The new IMAX 3D presentation of Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking 14-minute “Thriller” is great fun to see in a theater and especially on the giant IMAX screen for the first time.
You can’t help but move your body and head to the beat of the great song that now envelopes you in the theater with the IMAX sound system. And how appropriate that posters for Vincent Price’s “House of Wax” in 3D can be seen in the background as Jackson and his girlfriend leave the theater.
The newly-added 3D for “Thriller” is solid, although it doesn’t fully exploit the medium as did Jackson’s “Captain Eo” at Disneyland. Here the 3D pops the most for a few seconds right at the beginning and right at the end.
The letters on the familiar title page keep moving forward until the Thriller word feels as if you can reach out and touch it.
And the yellow pupils of the zombie that goes into a freeze-frame at the end of the credits pop out at the audience in a fun little bit of gimmickry.
It’s not like anyone would miss the final surprise due to leaving the theater as the credits begin to roll since this new IMAX 3D presentation is being shown for one-week only starting Sept. 21 immediately before the new Amblin theatrical release of Eli Roth’s frightening fantastical “The House with a Clock in its Walls” starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett in an adaptation of the children’s story.
The video written by Jackson and directed by John Landis has been restored and remastered in 3D. The historic short premiered at the AVCO Theatre in Los Angeles in 1983, was a major TV event when it premiered on MTV, and is the only music video to be inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
The new 3D version of “Thriller” made its world premiere at the recent 74th Venice Film Festival. It is presented by IMAX and the Estate of Michael Jackson.
With the exception of the 3D effects, the content of the short has not been edited or changed except that it looks terrific even blown up that big all these years later due to a digital restoration of the film starting with the original 35mm negative by DeluxeLab, Optimum Productions and Landis. It was converted to 3D by Legend3D. All of the audio, including Michael’s music, Elmer Bernstein’s “scary” score and sound effects, were adapted to 5.7, 7.1 and Atmos standards in order to create the highest quality audio experience for in theater viewing.
In addition to “Captain Eo,” Jackson had 3D presentations created for his This is It tour but he died on June 25, 2009, less than a month before that tour was to kick off on July 13. So far there have been no announcements about bringing those 3D productions to the public.
IMAX has eliminated 3D presentations for most mainstream films in the past year or so, reserving the use of 3D for films specifically designed and produced for the format, such as the upcoming multiple “Avatar” sequels, and for special engagements like “Michael Jackson’s Thriller 3D,” according to spokespeople for IMAX.
— By Scott Hettrick
