The song is featured in the superhero comedy "Mystery Men," and actors William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Diane Rehm, Paul Reubens, Kel Mitchell, Janeane Garofalo, Doug Jones, and Dane Cook all make cameos. The 30 Best British TV Shows You Need to Binge This Year - Town & Country The "Dancing Zombie" enemy was originally resembled Jackson dressed in his Thriller outfit and the "Backup Dancer Zombies" that surrounded the Dancing Zombie resembled the backup dancers from the part of Thriller where Jackson turns onto a zombie. | I don't know the answer to that, but I do worry about DCs being desensitised to horrible things. The video does feature a couple of clips of her walking through Parc de Saint-Cloud in Paris, but the emotional close-ups are the most striking parts. We didn't get a Channel 4 signal until late 84 so missed out entirely! ", "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. Michael Jackson's Thriller is a 1983 music video for the song "Thriller" by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on December 2, 1983. [29], Jackson's red leather jacket became a fashion icon and has been widely emulated. ", "People are making great videos again," Jonze says. The "Honey" video starts with Mariah Carey as a Bond-esque spy named Agent M who is being held hostage by an organization known as D.U.N.C.E. Some of the biggest Broadway productions of recent years are musicals based on preexisting, well-known media. It shows Michael turning into a zombie and dancing in the street with some spectacular choreography. Jackson was all in, especially after Landis said he could probably get An American Werewolf in London makeup master Rick Baker involved. Before my time, but I gather it was shown on Channel 4 late at night. The 13-minute film that resulted changed the music video for ever, becoming less a promo clip than a cultural phenomenon. 8 Say You . Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video) - Wikipedia [8], In 2009, Landis sued Jackson in a dispute over royalties for the video, saying Jackson had failed to pay him 50% of the proceeds. I'm sure VCRs had timers even then. Between the visuals and the overall story, West's artful vision is memorable. "In adolescence, youngsters begin to grow hair in unexpected places and parts of their anatomy swell and grow," Landis wrote in Monsters in Movies. Amazon Studios. It's also one Jackson felt personally compelled to include. Sessions had been previously sparsely attended, so Garcia introduced elaborately choreographed dance routines, and before long, as many as 1,500 inmates reported to the prison yard to learn some moves. It was shown on Channel 4 in November 1983 at something like 1 in the morning, as I remember sitting up waiting for it to come on and then being amazed and a little bit scared as I was only 13 at. [15], Landis said directing Jackson was "like dealing with a gifted 10-year-old". She was the mother of the character Ken Reeves from the TV Show "The White Shadow". Here are 55 of the most iconic music . Miss Scarlet and The Duke, Season 1-2 | Watch Now. [22] Gil Kaufman of MTV described the video as "iconic" and felt that it was one of Jackson's most enduring legacies. "Music videos in the early 80s started as a little cottage industry in Britain, really," says Brian Grant, the British director who made the Private Dancer video for Tina Turner and Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Taking place on New Year's Eve, the video shows J-Lo and her friends getting ready for a party. 1. Branca wouldn't do it, and he instead locked up the footage and gave Jackson the idea to let "Thriller" out, but just with a denouncing disclaimer tacked on to the start. 6 Vogue Madonnna. Fall Out Boy's video for "Sugar, We're Goin Down" alternates between the band jamming and a love story between a boy with antlers and a normal girl. The emotional video for "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" starts with Cline Dion's love leaving their mansion on a motorcycle in a rainstorm before dying in a fiery crash when lighting causes a tree to fall. Encompassing just about . [8], Weeks before the premiere, Jackson, then a Jehovah's Witness, was told by the organization leaders that the film promoted demonology and that he would be excommunicated. And yet despite all these fancy awards, "Thriller" didn't win the one prize that seemed like a lock. Filmed in one continuous shot, the band is also occasionally shown playing in the burning building. The cat's dance moves even mirror her's. The music video for "Survivor" takes place "somewhere in the South Pacific," as stated in the beginning and begins with Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Beyonc shipwrecked on an island. It ends with the groom as the actual ringmaster. There's nothing flashy about the video, but the choreography was an instant hit and easy enough for people to learn. [12] The documentary, Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, was directed by Jerry Kramer. It was the first music video to be selected. The video is as fun as the song itself. A YouTube video of more than 1,500 prisoners performing the dance attracted 14 million views by 2010. Landis' production partner George Folsey and Jackson's lawyer John Branca hatched a plan: raise money by pre-selling the rights to a behind-the-scenes documentary shot during "Thriller" production. Andr 3000 plays all eight characters featured in the band. Disney star Alyson Stoner broke out in the video as the lead child dancer. "The thrill is gone," suggested the Melody Maker in its review of the album, and it wasn't until videos for Billie Jean and Beat It hit heavy rotation on MTV in early 1983, and Jackson performed the Moonwalk for the first time on the Motown 25 TV special in May, that it really took off. Thirty years ago this week on 21 November it was first shown to the public. They eventually head down a river to a rave in the forest. Before We Die. She gets a tattoo and a belly button piercing. And Chris Milk the [interactive] stuff he's doing, like The Wilderness Downtown with Arcade Fire and The Johnny Cash Project could never have been done in the 90s. at the Disco's first music video features a wedding where the bride's family is asleep and have their faces and eyelids painted. 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. With Patrick Gibson . Eminem impersonates various TV shows and people throughout the video for "My Name Is." Thriller extended the usual pop video format with a long build-up to the start of the music in which Jackson was slowly transformed into a werewolf, and later a zombie.The horror film star Vincent Price was hired to provide a suitably eerie commentary. In 2008 a DVD box set containing all six series was released. It's full of genius symbolism and won Lamar a Grammy for best video. Landis told The Guardian that they initially planned to make Jackson turn into a four-legged creature. Eventually, she stands on the edge of an overpass preparing to jump when her ex shows up with a bunch of cops. 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. Seemingly unaware of the time difference, Jackson had called at 2am UK time and the sleepy director had to feign knowledge of the song, which he hadn't heard. [11] One episode, "Screamer", concerns a rape victim who murders her attacker, only to then see the man stalking her everywhere. "Thriller" also helped steer toward importance and bring a new standard operating protocol to another kind of video home video. When it was released on VHS in the UK, the short film was given the "15" certificate for its frightening scenes (the rating was later changed to "12" in 2018). It's hard to forget. The "Work It" video is filled with some interesting CGI work, memorable dance moves, and some wild cameos that include Timbaland and Eve. [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. 1 Thriller Michael Jackson. 2 Bohemian Rhapsody Queen. [8], The horror-themed "Thriller" had not been planned for release as a single. The pair are spies for an elite intelligence agency called Citadel - but eight years ago . He grooves on an escalator, he flies in the air, he shimmies in the lobby. I remember watching it on C4 late at night. The Gorillaz are known for their animations, but it all started with their first single from their debut, "Clint Eastwood." 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. [12][18] After each broadcast, MTV advertised when they would next play it, and recorded audience figures ten times the norm. He reaches out to her but can't pull her back up and she falls. Thoroughly upset, Jackson ordered his lawyer, John Branca, to destroy the "Thriller" negatives. 8 best thrillers on Prime Video to wreck your nerves [19] The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture, and cemented his status as the "king of pop". However Harvey declined and then suggested another director who did in the end make the documentary. Soundtracks. The presenter, 38, is paralysed from the chest down following . One such kid was Spike Jonze, who was 14 in 1983. "[11], Thriller was the first time Jackson had interacted with a woman in a video, which Landis described as a "breakthrough". [37], The video game Plants vs. Zombies by PopCap Games contained a reference to the Thriller music video in its original releases from May 2009 (a month before Jackson's death) until it was removed in July 2010. 's Bad Girls and that's got to be one of the best videos ever. It was shown on Channel 4 in November 1983 at something like 1 in the morning, as I remember sitting up waiting for it to come on and then being amazed and a little bit scared as I was only 13 at the time. What's likely the most popular second-generation "Thriller" video came from an unlikely place: a prison in the Philippines. Thriller, released in 1983, was initially given a late-night premiere on Channel 4 - a formula repeated by Jackson five years later with his Bad video. "It had some magic that made it shine. [8] Showtime aired the video six times in February. Michael Jackson's Thriller was launched to great anticipation and played regularly on MTV. According to Vanity Fair, Vestron Video helped offset the high production cost of "Thriller" by paying for the VHS and Betamax distribution rights for the Making Michael Jackson's Thriller documentary and then gave it a $29.95 retail price tag. | Samuel L. Jackson in "Unbreakable." Credit: Getty Images. 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. A videocassette of "Thriller" opened the door to priced-to-own videos. 55 of the most iconic music videos of all time - Insider [10] It includes home video footage of a young Jackson dancing and footage of his performances from The Ed Sullivan Show and Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Thriller was the biggest recording artist in the world at the time working with probably the biggest director and it was an amalgamation of the two talents. Jackson hired Landis after seeing his 1981 film An American Werewolf in London. I was yet another taper of the original Channel 4 broadcast. She has visions of her dead lover in the mansion and remembers moments when they were together. [8] As films required theatrical screenings to be eligible for Academy Awards, Landis had the video played before screenings of Fantasia (1940) at a Los Angeles cinema, though it was not nominated. Her 10-year-old son recently learned the routines at a holiday kids' club in Turkey, reminding her of the huge impact it had on kids in the 1980s. A-ha pushed boundaries with their creative video, actually the song's second video, for "Take on Me." It was also the first big break for drag queen RuPaul. At the time, music videos cost around one hundred thousand dollars to produce. From the movie theater setting that resulted in the popular "Michael Jackson eating popcorn" GIF to the choreographed zombie dance, it's 14 minutes of pure enjoyment. Ola Ray took home a lot of memories and stories from her time co-starring in Michael Jackson's landmark "Thriller" music video. Marlon Brando, Fred Astaire, Rock Hudson and Jackie Kennedy Onassis all turned up on set, and Eddie Murphy, Prince and Diana. "I love the ideaof making Thriller a musical," said James L. Nederlander. "[8] Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo suggested making a music video for it, and recalled telling Jackson: "It's simpleall you've got to do is dance, sing, and make it scary. He worked very hard. [5][6] Original music, including the theme tune, was supplied by Clemens' regular collaborator Laurie Johnson.[7]. Every shot in the "Bye Bye Bye" video is memorable. Directed by F. Gary Gray, who also directed "Straight Out of Compton" and "The Fate of the Furious," the "Waterfalls" video is emotional. For episodes that used a different title in the U.S., the U.S. title is shown in italics underneath the original British title. I would never do anything like that again." It's a weird video, but that's why it's unforgettable. Jackson stayed in the projection booth, declining Ray's invitation to join the audience. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider It won a Grammy for best music video. There's running on a moving train, there's dancing in a blue room, there's a dog chase, and a car chase. Connections The video has received over 700 million views on YouTube. [27] The Library described it as "the most famous music video of all time". The audio was also updated to 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos standards. The video for "Seven Nation Army" is a kaleidoscopic, trippy series of shots. MTV paid $250,000 and Showtime $300,000 for the rights to the documentary, Jackson would take care of upfront costs, and the video was able to go ahead, with the label coughing up $100,000. She was the first woman to win video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards for the work. Michael Jackson - Thriller (Official 4K Video) Michael Jackson 27.3M subscribers Subscribe 6.6M Share 887M views 13 years ago #Halloween #MichaelJackson #4kRemastered Michael Jackson's official. Her use of religious symbols caused controversy, and the Vatican even condemned it. At Murphy's insistence, the film was played again. Contents 1 Background 2 Releases 2.1 Hosted by Elvira 2.2 Non-Elvira releases 3 References 4 External links Background [ edit] At the end of the credits, they all dance back into their graves, with one of them gruesomely grimacing at the screen. What worries me a bit is the kids who have a bit of bravado, and don't admit they are afraid, and then have nightmares. They talk through their problems with friends and ultimately decide that neither of them will date him. ", Only later did Landis realize that Ray was a former Playboy Playmate, which threatened her involvement in the video because Jackson thought it might come across as improper for him to be sharing the screen with a nude model.