Off The Wall Documentary kommt im Februar!

Don’t miss the premiere of Showtime’s Documentary Michael Jackson’s
Journey from Motown to Off The Wall Friday, February 5th. A great
production done by Spike Lee and the Estate of my son. My wife Katherine
and I participated on this project and I am very happy and excited to
see it finally released.

jwjackson.com/off-the-wall-documentary/

Zitat von Carmen1907

Gibt es zufällig einen Link? Ich finde auf Amazon nichts

.. guckst du hier:

http://www.amazon.de/Off-Wall-…ll+michael+jackson+CD+DVD

Billboard-Interview mit Spike Lee ....nur die Auszüge die sich auf Michael und die Doku beziehen ...

Spike Lee on His Revealing New Michael Jackson Documentary and Why Donald Trump Is 'Bananas'
1/14/2016 by Rob Tannenbaum

Your new documentary, Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the
Wall, is a lot of fun to watch. It was the simplest period of his life,
wasn't it, before all the tabloid *headlines and abuse accusations?

Back in 1979, there was no big pressure on Michael for Off the Wall.
There were no expectations. It all turned after Thriller -- things get
complicated when you sell the most records ever. People got swept up in
Thriller, but Off the Wall's my favorite of the three records he did
with Quincy Jones. Many people say that in the documentary, too.

His mom, Katherine, says Michael was very hurt when he won only one
Grammy Award for Off the Wall in 1980. How much did that motivate him?

Michael Jordan's a good friend of mine. Any *negative thing someone says
to him, he uses that as fuel. When Michael didn't win the Grammys he
thought he should have won, it's like, "Alright, motherf--ers. I got
somethin' for yo' ass." And that was Thriller.

Michael never seemed like an "alright, *motherf--ers" kind of guy.

No, he was. Let's not get it twisted: Michael was competitive. Any
record he did, he wanted the thing to be No. 1. He was hurt, and he came
back with a vengeance.

Did you like Michael?


Yeah. Mike came to my house in Brooklyn. I put on the CD -- this was
[1995's] HIStory -- and he said, "Pick any song you want to direct." So I
picked "Stranger in Moscow." He said, "No, that's not the one you want!
You want to do 'They Don't Care About Us.' " (Laughs.) Michael was
slick.

When Michael was making Off the Wall, a lot of people thought his career was over, didn't they?


There were doubts. But Michael never doubted *himself. He just knew he
had been given the freedom to do his thing. And to do that, he and his
brothers first had to get out of a Motown contract. And then he had to
step away from his brothers, too. Family is a cross to bear.

In the movie, you don't address Michael's accusation that his dad, Joe, was physically abusive. Why not?

Here's the thing, and I appreciate your *question: So many people focus
on the other stuff. We wanted to focus on the music. People might say
that's a cop-out. I don't care. Personally, I'm not going to say Joe
Jackson was a bad guy. Have you ever been to the Jacksons' house in
Gary, Indiana? There were nine kids sleeping on top of each other. He
saw talent in his kids, and he made it work. Nowadays, if you hit your
kid, you're going to jail. Back then, if you messed around -- I'm just
talking for black folks -- you got hit. I don't think children should be
beat, but sometimes, upside the head? (Shrugs.) Maybe I'm
old-fashioned. And that house in Gary? That should be a national
landmark. Alright, President Obama. You've got one year left. (Laughs.)

It seems like Joe was simultaneously the best artist manager of all time and the worst.

Joe's OK in my book. Of course, he wasn't my father! (Laughs.)


Michael's brothers Jackie and Marlon, who have good relationships with
John Branca and John McClain, the executors of Jackson's estate, are in
the film. But Janet, Jermaine and Randy, who have denounced the
executors, are not in it. Why?

They didn't want to be a part of it. It's no secret that there's tension
between [parts of] the family and the estate. Any time money's
involved, there's going to be static.

There's one thing about your *documentary that isn't great: the title. Why such a *cumbersome title?

Wasn't me.


Was the title dictated to you by the estate?

It wasn't me. (Laughs.) Man, I should be running for office right now.
That was a true politician's answer, wasn't it? Give me Iowa!

This is your second Jackson documentary -- the first was Bad 25. Do you want to do another one?

I'd really like to do a documentary about Thriller. I've let the estate know, but I've not been given the job yet.

Do you think the success of Thriller was bad for Michael's music? After that, he was *obsessed with topping it.

Thriller became a monster on his back. Every record after that, he was
trying to sell more records. I think there's a cost for that.

billboard.com/articles/ne...y-donald-trumpwall

...interessante Aussagen von John Branca... gut seine Wertschätzung für das History-Album zu hören....

Sundance:
Why Michael Jackson's Legacy Was Entrusted to Spike Lee

A decade after helming the King of Pop's 1996 music video for "They Don't Care About Us," the filmmaker is bringing his doc 'Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall' to the festival.

A version of this story first appeared in the Jan. 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

John Branca had been Michael Jackson's longtime legal adviser and friend since the 1980s and, as the co-executor of the Michael Jackson estate (along with music executive John McClain), has continued to keep the iconic singer's legacy alive since his death in 2009. After Michael Jackson's This Is It — the 2009 concert documentary that followed Jackson as he prepared for his concert tour — became the top-grossing concert doc of all time ($261.2 million worldwide), the estate decided to make another documentary.

But who should helm it? Spike Lee, who had directed Jackson's 1996 music videos for "They Don't Care About Us," was an obvious choice. "Spike is a great director and a good friend, but he's also a huge Michael Jackson fan," says Branca, who hired Lee to direct 2012's Bad 25, a retrospective on the making of Jackson's 1987 album.

Lee, who hosts an annual tribute to the late singer in Brooklyn, heads to Sundance this year with Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall, which follows Jackson from his days in the Jackson 5 to his launch as a solo artist with 1979's Off the Wall. "This is a coming-of-age story," says Branca, who serves as a producer on the film, which features Lee's interviews with such stars as John Legend, Questlove, Pharrell Williams, Lee Daniels and Kobe Bryant. "He starts out as a child star who supported his entire family. And then, through a crisis in his career — leaving Motown — re-emerges as a solo artist. It's a compelling story."

Branca says they wanted to work with Lee again because of the shorthand that's developed between them. "There's never any tension. I have a lot of ideas when it comes to these things — there's always a great give-and-take," he says.

Branca is most involved in the outlining stage, and then comes in again to help with the edit after Lee has done the interviews. For Off the Wall, Branca helped cut it down from 120 minutes to 90. "We wanted to keep the pace and the tempo moving," he says.

And there's more Michael on the horizon. Lee hopes to make a trilogy of Michael Jackson docs, and has already said he'd love to finish it off with a film about the 1982 album Thriller.

"We definitely want to do a third one," adds Branca. "Thriller would be a logical choice because it's the biggest-selling album in history, but I've always felt that Michael's History album was his most unappreciated. When you really listen to that album, start to finish, you can't help but be blown away at the quality of the music."

hollywoodreporter.com/news/spi…ichael-jackson-doc-857179

QUESTLOVE PUTS THE DANCE IN SUNDANCE
Questlove will make a brief stop at the Sundance Film Festival to
deejay a party for the premiere of Showtime's “Michael Jackson's
Journey from Motown to off the Wall.”


We're told that “The Tonight Show”bandleader will spend only 10
hours in Park City, Utah, where he's set to spin tunes at the Kia Supper
Suite with The Church Key.
“Spike Lee wanted the night to be perfect for Michael so Questlove is making it happen and landing back in NYC for Monday's taping of the Tonight Show.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.2506840

Exclusive Kinovorstellung in New York angekündigt. Vielleicht gibt es wie bei Bad ja auch einige in Europa.

Und vor allen Dingen hoffentlich auch bald im deutschen TV:

Legacy Recordings
‏@SonyLegacyRecs
https://twitter.com/SonyLegacyRecsEnter here to go to an exclusive NYC screening of the new @michaeljackson doc! #MJOTW2016 http://smarturl.it/mj_nycscrn?IQid=tw20160124.leg …

Reviews nach der Premiere der Doku:

Spike Lee's Michael Jackson Doc a Tribute to His Music
By SANDY COHEN, AP ENTERTAINMENT WRITER PARK CITY, Utah — Jan 24, 2016, 10:48 PM ET

As a young artist, Michael Jackson knew he wanted to be legendary."I will be magic," he wrote as a teenager, outlining his plans for his
career. "I will be better than every great actor roped in one."

Jackson's drive to succeed and his striking talent as a singer, dancer and songwriter are the focus of Spike Lee's new documentary, "Michael
Jackson's Journey from Motown to 'Off the Wall,'" which made its world premiere Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival.

"This film is all about love toward Michael Joseph Jackson," Lee said as he introduced the film, which is dedicated to Jackson's children
Prince, Paris and "Biji" (formerly Blanket), along with family matriarch Katherine Jackson.

Beginning with the Jackson 5's earliest songs with Motown Records —featuring a charismatic 9-year-old Michael on lead vocals — the film
explores Jackson's growth as an artist and the perfectionist nature that fueled his work ethic.

Archival footage of the Jacksons' performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show," ''American Bandstand" and their "Destiny" tour is interspersed with interviews with music industry talents from then and now. Sammy Davis Jr., Gene Kelly, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones and
Questlove, along with contemporary music producers Mark Ronson and Rodney Jerkins, are among dozens of voices in the film. Jackson's
brothers Marlon and Jackie also appear on screen, but sisters Janet and LaToya do not.

"Everyone was invited to participate, but we used those who wanted to participate," said Jackson's longtime attorney John Branca, now executor of Jackson's estate and a producer of the film. "Certain (members) of the Jackson family are not quite big fans of (fellow
attorney) John and I, but that's fine. We're trying to do right by Michael."

This film makes viewers miss Jackson's dynamic dancing and mellifluousvoice while deepening their appreciation of his talents and endless
efforts to hone them.

"I do believe deeply in perfection," Jackson says in a 1976 interview.

It captures Jackson's evolution from a breakout child star to amultifaceted adult entertainer determined to transcend barriers of race
and genre. Even as a teenager, he dreamed of being able to "translate my music to different countries: Japan, Sweden... even Australia."

"He took black music to a place where it became human music," Pharrell Williams says in the film. "My music would not be here if it wasn't for his music."

Lee goes beyond music, however: Ballerina Misty Copeland credits Jackson for inspiring her love of dance. L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant says Jackson's approach to his art "impacted everything for me."

The late Sidney Lumet, who directed Jackson in the 1978 film "The Wiz," said: "Michael may be the purest talent I've ever seen."

The film follows Jackson's career until the release of his groundbreaking 1979 album "Off the Wall," which paved the way for 1982's
"Thriller," the best-selling album in history.

It doesn't get into Jackson's personal life or any of the legal troubles that would plague him later in life. It's simply a portrait of a man
and his music.

"Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to 'Off the Wall'" is set to premiere Feb. 5 on Showtime.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...music-36494469

..das einzige womit sich die Presse offensichtich schwer tut, dass in der Doku nichts über plast. Chirugie oder Missbrauchsvorwürfe berichtet wird.... Geht`s noch? Was haben diese Themen in einer OFF The Wall-Doku zu suchen?

billboard.com/articles/news/68…review-sundance-spike-lee
[*]
[*]

...ein neuer Showtime-Trailer:

sho.com/sho/video/titles/43917…acksons-off-the-wall-spot

Are More Michael Jackson Movies on the Way?

Are you ready for more Michael Jackson movies? At the Jan. 24 premiere
of the Showtime documentary Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off
the Wall at the Sundance Film Festival -- attended by director Spike
Lee, Questlove and Glassnotes Records founder Daniel Glass -- producer
John Branca hinted that more could be on the way.

“I’d like to see a movie about the History album and tour,” Branca,
who’s also co-executor of the Michael Jackson estate, told Billboard.
“It was his last tour, and his most underappreciated album. Michael was
out of favor in the U.S. at the time. But if you listen to it start to
finish, it’s one of the greatest albums of all time.”

But what about Jackson’s biggest blockbuster, Thriller -- which Lee, who
also directed the Bad 25 documentary, has said he’d love to give the
doc treatment? “That’s definitely a candidate,” said Branca, who added
that there will Halloween-themed events around the album next year, its
35th anniversary.

But for now, it’s all about Michael Jackson’s Journey, which hits
Showtime on Feb. 5. “It’s a part of Michael’s career and life that few
people know about,” Branca says. “Everyone knows about the meteoric rise
of Jackson 5 and Michael having his first No. 1 single at the age of
10. But they don’t know what came after. The Jacksons had to split away
from Motown, and many people thought their career was absolutely over,
that they were yesterday’s news, that they were a boy band whose time
had come and gone. This shows the story of Michael resurrecting the
Jacksons and making his first solo album -- and we all know what
happened after that.”

The film consists of present-day interviews mixed with some pretty
incredible vintage footage. Branca’s favorite old clip? “There was this
tap-dance team called the Nicholas Brothers -- the greatest tap dancers
of all time. And there’s footage of Michael going toe to toe and step to
step with them. Who knew Michael could tap-dance?”

Before the premiere, Lee also spoke about his call to boycott the
Academy Awards after all 20 acting nominations went to white stars. It’s
bigger than the Oscars, he explained; it’s an industrywide issue. “You
have to get diversity among the people who have green-light votes. We’re
gonna keep having this problem at the Oscars because they can only vote
on the films that were made. So we gotta go up, [to] the people in the
room who decide what we’re making and what we’re not making. There are
no people of color in those rooms."

billboard.com/articles/ev...me-documentary

SUNDANCE 2016 – “MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL”

January 25, 2016 — Leave a comment
Michael Jackson, in my opinion, is the greatest showman ever to grace a
stage. He could sing like no one before or after him, his dance moves
were effortlessly complex, and he knew how to put on a show.

In director Spike Lee’s documentary “Michael Jackson’s Journey from
Motown to Off the Wall”, we get to see how brilliant Jackson was and a
track by track look at one of his best albums.
This isn’t a normal Michael Jackson documentary. Lee focuses on the time
in Jackson’s life when he and his fellow Jackson 5 brothers were ruling
at the world at Motown records and then their transition to Epic
Records, where Jackson would eventually break away from the group and
make his first solo album, “Off the Wall”. We then here a slew of
celebrities and producers talk track by track about the album, much like
Lee’s last Jackson documentary, “Bad 25” (2012). Each song is broken
down from how it was made, to its importance, which gives us a true idea
of what Jackson was thinking while making the album.

Using a combination of found concert footage and interviews with Jackson
and current celebrities, Lee paints a crisp picture of Jackson as an
artist and the state of music in that era. We also get an understanding
of what Jackson and “Off the Wall” meant to black culture and the black
community. He gave them a voice and a face in the predominantly white
music scene in the 70’s.

The concert footage Lee got is incredible. Most of the footage, and the
best footage, comes from his Triumph Tour in 1981. This concert was
incredible and Lee gives us a front row seat. Seeing Jackson rock a
bedazzled shirt, dance his heart out, and sing classics like “Don’t Stop
‘Til You Get Enough” is something to behold. His performance of “She’s
Out of My Life” gave me goosebumps.

Most people want to focus on the negative aspects of Jackson’s life
rather than his artistry. That is the best thing that Lee did with this
film. He doesn’t focus on any of the drama in his life and we don’t need
it. We are here to see the artist, the legend that is Jackson and we
see him at his best. It is a testament to his brilliance and proves
without a shadow of a doubt why he will forever be The King of Pop.

MY RATING – 4/4
kevflix.com/2016/01/25/sundan...o-off-the-wal

.. vom roten Teppich: