“Captain EO” is coming back. The word from Hollywood is that Disneyland is planning to revive Michael Jackson’s 3D film beginning in January. Heavily influenced by “Star Wars,” the 1986 short film was produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Back in those days, Michael had the money from “Thriller” to make anything happen. Among the cast: Michael, Anjelica Huston, Dick Shawn — the latter died less than a year after “Captain EO” was released. It’s the 3D version coming back to Disneyland, but you can watch a less complex version on YouTube. “Captain EO” was pulled from Disneyland years ago. But with Jackson’s “This Is It” up to about $220 million worldwide, interest in him is rekindled. It’s another tragic irony for Jackson. And, believe it or not, the “This Is It” companion CD looks like it sold well over 125,000 copies last week — even though it’s just greatest hits. “Captain EO” contains a video of Jackson dancing and singing a song called “We Are Here to Change the World.” No word yet on whether Huston or any of the other “Captain EO” cast members will get paid for this revival. According to sources, Disney has the right to use the film whenever it wants to. I’m told they’re even thinking of having a premiere — with a red carpet — if they can get Jackson family members to attend. Hey, La Toya — you should call them right away!

Again, until we get official confirmation from Disney, I think it’s a bit premature to be celebratin’ this good news just yet … but it is encouraging that this rumor is making the rounds. I never got to see Captain EO (which I always regarded as the bastard child of The Muppet Show and Star Wars) when it was showing at Disney in the late 80’s so I would be VERY interested in seeing it on the big screen with my own eyes. I wonder if it’s possible for updated new scenes to be added to the original film. That being said, the entire Captain EO mini-movie can be viewed online right now. After the jump, watch it in full for yourselves …

Gone but not forgotten! Here is the first photo of Michael Jackson’s final resting place — a regal tomb adorned with flowers, framed photos, letters and other souvenirs. The tributes were left in the crypt at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary in Glendale, Calif., by longtime Jacko pal and makeup artist Karen Faye, sources told The Post. Jackson’s family picked Forest Lawn’s Great Mausoleum section for its high security. At the mausoleum’s entrance, visitors are greeted by a huge stained-glass reproduction of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” But to get any farther inside, they have to be on a preapproved list. Faye, who made up Jackson, 50, for his journey into eternity, has been collecting Jacko trinkets for weeks. She’s on the list of approved visitors, and she has been personally taking the tributes to the crypt herself every other week since Jackson’s funeral on Sept. 3, sources said. “She feels like she’s the friend of the fans, that she’s the only thing that can connect the fans to Michael now,” said a source close to Faye. “This is very important to her because she knows the fans loved Michael so much. She does this for them, especially those who traveled to be near Michael.”

Before these first photos were made available, we only had descriptions of MJ’s crypt to go by … now fans can have a better sense of where MJ has been laid to rest. Considering how much larger than life Michael Jackson was when he lived, I was sure he would be laid to rest in an opulent setting where legions of fans can make the pilgrimage to pay tribute to his memory. Because he did not make his wishes explicitly known before he died, his family was left with the decision on how he would be laid to rest. I honestly do not think MJ would want to be sequestered away from his fans … but this is what his family wants. I suppose it’s poetic for the King of Pop to be hidden away from his fans in such a humble setting. This way, fans can remember him in their hearts exactly the way they choose to.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

(Jayne: Thank you to everyone who is following and sending in questions. We will try contacting William Shakespeare next…). / (Jayne: William Shakespeare is very weak. Many people have tried to contact him). / (Jayne: there is someone else. It is much stronger, someone who died recently…Someone who is waiting for us.) / (Jayne: Michael has been waiting. He is here now). / (Jayne: He is very strong. He is smiling as he is finally linking to his fans. He is in paradise). / Jayne: Does anyone have a question for Michael? He is here now and he wants to talk again. / (Jayne: He is singing. His voice is very powerful indeed still.)

HMMM … as you can see, the attempt to contact William Shakespeare was unsuccessful but MJ jumped right in there to start taking questions. After the jump, check out the full transcript Q&A with Michael Jackson in this tweance …

Question for Michael Jackson: Are you happy where you are?
Michael Jackson: I AM happy and love and miss you all so very much, so much.
MJ: I have found my spiritual fans here and Guardian Angels are protecting me. I am not in pain any more, I just want you all to be happy.

(Jayne: He wants to depart now. I can feel his spirit letting me go. He is light and will continue sending light and love around the world). / Jayne: It was such a privilege and an honour to have such wonderful spiritual energy around us. Thank you all for your messages and support. / Goodbye from Jayne Wallace and all her Psychic Sisters. Have a happy weekend now we know MJ is at peace. xxx

Now … I’m not sure if any of y’all believe in this stuff but it’s at least fun … right? If you are interested in reading the Twitter transcripts for the other tweance communiques with River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain you can read them (from the bottom up) HERE. What do y’all think … did MJ really speak to us from beyond the grave … on Twitter?

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Yes, that is US President Barack Obama and Michael Jackson on top along with a couple of traditionally themed pumpkins on the bottom. When I carve pumpkins, I tend to keep it simple … you know, triangle eyes and nose, jagged teeth … so I’m always very impressed with work like this. Hallowe’en is one of the funnest times of the year … hopefully these jack-o-lanterns will inspire all y’all to have fun with the pumpkin carving this year. I would also like to urge all y’all to send in photos of your carved pumpkins so that I may feature them here on the blog!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Apparently, this track will be released in two versions on the new soundtrack album for the This Is It film … a slow ballad, This Is It has a bit of a mournful feel to it. After the jump, listen to the new track from Michael Jackson in full …

Speaking candidly to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach in conversations that were recorded with the express purpose of sharing them with the public and publishing them in a book, Michael Jackson related extensive personal information. During 30 hours of conversation, they discussed the star’s childhood scars, the price of fame, his spirituality, married life, his love for his children, his demanding father, his thoughts about dying young, his deep fear of aging, racism, his closest friendships and much more. With Michael’s sudden and unfortunate death, Rabbi Shmuley was moved to fulfill his friend’s wish that his true self and heart be known to the public. Their talks are the foundation of “The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation.”

Despite the fact that MJ makes clear in these recordings that he did want Rabbi Boteach to release these conversations, I still can’t help but feel it is still extremely exploitative:

Who is making the money from this book? That’s the question that stands out in my mind. Even still … I cannot help but be intrigued by these conversations that Boteach had with MJ. After the jump, check out video from Dateline to hear some of the MJ recordings for yourselves — they are insanely enlightening …

The King of Pop befriended the singer in the early 1990s and several dates followed, but Jackson revealed he never had any romantic interest in her during a taped conversation with his close friend Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Jackson told Boteach, “I think she (Madonna) likes shock value and she knows how to push buttons on people. I think she was sincerely in love with me and I was not in love with her. She did a lot of crazy things. I knew we had nothing in common. “She is not sexy at all. I think sexy comes from the heart in the way you present yourself.” The Thriller icon believed Madonna was one of several stars who envied his fame: “They admire you and know you are wonderful and great because they are jealous, because they wish they were in your shoes. Madonna is one of them. She is jealous. She is a girl, a woman and I think that’s what bothers her … I get the fainting and adulation and she doesn’t.” The star went on to confess he had considered dating actress Elizabeth Taylor but feared the media would mock their 27-year age gap. He said, “I know that if we ever did anything romantically the press would be so mean and nasty and call us the Odd Couple. It would turn into a circus and that’s the pain of it all.” Jackson also described the late Princess Diana as his ideal woman: “I thought she was very special – very feminine and classy. She was my type for sure, and I don’t like most girls. There are very few I like who fit the mould. It takes a very special mould to make me happy and she was one of them.” Boteach, who is publishing the conversations, maintains Jackson wanted the footage to be released to the public so his fans could gain a better understanding of his personal life.

LOL! It’s funny to hear these supposed comments from MJ especially after hearing Madonna’s heartfelt (and oftentimes rambling) speech about him at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards a couple of weeks ago. It’s funny, she never mentioned in her meandering monologue that she was “in love” with MJ. It’s so strange (and very unprofessional) that a rabbi would be blabbing MJ’s secrets, even if he maintains that MJ “wanted the footage to be released”. It seems so … opportunistic. Whether or not these comments are true or not … they do further enlighten on the man that was Michael Jackson.

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Like numerous pop-music performers before him, Michael Jackson will not be hindered in his recording career by his death. A new song by Mr. Jackson, called “This Is It,” will be released next month, Sony Music Entertainment said Wednesday in a news release. The song, which shares its title with the comeback tour that Mr. Jackson was rehearsing when he died in June, will be released as a single on Oct. 12, Sony said. Two versions of that song, which includes backing vocals by Mr. Jackson’s brothers, will also appear on a new two-disc set, also called “This Is It,” which includes previously released and new material, including a spoken-word poem by Mr. Jackson called “Planet Earth”; that set will be released internationally on Oct. 26 and in North America on Oct. 27. That will be followed on Oct. 28 by Sony Pictures’ release of the documentary film “Michael Jackson: This Is It,” which is compiled from rehearsal footage from Mr. Jackson’s planned concerts.

I don’t think there is a soul alive that was not expecting the announcement of previously unheard Michael Jackson music … I guess I just wasn’t expecting its release so soon. It makes sense that Sony Music would want to capitalize on the hype surrounding the release of the This Is It Movie. This may be the first of the new MJ music to be released but it will most certainly not be the last. We’ve been hearing of the treasure trove of previously unreleased music that MJ left as his legacy … this is just the tip of the iceberg. Get ready for an onslaught of all new MJ material … I guess we should’ve know that not even death would be able to hinder Michael Jackson’s money making power.

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Days after the unleashing of the first trailer for “This Is It”, another sneak peek at the movie built around Michael Jackson’s rehearsal footage has been released in the form of a clip. This brand new snippet comes out courtesy of Apple. It revolves around the King of Pop’s rehearsal for the “Human Nature” song with director Kenny Ortega watching on the side. In addition to the fresh clip, Apple has put out a two-minute plus trailer for the feature film. Containing mostly similar footage to the one debuted during 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, this trailer offers a number of fresh footage, which are scattered throughout, and further info about the movie release. “This Is It” offers a behind-the-scenes footage of Michael preparing for a series of the O2 London shows he was rehearsing before he passed away on June 25. It will compile more than 100 hours of video footage concert promoter AEG Live shot during April, May and June 2009. This movie will be released in theaters across the world for a limited two-week engagement, starting on October 28. This documentary movie got a thumb up for production in early August when AEG Live and co-executors of Jackson’s estate reached a deal with Sony to make and release the movie. The studio was reported to have acquired the footage for as much as $60 million, from a bidding that was started at $50 million.

I have to admit, seeing the expanded trailer for the This Is It Movie which debuted on the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards last weekend really got me excited to see the movie. Had things turned out differently and had MJ lived to perform the This Is It Tour in London, David and I would be in London right now for the event. It’s still so crazy to know that MJ has really died … his memory lives on so powerfully, even now. After the jump, check out video of Michael Jackson rehearsing Human Nature for the This Is It Movie …

This video clip gives us the longest look at what’s in store in this film. There seems to be equal emphasis on the creation process that went into making the This Is It show as well as the actual rehearsals for the show itself. I must admit, the more footage I see the more regretful I become that we were not able to see this show live on stage. As you may recall, David and I had tickets to see MJ in concert at the O2 Arena on September 18 … if things had turned out differently, we’d most likely be in London already gearing up to see the show this coming Friday night. After the jump, check out the full movie trailer for Michael Jackson’s This Is It Movie …