That Was It: Why I Won't See the Michael Jackson Movie "This Is It"
Today, the blogosphere cheerily reports that the late, great Michael Jackson sounds good in a 12-minute video (snippet below) of him warming up for the tour he would, sadly, never take.
(AP Photo/Sony Music)
As a fan of the man's music, I am definitely happy to hear that bit of news and this snippet of "Human Nature."
But it still does not move me from a stance I took when producers announced the impending arrival of "This Is It." I have no intentions of going to see it when it opens on Tuesday.
Why not?
MJ probably wouldn't have wanted me to.
The man is a perfectionist, by all accounts. Would a perfectionist want the crowds to be left with an impression of him practicing? "This Is It" is basically cobbled together footage of just that...an understandable, though opportunistic venture.
It's reminiscent, though clearly not on the same level, of when Comedy Central decided to put out a new season of Dave Chappelle after the comedian had walked away from his contract with them.
Those "Lost Episodes" are among the worst things Chappelle ever committed to camera, but unfortunately, that is the last impression viewers were left with, thanks to some ratings-hungry suits.
I won't let "This Is It" be my last vision of Jackson performing. There's plenty of YouTube footage that reminds me of his past brilliance. I'm happy to leave it at that.
How about you? Will you be seeing the movie?
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29 Comments
Jackie said:
Nope. I will not see this movie. It seems like something thrown together by those who wish to profit from his passing.
I don't think there would be as much interest in this type of movie if he were still alive. Suddenly his family is back in the spotlight. I think they are taking advantage of his passing to
try and jump start careers that were long over.
Kyra Kyles said:
I agree. Did you hear about that crazy reality show? They need to go do some charitable works and leave the cameras alone.
Sonjanita Moore said:
the reality show has been in the works for like 2 years...they're just getting full coverage in the wake of mj's death.
there was a euro company that was going to produce it initially because no one here was interested...until now.
besides, i'd rather his family make money than all the strangers and vultures that surrounded him!
Sonjanita Moore said:
we know that aeg and sony want the profits to recoup and to continue their legacy of greed, but I have no issue with his mom and kids getting the biggest chunk...neither would MJ!
Angél said:
I'm so torn because I completely agree with you, Kyra. I also feel like in a way, it's capitalizing on his death. But as a fan...yeah, I want to see it. It's MICHAEL.
Kyra Kyles said:
Hey Angel. Thanks so much for weighing in. I faced the same struggle, but ultimately decided not to go see it. If you do, come back and let me know what you thought.
Matt B said:
This is exactly how I feel. I don't want to think that I'm contributing to some producer's greed... but at the same time, I was never ever going to see the "final" concert in person. I'm desperate to see something, ANYthing of what it could have been.
Kyra Kyles said:
I can understand that. Hope you guys enjoy it. I'll extend the same offer as I did to other posters. If it turns out to be awesome, do come back here and update us all.
PattiCake said:
Me either girl, Micheal is gone ppl still trying 2 make money, i'll wait 4 This is it, 2 hit cable 2 see it... I mean I like Mike and all, but ppl is going crazy over nothing...
Sonjanita Moore said:
Didn't they say that 90% of ticket revenue (& prob the cds/dvds, too) goes to katie, prince, paris and blanket? aeg got their cut from sale to sony for distribution.
the sad thing is the vultures are gonna make money one way or the other.
I somewhat see it as a way to make up for the concert that he would never get to do. A lot of people bought tickets to see the show weeks in advance, so this would be the next best thing.
Plus, we have seen behind-the-scenes looks and rehearsals of MJ doing Thriller and Captain EO before, but I'm sure that in the end, MJ had complete control about what footage would make it to the final product. With this film, he didn't.
In the end, I don't know if I would see it. Not because it would sully my memory of MJ (all the events from 1993 to last June did that for me)- it's just because I'm broke. ;-)
Kyra Kyles said:
Hi Fard:
Thanks for the comment! I think that my issue with this movie is right there in the second sentence of your statement. MJ did have complete control over the footage, and for this, he is at the mercy of producers obviously eager to turn a buck. I don't think a movie could sully my memory of MJ, but I don't think seeing him rehearse is worth the money or the effort. (And good point on the dates of his decline.....in death, people are much more forgiving of your past, of course.)
Sonjanita Moore said:
it was beautifully done, but I did find myself wanting more...wondering why certain songs weren't included. I wish there was a way to see all 700 hours! I can remember growing up loving the behind the scenes footage from vids and tours...i have everything from thriller to dangerous on vhs and the rest I have to rely on youtube.
Scott Kleinberg said:
I don't feel like this movie is real. It feels like someone trying to profit as opposed to sharing Michael Jackson's gifts with us. I do love his music, though.
Kyra Kyles said:
Agreed, thanks Scott! I go to YouTube to see his great work.
ethangrush said:
Chappelle's Show Lost Episodes were hilarious wtf are you talking about? the Tupac skit, Cribs, the Beeee-Ahhhh skit lol you're trippin with that one
Kyra Kyles said:
Hey ethangrush, appreciate the comment. I will tell you wtf I'm talking about: racial pixie, old dusted-off Howard Dean impression? Terrible. Tupac was very funny, and I did write about this topic before, exempting thta one. It was clearly not up to Dave's standards and I'm going to go with the man who created it on whether that's the truth. The fact that he ran the hell off was enough for me to realize it was B-side material.
ethangrush said:
i dont know i thought the Howard Dean skit was pretty funny and it seemed to catch on i heard a lot of people quoting that skit. And everyone i've talked to about the Pixie skit seem to think it was a little messed up but it was still funny. But from all the interviews i've seen and people i've talked to i dont think the content was what made him leave, it was the environment of the show once it became lucrative. There seemed to be a shift in the workplace environment, not that he just wasnt funny all of a sudden.
Kyra Kyles said:
Hmmm, well I never heard anything about that Dean skit. It would have been funnier closer to the campaign to me. I also thought that Pixie skit was extra stupid, but we are all allowed our own opinions. I am not saying he was suddenly not funny. I'm saying that they just took his unfinished work and threw it together when a lot of that stuff might not have made it under his previous standards. They had no choice so they used everything and it wasn't all DC-quality stuff.
ethangrush said:
i guess i could see that part of it being thrown together and maybe some of it wouldnt have made the cut if he kept going, but me and basically everyone i know still thought it was pretty funny so when you said it was the worst stuff he's ever done that caught me off guard
Lateshifter said:
Surely he was aware he was being filmed during rehearsal, so I don't think we can just assume he didn't want ANYONE seeing the footage. If you're Michael Jackson and being filmed you have to know someone is going to see the footage. He released "The Making of Thriller" after the video had seen heavy rotation(although he was alive at the time of its release and surely approved the final cut). As far as this film being an attempt to exploit MJ's life/death-OF COURSE IT IS DUH!!! His whole life was an exploitation that people both loved and hated from time to time. This is no different than the many posthumous albums that were released by BIG, Pac, Donny Hathaway, and a host of others.
Kyra Kyles said:
Hey Lateshifter, appreciate the comment. Of course I'm not suggesting he wanted this footage put in a vault, but I'm sure that he wanted to have something to do with the final cut. If I got sick right now as I am writing my Friday column, I would prefer that my editor hold it to let me see what he/she did to it, rather than run it in my honor. My name and face is on it, so I'd want to check it out first, perhaps even at the expense of having it hold. You know what I mean? And as for it being exploitative, I can't quibble with that and I don't think I really did in my post. The main point is that I don't want anyone to see my first drafts compiled into a book and I can understand why MJ might not have wanted that. As I have plenty of material I can remember him by, I choose not to go see a movie like this one. No slight against those who choose to do just that. In fact, come back and let me know if it was good if you do go see it. (And as for some of those posthumous albums you mention, some of that material didn't need to see daylight.)
AARTZ said:
I really do understand where your coming from. Michael was a competely perfectionist and wanted nothing but his best out in the world. He did not half-ass things.
But I personally have to see the film. I know on the one side that its a blatant plight to get the last major amounts of money from Michael's legacy, but on the other like user Angel put so well: Its MICHAEL. I dont want all of his desire, his passion, and all of the amazingly tough work that he put himself through to go unnoticed. He made this concert for us fans, his children and to spread a global peace message. I cannot ignore such a call as one of his fans.
And i had tickets to see him this summer, and i had been dreaming of seeing him perform live since i was a little kid. So for me this is a little more than just a movie.
Kyra Kyles said:
Hey AARTZ. You are right. It is Michael, and I hope you have a good time. If I'm wrong about the film, come back and let me know. I appreciate that you want to see it as a devoted fan.
namaste said:
Meh...I might see it on DVD if I get a chance or at the theater. The only thing that turns my stomach is the fact that it's a money making vehicle for the vultures he was surrounded by.
Otherwise, it serves as a great example of what this man was all about. Never about the money but what joy he could bring. Perhaps it can inspire someone to increase their own work ethic.
Kyra Kyles said:
Thanks for the comment, namaste. If that last point proves true, I am OK with the movie. Performers need to get their damn weight up!
Steph Yiu said:
nice post, Kyra!
Sonjanita Moore said:
just commented in your other entry but for those readers that didn't go over there...SEE IT! You'll regret not having the surround sound and the love of fellow MJ fans when you view it! It was like being at one of his shows - we clapped and screamed like he was really there!
Clarity, Part II - An Initial Review of "This Is It"
There aren't enough words to describe the sheer joy that I felt sitting in that darkened theater seat! It was like death was non-existent, like I was sitting in the audience with a VIP access pass to see MJ behind the scenes! It was funny, entertaining, mesmerizing, magical, awe-inspiring, inspirational...Michael Joseph Jackson is a musical prophet! The single greatest entertainer there ever was and will be!
Anyone who thought his crown had been relinquished will feel foolish for even thinking such thoughts after seeing this film! He is a master!!! The sheer attention to detail, the meticulous nature of his direction and constructive criticism shows the loving way in which he pushes his team forward. The young crew of dancers and artists were stuck in some moments...unable to focus on their own queues because they were studying the moves of "The Man" himself.
I didn't know what to expect going into this thing...I cried en route and had my pack of tissues at the ready, but the only tears that felll in those 2+ hours were tears of joy...and gratitude. I am happy to have been privileged enough to see him, hear him, experience him beyond a television screen and movie screen, but for those who have never had that pleasure - "This Is It" is enough to wet your appetite and leave you wanting more from the world's TRUE King - Michael Joseph Jackson I!
by: Sonjanita L. Moore, October 28, 2009 (2:42amCST)
I SAW GOD TONIGHT - OCTOBER 27, 2009
I saw God on a movie screen tonight! HE spoke to me through liquid moves and blessings from a King - Whose effervescent glow shone brighter than the nighttime sky Whose bioluminescence bids all to comply With his desires, his wishes to build the best show of all time The way God moved on screen tonight blew my mind- There's no way I could ever stop loving him now I was awestruck, dumbfounded, all I could say was "wow" I'm firmly committed to him now and forever I can't wait til my journey ends so we can be together I saw God at the movies tonight and I didn't wanna leave - Because he lived as long as he was on screen When the lights came up & his signature appeared I had to face reality again my biggest fear, but HE left me with a message Through HIS greatest messenger of all time - I love Michael Jackson...that man just blows my mind! I know he is not HIM, but he was son of man Look beyond his physical form to see the GOD within, if you can!
rose quartz said:
I LOVE Michael so much. Words can't describe, but I will admit when I read your article about why you weren't going to see "This Is It" I agreed with you for a millisecond. He is-was a perfectionist and he would not have wanted people to see this, but it was great to see the amount of time and effort he put into his concert. I felt that I owed it to him to go and see it, because this is the last gift that he left us. I had to see it, I have seen it 5 times. Also, you don't feel cheated, because he was dancing like he was doing the concert. When he performs "Billie Jean" he dances bettter than I have ever seen him dance. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! You should see it.
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