1, 2, 3 with Michael Jackson

By Steven Gottlieb on June 26, 2009 @ 9:24am PDT | Comments (0)

Instead of going all "deep thoughts" on the importance of Michael Jackson to music videos, here are three videos to watch... (And, I decided to omit "Thriller" and "Beat It," since both seemed a bit too easy to pick. Watch those two and many more at a special Michael Jackson Video legacy section at MTV.com.

  1. Michal Jackson "Bad" - Directed by Martin "He makes the best films" Scorse. A nearly 20 minute short film based on a script by novelist Richard Price. Try pulling something like that off today.
  2. Michael Jackson + Janet Jackson "Scream" - Directed by Mark Romanek. Probably every video director working in pop or r&b has been asked to use this as a reference at some point.
  3. Michael Jackson "Dangerous" - Directed by John "Thriller" Landis. Another short film. If memory serves, this was the general public's first real taste of "morphing." Probably most famous for the final minutes, when the song fades and MJ does a dance that culminates in sexualized destruction (complete with panther sounds). Now forgiven: The intro and rap break with Macaulay Culkin.
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Comments

Doug's picture
By Doug
MJ was an amazing simulator of emotions. As a little kid he sang about things he obviously didn't grasp but he could communicate feelings he himself had never had with tremendous skill. Like him admitting to sleeping with kids and not grasping why others might be freaked out by that. His perspective was insightful but also 'outside' of normal human reality.
Mills Miller's picture
By Mills Miller
Definitely a reason why I do what I do today. Good piece MJ Rest In Peace
Steve Gottlieb's picture
By Steve Gottlieb
RE: Simulator of emotions. (Not stimulator, I hope). That reminds me of how he dangled his baby over a ledge and didn't realize how insanely dangerous that was. I also found out last night that the love song "Ben" that MK sang as a child was about a pet rat. That is kind of sad and beautiful.

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