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eel
the
reeldealby Sean O'COnnell
‘This Is It’
O'COnnell
Grade: HHH1/2 out of 4
MPAA Rating: PG for some suggestive
choreography and scary images
Cast: Michael Jackson
Genre: Documentary
Studio: Sony Pictures
Our “Rewind” column reviews home
video titles available for rent or purchase
that hit the shelves in the past
few weeks.
‘Orphan’ (Blu-ray)
It’s a common theme in
the horror genre: strangers
entering a safe haven
so they can terrorize victims
while their guards are
down. In the psychological
disturber “Orphan,” the
notion’s tweaked a bit so
that evil is invited into the
REWINDREWIND
by Sean O’Connell
sean@thecharlotteweekly.com
Knowing what we know, it’s eerily prescient
hearing Michael Jackson giddily proclaim, “This
is it, the final curtain call,” during the March 5
press conference to announce his 50-show, farewell
stint in London’s O2 Arena.
The King of Pop would pass away on June 25,
three weeks before the first planned concert.
Kenny Ortega’s accidental documentary “This Is
It” cobbles exclusive, up-close footage into a keepsake
treasure chest for a show that would never be.
It’s a splashy souvenir, a high-concept greatest-hits
package. More important, it’s a ferociously entertaining
send-off for the musical icon, a coda that
permits Jackson’s legacy to end on a high note.
Ortega’s spectacular documentary honors Jackson’s
spirit with a dynamic party, an outright jam.
It’s quite possibly the greatest concert film dedicated
to a concert that didn’t happen. Yet Ortega,
a longtime choreographer who served as Jackson’s
creative partner for the program, dutifully constructs
Jackson’s epic vision for the London shows
from candid interviews, pre-produced video segments
and polished rehearsal footage.
The musical documentary essentially sprints
through Jackson’s catalogue, joyously celebrating
his artistry, command and unparalleled
showmanship at each stop.
Backed by world-class dancers,
singers and musicians – all of
whom gush over the influential
artist in heartfelt interviews – the
50-year-old Jackson looks light
years away from his death bed as
home by tormentees Vera Farmiga and
Peter Sarsgaard.
They’re the distraught parents who
adopt the seemingly innocent Esther
(Isabelle Fuhrman) after suffering a
miscarriage. “Orphan” director Jaume
Collet-Serra establishes an uncomfortable
mood with nightmarish dream
sequences and the threat of a supernatural
danger. But most of that fades
once its revealed that Esther’s not a
demon, just a demonic
and manipulative little
brat with the mouth of
a sailor and the vicious
disposition of a maximum-security
prisoner.
Her goal isn’t to haunt,
but to drive a wedge
between her new parents,
murder her adoptive siblings
and, if she plays her
he tears through the sophisticated choreography
and driving beats of “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,”
“Beat It,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”
and “Thriller.”
“This Is It” spends most of its time onstage.
Lovely renditions of “Human Nature” and “Man
In the Mirror” suggest Jackson’s vocals were
approaching concert shape. Because Ortega has
captured rehearsals, we hear Jackson singing every
other word on the fast-tempo tracks so he can concentrate
on his dance steps. A perfectionist, Jackson
occasionally halts the production numbers
to emphasize little marks he and his crew need
to hit. “This is why we rehearse,” he repeatedly
says, not with anger but love for the process of
creating art. That enthusiasm also shines through
as he collaborates with musical director Michael
Bearden on a slower arrangement for “The Way
You Make Me Feel” (which sounds amazing).
Yet Jackson must have understood his limitations,
for he’s quick to restrain himself from going
all out in rehearsals when he knows a monthslong
stint is on the horizon. After he finally lets his
vocals soar for a tender duet with Judith Hill on “I
Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” Jackson immediately
regrets letting his guard down, stating he needs to
save that energy for the fans. But Bearden quickly
commends the singer for feeling the song’s rhythm
and riding it.
For everyone involved, these concerts were a
labor of love. That’s why “It” lacks one crucial element
– a proper ending. The audience knows what
the performers onstage do not, that Jackson’s death
cards right, knock her recovering-alcoholic
mommy off
the wagon.
Warner’s Blu-ray release
of “Orphan” has its ups and
downs. Collet-Serra’s snowbound
cinematography looks
crisp and chilly on screen.
But the audio mix buries crucial
bits of whispered conversation
while amplifying the
violin screeches intended to
jolt you out of your chair.
A disappointing alternate ending
kicks off the extra features, which
round out with a digital copy of the
film and the featurette “Mama’s Little
Devils: Bad Seeds and Evil Children,”
a discussion about satanic, cinematic
children.
HH out of 4 / MPAA rating: R
abruptly pulls the plug on what looked to
be a spectacular production, and all of
the hard work, imagination and creativity
poured into “This Is It” dissipates into
thin air. Reactions from Ortega and some
of the musicians who shared a history with
Jackson could have given the film a sense
of closure, as opposed to the herky-jerky
non-ending we instead receive.
That’s not Ortega’s point, however. And
in reality, too much already has been made
of Jackson’s passing. “This Is It” gives Jackson’s
fans a hint of the performer’s fantastic
final concert. In doing so, he has left
them with a fantastic concert movie. q
‘Night of the Creeps’
(Blu-ray)
My wife, bless her
heart, doesn’t understand
my passion for
Fred Dekker’s “Night
of the Creeps.” Not
that I made the most
convincing case after a
recent screening – her
first, and roughly my
51st. I fell in love with
this horror-comedy hybrid as a teenager,
when unrequited adoration for
silly cinema seemed easier. Sometimes
that’s the only explanation necessary.
Of course I recognize the film’s
warts 23 years after its release. The
laughable alien puppets that launch an
experimental race of slugs toward our
planet. The stir these wormy creatures
(more on page 37)
HHHH Instant ClassIC | HHH Worth Your $8 | HH rental, at Best | H BomB
Tune in to WBTV News 3 every Friday morning during the 5 o’clock hour for Sean’s weekly movie review segment and read his reviews at www.thecharlotteweekly.com.
Page 36 • Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2009 • South Charlotte Weekly
www.thecharlotteweekly.com