Michael Jackson's Ghosts

"Ghosts" plays more as a special effects reel than as a movie or a music video. The "song" portion of the video is incredibly slight. In his heyday, Michael Jackson and his accomplices were able to produce videos that integrated fun (if not brilliant) visuals with his once unique brand of pop music. Now, his videos -- of which "Ghosts" is easily the worst -- have become half-hour-long egofests.

Stan Winston is a brilliant makeup artist, but as a director he is just awful. This video plays like a series of reaction shots: Michael Jackson does something ooky; the parents, kids, and Mayor react with horrified visages and huddle together; Michael does something "funny"; the parents and kids look amused (and for some reason comforted), while the Mayor continues to look perturbed. This series of events happens over and over and over again. At least half the video consists of those annoying reaction shots; what a waste of videotape!

Even the choreography for this video is poorly filmed, and choreography should be the focal point of any Michael Jackson video. Winston focuses on the makeup rather than on the dancers, giving closeups of their grotesque features instead of their footwork.

The video's message is obviously that odd-looking weirdos like Michael Jackson can still be lovable, but I do not see how the video succeeds in reinforcing this theory. The little kids involved seem to have no problem with Michael's ability to jump down another human's throat and manipulate him like a puppet. I dunno -- if I were ten years old, I think that might bother me a bit.

This was a breathtaking short-horrormusical with Michael Jackson, finally a bit cool.

Some people think that it is a spin off to THRILLER, but I can't see any similarity at all. Let's all remember that Michael Jackson was an adult as a child, and he has got to have room for his childhood somewhere too.

I love Michael Jackson's short films, and this is no exception.

This film is absolutely stunning once AGAIN Michael Jackson stuns us with his excellent dance moves and vocal. I love this film to bits and it is so funny. I mean his dance moves are just SOOOOO GOOD, I would recommend anyone to see this.

Being a Michael Jackson fan since the early 1980's I've always remained interested in anything he does.

I think commercially his best days were behind him in the mid-90's, but this is still an excellent video and it far exceeds a lot of the crap that artists put out there today.

Most videos are the same thing over and over, the artists with the line dancers in bikinis behind them, YAWN!

Michael Jackson comes along and takes the music video to the next level, he puts a storyline into it and killer special effects.

When you get done, the only person the guy has failed to outdo is himself.

Like him or no, Michael Jackson is still the king of music video.

As a life long fan of Michael Jackson, you could argue that I am bias. But one of the reasons why Jacko's career is so amazing, is his music videos. No artist in history has created as many fantasical music videos as he. Billie Jean, Thriller, Smooth Criminal, Leave Me Alone, Black or White, Remember the Time.... This list goes on, Jacko is a quality entertainer!

The dancing is spectacular, The soundtrack is awesome, the melodies and rifts are vintage Jackson and the special fx are superb.

Sure, it could be seen as Thriller of the 90's, but who else could produce such a thing? Madonna? not a chance! anyone? not even close!

What suprises me the most is its limited release and promotion. If the music was publisised more and the short film was given its deserved air-time, then people would have to stand back and watch in ore of a true genius at work.

10/10, As music videos go, Ghost is spectacular and only the true King of Pop could produce such a masterpiece!