This Is It?

My friend and I were looking for an appropriately scary way to kick off the Halloween weekend, when it hit us like a ton of bricks; we should see the new Michael Jackson documentary, "This Is It."

What could be more disturbing than a film about a dead pop star, showcasing his 50-year old emaciated body being put through its paces in rehearsal for the Big Comeback?

Sure, "The Exorcist" was playing at the Byrd, but that's so cliched.

To prepare for this night of horror, we started at my place with a bottle of the 2006 Domaine de Berane Cotes de Ventoux "Les Blaques," a big, peppery wine perfect for fortifying us for what lay ahead.

Since I never go to the movies on a Friday night, I had no idea how many people did.

But that's okay, we were armed with buttered popcorn and fear in our hearts; we were ready.

And then unexpectedly, it turned out to be far less horrifying than anticipated.

Oh, yes, MJ is very scary looking up close (that nose! those lips! that pallor!), but then he was 50 years old and had had as many cosmetic surgeries as Cher.

And given that the camera adds 20 pounds, he must have disappeared when he turned sideways in real life.

Someone should have given the guy a sandwich.

But the documentary showcased more of his talent than his scariness and turned out to be quite entertaining to watch.

I have to give the man credit; he knew his music backwards and forwards and how he expected it to sound.

And his voice was still surprisingly supple.

Since every song was intended to be a major production, there were a lot of shiny, moving things to amuse us for the duration.

Apparently I'll have to get my fright on elsewhere this Halloween weekend.