Downtown can easily have a simple tribute to Micheal Jackson by recreating the Palace Theater marquee as seen in its cameo in "Thriller".
The John Landis directed 14 minute short is considered a benchmark for MTV and Micheal Jackson. It has also kept the song alive for years.
Others may call the many versions of Thriller just parodies. Not so. The Elvis hip swing is mocked. The Beatles are imitated. But the dance of head nods, and arms extended up and out while step shuffling to the side are performed with conviction and affectionate participation.
As for the performers on the most popular alternative version of Thriller, they were performing for the Philippine International Tourism Fair only a few hours before Micheal Jackson died. After being told of Jackson's death, the inmates practiced for nine hours as a tribute, and performed for a crowd of about 700 locals and foreign tourists.
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The Thriller Viral Film Festival, after the jump.
Grand Jury Prize: The 1,500 inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, know they are stars of the internet, yet not many have bolted to a solo dance career since most of them are serving sentences for murder, rape, or drug dealing. A Cebu news report informs us that that the video of the prison' redesigned fitness program was uploaded to show other jails "alternative ways to instill discipline." The original CPDRC choreographer was Vince Rosales, a city engineer who was transferred to work with the inmates. "My first week here, they threw slippers at me . . .they cursed me," said Rosales.
Regional Award: There's more than one video showing a wedding party dancing to Thriller, VFaL selects the all male version.
Directors Cut Award: Ah . . . Legos done with great detail, and almost too long. Skip ahead to see plastic do precision dancing.
Scene Saved the Movie Award: "13 going on 30" has Jenna Rink, played by Jennifer Garner, coaxing stuffy magazine professionals to come out of the Thriller closet. Best part? To see Andy Serkis jump in near the end nodding his head to the beat with extra flair.
Sci-Fi Award: Darth Vadar recruits a few storm troopers for an efficient 59 second rendition at an undisclosed theme park. Granted, Vadar would be better suited to perform 'Bad.'
Tuition Well Spent Award: On April 19th, 242 William & Mary students gathered on the College's Sunken Garden and broke the "Thriller" world dance record. Guinness made it official May 15.
Guerilla Marketing Award: An elusive dance group from Copenhagen performs as drive-by performance art that first began on subway trains. It grew into a viral marketing partnership with Sony BMG. Here's a bonus cut.
I Had to Google What Product Was Being Sold Award: After Thriller was exposed as a guilty pleasure, shared by many, the Super Bowl became a new stage. In "Thrillicous," SoBe pitch person Naomi Campbell leads CGI lizards to promote fortified water. For Jackson fans, it meant that all was forgiven. Still, the ode to the King of 'Pop' may have been more a ode to Jackson's connection with Pepsi. SoBe is a brand under the PepsiCo umbrella.
Reinvent the Classics Award: Librarians at a 2008 staff Christmas party for the National Library of Australia stage their version with a vulnerable librarian as female victim, who then empowers herself at the end. That will teach those zombies to abuse library carts.
Canine Classic Trophy: UK-based Border Collie named Jazz and his handler, named Richard Curtis, share their blue ribbon performance from London's Discover Dogs freestyle competition.
Halftime Performance Award: You now can find college bands willing to drop their instruments while the percussion section converts the horn section into zombies. Representing football halftime shows, here's The Pride of Oklahoma.
Runner-up is Central Michigan University.
A'capella category: An undisclosed group of nine very-white guys are proof Thriller is the ultimate crossover pop tune, and almost made the cut. They were bumped by a solo version by Francois Macre who uses 64 tracks of his own voice. He writes "There is therefore no instrument, synthetizer, beatbox, or even to sampler, but only the sound of my voice livened up with reverb, equalization and slight chorus." His accent changes the Vincent Price narration into a supernatural menace found in French horror films.
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