Acclaimed film
director Spike Lee has been a life-long fan of Michael Jackson and his music.
“His joy for life was demonstrated in his music and performing,” he said. “And
in turn, he has had a lasting impact on a new generation of artists.”
Lee was in town on
October 1 for a special screening to mark the Canadian premiere of his
documentary “Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall”, as part of
the 12th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival,
and attracted a huge crowd that packed the Hall Theatre at Concordia
University.
Through plenty of
concert footage, TV appearances and interviews with many of Jackson’s contemporaries
(i.e. Berry Gordy, Suzanne de Passe, Valerie Simpson), family members (brothers
Marlon and Jackie), and some of today’s leading recording artists (i.e., John
Legend, Pharrell Williams and even Kobe Bryant), Lee chronicles the crucial
10-year period from 1969 to 1979 when Michael Jackson transformed himself from
the cute idol of millions of teenyboppers to the iconic King of Pop.
The second half of
the documentary is dedicated to Jackson’s monumental 1979 album “Off the Wall”
and through those interviews, concert footage and early music videos, gives a
song-by-song examination of how and why “Off the Wall” was so important to the
rock music world in general, and the future path of Jackson’s career in
particular. It was amazing to see how many of the interviewees got giddy when
they were discussing the songs, whether they had a role in its production or
not, and how much they enjoyed listening to them when they were first released,
as well as onto the present day.
Following the
screening, Lee held a question and answer session with festival founder and
president Fabienne Colas. Sporting San Francisco 49ers/Colin Kaepernick gear,
Lee answered a steady stream of questions from the members of the packed crowd,
ranging from Michael Jackson’s impact on pop music, how he put together the
documentary, his life as a filmmaker, and even some current issues that are
currently making the headlines.
Here is a sampling
of what Lee said that night:
-On Donald Trump:
“Right now, the election has gotten to the point where you have to flip a coin,
and that’s scary. Can you imagine Trump with the nuclear codes? It’s more like
WTF. This is a scary time right now in America.”
-On former Montreal
Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban: “Why did they trade my man? He was the face
of the team. They should have traded him to the New York Rangers.”
On being an
acclaimed, award-winning filmmaker: “This is a dream job for me. When you get
to do what you love – and make a living doing what you love – you’re blessed.”
As well, Lee
revealed that he is currently working on a 10-episode series for Netflix based
on one of his early films, “She’s Gotta Have It”, which follows the characters,
and what has happened to them since the time of the film’s release. He also
hinted about the possibility of a third documentary about Michael Jackson,
which would deal with the story behind his legendary 1982 album “Thriller”.
(This article originally appeared in the Oct. 5, 2016 edition of "Wednesday", the Montreal Times' online-only arts & lifestyles publication).
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