Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Cast & Crew.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson / Writer / Producer
Ola Ray
Michael's Girlfriend
Vincent Price
Narrator (voice)
Cynthia Garris
Zombie (uncredited)
Tiana Davidson 'Thelma' Davis
Zombie (uncredited)
Mick Garris
Zombie (uncredited)
Hanala Sagal
Dancer (uncredited)
Forrest J. Ackerman
Man in Movie Theater (uncredited)
Reed Armstrong
Zombie (uncredited)
Rick Baker
Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited) / Makeup Effects Designer
Miko C. Brando
Zombie (uncredited)
James Canino
Zombie (uncredited)
Greg Cannom
Zombie (uncredited) / Special Effects Makeup Artist
Michael DeLorenzo
Zombie (uncredited)
Kim Blank
Zombie (uncredited)
John Command
Zombie (uncredited)
Michelle Defevre
Zombie (uncredited)
Tony Fields
Zombie (uncredited)
Richard Gaines
Zombie (uncredited)
Tony Gardner
Zombie Crawling out of a Grave (uncredited) / Makeup Effects
Cory Hawkins
Zombie / Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Hester
Zombie Moving the Grave Cover (uncredited) / Makeup Effects
DeAnne Holliday
Zombie (uncredited)
Tim Lawrence
Bald Zombie (uncredited)
Ben Lokey
Zombie (uncredited)
Ned Nalle
Deputy (voice) (uncredited)
Jeff Parker
Zombie (uncredited)
Vincent Paterson
Zombie (uncredited)
Michael Peters
Zombie (uncredited)
Mark Sellers
Zombie (uncredited)
Cheryl L. Sington
Zombie (uncredited)
Kevin Yagher
Zombie (uncredited)
Stephen Bishop
Man in Movie Theater (uncredited)
Casey Cole
Zombie with blue dress (uncredited)
Ian A. Stevens
Zombie Dancer and Buried Zombie (uncredited)
Kevin Brennan
Zombie (uncredited) / Makeup Artist
John Landis
Director / Producer / Screenplay
George Folsey Jr.
Producer / Editor
Malcolm Campbell
Editor
Mike Fenton
Casting
Media.
Details.
Release DateNovember 14, 1983
StatusReleased
Running Time14m
Budget$1,100,000
Genres
Last updated:
This Movie Is About.
Wiki.
Michael Jackson's Thriller is the music video for the song "Thriller" by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on December 2, 1983. It was directed by John Landis, written by Jackson and Landis, and stars Jackson and Ola Ray. It references numerous horror films and has Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies.
Jackson's sixth album, Thriller, was released in November 1982 and spent months at the top of the Billboard 200, backed by successful videos for the singles "Billie Jean" and "Beat It". In July 1983, after Thriller was displaced from the top of the chart, Jackson's manager, Frank DiLeo, suggested making a music video for "Thriller". Jackson hired Landis after seeing his 1981 film An American Werewolf in London. The pair conceived a short film with a budget much larger than previous music videos. It was filmed at various locations in Los Angeles, including the Palace Theater. A making-of documentary, Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, was produced to sell to television networks.
Michael Jackson's Thriller was launched to great anticipation and played regularly on MTV. It doubled sales of Thriller, helping it become the best-selling album in history, and the documentary sold over a million copies, becoming the best-selling VHS tape at the time. It is credited for transforming music videos into a serious art form, breaking down racial barriers in popular entertainment, popularizing the making-of documentary format and driving home video sales. The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture.
Many elements of Michael Jackson's Thriller have had a lasting impact on popular culture, such as the zombie dance and Jackson's red jacket, designed by Landis's wife, Deborah Nadoolman. It is closely associated with Halloween, and fans worldwide re-enact its zombie dance. The Library of Congress described it as the most famous music video of all time, and it has been named the greatest video by various publications and readers' polls. In 2009, Michael Jackson's Thriller became the first music video inducted into the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". It reached one billion YouTube views in 2024.