/ The foulest stench is in the air / The funk of 40,000 years / And grizzy ghouls from every tomb / Are closing in to seal your doom / And though you fight to stay alive / Your body starts to shiver / For no mere mortal can resist / The evil of the thriller. Choreographer and singer Paula Abdul danced alongside a cartoon cat named MC Skat Cat in the video for "Opposites Attract." Cyrus' provocative videos were a shock to people who had watched her on "Hannah Montana.". The "Work It" video is filled with some interesting CGI work, memorable dance moves, and some wild cameos that include Timbaland and Eve. It references numerous horror films and sees Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies. He worked very hard. It won a Grammy for best music video. "For nearly three decades, music-related projects had to conform to TV's rules," says Giorgio Testi, who makes artful, elegant films with bands like the Killers and Savages that are not related to a single's release, yet clock up hundreds of thousands of views online. Some music videos are more memorable than others. It's a weird video, but that's why it's unforgettable. The short film premiered on NBC's music video block Friday Night Videos. The Rig is a horror thriller series arriving on Amazon Prime Video in early 2023. When I started directing videos myself a few years later, it was like a touchpoint. She later lies next to the charred remains. [13], Other memorable episodes include: "Someone at the Top of the Stairs", one of a handful of forays into the supernatural, in which two female students move into a boarding house and begin to notice that none of the other residents ever go out or receive any mail; and "I'm The Girl He Wants to Kill", in which a witness to a murder finds herself trapped in a deserted office block overnight with the killer, and is forced to play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with him to survive (there is barely any dialogue throughout its second half). Soundtracks. [8] Epic had little interest in making another video for Thriller, believing that the album had peaked,[10] and eventually agreed to contribute only $100,000. And so, that's what happened, although Jackson's character doesn't, per common knowledge, become a werewolf. They run naked on a beach, they wear ridiculous outfits, and they rock out in front of crowds of people. Jackson was 25 years old at the time of filming. After all, if they're going to pay a few hundreds bucks for a ticket, patrons can at least have some idea of what they're getting into beforehand when they line up to see Mean Girls (based on a hit movie) or Mamma Mia! The video tells a romantic story through a mix of live-action and pencil-sketch animation. She has visions of her dead lover in the mansion and remembers moments when they were together. ", $1.8m The amount Texan gold trader Milton Verrett paid for Jackson's red jacket from the video at auction in June 2011, 26ins The size of Jackson's waist at the time of filming, according to Landis's wife Deborah, who designed the red jacket, $1m Estimated sum in unpaid royalties for which Landis sued Jackson in 2009, 13,597 The number of people who performed the Thriller zombie dance together at an event organised by the Instituto de la Juventud del Gobierno del Distrito Federal at the Monumento a la Revolucin, Mexico City, on in August 2009, 156.4m The number of YouTube views of the official posting of the Thriller video, 9.5m Total home video and DVD sales of The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, The John Landis-directed mini-movie first shown publicly 30 years ago this week influenced a generation of directors including Spike Jonze, turned music promos into an industry, and established MTV as a cultural force, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Michael Jackson's impact on art explored in London show, John Landis on the making of Michael Jacksons Thriller: I was adamant he couldnt look too hideous, Quincy Jones sues Michael Jackson's estate, Who's bad? It won the MTV video of the year award. Six Girls Aloud videos later and Thriller is still part of Bellinger's life. Jackson said his first concern was to create a zombie dance that did not seem comical. "Due to my strong personal convictions," the disclaimer credited to Michael Jackson reads, "I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult." Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" has two iconic videos. The video shows two stories: one in which a boy is killed in a drug deal after not listening to his mom to stop and another where a man contracts AIDS after having unprotected sex with a woman. "I auditioned a lot of girls and this girl Ola Ray first of all, she was crazy for Michael," Landis said. The music video director Brian Grant credited Thriller as the turning point when music videos became a "proper industry". "Scream," written in response to media backlash Michael Jackson was facing, places the two siblings on a spacecraft. It's dark and striking and fits perfectly with the song. [8] Thriller is popular on YouTube, which hosts user-submitted videos of reenactments of the dance. They won the MTV VMA for video of year. Vestron paid an additional $500,000 to market the cassettes. The video features the four guys of OK Go doing a choreographed dance on treadmills all filmed in one shot. Walking down a city street at night, Jackson teases her by performing the verses of "Thriller". Here are 55 of the most iconic music . Before We Die. One of the Zombie ladies from "Thriller" short film by Michael Jackson is Claire Sisk Reeves. He grooves on an escalator, he flies in the air, he shimmies in the lobby. We can only really go by the experience of our own DCs, though. The striking video is mostly black-and-white with some of the only color provided by red flowers on the float. It's simple, yet incredibly impressive. But yesterday Michael Jackson's Thriller video was named the greatest pop video of all time in a survey of viewers of the VH1 music channel. In December 2009, the Library of Congress selected the video for the National Film Registry. "Thriller" never really stopped being popular. "We don't believe they were complete, and they were never timely," Ray's attorney, Jason Feldman, told the New York Daily News, which reported that the most substantial chunk of money the actress received came in 1998 15 years after "Thriller" was shot. At the end of the credits, they all dance back into their graves, with one of them gruesomely grimacing at the screen. In the present, Jackson and his girlfriend are watching the werecat film in a theater. This ground-breaking video is the toast of MTV and will forever be remembered for what is the greatest music video of all time!! The band's front man lifts a bus up off a girl at some point and saves a dog from a fire. It briefly regained the position in July, before being displaced by Synchronicity by the Police. The Untold Truth Of Michael Jackson's Thriller Video. Part of a longer movie, the "Runaway" music video features Kanye West playing a white piano as a ballet troupe dressed all in black dance near him. A videocassette of "Thriller" opened the door to priced-to-own videos. It's amazing. And people have been copying it ever since.". In attendance were celebrities including Diana Ross, Warren Beatty, Prince, and Eddie Murphy. The main point of the video is that Gaga is being sold for sex, and the video switches between various scenes including one where she's dancing in an all-white outfit in a bath house and one where she is dancing for the men bidding as she's dressed in diamonds. The "Like a Prayer" video largely takes place in a church, but there is a subplot where Madonna witnesses a murder and sees a black man arrested for the crime he did not commit. Prior to its production in 1983, music videos weren't taken seriously or considered anything more than a way to cheaply promote a single or an album. Landis had helmed several big movies, including the horror-comedy An American Werewolf in London, whichJackson so enjoyed (per Vanity Fair) that he wanted the director to tell another werewolf story and helm his "Thriller" video. The 15-year-old promo, directed by John Landis, is now regarded as a landmark release - the first to transform pop videos into mini-films. [32], In 2017, the video made its debut in a newly restored 3D version at the 74th annual Venice Film Festival, accompanied by the Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller documentary, also newly remastered. [42], number of copies sold were 900,000 at a price of $30, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, YouTube video of more than 1,500 prisoners performing the dance, Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, "Director: Funds for "Thriller" almost didn't appear", "Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is the eternal Halloween bop and so much more", "John Landis says Michael Jackson was too 'grotesque' to film: Howell", "How Michael Jackson's Thriller changed music videos for ever", "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' is the eternal Halloween bop and so much more", "Michael Jackson's Life & Legacy: Global Superstar (198286)", "It Happened This Week in L.A. History: Silver Screen Thrills Los Angeles Magazine", "Michael Jackson's videos set a new standard", "VH1 Names '100 Greatest Videos of All Time', "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Added To National Film Registry", "MTV: 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made", "The 30 All-TIME Best Music Videos Michael Jackson, 'Thriller', "Jackson "Thriller" film picked for U.S. registry", "Michael Jackson's Thriller added to US film archive", "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' remains a Halloween hit", "Barack and Michelle Obama make Halloween a thriller for DC kids", "John Landis on 'Thriller 3D', the 'American Werewolf' Remake, & Lucasfilm's Director Troubles", "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Could be Broadway Show", "Review: Masterful Plants vs. Zombies Proves Less Is More", "Plants vs. Zombies (Windows, Mac OS X) - the Cutting Room Floor", "Michael Jackson Estate Forces 'Plants vs. Zombies' Update", "Monster Metaphors: Notes on Michael Jackson's Thriller", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Jackson%27s_Thriller_(music_video)&oldid=1142427273, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 09:09. Jackson urged the Epic executives Walter Yetnikoff and Larry Stessel to help conceive a plan to return the album to the top of the charts. [10], To help finance the production, Landis's producer George Folsey Jr. suggested a making-of documentary that, combined with the "Thriller" video, would produce an hour-long film that could be sold to television. Two tears roll down her cheeks at the end. It doubled sales of Thriller, helping it become the best-selling album in history, and the documentary sold over a million copies, becoming the best-selling videotape at the time. ThrillerVideo ThrillerVideo was a horror home video series that began being released in February 1985 to 1987 by U.S.A. Home Video and International Video Entertainment (I.V.E.). Michael Jackson's "Thriller" clip permanently elevated the medium of music video to artistic and cinematic relevance at a time when it was still relatively new and directionless. From his Pope outfit to the reenactment of Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" painting, Lamar doesn't shy away from religious visuals. But what truly stands out about the video is Cher's iconic sheer body suit and leather jacket. [15], Landis said directing Jackson was "like dealing with a gifted 10-year-old". "Above all, it's just this amazing documentation of Michael Jackson at his most electric," he says. Title track "Thriller" was the seventh and final Thriller single, released to stores and radio in January 1984, well over a year after the album debuted. Michael Jackson is amazing. John Landis was in London in 1983 when Michael Jackson called to ask if he was interested in making a video for Thriller, the title track of the album he'd released a little under a year before. It was (as others have said) billed as a "The Tube" special. For episodes that used a different title in the U.S., the U.S. title is shown in italics underneath the original British title. [35] It was remastered in IMAX 3D for a limited engagement in 2018, preceding screenings of The House With a Clock in Its Walls in North America for its first week. It's an unexpected video in the best way. Directed by Colin Trevorrow. Landis and Jackson worked out a story about a guy who takes a young woman on a date and transforms into a bloodthirsty horror movie monster before her very eyes. Also, the group performs in water and in liquefied forms in front of a waterfall. [22] Gil Kaufman of MTV described the video as "iconic" and felt that it was one of Jackson's most enduring legacies. When the series was re-broadcast as part of The CBS Late Movie however, the original title sequences and music were restored. [5][6] Original music, including the theme tune, was supplied by Clemens' regular collaborator Laurie Johnson.[7]. Cast: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Toby Jones. The image of her white tank and black tie is a definitive one. Filmeditor Marshall Harvey had previously been hired by John Landis to make the behind the scenes footage to his movies An American Werewolf in London and Blues Brothers. The "Bad Romance" video is artistic and creative yet political in nature. The horror mini-movie also directly led to Thriller flying off store shelves again. In January 2009, nearly three decades after production on the video wrapped, Landis sued Jackson and his production company for having failed to fork over what was due over the years. I was at boarding school at the time & we were allowed to stay up to watch it. [20] In 2009, Jackson sold the Thriller rights to the Nederlander Organization to stage a Broadway musical based on the video. From Michael Jackson's zombie dance in "Thriller" to Miley Cyrus' naked wrecking ball ride, certain visuals stay with the viewer long after the video has ended. 2 Bohemian Rhapsody Queen. [8] Landis encouraged Jackson and Ray to improvise during their scenes,[10] and urged Jackson to act "sexy" and "show virility" for his female fans. This idea was replaced with a two-legged monster, as this made it easier for him to dance. At one point, the boy tries to cut his antlers off to be accepted, but she stops him. Fifteen years ago, it was deemed suitable only for late-night viewing, and even boycotted by a then fledgling MTV network in the US. The students progressively begin to head bang to the music as a riot erupts and the kids destroy the instruments. And there's some weird bugs crawling at various points. 08/07/2009 17:32. Director Spike Jonze also on this list for "Buddy Holly" is behind this truly memorable video featuring Christopher Walken dancing around a Mariott in Los Angeles. And it ended up being the most iconic," she said. This is to say nothing of the countless videos, viral and otherwise, of people re-creating the familiar "Thriller" dance moves particularly the stylized zombie movements at weddings, block parties, and Halloween celebrations. It was also the first big break for drag queen RuPaul. Spooks (a.k.a. Inspired by the reaction to the Beatles performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Hey Ya!" [8], In June 1983, Thriller was displaced from the top of the Billboard 200 chart by the Flashdance soundtrack. It took videos to another level, but in my world and in the world of artists I was dealing with, it's almost like it didn't relate.". [8] According to Landis, the response was "a surprise to everyone but Michael". Here are 55 of the most iconic music videos of all time. 3 Take On Me A-ha. [8] Branca mollified Jackson by suggesting they include a disclaimer at the start of the film stating that it did not reflect Jackson's personal convictions. The Library of Congress described it as the most famous music video of all time, and it has been named the greatest video by various publications and readers' polls. The rules have been rewritten, unleashing a new surge of creativity. The "Ironic" video stars Morissette getting into her car at a gas station and then driving into a wintery landscape. It shows Michael turning into a zombie and dancing in the street with some spectacular choreography. It even stops briefly for a countdown. The short film was packaged on home video with The Making of 'Thriller' (1983) as "Making Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'", which became the world's best-selling VHS musical. [3], The series was created by Brian Clemens, who also scripted the majority of the episodes and story-lined every installment. [8], According to Landis, when he called Yetnikoff to propose the film, he swore so loudly he had to remove the phone from his ear. It may seem odd to have a cat playing her love interest as she sings about loving a guy despite their differences, yet that's the theme of the video. She manages to escape and there's a whole action series with her jumping into a pool, riding a jet ski, and making her great escape to an island with her man and dog. Real clips from the show are also used throughout the video to make it seem like the band is actually on the show. Isn't it ironic? Michael Jackson's Thriller is a 1983 music video for the song "Thriller" by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on December 2, 1983. The bride leaves the altar, and when the groom follows, he sees her making out with one of the guests outside. [8] Jackson covered additional costs, for which he would be reimbursed. 'we Need To Talk About Kevin' (2011) Based on Lionel Shriver's novel of the same title, this Golden Globe-nominated film stars Tilda Swinton as Eva, the mother of a disturbed teenager (Ezra Miller) who has committed mass murder at his school. The actress claimed that back in the 1980s, she was promised a portion of the "Thriller" profits (2.5 percent, according to Courthouse News), and yet, more than two decades later, she hadn't received any money since some initial payments. The video also features a striking shot of Madonna dancing in front of burning crosses. Samuel L. Jackson in "Unbreakable." Credit: Getty Images. 1 Thriller Michael Jackson. The cultural event that was the video for "Thriller" pushed sales of the single, too, and the song hit #4 on the pop chart. The metamorphosis of the polite "boy next door" into a werecat has been interpreted as a depiction of male sexuality, depicted as naturally bestial, predatory, and aggressive. With Patrick Gibson . We didn't get a Channel 4 signal until late 84 so missed out entirely! [7], Michael Jackson's album Thriller was released in November 1982 on Epic Records and spent months at the top of the Billboard 200. "In many ways, it wasn't something you really wanted to aspire to," he says. The first thing he said to me when he came out of school was 'Are zombies real, mum?'. [8] Vestron Music Video offered to distribute Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS and Betamax; this was a pioneering concept, as most video cassettes at the time were sold to rental stores rather than directly to viewers. I don't think we had video recorder then. [16] The director of photography was Robert Paynter, who had worked with Landis on Trading Places. Jackson becomes a zombie himself and dances with the horde to the song. pg-13 147m. During the elaborate production of this music video. I didn't have this thought intellectually at the time, but when I watch it now I realise that there's no reason for a lot of it; it's so free and loose. [10] "Come Out Come Out, Wherever You Are" takes place at a creaky country house hotel: a female guest begins asking about her missing travelling companion whom the owner claims was not with her upon arrival the previous evening and whom none of the other guests initially recall seeing. There's shots of them on a boat in a "storm," there's memorable camouflage outfits, and a truly special dance break in front of a temple. 1. Alternate Versions As the song progresses, multiple Morissettes sing in the car and act as her passengers until the car runs out of gas and she has to walk. Outlander. The video was a bit controversial for its sexual visuals. Jackson, for his part, hadn't seen Landis's films Animal House, The Blues Brothers or Trading Places; he wanted Landis because of An American Werewolf in London. The cat's dance moves even mirror her's. When he raps about Photoshop, a woman is shown all made up and without makeup. [23], Michael Jackson's Thriller was named the "greatest video" by MTV in 1999,[24] and by VH1[22] and Time in 2001. [10] MTV, which had found success with Jackson's earlier videos, had a policy of not financing music videos, instead expecting record companies to pay for them. From the first moment doves fly through a door and a camera zooms in on Prince in a bathtub, viewers know that the video is not going to be simple. In 2013, she settled with the Jackson estate for $75,000. Michael Jackson had a huge 1983. However Harvey declined and then suggested another director who did in the end make the documentary. TV-MA | 240 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller 7.4 Rate A young couple move into an apartment only to find the body of a young woman that had been missing for 2 years but never registered as missing which leads to a deeper investigation into what actually happened. Less than two years later, sister network VH1 would also name "Thriller" the top video ever made. He changes back into a human to sing the choruses. Here's the inside story on the development, production, and impact of the video for Michael Jackson's spookiest hit. Andr 3000 plays all eight characters featured in the band. The promotional video for "Bohemian Rhapsody" starts off with the striking, yet simple shot of the four band members sitting in darkness and singing the a capella part of the song. 5 Virtual Insanity Jamiroquai. I remember watching it in a pub called "Woosters" (aka as wasters) in Lady Lawson Street in Edinburgh. In 2009, the Library of Congress added "Thriller" to the National Film Registry, naming it part of its collection of films that should be "preserved as cultural, artistic, and/or historical treasures for generations to come," according toLA Weekly. He said he had blocked further distribution and promotion of the film where he had been able. When antler boy runs to his side, he realizes that the man has deer hooves for legs. Brandy and Monica's apartments are right next to each other and the girls are seeing the same man. It features Mars, Ronson, and their crew dancing through streets with choreographed moves and bright jackets. The initial image is one that has defined the band since. In 2008 a DVD box set containing all six series was released. as well as other partner offers and accept our, 300 people dressed as Bush in the red dress, the popular "Michael Jackson eating popcorn" GIF. [1] It is an anthology series: each episode has a self-contained story and its own cast. The changes applied starting with the Game of the Year edition and all future releases since. DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. "Thriller," of course, came from the Michael Jackson album also called Thriller. During the closing credits, a reprise of the zombies dancing is shown. They eventually head down a river to a rave in the forest. ", "Thriller" hit MTV and other outlets in 1983, the same year that the risqu (for the time) Flashdance was a hit in movie theaters and made a star out of Jennifer Beals. Certainly the largest example of the phenomenon:In 2009, 13,957 people in Mexico performed the "Thriller" dance all at once, setting a Guinness World Record. The speed of the video shifts with the music resulting in a satisfying video. After falling asleep and dreaming that a saint statue turned into the man, she wakes up, goes to the prison, and tells them that the man is innocent. Even now, Kirsty Wark can perform the Thriller dance on Newsnight as a Halloween joke, and everyone gets it. Later, she's on the same ball nude, except for the boots. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. [8] At the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, Thriller won the awards for Viewers Choice, Best Overall Performance and Best Choreography, and was nominated for Best Concept Video, Best Male Video and Video of the Year. 23 of 25 found this interesting | Share this On June 27, 2011, the red jacket Jackson wore in this video sold for 1.8 million dollars at Julien's Auctions of Beverly Hills. It's a moot point whether or not a bit of fear does them any harm in the long term. There's a lot to process. [10] He wanted to make a theatrical short rather than a standard music video, and hoped to use Jackson's celebrity to return theatrical shorts to popularity. 2, and Madonna's Vogue at No. He opens the window and she almost falls. "I recall everybody at college talking about it; about how it was like a mini-movie and how much it had cost. And then there's the wild action sequence in a futuristic Paris where she poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. It has that spirit to it that must have been contagious; it spoke to other kids. The second stars Bush in a red dress doing the same memorable dance moves and emotive faces, but instead of a room, she is in the middle of the woods. 1. C4 showed it on the Friday night but it was incomplete and none of the end credits were shown. And then for some reason, she is naked on a cotton candy cloud for certain parts. ", Jonze took the freedom he sensed in Thriller and also its eccentricity and humour and ran with it, creating some of the 90s' most famous music videos, including the Beastie Boys' Sabotage and Praise You by Fatboy Slim, which also get continually spoofed. From Michael Jackson's zombie dance in "Thriller" to Miley Cyrus' naked wrecking ball ride, certain visuals stay with the viewer long after the video has ended.
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