Last week, Michael Jackson, "The King of Pop," died after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 50, and preparing start a series of comeback concerts.
Jackson's musical accomplishments were many, including the hits "Bad," "Billie Jean," "Thriller" and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)." His 1982 album "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time.
He collaborated with Paul McCartney, Quincey Jones, and his sister, Janet Jackson.
He invented the moonwalk.
And while his behavior later in life was bizarre, we prefer to focus on the positives, like Jackson's music, and his charity work.
In one instance, the two overlapped. Jackson co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World," which was released worldwide to aid the poor in Africa and the United States.
Tell us who co-wrote the song for a chance to win an audio book.
Phil Villarreal has worked for the Daily Star since birth, but he's been the movie critic since February 2001. You could say he's a fan of the cinema. Each day he wakes up to a plate of steaming scrambled movies, which he washes down with a glass of movie juice, all while watching a movie. In his free time he plays video games and watches movies. Phil's new book, the humorous, money saving guide "Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel" is due out Sept. 1 and available for preorder.
Giving it away (spoiler alert)
04/18/2008 11:51 AM Phil Villarreal
Director Vadim Perelman wants you to know the ending of his film “The Life Before Her Eyes” before you see it. He says you’ll understand and appreciate the movie better if you’re aware of the late-film twist.
The story follows the plight of a woman in her 30s played by Uma Thurman, traumatized by a high school shooting she survived. In the flashback scenes her character is played by Evan Rachel Wood, who, along with her friend, is confronted by the killer in the school bathroom.
Perelman says most of the film takes place in the mind of the Wood character as she lay dying in the bathroom.
“What’s strange about this film is unless they know the twist, I don’t think they enjoy the movie,” Perelman said.
“The reviews that are trickling in say the metaphors are too heavy-handed. But by the time you know what the twist is, you’re kind of past it. Every single one of the visual metaphors and echoes only exist to support the main concept that she imagines her future life in front of her eyes. … I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s better to know and kind of follow along. I can’t expect people to see it twice.”
My full interview with Perelman will run May 1, when the movie opens in Tucson. It opens in larger markets today.
OOoooooh! Geez, I definitely am no movie buff and therefore had no idea what was going on with that ending. All the other reviews were criticizing the heavy use of “obvious” metaphors, and here I am thinking, “what metaphors? and what was their ‘obvious’ meaning?” Yeah…thanks for spelling out the “obvious” for me.
so, the whole movie is from dianas view on how her life would be if she lived and her friend died. she picks to be shot so her friend can live.. uma thurman’s part isnt real- its the girls imagination of what would happen if she married that professor and had a kid.. its very moving.
so Diana survived the shooting?
— jannice 05/01/2008 07:18 AM #
OOoooooh! Geez, I definitely am no movie buff and therefore had no idea what was going on with that ending. All the other reviews were criticizing the heavy use of “obvious” metaphors, and here I am thinking, “what metaphors? and what was their ‘obvious’ meaning?” Yeah…thanks for spelling out the “obvious” for me.
— raquel 09/18/2008 11:02 PM #
so, the whole movie is from dianas view on how her life would be if she lived and her friend died. she picks to be shot so her friend can live.. uma thurman’s part isnt real- its the girls imagination of what would happen if she married that professor and had a kid.. its very moving.
— jenna 09/21/2008 11:53 AM #