TITUSVILLE, Fla. — A video touting Halloween safety posted by a Florida sheriff’s office is a real thriller.
On its Facebook page, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office posted a video that borrows liberally from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video from December 1983.
Sheriff’s Wayne Ivey’s deputies, with Cpl. Gaston Robin in the lead role, performed in a three-minute video that stressed the importance of being safe on Halloween.
Deputies wore zombie makeup and danced to rewritten lyrics from Jackson’s “monster” hit. Gaston is featured wearing a red jacket similar to one the pop star wore in his music video nearly four decades ago.
Deputies sing and dance, reminding children and adults to have a plan in place with their trick-or-treating group. Children are urged to wear bright colors, carry a flashlight or glow sticks, and to check their candy before eating the Halloween treats.
“Now is the time for you to think outside your imagination,” Gaston sings. “Just take your time, and check both ways before you cross the street.”
Gaston is assisted by other members of the sheriff’s office, including agents Candice Watson, Ashley Jennings and Anthony McDonough, and Cpl. Miguel Melendez, the sheriff’s office wrote.
“I’m sharing safety, safety tips,” Gaston sings. “And no one’s gonna save you if you don’t do it right.”
True to the original “Thriller” video, the sheriff’s office video includes a monologue straight out of the Vincent Price version.
“Crime occurs across the land, something our sheriff cannot stand,” a gravelly voice intones. Thugs and punks up to no good in and round ya’ll’s neighborhood.”
The video cuts back to a meeting among the deputies and Ivey, who says, “Yeah, absolutely not,” to the idea while his eyes turn a scary shade of green.
An obligatory, Price-like laugh punctuates the production.