This was obviously going to be a part of my Halloween Special. This music video is monumental, it's iconic, it's the one everyone still talks about today! My blog has been going for over five years, and it shocks even me that I have never reviewed this music video, actually I don't think I've ever watched it from start to finish before today. But now, it's time to redeem my blog by making sure this gets reviewed, and what better way than being a part of my Halloween Special? Michael Jackson turns into a werewolf and a zombie in this "Thriller" music video, but is it all just in her head?
Michael Jackson, what am I meant to say about THE Michael Jackson? He's a total legend, everyone knows who he is and he definitely shaped music as it is today. Surprisingly, this song didn't chart as well in the UK as it did everywhere else as well as his other singles. It got to number 10 in the UK and has yet to peak higher than that, regardless of the multiple entries in the UK chart. The song will forever appear on Halloween playlists and is always the first song people think of regarding Halloween. "Thriller" was written by Rod Temperton. It was originally called "Starlight", but through many transformations, it became the title it is now.
Michael Jackson had a vision for this music video, having seen 'An American Werewolf In London', he wanted the director of the movie to be the director of his music video. John Landis agreed. The love interest is played by actress Ola Ray.
We watch as a car runs out of fuel, Michael Jackson and Ola Ray start to walk home. He asks her to be his girl and gives her a ring to make it official. That's when he admits that he's not like other guys; he next transforms into a werewolf and chases after the girl.
The scene changes to modern-day with Michael Jackson and Ola Ray in the cinema, watching the previous scene. She leaves the cinema because she's not enjoying it. Michael Jackson follows her out and starts to sing the opening verse, whilst dancing around her.
They walk past a graveyard; this is when Vincent Price's vocal part kicks in and we watch skeletons rise from their graves, almost like zombies. They catch up with Michael Jackson and Ola Ray circling them.
This is where Michael Jackson turns into a zombie and the iconic dance scene begins. This is completely flawless from start to finish. The choreography really focuses on the storyline and makes it relatable. Everyone is in sync and it's more than perfect.
Ola Ray runs into a house and shuts the door but that doesn't stop the zombies from coming in and chasing her. Zombie Michael Jackson closes in. But the next moment, he's back to normal and there are no zombies. Ola Ray calms down and gets off the couch, allowing Michael Jackson to take her into his arms. What she doesn't see is Michael Jackson looking back at the camera and his eyes gleam yellow. He surely isn't like other guys.
The ending was recreated for Britney Spears' epic video for "I Wanna Go". The iconic dance scene has been covered plenty of times. This video as a whole has got it all, and it is definitely one of the best music videos ever made. It's got a great narrative, a brilliant performance piece, and an eerie ending that you can't help but love!
My Halloween Special isn't all about the new Halloween songs, old ones have to totally be included as well. Although I am more of a fan of the more recent version of this song by Beatfreakz, which is also called "Somebody's Watching Me", there is just something more haunting about the original. The song features Michael Jackson singing the chorus, with Jermaine Jackson provides backing vocals. Rockwell arrives home thinking that "Somebody's Watching Me" inside his house. He envisions items and people, turning it into a very paranoid music video.
Rockwell, real name Kennedy Gordy, is the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy. He had a short-lived career in the 80's, releasing three albums and ten singles. This debut single is his biggest hit, possibly because of the featured vocals of Michael Jackson as well as the backing vocals from Jermaine Jackson. The song hit the UK charts at number six, but Beatfreakz did better by hitting number three in the UK. In the US, Rockwell hit number two with this song. But got to the top spot in Spain and Belgium. The song was written by Rockwell.
The music video is low-budget and directed by Francis Delia. It's a complete narrative with a short performance piece embedded within.
Rockwell arrives home to discover his house has become haunted. He envisions various things, from his dog being a mutant pig, to someone watching him in the shower. It's relatable from start to finish.
The star is really not having the best time in his house. Even the people on the TV come up to the screen and watch him. There's also this freakish butler who appears in the background of the thumbnail. He also envisions himself buried in the graveyard, as well as various other spooky things.
This is inspired by the film 'Psycho', but the visions is reminiscent of 'The Dead Zone'. The haunted house theme is a classic Halloween storyline that always manages to scare. Michael Jackson, unfortunately, doesn't appear in the music video, regardless of the fact that he provides the vocals for the chorus, neither does Jermaine Jackson.
The ending of the video leaves it on quite the cliff-hanger, maybe his visions were all leading up to this point. It's a great low-budget music video that has everything we could possibly need. The singing in the shower performance piece isn't so engaging and feels a little too fake and Rockwell is totally not comfortable being filmed in the shower.
Justice has become my Sunday Revisit, I previously reviewed "We Are Your Friends" and I really, really wanted to review this music video, so I'm glad I'm getting the chance. Justice are a French band consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. They have had a few hits, and managed to hit the UK a couple of times. But only fairly recently people have started listening to them, and with new songs coming out soon, I cannot wait to see if they chart well, I presume they will.
"D.A.N.C.E." was written by Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, it samples Britney Spears featuring Madonna's "Me Against The Music". It also recites a lot of Michael Jackson songs such as "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", "Black And White", "Workin' Day And Night", "Whatever Happens" and the Jackson 5's song "ABC". It charted at number 48 on the UK chart, which is quite low considering.
This music video is incredibly different to what is about at the moment. I don't think I've seen anything like it, however some parts do remind me of videos I have seen before, but none of them come to mind. I also didn't expect it either.
There is a lot of t-shirts, and clearly a lot of editing went into this music video, it's hard to believe that we actually don't see any heads at all, unless they sneak one in by accident. Some of the t-shirts are amazing, and it is really clever how they have done this video, I can't even describe it all that much.
There is a lot of words used in this video, which I always like as then I don't have to search the Internet for lyrics, but I can understand how others hate them as they are on the annoying side, and it's difficult to make them look appealing, however I believe Justice have tried their best with them, making comical animations that fit in with the words, which is quite risky, but actually works.
Overall a great song, a shocking video, and the most amazing t-shirts I have ever seen, my favourite has to be the zips when they zip up the t-shirt, that just makes me laugh and confused at the same time. I'm dropping a star off purely because it has very little link with the video, but that really is the only reason.
So as you all may already know, I am not into rap music at all, I can appreciate the music, but it's just not for me. So I leave rap music to my brother, CamCam, who my randomiser decided to pick today. So CamCam chose this music video, and I've been worried about doing it since it's not my sort of music, but here goes.
Lil Wayne, real name Dwayne Carter, Jr., has been around since 1992, he has had many hit singles all over the world, and have recently been quiet here in the UK, but now he is back, and is pretty strong about it too. This song comes with a collaboration with Bruno Mars, real name Peter Hernandez, who is very hot right now, which is probably why this became a hit single. Bruno Mars has a very successful career ahead of him, and I don't see him disappearing anytime soon.
"Mirror" was written by Dwane Carter, Jr., Peter Hernandez, Phillip Lawrence and Ramon Owen. This got to number 17 on the UK chart and it is his biggest selling single in the UK to date (was that due to the help of Bruno Mars?). Lil Wayne gets a bit personal with his rapping, he raps about his father: "Lookin' at me now I can see my past. Damn, I look just like my fuckin' dad." and also raps about Michael Jackson: "And no message could have been any clearer, so I'm starting with the man in the mirror," "MJ taught me that.".
The music video is surprisingly good, and pretty different to other rap music videos available. Lil Wayne is obviously painting something from the very beginning and you kind of wonder what this masterpiece will be. Surely it can't amass to anything. Bruno Mars' involvement is very little, he's just standing around as if he was admiring the finished painting.
I like how Lil Wayne is just throwing paint here there and everywhere, I really doubt he actually made that painting at the end, it just doesn't seem possible, but for all I know, he might have created it. The painting is of Lil Wayne on a crucifix with a microphone in his hand, behind him is a face and clouds and lightning coloured in red. It's quite a surprising and revealing painting, but definitely one that took quite a lot of time to make (but did Lil Wayne really do it, or was an artist brought in?)
Overall a great music video, and although this isn't the sort of song I listen to, I can see how personal it is to Lil Wayne. There's not a lot I can say about the video, but it is very interesting, although not a lot is going on. Does it link in with the song? To a verifying degree, yes, and so it is worthy of this rating.
