Spring Break
Jackson lives on at Coolidge Corner
The independent movie theater hosted a late-night Michael Jackson music video sing-along.
by Elizabeth Pauker
Staff Writer
News | 4/1/08
Posted online at 1:48 AM EST on 4/8/08
It's 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, and in the past three hours I've danced onstage, seen countless men rip off their white undershirts, seen a roomful of people grab their crotches and yell "hee-hee" on demand and now can't get "Billie Jean" out of my head. I'm not gonna lie-this night's events weren't exactly a shock, 'cause I pretty much expected the unexplainable when I decided to go to the midnight Michael Jackson music video sing-along at the Coolidge Corner movie theater in Brookline. While MJ doesn't get much press these days, unless there's bankruptcy or five-year-old boys involved-tonight a crowd of 250 people willingly returned to a time when he was still black, reigned as the king of pop, and was undoubtedly "Bad" in a good way.
In true MJ fashion, the night started off with an old-school dance-off between four audience volunteers picked by the night's fedora-wearing emcee. Ripping off his white muscle-tee from underneath his black-sparkled top and offering up the shirt's remains as a prize for the lucky winner, he was down to a pair of tight black jeans within 10 minutes. With a screaming crowd and blaring music, one would have thought it was a concert, but then the movies started.
The track list included all the classics from "Smooth Criminal" to "Bad" and "Beat It." The rules were simple: Everyone must sing (lyrics were conveniently provided onscreen), everyone must dance; and everyone must stand up and touch his crotch whenever Michael does. By the time "Thriller" hit the screen, the stage was packed with moonwalkers, and even a few break-dancers. When the synchronized zombie dancing started, no one could compete with that nameless male audience member who did what only happens in movies like 13 Going On 30: the move-for-move "Thriller" dance on-cue. Yes, I saw it-it can happen. People really do sit in front of their TVs and memorize dances from music videos. I don't know if that's something to be happy about or find a little pathetic, but for a night like this, if he hadn't been there, I just know it wouldn't have felt a little like the full Michael Jackson experience.
In true MJ fashion, the night started off with an old-school dance-off between four audience volunteers picked by the night's fedora-wearing emcee. Ripping off his white muscle-tee from underneath his black-sparkled top and offering up the shirt's remains as a prize for the lucky winner, he was down to a pair of tight black jeans within 10 minutes. With a screaming crowd and blaring music, one would have thought it was a concert, but then the movies started.
The track list included all the classics from "Smooth Criminal" to "Bad" and "Beat It." The rules were simple: Everyone must sing (lyrics were conveniently provided onscreen), everyone must dance; and everyone must stand up and touch his crotch whenever Michael does. By the time "Thriller" hit the screen, the stage was packed with moonwalkers, and even a few break-dancers. When the synchronized zombie dancing started, no one could compete with that nameless male audience member who did what only happens in movies like 13 Going On 30: the move-for-move "Thriller" dance on-cue. Yes, I saw it-it can happen. People really do sit in front of their TVs and memorize dances from music videos. I don't know if that's something to be happy about or find a little pathetic, but for a night like this, if he hadn't been there, I just know it wouldn't have felt a little like the full Michael Jackson experience.
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