MJ

I finally caught This Is It, the documentary on Michael Jackson's final months preparing for his aborted comeback concert tour. Sad.

I've spent some of my career watching musical geniuses at work; it's always fascinating and frequently awe-inspiring. No less so watching Jackson work through musical numbers and inspiring others through his art. My favorite part of the film is the development of Thriller 2009 - the concert update (a merging of pre-filmed video with on-stage production) to Michael Jackson's most famous music video.

I mostly feel sorry for all of the young artists and technicians who also committed so much time and energy to the rehearsals without seeing their work and dreams fulfilled. I hope at least they can cherish the time spent interacting with and learning from the King of Pop.

It's too bad that we'll never experience the final concert hurrah of Michael Jackson, but it's comforting and fitting that through the lens of documentary film, we at least have a glimpse at what might have been and a last look at what we've had.

R.I.P. MJ.