One Year Later: Michael Jackson's Eerie Final Public Appearance

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson took to the podium amid a rabid group of fans chanting and yelling their affection for him and proceeded to say almost nothing relevant. One year later, those seemingly empty words have taken on a sad and unintentional irony and significance because it was the last time he truly spoke to us.

What a shame.

Today marks the one year anniversary of Michael's press conference announcing his planned comeback concerts in London. The spectacle took place in the famous 02 arena where MJ's stage shows were to play out from July 2009 until March 2010. Within hours of the tickets going on sale, every date sold out in very short order which caused AEG Live to add many more dates to the originally planned 10. Michael, during his short speech seemed a bit unsure of what to say as he repeatedly stated, "this is it...these are my final shows....and when I say 'this is it' I mean 'this is it.'" He told the howling crowd that he'd be "performing the songs that [his] fans want to hear."

The way I felt about the concert announcement at the time was bittersweet. Of course I was excited, but a little subdued. Michael was almost never seen in public since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges, so it was a treat to see him back in the limelight. However, I had grown frustrated at the long delay in him releasing any new material after so many rumors of pending releases ended up being empty in fact. Therefore, I felt that he may not even perform the shows and even if he did, they wouldn't take place in the U.S.

When the horror of June 25, 2009 arrived, it was overwhelming for many around the world and specifically for me. Michael's sudden and unbelievably shocking death that day obviously made the concerts a lost cause and caused millions upon millions of people a ton of grief. Looking back from the vantage point of today, that press conference was very eerie and ominous. It seemed joyous at the time since it represented Michael returning to the elements of his life that made us fall madly in love with him in the first place; his great artistry. But knowing that his death was just 112 days in the future from that point takes the air out of the entire thing. MJ ended his announcement by saying, "I love you all so much. I really do. See you in July."

As he strode away from the podium and disappeared behind the red curtains, no one knew that we'd seen the last of him being alive as we were seeing him. Sure, we got treated to the hastily assembled film, Michael Jackson's This Is It nearly eight months later, but as we watched Michael unleash his raw magic on screen, we knew that he was no longer with us in real life. That makes the whole awful situation even more unbearable.

Today is yet another day for us to cherish life and the awesome memory of Michael Joseph Jackson.

The Frustration of 'Michael Jackson's This Is It'

CLEVELAND - The final creative work of Michael Jackson's lifetime surfaces on DVD today and once again reminds the world of the colossal genius that the universe lost last summer.

I'll never be over it.

This Is It, the quasi documentary/concert film assembled from candid footage of Jackson's rehearsals for his planned comeback tour is bittersweet. When it hit movie theaters worldwide last fall, I was delighted to see it. Once it was over, I was both awestruck and upset. Michael's attention to detail and innovation was peerless. But since I was armed with knowledge of his sudden death before those destined-to-be-amazing concerts ever happened, I vacillated between joy and despair.

Watching the DVD will do the same thing to me.

This film does one thing extremely well. It reminds those who may have forgotten of Jackson's breathtaking abilities as a performer. Indeed, even though he only gives half-speed effort during the rehearsals, it's still enough to astonish. His dancing, even at nearly 51 years of age seemed to redefine the limits and laws of physics and gravity. His singing soars through the mostly empty arena and his voiced concepts of how the show was to play out was precise and ambitious.

Given the fact that Michael's public reputation had been on a steep decline for at least 15 years, this film is perfect because it strips away the controversy, scandal and criticism. All it shows is a master in his element, filled with focus and drive and eager to rekindle his status as the greatest entertainer in history. After seeing the epic scope and magnitude of what Michael had planned for those London concerts, it becomes an absolute certainty that he would have crafted the greatest live show ever. But instead of the finished product, us fans are left with a skeletal blueprint of what could've and would've been.

But with Michael Jackson front and center, it's still an awesome treat.

Jackson Film Showcases His Meticulous Genius

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson has long been a mindlessly gifted vocalist and a breathtakingly flawless dancer with much evidence to support those stunning gifts. What hasn't been seen is his meticulous creative process and relentless drive towards perfection.

Until now.

Jackson's new film, a hastily yet impressively crafted piece entitled, This Is It debuts in theaters today worldwide. The concert's choreographer, Kenny Ortega assembled the highly anticipated flick which I had the grand pleasure of screening last night armed with the realization that I might very well shed a tear or a few million. Thankfully, I didn't, but it was challenging not to at times.

In the film, Michael's uncompromised creativity and perfectionism are on full display. Though clearly performing at half-speed, his lilting voice often soars with an altitude similar to a hang glider over a canyon. His dancing is so intricate, precise and instinctive and at times seems to just "happen" with even the most mundane of his movements. He hits beautiful high notes, most fascinating to me is when he was rehearsing his Thriller-era hit "Human Nature" and seems to let the music flow through him, which triggers his legendary dance steps.

Michael's remarkable artistry and imagination shine through on several vignettes he had planned to show during the concerts. A particularly fascinating interlude was the short film he created to open "Smooth Criminal," a hit track from Jackson's 1987 Bad album. Footage of classic 1940's gangster films are interspersed with current footage of Michael, clad in a white fedora and suit and armed with a Tommy Gun.

Those images are reminiscent of his indelible music video of the same name.

Also very notable: a highly-stylized re-imagining of his seminal "Thriller" video with ghoulish and ominous imagery that was set to be a 3-D film to be shown during the shows. Also, a riled up run through of "Beat It" and a jaw dropping rehearsal of "Billie Jean" showcased Michael at his best. They were also great theater and seemed compelling enough to use as separate, updated music videos of those iconic Jackson classics.

It is nearly impossible to see Jackson as a frail 50-year old in the film as he's been so often depicted in the media. Indeed, the man is sharp, lucid and highly energetic. His charm is infectious and the camaraderie he had with his dancers and musicians was quite obvious. His attention to detail is astonishing and his leadership is astounding. He's politely demanding and endlessly creative. Given the epic stature of his life's work, it is easy to see how this creative process of his was necessary as well as constant.

Watching Michael in his element, completely unguarded and highly focused on perfecting his craft was a delicious treat for me as I'm sure it is for all of his fans. His pure genius, which shines through loud and clear in this film is absolutely humbling and inspiring and should serve as a reminder to the world just how much of a major force Jackson truly was. His collaborators on this massive project were all too thrilled and giddy at the chance to work with MJ, and had clearly established a strong connection with the international icon.

Of course, the footage in this film came from Michael's plan for a huge series of concerts in London this summer that would serve as his "comeback" after a 12-year hiatus from performing live. He rehearsed from April to June, with much of the footage being filmed in HD with high quality audio. Tragically and stunningly, he died on June 25 which was less than three weeks before he was to begin his concerts. That fact, along with the knowledge that we have of these awesome stage shows never coming to fruition is so frustrating. As wonderful as Michael is in the movie, we have to accept that his genius is no longer here which for me, is close to impossible.

Thankfully, the film avoids references to his death as well as the salacious and sordid details of his often controversial personal life. The man was a true great, and his historic career will forever be an indelible memory in our minds, especially because of this respectful and riveting documentation of the final weeks of the greatest entertainer in history.

I love him even more than ever now.