Michael Jackson's Thriller is the music video for the song "Thriller" by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on December 2, 1983. It was directed by John Landis, written by Jackson and Landis, and stars Jackson and Ola Ray. It references numerous horror films and has Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies.
Jackson's sixth album, Thriller, was released in November 1982 and spent months at the top of the Billboard 200, backed by successful videos for the singles "Billie Jean" and "Beat It". In July 1983, after Thriller was displaced from the top of the chart, Jackson's manager, Frank DiLeo, suggested making a music video for "Thriller". Jackson hired Landis after seeing his 1981 film An American Werewolf in London. The pair conceived a short film with a budget much larger than previous music videos. It was filmed at various locations in Los Angeles, including the Palace Theater. A making-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 on MTV. It doubled sales of Thriller, helping it become the best-selling album in history, and the documentary sold over a million copies, becoming the best-selling VHS 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 driving home video sales. The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture.
Many elements of Michael Jackson's Thriller have had a lasting impact on popular culture, such as the zombie dance and Jackson's red jacket, designed by Landis's wife, Deborah Nadoolman. It is closely associated with Halloween, and fans worldwide re-enact its zombie dance. The Library of Congress described it as the most famous music video of all time, and 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 US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". It reached one billion YouTube views in 2024.
Plot
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", transforms into a werecat 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, where zombies rise from their graves and surround them in the street. 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.
Horror elements
The Thriller video makes many allusions to horror films.[3] The opening scene parodies 1950s B-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 critic Kobena Mercer found similarities to the werewolf in The Company of Wolves (1984).[3]
The zombie dance sequence corresponds the lyric about a masquerade 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 from The Phantom of the Opera (1925).[4] According to the academic Peter Dendle, the zombie invasion sequence was inspired by Night of the Living Dead (1968), and the video captures the feelings of claustrophobia and helplessness essential to zombie films.[5]
Development
Jackson's album Thriller was released in November 1982 on Epic Records and spent months at the top of the Billboard 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 the Billboard 200 chart by the Flashdance soundtrack. It briefly regained the position in July, before being displaced by Synchronicity by the Police. Jackson urged the Epic executives Walter 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 a novelty 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 to Vanity 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 film An American Werewolf in London (1981), Jackson contacted the director John 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 on 35mm film with the production values of a feature film, with a budget of $900,000, much larger than any previous music video.[6]
Funding
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 for Thriller, believing it had peaked,[8] and agreed to contribute only $100,000.[6] Initially, television networks refused to finance the project, sharing the view that Thriller 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 channel Showtime 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 a making-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 from The Ed Sullivan Show and Motown 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 distribute Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS and Betamax; 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]
Production
Makeup and wardrobe
Jackson wanted to make a video in which he transformed into a four-legged beast, similarly to the transformation scene in An 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 a werewolf in a 1950s setting, inspired by the 1957 film I Was a Teenage Werewolf.[8] The makeup artist Rick Baker decided to turn Jackson into a werecat as he did not want to create another werewolf.[12] He initially imagined the werecat would resemble a black 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 film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), designed the costumes, including Jackson'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]
Casting
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 former Playboy 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]
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 including Marlon Brando, Fred Astaire, Rock Hudson and Jackie Kennedy Onassis visited the set,[10] along with Jackson's parents, Joseph and Katherine 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]
Jehovah's Witnesses dispute
Weeks before the premiere, Jackson, then a Jehovah's Witness, was told by organization leaders that the music video promoted demonology and that he would be excommunicated. Jackson called his assistant, John Branca, and ordered him to destroy the negatives.[6] The production team agreed to protect the negatives instead 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 in Awake!, a magazine published by the Watch 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]
Jackson continued to insist that he was a Jehovah's Witness through 2001,[15] and the copy of the music video on YouTube continues to bear 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 extended controversy over the music video.[16][17]
Release and reception
On November 14, 1983, Thriller was shown to a private audience at the Crest Theater in Los Angeles. In attendance were celebrities including Diana Ross, Warren Beatty, Prince and Eddie 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 documentary Making 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, and went on to sell more than 10 million.[6][19]
As films required theatrical screenings to be eligible for Academy Awards, Landis had the video played before screenings of Fantasia (1940) at a Los Angeles cinema, though it was not nominated.[10] The film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both gave the video a "thumbs down", criticizing its horror tropes.[20]
In 1984, the National Coalition on Television Violence reviewed 200 MTV videos and classified more than half as too violent, including Thriller. The chairman, Thomas Radecki, said: "It's not hard to imagine young viewers after seeing Thriller saying, 'Gee, if Michael Jackson can terrorize his girlfriend, why can't I do it too?'"[22]
Legacy
The Thriller 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 director Spike Jonze described Thriller as a touchpoint for his work,[10] and the music video director Brian Grant credited it as the turning point when music videos became a "proper industry".[10] The British director Trudy 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 after Thriller, 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 by Time in 2011.[27] Vinny Marino of ABC 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 the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress,[28] which described it as "the most famous music video of all time".[29] The National Film Preservation Board coordinator, Steve Legett, said it had been considered for induction for years, but was chosen mainly due to Jackson's death that year.[30] In a poll of more than 1,000 people conducted by Myspace in 2010, it was voted the most influential music video.[31]
Jackson's red 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 with Halloween;[33][12] in 2016, US president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama danced to the song with schoolchildren at a White House Halloween event.[34] The Thriller dance is performed in major cities around the world. The largest zombie dance included 12,937 dancers, in Mexico City.[6] The annual Thrill the World event aims to have people in cities around the world perform the dance.[35]
In 2009, Landis sued Jackson in a dispute over royalties 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 game Plants vs. Zombies by PopCap Games contained enemies resembling the zombie Jackson until Jackson's estate objected in 2010.[45]
^Cocks, Jay; Worrell, Denise; Ainslie, Peter; Zagorin, Adam (December 26, 1982). "Sing a Song of Seeing". Time. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
^"Young People Ask..."What About Music Videos?"". Awake!. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. May 22, 1984.
^"The Man in the Mirror". TV Guide. November 10–16, 2001. p. 20. 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.
^Jackson, Katherine (October 1990). "Mother of Jackson Family Tells All". Ebony. Vol. 45, no. 12. p. 66. ISSN0012-9011. 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?"
^Boteach, Shmuley. The Michael Jackson Tapes. p. 111. ISBN9780786751563. Indeed, one can chart Michael's personal decline to the time when he left the church.
Sweet & SourPoster rilis resmiNama lainHangul새콤달콤 Alih Aksara yang DisempurnakanSaekom-Dalkom SutradaraLee Gye-byeokPemeranJang Ki-yongChae Soo-binKrystal JungPerusahaanproduksiKT Hitel[1]DistributorNetflixTanggal rilis 4 Juni 2021 (2021-06-04) Durasi101 menitNegaraKorea SelatanBahasaKorea Sweet & Sour (Hangul: 새콤달콤; RR: Saekom-Dalkom) adalah film romansa Korea Selatan yang disutradarai oleh Lee Gye-byeok untuk KT Hitel[2 ...
دوري الدرجة الأولى الأوكراني 2015–16 تفاصيل الموسم دوري الدرجة الأولى الأوكراني [لغات أخرى] النسخة 25 البلد أوكرانيا التاريخ بداية:26 يوليو 2015 المنظم اتحاد أوكرانيا لكرة القدم عدد المشاركين 16 دوري الدرجة الأولى الأوكراني 2014–15 دوري الدرجة الأ...
Nara Leão2016LahirNara Lofego Leão Diegues(1942-01-19)19 Januari 1942 Vitória, Espírito Santo, BrasilMeninggal7 Juni 1989(1989-06-07) (umur 47) Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Nara Leão (19 Januari 1942 – 7 Juni 1989) adalah seorang penyanyi bossa nova dan MPB berkebangsaan Brasil. Ia berkarier di dunia musik sejak tahun 1964 dan sampai kematiannya pada tahun 1989 akibat tumor otak yang dideritanya. Diskografi 1989: My Foolish Heart 1987: Meus Sonhos Dourados...
Pudding celebrating Queen Elizabeth II Platinum PuddingPlatinum Puddings displayed at a British Library event in May 2022TypeTrifleCourseDessertPlace of originUnited KingdomCreated byJemma MelvinInvented2022 Media: Platinum Pudding The Platinum Pudding is a British pudding consisting of a lemon and amaretti trifle. It was created by Jemma Melvin in 2022 for a competition celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.[1] Competition The Platinum Pudding Competition w...
Military unit This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: 500th SS Parachute Battalion – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Soldiers of the battalion are getting ready for Operation Rösselsprung The 500th SS-Parachute Battalion (German:...
Artikel ini sebatang kara, artinya tidak ada artikel lain yang memiliki pranala balik ke halaman ini.Bantulah menambah pranala ke artikel ini dari artikel yang berhubungan atau coba peralatan pencari pranala.Tag ini diberikan pada Januari 2023. Tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB) adalah senyawa amonium kuaterner dengan rumus kimia C 8 H 20 N + Br , sering ditulis sebagai Et 4 N + Br dalam literatur kimia. Ini telah digunakan sebagai sumber ion tetraetilamonium dalam studi farmakologis dan fisio...
此條目需要补充更多来源。 (2021年7月4日)请协助補充多方面可靠来源以改善这篇条目,无法查证的内容可能會因為异议提出而被移除。致使用者:请搜索一下条目的标题(来源搜索:美国众议院 — 网页、新闻、书籍、学术、图像),以检查网络上是否存在该主题的更多可靠来源(判定指引)。 美國眾議院 United States House of Representatives第118届美国国会众议院徽章 众议院旗...
Headquarters of the ministry in Honiara Politics of Solomon Islands The Crown Monarch Charles III Governor-General David Vunagi Executive Cabinet Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare Legislature National Parliament Speaker: Ajilon Nasiu Leader of the Opposition Jeremiah Manele Shadow Cabinet Constituencies Political parties Elections Recent elections General: 2010201420192024 Judiciary Judiciary Administrative divisions Administrative divisions Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Minis...
Prins Louis av Wales Prins Louis 2022.PersonnamnLouis Arthur CharlesÄttHuset WindsorFarWilliam, prins av WalesMorCatherine, prinsessa av WalesFödd23 april 2018 (6 år)Paddington, London, Storbritannien Den brittiska tronföljden Arvföljden efter kung Charles III Prins William, prins av Wales Prins George av Wales Prinsessan Charlotte av Wales Prins Louis av Wales Prins Harry, hertig av Sussex Prins Archie av Sussex Prinsessan Lilibet av Sussex Prins Andrew, hertig av York Prinsessan B...
تيفيناغمعلومات عامةالبداية القرن 3 ق.م الاسم Tifinagh (Berber) (بالإنجليزية) [1]tifinagh (berbère) (بالفرنسية) [1]Tifinagh (بالإنجليزية) [1] الاسم الأصل ⵜⴼⵉⵏⵗ (بالtmh) اشتق من كتابة ليبيقية[2] لغة العمل أو لغة الاسم الأمازيغيةلغات طارقية اتجاه الكتابة من اليسار نحو اليمين[3] مس...
Этот шаблон основан на шаблоне {{ПозКарта}} — см. его документацию. Позиционная карта «Донецкая область» Регион Донецкая область Тип проекции Равнопромежуточная цилиндрическая Координаты границ 49.28 36.485 39.115 46.825 Координаты центра 48°03′09″ с. ш. 37°48′00″ в. д.HGЯO По�...
Pour les articles homonymes, voir F-5. F-5A/B Freedom FighterF-5E/F Tiger II F-5E Tiger II des forces aériennes suisses en 2012. Constructeur Northrop Rôle Avion de chasse et d'attaque au sol Statut En service Premier vol 30 juillet 1959 Mise en service 1964 Date de retrait Encore en service dans plusieurs pays, retrait prévu pour au plus tôt 2030 en Espagne[1] Investissement 17 millions de dollars Coût unitaire 2,1 millions de dollars (F-5E)[2] Nombre construits 2 700 ex...
Bessarabian politician, journalist, and Romanian Orthodox priest (1861–1941) Alexandru BaltagăMember of the Sfatul ȚăriiIn office1917–1918 Personal detailsBorn(1861-04-14)April 14, 1861Lozova, Lăpușna CountyDiedAugust 7, 1941(1941-08-07) (aged 80)Kazan, Soviet UnionResting placeKazanAlma materChișinău Theological SeminaryProfessionPriestParentsȘtefan Baltagă Alexandru Baltagă (April 14, 1861 – August 7, 1941) was a Bessarabian Romanian Orthodox priest, a founder of the Be...
Prince had two songs on the Year-End Hot 100, When Doves Cry, the number one hit of the year, and Let's Go Crazy at number 21. Lionel Richie had four songs on the Year-End Hot 100, the most of any artist in 1984. This is a list of Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1984.[1] No. Title Artist(s) 1 When Doves Cry Prince 2 What's Love Got to Do with It Tina Turner 3 Say, Say, Say Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 4 Footloose Kenny Loggins 5 Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now...
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Super Records – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Record label Super RecordsParent companyUniversal Music GroupFounded2008FounderTom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter, Danny Jones, Harry JuddDistributor(s...
Cet article est une ébauche concernant l’architecture ou l’urbanisme. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. Consultez la liste des tâches à accomplir en page de discussion. Cet article concerne le sol du bâtiment. Pour le film sorti en 2014, voir Terre battue (film). Pour le revêtement utilisé au tennis, voir terre battue. Japon : Ancienne maison familiale Suzuki, dont le sol est en ...
American lyricist and poet (1927–2011) Fran LandesmanBornFrances DeitschOctober 21, 1927New York City, New York, U.S.DiedJuly 23, 2011(2011-07-23) (aged 83)London, U.K.Alma materTemple University; Fashion Institute of TechnologyOccupation(s)Lyricist and poetNotable workSpring Can Really Hang You up the MostSpouse Jay Landesman (m. 1950; died 2011)Children2, inc. Cosmo Landesman Fran Landesman (born Frances Deitsch; October 21, 19...
History of humanity as a whole unit A universal history is a work aiming at the presentation of a history of all of humankind as a whole.[1] Universal historians try to identify connections and patterns among individual historical events and phenomena, making them part of a general narrative.[2] A universal chronicle or world chronicle typically traces history from the beginning of written information about the past up to the present.[3] Therefore, any work classed as ...
Art museum in Paris, France This article is about the museum. For the building, see Louvre Palace. For other uses, see Louvre (disambiguation). Musée de LouvreThe Louvre MuseumEstablished10 August 1793; 231 years ago (1793-08-10)LocationMusée du Louvre, 75001, Paris, FranceTypeArt museum and historic siteCollection size615,797 in 2019[1] (35,000 on display)[2]Visitors8.9 million (2023)[3] Ranked 1st nationally Ranked 1st globally DirectorLaurence de...
الدوري المونتينيغري الممتاز 2008–09 تفاصيل الموسم الدوري المونتينيغري الممتاز النسخة 3 البلد الجبل الأسود التاريخ بداية:9 أغسطس 2008 نهاية:30 مايو 2009 المنظم اتحاد الجبل الأسود لكرة القدم البطل نادي موغرن مباريات ملعوبة 198 عدد المشاركين 12 الدوري ا�...