Like everyone in the world, I felt a bit overloaded with the news frenzy surrounding Michael’s death some months ago. And although, I can’t say I’m a fan of his music, I did enjoy some of his grooves. His dancing has also intrigued me. Actually, because of the dancing I looked forward to “This is It.” My gf, who joined me, wasn’t expecting anything much, except maybe to fall asleep.

We were both pleasantly impressed. “That was really good!” She exclaimed as we exited the theatre. The dancing was amazing. This guy can really move across a stage. And those back up dancers were pretty smashing as well.

As chunks of the film were never intended to be released like this, I was initially concerned that the picture itself might be a bit pixilated with low res digi cam shots, so I sat a bit further back in the theatre. But my concerns were not well founded. In fact, despite a few low res shots, most of the video footage took to the big screen with integrity. The sound quality also stood strong.

What made this piece especially memorable were all the backstage interactions. Comments from the dancers and musicians, and the sweet repartee between Michael and director Kenny Ortega. A lot has been said about Michael, some very serious allegations that I’m sure you’re well aware of. Before you cast your judgment, at least see this film. It’s him doing what he loves, doing what he’s very good at. And if you need to generalize it further, it’s a portrait of a talented artist, passionately producing a work that demands intense collaboration. If you’re at all curious about what goes into these massive concerts, you’ll find “This is It” quite educational.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --