Michael Jackson's strange influence on my life.

Micheal Jackson introduced me to my all time favourite actor, Vincent Price when I was 6, and for that I am grateful. Sure I would have discovered him sooner or later because I loved old movies back then, as I still do, but to find someone so great when I was just 6 years old, could only really have been down to Jackson using him for Thriller. I truly appreciate discovering Vincent Price at such a young age because it gave me extra years of enjoying his work, and a real grounding/understanding of cinema.

If Micheal really is dead then I feel for his family, but one of the first things I thought was thank god those kids have a chance at a relatively normal life now. It isn't right for kids to have the life they had, it's cruel. Hopefully they will be well looked after and any kind of damage from their childhood won't harm them in their adult lives.
I won't lie, I'm enjoying the jokes but I'm also thinking of my friends who were big fans and how sad they must be today.

More than anything though I am reminiscing about how much I loved Vincent Price's part on Thriller when I was small. I remember reciting his lines over and over again, I think it might have been the first thing I actively made an effort memorize.
Price in turn introduced me to the world of Edgar Allan Poe just 3 years later when I was 9 (possibly a little too young, I have mild claustrophobia and a massive fear of being buried alive). I think all this has a lot to do with my love of the macabre. I'm certain that, along with my love of watching funerals and hanging around in the cemetery behind my house, helped to shape the person I am today. Kind of a big deal considering Thriller was just a song. I do appreciate it because I like the person I am. I like the influence it has had on my work. I like that my love and knowledge of cinema is rich and varied.

I remember how utterly distraught I was when Vincent Price passed away. That I would never hear him say anything new, that Edward Scissorhands would be the last thing I would ever see him in. I imagine these are the feelings Jackson fans are feeling now. How horrible and sad.

So in a round about way, I'd like to say thank you to Michael Jackson. I may not have been a fan, but despite being a strange person and very controversial figure, he brought a great deal of happiness to an incredible amount of people across the globe, and there is something very special about that.

Vincent Price - Master of the Macabre