About this episode

The episode reviews the new Michael Jackson biopic, discussing its impact, performances, and the music of Michael Jackson.

Is Michael a great biopic, or does it work because Michael Jackson’s music is simply impossible to resist? We review the new Michael Jackson biopic, discussing Jaafar Jackson’s performance, the film’s massive audience response, Michael’s legacy, the controversy around his life, and the major moments the movie glosses over. Plus, we end with a Michael Jackson song battle — from Thriller and Billie Jean to Beat It, Smooth Criminal, They Don’t Care About Us and more. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/V0bjX1WgtxU ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:34 Welcome to Cognitive Recalibration 0:48 Introducing Michael and why this episode needed a discussion 1:11 Box-office success and the scale of Michael Jackson fandom 2:34 Music biopics, Bohemian Rhapsody, and billion-dollar potential 3:35 Audience demographics and Gen Z discovering Michael Jackson 5:57 Critics vs audiences: why the scores are so different 7:00 Family involvement, controversy, and what the movie avoids 8:36 Release delays, sequel plans, and the film’s long box-office legs 10:05 Michael Jackson trivia, the moonwalk, and cultural mythology 10:29 Initial thoughts: enjoyable experience, flawed movie 12:37 Emotional connection to Michael’s music…

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