Michael Jackson - Dangerous - the Short Films [DVD]

Dangerous - The Short Films, available for the first time on dvd, captures the visual and musical highlights of the hit singles from his 'dangerous' album, as well as extensive behind-the-scenes footage from the making of these spectacular short fllms

Clocking in at just under two hours long, Dangerous: The Short Films contains all the videos from Michael Jackson's album of the same name. Whatever your opinion of the man himself, you cannot deny his abilities as one of the world's finest showmen and his videos are never anything less than spectacular. There was a time when the screening of a new Michael Jackson video was a huge global event, drawing in massive global audiences. This had a downside when "Black Or White" was first screened, as the final segment in which Michael morphs backwards and forwards from a panther form and destroys a car, bar and most of a street caused huge controversy due to its perceived endorsement of vandalism. To the compilers' credit, the entire video is included here but with a full explanation of the ending and a warning not to copy it. For the converted this will be a worthy addition to the collection. For the more cynical, this is a fascinating if somewhat uneasy look at one of pop's most enigmatic and bizarre characters.

On the DVD: With a wealth of rare behind-the-scenes footage and a selection of rarely seen live performances, such as a lavish rendition of "Heal The World" from the Super Bowl, the DVD certainly packs on the extras. There is also extensive footage from shoots of the video, as well as those of "Remember The Time" and "In The Closet" complete with fascinating insights from co-stars Eddie Murphy and Naomi Campbell. Other extras include Grammy Awards and NAACP Awards highlights which depending on your opinion of the man in question can be seen as either fitting tributes to the King of Pop or nauseatingly over-sentimental sycophantic claptrap. --Helen Marquis