Jackson film 'This Is It' earns $2.2M on 1st night

"This Is It" faces some hurdles over its first weekend, which falls on Halloween, when the main competition will be scary movies such as "Paranormal Activity" and "Saw VI."

Halloween day itself, which falls on Saturday, typically cuts into theater business, with many fans skipping movies in favor of parties.

With Jackson's death just weeks before the concerts were to open, the rehearsal footage now stands as a final curtain call, and fans have been happy to get one last glimpse of the singer at work.

Some came away surprised at how precise and hands-on the soft-spoken Jackson was as he developed the musical numbers with his backup dancers and musicians.

"He was very, very much into every detail of his work," said Marilyn Morrison, who saw "This Is It" in New York City. "I always thought that he was so quiet and shy, but he was very authoritative, very detail-orientated."