Michael Jackson: Thriller

IMDb RATING
8.7/10
20K
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Michael Jackson, Jack Bricker, Tony Gardner, and Cynthia Garris in Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)

A night at the movies turns into a nightmare when a hoard of bloodthirsty zombies attacks Michael and his date - only a "Thriller" can save them now.A night at the movies turns into a nightmare when a hoard of bloodthirsty zombies attacks Michael and his date - only a "Thriller" can save them now.A night at the movies turns into a nightmare when a hoard of bloodthirsty zombies attacks Michael and his date - only a "Thriller" can save them now.

    • Awards
      • 11 wins & 3 nominations total

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    More than a great video, it represents a revolution. Because each detail is just perfect, from amazing choreography to the genius of storytelling, beautiful special effects, humor and the clue and, off course, Michael Jackson himself, giving not only an unique show but a seductive acting demonstration. So, just a revolution. Changing everything in the industry of pop but, more important, in the perspective of the viewer about total show.
    "Thriller" is brilliant. It is a long video, but simply brilliant nonetheless. The song itself is...excellent...add Michael JAckson dancing and you have a golden Phenomenon. Out of all the videos I have ever seen, this is the best. If you have not seen the video yet, then I urge you...

    The special effects are amazing for it's time... everything from the wearwolf transformation to the idea of these creepy zombies slowly raising from their graves is grand...spookishly grand that is. Vicent Price has his segment of bone-shivering lines...known simply as "the rap" Ola Ray does good as Michael's girl, and Michael JAckson himself...the dancing, and singing (although not during the video itself) is unmatched...

    10/10.
    The music video that started all music videos. The one that made history. The one that is still the best one today. The one that will live on for generations forever. Truly beyond iconic
    The stars and the planets must've all been in just the proper alignment, the day that THRILLER was conceived. Michael Jackson's album was slaying the charts, John Landis still had a lot of good will built up from his genre pic "An American Werewolf In London", (not to mention his classic comedies ANIMAL HOUSE and THE BLUES BROTHERS) and choreographer Michael Peters was creating some of the most innovative and influential pieces for music videos of that period.

    Not before or since has one single piece of film illuminated, exploited or underscored MJ's incredible talent or the more "otherworldly" aspects of his persona quite like THRILLER, the world's most successful (if not officially the first) long-form video, and the most fondly remembered. Also the most expensive at the time, but every penny and every bit of the talent behind its creation and execution is up there on the screen. And how would it not be complete without the "rap" from the original song, provided by the late, great Vincent Price, to add even more cache to the chills already there?

    The glory days of one of the world's greatest performers have long since passed, but no one can ever take away the man's towering achievements, of which this is probably the most memorable. If you don't think so, now, remember: Halloween is coming. I won't be one bit surprised when, like other Halloweens before it going back decades, this appears on some Saturday Night Creature Feature special.

    As it will next year, and the year after that...
    Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983) has to be the greatest video ever made. Dude you have Zombies, gore and a catchy tune, what more can you ask for. John Landis mixed elements from Night of the Living Dead and American Werewolf in London and out came this video. What starts out as a nice evening for a young couple turns into a date from hell, literally. You have dancing zombies, a werewolf in a funky jacket and Vincent Price "rapping". A cool video to a song that everybody in the neighborhood marked out to.

    I have to give this one a high recommendation because it has to be the best music video ever made. There hasn't been another one like it.

    Check out the "making of Thriller". The documentary has some "interesting" stuff in it.

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      In December 2009, the Library of Congress selected the video for the National Film Registry. It was the first music video to be selected.
    • Goofs
      In one scene, Michael's right "cat's eye" contact lens is askew and not in straight.
    • Quotes

      Narration: Darkness falls across the land / The midnight hour is close at hand / Creatures crawl in search of blood / To terrorize y'all's neighbourhood / And whosoever shall be found / Without the soul for getting down / Must stand and face the hounds of hell / And rot inside a corpse's shell. / The foulest stench is in the air / The funk of 40,000 years / And grizzy ghouls from every tomb / Are closing in to seal your doom / And though you fight to stay alive / Your body starts to shiver / For no mere mortal can resist / The evil of the thriller.

    • Crazy credits
      During the closing credits, a reprise of the zombies dancing is shown. At the end of the credits, they all dance back into their graves, with one of them gruesomely grimacing at the screen.
    • Alternate versions
      In 2017, it was remastered from the original 35mm negative and converted into 3D under John Landis' supervision. The audio was also updated to 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos standards.The remastered 3D version first premiered at the 74th Venice Film Festival on September 4th, 2017 alongside the 'Making Of' documentary.In 2018 it was further remastered by IMAX and preceded screenings ofThe House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) - a 2D version was also submitted for classification in the UK.

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    Details

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $1,100,000 (estimated)
    • Runtime
      • 13m
    • Color
    • Sound mix
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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