You had to know this one would show up sooner or later.

Shortly after this video came out, an hour-or-so-long documentary, The Making of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” came out on cable, and my mom recorded it for my siblings and me because, of course, we were huge Michael Jackson fans, just like most of the rest of the industrialized world in the 1980s. We watched it repeatedly, learning the behind-the-scenes awesomeness of the creation of this mini-movie. In it we saw the multiple layers of make-up and special effects required to transform him from himself to the various creatures he becomes in this video, and we also got to see just how exuberant and hyperactive his personality was in rehearsal. He was like a kid.

Anyway, this is a Hallowe’en staple. I hope your holiday is wonderful.