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Jackson premiere takes place worldwide

By | Published on Wednesday 28 October 2009

The premiere of the Michael Jackson non-concert film ‘This Is It’ took place simultaneously in eighteen cities around the world last night. This meant that those attending the London event didn’t get to watch it until 4am.

The LA screening was attended by Jackson’s brothers and Jackson Five bandmates Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Randy, as well as the film’s director, Kenny Ortega, who while introducing it called it “the last sacred document of our leader and friend”.

Those were not sentiments echoed by some fans in London though, who have started a campaign they are calling This Is Not It, and staged a protest in Leicester Square last night. They believe those previously reported rumours that AEG Live are using ‘This Is It’ to try to show Jackson was in good health in the week’s before his death, in a bid to counter suggestions they worked him too hard, in part causing his death. Footage, these fans say, has been selectively picked to hide what they claim was Jackson’s actual ill-health. AEG have, of course, already denied those rumours, claiming film studio Sony had complete control over what footage was used.

Far from showing Jacko in too good a light, Jermaine Jackson said he feared fans might be disappointed with his late brother’s rehearsal performances, which make up a chunk of the film, because, he says, the singer would never put as much effort into a practice performance than the real thing. He told reporters: “We’re going to see him going through the motions, not giving 1000% because he’s making sure everyone else is going to do their part but, at the same time, once he got on that stage, he was going to give them 100,000%”.

Whatever, having seen the film Jackson’s friend Elizabeth Taylor said it was: “The single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen”.
 
The film is now being released in 110 countries for a limited two week run. Though I’m still fairly sure they’ll make a bit song and dance about extending the run in about ten day’s time.



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