MICHAEL JACKSON
Penelope Poulou
Washington
31 October 2009
Four months after Michael Jackson's sudden death, a film on his final days has opened around the globe. The movie called "This Is It" will play for two weeks only but may be extended.
The film, part documentary part musical concert, is based on Jackson's rehearsals for his London stage performances. They were scheduled for July but canceled because of his untimely death.
Director, producer Kenny Ortega stitched together the 2-hour film from 120 hours of behind the scenes footage. "This is like a little backstage pass, a private peak into a creative process of a great genius," he says.
Jackson is electrifying. His moves are sharp. His musical sensibility flawless. His rhythm is so precise he's like a metronome.
According to Ortega, Jackson envisioned his concerts as his crowning achievement, the spectacle to end all spectacles. "We had new technology with video, costuming, lighting with sound, with pyrotechnics. I came to know very quickly that Michael liked things hotter, bigger, louder," he says.
The film shows Jackson in top shape. Immersed in his work, he was the creative spirit behind a supercharged production showcasing the hits of a lifetime.
People waited in line for hours, in the rain, outside a Washington DC movie theater, hoping for tickets to the only screening before the sold-out premiere.
They were not disappointed. On its opening day worldwide, the film topped the box office, raking in $66.6 million. But it's not only about money. The movie reaffirms Jackson's genius and gives a glimpse of his comeback, had there been one. Fan or no fan, one leaves the theater heartbroken at the loss.
MS. LENA HORNE was born Lena Mary Colhoun Horne on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, NY. Ms. Horne maintained a recording career that stretched from 1936 to 2000 and brought her three Grammys’, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989.
She appeared in over 16 feature films between 1938 and 1978. She performed occasionally on Broadway and won a Tony Award for her one-woman show: Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music.
Based in New York, she issued many RCA recordings including Stormy Weather and she sang with Harry Belafonte performing songs from Porgy and Bess.
On June 30th of this year, Lena Horne would have been 93 years old! She will be missed…