Michael Jackson filmography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of Michael Jackson's music videos and a description of how they were made and their impact.

Contents

[edit] Michael Jackson and MTV

Michael Jackson is widely regarded as being the first artist to elevate music videos to a meaningful art form, setting off new trends of story-telling, mini-movies, and choreographed dance sequences that dominate the genre to this day. The concept of the short film, epitomized by 1983's "Thriller" but also seen in other Jackson videos such as "Ghosts", "Bad", "Smooth Criminal", and "Remember the Time", would largely remain unique to him, but the group-scene dancing pioneered by "Beat It" and popularized by "Thriller" has been a staple of music videos ever since. The dance sequence from "Thriller" has captivated popular culture worldwide, being replicated everywhere from Indian movies to Western wedding ceremonies.[1][2]

Central to Michael Jackson’s success with music videos was the relatively young music channel MTV, created in 1981, which put Jackson’s videos in heavy rotation throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Before the fruitful relationship materialized, however, Jackson struggled against the channel to have his videos aired. In 1983, when Jackson released "Billie Jean", his first video from Thriller, MTV rarely aired videos by African-American performers and promptly refused Jackson’s requests for a running.[3] Upon hearing the news, CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff became livid, denouncing MTV and warning, "I’m pulling everything we have off the air, all our product. I’m not going to give you any more videos. And I’m going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don’t want to play music by a black guy".[3] Yetnikoff's harsh stance and rhetoric worked; MTV retreated and started giving "Billie Jean" heavy coverage, laying the groundwork for a dynamic partnership with Jackson that would last for years.

MTV itself gives a different account of events. In the chapter "Michael and MTV" from MTV: The Making of a Revolution, Tom McGrath argues that MTV executives initially refused to play videos by black artists such as Rick James or Michael Jackson, because the executives believed that MTV was only a "rock" channel. After much protest and criticism from black artists, "on March 2, one week after the song hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, the "Billie Jean" video debuted on MTV." When MTV executives saw the "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" videos " they were absolutely floored by "Beat It."", with its choreography and dancing...." McGrath states that "Never before had there been a video like this one. Almost single-handedly, this shy former child star had taken the entire field of music video and lifted it up a notch artistically." [4] McGrath notes that MTV viewers generally felt that "these were the best they'd ever seen" and "were what video had the potential to become." He also points out that after the "Billie Jean" "video went on the air, the album began to sell at a remarkable eight hundred thousand copies per week." McGrath argues that at this point "Michael and MTV were both absolutely on fire"; however, the "two weren't competing with each other; they were helping each other." [5]

When the 14-minute long music video for "Thriller" came out in December 1983, it took MTV by storm, running as often as twice within an hour at its height. True to its name, the video, directed by John Landis, also had the feeling of a psychological thriller, reportedly scaring viewers across the United States, especially young children. "Thriller" marked the beginning of a new era in music videos and is often cited as the greatest music video of all time.[6]

Michael Jackson is often credited for putting MTV, initially a struggling cable channel, on the map "with pioneering videos such as "Thriller", "Billie Jean", and "Beat It".[7] In response to Jackson's influence, MTV shifted its musical focus as time went on, going from rock videos to more and more pop and R&B showings.[8]

Jackson's role as a staple continued well into the 1990s with videos such as "Black or White" (also directed by Landis) which simultaneously premièred in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video. It was first broadcast on MTV, BET, VH1, and FOX (after an episode of The Simpsons) on November 14, 1991. Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton, and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos. "Remember the Time" which was an elaborate production and became one of his longest videos at over 9 minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman, and Magic Johnson along with a distinct complex dance routine. "Scream" which is one of his most critically acclaimed winning three MTV awards in 1995 and a Grammy in 1996.[9] and is currently the most expensive music video ever made[10] and "Earth Song".

[edit] Music videos

[edit] Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (1979)

The music video made for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was directed and produced by Nick Saxton. It made its world premiere in October 1979, featuring Jackson floating over a background of disco lights dancing and smiling while lip-synching to the song in a tuxedo. The track used for the video was the same edit used for the single, but including the spoken intro. Its length is 4:11.

  • Directed by: Nick Saxton
  • Starring: Michael Jackson

[edit] Rock with You (1979)

A video for the song showed a smiling Jackson in a sequined suit against a background of multi-colored strobe lights.

[edit] She's Out of My Life (1980)

  • Directed by: Bruce Gowers
  • Starring: Michael Jackson

[edit] Billie Jean (1983)

  • Directed by: Steve Barron
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Co-starring: Simon Fields
  • Awards:
    • Inducted into the Music Video Producers' Hall of Fame

[edit] Beat It (1983)

[edit] Say Say Say (1983)

The video was filmed at the Union Hotel and Victorian Mansion [11] in Los Alamos, California, built in 1880.

[edit] Thriller (1983)

See "Thriller" (music video).

Choreographer(s): Michael Peters and Michael Jackson.

[edit] Bad (1987)

The full music video for "Bad" is an 18-minute-long short film written by novelist and screenwriter Richard Price, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Michael Jackson. Jackson portrays a boy named Daryl who has just completed a successful term at an expensive private school. He returns to the city by subway, arriving in a derelict neighborhood.

Daryl arrives to find his house empty (his mother is played by Roberta Flack, albeit in voiceover), but is greeted by his old friends, led by Mini Max (an emerging Wesley Snipes) and spends an evening with them. At first relations are friendly, if slightly awkward, but the situation deteriorates once the rest of the gang realise how much Daryl has changed, and in particular how uncomfortable he has become with their tendencies towards petty crime. In an attempt to show his friends he is still bad Daryl takes the gang to a subway station where he attempts to mug an elderly man but bottles out at the last minute. Mini Max berates Daryl and tells him that he's no longer 'bad'.

After more abuse from Mini Max, the video jumps from black and white to colour and Daryl, now dressed head to foot in leather and joined by a crowd of dancing punks, sings "Bad" (it's at this point that the video generally starts when it is played on television). His insistence that Max is headed for a fall are nearly his undoing, but eventually his friend accepts that "that's the way it goes down", and, after a final handshake, heads off with his gang. The scene shifts back to black and white as Daryl, alone and back in his tracksuit, watches them leave.

The never-before-seen 18-minute-long version of the video for "Bad" first appeared on the DVD version of Video Greatest Hits - HIStory in 2001.

[edit] The Way You Make Me Feel (1987)

The single's music video showcased Michael Jackson chasing a woman (actress Tatiana Thumbtzen) across the street. She falls for him after he woos her with his dancing. It was the pinnacle of her career. There are two versions of the video - the regular version runs for 6:43 and the full version runs for about nine minutes. On March 27, 2006 "The Way You Make Me Feel" was re-released as part of the Visionary - The Video Singles package. Jackson's sister La Toya Jackson is also featured in the video.

  • Directed by: Joe Pytka
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Co-starring: Tatiana Thumbzten and La Toya Jackson.

[edit] Dirty Diana (1988)

The accompanying video was shot in early 1988 in front of a live audience.

  • Directed by: Joe Pytka
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Awards:

[edit] Man in the Mirror (1988)

The video shows interspersed footage of historic events in escalating intensity of violence and despair, leading up to a nuclear explosion at the key change, followed by footage expressing hope and peace.

Some of the footage used in the video clip includes: The nuclear explosion footage from the Baker test of Operation Crossroads, Rescue footage of Baby Jessica McClure, Martin Luther King, Funeral of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy,1984 Famine in Ethiopia, South Africans marching for the release of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Live Aid, Mother Teresa, Lech Walesa, Adolf Hitler, Ronald Reagan, Willie Nelson, Bob Geldof, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Jackie Kennedy, Coretta Scott King, Farm Aid, John Lennon & Yoko Ono,Jimmy Carter, Footage of the Rainbow Warrior, Scenes of the KKK.

  • Directed by: Don Wilson
  • An alternate version is featured in the movie Moonwalker (1988), in which excerpts from a live concert performance are interspersed into the historical video clips.

[edit] Another Part of Me (1988)

A video for the song was released in 1988, directed by Patrick Kelly. The video features Jackson performing the song live during the second leg of the Bad World Tour, with footage from the Paris and Wembley concerts.

  • Directed by: Patrick Kelly

[edit] Smooth Criminal (1988)

Currently there are four different versions of the video for "Smooth Criminal":

  • The Original Moonwalker Version - This is the version included in the Moonwalker film - while technically the whole short film is 39 minutes the actual "Smooth Criminal" song segment is approx. 10 minutes. It includes a middle section of interpretive dance with the dancers among other changes.
  • The "Moonwalker Version" - This version is included on History on Film, Volume II and is the song section of the "Smooth Criminal" segment from the film Moonwalker. It is essentially the same, however it has some minor changes including: different opening music and no dialogue, the middle section with the dancers chanting has been truncated (some of the chanting has been shortened) and ends at the point in the original where Michael exits the club with an added shot of one of the flappers fanning herself.
  • The Sped Up/Moonwalker Credits Version - This is commonly shown on music video stations, appears during the end credits for Moonwalker and was included on the "Visionary" single. It is essentially the "Smooth Criminal" video sped up, with an added blur effect, and some alternate angles. This version is also the version being sold in the iTunes Music Store
  • The Album Version - Also shown on some music video stations - it is the regular version of the video edited to be in sync with the original album version of the song. It excludes the added lyric, the middle section along with various other moments. However, commonly the Sped Up/Moonwalker Credits version is used rather than this version.

[edit] Added lyric

In the Moonwalker version of the song, two additional lyrics are contributed to the second verse. It is unknown why they were omitted from the final album version.

The two lyrics in italics were omitted:

So they came into the outway/ It was Sunday, what a black day/ Everytime I try to find him/ he's leaving no clues left behind him/ And they have no way of knowing/ of the suspect, or what to expect/ Mouth to mouth resuscitation/ Sounding heartbeats, intimidations

[edit] Anti-gravity lean

Smooth Criminal music video. Shows the anti-gravity lean as patented by Jackson.
Smooth Criminal music video. Shows the anti-gravity lean as patented by Jackson.
An image of U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452 filed by Jackson describing the anti-gravity lean.
An image of U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452 filed by Jackson describing the anti-gravity lean.

Perhaps the most famous aspect of the video was where Jackson and the dancers perform a forward lean. While the video version used special harnesses and ropes and magnets to achieve the lean it would be more obvious and inconvenient to rig this for a live performance. Accordingly, Jackson and his team had to come up with an alternative way to achieve the effect on stage. The anti-gravity lean technique was filed under United States patent law by Jackson in 1993,[12] and consists of the dancers wearing special shoes which can be locked down onto clips attached to the stage. These allow the performers to lean beyond their own centers of gravity.

The trick is over a century old, originating in Vaudeville shows, where it was known as simply "the lean". The Jackson patented version, U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452, uses a unique type of latch and a specially hidden support.

  • Directed by: Colin Chilvers
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Co-starring: Kellie Parker, Sean Lennon and Brandon Adams.
  • Awards:
  • Co-choreographer: Jeffery Daniel

[edit] Come Together (1988)

  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Part of the Moonwalker movie, although it was not released as a single.

[edit] Leave Me Alone (1989)

The music video for "Leave Me Alone" won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video at the Grammy Awards of 1990. The video was also featured in Moonwalker. In essence, the video is an amusement park consisting of stylistically crude images based around Jackson's successful career since 1982's Thriller. Consistent with the song's lyrical content, there is an emphasis on the tabloid view of Jackson's personal life and public image, referring to the nickname "Wacko Jacko" given to him by the press, and the various headlines associated with him in the 1980s. Controversially acknowledging the rumours that he had attempted to purchase the bones of the "Elephant Man", Jackson dances with stop motion "Elephant Man" bones in the video. This particular segment (without the image of the bones) was used for the single's cover art. At the end of the video, it is revealed that a gigantic Jackson himself is the amusement park. He breaks free, tearing the park to pieces.

[edit] Liberian Girl (1989)

The music video featured a vast number of famous people which some critcs suggested took attention away from the musical merit of the song.

[edit] Black or White (1991)

[edit] Synopsis

The music video for "Black or White" was first broadcast on MTV, BET, VH1, and FOX (after an episode of The Simpsons) on November 14, 1991. Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton, and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos. The video was directed by John Landis, the same director as Thriller.

The first few minutes of the video featured an extended version of the song's intro, in which a young kid (Macaulay Culkin) is playing loud music in his bedroom at night, and is yelled at by his enraged father (George Wendt), who demands he stops playing the music and go to bed. Culkin decides to forego his father's request to go to sleep by setting up large speaker cabinets behind his father's reclining chair, donning leather gloves and sunglasses, and playing an extremely loud power chord on an electric guitar. The sound shatters the house's windows and sends his father (seated in his chair) halfway around the world, where the actual song starts. Culkin's mother declares that his father will be "very upset" upon his return. The song from the CD does not use Culkin's nor Wendt's voice, but uses unknown voice actors (with similar voices) and a different intro. Wendt winds up in Africa, and Michael Jackson begins to sing "Black or White", surrounded by various different cultures scene-by-scene.

This intro is reminiscent of the video for Twisted Sister's song "We're Not Gonna Take It", which also features a father-son conflict over rock music.

[edit] Controversy

Controversy was generated concerning the last four minutes of the original music video. Jackson walks out of the studio as a black panther and then morphs into himself. Then he walks outside to dance in a similar way to "Billie Jean". This part contained sexually suggestive scenes when Jackson starts to grab his crotch, and then zips his pants up. In the original version, Jackson is seen smashing windows and destroying a car and causing an inn to explode. This destructive behaviour, however, was intended to imply a message of anti-racism and a later version had racist graffiti being destroyed to make the violence more understandable. Jackson later apologized saying that the violent and suggestive behaviour was an interpretation of the animal instinct of a black panther, and MTV and other music video networks removed the last four minutes from subsequent broadcasts.

To date, uncut version has generally only been seen in the United States on MTV2 between the hours of 01:00 and 04:00, as part of their special uncensored airing of the "Most Controversial Music Videos" of all time. The extended version is also available on Jackson's DVDs. The original version (without graffiti) is only available on the VHS cassette HIStory - The Video Greatest Hits. The DVD with the same name contains only the "graffiti version". The video was parodied by the sketch comedy TV show In Living Color, and by the band Genesis in their video for "I Can't Dance" in which Phil Collins imitates Michael's 'panther' fit in front of a stark white background. It was still shown in its entirety for some years in Europe. Indeed, it was seen on VH1 in the UK as recently as 2004, though most recent airings have omitted the last portion of the video, which also included a brief cameo by Bart and Homer Simpson before the "prejudice is ignorance" image. The version available in the iTunes Music Store contains neither the panther scene nor the Simpsons cameo, and is cut after the morphing sequence.

Starting in 1992, Nocturne Video Productions began playing the "Panther Segment" of the video as an interlude during Michael's Dangerous and HIStory World tours. The clip is 20 seconds shorter than the original with all the violence and the sexual-like crotch grabbing removed. However, the part where he re-zipped his fly (which was probably the key cause of the controversy of the music video) was kept in.

[edit] The video today

The video proper, still shown regularly today, featured a montage of sequences in which Jackson is choreographed engaging in dances among people of different cultures of the world (African, South-East Asian (most likely Thailand), Native American, Culture of India, Russian). Jackson walks through visual collages of fire (defiantly declaring "I ain't scared of no sheets; I ain't scared of nobody"), referring to KKK torch ceremonies before a mock rap scene shared with Culkin and other children. The group collectively states, "I'm not gonna spend my life being a color." At the end of the song, different people (including Tyra Banks) dance as they morph into one another (shown as "talking heads") , which is reminiscent of the earlier music video for the Godley & Creme song "Cry". This technique had only been previously used in films such as Willow and Terminator 2. The short, censored version continues to air periodically to this day.

[edit] Remember the Time (1992)

As for some of his past songs, the music video for "Remember the Time" was an elaborate production and became one of his longest videos at over 9 minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman, and Magic Johnson along with a distinct complex dance routine that became the centre piece of many other videos from the Dangerous album. It is his first on-screen kiss and is one of only a few videos where he is seen embraced in a kiss.

[edit] In the Closet (1992)

The song, written by Jackson and Teddy Riley, is about keeping a relationship between secret lovers. It was also Jackson's effort to silence critics who questioned his sexuality. In an attempt to squelch the rumors, the video, directed by Herb Ritts, features Jackson dancing suggestively with model Naomi Campbell. The song's female vocal was originally labeled "Mystery Girl" but was later revealed to be Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, though the vocal was originally meant for Madonna. Campbell sings the lyrics for the music video.

  • Directed by: Herb Ritts
  • Co-directed by: Michael Jackson
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Co-starring: Naomi Campbell
  • Choreographer(s): Michael Jackson and Karole Armitage.
  • The video was banned in some countries as it showed scenes of a sexual nature.

[edit] Who Is It (1992)

The music video for "Who Is It" was directed by David Fincher (Alien³, Panic Room, Fight Club and Se7en). The video is set in a neo-chrome blade-runner-like landscape, where surfaces reflect light and denote luxury in all its splendor. We see Michael Jackson as a suffering recluse who has come to the conclusion that his girlfriend is cheating. He finds a platinum business card with the name 'Alex' seemingly confirming that she is cheating with this person whose name is on the card. As the video progresses, we learn that the girlfriend is working for a secret exclusive billionaire-boys-club escort agency. Her identity and visual appearance is changed regularly, confirmed by the platinum business cards she presents to each client as the nights go on. This reveals that the name 'Alex' on the card found by Jackson is one of her aliases and is not a secret lover. When she senses that something is wrong and defies her employees to run back to Jackson's home to find him, she finds Jackson's assistant at the door who reveals that Jackson has left and probably for good. The assistant hands her a collection of her alias business cards revealing that her secret is out and that she has been exposed. Devastated, she is forced to return submissively back to her ruthless employees and continue on as a high class prostitute. The video ends with the ex-girlfriend being prepared for another client on a jet.

  • Directed by: David Fincher
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Co-starring: E'Casanova (Michael Jackson impersonator).

[edit] Jam (1992)

The music video for "Jam" takes place predominantly in an indoor basketball court, where Jackson teaches basketball legend Michael Jordan how to dance, and in return, Jordan teaches Jackson how to play basketball. Special effects have Michael Jackson throwing a basketball from a window and scoring in the hoop at the opposite end, as well as Jackson scoring by tossing the ball behind him and kicking the ball into the hoop with his heel. The extended versions of the video include Jackson teaching Jordan how to do the world famous moonwalk[13]. Kris Kross and Heavy D make cameo appearances. The video is available on the Dangerous - The Short Films DVD.

[edit] Heal the World (1992)

  • Directed by: Joe Pykta
  • Montage of footage of children around the world.

[edit] Give in to Me (1993)

The music video for "Give in to Me" features Michael Jackson performing the song on stage with former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Gilby Clarke, and Teddy Andreadis at an indoor rock concert. According to Jackson - when he was interviewed by Oprah - it was shot in just about 2 hours in Germany. Near the end of the clip, a pyrotechnics malfunction causes sparks to fly across the stage, making Jackson dance with the electric bolts running all over his body.

  • Directed by: Andy Moharan
  • Starring: Michael Jackson and Slash

[edit] Will You Be There (1993)

  • Directed by: Vincent Paterson
  • Footage of Michael Jackson's performance of the song during his Dangerous World Tour, and footage from the film Free Willy, to which this song was the theme.

[edit] Gone Too Soon (1993)

  • Directed by: Bill DiCicco
  • Montage of footage and images of Ryan White, who died in 1990 of AIDS, to whom the song is also dedicated.

[edit] HIStory Teaser (1995)

  • Directed by: Rupert Wainwright
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Short film about a parade and the unveiling of a huge statue looking like Michael Jackson. Also known as "Redeeming Eastern Europe".

[edit] Scream (1995)

"Scream" remains as one of Michael's most well-received music videos. Directed by Mark Romanek, the video has a heavy sci-fi theme which feature clips of anime (including Akira) and pop culture (such as Andy Warhol's self portrait). At a cost of $7,000,000 (unadjusted for inflation) this video is the most expensive music video of all time[14]. The "Scream" video went on to win several MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.

[edit] Childhood (1995)

The video for "Childhood", directed by Nick Brant, is of Michael in a forest as ships full of children float up in the air. Aside from its face value, the video has a distinct Peter Pan theme. The video was shot in 1995 in Sequoia National Park where Jackson and many children reenacted scenes from Peter Pan. The video was a short shoot and Michael Jackson's appearance seemed youthful and for the first time in many years, Jackson's hair was short in a music video.[15] The video never caught on like its partner single "Scream" and was not in the track line-up of the HIStory World Tour.

[edit] You Are Not Alone (1995)

The music video was controversial in that it featured an almost nude Jackson and his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley. In most prints of the video, scenes depicting Michael Jackson with angel wings were cut.

A screenshot from the video for "You Are Not Alone".
A screenshot from the video for "You Are Not Alone".

[edit] Earth Song (1995)

The song's music video depicts the Earth being destroyed by humans, and alludes to environmental and poverty issues in the world. The visuals present the destruction of rainforests by loggers, majestic animals killed by poachers, and a North American forest burnt to stumps. The video also shows the devastation of 1990s aggressions between Bosnia and Bosniaks returning to their shattered homes. The video's scene was recorded in Croatia, due to instability in Bosnia at the time. The video includes stock footage of the Serbian army shelling of Bosnian villages. In the end, Michael and all the suffering native peoples depicted cry, kneel, and dig into the dirt, which magically triggers the world to swirl backwards in time, returning everything to its original, peaceful state.

  • Directed by: Nicholas Brandt
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Awards:
    • Le Film Fantastique: Best Video
    • Genesis Award: 1995 Doris Day Music Award

[edit] They Don't Care About Us (1996)

The original music video for the song showed Jackson singing the song in a prison.[16] MTV took the video off its playlist because it showed scenes of violence.[16] Jackson and video director Spike Lee did another version of the video set in Brazil.[16]

Other sources claim that "The original music video, which was shot in March, on the streets of Salvador in Brazil was reportedly not 'entirely satisfactory' to Michael's liking, so a second music video, the 'Prison version', was made a week later. However ironically this new music video was banned in some countries due to complaints that it was too violent, and on both MTV and VH1 it was only allowed to be shown after the 9 o'clock watershed."[16]

However in recent years another version of the music video has appeared, which seems to be an unreleased cut of the Prison Version. This version contains even furtherly more violent footage than the released video, which includes scenes of the Holocaust, dead bodies, gunshot scenes and a kid throwing around a foot detached from a body. But however more brutal, this cut still censores the lyrics metioned above. The prisoners in the video seems to be singing along with the song in all choruses, where as in the released version, they only sing in one single chorus. It is unknown from where this cut originates, but it would appear to be an early cut, discharged almost immediately for its violent content.

The "Brazil version" of the "They Don't Care About Us" music video, featuring the Brazilian cultural group Olodum playing drums, can be found on the DVD HIStory on Film, Volume II, as well as on the DVD side of the Visionary single, which was released in 2006.

[edit] Prison version

[edit] Brazil version

  • Directed by: Spike Lee
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Co-starring: Olodum
  • Replaced the banned "Prison version".

[edit] Stranger in Moscow (1996)

The song's music video shows Jackson walking down a street while everything except himself and other primary subjects are moving in slow motion.

  • Directed by: Nicholas Brandt
  • Starring: Michael Jackson


2-Bad (1996)

-A music video was created for the single "2-bad"

-It was also included in the Ghosts movie.

[edit] Blood on the Dance Floor (1997)

The video starts with a knife being thrown into a wall and a pony-tailed Michael walking into a salsa club. A pretty woman in a red dress walks up to him then climbs up on the table and starts to dance. Michael smitten by this point sings about her. The video concludes with them dancing together and on the same note it started with a knife in the wall.

  • Directed by: Michael Jackson & Vincent Paterson
  • Starring: Michael Jackson
  • Awards:
    • Brazilian TVZ Video Awards: Best International Video of the Year

[edit] Ghosts (1997)

HIStory (Tony Moran's History Lesson remix) (1997) The music video features a party going on with many people dancing, their are many TV screens that show clips of michael Jacksons music videos.

[edit] You Rock My World (2001)

The music video for "You Rock My World" was premiered worldwide on September 21, 2001. The U.S. premiere was delayed until September 26 due to the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York.

Like many of Jackson's music videos, this one takes the form of a short film based on a story written by Michael Jackson and Paul Hunter. It follows a story in which Michael Jackson and Chris Tucker spot an attractive woman (played by Kishaya Dudley) and follow her into a nightclub (called the 'Waterfront Hotel' in reference to the famous film starring Marlon Brando, who plays the club's owner in this music video). Obviously, they are not wanted there, because it seems the woman already has a love interest (played by Michael Madsen). However, Jackson is determined to meet this woman.

Jackson serenades the woman with a song ("You Rock My World"), as well as performing his famous dance moves. He is then challenged to a fight by one of the regulars at the club (played by Billy Drago). When asked by Drago to "show me what you got," Jackson (backed by line dancers) pulls off a dance sequence choreographed by himself, Anthony "Tone" Talauega and Richmond Talauega. After the dance sequence Drago says to Jackson, "Is that all you got? You ain't nothin'", in response to this Jackson punches Drago, which elevates to a fire in the building. When he evacuates the building and meets up with the attractive woman of his lust, the two share an intimate moment before driving away in Tucker's car. The music video also stars one of Jackson's confidents, Frank Tyson (who only appears in one shot). The music video won a NAACP Image Award for Best Music Video in 2001. There is a short film version and music video version of the video, with the music video version being shorter. There is also a longer version of the video featuring more dialogue between Tucker and Jackson, along with various other changes available on the web. There is no word on whether or not this third version is official or a homemade edit from outtakes.

This music video was spoofed on MAD TV. In the spoof they included most of the original video's elements, such as Marlon Brando, and the fight. This time, however, Jackson (played by Aries Spears) is trying unsuccessfully to convince his friend that he likes women.

[edit] Cry (2001)

  • Directed by: Nicholas Brandt
  • Starring: Michael Jackson

[edit] One More Chance (2003)

A music video was to be released, and filming began on November 18, 2003, but was suspended after raids on Jackson's Neverland Ranch.[17] To replace the video, MTV used a video montage instead, showing clips of Jackson's older music videos plus some concert footage.

  • Starring: Michael Jackson

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wedding Thriller Dance. youtube.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  2. ^ Indian Thriller. youtube.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  3. ^ a b Michael Jackson, "Billy Jean:. blender.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  4. ^ Michael and MTV
  5. ^ Michael and MTV
  6. ^ Michael Jackson. vh1.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-22.
  7. ^ Why Are Michael Jackson's Fans So Devoted?. abcnews.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
  8. ^ Music videos changing places. abcnews.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  9. ^ History: 1990s. Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
  10. ^ Guinness World Records (2005). Guinness World Records 2006. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-02-4. 
  11. ^ The Union Hotel and Victorian Mansion in Los Alamos, California
  12. ^ US Patent number 5255452
  13. ^ "Jam" music Video @ YouTube
  14. ^ Most Expensive Music Videos Ever.
  15. ^ http://www.mjsingapore.com/MjS-MusicVideosPage.htm
  16. ^ a b c d Micahel Jackson > Videography. JacksonAction.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  17. ^ Michael Jackson's ranch searched. news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.