Ghosts (Stan Winston)
Title: Ghosts (1996) (USA)
Runtime: 39′
Director(s): Stan Winston
(Script-)writer(s): Stan Winston, Mick Garris, Michael Jackson, Stephen King
Producer(s): Caroline Baron, Mary Montiforte, David Nicksay, Paul Mitchell Rosenblum
Cast: Michael Jackson, Pat Dade, Amy Smallman, Edwina Moore, Yasiin Bey, Seth Smith, Kendall Cunningham, Loren Randolph, Heather Ehlers.
Dancers: Michael Balderrama, Troy Burgess, John “Havic” Gregory, M.G. Gong, Heather Harley, Paula Harrison, Shawnette Heard, Cris Judd, Richard Kim, Dorie Konno, Kelly Konno, Suzi McDonald, Courtney Miller, Nikki Pantenburg, Travis Payne, Mia Pitts, Charlie E. Schmidt, Joie Shettler, Yuko Sumida, Anthony Talauega, Richmond Talauega, Lisa Joann Thompson, Mic Thompson, Stacy Walker, Michelle Weber, Jason Yribar
Additional Crew: Michael Jackson, Jimmy Jam, Nicholas Pike, Russell Carpenter, Marcus Manton
The mayor of Normal Valley leads a mob to the mansion of the Maestro, who has been entertaining local children with magic tricks and ghost stories. The children assure the parents the Maestro has done nothing wrong, but the mayor intends to banish him as a “freak”.
The Maestro challenges the mayor to a “scaring contest”: the first to become scared must leave. He performs magic tricks and dance routines with a ghostly horde, then possesses the mayor, forcing him to dance. After the performance, the Maestro agrees to leave and crumbles to dust, but returns as an enormous ghoul. Terrified, the mayor leaps through the window. The families agree that they had fun and allow the Maestro to stay.
