"THIS IS IT"
Watching this documentary was a lot like going to Disneyland (or your favorite bar—pick your poison) during the day and getting a sneak peek at where all the magic happens. Seen in a different light, the magic doesn’t necessarily leave, it’s just illuminated in a way that lets you see things you couldn’t before—which was the case with “This Is It.”
In this two-hour documentary, culled from over 100 hours of footage, The King of Pop is seen in various parts of the rehearsal process, directing the remake of the graveyard scene in “Thriller,” giving performers feedback on what could make the scene better and what could take the music from well-played to having that certain oomph. For example, when he’s shown with lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris as she shreds, encouraging her to take her solo to the next level, saying, “This is your time to shine.”
Focusing on the overall musical impact the show should have on the audience, the ever-meticulous Jackson works with the band, stopping and starting several times until the perfect amount of groove is achieved. In one instance, he stops the rehearsal to remove his earpiece and explain that he’s having a difficult time feeling the music through the earpiece and would rather do without it.
Visually, the audience was privy to some pretty cool special effects, including the making of the video played in the background of “They Don’t Really Care About Us.” In the video, a few handfuls of performers are dressed as soldiers then duplicated to look like an army of thousands. We also see a remake of “Smooth Criminal” where Jackson is seamlessly placed in an old-time mobster flick.
Through all of the tweaks, the overall vibe is one of positivity and encouragement as he reminds them, “This is why we have rehearsal” and “I’m saying this out of love…God bless you,” in his usual soft-spoken and courteous manner.
Through a series of interviews with the show’s performers and musicians, it’s apparent that they were driven by their admiration for him. Though frail in appearance, Jackson lived up to his legacy of being one of the world’s greatest performers. His movements were sharp and precise, and his voice still had the quality of a once more youthful version of himself.
The DVD and Blu-ray release date has not been announced, but is available for pre-order on MichaelJackson.com.
In this two-hour documentary, culled from over 100 hours of footage, The King of Pop is seen in various parts of the rehearsal process, directing the remake of the graveyard scene in “Thriller,” giving performers feedback on what could make the scene better and what could take the music from well-played to having that certain oomph. For example, when he’s shown with lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris as she shreds, encouraging her to take her solo to the next level, saying, “This is your time to shine.”
Focusing on the overall musical impact the show should have on the audience, the ever-meticulous Jackson works with the band, stopping and starting several times until the perfect amount of groove is achieved. In one instance, he stops the rehearsal to remove his earpiece and explain that he’s having a difficult time feeling the music through the earpiece and would rather do without it.
Visually, the audience was privy to some pretty cool special effects, including the making of the video played in the background of “They Don’t Really Care About Us.” In the video, a few handfuls of performers are dressed as soldiers then duplicated to look like an army of thousands. We also see a remake of “Smooth Criminal” where Jackson is seamlessly placed in an old-time mobster flick.
Through all of the tweaks, the overall vibe is one of positivity and encouragement as he reminds them, “This is why we have rehearsal” and “I’m saying this out of love…God bless you,” in his usual soft-spoken and courteous manner.
Through a series of interviews with the show’s performers and musicians, it’s apparent that they were driven by their admiration for him. Though frail in appearance, Jackson lived up to his legacy of being one of the world’s greatest performers. His movements were sharp and precise, and his voice still had the quality of a once more youthful version of himself.
The DVD and Blu-ray release date has not been announced, but is available for pre-order on MichaelJackson.com.
