Michael Jackson Deluxe: The Making of “Thriller”: 4 Days/1983
Michael Jackson Deluxe: The Making of “Thriller”: 4 Days/1983
“The photographs in this book freeze the incandescent moment when a young man from Gary, Indiana, rocketed to superstardom. Douglas Kirkland has captured Michael Jackson in all his brilliance, giving his all to his artistry. His music and his moves are eternal .” -from the Introduction by Nancy Griffin. Celebrated photographer Douglas Kirkland was the only photographer allowed on the set of the groundbreaking video “Thriller” in 1983. For four extraordinary days, Kirkland observed and photographed Michael Jackson and the cast and crew, documenting his transformation from a shy, private person to the beloved, larger-than-life performer and star. With his trademark ability to capture i
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Michael Jackson: Before He Was King
Product Description Photographer Todd Gray worked with Michael Jackson for several years before Jackson requested that he become his personal photographer, a relationship that would encompass the singer’s performances with the Jacksons through the release of his smash solo albums Off the Wall and Thriller. This collection of unseen, intimate, and joyful pictures of Michael taken over a span of 10 years reveal him at home, with his family and fans, in career-making live performances, and the on the “Beat It” video shoot. A young black man not much older than Jackson at the time they met, Gray brings unique insights to his time with the singer, contributing stories and context to the images, presenting a rare, intimate portrait of Jackson at
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Great photos, unwelcome commentary,
Jackson fans will surely want this volume for their collections, with the behind the scenes photos of the making of the Thriller short film. True, many are still shots that can be seen in action contained within “The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller” home video, but many are seen here for the first time. What is disappointing and keeps tis from being a truly “5 star” volume is the random and unnecessary commentary from Nancy Griffin, whose discomfort with the king of pop taints the volume from the beginning. She is a journalist by trade, but yet says “whether Michael Jackson was a victim or a perpetrator in his later years, we will never know”. Hey, journalist, how about doing some reserach and reading the trial transcripts, and then you’ll have your answer! She also says “one thing we know for sure, he did not find happiness”. So, there is definitely judgement cast by Griffin, but at least her comments are contained almost entitely within the Introduction – fans will move on quickly.
Elsewhere, Douglas Kirkland makes the comment “What a waste!” in reference to the suggestion that co-star Ola Ray seemed interested in Michael because Michael “wasn’t wired that way”, and the reader is left to interpret this for themselves.
Finally, I always wonder why “experts” on Jackson’s career imply that it was all down hill after Thriller, when even a quick survey of history will tell you that his most popular days, best selling tours, and subsequent new world records in number one songs were still a few years away. What certainly was “all down hill” after Thriller was the media’s handling of Michael Jackson. It is but too bad the volume is tainted with some unnecessary speculation, but its value is as a photographic time capsule of a very significant event in music history.
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|A “thrilling” visual orgasm…,
Starting from the lenticular cover showing Michael as man and zombie, the book invites you to remember, reminisce, dream about Michael back in 1983. This is the Michael I fell in lust with, that teenage crush I had at age 15. I hated Ola Ray, that lucky girl. This book brings me back to those schoolgirl, jealous twinges again. The pictures of Michael and Ola Ray flirting behind the scenes. Ahhhh….
The book is colorful and engaging. The little notes about what was going on were informative, but I admit I bought the book for the lovely pictures of Michael. It also gives location information which I love as I like to travel around LA following Michael’s footsteps. IMO, it had too many costume pictures, I want the more natural, movie theater scene Michael, before the zombie and werewolf pictures, like the ones outside of the Palace Theater in downtown LA, but I know this book encompasses the whole 4 days.
Please, buy the book, BUT please do not read the unnecessary, and I feel derogatory opinions/beliefs of the person who wrote the introduction, Nancy Griffin. Why the author, Douglas Kirkland added this in this otherwise perfect visual orgasm of a book is beyond me!!!
Michael Jackson in 1983 is, to me, perfection, his beautiful eyes, those sexy lips, ahhh… I need to take a minute.
OK, I am back… At 15 and now at age 42, the Thriller era has always been my favorite and I am so happy that this book celebrates this era in the life of Michael Jackson. It is a wonderful piece of history that I cherish and tie much of my teen memories to. Thank you Douglas Kirkland for preserving this for us lifelong MJ fans and for exposing this experience to new fans alike.
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|nice, but……,
The photos in this book are nice to have and I have enjoyed reading all the artist’s comments in the book about Michael Jackson. But if you feel you must own this book please disregard the words of authors of this book, Douglas Kirkland and Nancy Griffin. They are simply unaware that whatever it is that makes a journalist tick is something that is extremely destructive to an artist like Jackson and decidedly unhelpful to the general public and their grasp of what art really is. This book contributes nothing to the subject of why Thriller is the single most enduring and beloved work in the genre. The authors are unable to give an accurate synopsis in the beginning chapter “The Story of the Thriller”. Their observations and remembrances about being on the set reveal a lack of understanding about the film and the artists who created it. Their reflections on Jackson’s life show they didn’t do their homework on Michael Jackson before putting out a book about him. I’m afraid we still have to wait if we want a good informative book about Michael Jackson and the making of Thriller.
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|Beautiful photographic treasure…,
I received this book today. It is a beautiful display of photos featuring Michael and the Jacksons. I opened the book and could not put it down while I read and ooh’d and aahh’d at the photos. The work is quality and professional. I have seen some of the pictures before online, but many I have not and the quality of the photos and the book is excellent. There is a good mix of concert and behind the scenes action, as well as personal moments.
I love this era. This is the Michael Jackson I fell in love with (late 70′s.) I am 10 years younger than Michael and I have an affinity for this time period in his life, and it reminds me why I came to love Michael and his music. Michael’s music is the soundtrack of my life. I like all the Atlanta references. I grew up in Atlanta, so knowing he was there for many of these pictures made me happy, and sad, because he was sooo close.
The author also shared his experiences as he took these shots, they were a good read and not filled with fluff and opinions, but facts, positive facts about a man, a man who rightfully and deservedly so, became the King of Pop, no, music — no, King of Entertainment.
Thank you to the author for publishing this beautiful piece of art!
This book would be a nice addition for true Michael Jackson fans, young and old. I think it would be a great Christmas gift and/or conversation piece. Buy it!
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|Michael Jackson as we want to remember him,
It’s easy to feel sad about the life that Jackson ultimately lead. A boy robbed of a childhood, surrounded by “yes men”, a challenging family life and a conflicted self image. It seems that money & fame didn’t guarantee happiness. We all know this, but to most fans it doesn’t detract from his music and how it effected our lives. Michael Jackson’s music brought excitement and enjoyment to people all over the world and his fans want to remember that part of him. I can’t say I was a mega fan, but I still have “Off the Wall” in my iTunes playlist, and who can resist “Thriller” when it’s played at a party?
So when I saw the images in this book, I was taken back. My first thought was, “When is the last time I saw Michael Jackson genuinely smiling?” In these photos he looks like he is really enjoying himself. There is a vitality to his face, his expression, his carriage that we haven’t seen in decades. Most of these photos have never been published before, so they aren’t the same old stock images crammed into a book, last minute.
Over the past few months, when I have seen the news items that divulge every detail possible about his health, his last days, his death– I wonder what it must be like to be his family, his children? Well, if I was to give a gift to his kids, it would be this book.
This is a *must* for MJ fans.
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|Wow, what a treasure!,
Todd Gray’s book is a thoughtful compilation of poignant images that every Michael Jackson fan would want in their collection.
These spontaneous, unguarded photographs tugged at my heartstrings and made MJ seem very much alive.
The King of Pop lives on through his music and through the work of talented photographers like Gray who looked through their lenses to capture a youthful, carefree spirit.
A real treasure for my holiday gift list!
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