horrible memory, and thank you for reminding me."

"Well you're no fun. At least you reviewed Christmas films, like A Christmas Story, A Christmas Carol and Scrooge."

"Yeah, but I had others, like Transformers, Just Go With It, and more."

"Ah. You're a downer. The other being will hopefully help you."

"I doubt it."

The ghost dissapeared, as an another ghost quickly appeared with a panama hat on his head and an umbrella that he must've found (or perhaps duplicated) as it had a Question mark at the end. He also had a bag of spoons for some reason.

*sighs* "Oh gee, I wonder who this ghost is..."

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present."

"So what do you want to show me, oh ghostly one?"

The two were transported to the present, near a house, not a familar house.

"Where am I?"

"That is not important. What is important is that you watch."

There were a group of people, playing in the grass. 

"Hey, it's those pople I have no connection with. Hello?"

"They cannot hear you, you fool."

"Then what's the point of this?"

"WATCH."

"Merry Christmas!" "Agreeable dear fellow."

"What is this, Victorian England?"

"If you had not interrupted, you might've leaned that the world around you does a while lot more then a keyboard and films."

"That's just-"

"Hold that thought. The final ghost will finally teach you a lesson. Goodbye, fellow. I must go to my...urm...machine."

He gave him a fobwatch, leaving soon afterwards.

"Well. Who's the next lackey? Who can possibly make my spirits any better now? You hear me? Give it your best shot!"

*wind swooshes around*

"Wha?"

Lightning stuck around as the two were suddenly transported to a new place. A place far different than the last two. 

"Who are you? The Ghost of Christmas Future?"

The figure did not speak, it only pointed ahead. It was moderately tall figure, wearing black.

"It figures, you seem to resemble Death, but why don't you repersent something less...clichely creepy?"

The figure changed into a new outfit. It had a familiar tone to it, wearing blue pants, with a button down shirt. 

"You! Of all the people, it had to be...You."

"So what are you here to show me?"

The quiet figure found what he was looking for, as he pointed down to a stone on the ground.

"No...Not this! Why him? Why...?"

There was a small paper next to the grave, as he picked it up, reading a line he had read only twice before.

"Graves of the dead,
This is what others dread.
Ashes to ashes, 
dust to dust."

"There, you happy? Now that you got me to look over the graves, the grave of my...father. Future me, is this your objective?"

"Yes. Now do you understand this entire thing?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Do you want to live on?"

"Yes! Yes I want to live!"

Suddenly he was returned to his desk, the ghosts gone, hopefully for the first and last time. 

"I'm here? I'm alive? Yes! Is it what I think it is?"

He saw the Christmas tree in the house, bright as light, shining bright. 

"Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas to all of you!"

He ran off, delighted at his new spruce at life.

"Merry Christmas and bless us everyone!"

The End. Merry Christmas.