Word: film
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...Week Window One of Sony's first marketing moves was to set a deadline for the film public, proclaiming that This Is It would play in theaters for a two-week run. Can't you just feel the sense of urgency? "It has event-ized this thing in a huge way," marvels an industry exec. The prospect of an end date lit a fire under the devoted and even the Jackson-ambivalent. Setting a deadline "creates a sense of scarcity for a major event that you have to see," says Harry Medved, a spokesman for the movie-ticketing website Fandango.com...
...that they will not be turned away." The question remains, though, whether an audience exists beyond the first weekend's rush of fans. "There are a lot of unknowns," admits director-choreographer Kenny Ortega. "There's been a quick response by the diehards, the people who cannot miss the film. But it's not for sure if there's anyone beyond Michael's fan base who will make up an audience for something like this." (Read a Q&A with Kenny Ortega...
...there was a clear mandate to honor - some might say tap into - the international outpouring of grief. "It's not about exploiting," Ortega says. "Every corner of this planet, people were reaching out saying, 'Show us something.' " Ortega was originally asked to edit the 120 hours of mixed rehearsal film for a release around Jackson's birthday in August. He declined, and the mutual decision was for an October release. (See the top 10 Michael Jackson songs...
...critics have. Ortega chalks this up to Jackson's need for opening-night magic. "It was always, Don't ruin the secrets, don't ruin the surprises," says Ortega. "Michael always protected that." Gaydos believes the movie is "review-proof." "What are they going to say - that the film is out of focus, that they don't like the music?" he asks. "I don't think anyone thinks it's going to be a cinematic masterpiece." Rather than a fear of bad reviews, he chalks up the lack of advance screenings to Sony's need to build anticipation...
That said, one obvious hurdle the film faces is that it's a concert film with no concertgoers - just 18,000 silent seats. That's a whole lot less boisterous than the normal adrenaline-fueled arena chaos. It could be a point of strength: Ortega insists there "is something quite special" about the fact that there is an "emptiness where there would have been a roar of applause." But as a viewing experience, it will doubtless take some getting used to. (See the last pictures of Michael Jackson...