Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey.

A film by Spike Lee

2012, USA, Documentary, 131 minutes, English

Programmer's Note (TIFF 2012, Canada

For those who remember the time, the 1980s were the Age of MJ. With its string of irresistible number one hits and landmark videos, the 1982 album Thriller cemented the formidably talented Michael Jackson's status as the King of Pop. But it was Jackson's 1987 follow-up Bad that shifted his image and style toward something tougher, leaner, and more mature. A revolutionary turning point for the musician, Bad was a sensation in its own right, yielding a number of timeless megahits as well as the memorable video for its title cut, directed by none other than Martin Scorsese. Appropriately, this new documentary celebrating the album's silver anniversary is helmed by another New York-based cinematic visionary: Spike Lee.

Bad 25 features captivating behind-the-scenes footage of the recording sessions for several of Bad's biggest songs ("The Way You Make Me Feel" being among the most memorable). There are also revealing interviews with a number of fellow artists who worked with Jackson - such as Sheryl Crow, with whom Jackson shared the duet "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" on stage during the Bad world tour - and those who were inspired by him, including Kanye West, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey. Lee offers us a more intimate side of Jackson, one rarely glimpsed amidst the glitter and circus-like atmosphere that surrounded the notoriously private superstar, especially as his personal life (and appearance) became a scandal-rag mainstay in the years that followed Bad. As the landmark album takes shape before our eyes, we see Jackson's dedication to his craft, his talent for inspired collaboration, and his sly sense of humour - as well as some hints of the toll that his relentless work ethic had on his psyche.

But what you'll find above all in Bad 25 is Jackson the inimitable entertainer at the peak of his powers, dancing, singing, celebrating and reinventing the musical traditions that inspired his unique and innovative artistry. While the strutting bravado of the title track may have been dulled by so many years of radio play, once you witness the song's fascinating genesis in Bad 25, you won't need to ask who's bad.

Cameron Bailey (TIFF - Toronto International Film Festival 2012)

Director: Spike Lee
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Language: English
Runtime: 131 minutes
Rating: PG

Exec. Producer: John Branca, John McClain, Antonio L.A. Reid
Producer: Spike Lee
Production Co.: Optimum Productions
Cinematographer: Kerwin DeVonish
Editor: Barry Alexander Brown


Tags: Music | Documentary

2012 | Festival international de Toronto, Canada, Sept 2012.
* Selection - Special Presentation
Screening: Saturday September 15 - Venue: Ryerson Theatre - 9:00 PM
Screening: Sunday September 16 - Venue: The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema - 12:00 PM
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2012/bad25