Captain EO

Very short, 3-D sci-fi movie made by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, starring Michael Jackson as the commander of a bunch of aliens. Seen only at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the 1980s.

Ahem...If Michael Jackson was still in his cool stage when he made this film, it was at the very end of this. However, this news flash had not yet made it to the parents of America, so when my family went to see this movie during at trip to Florida in the mid-80s, we still had to wait for about an hour and a half to get in.

This movie left me scarred for life, quite literally. It was a new 3D movie that used polarized filters instead of red and green to get the 3D effect. It was also only about 15-minutes long. Due to the fact that we had waited about 6 times the length of the movie to get in, and the fact that my Dad was blind in one eye, so the picture was still doubled to him (the polarizatoin wasn't perfect), we made a family decision to swipe the cool 3-D glasses after the film, and pull the polarized filters out later.

I was doing this in the car with my jackknife when we hit a bump, and the knife slipped and cut my finger to the bone on the second knuckle. I still have the scar, thus I am scarred for life by this movie.

Started playing at Disneyland in September 1986. Closed in April 1997. At some point in time, it has been played at all the Disney parks. By late summer of 1998, it was no longer playing at any of them. It has been replaced by Honey, I Shrunk the Audience at all parks.
(See: http://www.yesterland.com/eo.html)

A former attraction at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (oops, and most other Disney resorts), starring Michael Jackson.

The details are sorta sketchy as the show's been gone for years it closed worldwide in 1997. In its place is Honey I shrunk the Audience! at EPCOT (a better show). It wasn't a ride, it consisted of a large theater with an Imax size screen and everyone wearing polarized 3-D glasses, watching a 15 minute show.

The premise is that Michael Jackson, aka Captain EO is the leader of a ragtag group of muppets who bring freedom to other planets. In their mission, they are captured by an evil leader.

As they drag him to the dungeon, one of the elephant-looking Muppets finally fixes the Synthesizer and blasts them with music. Michael Jackson takes center stage and dances. A really cool choreographed dance and lightshow later, all the bad guys shrink away like Blue Meanines and the totally dark villan turns all bright and colorful.

Very easy to understand as a little kid, and probably the first time I appreciated Pop.

You can read the (short) script and details at http://www.intercot.com/edc/Imagination/eo.html

The full 16min movie is now on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AstW05bDiQU