Spike Lee premiered his documentary Bad 25 at the Venice film festival revisiting Michael Jackson's hit album.
London:
Calling it his "love letter" to Michael Jackson, director Spike Lee premiered his documentary Bad 25 at the Venice film festival revisiting the King of Pop's hit album a quarter of a century after release.
Michael Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, created a buzz on the Lido even before the screening, with the festival'sloudspeakers belting out his songs over the course of the afternoon.
Bad 25 is a track-by-track tour through the recording of Jackson's 1987 album and the world tour that followed,reported The Guardian.
"You could say I grew up with Michael Jackson. I was born in 1957, he was born in '58. And when I saw the Jackson Fiveon the Ed Sullivan Show I wanted to be Michael Jackson. I had the Afro, the whole Jackson look. But the singing and dancingthat's where it stopped," said Lee.
The project already has been sold: ABC will air the 126-minute film around Thanksgiving in the U.S. Lee was presented with the festival's Glory to the Filmmaker award, handed out each year in Venice to an industry figure who brought "great innovation to contemporary cinema."
It is the sixth year that the prize has been given out in Venice; recent recipients include Al Pacino, Mani Ratnam and Sylvester Stallone.
Michael Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, created a buzz on the Lido even before the screening, with the festival'sloudspeakers belting out his songs over the course of the afternoon.
Bad 25 is a track-by-track tour through the recording of Jackson's 1987 album and the world tour that followed,reported The Guardian.
"You could say I grew up with Michael Jackson. I was born in 1957, he was born in '58. And when I saw the Jackson Fiveon the Ed Sullivan Show I wanted to be Michael Jackson. I had the Afro, the whole Jackson look. But the singing and dancingthat's where it stopped," said Lee.
The project already has been sold: ABC will air the 126-minute film around Thanksgiving in the U.S. Lee was presented with the festival's Glory to the Filmmaker award, handed out each year in Venice to an industry figure who brought "great innovation to contemporary cinema."
It is the sixth year that the prize has been given out in Venice; recent recipients include Al Pacino, Mani Ratnam and Sylvester Stallone.
