(Note: Standard DVD editions often have fewer extras, usually combining the "Staging the Return" segments into one featurette, whereas the 2-Disc Blu-ray edition contains the full breakdown listed above.)
If you type the keyword "michael jacksons this is it 2009 extras 1" into a search engine, you are likely looking for one of two things: a technical specification (video codecs, run times) or a nostalgic validation. Here is the validation:
The theatrical This Is It was a eulogy. Extras 1 is the music lesson. michael jacksons this is it 2009 extras 1
In the main film, Michael is guarded; he is "saving his voice" for the live shows. In Extras 1, specifically during the rehearsal for "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," he lets loose. You hear the raspy, powerful 40-year-old voice that made Invincible.
Furthermore, Extras 1 contains the only footage of Michael directing the orchestra. In the main film, we see him counting in "Beat It." In Extras 1, we see him rearrange the chord progression of "Will You Be There" on the spot. It is a masterclass in composition. (Note: Standard DVD editions often have fewer extras,
One of the most viral moments within Extras 1 is the extended rehearsal for Human Nature. In the theatrical version, we see Michael finish the song gracefully. In the extras, we see the lead-up.
Michael stops the band mid-chord. The music is too fast. He doesn't yell; he whispers. "No... it’s dragging... but it’s rushing? We need the lilt." He then scats the rhythm to pianist Michael Bearden, conducting the silence between the notes. Watching "Extras 1," you realize Jackson wasn't just singing the song; he was sculpting the air. He apologizes to the crew—"God bless you, forgive me"—before running the segment six more times. It is a portrait of kindness under pressure. In the main film, Michael is guarded; he
Perhaps the most sought-after clip in Extras 1 is the Dance Rehearsal for "Smooth Criminal." Here, the audio track is removed. There is no singing. There is no band. There is only the squeak of loafers on a polished stage and the metronome.
We see Michael Jackson counting. We see him teaching Kenny Ortega the angle of the lean. He wears his soft grey trousers and a V-neck sweater, looking more like a university professor than a pop star. He drills the backup dancers on the "anti-gravity lean" by showing them how to tense their calves. This segment strips away the iconography and leaves you with the athlete—the man who knew exactly how many millimeters his heel needed to slide to catch the beat.