First Impressions of Michael Jackson's This Is It: A Movieline IM Exchange

Last night, Sony dropped curtains worldwide on Michael Jackson's This Is It -- the massively hyped, posthumous concert film pulled from 80 hours of rehearsal footage (purchased by the studio at a cost of $60 million). With a mixture of curiosity, trepidation, and genuine, Thriller-era excitement, Movieline's S.T. VanAirsdale and Seth Abramovitch attended some of the first screenings on either coast. Would the icon restore his legacy with this comeback bow? Or would this be but a sad coda to the life of a performance genius who'd long since lost his way?

Our first impressions, in instant message form, follow.

STV: happy MJ day! or something

SETH: thanks! so were they going to hand out 50,000 3d glasses every night?

STV: i guess so. but man i wish they had completed the thriller sequence in 3d for the film

because it was the ONLY part of that song worth watching

SETH: you mean as opposed to the stage stuff?

STV: yeah. that was weak for me

SETH: they did the thriller dance

STV: he was kinda half-hearting it. i mean i get why

SETH: i feel like its unfair to take anything on the stage as the actual show. he kept saying hes half assing it. none of the costumes were on. the pyro wasnt on. and how nuts is it that the whole stage erupted into flames, and ortega is like, can we have 10x the fireworks. i woulda grabbed my scalp and ran for the doors. thats what kinda warrior jackson was.

STV: i am definitely a fan of the film

SETH: i was expecting him to be like propped up and surrounded by dancers. the guy moved and sounded amazing! im reading some reviews on rotten tomatoes that are panning it and im like -- what were you expecting?

STV: there's the contingent that accuses sony of raping his ghost. that he never would have let this out. http://this-is-not-it.com/.

SETH: hes prob be aghast that it got out there, but only because you could see what kind of perfectionist he is. but tough. it needed to.

STV: i agree. it was fascinating. "play it like you're rolling out of bed"

SETH: also -- what a nice guy! even under that immense pressure, whatever he says, he says it "with l-o-v-e." and that fucking TRACTOR. oh ma ga.

STV: that was like a fucking experimental movie. "I have to sizzle!"

SETH: I like that all the dancers he picked were like macho italians equipped with enhanced crotch-grabbing capabilities.

STV: can i get the girl guitarist's number?

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