Michael Jackson's That is Review The Film is Fitting Tribute On ...

Michael Jackson's That is Review The Film is Fitting Tribute On ...

Michael Jackson's This Is It has all the singer's hits in their toe-tapping glory. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Sony Pictures Releas/PA

For everyone who's thirsted for more Michael Jackson since his death little more than four months ago, the wait is finally over. For the rest of us, it's time to look on in awe as Jackson's memory – and the legendary fervency of his fans – is ruthlessly exploited till the pips squeak.

As is all too well known, Jackson was carried off shortly before embarking on a 50-date residency at London's O2 Arena to try and pay off his rumoured $500m debts; footage shot during rehearsal for this series of shows forms

the vast majority of this much-heralded and hyped film, and goes some of the way to plugging both fans' disappointment and his estate's balance sheet.

"You know, I was driving towards Sunset Boulevard ... when the phone rang and it was my cousin in Atlanta, then my mother, then it was on the radio and then I called Staples. I spoke to Kenny and he goes, 'You know how that goes — you know how the media is.' "

Music supervisor Michael Bearden also heard the news from his mom, but couldn't believe it was true. "My mother called me. I hadn't spoken to her in a while and she said, 'Well, I heard something about Michael.' She heard it on gossip channel," he said. "I said, 'Don't believe that. I just left Michael. I just saw him. He's fine.' And then I started getting call after call."

Unfortunately, the news wasn't gossip — the King of Pop had in fact died. Ortega broke the news to the group. "We became silent," Payne said. "We prayed and then we ultimately got the call. They said he had passed, and that was very hard."