EmmaMcG said:

I m a huge Michael Jackson fan. He's in my top 3 favourite artists of all time. But I hated This Is It. Hated it. First of all, it was a shameless cash in. I'd say his body wasn't even cold yet and his scummy family were thinking of ways they could cash in on his death. Not only that but the quality of the actual documentary was poor. Badly edited rehearsal footage of what was clearly not a well man just going through the motions is not my idea of a great send off for pop music's biggest ever star.

A) his family had nothing to do with it

B) Duh, it was never meant to be a documentary, so all things considered, it turned out great. Fans needed that. And I'm forever grateful, that it was released and so quick.

C) That he was not a well man is your projection, clouded by what happened the night and morning of the 25th. The footage shown, shows that he was together enough to know what he was doing and that he wanted this.

D) It's a tragedy he never got to complete the show. I would be an ever "bigger" tragedy, had that footage never been released.

EmmaMcG said:

I m a huge Michael Jackson fan. He's in my top 3 favourite artists of all time. But I hated This Is It. Hated it. First of all, it was a shameless cash in. I'd say his body wasn't even cold yet and his scummy family were thinking of ways they could cash in on his death. Not only that but the quality of the actual documentary was poor. Badly edited rehearsal footage of what was clearly not a well man just going through the motions is not my idea of a great send off for pop music's biggest ever star.

A) his family had nothing to do with it

B) Duh, it was never meant to be a documentary, so all things considered, it turned out great. Fans needed that. And I'm forever grateful, that it was released and so quick.

C) That he was not a well man is your projection, clouded by what happened the night and morning of the 25th. The footage shown, shows that he was together enough to know what he was doing and that he wanted this.

D) It's a tragedy he never got to complete the show. I would be an ever "bigger" tragedy, had that footage never been released.

EmmaMcG said:

PatrickS77 said:

A) his family had nothing to do with it

B) Duh, it was never meant to be a documentary, so all things considered, it turned out great. Fans needed that. And I'm forever grateful, that it was released and so quick.

C) That he was not a well man is your projection, clouded by what happened the night and morning of the 25th. The footage shown, shows that he was together enough to know what he was doing and that he wanted this.

D) It's a tragedy he never got to complete the show. I would be an ever "bigger" tragedy, had that footage never been released.

A) I'll take your word for it but I'm sure they were compensated in some way. B) Regardless of what it was meant to be, it is badly edited rehearsal footage that was clearly pieced together in a hurry to cash in on the man's death. C) It's clear to anyone with a working pair of eyes that he was not in good health when this was filmed. His voice was weak, his dancing was off and he was much thinner than he was only a few months prior. D) I think it's pushing it a bit to say it would be a tragedy if the footage was never released. Sure, it's nice to see some of the behind the scenes stuff but the haphazard nature of the movie itself just undermines everything Michael Jackson stood for when it came to his output. The whole This Is It thing comes across as tacky, disrespectful and amateurish in it's execution. If you enjoy it, then I'm happy for you. But I personally feel that the man deserved better than that.

A) What you’re sure of and imagine don’t matter (but pretty much telling about you). Fact is, they weren’t and don’t have any claim on any money made with that movie (or even input in the decision on whether to release it or not).

B) Any documentary is „pieced together“ and as for „badly edited“ (whatever the hell that means), ii‘s your impression. I doubt you’re a professional.

C) No. What is clear is that you are projecting. Michael didn’t die because he was sick, so there is nothing to see. Michael died because his doctor shot him up with Propofol and left him to die. His singing and dancing was good enough for the occasion, which was a rehearsal in an empty arena, where he never went full out. He’s always been thin. So him getting thinner in a time of high work to get the show together is not all that shocking.

D) That he died is the main tragedy. But to not see what he was working on in his last months and to not have the footage showing him pouring his heart into, putting a great show together, rot away in a vault, having him die in vain in a sense, would make this whole thing even worse. And I’m sure you would be among the first to complain about the evil Sony/AEG depriving us of our last moments with Michael (like any fan of the man would).

What I would have enjoyed would be attending 20 shows in London on the „This is it“ residency (for which I had tickets). What Michael would have deserved is to get that triumphant return to the stage in front of 1 million of his fans, proving all naysayers wrong. We both didn’t get that. What I appreciate and I’m glad about is, that at least we got to see the rehearsal footage to get a glimpse of what he was working on and what was planned. That the world got to see that at the end of his life, he wasn’t holed up somewhere, far removed from his glory days as a performer, but that he still was performing and in the process of putting his biggest show together and that he still had it. That documetary is his legacy. Despite anything that went on, he went out performing, doing what he does best. The world needed to see that.

EmmaMcG said:

PatrickS77 said:

A) What you’re sure of and imagine don’t matter (but pretty much telling about you). Fact is, they weren’t and don’t have any claim on any money made with that movie (or even input in the decision on whether to release it or not).

B) Any documentary is „pieced together“ and as for „badly edited“ (whatever the hell that means), ii‘s your impression. I doubt you’re a professional.

C) No. What is clear is that you are projecting. Michael didn’t die because he was sick, so there is nothing to see. Michael died because his doctor shot him up with Propofol and left him to die. His singing and dancing was good enough for the occasion, which was a rehearsal in an empty arena, where he never went full out. He’s always been thin. So him getting thinner in a time of high work to get the show together is not all that shocking.

D) That he died is the main tragedy. But to not see what he was working on in his last months and to not have the footage showing him pouring his heart into, putting a great show together, rot away in a vault, having him die in vain in a sense, would make this whole thing even worse. And I’m sure you would be among the first to complain about the evil Sony/AEG depriving us of our last moments with Michael (like any fan of the man would).

What I would have enjoyed would be attending 20 shows in London on the „This is it“ residency (for which I had tickets). What Michael would have deserved is to get that triumphant return to the stage in front of 1 million of his fans, proving all naysayers wrong. We both didn’t get that. What I appreciate and I’m glad about is, that at least we got to see the rehearsal footage to get a glimpse of what he was working on and what was planned. That the world got to see that at the end of his life, he wasn’t holed up somewhere, far removed from his glory days as a performer, but that he still was performing and in the process of putting his biggest show together and that he still had it. That documetary is his legacy. Despite anything that went on, he went out performing, doing what he does best. The world needed to see that.

A & B) It's clear that you're one of THOSE fans that can't accept any criticism of Michael Jackson. So it's not really worth my time explaining to you why or how the footage is badly edited. C) I never once stated that he died because he was sick. That's just you trying to put words in my mouth so when you refute it you can pat yourself on the back for "winning" that particular argument. But the problem with that is that I never actually said he died from sickness. But if it makes you feel better to pretend I did, then that's fine. But my point was that this footage does not capture him at his best. Far from it. He doesn't look healthy at all in this footage and comes across as a bad Michael Jackson impersonator. Which, as a massive MJ fan, is very disappointing and sad to see. D) I don't see Sony as being "evil" or any of that so I don't know where you get that from. They're a business and so made a business decision to take advantage of the man's death. There's a lot of that going around. But rather than tarnish his legacy with subpar "concert movies" or documentaries that they rushed out to capitalise on his death, as a fan, I would have preferred if they had taken their time to create a proper documentary and released it alongside some unreleased music from his final recording sessions. And if they want to include some of the This Is It rehearsal footage in the full documentary, like the Human Nature performance for example, then that's great. My whole disappointment with This Is It stems from how little thought was put into it. MJ would take years crafting each album, perfecting it and making it sound just like he wanted. That's why each album is special. It's what set him apart from most other popstars. This Is It completely goes against that premise. And whereas I do like to see what was planned for the Thriller performance etc and how much work he was putting into his comeback shows, This Is It is just amateurish filmmaking at it's worst. Rushed, lazy and a total missed opportunity.

A & B) doesn’t even make sense, as both has nothing to do with Michael Jackson.

C) You were claiming you see a person that is not well. The only reason you do that is because he died. But him dying has nothing to do with whatever you think you’re seeing. And what you’re seeing is a guy rehearsing, not giving his all. Not going in 100%, as that would make no sense, as it’s only a rehearsal.

D) They didn’t take advantage. They tried to make the best of a horrible situation and gave fans what they wanted: to see that footage. Nothing got tarnished, quite to the contrary, as the footage shows a different picture than the drab narrative some want to push. Also no one wanted to see another damn documentary with old stock footage and talking heads at the time. Also he wasn’t working on new music, he was working on a show, so no need to release unreleased music at that point.

Why do you compare the creation of a show to the creation of an album. Show rehearsals were always somewhat rushed and not projects that lasted for years. „This is it“ (the documentary) goes against that because, 1) it’s no album and 2) he died. There is nothing further he could contribute. They had to work with the footage they had and did a great job with it. And if you think no thought went into „This is it“ (the show), I suggest you watch the documentary again. Seriously, all of your „critisicms“ are total bullshit and don't make too much sense..

EmmaMcG said:

PatrickS77 said:

S

A) his family had nothing to do with it

B) Duh, it was never meant to be a documentary, so all things considered, it turned out great. Fans needed that. And I'm forever grateful, that it was released and so quick.

C) That he was not a well man is your projection, clouded by what happened the night and morning of the 25th. The footage shown, shows that he was together enough to know what he was doing and that he wanted this.

D) It's a tragedy he never got to complete the show. I would be an ever "bigger" tragedy, had that footage never been released.

A) I'll take your word for it but I'm sure they were compensated in some way. B) Regardless of what it was meant to be, it is badly edited rehearsal footage that was clearly pieced together in a hurry to cash in on the man's death. C) It's clear to anyone with a working pair of eyes that he was not in good health when this was filmed. His voice was weak, his dancing was off and he was much thinner than he was only a few months prior. D) I think it's pushing it a bit to say it would be a tragedy if the footage was never released. Sure, it's nice to see some of the behind the scenes stuff but the haphazard nature of the movie itself just undermines everything Michael Jackson stood for when it came to his output. The whole This Is It thing comes across as tacky, disrespectful and amateurish in it's execution. If you enjoy it, then I'm happy for you. But I personally feel that the man deserved better than that.

A) What you’re sure of and imagine don’t matter (but pretty much telling about you). Fact is, they weren’t and don’t have any claim on any money made with that movie (or even input in the decision on whether to release it or not).

B) Any documentary is „pieced together“ and as for „badly edited“ (whatever the hell that means), ii‘s your impression. I doubt you’re a professional.

C) No. What is clear is that you are projecting. Michael didn’t die because he was sick, so there is nothing to see. Michael died because his doctor shot him up with Propofol and left him to die. His singing and dancing was good enough for the occasion, which was a rehearsal in an empty arena, where he never went full out. He’s always been thin. So him getting thinner in a time of high work to get the show together is not all that shocking.

D) That he died is the main tragedy. But to not see what he was working on in his last months and to not have the footage showing him pouring his heart into, putting a great show together, rot away in a vault, having him die in vain in a sense, would make this whole thing even worse. And I’m sure you would be among the first to complain about the evil Sony/AEG depriving us of our last moments with Michael (like any fan of the man would).

What I would have enjoyed would be attending 20 shows in London on the „This is it“ residency (for which I had tickets). What Michael would have deserved is to get that triumphant return to the stage in front of 1 million of his fans, proving all naysayers wrong. We both didn’t get that. What I appreciate and I’m glad about is, that at least we got to see the rehearsal footage to get a glimpse of what he was working on and what was planned. That the world got to see that at the end of his life, he wasn’t holed up somewhere, far removed from his glory days as a performer, but that he still was performing and in the process of putting his biggest show together and that he still had it. That documetary is his legacy. Despite anything that went on, he went out performing, doing what he does best. The world needed to see that.

I've watched it once 11 years ago and have never looked at it since...in my opinion, MJ probably wouldnt have wanted this footage to get out...he was a perfectionist and rehearsels were simply that...rehearsels, not meant for public consumption.

But I disagree when people say that he looked off, he was thin, true...but then again, he was probably getting in shape for the show and he was never a big man.

And his vocals on Human Nature were out of this world, dude still had it in him..but I can't help but think that his heart wasn't really in it, he probably only wanted a final paycheck and spent his time raising his children...dude was rocking it since being a little kid after all..had nothing left to prove.

Sadly he was robbed this opportunity.

Doalwa said:

Doalwa said:

EmmaMcG said:

I m a huge Michael Jackson fan. He's in my top 3 favourite artists of all time. But I hated This Is It. Hated it. First of all, it was a shameless cash in. I'd say his body wasn't even cold yet and his scummy family were thinking of ways they could cash in on his death. Not only that but the quality of the actual documentary was poor. Badly edited rehearsal footage of what was clearly not a well man just going through the motions is not my idea of a great send off for pop music's biggest ever star.

I can agree with this sentiment now. But 14 yeard old me didn't care, it was the best cinema experience I've ever had. Never before and after were people so quiet through the whole movie, the whole They don't care about us segment. I loved every bit of it. I will never forget this experience. But yeah, total cash grab at the estate's part.

alphastreet said:

I like the part where mj is on the cherry picker and goes weeeee

Yeah. There were many little bits and pieces that showed Michael the person. Loved that too.

"EmmaMcG said:

Once again you think you know what I mean when I talk about MJ looking ill and once again you are completely and utterly wrong. And once again I will tell you that I was NOT referencing his death in any way. Read the words I write, not your own interpretation of them. I've been very clear on what I mean. The reason I bring up his unhealthy appearance is not because he died shortly afterwards. The reason I bring it up is because he looks tired, gaunt, too thin and lacking energy. You can put it down to it just being a rehearsal but I've taken part in enough of those kinds of rehearsals to know that what he was doing was just going through the motions. It didn't look to me like his heart was in it. That's not the kind of legacy he deserves."

Once more. Your interpretation on what he looked like or what you think he was supposed to look or appear like instead. To some people he looked ill, ever since he didn’t appear black anymore. To other people he looked ill, because he was thin. So, whatever. And really, who cares what rehearsals you have been in? You haven’t been in Michael Jackson rehearsals and whatever you’ve been in has nothing to do with him. So that’s irrelevant. And as far as I know, dance rehearsals are there to get through the motions, to get the shit right (at least for anyone who isn't Michael). The elevation of going beyond through the motions comes, when he performs in front of 15.000 screaming fans.

"Also, and this is another example of you not actually reading what I'm writing and instead attributing your own meaning to it, but I didn't say that no thought went into the This Is It shows. Read it again and you'll see I'm referring to the actual documentary itself. And if you can't see what I'm getting at with my criticism of it then I'd put that down to your lack of understanding of how these kinds of docs SHOULD be edited. But needless to say, editing together different clips of the same song during the one "performance" is not how to do it. Look, I know you're clearly a superfan so there's simply no getting through to you. Let's just agree to disagree and move on, yeah?"

Yeah. And if you read it again, you will see that I responded to both the documentary and the actual show, as it was not quite clear what you meant and wanted to cover both bases, just in case. Take whatever of that applies to you. And yes, editing together different clips is exactly what you do, when you either don’t have full songs or want to show that he actually was at rehearsals more than once. Also if you want to loosen things up, show different angles, want to make it less monotonous and want to show that it was a work in progress. And with him wearing different clothes for different rehearsals also no one can accuse the director of cheating, as it is obvious that different rehearsals were cut together. What you state is your preference, but there is no rule on what is right and what is wrong. But what I’m talking to you? You’re one who claimed to really enjoy the latest Star Wars movie, so you clearly talk but have no clue what you’re talking about (as the movie was a crap movie and a crap Star Wars movie). So on that basis alone, I can’t even take you serious. And yes, I feel bad for remembering that, but some people become memorable for the dumb shit they post.

It's been a while since I saw "This is it". I wanted to watch it last year at the anniversary of it's release, but didn't get around doing it. I wanted to watch it this year for the anniversary and also didn't get around doing it. 2 days ago, I finally watched it again (actually the whole BR) and I loved it every bit as I loved it then (minus the releasing strategy of Sony, who split bonus materials up on various formats, still hate them for doing that). They did the perfectly right thing in having Michael be front and center for the feature and have the talking heads shut up for the most part, as it isn't about them, but Michael. He is the star and we are only here for him. They got plenty of room to talk in the accompanying bonus footage on the BR, which perfectly rounds out the documentary. I love how it is not a glossy HD Hollywood production, but also incorporates lesser SD footage, different angles, different occasions and thus just emphasizes that lots of the footage was never meant to be in a documentary, but absolutely needed to be there in light of what happened and that fact that the show will never be. I'm just glad, that the opinions of some are insignificant and means jack shit and that the people who actually had a say in what was going to happen, could see the big picture and didn't care about what some small minded people would think. They made the absolutely right decision in showing that footage, HD or SD and let it mostly speak for itself and let Michael be the center. That documentary and accompaniyng bonus footage is exactly how it should be.

And anybody saying that Michael looked not well, not there, that he wasn't enjoying it and his heart wasn't in it, just needs to open their fucking eyes and objectively watch the fucking material again.