Michael Jackson and Bad Spotlight of Upcoming Spike Lee Doc

Say what you will about Michael Jackson. He was the self-anointed King of Pop, but legions of fans around the world were his willing subjects for decades, crossing generations. So there is at least a reasonable in-house audience just itching for more about the moon-walker and Spike Lee is just the man to deliver. Lee and Jackson were friends in life and the filmmaker, whose Red Hook Summer opens next month, is working on a documentary tied to the 25th anniversary of the release of Jackson's Bad album.

And Lee has apparently come across a lot of material for the film-in-progress. He told the A.P. it's a "treasure chest of findings" including footage the star shot himself from behind-the-scenes. "We had complete access to the vaults of Michael Jackson," Lee said. "He wrote 60 demos for the Bad record. Only 11 made it. So we got to hear a lot of that stuff, too, so it was just a great experience."

Still untitled, Lee said that the film will be appealing to those who are not Michael Jackson fans. The doc will also show a personal side of the pop legend. "He had a great sense of humor and he was funny," said Lee who interviewed Kanye West and Mariah Carey for the film. He also spoke to Sheryl Crow who was a background singer during Jackson's Bad tour. "We really divided it into two things: Artists today who were influenced by Michael and then people who worked side by side…"

Loyalists and new converts have been gobbling up Michael Jackson's music since his death in 2009 at age 50 and the powers-that-be are very happy to oblige. The follow-up to the singer's Thriller album, Bad includes hits "Smooth Criminal" and "The Way You Make Me Feel." It will be re-released with additional tracks, a DVD and other goodies September 18th. Jackson would have turned 54 on August 29th.

[Source: A.P.]