Las Vegas Weekly

October 28, 2009 · 6:40 AM

Photo Gallery: Michael Jackson’s This Is It premiere, parties, celebrity star

By Robin Leach

Chuck Liddell, Jerry Olivarez, Joe Jackson, Don King and Johnny Brenden at the Joe Jackson and family celebrity star presentation at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms on Oct. 27, 2009.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Without doubt, Michael Jackson’s docu-movie This Is It will earn more than $100 million in the next two weeks, becoming the biggest concert film of all time, and the record will probably never be shattered.

Proof that he’s hailed as the greatest entertainer of all time came last night as more than 15,000 movie screens in 97 countries began playing the 111-minute movie culled from 100 hours of private rehearsal video footage. By this weekend, the film will be in more than 100 countries.

Tickets went on sale 30 days in advance, and 1,600 screenings had already been sold out in advance across America. Hundreds more were total sell-outs in London, Australia and Japan.

The Jackson estate will get at least $54 million from the movie and an additional $40 million in merchandising from the initial sales contracts. The continuing royalties and financial figures will be staggering.

Here in Las Vegas to coincide with the premiere at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms, a celebrity star was presented to the patriarch of the Jackson family, Joe Jackson, at a ceremony I emceed. UFC hero Chuck Liddell, boxing promoter Don King and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. were among those attending.

Our contributing photographers Erik Kabik and Fred Morledge shot all night long for this amazing photo gallery, and we have YouTube videos from Vegas DeLuxe reader Richard Corey, Brenden Theatres and others. After the movie, Erik told me:

“I give the movie five stars and recommend it to everyone who loves music. No matter what kind of music you like, you just can’t deny the talent of Michael Jackson. And the film reveals a very coherent, aware and true artist who seemed vibrant, healthy and ready to conquer the world with this final concert run, making it all that much more tragic of a loss. It was truly an amazing movie and left me feeling that the world has been robbed of one of the greatest talents of all time.

“I have never called myself a fan of Michael Jackson (but I always respected his talent), but today and onward I am a fan, as I was just floored by what I saw in the film. The production and the show even in its rehearsal stages as evidenced in this film, had it all come to fruition and its full potential and had Michael Jackson lived, it simply would have been the greatest concert series and live experience of all time. Go see this movie.”

I agree totally! It is spellbinding and riveting entertainment. Legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor wasn’t wrong when she said it displayed his creative talents in a cinematic triumph. Whatever the tabloid headlines trumpeted about Michael’s life are forgotten when you just focus on his extraordinary musical and dancing talents.

The film shows that his 50-concert run of This Is It was fully ready to roll. The footage edited from three, long final rehearsal days at Staples Center in Los Angeles just eight days before the trek to London is extraordinary.

Here are my notes scribbled from the screening:

*Michael Jackson certainly didn’t look ill, worn out or 50 years of age. Thinner than normal, yes, but he was in total control of his creation from musical notes to lighting cues to tweaking the sound system. His attention to the minutest of detail and passion for perfection was flawless.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Johnny Brenden, Joe Jackson and Don King at the Joe Jackson and family celebrity star presentation at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms on Oct. 27, 2009.

*There was not the slightest evidence of drugs or frail health. He danced as someone half his age. He sang as if the Jackson 5 were still together. The film is far more a musical than a documentary, containing nearly full versions of 16 songs and excerpts from eight other hits.

*Contrary to rumors, Michael certainly would have pulled off the London concerts at 02 Arena. He seemed healthy, and he was happy. He was ready to embark on an adventure to give fans an experience and journey they had never had before. He performed at the rehearsals genuinely unconcerned about his appearance -- without makeup, with hair swept back off his face, with and without sunglasses -- and no jeweled gloves at all!

*It was apparent to me that he’d had the video cameras record all of this as a personal scrapbook showing the HIStory of the show -- from start to what would never be the finish. If Michael hadn’t died, we would never have seen this. We would have just had the spectacular show itself. The irony is not lost on me. In a sense, there was an eerie, hallowed and nearly sacrosanct moment when I felt I shouldn’t be eavesdropping on Michael, who would be dead less than 12 hours later after one sequence of videotaping.

Photo: TVT

Kenny Ortega, Michael Jackson and Simon Fuller.

Photo: TVT

Michael Jackson and Robin Leach pose for the photogs.

*How Kenny Ortega, the director and co-creator of This Is It ever put it all together with a team of brilliant film editors in less than 16 weeks since Michael’s death will forever be an entertainment miracle. The film is a masterpiece, and the beleaguered AEG producers had no choice but to release it to the fans to win vindication from all the attacks.

*The magic technology used to turn his 11 dancers into 11,000 marchers was mind-blowing. The black and white footage of Michael intercut with legendary screen star Rita Hayworth from Gilda was beyond compare, especially when he catches the long-sleeved glove she strips off. The continuing footage of him on the run from Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson in Smooth Criminal is indelibly imprinted in my mind.

*The scorching race pyrotechnics and walls of flames reached a level that has never been seen. The steel skeleton of a New York City skyline as a backdrop for his dancers is a work of art in its rawness. I loved the new video footage and Halloween characters created for the updated version of “Thriller” in 3-D. Fascinating to watch Michael sucking on a lollipop watching the monitors and calling the camera actions for the actors. The ghoulish floating brides that would’ve swept through the audience would have been a powerful moment in the live show.

*I unabashedly loved his plea to protect the planet using the imagery of a young girl falling asleep in a beautiful forest filled with butterflies, only to wake in a real-life nightmare of bulldozers ripping down the Amazon rain forests. Michael even had a huge, horribly ugly bulldozer onstage for his exit from its evil jaws as a powerful punctuation to the segment.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Joe Jackson at the Joe Jackson and family celebrity star presentation at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms on Oct. 27, 2009.

*It was great to see some of the Las Vegas dancers and aerialists formerly with Cirque du Soleil rehearsing for the film’s acrobatic segments. Dancers being popped up like flying toast were totally impressive. Michael going out on the huge, flashing-lights mechanical arm across and through the audience would have been jaw-dropping theatrics.

We’ll never know what went on in the privacy of his dressing room and home. We’ll never know how it felt for him to be alone with his thoughts and fears after the daily adoration of the crew, musicians and dancers. We’ll never know why he turned to pharmaceutical drugs in lethal quantities to find solace in sleep. The movie touches on no aspects of that torment and turmoil, only the genius of the man and his music and dance. Perhaps that’s the best and only way he should be remembered.

I was sad that as brilliant as the docu-movie was that Michael didn’t live to pull off his greatest dream of the final This Is It shows. He wanted his three children to see him perform once for real. He wanted his fans to experience his theatrical, musical magic one more time.

At least they have this extraordinary portrait of Michael’s final three days, as he showed the world he would have been able to win all over again. It simply couldn’t have been a better tribute and lasting memory. Wow!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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— From Vegas Deluxe

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