GHOSTS : 1996




"I've always wanted to be able to tell stories, stories that came from my soul. I'd like to sit by a fire and tell people stories - make them see pictures, make the cry and laugh, take them anywhere emotionally. I'd like to tell tales to move their souls and transform them. I've always wanted to be able to do that. I sometimes feel I could do that. . . "

Michael Jackson



 

FICHE TECHNIQUE

Scénario : Marcus Manton
d'après un scénario original de :Michael Jackson et Stephen King
Produit par : Michael Jackson, Stan Winston et David Nicksay
Producteurs exécutifs : Caroline Baron et Mary Montiforte
Musique originale : Nicholas Pike
Directeurs de la photographie : Russel Carpenter
Chorégraphes : Michael Jackson, Lavelle Smith, Travis Payne et Barry Lather
Chorégraphes consultants : Bruno "Taco" Falcon et Jeffrey Daniels
Animation : Stan Winston et Mick Garris
Effets spéciaux : Stan Winston
Maquilleurs : Richie Alonzo, Nick Marra, Mike Smithson et Bruce Spauldin Fuller


 

DISTRIBUTION

Maestro ................................. Michael Jackson
Mayor ................................. Michael Jackson
Ghoul Mayor ............................ Michael Jackson
Superghoul ................................. Michael Jackson
Skeleton ................................. Michael Jackson
Pat ................................. Pat Dade
Amy ................................. Amy Smallman
Edwina ................................. Edwina Moore
Dante ................................. Dante Beze
Seth ................................. Seth Smith
Kendall ................................. Kendall Cunningham
Loren ................................. Loren Randolph
Heather ................................. Heather Ehlers
Michael ................................. Michael Balderrama
Troy ..................................... Troy Burgess
Nikki .................................... Nikki Pantenburg
John .................................... John "Havic" Gregory
Travis ................................... Travis Payne
Michael ................................. Michael Gregory
Mia ....................................... Mia Ritts
Heather ................................. Heather Harley
Charlie .................................. Charlie Schmidt
Paula .................................... Paula Harrison
Joie ...................................... Joie Shettler
Shawnette .............................. Shawnette Heard
Anthony ................................ Anthony Talauega
Yuko ................................... Yuko Sumida Holley
Richmond ............................... Richmond Talauega
Cristan ................................ Cristan Thompson
Richard ................................ Richard Kim
Mic .................................... Mic Thompson
Dorie .................................. Dorie Konno
Stacey ................................. Stacey Walker
Kelly .................................. Kelly Konno
Michelle ............................... Michelle Weber
Suzi ................................... Suzi McDonald
Jason .................................. Jason Yribar
Coutney ................................ Courtney Miller


 

L'HISTOIRE DU FILM


"Ghosts" est un moyen métrage de 38 minutes qui a été présenté en avant-première dans un théâtre aux Etats Unis, en Autômne 1996. Il a ensuite été révélé au monde entier par Michael en personne chez nous en France lors du 50ème Festival de Cannes, en Mai 1997 (légèrement modifié).

Le film a été mis en vente en cassette vidéo en 1997 partout dans le monde. L'histoire a été co-écrite par Michael Jackson et le fameux écrivain Stephen King. Il a été dirigé par le grand Stan Winston (oscarisé) qui a notamment travaillé les effets spéciaux pour "Terminator", "Aliens", "Jurassic Park" ou encore "Edouard aux mains d'argent".





 

LE SCRIPT ET LES DIALOGUES


It's night and dark out. Shot of a sign that reads 'Welcome to Normal Valley'. A group of people carrying burning tourches walk towards a house. They stop in front of a gate, beside which is a sign that reads 'Someplace Else'.

Black boy: Why don't we just leave him alone?

White young boy: He hasn't hurt anybody. Can't we just go?

White older boy: [Slaps his younger brother's head] Your fault jerk! Couldn't keep your mouth shut.

White mother: [Slaps the older brother] He did the right thing.

Mayor: He's a weirdo. There's no place in this town for weirdos.

The gates open.

Black man: [scared] See, that . . .that. . .that. . .that ain't a good sign!

They walk in the gates, and the doors to the house in front of them open.

White young boy: (to his older bother) Just like last time. It's the ghost!

White older boy: [Slaps his brother again] Shut up!

White mother: [Slaps the older brother again] Don't hit your brother!

Black boy's mother: (to her son) There is no such thing as ghosts, honey.

Mayor: (to black boy) I'm gonna prove it to you kid. Let's go!

The mayor leads them in.

White woman 2: [Nervous] Did anyone call and make sure this is a good time . . . ? Maybe we should come back later . . .

Black woman 2: Yeah, like when it's light out . . . you know, like daytime.

They walk all the way into the house. The doors close behind them. Lightening strikes.

Black man: [really scared] Oh damn!

They walk along a corridor and the door in front of them closes. Another door opens, and they walk in there. They come into a big hallroom. They all scream as a raven flies over their heads and disappear into darkness.

Villagers: What was that??

They see a flick of a black cape disappear where the raven landed. Lightening strikes and for a split second they see a person standing there. They walk a bit closer and suddenly see the person's face: a scull!





They all jump and the skelleton with the black cape walks towards them. But to their relief the 'skelleton' is only a mask which the person takes off, and they discover the Maestro's face behind it.

Maestro: Did I scare you?

Woman: Uh-huh!!

Black boy: That's him mom!

Black boy's mother: I see.

White young boy: Hi!

White older boy: Sorry...

Mayor: No you didn't scare me. Maybe you scared them, but you didn't scare me.

Maestro: [Smiles] Well that's too bad isn't is? I guess I have to try harder next time.

Mayor: There won't be a next time.

Maestro: Oh really?

Mayor: Oh really.

Maestro: No next time huh? Why is that?

Mayor: We want you out of town. We have a nice normal town. Normal people. Normal kids. We don't need freaks like you telling them ghoststories.

Maestro: So you don't believe in ghosts?

Black boy: I do!

Black woman 2: Me too!

Black boy's mother: Hush up! You see what you've done? Aren't you ashamed? Young people are impressionable!

White young boy: Show them the neat stuff you did for us!

White older brother: [Slaps his brother] Shut up, that's supposed to be a secret!

White mother: [Slaps the older brother] Don't hit your brother!

"Something" slaps the mothers head. They all look scared.




Mayor: You're weird. You're strange. And I don't like you. You're scaring these kids, living up here all alone..

Maestro: I'm not alone. And you're right, I do like scaring people, yes. But it's just for fun! Don't you kids. . . uh. . . enjoy when. . . I do my little. . . you know. . .

The kids smile and nod.

Mayor: But the fun's over. Back to the circus you freak! And do yourself a favour, ok, don't force us to get rough with you, 'cause we will if we have to.

The rest of the villagers begin to protest a little.

Maestro: You're trying to scare me, aren't you? I'll tell you what, we'll play a game. [rises his voice] Anybody here like playing games? Hello?! [claps] GAMETIME!

The kids smile.

White older brother: Yes!

Maestro: The first person who gets scared has to leave. How about that?

White woman 2: I'll go please!

Mayor: I don't play games with freaks.

Maestro: There's no need to be rude.

White woman 2: Yes, I agree, there's no need to be rude. You have a very lovely home, but I'm afraid we overstayed our welcome, so we're gonna go, ok, can we go...?

The Maestro snaps and points at her. She stops talking.

Mayor: Are you gonna leave, or am I gonna have to hurt you?





Maestro: You ARE trying to scare me, I guess I have no choice. I guess I have to scare you. Watch this! [laughs] Tell me, do you think this is scary?

He pulls a face and the kids start to laugh.

Black woman: Is that it?

Mayor: That's ridiculous! That's not funny.

Maestro: Ok fine, what about this one?

He pulls another face and the kids laugh again.

White mother: Is that it?

Maestro: Did that scare you?

Mayor: Did you hear what I said? Freaky boy, it's time for you to go.

Maestro: [angry voice] Is THIS scary?

The Maestro grabs his skin by the eyes and mouth and pulls it out. The Villagers gasp and scream. He takes his chin and pulls down his jaw, the Villagers scream louder and back up.

Black kid: Wow!!

The Maestro grabs his skin again and tears his whole face off, only the scull is left. He then knocks on both sides if his head, the scull breaks and his own face shows up again. The Villagers run towards the the door, but he closes it before they get a chance to escape. The black man starts to sob.

Maestro: Are we going somewhere? Hello?! It's too late, you're my guests! [smiles] And by the way, did I tell you I wasn't alone? Meet the family!

Lots of ghosts appear. Maestro leads them in a humouros dance routine without music, which the kids enjoy, and then they start to dance to the song 2 Bad.


2 BAD

Told me that you're doin' wrong

Word out shockin' all alone

Cryin' wolf ain't like a man

Throwin' stones to hide your hand

You ain't done enough for me

You ain't done enough for me

You are disgustin' me, yeah yeah

You're aiming just for me

You are disgustin' me

Just want your cut from me

But too bad, too bad

Look who just walked in the place

Dead and stuffy in the face

Look who's standing if you please

Though you tired to bring me to my kneew

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you just scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you just scream and shout it

Hell all up in Hollywood

Sayin' that you got it good

Creepin' from a dusty hole

Tales of what somebody told

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you just scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you just scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you just scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you scream and shout it

Too bad too bad about it

Why don't you just scream and shout it



Half way through the song the ghosts start to climb the walls and walk upsidedown on the roof. All the villagers except the Mayor seem to enjoy the show and have a good time.

The music stops, the Maestro rips his clothes off, turns into a skelleton and dances to the song Ghosts. The Mayor looks scared to death.

The skelleton pulls the Mayor towards him and then jumps up on a shelf on the wall. He turns the ghosts into some really scary looking - rotten - ghosts who start to mob the Mayor. Everybody gets scared.





They start to dance to 2 Bad again and the villagers seem to have fun again.

The Mayor tries to escape as the ghosts surround him. Maestro-skelleton snaps and they stop. He jumps down from the wall, spins around in the air and turns into a huge scary rotten looking version of the Maestro -SUPERGHOUL.

Superghoul: Are you scared yet? "hehehe"





The SUPERGHOUL opens the Mayor's mouth and flies into him. He posesses him. He's inside of him and he makes the Mayor dance. The Mayor tries to stop, but can't, he just keeps dancing.

Mayor: STOOOOOP!!!

The Mayor's stomach starts to make some funny noices, and suddenly an arm (the Superghoul's) holding a mirror pops out of it. The Mayor looks at himself in the mirror, and turns into a ugly looking version of himself - GHOUL MAYOR.

Ghoul Mayor: Who's scary now? Who's the freak now? Freakyboy! Freak circus freak! Who's scary? "HAHAHA" Who's weird now?

He drops the mirror on the floor and the Superghoul flies out of his mouth again. The Mayor looks exhausted. He puts on his glasses and looks up at the Maestro (who's back to his normal self again). The Maestro smiles. He walks around the Mayor and then makes a bow.

Maestro: So, do you still want me to go?

Mayor: Yes! yes!





Maestro: Fine, I'll go.

The Maestro bangs his hands and head into the floor and crumbles into dust. The winds sweeps the rest of him away. The Villagers look sad and the kids cry.

Mayor: Good riddance. Let's go! Let's go!

The Villagers hesitate. The kids look at the place the Maestro disappeard.

Mayor: Let's go!! I showed that freak.

The Mayor open the door, and the Superghoul's face peakes out of the entire door!

The Mayor get terrified, turns in his tracks and legs towards a closed window. He runs right through it and only leaves a pattern of his body in the window. The Maestro walks to the Villagers.

Maestro: Did I scare you?

Everybody start to talk in each others mouth's. They laugh and tell about all that's just happened. "For a minute there I thought I was gonna lose it!" blah..blah..blah...

Maestro: But did we have a good time here? [big grin] Hello?!

Everybody: Yeah!

As the Villagers continue to talk about their experiences, a shadow sneaks up behing the Maestro's back. He can't see anything, but he notices the scared looks in the Villager's eyes.

The Maestro: What?

One of the woman points at the shadow behind the Maestro. He slowly turns around, sees a scull face and jumps back. The mask comes off and they see that it's only a couple of the kids having fun with them.

White young boy: Did I scare ya?

The Maestro: No. Well, maybe.. How about that? Maybe! [smiles]

The Maestro lifts the boy off the other boy's shoulders.

Older white brother: Excuse me? Excuse me, yeah, um.. Is THIS scary?

He takes his hands to his mouth like the Maestro did earlier when he pulled his skin off.

Shot from outside the house. We hear eveyone scream.
the End


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