Your top 10 short films

[HIStoric]

The footage of it in MJ's private home videos aren't from the music video. The shots show him standing perfectly still (minus moving his mouth in the caricature Chaplin fashion), exactly what you would do for the photoshoot. Likely just footage taken during the photoshoot.

 

[OnirMJ]

I am surprised that it has been left out from some peoples ranks

Love the dancing in it. MJ's best ever. Love the story and the effects. But it is too childish. It could have been much better.

 

[Hess]

There was a photoshoot but I don't think there was a short film. Doesn't really make sense that they'd shoot a video (in which MJ wanted to dance with Charlie Chaplin through VFX) and only then ask for permission to use Chaplin's image.

I know there are photos. - One picture is in the HIStory booklet isn't it?

But I have just never heard about a short film being shoot.

 

[Prince Of Pop]

I thought Sony cancelled the promotion of Smile being released. Never heard of the Chaplin family fighting it.

 

[Invincible2k1]

1) Moonwalker (if that counts )
2) Ghosts
3) Bad
4) Give in to Me
5) Thriller
6) Stranger in Moscow
7) Scream
8) Billie Jean
9) Captain EO (if that also counts)
10) You Rock My World

 

[OnirMJ]

I thought Sony cancelled the promotion of Smile being released. Never heard of the Chaplin family fighting it.

Maybe the video for it. Sony could have still release the single on radio and CD singles and vinyls to stores if they wanted.

 

[Galactus123]

I remember reading some interview where Michael was suprised to hear that they cancelled the Smile single. He was like: They cancelled it? when the interviewer mentioned it. It was in some fan magazine and somebody posted it here. I'm 90% sure that I'm not making that up.

 

[Zee37]

1. Remember the Time
2. Bad
3. In the Closet
4. Come Together
5. Speed Demon
6. Scream
7. Prison Verison They Don't Care About Us
8. Smooth Criminal
9. Who is it
10. Give in to Me
10.

 

[innuendo141]

No order
1. Smooth Criminal
2. Bad
3. Earth Song
4. Leave Me Alone
5. Thriller
6. Blood on the Dance Floor
7. They Dont Care About Us (Both)
8. Give Into Me
9. Remember The Time
10. Speed Demon

Have to give mentions to Billie Jean, Beat It, The Way You Make Me Feel, Who Is It and Black or White

 

[Jermaine]

1. Scream
2. Bad
3. In The Closet
4. Smooth Criminal
5. Stranger In Moscow
6. Thriller
7. Can You Feel It
8. HIStory Teaser
9. Remember The Time
10. The Way You Make Me Feel

 

[mj_frenzy]

I think that some of MJ’s short films deserve the top position equally.

Also, apart from some ‘Smile’ (promo) singles that were issued at that time (mostly 12’’) nothing else exists.

 

[Mjfan9]

Love all of them! Especially Smooth Criminal and Ghost

 

[MJYT]

1.Remember The Time
2. Smooth Criminal
3. Ghosts
4. Bad
5. The Way You Make Me Feel
6. Jam
7. You Rock My World
8. Scream
9. Thriller (I got this low I know, it's influential not amazing)
10. Black Or White

 

[MAQ]

1. Ghosts
2. Thriller
3. Remember the Time
4. They Don't Care About Us
5. Smooth Criminal
6. Bad
7. Earth Song
8. Jam (I remember how much fun I had watching this video back when I was a kid)
9. Who Is It
10. The Way You Make Me Feel/Black or White (love both of them equally)

 

[Erandi]

1. Who Is It
.
.
.
Give In To Me
Stranger in Moscow
Remember the Time
Another Part of Me
Will You Be There
Smooth Criminal
Beat It
They Don't Care About Us (Prison version)
YANA

 

[JM77]

I wouldn't be able to squeeze all my favourites into a top 10 - I love too many! But I will say this. Since the Thriller short film, I can tell that Michael had a gift for 'short film making'/acting as well as his performing career. Other than short films, The Wiz, Captain EO, Moonwalker, etc. also show his talent regarding the film side of things. I know that he wanted to pursue his immense interest of film directing. If he was still here, other than making more music, I think that he would have started to direct films and be really great at it from watching his short films/other films.

 

[KOPV]

such a hard question... I'll just name videos I like that come to my head first and see what happens..

Rememer The Time
Smooth Criminal
Bad (long version)
TWYMMF (long version)
Leave Me Alone
Thy Don't Care About Us
In The Closet
Scream
Another Part Of Me
Man In The Mirror (Moonwalker version)

I guess i'm at 10... can I keep going? lol... that's not in particular order..

 

[mjprince1976]

1. Ghosts (Full length, especially the part where he rips his skin off and becomes a dancing skeleton, and the fact he is also the middle aged man)
2. Smooth Criminal (No reason, it is just cool, the suit, the tip forward shoes, dancing, bad assed ness)
3. Thriller (Always a a favourite of mine)
4. They don't care about us (Prison version)
5. Leave me alone (Watched it a lot back in the day, endlessly fascinated with how they made it)
6. Beat It (Another favourite)
7. Remember the Time (I am a huge fan of classical civilisations like Egypt, Greece and Rome and Eddie Murphy of course)
8. Billie Jean (The video that started the whole short film thing)
9. Bad (Great Dance sequences)
10. The way you make me feel (Great again)

So many that did not make this list, which I love too, so I will put in 5 honourable mentions
Earth Song (Amazing!!!)
Stranger in Moscow
Scream
Don't stop til you get enough
Man in the Mirror

Worst video - Watsupwitu (For real???)

Best fan video - Walk right now by MJJFan 3 shows a montage of mid/late 70s and early 80s Jackson performances and video set to the extended version of this classic off Triumph. I suspect its a recent fan made thing, but I love it.

 

[barbee0715]

Best fan video - Walk right now by MJJFan 3 shows a montage of mid/late 70s and early 80s Jackson performances and video set to the extended version of this classic off Triumph. I suspect its a recent fan made thing, but I love it.

Wow. You were right. I ran over to YouTube and looked it up. And I love watching Michael dance with and twirling girls. He always puts his arm over his OWN head.
Do you know how many times guys try to twirl you and you end up getting smacked in the head??
I wonder who taught him to do that.

 

[Spaceship]

This would be my top 10, although not necessarily in this order:

1. "Thriller"
2. "Bad"
3. "The Way You Make Me Feel"
4. "Remember The Time"
5. "Smooth Criminal"
6. "Beat It"
7. "Scream"
8. "In The Closet"
9. "Rock With You"
10. "Billie Jean"

 

[MJInTheMirror]

I was going to make a list but I realized I was listing all of his short films, so I will go with my favorite songs's short films :
(no order)
Billie Jean
Beat It
Thriller (not my fav song but lf course amazing short film)
Man In The Mirror (Moonwalker)
Dirty Diana
Smooth Criminal
Jam
Black Or White
Give In To Me
Blood On The Dance Floor

 

[Leanne]

1.Smooth crinimal
2.Leave me alone
3. tdcbu (both)
4. Thriller
5 Ghosts
6. Black or white
7. Earth song
8.Bad
9.Scream
10.Blood on the dancefloor

Omg that was hard trying to choose haha

 

[mjprince1976]

Wow. You were right. I ran over to YouTube and looked it up. And I love watching Michael dance with and twirling girls. He always puts his arm over his OWN head.
Do you know how many times guys try to twirl you and you end up getting smacked in the head??
I wonder who taught him to do that.

I know!!!! That video is proof that Michael was an amazing dancer way before the Moonwalk and the whole Thriller period. It is amazing how limb and nimble he was, the twirling is great and one of those videos he is dancing with a very young Janet. you also see his dancing in the Carol Burnett Show (January 1976), unknown Wiz era dancing in tophat and tails, American Bandstand appearance in 1979 and pieces of the Triumph and Destiny tours with some pieces of Triumph era videos (Can you feel it), 1976 Jacksons show performance and a 1974/1975 Moving Violation era clip in which he does the robot. Great stuff.

 

[Snow White luvs Peter Pan]

1. Ghosts
2. Thriller
3. Smooth Criminal
4. Earth Song/Stranger In Moscow
5. Another Part Of Me
6. TDCAU (prison version)
7. TWYMMF
8. Dirty Diana
9. Black Or White
10. Remember The Time

 

[KOPV]

I thought this would be a good segue to sneak my old video I made years back.. lol PPL liked it, I made sure the dancing went with the music, tried to get creative with ways to match what MJ was singing with the clips.. and added a few little extra things I thought fans would like, like MJ singing "same time" and it looks like he sings it, and the end, bringing thriller ending back and it matches what the narrator says. Same theme

THREATENED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwUn9Cxr5Q

 

[Danja]

I don't watch them as much as I listen to his songs, but here they are, in no particular order:

1. Who Is It
2. Give In To Me
3. Remember The Time
4. Speed Demon
5. Bad (Long Version)
6. Smooth Criminal
7. Come Together
8. Will You Be There
9. Black Or White
10. Stranger In Moscow

 

[Bringing Brighter Days]

nothing will ever beat Thriller....it's not going to happen, people from all over the world still imitate those famous dance move routines to this very day and that will be the case 10 years from now

 

[MAQ]

1. Ghosts
2. Black or White
3. They Don't Care About Us (both versions)
4. Billie Jean
5. Who Is It
6. Remember the Time
7. Beat It
8. Scream
9. Smooth Criminal
10. Bad

These are the videos that I've watched the most - imo his Bad videos were the best, while his Dangerous videos are my favorites.

 

[aazzaabb]

Best fan video - Walk right now by MJJFan 3 shows a montage of mid/late 70s and early 80s Jackson performances and video set to the extended version of this classic off Triumph. I suspect its a recent fan made thing, but I love it.

That was brilliant! There's some superb fan videos out there and this has really put me right in the mood for the Triumph album, not listened to it in ages. The robot and those spins were great. He was such a great dancer in his prime. Thanks for mentioning this video.

 

[Tony R]

imo his Bad videos were the best, while his Dangerous videos are my favorites.

That sentence has my brain in a whirl..

That's some paradoxical statement.