Re: Should HIStory Tour be released to cinemas?
Tygger, it's been explained countless of times, not just by me, but by everyone else who is against this release, why we think this is potentially embarassing to Michael. If you and Onir want to turn worrying about that into "selfishness" go ahead, but it will not affect my personal life if Michael is gonna get dragged in the media for it. I did not talk about how it will affect me, I talked about how it will affect Michael. Yes, it won't destroy his whole legacy because his legacy is stronger than that, but it's unnecessary to subject him to that when they do not have to and when they also have the opportunity to put an awesome performance on the big screen by him. If worrying for his image is "selfishness" then so be it.
We can say from our point of view that it's you and Onir are who are selfish because all you care about is you wanting to watch Michael in the cinema on the big screen and you do not care about the bigger picture about whether it's his best representation in a high-profile project like this. See how that works? Actually not even most of HIStory tour's proponents dare to say that it was Michael's best show. They acknowledge its shortcomings compared to ALL of his other tours. We simply ask, why then do you want exactly this tour (about which even you know it is not his best) to be made MJ's main representation as a performing artist in front of the general public? Why do you want a show where he does not sing (and that is not a personal taste, that is a fact) be his main representation as a live performer when there are shows by which he could be shown in his full glory, as the awsome LIVE singer-dancer that he was? Why? Is this some sort of defensiveness about this project because it gets a lot of criticism even from fans (a similar phenomenon as with the Invincible album) or something else?
The only answers I have seen to that question so far were:
- Because there is a tank/rocket on stage.
- Because it's HD and it can be turned into 3D.
- Because whatever the Estate decides to do I am going to support that.
- HIStory tour is a part of Michael's history and should not be hidden.
1) Tank/rocket on stage.
I wonder if fans who think that's some super imperssive spectacle ever watch other shows outside of Michael's. There are a lot more spectacular stages by other artists and that tank and rocket is not gonna impress anyone in 2015.
2) Because it's HD and it can be turned into 3D.
That actually seems to me to be the main reason why some fans want exactly this show to represent Michael in the cinemas. Whether someone considers this more important than the artistic merit of a show is personal taste, but I'm sure the Estate could put a little effort into trying to find shows which are better representations of Michael's many talents AND also have great quality. I'm sure with a little effort sooner or later such shows will be found because there is information about some very good shows being shot on film.
And I think now when we have so many 3D films it doesn't really impress in itself. (Also films which were turned into 3D in the hindsight never look as good as the films which were shot with 3D intent in the first place.)
3) Because whatever the Estate decides to do I am going to support that.
That's an odd stance (especially from someone who otherwise seems to be pretty critical of the Estate). Not even Michael was above criticism, let alone his Estate. Just because they decide to do a project it does not mean it's definietly a great idea.
4) HIStory tour is a part of Michael's history and should not be hidden.
We agree that it's a part of his history and no one is talking about "hiding it". In fact, many expressed the view that they do not mind it to be released on DVD/Blue-ray. But when a concert is put on the big screen it's generally one of that artist's best, not most controversial, most criticizable, shows. And HIStory tour is definitely not Michael's best - even proponents of this project more or less acknowledge that. That we want a better show to represent him on the big screen does not mean that we want to earse HIStory tour from his legacy (nor that we are being selfish). It's a part of his history, yes, but it was his worst tour, not his best.
