Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson Documentary Receives Standing Ovation
Even in death the king of pop, Michael Jackson, is still making people stand on their feet. Making the rounds to all the film festivals this week is Spike Lee’s obsessive detail-oriented documentary is finally revealed as a posthumous tribute, Bad 25. The film, which is both a tribute to the 1987 album Bad and an intimate portrait of Jackson’s work ethic acts as a musically informed snapshot into Jackson’s music video art process.
As reviewed by The Hollywood Reporter, the most important aspect of Lee’s tribute to Jackson is the way he recaptures old footage:
“More poignantly, it serves to remove the veil of late-period craziness and allegations and restore the reputation of Jackson as a multihyphenate musician of peerless discipline, professionalism and perfectionism — not to mention a pioneering influence in dance and fashion.”
It seems as though Spike Lee’s meticulous handiwork on the film has paid off, with Bad 25 receiving standing ovations at Venice and Toronto film festivals. Lee isn’t just a fan of Michael’s work, but also a collaborator. In 1996 Lee directed the video for Michael Jackson’s controversial song “They Don’t Care About Us.” However, aside from one or two clips of Lee, he appears mostly off screen as an observer.
According to those who have seen the documentary, it is obvious from a viewing of Bad 25 that Lee has spoken to the fans with his love letter film about Jackson. Hollywood Reporter notes about the director’s endless trivia of Michael’s influence in the music industry, “Who remembered that one of Wesley Snipes’ earliest roles was in the “Bad” video? Or that the arcane refrain “Shamone!” was Jackson’s homage to Mavis Staples? Or that the line “Annie, are you OK?” was inspired by the standard name given to CPR demonstration dummies?”
For those worried that Lee’s involvement with Jackson on a professional level has affected his way of capturing the much discussed man from all sides of the spectrum, rest easy. The Guardian states otherwise, “Lee doesn’t try to pretend that he was not eccentric, but insists that Jackson’s eccentricity isn’t the point. Spike Lee’s emphasis’s instead what Jackson’s achieved in the public sphere: in music and in dance, and his exuberant reverence for the lonely King of Pop is contagious.”
Of his motivation for creating the documentary about Bad Spike Lee said:
“When I got the mandate from the estate and Sony records, they wanted to just concentrate on the music. Too many years we — I’m going to include myself — we concentrated about stuff on Michael Jackson and it had nothing to do with the music. This was a chance, a time to concentrate on the music. We all are blessed with the final work, but it’s rare that you get to see how it gets put together.”
Are you excited to see Michael Jackson’s Bad 25?
Tags : bad 25, Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson bad 25, Michael Jackson documentary tribute, michael jackson tribute, Spike Lee's Bad 25, Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary, Spike Lee's tribute
Posted: September 7, 2012
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Sep 8, 2012
Michael Jackson has NO need to have his reputation restored. He IS and ALWAYS will be LOVED and MISSED by billions around the world. And the allegations were well-known and widely proved as FAKE.
Spike Lee Tribute to Michael Jackson is amazing. Can't wait to see it entirely. Thanks very much to him and to the Estate of Michael Jackson for doing this!
Sep 8, 2012
love it that Spike pays attention to the creative genius and not tabloid trash.
Sep 8, 2012
Yes, I'm excited to see it. If you're not excited to see an inside view of the most talented artist and performer America has ever produced working on one of the greatest albums of all time, then you're practically dead!
Sep 8, 2012
I am so excited to see this documentary. I just knew Spike Lee would give Michael the attention, applause and love that many of us have felt for years.
Sep 8, 2012
I'd always wanted to know how such beautiful songs that captured my mind and my heart were created, and now I will have the fabulous opportunity to watch Michael Jackson at work. Wow, thank you so much Mr. Lee.
Sep 8, 2012
Michael Jackson was indeed a musical and dance genius. I can't wait for Spike Lee's documentary to be shown…a treat awaits us all!
Sep 8, 2012
What an amazing opportunity to peek inside the mind of a musical genius & prodigy. Long overdue. We have much to learn from Michael about the magic of creative brilliance
Sep 8, 2012
As with 'This Is It', this documentary gives us another fabulous opportunity to experience again Michael Jackson's multi-tasking abilities, from singer, dancer to director, and choreographer, to 'discover the man you never knew'. I hope we will get the chance to see it in the UK. I have a BAD25 sticker on my car's back window! I shall buy the DVD/CD set due out on September 18th.
Sep 9, 2012
cannot wait for this doc. A great artist – Spike Lee – documenting the creative process of one of the greatest artists, THE greatest entertainer, and one of the greatest humanitarians of all time – it's got to be golden. Thank God there will be no tabloid trash and slander from the Smearedia included. An innocent genius has been bullied TO death and AFTER death long enough! Its high time for the tribute and respect he is oh so long overdue to be accorded Michael Jackson.
Sep 9, 2012
I am very much looking forward to the this documentary. Finally, something that focuses on Michael, the unparalleled creative genius, the most award winning artist in history and the most commercially successful artist of all time. Way too much film and print have been dedicated to everything about Michael, true or not, but his art. Thank you to Spike Lee and the Estate of Michael Jackson for bringing this to us.
Sep 9, 2012
I can't wait to see this wonderful MJ documentary that will focus on the creativity and innovative genius of Michael Jackson. A celebration of this album with its wonderful music and videos that make you want to get up and dance and sing along is long overdue!
Sep 9, 2012
This will be another great — and deserved — tribute to Michael Jackson! It is important to advance his legacy, to give him his due now because he did not receive the vindication and acknowledgements that he so deserved during his final years. Thank you to Spike Lee & those who have supported him in this endeavor! Karen Moriarty, Author, http://www.defendingaking.com.
Sep 9, 2012
Very excited! Can't wait
Sep 9, 2012
Very excited! Can't wait
Sep 9, 2012
Me too!
Sep 9, 2012
Me too!
Sep 9, 2012
Thank you, Mr Lee, for respecting Michael's brilliance and genius and can't wait for the BAD 25 release coming shortly! It's time we focused on the music and professional sheer hard-working excellence that brought MJ to the top and still has him there as King and #1
Sep 9, 2012
I want to add a reply to the Guardian. Eccentricity and loneliness are the signs of genius and price of greatness, you can't have one without the other; his fame from achieving the pinnacle of success was Michael Jackson's sacrifice to the world.
Sep 9, 2012
Thank you Spike Lee you are awesome. We miss you MJ.
Sep 9, 2012
Can't wait to see this great doc on Michael Jackson. I'm sure it will be enlightening even to non-fans.
Sep 10, 2012
At last! It's a real coup for Lee that his documentary, deservedly so, will debut on ABC network television on Thanksgiving night. Millions of all ages will see Michael Jackson — once and for all and with their own eyes — unfiltered by the trash tabloid media that fed on him for decades. Bravo Spike!
Sep 10, 2012
I cannot wait to see this documentary. People are fond of the truth, people are tired of tabloid trash and boring, previsible bullying of this superstar. It is time to get and watch HIGH QUALITY documentaries and articles about Michael Jackson. He deserves it…and WE deserve better too.Thank you Mr. Lee.
Sep 14, 2012
A documentary portraying Jackson's genius and professionalism as an artist is long overdue. There has been so much tabloid trash written and spoken about this multi-talented man – we hardly know who he was any more. Spike Lee manages to put it all into perspective and concentrate on one big truth – Jackson was a unique contributor to modern culture whose musical and humanitarian legacy will endure for many generations to come.