I haven’t missed Michael Jackson. I’m too young to have grown up watching him perform, so all I knew of him was his phenomenal music and the creepy way he’s portrayed in the media. Since he died, the media has focused on what’s happening with his kids and which of his family members stands to gain an inheritance. For every brief clip they showed of Michael performing, they showed hours of off-putting interviews and replays of bizarre moments in his life. Even his televised memorial had too many moments that rang false. So I haven’t really been given the chance to appreciate the man and what he meant to music. Until THIS IS IT. (more)

Movie Review-This is it Incredible, amazing, insightful and entertaining…that’s how I’d describe Michael Jackson’s concert documentary, “This is it”! In the film we see the king of pop as we’ve never seen him before. (Too bad we didn’t see him this way while he was still alive).

 

He’s funny, humble and even when he’s handing out admonishment to a band member for not getting one his arrangements exactly right he’s touches his heart and says, “with love…with love”. In “This is it” we get a real behind the scenes peek at the man and his music. It’s a fitting tribute to Michael Jackson.

 

At 50 Michael Jackson still had “it”. The voice, the dance moves and the choreography…it was all there. In “This is it” we see the magic. The film breaks down every song in the show and we see how MJ “The Artist” constructed his on stage extravaganza. It would have been a show that would have dwarfed anything currently being done by the Kanyes and the Beyones of today.

 

“This is it” will only be at the theater for a limed two week run so don’t sleep on it. (However, you can look for the DVD release just in time for the holidays) and as far as I’m concerned Michael Jackson was and always will be “The King of Pop”!

 

Hollywood Hernandez

It is hard to watch and talk about the new documentary, THIS IS IT, which chronicles the last few months of Michael Jacksons life without feeling some tinge of sadness and a little bit of media sensationalism. Granted the film was created with the full support of Jacksons estate but you have to wonder if it is too soon. That said, Jackson was always a fan of media attention and probably would be proud to have this shown as a last look at his talent and genius. The film is directed by Ken Ortega who was both Jacksons creative partner and director of the stage show. That connection helps Ortega to use over 120 hours of behind the scenes footage to bring a nice homage to the legend of Jackson and the concert that never was to be.
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There are loads of interesting movies coming out this holiday season. Which one are you most looking forward to? Your comment could appear in a neighborsgo movie column!

Nov. 6 – Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Precious

Nov. 13 – 2012, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Nov. 20 – The Blind Side, The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Nov. 25 – The Princess and the Frog

Dec. 11 – The Lovely Bones

Dec. 18 – Avatar, Nine

Dec. 25 – Sherlock Holmes, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Let us know. Click here to cast your vote

 

 

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To test whether a live orchestra mixed with a montage of clips from Star Wars on the world's largest video screen would have the desired impact, I had my own young Jedi with me Friday night.

He is, of course, the target audience of the Star Wars In Concert show.

His reaction: a hearty thumbs up. Either that, or he was trying the Jedi Mind Trick on me.
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Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT tickets are still available. You can pick them up either online or at your local movie theater. To get your tickets or to find a theater near you that is showing this presentation click here.

There are 3 Dallas IMAX theaters expected to play the film; AMC Mesquite, AMC Firewheel, and AMC Stonebriar. 

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That is possibly the strangest subject line I have ever typed. But she does talk about it on today's blog about the new film Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. By clicking the links below you can also hear from John C Reilly, Josh Hutcherson and Chris Massoglia as they take you behind the scenes of this fantasy adventure.
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To get in the Halloween spirit, I watched two of the hottest scary movies over the weekend. Liked the one I expected to dislike; disliked the one I expected to like.

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The new film AMELIA hits theaters this Friday. It is a fast, thrilling account of legendary flight pioneer Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank). Click on the links below to hear from the cast as they give their thoughts on the film and the real Amelia's impact on society.
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More than a Game is more than a movie about basketball. Sure it documents LaBron James and the fab 5 from their humble beginnings as Ohio 6^th graders through their senior year as one of the top High School basketball teams in the nation, but it has a depth and story that stretches far beyond the sports arena. I am not a basketball fan and I know little about the sport yet I found this to be one of the most poignant and intriguing stories I have seen in the realm of feel good sports flicks. (more)