why does Michael's persona switch from undead?

I'm not really sure but I've noticed it as well. I can imagine singing with all that make-up on might have been hard though, so maybe they had to do it like that? Just an idea.

I think the switch is intentional. They wanted to show some creepy zombie makeup, but when he's actually singing, it looks better to actually see Michael Jackson. I think the whole narrative is intentionally ambiguous. Are you seeing this through the girl's imagination, Michael Jackson's character's strange inner thoughts as he's walking by a cemetery (he enjoys horror movies after all), someone's nightmare, or just a music video that isn't really supposed to make sense? If it was really supposed to make sense, why would he be watching himself in a movie theater? And why would his date not realize it was him? And why would zombies start dancing instead of attacking? And how would they all automatically know synchronized dance moves? And is the monster a werewolf or a group of zombies?

Really, pretty much every musical requires you to suspend disbelief when it comes to music and choreography. That's even more the case with a music video. I think the whole video is a lot more concerned with mood and creepy aesthetics than it is about continuity or plot.

Michael invokes the MST3K Mantra (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MST3KMantra) when he and the girl leave the theater. It may be necessary to apply it to the entire video.



"May the Force be with you."

JasonIK75