Miscellaneous

Cause this is lawsuit, lawsuit night!

Michael Jackson is being sued and this time it has nothing to do with kid piddling. Rather, director John Landis is tweaked that, for the last four years, Jackson hasn't bothered to pony up any of the royalties for their collaborative "Thriller" video (along with the awesome documentary about the making of the video -- if you've never seen it, you should try to catch it next time one of the VH1 spin-off channels runs it).

"After a spectacular theatrical premiere, the 'Thriller' video became a worldwide megahit and an iconic pop culture phemnomemon [sic] that has continued to generate profits for defendants Optimum Prods. and Michael Jackson, who have wrongfully refused to pay or account for such profits to plaintiff," the suit said.

The action accuses Jackson of "fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct" in failing to pay Landis 50% of the net proceeds. The suit includes the 1983 agreement between Jackson and Landis covering the video and an hourlong documentary, which Landis also directed.

You know, somewhere in the world, there are videos of me doing the Thriller dance. Luckily, this was before YouTube, so you'll likely never see it (hell, I don't even have a copy). Turns out, Seth doesn't have the requisite shoulder-shaking capability to dance like the undead. I think the problem was that I didn't take enough Vitamin B supplements. The "B" standing for bbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaiiiiiinnnssss, of course.

Ah, zombie humor never gets old.

Full post as published by Quiz Law on January 28, 2009 (boomark / email).