Micheal Jackson- Thriller (1983)

Thriller is the number 1 music video of all time on channel 4's list of 100 greatest music videos it beat vogue, smells like teen spirit and bohemian rhapsody to claim the top prize and for good reason. The music video, directed by John Landis who also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Jackson. was filmed in various locations in New York and Los Angeles It was released on December 2, 1983 and is one of the longest music videos ever made as the full film is 15 minutes long the song only being about 5 minutes long this may seem a bit excessive but as the title suggests there is not one moment of the film that isn't thrilling the film starts off in a 1950's style horror movie sequence that shows Michael out on a date with a girl played by Ola Ray  and the full moon arises and Michael is transformed into a Werewolf in a sequence very similar to the transformation scene in "American Werewolf in London" (1981) this is because Michael specifically requested John Landis the director of the film to direct on the thriller music video. The film then cuts to Michael and the girlfriend sitting inside a movie theater screaming in terror with lots of other people at the horror on screen revealing that the first scene was only a movie that Michael and his date were watching, they then leave the cinema and its night-time, the girl states that she's scared and Michael begins to tease here this is where the music kicks in and as they begin they're walk down the street Michael starts to dance around here tauntingly this is when the whole musical aspect comes to life before the chorus there is a chilling monologue by horror film veteran Vincent Price describing how the dead will rise across the land and there are visuals of a dark Misty Graveyard were tombs and graves are being shifted out of place by the living dead they then march up the street to surround the couple this is where the music stops in order to give a suspenseful calm before the storm the camera slowly revolves showing the brilliant make up on all the zombies and then comes back to Michael who is also now a Zombie begins to rhythmically jerk his head to the side reintroducing the music he then leads the zombies into what has become one of the most famous and iconic dance sequences ever remembered and reenacted in various incarnations till this day.This goes on for the rest of the music when it finally ends Michael has chased the girl into a creepy old wooden house where the zombies begin to crash through the walls and windows closing in on the innocent victim Michael at the head of the horde reaches out and grabs her, she screams and looks away and when she opens her eyes again the room is lit, Michael is normal and the zombies are gone Michael reassures her that everything is ok and they begin to walk home just before they leave the room Michael turns his head back to the camera and his eyes flash an unnatural yellow thanks to special effects he gives an evil grin and the frame freezes and the audio of a maniacal laugh echoing into the night in one of the best endings to a music video ever. The fact that thriller is such a  success is no surprise as its standard of quality production is on par with a Hollywood movie for the time the film budget was $500,000 which is a sizable amount for the time there was obviously a lot of handwork and dedication put into it with all the make-up and costume and with Michael himself choreographing the dance scene and the whole theatrics of the film are simply spectacular and unforgettable so much so that once you have seen it you will never listen to the song without thinking of the video ever again.