Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” Documentary Trailer Premiers

LOVE IT.

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This film is going to make me really sad for what those concerts could have been.

VMA Tribute To Michael Jackson

Very well done, MTV.

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PS: Janet’s new single, “Make Me”, which “pays loving tribute to” Michael’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”, is currently streaming on Janet’s website.

Michael Jackson Film: New Details, Release Date

More info on the film I first reported on here.

The Times:

The documentary compiled from Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for the concert series he was preparing when he died will be released in theaters earlier than expected and will be shown for only two weeks. In a news release, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment said that the documentary, called “Michael Jackson THIS IS IT,” would open on Oct. 28, two days sooner than originally announced, and that tickets for the film would go on sale Sept. 27 in most cities. The movie will be directed by Kenny Ortega, the director and choreographer who was working with Mr. Jackson on his planned “This Is It” concerts, a series of 50 shows that Mr. Jackson was to have performed at London’s O2 Arena beginning in July. Sony, which paid $60 million for the film in a deal between the studio, the Jackson estate and the concert promoter AEG Live, said the documentary would draw upon more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage and rehearsals shot between April and June.

I suspect Sony is using the “limited release” threat to drum up sales and I wouldn’t be surprised if the planned two-week run was miraculously extended if the ticket sales (which they are conveniently starting a month before hand) are high.

Needless to say, I WILL SEE THIS.

Michael Jackson Rehearsal Footage To Be Released In Theaters October 30

The NY Times:

“[The] film is to include scenes of Mr. Jackson rehearsing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, along with a career retrospective and interviews with friends and collaborators, and parts of it will be in 3-D.”

I’ll be curious to see what this movie becomes.  Do they have enough footage to basically “create” the concert?  How much time is going to be given to the ‘talking heads’?  Are they going to go on and on and on about his whole life or are they going to be focus on the concert?  While a retrospective might be interesting (are there things we don’t know?!), I’m hoping this sticks as much as possible to him dancing and singing – simple and sweet.

Aren’t People Like Michael Supposed To Live Forever?

Speechless and so sad. Rest in peace, Michael, you were a god among men.

For example, the debut of the moonwalk. No over-sized set pieces. No projection screens. No pyrotechnics. No backup dancers. And it’s completely and utterly engrossing:

More Michael Jackson Concert Drama

I told you this was only the beginning…

Yesterday, Michael Jackson spoke briefly with fans as he left a rehearsal at a LA dance studio and he noted that he only signed on for 10 shows and that he didn’t know his management signed him up for 50 until he saw it on the news the next morning:

“I’m really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do 10, and take the tour around the world to other cities, not 50 in one place. I went to bed knowing I sold 10 dates, and woke up to the news I was booked to do 50.“

Um, wow miscommunication.

Jackson also stated:

“I don’t know how I’m going to do 50 shows. I’m not a big eater – I need to put some weight on.”

I really wish I would be able to see him but part of me thinks the emotional rollercoaster leading up to the is not worth what very well may be a shitty, overly-reliant-on-backup-dancers-and-expensive-set-pieces show.

Source.

Michael Jackson Delays Start Of Tour

Sigh.  I wanted to believe that Michael had gotten his shit together but apparently he’s the same ol’ hot mess:

Jackson has reschedule the first four dates of his fifty-date run at London’s O2 Arena; opening night has been moved from July 8 to July 13.

Rescheduling to buy yourself five days?!  LAME.

But wait, there’s more: the other dates that are being rescheduled – July 10, 12, and 14 – are being moved to the end of the tour in March 2010.  QUADRUPLE LAME.

It’s great that the people that managed to snag opening night tickets will still get to experience opening night – I mean, there would have been riots – but I feel bad for the second-, third-, and fourth-night ticketholders that will have to wait an extra eight months for their show.

Something tells me there is going to be a lot more drama before the end of this…

Source.

Idol’s Danny Gokey Slaughters “Billie Jean”

How you can in any way be involved in pop music and not know the lyrics to “Billie Jean” by The King Of Pop is beyond me.

But American Idol final three contestant Danny Gokey proved just that, on ‘tour’ in his hometown in Madison, Wisconsin:

He should be ashamed eliminated shot.

Under The Covers

“Great Things Are Covered” – Anonymous

Three more brilliant covers for today:

Duffy – Ready For The Floor (Hot Chip Cover) Great acoustic cover of Hot Chip’s mega-hit courtesy of the brilliant BBC Live Lounge Series.

Fall Out Boy – Beat It (Michael Jackson Cover ft. John Mayer; Studio Version) I love Michael Jackson and strongly believe that other artists should not even attempt to cover his songs. That said, I was surprisingly pleased with what Fall Out Boy (particularly Patrick Stump’s vocals) and John Mayer (on guitar) could pull together on this hard rock interpretation of the MJ classic.

This Is Ivy League – Crown Of Love (Arcade Fire) “Crown of Love” has always been one of my all-time favorite Arcade Fire tracks. For their interpretation, This Is Ivy League strips the song down and brings much more intimacy and attention to the beautiful and haunting lyrics.

Enjoy!

Jackson To Play 50 Shows At London’s O2

The BBC is reporting that Michael Jackson has committed to playing 50 shows at London’s O2 – five times what was originally announced last week and twice what was rumored would be the maximum number of shows.

Some 360,000 pre-sale tickets have been sold so far and if all 50 dates sell out, Jackson will have sold a million seats for the run of shows.

In just the pre-sale phase, Jackson has already beat the previous record-holder for ticket sales at O2: Prince’s 21-night sold-out stint that sold over 350,000 tickets.

The rate of ticket sales has also set a new record: 33 tickets per minute.

More at the BBC and MichaelJacksonLive.

Michael Jackson To Play 10-Show “Curtain Call” In London

HOLY SHIT: Michael has announced that he will perform 10 concerts at London’s O2 arena starting July 8, 2009.

He said that he would play “the songs the fans want to hear”, and added, “This is it, these will be my last shows in London,” stating that the shows would be his “curtain call”.

AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke (AEG owns the O2 Arena) broke the news early to Billboard and said that the run may be expanded to “20 or 25” shows.

O2’s longest run was Prince’s 21-night sold-out stint, which earned over $22 million.

Leiweke down-played rumors of the 50-year-old’s health: “The man is very sane, the man is very focused, the man is very healthy… Despite everything you read about him, he was fine. The man took a physical for us to go do these concerts.”

Leiweke said they had been in talks with Michael for two years before securing this deal. Michael’s last tour ended in 1997.

Tickets for Michael’s “curtain call” go on sale March 13, 7:00 AM GMT. Go here for more info.

So this begs the question: will he be any good (still)!?

More: Billboard / NME