Mr. wOw | 10/29/2009 4:30 am
Dancing With the Dead: Mr. wOw Is Not Rushing to Michael's Last Moonwalk

© WireImages
Well, the reviews are in on "This Is It," the Michael Jackson rehearsal footage that has been put together as sort of a special feature film. (In two weeks it’ll leave theaters and head for a DVD package near you.)
So, is it the greatest movie ever made, per Elizabeth Taylor’s overwrought, over-the-top tweets, or is it closer to the mess of Lou Lumenick’s devastating New York Post review?
Probably somewhere in between and much depending on how you felt about Jackson when he was more or less alive. His rabid fans will love it, and like Miss Taylor, feel cinema history has been made. (I wish Elizabeth cared a little bit more about her own legendary career and less about Michael Jackson’s legacy. But that’s La Liz, loyal to a fault.)
Sony will make a bundle, no matter what.
Mr. wOw is being – gasp! – judgmental. He hasn’t seen the movie and is not likely to plunk down 11 bucks for the pleasure. We have very little interest in the final gasps of Mr. Jackson. Just wasn’t a big fan. As soon as MJ started looking like a tranny version of Diana Ross, all interest ended. I mean, we had Miss Ross. How much more tranny could we go? As an artist, he just wasn’t Mr. wOw’s shot of vodka. Millions of other disagree.
I do have sympathy for Michael as a person, but he chose his own path. Like Judy and Marilyn, his constant cries of "I had a terrible childhood, I can’t help myself!" wore thin. Even if those childhoods were terrible, people need to grow up and deal. Especially if they are on the receiving end of adulation, wealth and the opportunity to seek the best therapy.
Big P.S. Will people please stop paying attention to Joe Jackson? Maybe he will go away. Though I suppose that’s impossible with the likes of Al Sharpton calling the dysfunctional patriarch a great person. "Imagine anybody criticizing a man for being a stern father!" exclaimed the Rev. Al recently.
Uhhhh … Michael said Joe beat him, which goes beyond "stern." The Rev. wants it both ways. He lauds Michael, but essentially calls him a liar.
Michael hated his father. And he’d be disgusted to see Joe Jackson praised now, as some beacon of good parenting. Though he’d be not at all surprised to see how the elder Jackson has profited from his son’s death.
So, is it the greatest movie ever made, per Elizabeth Taylor’s overwrought, over-the-top tweets, or is it closer to the mess of Lou Lumenick’s devastating New York Post review?
Probably somewhere in between and much depending on how you felt about Jackson when he was more or less alive. His rabid fans will love it, and like Miss Taylor, feel cinema history has been made. (I wish Elizabeth cared a little bit more about her own legendary career and less about Michael Jackson’s legacy. But that’s La Liz, loyal to a fault.)
Sony will make a bundle, no matter what.
Mr. wOw is being – gasp! – judgmental. He hasn’t seen the movie and is not likely to plunk down 11 bucks for the pleasure. We have very little interest in the final gasps of Mr. Jackson. Just wasn’t a big fan. As soon as MJ started looking like a tranny version of Diana Ross, all interest ended. I mean, we had Miss Ross. How much more tranny could we go? As an artist, he just wasn’t Mr. wOw’s shot of vodka. Millions of other disagree.
I do have sympathy for Michael as a person, but he chose his own path. Like Judy and Marilyn, his constant cries of "I had a terrible childhood, I can’t help myself!" wore thin. Even if those childhoods were terrible, people need to grow up and deal. Especially if they are on the receiving end of adulation, wealth and the opportunity to seek the best therapy.
Big P.S. Will people please stop paying attention to Joe Jackson? Maybe he will go away. Though I suppose that’s impossible with the likes of Al Sharpton calling the dysfunctional patriarch a great person. "Imagine anybody criticizing a man for being a stern father!" exclaimed the Rev. Al recently.
Uhhhh … Michael said Joe beat him, which goes beyond "stern." The Rev. wants it both ways. He lauds Michael, but essentially calls him a liar.
Michael hated his father. And he’d be disgusted to see Joe Jackson praised now, as some beacon of good parenting. Though he’d be not at all surprised to see how the elder Jackson has profited from his son’s death.
Read more about: Al Sharpton, Joe Jackson, Lou Lumenic, Michael Jackson, Movie Reviews, Movies, Mr. Wow























91 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
Mr. Wow
Funny thing, my friend who used to work for him just called me. We talked about the movie and all the hangers on. She watched the credits and said that a few of them were still there - didn’t do him much good. I have been on the fence about the molestations because my friends children were around him a lot and they swear he would have never done that. Who knows in the long run.
I think you are right …he "sought out his destruction." He was a mature deal maker, and understood his brand, but he never reigned in the hangers on, and never grew up emotionally. When my pal read the credits of who "creatively" contributed to the design of the show, she balked big time. NO way.
I am with you - "considering what us mere mortals have to go through, dealing with lousy childhoods.." I agree, I don’t weep for him either, he had the means and the power to change all of that if he wanted to.
"I’m not going to pussy foot around and speak politically correct. I’m not going to speak of his great talent but flawed character. Guess what, if having a great talent or skill excused poor behavior, people should love Hitler, Roman Polanski and OJ Simpson. People who did horrible acts, but each blessed with a specific talent. "
Bravo Belinda! I couldn’t agree more. Yes, what happened to MJ as a kid was terrible. But so what? Ok, so he was talented. Again, so what? Neither of those are free passes for the stuff that he did, and it’s a bit disturbing when our culture promotes such a distorted way of looking at things. "Well, he was abused and all, and anyway, he’s a great artist, so, yeah, I love MJ regardless of what he did!!" Bah humbug. :P
Cecile
My friends children were there often and one was a girl. She was there a lot and sometimes MJ would drive them around and they would throw water balloons out the window at people. It was her and another child actor and they used to go places and do dumb stuff like have hot dogs and french fries. MJ hadn’t morphed his face much at that time, but he wore a beanie or a baseball cap hiding his hair, and sun glasses. They would go to movies at times and do some other stuff. My friends daughter brought a friend now and then - I think my niece went once.
As with Mr. Wow - I am on the fence about the molestation because there were so many times people illegally tried to illicit money out of him. It was a regular occurrence -He wasn’t stupid, but unless on stage, in large social groups he was inept.
P.S. what makes me think this is the doctor was a cardiologist, someone who would have known he should have been giving CPR on a solid surface, not a bed.
P.P.S. he should be given a medal, not jail time.
I could not possibly have said this better myself, Belinda. Thank you.
As soon as MJ started looking like a tranny version of Diana Ross, all interest ended.
_________________
Actually he began to look like a tranny version, as you put it, not I, of Faye Dunaway’s version of Joan Crawford. With Zsa Zsa Gabor’s nose. I never have figured that one out. I really have never figured any of it out. Without doubt he belongs on the list of the top ten plastic surgery disasters.
I always find it so strange when people have such strong feelings about a performer. someone they never really knew. I can understand Liz Taylor… she knew him and loved him. But for the general public.. the guy was a performer. an artist, a musician. We knew his music and his public persona.
Mr. Wow… do you have any insight into the plastic surgery thing with the jacksons? Michael isn’t the only one that is over the top in that family. It’ fascinates me… what he did to himself. And it fascinates me that the entire family has done at least some of it. What is that about?
Mr Wow
The thing I could never understand about the plastic surgery was that they were all singers and nose jobs really change the way the sound resonates. In many cases making the nose smaller inhibits the voice, hence they all have small voices.
She’s had adjustments, but still retains the characteristics of an earthling.
____________________
Well, except for the nipple ring which actually looked more like a concealed weapon of some sort - one of those things you see decapitating people in "kung fu" movies.