Customer Reviews

Michael Jackson - The Trial and Triumph of the King of Pop

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Taking into consideration that Michael Jackson was under a gag order to not speak about the case in public and no cameras were allowed in the courtroom, this DVD documentary told me what the media did not. The facts of the case are told by those in the courtroom and the interview and information about Michael's lead attorney, Tom Mesereau, were excellent.

I loved the video of Michael Jackson at the end and the interview with Jermaine Jackson as well.

Even though it seemed no celebrities supported MJ during his most darkest hour, there was lots of celebrities who showed their support in this dvd.

This video taught me more truths and gave a great synopsis of what MJ was doing since his acquittal right into his announcement at London's O2 arena.

I love Michael Jackson and I will spread the truth about those false allegations. R I P -- There will never be another King of Pop!

As someone who researched the 2005 child molestation trial against Michael Jackson, I was really excited to watch this documentary, and I AGREED WITH IT!

The world has been lied to with deceit, confusion, and massive misinformation, this DVD tells the facts in the 2005 trial as well as the 1993 accusations.

This is a thorough review of the cases against Michael Jackson and I commend the producers for going against the grain and putting Michael Jackson first.

I highly recommend this dvd to everyone in the world, because Michael gave the world his life and talent and in return the world deserves to know the truth!!!

Without a doubt, this was a GREAT BUY!

I'm a true MJ fan and miss him each and every single day. RIP. Although I always knew he was innocent, I wanted to see that things were like around the time of the trial, hence purchasing this DVD. Do not buy it! Honestly, it's just a waste of your time and money. Random 'celebs' give a shout out to MJ but doesn't really seem like anyone was there by his side as he endured this false allegations. The video quality is also bad and the commentary is not presented in a serious tone. Honestly fans, save your money and watch Live in Bucharest instead. Thanks for the awesome memories Michael - we love you more.

The documentary does feel like a "home video" on the shots of fans outside the courthouse and when the producer plain talks into the camera with a mike in her hand.

HOWEVER, I will say that these "home videos" provide a sincere and positive tone, and unique footage that I would otherwise perhaps never have had the chance to see. The intent of the documentary -to bring to light some of the -perhaps deliberately- ignored facts in favor of Michael Jackson during the child abuse allegations - also make up for any shortcomings.

Also on the positive side, the documentary answers some rumors around the case (such as if/how/why the 1993 Chandler case was settled with money), as well as providing facts on the case that had not been mainstreamed.

And, uniquely, it presents two individuals who have each authored a book (pro-Jackson) on the case. And, I give the documentary a thumbs up for tracking these people down and bringing them to attention, especially since they were originally on the other side of the case.

An interesting moment is when one of the above mentioned authors says that she had to "self-publish" because she couldn't find any publishers willing to publish something positive on Michael Jackson. I have purchased these books through amazon.com and am curious to see what they look like.

The documentary also provides an interview with the Tom Messereau, the lead attorney of the defence. It also has an interview in the end with Jermaine Jackson, and let me learn of a "Heal the World" type of organisation in which he was involved.

At the end, it provides up to date info on Michael Jackson's uncovered/ignored activities over the past few years, and also has the coverage of Michael Jackson's press conference for the "This is It" tour. It was sad indeed to watch, but a good feature of the DVD.

Overall, I will give it a positive rating for going out and providing a positive, unique coverage on Michael Jackson, something that was long due, had been sadly missing.

Only after his death have the media begun to ease on Michael Jackson. Note that this documentary was shot BEFORE his passing away... So, unlike the abusive junk the media threw at the public against Michael Jackson, this documentary was shot in support of him DURING his time alive.

I do recommend it. Filming quality could have been better in some parts, HOWEVER, it does provide an insider look into "the other," ignored side of the case, and I'm very glad to have seen it.

As a Michael Jackson fan, I really enjoyed this DVD. It was great seeing the love and support that he had during his trial from all of us fans. It made me happy knowing that even in a time of distresss, he had thousands of supporters. I was actually at the trial for one day and got to sit in on the testimony. This DVD filled some gaps that I had regarding what was said and why he was acquitted. Also, the interviews with some trial insiders were very interesting and informative. Great buy! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I purchased this DVD thinking that it was a commentary on the actual facts and testimony from the court case. Most of it covered the fans outside of the courthouse...the back and forth between those who felt he was innocent or guilty. I was not satisfied with the quality...it was shot much like a home video. I expected a commentary with more of a serious tone. There was some mention of witness testimony, but to me it was overshadowed.

Put it this way....if i believed that M.J. was guilty, it would not prove to me otherwise...there's not enough meat. I would not approach someone who thought he was guilty and say, "You need to look at this." My suggestion if you really want to see the DVD: Check your local library or video rental store to see if they have a copy instead of buying.

I will say that there is an interview with the lead attorney for the defense, as well as Aphrodite Jones (a reporter who believed in M.J.'s guilt, but now says the facts show his innocence), and there's also an address from the secretary of the lawyer who represented the family of the accuser in the '93 case. She has written a book with facts that she says will prove there was a conspiracy in that case...might be a good read, but I'll check my local library.

Negative sides:

1 Seeing again the fans acting like fool only made me sad. I felt, "Oh, no, seeing this, even people who had not been either pro or anti Michael Jackson might start regarding him as a foolish pop junk, instead of a person with dignity and insight who seriously moved to make the world a better place on a daily basis.

Showing your love is okay, but by doing it too much in ways which do not appeal to the majority of the society, you are only making more people hate/insult MJ himself as well as the fans. I think fans should, in public eyes, behave and keep cool, stating their support to MJ only in an objective and rational way, avoiding shouting bad words or keeping saying "I love you MJ". If people see fans acting nicely and intelligently, then MJ will start receiving the respect he deserved and will be freed from misunderstanding.

2 The host's commentary is not at all presented in a serious tone. Her 13 year-old like, unprofessional, giddy chit-chatting really gets on my nerves! Again, I feel that this kind of presentation only damages MJ's credibility and integrity. In fact when I first watched her way of talk, I thought maybe this is another anti-MJ project to bring down his public image! The host should have acted in a more trustworthy way.

3 The structure is weak, showing randomly this and that shots with no significance. Those shots are diminishing the impact of some important revelations and interviews that could possibly appeal to many temporary-anti-MJ people.

Positive sides:

1 This contains an interview with lead attorney of the , which sounds notably convincing and truthful.

2 This covers two pro-MJ books on the allegations. I regard these books as effective and widely applicable ways to convince a non-MJ fan of his innocence, as they were basically written on facts in a mostly objective and convincing way.

3 This has a coverage on MJ's humanitarian side.

4 This provides information on MJ's less known activities in past few years.

5 This contains MJ's press conference for "This is It" tour.

C'mon people, show some love for the makers of this film. At least it wasn't bandwagoned after his passing. Sure, it may not contain shocking revelations. But the home-movie vibe is kind of charming, and the support from the fans (and spite from the other side) is well documented and gives it a genuine tone. I don't think it was a vehicle to peddle the book, as someone in a previos review commented. She is just passionate about MJ's innocence. The interviewer's giddiness is cute, the Tom Mesereau footage is great, and the low-budge feel makes it feel like we're a part of it. If you want the hum-drum news, go to CNN or Wikipedia. I'm just so glad I got a hold of this, as it was made so recently, but before his passing - which makes it touching to know that people in the States still actually cared about him at this point.

Thank you Rock City and Pearl Jr.

The world was taken by surprise by Michel Jackson's death. We should have known better, because all the symptoms were there -- but they were well-protected. Maybe I'm wrong, but watching "Michael Jackson: The Trial and Triumph of the King of Pop," gives me the impression that this was a work in progress, but Jackson's demise or "crime" accelerated the process of finishing it to take advantage of the momentum. And I should say that it was a wise move, because there is information in this documentary that is certainly food for thought - it is worth a view.

As the title of this film implies, it takes a favorable view about Michael Jackson and it makes no apologies about it. The material presented covers two areas of the late singer's recent years: the trial and its aftermath. In the first part, Pearl Jr - the host and director - takes us to the trial that took place in Santa Maria, California, in which the singer was accused of child molestation. Although Pearl Jr. was able to get a seat inside the courthouse, she talks to us from outside, where she basically informs us about the circus that took place during those days. She introduces us to a series of characters - most of them plain weird - that had a daily presence outside the courthouse. Many of them were religious fanatics, some were conspiracy theorists, and most were unforgiving fans. During this part of the film, Pearl. Jr. also addresses Jackson's skin condition - Vitiligo --, and interviews experts on this matter. She also briefly talks to some celebrities, including Ashford Simpson, Dorien Wilson, Shemar Moore, and Kanye West, and more. In short, here the host does a great job in showing us what went on outside the court on a daily basis, most of it never seen on regular TV.

Before going on with the second part of the documentary - perhaps as a bridge --, Pearl Jr, includes part of a speech given by Geraldine Hughes, talking about her book "Redemption," in which she discusses the trial in detail. We then move to what happened to Michael Jackson after his "triumph." The Director does a great job in documenting Jackson's every move after his acquittal from the molestation charges. We learn, for example, that he got tired of life in Neverland, which would later be renamed "Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, LLC." He moved to Bahrain, then to Las Vegas, ending in Holmby Hills, where he spent his last days (the film was done before his death). We also see the press conference in London, where he announced his comeback for a series of concerts, in its entirety .This part of the film is more illuminating than the first one, because it is based on facts and not hypotheses -- great footage for any King of Pop fan.

Like Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, and others, Michael Jackson's life will be dissected in every possible way. "Michael Jackson: The Trial and Triumph of the King of Pop" is one more honest and humble effort in putting the puzzle of his interesting and bizarre life together. (USA, 2009, color, 76 min). Reviewed on September 9, 2009 by Eric Gonzalez from [...]

I loved this video. It is very well done.
I got a chance to meet Pearl Jr. in Northridge, CA in 2001 or so. I found her to be a very honest and strong person. Her work with this video was equally strong and honest. I recommend this video to those who loved and hated Michael Jackson.
The bible stated that Jesus would return with a new name..."The King of Kings". Kings have money, but mostly have fame. The most famous people (Kings and Queens) of this time are "Popular" celebrities. Michael Jackson was and always will be the most popular celebrity. "The King of Pop" = "The King of Kings". To further support this statement I offer the following:
A messiah, through example, provides a spiritual and financial salvation for the people. Michael Jackson has made a lot of people a lot of money through influence, charity and collaboration. A messiah will never be perceived, by the masses, as such until he/she is gone. Michael Jackson was the second coming of Christ. He Provided a new spiritual direction without discounting the old. He proved that a life lived by a loving spiritual direction will provide not only financial rewards but will also guide one to fulfilling ones dreams.
All hail the King! I look forward to even more testaments to his greatness.

Salah