Michael Jackson - Thriller
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!
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