Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Thriller was a 14 minute short film/music video for Michael Jackson's song, Thriller, and was released in 1983. Michael had chosen director John Landis for this project because Michael liked what he had done for his film, An American Werewolf in London, and so the two began working together. Thriller broke out on MTV and fans went crazy. It was something different for the time, and quickly became known as "one of the best music videos of all time". It scored a Grammy in 1985, and several MTV Awards as well over the next few years. Along the same note, it was also considered the most expensive music video of the time, costing $1,000,000 to make. So, really, it just makes sense that they'd work a deal to release a "making of" video to help recoup some of the budget costs.

Videos like Thriller kept me interested in MTV back in the 80's, where the majority of the videos shown were so bubblegum and had downright poor direction, (in my opinion). When they released Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS, I had one of those "have to have it" moments, and I was blown away. The amount of work that went behind this Thriller video amazed me, but what I enjoyed more than anything was getting a little glimpse at Michael Jackson as a person. He was both childlike and playful when the director's cameras weren't rolling, and all-business when they were. It became a film I couldn't sit through without grinning at his and Landis's playful antics. Now that Michael has passed away, right now copies of this video are at insane prices because for the moment, it is considered collectible. When it first came out, it was the top-selling home video of all time, selling over 9 million copies (it also earned a Grammy itself), and it wasn't expensive at all. But, now I've seen it ranging in price from $100 to $500, so it might be a few years before the prices start to trickle back down in the reasonable level (before Michael's passing, they could be found for $10 or less). But, if you are a die-hard fan and the price tags don't scare you (and you actually have a working VCR), this video can still be found on auction sites like eBay.

Making Michael Jackson's Thriller runs for an hour and it is a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the work that went into making the short film/music video of the same name (this one was directed by Jerry Kramer). Some of the people and names featured that I recognized are: Michael Jackson (of course), John Landis the director (Animal House, Blues Brothers), Ola Ray (the girl on this "date from hell"), Michael Peters the choreographer, and Rick Baker, the makeup and prosthetics guru. But, this film covers a little more than the Thriller short film, it also talks about and features music from songs like Beat It, Can You Feel It, and more. Thriller (the short film/music video) is shown on here, but the rest of the content is what makes this film a must-see.

The film is made up in little chapter sections. The Fans shows a lot of the crowds that had gathered while they were filming in East L.A. and there's a lot of praise of Michael. In this section, there are interviews with several of the fans. It's fairly short and leads us to In the Beginning which features an interview of Michael and Landis and discusses how they came to work together. It's pretty interesting and there are some humorous moments as well between the two of them throughout the film, and this project started the little "tradition" Landis kept up later on (the Flipping-Upside-Down-of-the-Superstar). It amazed me that they were both two big names and neither really knew much about the other prior to working together, as far as their collective works go. (Look for a small clip of young Michael Jackson and his brothers singing Who's Loving You. Also shown are, Beat It and a favorite of mine, the full version of Can You Feel It. Songs: Off the Wall)

One of the coolest features is the interview with Rick Baker. He was the prosthetics and makeup artist for the Thriller short, but has worked on scores of films such as Harry & the Hendersons, Planet of the Apes, The Ring, Hellboy, and many more. He's really talented, and in this film, we get a behind the scenes look at the masks he made for this project, as well as the process of making them. I didn't know before seeing this film, but it was a very long process because of the metamorphosis from human to werewolf and Michael actually sat through it all, on request. It definitely, more than anything, gave me more respect for the Thriller video, because the level of detail that went into these costumes and masks is unbelievable, and the time invested is amazing. There are other extras in this section as well which leads to The Graveyard, a "chapter" that talks about (and shows them) filming the graveyard scenes.

There are a lot of other behind the scene bits of the actual filming of different scenes before going to The Rehearsal. In this section, we get to see a little more of Michael Peters who was the choreographer who Michael worked with. Peters was chosen because of the work they did together on Beat It. But, for the Michael Jackson fans, this section shows the dance rehearsals of the well known zombie dance, featuring, of course, Michael and his backup dancers (sans makeup)(Clips: Billie Jean Motown 25th Anniversary Performance)

The last tidbit I'll leave you with is a section that shows more of Ola Ray and her experiences with filming the short. There are some great interactions between her and Michael in rehearsal in this section that are worth viewing.  (Songs: P.Y.T., Working Day & Night, Thriller)

The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller is way too short for me. I was also hoping that when the 25th Anniversary edition of Thriller came out, that this film would get a re-edit and remastered to DVD (maybe feature some more clips that didn't make the cut), but sadly, it hasn't happened. But still, even on VHS, and even though it only lasts an hour, this film is a gem. The video Thriller, when it first came out, was one of a kind, and I feel the same about this film. There are a lot of shots that show the creativity of Landis, Jackson, and Baker, and this film would be a good one for fans of any of the three because of that. There is plenty of humor in the film, and even music video clips and several of Michael's songs, so it's far from boring. If you're even remotely a fan of Michael Jackson or the short film, Thriller, this video is definitely a must-have and I would recommend it to you. If you are a fan of special effect makeup use in film (or, like me, a fan of Rick Baker specifically), then this would probably be of an interest as well because of the coverage of the "werewolf-making" process, and I would recommend it to you as well. It's one of the best "making of" films I've seen to date (second to Inside the Labyrinth because I am a huge Jim Henson and Brian Froud fan), and I think it's worth going out and buying a VCR just to watch.


Other Films You May Enjoy:

Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson Moonwalker (VHS)
Michael Jackson Video Greatest Hits: HIStory
Michael Jackson Video Greatest Hits: HIStory on Film Volume II
Michael Jackson Dangerous: The Short Films
Michael Jackson: Number Ones
Michael Jackson Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour (Concert)
Michael Jackson Live in Japan (Concert, the Bad tour) 


Music:

Michael Jackson: This Is It
Michael Jackson: Number Ones


Books:

The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation 
Moonwalk by Michael Jackson

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12