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David Fincher Talks About Who Is It

MJBT

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I’m a massive fan of David Fincher and Who Is It is Michaels most underrated song and the video just oozes style, you can image how awesome it was to find this clip from a q&a with Fincher disscusing the video. It’s a short but sweet and funny clip enjoy.

 
David Fincher's explanation that Michael Jackson did not want the scenario to involve a prostitute does not seem to make sense.

Besides, Michael Jackson had already written and recorded songs about prostitutes (such as, 'Streetwalker', 'Dirty Diana').

Note also that Shana Mangatal (who used to work closely with the singer at that time) revealed in her book that Michael Jackson decided to later abandon the shooting of the 'Who Is It' music video because he thought that in the initial scenes of that music video he looked like a monkey.
 
mj_frenzy said:
David Fincher's explanation that Michael Jackson did not want the scenario to involve a prostitute does not seem to make sense.

Besides, Michael Jackson had already written and recorded songs about prostitutes (such as, 'Streetwalker', 'Dirty Diana').
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These songs are not about prostitutes... They are about women... Dirty Diana is about groupie, Michael's fan.
mj_frenzy said:
Note also that Shana Mangatal (who used to work closely with the singer at that time) revealed in her book that Michael Jackson decided to later abandon the shooting of the 'Who Is It' music video because he thought that in the initial scenes of that music video he looked like a monkey.
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I don't think that Michael considered himself a monkey. There was only one case, when Michael was pissed off about comments about his appearance (YRMW shooting) Btw, I don't like Who Is It video, because it looks like somebody decided to integrate Michael into some random movie... I mean, it looks messy.... Michael looks perfect, but he doesn't fit into this video... Idk
 
Michael not starring in his own music videos presented as some kind of a universal truth? No,I'm sorry,but I don't buy that (or maybe he was just kidding on the spot and I've failed to enjoy his humourous take,but anyway..)
The exception does not the rule make,Fincher..I understand his frustration around the "Who Is It" situation but if Michael was not to/did want to appear in a music video,then he simply did not do so,as the music videos for "Man in the Mirror","Heal The World","Cry" (and even "Will You Be There" and "Gone Too Soon")ultimately prove..
Nonetheless,if Michael did not really appear in "his last 4 music videos,by the time that 'Who Is It' was shot",then we surely wouldn't have a good amount of backstage footage from both the "Black Or White" and "Jam" music videos,filmed during the same "Dangerous" era..it simply doesn't add up.
Starting rumours is so childish and ridiculous that I know even question my own maturity when rather overreacting to his claims 🤠..but still..
(if this was meant to be a joke and nothing more,then I apologize for the criticism..but I just fail to see its supposed brilliance)
 
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For every person who says Michael was a normal friendly down to earth man you find stories like this where we get the opposite side of the story where Michael was awkward and difficult to work with. You can see it wasn’t a super pleasant job for Fincher.
I don’t know if it irritates me or if I find it funny but each time Michael comes up in stuff like this or in a late night show the audience starts laughing, like they expect some really crazy shit. In this case Fincher started it himself with how he replied to the question. The bottom line is it seems to me nobody really takes Michael seriously

Michael was a really peculiar guy
 
filmandmusic said:
For every person who says Michael was a normal friendly down to earth man you find stories like this where we get the opposite side of the story where Michael was awkward and difficult to work with. You can see it wasn’t a super pleasant job for Fincher.
I don’t know if it irritates me or if I find it funny but each time Michael comes up in stuff like this or in a late night show the audience starts laughing, like they expect some really crazy shit. In this case Fincher started it himself with how he replied to the question. The bottom line is it seems to me nobody really takes Michael seriously

Michael was a really peculiar guy
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Not really that they don't take him entirely seriously,but rather that they have no idea on how they should actually view him or take him..at least in my opinion.
 
I wonder if he has any outtakes & I need to know how & why ecasanova was called in to finish it,what michael thought about that, what was going to be the finished product if michael was there & the real true reason he didn't finish it. Smh these people don't be asking the right questions! 😒
 
PurpleThriller said:
Michael not starring in his own music videos presented as some kind of a universal truth? No,I'm sorry,but I don't buy that (or maybe he was just kidding on the spot and I've failed to enjoy his humourous take,but anyway..)
The exception does not the rule make,Fincher..I understand his frustration around the "Who Is It" situation but if Michael was not to/did want to appear in a music video,then he simply did not do so,as the music videos for "Man in the Mirror","Heal The World","Cry" (and even "Will You Be There" and "Gone Too Soon")ultimately prove..
Nonetheless,if Michael did not really appear in "his last 4 music videos,by the time that 'Who Is It' was shot",then we surely wouldn't have a good amount of backstage footage from both the "Black Or White" and "Jam" music videos,filmed during the same "Dangerous" era..it simply doesn't add up.
Starting rumours is so childish and ridiculous that I know even question my own maturity when rather overreacting to his claims 🤠..but still..
(if this was meant to be a joke and nothing more,then I apologize for the criticism..but I just fail to see its supposed brilliance)
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Agreed. Plenty of other people are in his videos. Maybe more than Michael. That doesn't mean he didn't star in them. How many minutes does he have to be in a video to be a star? He 'starred' in all of the videos because he sang the song. Good grief.
 
filmandmusic said:
For every person who says Michael was a normal friendly down to earth man you find stories like this where we get the opposite side of the story where Michael was awkward and difficult to work with. You can see it wasn’t a super pleasant job for Fincher.
I don’t know if it irritates me or if I find it funny but each time Michael comes up in stuff like this or in a late night show the audience starts laughing, like they expect some really crazy shit. In this case Fincher started it himself with how he replied to the question. The bottom line is it seems to me nobody really takes Michael seriously

Michael was a really peculiar guy
Click to expand...
hm interesting point of view...I didn't get the feeling he was saying MJ was awkward or difficult to work with as much as Fincher taking the low road as many have in using Michael to throw off on, and using his Michael Jackson moment to play the premadonna director.

Michael did the shoot but became uncomfortable on the set because of his religious training since childhood. Even though an impersonator finished it, Michael showed up in a good bit of it. Just as with his voice, we can see which scenes are Michael.
 
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