Tampabay.com
JULY 23, 2007

'The Thriller' in Manila


I know what you're thinking: Is that really 1,500 Filipino inmates doing Michael Jackson's Thriller dance? Yes, yes it is. Complete with one inmate who volunteered -- presumably -- to be the female.

From what I've been about to find out, this is at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Cebu, Philippines. Reports are that the prisoners enjoy a variety of unusual programs including the use of personal savings accounts to save money for legal fees or their families on the outside. The music routines are part of a physical fitness regime that stresses discipline and music.

And if you read between the lines in the song's lyrics, it really is the perfect song for prisoners to perform:

"You hear the door slam and realize there's nowhere left to run.
You feel the cold hand and wonder if you'll ever see the sun.
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination.
But all the while you hear the creature creepin' up behind."

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About the blogger

Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times entertainment news editor Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.

E-mail Steve Spears:
stuckinthe80s@tampabay.com
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