The main documentary This Is It was edited to look like a narrative. It had an arc, it had emotional beats, and Kenny Ortega directed it to feel like a finished product. The extras, however, stripped away that gloss.
"Extras 1" is where we see the mechanics. It is in these raw clips that you realize Michael Jackson wasn’t just a performer; he was a world-class architect of entertainment.
One particular segment in the extras focuses on the "Human Nature" and "Smooth Criminal" rehearsals. Unlike the cinematic edits in the film, the extra footage is often shot from a static camera at the side of the stage. You see the stop-and-start. You see the missed cues. You see Michael correcting the audio engineers on specific frequencies.
The first major segment of Extras 1 is a 23-minute mini-doc titled Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins. Narrated by Kenny Ortega, this piece is arguably more insightful than the main film. michael jacksons this is it 2009 extras 1
Why? Because the main film is focused on Michael. Staging the Return focuses on the impossible logistics.
If you only watch the theatrical cut, you miss the tragedy of what could have been. Watching Extras 1 provides the full context of the $40 million production that vanished on June 25, 2009.
The main film gives you the polished highlights. The extras give you the process. There is a raw, unedited rehearsal of “The Way You Make Me Feel” that isn't in the theatrical cut. Watching Michael work through the blocking with the dancers is mesmerizing. He isn't performing for a camera here; he’s teaching. You see the perfectionist at work—adjusting a hand movement by two inches, snapping his fingers to correct the tempo. The main documentary This Is It was edited
With the rise of streaming, most platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ in some regions) only carry the theatrical cut. They do not include "Extras 1."
To watch the full "michael jacksons this is it 2009 extras 1" today, you must:
Perhaps the most intimate moment in the Extras is simply audio of Michael doing vocal runs backstage. Without the band, without the lights, just his voice echoing in a dark arena. It reminds you that before the spin, before the glittery glove, he was a once-in-a-century vocalist. Listening to him hum melodies that never made it into the show is worth the price of admission alone. If you only watch the theatrical cut, you
On the two-disc "Deluxe Edition" (and the single-disc "Ultimate Fan Edition" internationally), the extras are usually split into two or three sections. "Extras 1" is the primary vault. It is not a single scene, but a curated playlist of supplementary material that runs approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Crucially, "Extras 1" is distinct from "Extras 2" (which usually contains The Unfinished Rehearsals montage or the "Smooth Criminal" making-of). Extras 1 is the goldmine. It contains: