| Michael Jackson's Thriller | |
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 Title card | |
| Directed by | John Landis |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Vincent Price |
| Cinematography | Robert Paynter |
| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | |
Release date |
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Running time | 14 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000[2] |
Michael Jackson's Thriller is themusic video for the song "Thriller" by the American singerMichael Jackson, released on December 2, 1983. It was directed byJohn Landis, written by Jackson and Landis, and stars Jackson andOla Ray. It references numeroushorror films and has Jackson dancing with a horde ofzombies.
Jackson's sixth album,Thriller, was released in November 1982 and spent months at the top of theBillboard 200, backed by successful videos for the singles "Billie Jean" and "Beat It". In July 1983, afterThriller was displaced from the top of the chart, Jackson and his team decided to release "Thriller" as a single. Jackson hired Landis to direct the video after seeing his 1981 filmAn American Werewolf in London. It was filmed at various locations in Los Angeles, including thePalace Theater, with a budget much larger than previous music videos. Amaking-of documentary,Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, was produced to sell to television networks.
Michael Jackson's Thriller was launched to great anticipation and played regularly onMTV. It doubled sales ofThriller, helping it become thebest-selling album in history, and the documentary sold over a million copies, becoming the best-sellingVHS tape at the time. It is credited for transforming music videos into a serious art form, breaking down racial barriers in popular entertainment, popularizing the making-of documentary format and drivinghome video sales. The success made Jackson a dominant force in global pop culture.
Many elements ofMichael Jackson's Thriller have had a lasting impact on popular culture, such as the zombie dance and Jackson'sred jacket, designed by Landis's wife,Deborah Nadoolman. The video is closely associated withHalloween, and fans worldwide re-enact its zombie dance. It has been named the greatest video by various publications and readers' polls. In 2009,Michael Jackson's Thriller became the first music video inducted into the USNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress, which described it as the most famous music video of all time. It reached one billion views onYouTube in 2024.
In the 1950s,Michael Jackson and a young woman (Ola Ray) run out of gas while driving in a wooded area. They walk into the forest and the woman accepts Jackson's invitation to be his girlfriend. He warns her that he is "not like other guys", the full moon comes out and Jackson starts to feel uneasy and bends over, she asks him if he's alright and when he looks up he transforms into awerecat and attacks her.
In the present, Jackson and his girlfriend are watching the werecat film in a theater. The girlfriend leaves, scared by the film. Walking down a city street at night, Jackson teases her by performing the verses of "Thriller". They pass a graveyard, wherezombies rise from their graves and surround them in the street with nowhere to go with the zombies getting close to them. When she turns around and looks at him, Jackson becomes a zombie and dances with the horde.
Jackson and the zombies chase his girlfriend into an abandoned house. She screams and wakes up, realizing it was a nightmare. Jackson embraces her and takes her home, but turns to the camera and grins, revealing his werecat eyes.
TheThriller video makes many allusions tohorror films.[3] The opening scene parodies 1950sB-movies, with Jackson and Ray dressed as 1950s teenagers. The metamorphosis of the polite "boy next door" into a werecat has been interpreted as a depiction of male sexuality as bestial, predatory and aggressive. The criticKobena Mercer found similarities to the werewolf inThe Company of Wolves (1984).[3]
The zombie dance sequence corresponds with the lyric about amasquerade ball of the dead.[4] Jackson's makeup casts "a ghostly pallor" over his skin and emphasizes the outline of his skull, an allusion to the mask fromThe Phantom of the Opera (1925).[4] According to the academicPeter Dendle, the zombie invasion sequence was inspired byNight of the Living Dead (1968), and the video captures the feelings ofclaustrophobia and helplessness essential tozombie films.[5]
Jackson's albumThriller was released in November 1982 onEpic Records and spent months at the top of theBillboard 200.[6] It was backed by successful music videos for the singles "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", which are credited for raising creative standards for music videos and demonstrating their promotional power.[6]
In June 1983,Thriller was displaced from the top of theBillboard 200 chart by theFlashdance soundtrack. It briefly regained the position in July, before being displaced bySynchronicity by thePolice. Jackson urged the Epic executivesWalter Yetnikoff and Larry Stessel to help conceive a plan to return the album to the top of the charts.[6]
The horror-themed "Thriller" had not been planned for release as a single. Epic saw it as anovelty song;[7] Yetnikoff asked, "Who wants a single about monsters?"[6] Jackson's manager,Frank DiLeo, suggested making a music video, and recalled telling Jackson: "It's simple—all you've got to do is dance, sing, and make it scary."[6] According toVanity Fair, Jackson preferred "benign Disney-esque fantasies where people were nice and children were safe", which ensured the video would be "creepy-comical, not genuinely terrifying".[6]
In early August, after seeing his horror filmAn American Werewolf in London (1981), Jackson contacted the directorJohn Landis.[8] At the time, commercial directors did not direct music videos, but Landis was intrigued.[8] He wanted to make a theatrical short rather than a standard music video, and hoped to use Jackson's celebrity to return theatrical shorts to popularity.[9] Landis and Jackson conceived a short film shot on35mm film with the production values of a feature film, with a budget of $900,000, much larger than any previous music video.[6] Landis said the final video cost $500,000, around 10 times more than the average music video at the time.[2]
According to Landis, when he called Yetnikoff to propose the film, he swore so loudly he had to remove the phone from his ear.[6] Epic had little interest in making another video forThriller, believing it had peaked,[8] and agreed to contribute only $100,000.[6] Initially, television networks refused to finance the project, sharing the view thatThriller was "last year's news".[8]MTV, which had found success with Jackson's earlier videos, had a policy of not financing music videos, instead expecting record companies to pay for them. However, after the new channelShowtime agreed to pay half the budget, MTV agreed to pay the rest, justifying the expenditure as financing for a motion picture and not a music video.[8]
To help finance the production, Landis's producer,George Folsey Jr., suggested amaking-of documentary that, combined with the "Thriller" video, would produce an hour-long film that could be sold to television.[10] The documentary,Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, was directed by Jerry Kramer.[8] It includes home video footage of a young Jackson dancing and footage of his performances fromThe Ed Sullivan Show andMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.[8] MTV paid $250,000 for the exclusive rights to show the documentary; Showtime paid $300,000 for pay-cable rights.[6] Jackson covered additional costs, for which he was reimbursed.[6]Vestron Music Video offered to distributeMaking Michael Jackson's Thriller onVHS andBetamax; this was a pioneering concept, as most video cassettes at the time were sold to rental stores rather than directly to viewers. Vestron paid an additional $500,000 to market the cassettes.[11]
Jackson wanted to make a video in which he transformed into a four-legged beast, similarly to the transformation scene inAn American Werewolf in London. This idea was replaced with a two-legged monster, as this made it easier for him to dance.[8] Landis felt Jackson should become scary and creepy, but not ugly. He suggested that Jackson should become awerewolf in a 1950s setting, inspired by the 1957 filmI Was a Teenage Werewolf.[8] The makeup artistRick Baker decided to turn Jackson into awerecat as he did not want to create anotherwerewolf.[12] He initially imagined the werecat would resemble ablack panther, but added a longer mane and larger ears.[12]
According to Landis, the production involved the largest makeup team in film history up to that point, with 40 makeup artists.[9] His wife,Deborah Nadoolman, who had recently worked on the filmRaiders of the Lost Ark (1981), designed the costumes, includingJackson's red jacket.[6] She dressed Jackson in "hip", casual clothes that would be comfortable to dance in. She used red to contrast with the night setting and dark palette, and used the same color for Jackson's jeans to make him appear taller.[6]
Thriller was the first time Jackson had interacted with a woman in a video, which Landis described as a "breakthrough".Jennifer Beals turned down an offer to play Jackson's girlfriend.[6] According to Landis,Ola Ray, a formerPlayboy Playmate, was cast as she was "crazy for Michael" and had a "great smile".[6] Landis encouraged Jackson and Ray to improvise during their scenes,[8] and urged Jackson to act "sexy" and "show virility" for his female fans.[6] According to Ray, the chemistry between them was real and they shared "intimate moments" during the shoot.[6]
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Thriller was filmed at thePalace Theatre indowntown Los Angeles, the junction of Union Pacific Avenue and South Calzona Street in theBoyle Heights neighborhood (for the zombie scene), and 1345Carroll Avenue in theAngeleno Heights neighborhood ofEcho Park (for the final house scene).[13] The director of photography wasRobert Paynter, who had worked with Landis onTrading Places.[6] The zombie dance waschoreographed byMichael Peters, who had choreographed the "Beat It" video.[6]
Landis said directing Jackson was "like dealing with a gifted 10-year-old". He described Jackson as "emotionally damaged ... He was tortured, but he was happy-go-lucky for a lot of it. He worked very hard. He really was childlike."[9] Entertainment figures includingMarlon Brando,Fred Astaire,Rock Hudson andJackie Kennedy Onassis visited the set,[10] along with Jackson's parents,Joseph andKatherine Jackson. According to Landis, Michael asked Joseph to be removed, but he refused and was escorted off the set by police; Joseph denied this.[6]
Weeks before the premiere, Jackson, then aJehovah's Witness, was told by organization leaders that the music video promoteddemonology and that he would beexcommunicated. Jackson called his assistant,John Branca, and ordered him to destroy thenegatives.[6] The production team agreed to protect the negatives and locked them in Branca's office.[6] Branca mollified Jackson by suggesting they include a disclaimer at the start of the video stating that it did not reflect Jackson's personal convictions.[6]
In a statement published inAwake!, a magazine published by theWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Jackson said: "I just intended to do a good, fun short film, not to purposely bring to the screen something to scare people or to do anything bad. I want to do what's right. I would never do anything like that again." He said he had blocked further distribution and promotion of the film where he had been able.[14] In 2001, Jackson said he remained a Jehovah's Witness,[15] and the versions of the video onYouTube retains his disclaimer that it "in no way endorses a belief in the occult". However, according to multiple sources, Jackson ceased actively participating in church in 1987 after the video controversy.[16][17]
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On November 14, 1983,Thriller was shown to a private audience at theCrest Theater in Los Angeles. In attendance were celebrities includingDiana Ross,Warren Beatty,Prince andEddie Murphy. Jackson stayed in the projection booth, declining Ray's invitation to join the audience. The audience gave the film a standing ovation. At Murphy's insistence, it was played again.[6]
The video debuted on MTV alongside the documentaryMaking Michael Jackson's Thriller on December 2, 1983.[10][18] After each broadcast, MTV advertised when they would next play it, and recorded audience figures ten times the norm.[6] Showtime aired the video six times in February.[6] Within months,Making Michael Jackson's Thriller sold a million copies on VHS, more than any prior video release.[6] It went on to sell up to 10 million copies.[10][19]
As films required theatrical screenings to be eligible forAcademy Awards, Landis had the video played before screenings ofFantasia (1940) at a Los Angeles cinema, though it was not nominated.[10] The film criticsGene Siskel andRoger Ebert both gave the video a "thumbs down", criticizing its horror tropes.[20]
The video doubled sales of theThriller album,[6] which sold a million copies a week following the video debut[10] and became the bestselling album of all time.[6] At the1984 MTV Video Music Awards,Thriller won the awards forViewers Choice,Best Overall Performance andBest Choreography, and was nominated forBest Concept Video,Best Male Video andVideo of the Year.[21] The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture, and cemented his status as the "king of pop".[6] According to Landis, the response was "a surprise to everyone but Michael".[8]
In 1984, the National Coalition on Television Violence reviewed 200 MTV videos and classified more than half as too violent, includingThriller. The chairman,Thomas Radecki, said: "It's not hard to imagine young viewers after seeingThriller saying, 'Gee, if Michael Jackson can terrorize his girlfriend, why can't I do it too?'"[22]
TheThriller video sealed MTV's position as a major cultural force, helped disassemble racial barriers for black artists, revolutionized music video production, popularized making-of documentaries, and drove rentals and sales of VHS tapes.[10] Gil Kaufman of MTV described it as iconic and one of Jackson's most enduring legacies.[23] He said it was the "mini-movie that revolutionized music videos" and "cemented Jackson's status as one of the most ambitious, innovative pop stars of all time".[23]
The directorSpike Jonze describedThriller as a touchpoint for his work,[10] and the music video directorBrian Grant credited it as the turning point when music videos became a "proper industry".[10] The British directorTrudy Bellinger said prior videos had been more "performance-based", whereas "Thriller" was more cinematic.[10] Nina Blackwood, a former MTV executive, said music videos improved afterThriller, with more storylines and more intricate choreography; by comparison, earlier videos appeared "shockingly bad".[24]
Michael Jackson's Thriller was named the greatest video by MTV in 1999,[25] by VH1 in 2001,[26] and byTime in 2011.[27] Vinny Marino ofABC News said the video's selection by VH1 was a "no-brainer", and that it "continues to be considered the greatest video ever by just about everyone".[26] In 2009,Michael Jackson's Thriller became the first music video to be selected for theNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress,[28] which described it as "the most famous music video of all time".[29] TheNational Film Preservation Board coordinator, Steve Legett, said it had been considered for induction for years, but was chosen mainly due toJackson's death that year.[30] In a poll of more than 1,000 people conducted byMyspace in 2010, it was voted the most influential music video.[31]
Jackson'sred leather jacket became a fashion icon and has been widely emulated. In 2011, one of the two jackets worn by Jackson in the video sold at auction for $1.8 million.[32] "Thriller" has become closely associated withHalloween;[33][12] in 2016, US presidentBarack Obama and first ladyMichelle Obama danced to the song with schoolchildren at a White House Halloween event.[34] TheThriller dance is performed in major cities around the world. The largest zombie dance included 12,937 dancers, in Mexico City.[6] The annualThrill the World event aims to have people in cities around the world perform the dance.[35]
Michael Jackson's Thriller is popular onYouTube, which hosts reenactments of the dance. AYouTube video of more than 1,500 prisoners performing the dance attracted 14 million views by 2010.[6] In September 2024,Michael Jackson's Thriller became the fourth Jackson video to reach one billion YouTube views after "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "They Don't Care About Us".[36]
In 2017, remastered versions ofThriller (in 3D) and the documentary were played at the 74th annualVenice Film Festival.[37]Thriller was also screened at theToronto International Film Festival,[38] followed by a US premiere at theGrauman's Chinese Theatre.[39] It was remastered inIMAX 3D for a limited engagement in 2018, preceding screenings ofThe House With a Clock in Its Walls in North America for its first week.[40] In 2009, Jackson sold theMichael Jackson's Thriller rights to theNederlander Organization to stage aBroadway musical based on the video.[41] In 2024,Netflix,Universal Pictures andIllumination released an animated short,Sing: Thriller, that combinesThriller with characters from the animated film franchiseSing.[42]
In 2009, Landis sued Jackson in a dispute overroyalties for the video, saying Jackson had failed to pay him 50% of the proceeds.[43] The lawsuit was settled in 2012 for an undisclosed amount. In 2013, Landis said: "My deal was with Michael's company and Michael's company was mismanaged ... I was suing him for 14 years."[9] Ray sued Jackson's estate for unpaid royalties in May 2009, one month before his death. In 2013, she settled for $75,000.[44] The 2009 video gamePlants vs. Zombies byPopCap Games contained enemies resembling the zombie Jackson untilJohn Branca and John McClain (executors of Jackson's estate) objected in 2010.[45]
| Year | Category | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Best Video Album | Won | Making Michael Jackson's Thriller |
| Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Best Overall Performance in a Video | Won |
| Best Choreography (Michael Peters) | Won | |
| Viewer's Choice | Won | |
| 1999 | 100 Greatest Music Videos of all Time[46] | Won |
TVG: How did you avoid self-destruction? MJ [Michael Jackson]: I think religion entered in? TVG: Are you still a Jehovah's Witness? MJ: Yeah.
In 1987, he left the Jehovah's Witnesses. There was strong opposition to his "Thriller" video on the part of some Witnesses. Perhaps the controversy figured into his decision to leave. But I don't know that for a fact because I didn't talk to him about what he'd done. I couldn't. Witnesses do not discuss spiritual matters with a person who has disassociated himself from the Witnesses, including family members. But I want to stress that, contrary to published reports, I was not required to "shun" my son. Our relationship is as loving today as it was when he was a Witness. I just can't ask him, "Why, Michael?"
Indeed, one can chart Michael's personal decline to the time when he left the church.
