Recently ranked as the best
music video ever according to
VH1,
Thriller combined elements of cheesy B-movie horror with
Michael Jackson's then-rather-unique dance numbers.
John Landis-directed, the short movie clocked in at seventeen minutes long, complete with
screaming-waif-running-around scenes,
they're-gonna-break-down-the-door scenes, and of course, Michael Jackson as both a
werewolf, and an
undead ghoul sort of guy.
Starting with MJ in a 50's jock outfit, talking to his girl, and ending with his eyes glowing as he leaves with his girl, as well as spanning a few decades, the direction is brilliant. There's even flashback/dream imagery, but that's an interpretive thing, because the directing is vague enough to make you wonder which parts of the video were real, and which parts weren't. No Halloween is complete without seeing this video at least once. Vincent Price's "rap" and cacophanous laughter will always be remembered, if not from any of his movies, then just from this song by itself.