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    Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” screens in 3-D at Venice

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2301 Views
    Director John Landis arrives for a photocall of his 'Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D' during the 74th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017. (Claudio Onorati/ANSA via AP)
    VENICE, Italy (AP) --

    Director John Landis said Monday that he is still upset by Michael Jackson's death, but a Venice Film Festival screening dedicated to "Thriller" is a chance to celebrate the musician's life.

    An enhanced version of the landmark Landis-directed music video, "Michael Jackson's Thriller 3-D," is screening alongside a behind-the-scenes documentary that has never been shown in cinemas before.

    Landis told reporters in Venice on Monday that Jackson's death aged 50 in 2009 was a tragedy for his family, his friends and the world.

    "Truly great performers are rare, and he was brilliant — and a tragic figure, I think," Landis said. "I was horrified, and I'm still upset about it.

    The 14-minute "Thriller" video, released in 1983, stemmed from Jackson's love of Landis' film "An American Werewolf in London" and the King of Pop's desire to turn into a monster onscreen.

    Landis says modern technology has let him remix the sound and improve the visuals while converting the film to 3-D, so audiences can now "experience it the way Michael wanted you to."

    "My only disappointment is that Michael is not here to see it and hear it, because I think he would love it," Landis said.

    Landis says the accompanying backstage documentary shows Jackson "happy and joyous" and at his creative peak.

    "It's a celebration of Michael I didn't expect, and very emotional for me," he said.

    Tags:3-DJohn LandisMichael JacksonThrillerVenice Film Festival



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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