Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Michael Jackson The Subject Of A State-Of-The-Art Music Video Presentation At Lincoln Center






MICHAEL JACKSON THE SUBJECT OF A STATE-OF-THE-ART MUSIC VIDEO PRESENTATION AT LINCOLN CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008 by Wow Jones

Finally! Michael Jackson gets his due regard. This past Friday on January 18, 2008, Film Critic Armond White made Pop Star Michael Jackson (and sister Janet Jackson) the focal point of an astonishing music video presentation at Lincoln Center.

Patrons of Lincoln Center’s 2008 Dance On Camera Festival were treated to an eye-popping presentation on Friday night. Esteemed Film Critic ARMOND WHITE made his Jackson Pop: Video Artists and Hollywood Influence music video presentation. Those lucky enough to see it witnessed the smashing of the prevailing, conventional view of Michael Jackson.

Through the judicious use of classic movie clips and music videos, White led an appreciative audience through an entertaining and insightful look at a rarely studied or discussed aspect of Michael Jackson’s work. White notes, “Michael Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller is well known as a hugely popular album, a sign of his immense popularity and impact. But that renown isn’t just for his music and singing. It’s also for his dancing. This program is a good opportunity to examine THAT aspect of his art.”

In the program, White linked Michael (and sister Janet) Jackson’s era-defining movements to Broadway and Hollywood choreographers
Jerome Robbins, Michael Kidd, and Bob Fosse, cultural hero Cab Calloway and Hollywood Icons Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. While doing this, White also helped illustrate how Michael Jackson preserves the dance tradition and, through his distinct talent and personality, transforms it.

Throughout the evening, one heard rounds of applause, yelps of laughter, and a continuous, whispered hush of astonishment - - the sounds of an attentive audience. The manner in which this work was presented was most noteworthy. Not only did spectators see the towering figure of Michael Jackson with his whirling, elegant and rapid dance moves, they also looked up at Janet Jackson getting down in her acrobatic and precise manner in a way usually reserved for silver screen stars of the past - - larger than life and bigger than you. This deluxe, cinematic way of seeing these works added to the kinetic and visceral pleasure that these music videos afford.

Joanna Ney, Curator of The Dance On Camera Festival, observed, “Armond White is the kind of writer who makes one reassess one’s opinions. Not that he wants us to change them, but perhaps to think a little differently, and he has often been an eye-opening influence on me and made me much more aware and interested in the possibility of music video as an art form.”
--The Wow Jones Report

Monday, January 14, 2008

INTERVIEW: Critic Armond White on Michael Jackson Lincoln Center Tribute







Michael Jackson To Be Honored at Lincoln Center in New York City
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 -- by Wow Jones


Groundbreaking Pop Star Michael Jackson is the subject of a one-of-a-kind presentation this week at New York City’s Lincoln Center.


As part of the
Dance On Camera Program at Lincoln Center, distinguished NY Press Film Critic Armond White is dedicating an entire evening to the work of Michael Jackson in the music video genre. His “Pop Video Artists and Hollywood Influence” will be held on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 6:15 pm at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater.

In this 90 Minute Presentation, esteemed critic and author Armond White will take an in-depth look at Michael Jackson’s early music videos and examine the Influence of Hollywood Choreographers and Hollywood Dance Icons in them. In an exclusive interview with The Wow Jones Report, Noted Film Critic and Author Armond White explains what he’s up to...



TWJR – Why is Michael Jackson’s music video work the focus of your presentation?

AW – Because he’s the single most important show-biz performer of the past quarter century.

TWJR – Do you think that people still care about Michael Jackson and his work? If so, who?

AW – Sure. Absolutely, from those who are obsessed with Michael Jackson’s notoriety to those who still feel the joy and beauty of his art.

TWJR – What makes you think that Michael Jackson still matters?

AW -- The
evidence is everywhere from the constant reference to his music by other musicians and filmmakers and in all media. Michael Jackson may have dubbed himself the King Of Pop; but the fact is Howard Stern stole his real title, because Michael Jackson is the King Of All Media.

TWJR – Where’d the idea for a music video presentation on Michael Jackson come from?

AW -- Joanna Ney, who runs the
Dance On Camera Program at Lincoln Center; requested the show in response to the number of Michael Jackson videos I have shown in past music video presentations at Lincoln Center.

TWJR – Why the attempt to link to past Hollywood Influences? Isn’t it obvious?

AW – No it’s not obvious to most people. It’s fascinating to see the source of so many of Michael Jackson’s movements and visions.

TWJR – Is it fair to compare and contrast Michael Jackson’s dancing in his music videos to those of old Hollywood Dance Icons like say…Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and/or Bob Fosse?

AW – Of course it’s fair, we do it all the time. We always respond to new artists in terms of artists we’re already familiar with. And it’s clear that Michael Jackson was inspired by artists who came before him.

TWJR – In light of the current option and ability to say…watch clips on DVD or on an IPOD, why is this Michael Jackson music video presentation necessary?

AW – They won’t get these insights or this program of videos any other way. Besides, I’ve always relished (and been thankful for) the opportunity to show this kind of work in this manner: LIVE and on the BIG movie screen—it’s unique and rare.


Film Critic ARMOND WHITE currently writes for the weekly newspaper, The New York Press and the periodical First Of The Month. In 1992, his essay on Michael Jackson’s ‘Black Or White’ music video, entitled “Black Or White, The Gloved One Is Not A Chump” won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for Music Criticism. In 1994, he was the chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle. He’s served on the jury for the Sundance Film Festival and his music video presentations (Change the Style, West Of MTV, Romanek Fiction, Crossculture Dreams, Dreamworlds, Music To My Eyes, Visual Radio, Believe The Hype: Hype Williams -- ‘The Best Who Ever Did It’, The Official History of Music Videos: An Introspective) have been shown in film and video festivals all over the world from New York City to Dallas To Providence, Rhode Island to Miami, Florida to Tokyo, Japan to Brazil since 1993.

Armond White is also the author of two books – “
The Resistance: Ten Years Of Pop Culture That Shook The World” (Overlook Press 1995) and “Rebel For The Hell Of It: The Life Of Tupac Shakur” (Quartet Books -- UK, Thunder’s Mouth Press -- USA 1997)







For more information or to purchase tickets please visit this link:

-- The Wow Jones Report

"King Of Pop" Michael Jackson To Be Honored at Lincoln Center In New York City







Michael Jackson To Be Honored at Lincoln Center in New York City
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 -- by Wow Jones

Groundbreaking Pop Star Michael Jackson is the subject of a one-of-a-kind presentation this week at New York City’s Lincoln Center.

As part of the
Dance On Camera Festival at Lincoln Center, distinguished NY Press Film Critic Armond White is dedicating an entire evening to the work of Michael Jackson in the music video genre. His “Pop Video Artists and Hollywood Influence” will be held on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 6:15 pm at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater.

In this 90 Minute Presentation, esteemed critic and author Armond White will take an in-depth look at
Michael Jackson’s early music videos and examine the Influence of Hollywood Choreographers and Hollywood Dance Icons in them.

While in the past Armond White has
offered interpretations of a number of music videos by acclaimed filmmakers (Mark Romanek, Marcus Nispel, Hype Williams, Ben Stokes, Spike Jonze, Joseph Khan, etc), musicians and singers, this is the first time he has focused an entire presentation to one pop artist/music video subject.

White tells The Wow Jones Report that he is focusing on Michael Jackson because he is, “the single most important show-biz performer of the past quarter century.”. White mentions that this special music video presentation is for people who, "still feel the joy and beauty of his (Michael Jackson’s) art”. Regarding the exploration of the varied inspirations on Michael Jackson’s expression; White notes, “It’s fascinating to uncover and see the source of so many of Michael Jackson’s movements and visions.”


For more information or to purchase tickets for this event please visit:

http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/doc08/program14.html

Pop Video Artists and Hollywood Influence is on Friday, January 18, at 6:15pm at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater.

This Event is Co-presented by Scanners: The New York Video Festival.
-- The Wow Jones Report