Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary on ABC Thanksgiving Night

Spike Lee attends the 69th Venice Film Festival at the Palazzo del Casino in Venice, Italy.

Spike Lee Revisits Michael Jackson's Career for 'BAD 25' Documentary
'He became a prisoner of his fame,' says director

By Karen Bliss, Rolling Stone
September 17, 2012 6:15 PM ET

At the outset of BAD 25 – the documentary film celebrating the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson**'s Bad album – director Spike Lee quickly dispenses with talk of the pop superstar's personal struggles, diving right into the artistic perfectionism that drove him to achieve his career milestones. "Hopefully, that's what this documentary is about – it's gonna have people return to focusing on the music, his art, which I feel is his legacy, in addition to his children," Lee, dressed in a white BAD 25 T-shirt, told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie had its North American premiere over the weekend, after debuting in Venice 25 years to the day since Bad's release.

To piece together the making of Jackson's landmark LP, Lee unearthed archival footage from studio sessions and music video shoots and conducted interviews with Jackson's many collaborators, including Quincy Jones, Martin Scorsese, Stevie Wonder** and Sheryl Crow, and stars who were inspired by his music, from Kanye West and Mariah Carey to Questlove and Justin Bieber.

The film, which will get a television premiere on ABC on November 22nd, [Thanksgiving Night] follows the making of Bad track by track; though it can feel clinical at times, it also revels in cool details, like the origin of Jackson's gravity-defying lean in "Smooth Criminal" and his famous expression, "Shamon!" Then, abruptly, Lee shifts to Jackson's death in the summer of 2009, collecting reactions from his interview subjects, many of whom choke back tears and break down. "Those were all real, raw emotions that were displayed," said Lee.

One of the most impactful statements in the documentary comes from music journalist Danyel Smith. "We should all be ashamed," she says. "The way that I interpret that," said Lee, "is that Michael should be with us. He should be here."

On Tuesday, (Today, September 18th)  Jackson's estate and Epic/Legacy Recordings will release a BAD 25 CD/DVD deluxe package, with three discs' worth of remastered versions of the LP's original tracks plus bonus material, including previously unreleased songs ("Price of Fame," "Song Groove (A/K/A Abortion Papers"), the first release of Jackson's 1998 Wembley Stadium concert on DVD, and remixes by EDM artists Nero and Afrojack.

"Listen to the song 'Price of Fame,' which he wrote specifically about the situation," said Lee, holding a copy of the release. "How can you get privacy when you're the most recognizable person on the planet?"

"Did you see the disguises he had?" Lee added with a laugh, referring to a moment in the film that shows photographs of Jackson wearing intricate facial disguises. "He had to do that. He couldn't go anywhere in the world without there being a riot. Man, I wouldn't wish that on anybody. He became a prisoner of his fame. I mean, I'm not rewriting Michael's titles, but [the song] could've been [called] 'Prisoner of Fame,' instead of 'Price of Fame.'"

More on the  BAD 25 CD/DVD deluxe package 

Product Description (from Amazon.com)

This Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition includes three CDs, two collectible booklets, and features the first ever authorized DVD release of a concert from the record breaking BAD tour.

DVD - Michael Jackson's legendary July 16, 1988 concert at Wembley Stadium in London. This DVD is not a compilation of performances, but rather one complete show, exactly as Michael performed it for Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the 72,000 fans who were in the audience for that night's sold out show. The DVD was sourced from Michael Jackson's personal VHS copy of the performance as shown on the JumboTrons during the concert. This footage was only recently unearthed and is the only known copy of the show to exist. The visuals have been restored and the audio quality enhanced so that fans can share in the excitement of that famous night.

CD1 - The original re-mastered album.

CD2 - A CD containing previously unreleased material recorded in Michael's personal studio at Hayvenhurst. This material includes early demo versions of songs from the album as well as demos for songs not included on the final album. All of this material is being released as it was recorded during the BAD sessions. Nothing has been added or changed. In addition, this CD also includes new remixes from internationally renowned DJ/producers.

CD3 - A CD showcasing the audio from the sound truck recordings of the July 16th Wembley performance. The first-ever live Michael Jackson CD to be released, this is the only concert from the BAD Tour known to exist on multitracks.

This magnificent 3 CD/1 DVD box also includes two extensive booklets with yet unseen photos from the recording sessions, video sets and the concert tour, the original BAD cover art, a two-sided poster and more.

Read more at Amazon here

New Michael Jackson Documentary Endorsed by his Family

Photo courtesy of Shadow & Act

Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon, which is set for release on DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 1 in the U.S. (Oct. 31 in the U.K.), features interviews with the late pop star's mother, Katherine; brother Tito; sister Rebbie; fellow recording artists including Smokey Jackson, Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston; and concert promoter David Gest, who produced.

Michael Jackson Tribute a Fraud?

A Tribute to Jackson Riles Fans and Family

By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
August 30, 2011

It seems that nothing involving Michael Jackson or his fractious family is ever free of controversy, even two years after his death.

The most recent flashpoint is a tribute concert to be staged in Wales in October. The plans have divided the Jackson family, pitting Janet Jackson and two brothers against their mother and four other siblings. The Jackson estate has refused to give its blessing and has raised questions about the promoter’s charitable intentions. Fan groups are up in arms over high ticket prices and what they see as sloppy planning; their ire reached a peak when it was announced that a rock singer who had openly accused Mr. Jackson of molesting children was on the bill.

“This is the one and only time we can do this, and they are not doing it right,” said Gary Taylor, the president of the Michael Jackson Community, a fan organization in Britain with 80,000 registered members. “This is totally against what Michael would do.”

Feelings about the concert have gotten so raw that the promoters are holding a conference call with the leaders of fan organizations on Wednesday.

Chris Hunt, the British film producer who is the driving force behind the concert, said his company had been the victim of “disinformation that is being spread around.” He promised that the event, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the Welsh capital, on Oct. 8, would be an extravagant show worthy of Mr. Jackson. He disputed the charge coming from fan organizations that he and a few members of the Jackson family were seeking to profit from Mr. Jackson’s celebrity.

“No Jackson is going to get rich off this event,” he said. “This is not a money grab.”

Mr. Hunt said a portion of the profits from the concert would go to at least two charities that Jackson supported: AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Prince’s Trust. He said the charities would receive a fixed sum and a percentage of the proceeds. The organizers say they are also setting up a $100,000 trust fund for Jackson’s children.

He declined to say precisely how much of the proceeds would go to charity, nor would he say who are the investors in his production company, Global Live Events, which he formed in the spring, or how much they expected to make. “It’s not automatic the concert will make much of anything,” he said. “We are not announcing numbers at this point.”

The lack of a concrete commitment to the charities has troubled some fans. Ticket buyers were asked when they registered online to give an amount to charity above the ticket price, which ranges from $90 to $300, leading some fan organizations to wonder if the event was a for-profit concert in disguise.

Mr. Jackson’s estate raised similar concerns in an Aug. 15 letter to the promoters, demanding to know who will share in the profits. A lawyer for the estate, Howard Weitzman, wrote in the letter that “we are concerned that the concert is piggybacking on Michael’s good name and charity.”

The promoters never contacted the executors of Mr. Jackson’s estate about their plans, lawyers for the estate said. Mr. Jackson’s family has little control over his estate, because he cut his siblings out of his will and set up a trust solely for his young children and his mother, Katherine Jackson. A judge has appointed John Branca, who was Jackson’s lawyer, and John McClain, a music industry executive, to manage the estate’s assets and debts; they do not need Katherine Jackson’s approval for business decisions.

LaTotya Jackson, Tito Jackson and Katherine Jackson

Mr. Hunt, who became close to the Jackson family while filming a television documentary about Michael Jackson in 2006, said the idea for the concert was born at a meeting last September with La Toya Jackson, who is firmly behind the event. He later decided to take on the project himself, then approached Jackson’s mother and won her approval. Mr. Hunt said he didn’t contact the executors because he thought he had the family’s approval.

The executors have made it clear through their lawyers that Mr. Hunt and his company cannot use any of Jackson’s intellectual property, including his name, his photographic image or his music videos. (The concert is called “Michael Forever: The Tribute Concert,” and ads for the event have no photos.) The musicians performing at the concert — including Christina Aguilera, Ne-Yo, Smokey Robinson and Cee Lo Green — may sing Mr. Jackson’s songs, as long as it is a one-time tribute, lawyers for the estate say. All are being paid for their performances.

But Mr. Hunt takes the position that intellectual-property laws in the United States do not extend to Britain, so he argues that he can use images of Mr. Jackson as long as they are not broadcast in the United States. He also intends to make a documentary film of the concert, he said.

The fact that the promoters never tried to enter a partnership with the Jackson estate has angered many fan organizations, and 35 of them sent an open letter to the promoters last week saying the concert was “doomed to fail.”

“We reckon without Michael Jackson’s estate at the helm, this tribute is nothing more than a money grab for the investors,” said Nathalie Smythe, a founder of Fans United for Michael Jackson’s Legacy. “They wanted to avoid sharing the profits.”

The timing of the concert has also been a point of contention. Jermaine Jackson, a sibling who tried unsuccessfully to organize his own tribute concert in 2009, has objected to staging the concert in Wales during the involuntary-manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the cardiologist who was with Jackson when he died in June 2009. He has been joined by Randy Jackson and Janet Jackson in boycotting the event.

Janet Jackson and Jermaine Jackson

“Because of the trial, the timing of this tribute to our brother would be too difficult for me,” Janet Jackson said in a statement on Monday, which would have been her brother’s 53rd birthday.

Mr. Hunt said he had initially chosen the October date because the trial had been scheduled earlier, but when it was delayed until the fall, he could not change the date without incurring a financial loss. He noted that the concert would be held on a Saturday when the trial was not in session.

Mr. Hunt has hired Paul Ring, an executive in La Toya Jackson’s Ja-Tail Enterprises LLC, to help organize the show. Mr. Hunt says neither La Toya Jackson nor the other siblings supporting the event — Tito, Marlon and Jackie — have a financial stake in his Global Live Events.

Beyond questions about money, Mr. Hunt also lost the confidence of many fan organizations when he announced that the rock band Kiss would perform at the concert. For diehard fans it was a huge faux pas because the frontman for the group, Gene Simmons, has said that he believed Mr. Jackson had molested children despite his acquittal on child-abuse charges in 2005.

Mr. Hunt has since announced that Mr. Simmons will not perform. But the damage to the concert’s standing with fan organizations was already done.

“It’s clear they have not done any homework,” Mr. Taylor said. “They had no clue about the person they are doing the tribute for.”

'Michael Jackson's Vision' DVD Boxed Set

'Michael Jackson's Vision' DVD Boxed Set Available Everywhere Monday November 22

PRESS RELEASE

EPIC/LEGACY RECORDINGS TO RELEASE "MICHAEL JACKSON'S VISION," THE FIRST-EVER COMPLETE COLLECTION OF ALL THE SHORT FILMS PRODUCED BY MICHAEL JACKSON

Deluxe Boxed Set Features 4 1/2 Hours of Content Across Three DVDs Showcasing
More Than 40 Videos In Newly Restored Color and Remastered Audio

"Michael Jackson's Vision" Available Everywhere Monday, November 22

Michael Jackson's Vision

In collaboration with the Estate of Michael Jackson, Epic/Legacy Recordings is releasing Michael Jackson's Vision on November 22, making available for the first time ever the entire library of short films produced by Michael Jackson during his career as a solo artist.

Packaged as a deluxe boxed set, Michael Jackson's Vision contains more than four-and-one-half hours of content across three DVDs, capturing the entire spectrum of Michael’s pioneering short films that transformed the entertainment industry with timeless, pop culture classics that today’s youth embrace with as much passion as their parents did a generation earlier.

Michael Jackson's Vision brings together more than 40 videos, ten of them previously unavailable on DVD and each presented in newly restored color and remastered audio. And this release marks the debut of the short film for the R. Kelly-penned "One More Chance."

The simultaneous emergence of MTV as a television force and Michael Jackson’s breakout as a global superstar provided the most epochal musical/cultural shift since the Beatles. Seizing the potential of MTV's 24-hour reach, Michael Jackson produced and starred in a series of what would become iconic short musical films that redefined and established the perimeters, and parameters, of an entire new medium.

Jackson's short-form zombie dance party masterpiece, "Thriller," famously directed by John Landis, remains a cultural phenomenon. It recently became the first (and only) music video to be inducted by the Library of Congress into the National Film Registry, an elite collection of only a few hundred films.

Michael Jackson's Vision includes the full-length versions of the John Landis-directed "Thriller" and “Black or White” as well as the classic “Bad” directed by Academy Award ®-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Also included in the boxed set are Michael’s collaborations with such other noted film directors as John Singleton, Spike Lee and David Fincher as well as “Ghosts,” his rarely-seen collaboration with special effects legend Stan Winston.

Michael Jackson's Vision will be available in a limited edition deluxe boxed set featuring a 60-page glossy hard-bound book that includes behind-the-scenes photos from Michael's personal archives.

The state-of-the-art packaging includes cover art using lenticular virtual imaging technology to vividly represent memorable scenes from Michael Jackson's signature short films.

DISC 1
1 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough 4:12:00
Director: Nick Saxton

2 Rock With You 3:22:00
Director: Bruce Gowers

3 She's Out of My Life 3:35:00
Director: Bruce Gowers

4 Billie Jean 4:54:00
Director: Steve Barron

5 Beat It 4:57:00
Director: Bob Giraldi

6 Thriller 13:42:00
Director: John Landis

7 Bad 18:05:00
Director: Martin Scorsese

8 The Way You Make Me Feel 9:24:00
Director: Joe Pytka

9 Man In the Mirror 5:03:00
Director: Don Wilson

10 Dirty Diana 5:05:00
Director: Joe Pytka

11 Smooth Criminal 9:27:00
Director: Colin Chilvers

12 Another Part of Me 4:45:00
Director: Patrick T. Kelly

13 Speed Demon 10:08:00
Director: Will Vinton

14 Come Together 5:40:00
Director: Jerry Kramer & Colin Chilvers

15 Leave Me Alone 4:36:00
Director: Jim Blashfield and Paul Diener

16 Liberian Girl 5:34:00
Director: Jim Yukich

Total Disc 1 112:29:00 (01:52:29)

DISC 2
1 Black or White 11:01:00
Director: John Landis

2 Remember The Time 9:16:00
Director: John Singleton

3 In the Closet 6:05:00
Director: Herb Ritts

4 Jam 7:59:00
Director: David Nelson

5 Heal The World 7:32:00
Director: Joe Pytka

6 Give In To Me 5:29:00
Director: Andy Morahan

7 Who Is It 6:34:00
Director: David Fincher

8 Will You Be There 5:55:00
Director: Vincent Paterson

9 Gone Too Soon 3:38:00
Director: Bill DiCicco

10 Scream 4:47:00
Director: Mark Romanek
Janet Jackson appears courtesy of Virgin Records

11 Childhood 4:29:00
Director: Nicholas Brandt

12 You Are Not Alone 5:34:00
Director: Wayne Isham

13 Earth Song 6:44:00
Director: Nicholas Brandt

14 They Don't Care About Us 7:08:00
Director: Spike Lee

15 Stranger In Moskow 5:33:00
Director: Nicholas Brandt

16 Blood On The Dancefloor 5:27:00
Director: Michael Jackson & Vincent Patterson

17 Ghosts 3:58:00
Director: Stan Winston

18 You Rock My World 13:30:00
Director: Paul Hunter

19 Cry 4:57:00
Director: Nick Brandt

Total Disc 2 125:36:00 (2:05:36)

DISC 3 (Bonus Features)
1 Blame It On the Boogie - The Jacksons 3:32:00

2 Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons 3:31:00

3 Can You Feel It - The Jacksons 9:37:00

4 Say Say Say - Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 4:57:00
Director: Bob Giraldi

5 They Don't Care About Us - Prison version 4:52:00
Director: Spike Lee

6 Why? - 3T featuring Michael Jackson 4:33:00

7 One More Chance - previously unreleased 4:03:00

Total Disc 3 35:05:00

____________________________________________________
Retail price on Amazon as of this publishing $27.99

DVD Review
http://www.seattlepi.com/pop/430676_148901-blogcritics.org.html

Michael Jackson's This is It-Review

Michael Jackson's This is It

Directed by Kenny Ortega
Michael Jackson (stage actions)

Produced by Paul Gongaware,
Randy Phillips

Cinematography by Kevin Mazur

Released: Ocotber 28, 2009 (USA)

REVIEW by Cool Black

This Is It...Ain't It. Before you say that's cold. Let me explain. I’m gonna say it from the start, this movie is ok. Don’t get it twisted, I didn’t hate it and it’s not a bad movie, but you have to keep in mind several factors.

This footage was never meant to be released as a film. It's NOT a documentary and doesn't have a story. This is a bunch of filmed rehearsals. It was meant to be compiled into one of those promotional films that plays while Michael changes costumes and the crew changes the sets and stuff. All of this footage probably was supposed to be in a 10-15 minute film not a 2 hour one.

Having said that, you do get glimpses (only glimpses) into what a creative person and perfectionist he was. You also get glimpses into what a FANTASTIC tour this would have been. You get to see some of the set designs and set-ups for his most popular songs. Also let me say that 95% of this film is Michael. I was expecting a lot of filler interviews and such, but there wasn’t. It’s all Michael and kudos to the filmmakers for that.

Latoya Jackson stated that she felt that Michael wouldn't have wanted the film to have been released because he wasn't giving his all into his performances.

"Michael [Jackson] always wants to give his best. This is a rehearsal. He wasn’t giving his all [...] He loves to give his all always. That’s just the way he is. He wants people to see him at the top of the ladder and not half-stepping because he doesn’t want to do a full-out rehearsal."*

That seems true in this film, these are rehearsals and Michael didn’t want to go “full blast” with his singing and dancing, but the film happens to catch moments when he just couldn’t help it and sang and danced his heart out. His voice was just as perfect as ever and his dancing was equally on point.

The end result of this film is that you see that Michael wasn’t in this just to make a buck, he wasn’t going to “phone it in”. Michael was committed to bringing an ultimate concert experience and nothing less. A true testament to his vision, his talent, his genius.

*Latoya Jackson quote source: Access Hollywood

Cool Black's Mad Commentary: After his death there were reports that Michael was not physically fit enough to do this tour. While he was quite thin, he was moving, grooving and singing just as well as he ever has. As a filmmaker I know that any footage that cast Michael in a negative light (as far as his health) would never make it into this film, but from what I saw he was ready as ever.

Related post: Michael Jackson Memories

BOX OFFICE UPDATE

Big Sunday shows 'This Is It' isn't performing like a concert film
Los Angeles Times
November 2, 2009 1:13 pm

"This Is It" continues to throw all the old rules about concert movies out the window.

Domestic ticket sales for the Michael Jackson (pictured left) movie totaled $8.3 million on Sunday, nearly $2 million more than the $6.3 million Sony Pictures projected Sunday morning and 17% more than the movie grossed on Saturday. The movie's total domestic gross is now $34.4 million, making the worldwide number $103 million.

Concert movies traditionally see ticket sales decline rapidly after they premiere, as avid fans who turn out on opening day make up most of the audience. But "This Is It" grossed more on Sunday than any day since it debuted, a sign that word-of-mouth is strong and moviegoers who initially may have been hesitant are turning out. There also may be repeat viewing, which is often the case for concert films.

If the trend continues, "This Is It" should enjoy a relatively modest decline next weekend, and what initially looked like a middling domestic performance may actually turn into a pretty good one, albeit not nearly as big as overseas. That's where Jackson is really cleaning up.

-- Ben Fritz

Sony Pictures to produce Michael Jackson film - Los Angeles Times

Sony Pictures to produce Michael Jackson film - Los Angeles Times

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Michael Jackson: A Requiem For a King

Family, friends and fans bid farewell to an icon.
By Geoff Boucher and Maria Elena Fernandez-L.A. Times

July 8, 2009

In the end, they brought Michael Jackson to the one place where his life always made sense -- beneath a spotlight and in front of his adoring fans. The superstar, in a gleaming gold coffin, was celebrated in a Staples Center memorial service that was beamed around the world and, like the icon himself, strove mightily to be all things to all people.

With family, celebrity peers, politicians, preachers and even professional athletes taking turns at the microphone, the polished but emotional service was meant both as a farewell and as a deeply sympathetic framing of the star's complicated legacy.

The Rev. Al Sharpton brought the crowd to its feet by drawing a direct cultural line between Jackson's incandescent 1980s pop success and the 2008 election of President Obama. "Those young kids," Sharpton said of Jackson's massive crossover audience, "grew up from being teenage comfortable fans of Michael to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a person of color to be the president of the United States of America." Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) praised Jackson as "a uniquely American hero," and music veteran Smokey Robinson judged him to be, simply, "the greatest performer of all time."

Sharpton and several other speakers alluded to media persecution of Jackson, who died June 25 at age 50, but one speaker who had known Jackson for more than four decades suggested that the reality is not that tidy.

"Sure there were some sad times and maybe some questionable decisions on his part, but Michael Jackson accomplished everything he ever dreamed of," said Berry Gordy, the Motown Records mogul who signed Jackson to his first record deal after an audition in the summer of 1968.

There were many memorable images, but for the years to come the signature moment may have been the public debut of sorts of Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. Protected and, literally, veiled for much of her life, the youngster said through tears:

"I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much."

The ceremony was by turns somber, evangelical, thunderous and hushed. There was humor, as well. Former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson recounted how his nervous first visit to Jackson's mansion ended with the pair sitting on the floor and feasting on Kentucky Fried Chicken; Brooke Shields, who was an especially moving speaker, told how she used to tease Jackson about his most famous fashion choice.

"I'd tease him about the glove," Shields said, referring to the solitary silver glove that became Jackson's trademark. " 'What's up with the glove?' and 'If you're gonna hold my hand, it better be the non-gloved one because the sequins hurt.' "

Audience members danced along with some musical performances and stifled tears at some of the many tributes to the singer. There were also shouts from the audience of "Power to the people," "Long live the king," and "We miss you, Michael!"

The memorial, a mix of measured grief and show-biz spectacle, was seen across the globe on television and computer screens and covered with the intensity of an election night and the overkill of a Super Bowl Sunday.

Forty-seven theaters in 24 states showed the event live. As a local event, it was a surprisingly smooth affair; there was a 30-minute delay to the scheduled start time, but the predicted crush of crowds outside the arena never materialized, which Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton credited to "a steady drumbeat of media coverage in recent days" telling fans without tickets they wouldn't be permitted near the downtown venue.

Excluding invited guests, the estimated 17,500 attendees were selected from about 1.6 million who sought entry.

The event was produced by Ken Ehrlich, the longtime producer of the Grammy Awards telecast. Other key figures included Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of AEG, and, somewhat surprisingly, Bratton, who was a presence just off stage throughout the service. He also worked the press line before the event (which, to underscore the circus atmosphere, required stepping over manure left in the wake of his mounted officers) and personally guarded the gilded casket as it arrived at the arena's underground garage.

The event that seemed so smooth and precise to television viewers was more chaotic up close. Ehrlich made a number of major decisions on the fly, such as asking Robinson to open the service by reading letters from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. "I think this might work," Ehrlich said, rushing to hand the letters to the surprised singer, who then calmly climbed the steps to the stage, looked into the camera and greeted the world. Ehrlich also had the lighting changed for the entire arena a few minutes into the show. "It's way too hot in here," he told his lighting crew, using a shorthand expression for glare.

Jackson's casket was taken from Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in a motorcade of ebony Rolls-Royces and SUVs on freeways cleared by police. It then was carried into the Staples spotlight by his brothers -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy -- who each wore a solitary sequined glove. Janet Jackson, the second most famous member of the family, left her seat and reached toward the procession, but instead of touching the casket she reached for her living brothers, giving each of them a reassuring grip on the arm.

Janet Jackson did not perform as many had expected, but Jermaine Jackson did with a rendition of a "Smile," the bittersweet song of encouragement composed by Charlie Chaplin for his 1936 film "Modern Times." It was Michael Jackson's favorite song, the crowd was told, and the emotion-choked performance by his older brother added to the poignancy of the lyrics, written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons more than 70 years ago:

Smile tho' your heart is aching
Smile even tho' it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by, if you smile

Other performances included Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz performing "I'll Be There," the Jackson 5 classic that was also a key hit for Carey in 1992, and Stevie Wonder -- a performer who could certainly understand Jackson's struggle to handle a show-biz childhood -- giving an emotion-charged revival of his own 1971 composition "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer."

Some performers sang to the audience, others to the casket. Some of the producers were reluctant at first to have the casket present, especially considering the Forest Lawn ceremony before the Staples event and logistics of moving the body across town.

"The family said to us that Michael was going to be there," Ehrlich said. "At first, I kind of gulped, but I went back to, 'If this was a Baptist service, the casket would be there. And it made a difference. They were singing right over the casket of Michael Jackson. I know what that did to Mariah. I know what that did to Usher. I know what that did to John Mayer."

Ehrlich said the pacing of the service mirrored black church services: Uplifting musical numbers followed by fiery, emotional speeches followed by brief pauses. "People had time to think about what they had heard before we went on to the next order of business," he said.

Viewers also studied the service for hidden meanings. Would long-estranged sister La Toya sit with her family? She did. Would the singer's two former wives, Lisa Marie Presley (daughter of Elvis) and Debbie Rowe (mother of Jackson's two eldest children) attend? They did not.

Two other key figures in Jackson's life saga, actress Elizabeth Taylor and singer Diana Ross, also did not attend. Both released statements saying they were not ready to grieve in public.

The next order of business for organizers is figuring out who will pay the bill. Leiweke blasted L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine for publicly demanding on Monday that AEG and the family shoulder the costs. The issue is the estimated cost of police and emergency services (as much as $3.8 million) for the event, but Leiweke framed it as more than a civic matter.

"There should be a thing called common decency," Leiweke said. "This could have waited until after the family was through the memorial. It shows no class at all. Beware the man who shouts while standing on another man's casket."

The more enduring struggle, though, is over the legacy of Jackson, a man who rivaled Elvis Presley in fame but also was marked in his last years by his indictment and acquittal on child molestation charges and sometimes cruel commentary on his ever-changing visage.

The producers and participants at the memorial offered their version of that legacy: An essential pop-culture figure, agent of cultural change and beloved humanitarian.

"He was driven by his hunger to learn," Gordy said. "To confidently top himself, to be the best, the consummate student. He studied the greats and became greater. He raised the bar and then broke the bar."

External link-
See more media about the memorial at Eonline here

Michael Jackson Memories

by Dankwa Brooks

I remember the first time I worked with Michael Jackson. I was at Towson University in the Directing for Film class and our instructor said that one lucky student director would get a chance…ok I can’t keep that up any longer. I’m just kidding. Don’t you hate when people make up crap like that?

Seriously when Michael Jackson died I thought it was some rumor. I had somewhere to go that night and by the time I left CNN hadn’t even confirmed anything more than he had cardiac arrest and was in the hospital. When it was finally confirmed I couldn’t think of my favorite Michael Jackson song. Thriller was my favorite album (isn’t it everyone’s?), but I couldn’t think of just one track that I could call my favorite. Truthfully some of my favorite tracks weren’t even singles (Human Nature and Lady in my Life)

Several days later I finally remembered what my favorite track was and it wasn’t even from Thriller. Man in the Mirror is my favorite Michael Jackson song (from the album Bad). In retrospect Bad is a great album, but like other great Michael Jackson albums it has been totally eclipsed by Thriller.

Despite my joke (ill conceived joke? perhaps) at the beginning many of us never met Michael Jackson or were even lucky enough to see him perform live. Most of our memories are tied to seeing him on television.

I don’t think I know anyone in my neighborhood that wasn’t watching Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (May 1983) and the “event” that made the special go down in television history. The Jackson 5 reunion and eventual Michael Jackson performance was the highlight of the special. As much as his death has been the talk of the town (world), so too was this performance. Later that same year I had my favorite Michael Jackson memory…and it’s the truth this time.

As a child of the inner city we never had MTV, truthfully that inner city, Baltimore City didn’t even have cable capabilities (Baltimoreans from the 80’s will remember that). We had to get our music video fix on late night shows like Friday Night Videos and Pump It Up! (which came on like 3 o’clock in the morning, but that’s another blog).

It was December 1983 and I don’t know why my grandmother was up that late, (about 12 o’clock) but she was and for the only time I could remember we watched Friday Night Videos together. That night my favorite and perhaps the greatest music video ever came on…Thriller. In retrospect Thriller isn’t even a great song (my opinion), but the video was…ground breaking! I loved the story, I loved the make-up and of course the dancing. Pop, locking zombies? I mean come on who did that back then…ever? The dream ending was also PERFECT. We were both completely transfixed and thought it was FANTASTIC! The Thriller video was also the talk of the town (world) and especially school that next week.

That was 20 something years ago and a music video isn’t so much an event anymore since you can catch one anytime on the Internet or even buy and download it.

There will never be an artist like Michael Jackson. One who could create a music video that could mesmerize a 60 something woman and a teenage boy at the same time. I can’t think of another artist in my lifetime that could accomplish the same feat and become the talk of the town…make that the world.