Bad Influence (1990)

Michael, a wimpy young executive, is about to get pulverized by a jealous boyfriend in a bar when a handsome, mysterious stranger steps in--and then disappears. Later that night, while ... See full summary »

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writer:

David Koepp

Stars:

Rob Lowe, James Spader, Lisa Zane

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Lowe	...	Alex
James Spader	...	Michael Boll
Lisa Zane	...	Claire
Marcia Cross	...	Ruth Fielding
Rosalyn Landor	...	Britt
Tony Maggio	...	Patterson
Palmer Lee Todd	...	Naked Woman
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Leslie
Sunny Smith	...	Waitress
Susan Lee Hoffman	...	Karen, Woman in Bar
Jeff Kaake	...	Willie, Man in Bar
Christian Clemenson	...	Pismo Boll
Charisse Glenn	...	Stylish Eurasian Woman
Jay Della	...	Chez Jay Bartender
Inger Lorre	...	Band Member

Storyline

Michael, a wimpy young executive, is about to get pulverized by a jealous boyfriend in a bar when a handsome, mysterious stranger steps in--and then disappears. Later that night, while jogging, Michael runs into the stranger on a pier. He introduces himself as Alex, and the two go out to an under- ground club. Within a matter of days, Alex wheedles his way into Michael's life and turns it upside down, and Michael doesn't realize that Alex is a dangerous sociopath until it's too late.

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Plot Keywords:

executive | bar | yuppie | industrial music | false accusation | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 March 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cattive compagnie

Filming Locations:

George C. Page Museum - 5801 W. Wilshire Blvd., Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$12,626,043 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Epic Productions, Producers Representative Organization, Sarliu/Diamant

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In chapter seventeen of Rob Lowe's autobiography "Stories I Only Tell My Friends", he describes being at rehearsals in a church off Highland Avenue when he is asked to approve his make-up artist, Sheryl Berkoff. He recognises her because, years before, they'd been on a blind date together. He describes her as 'an artist of the face' who 'knows her shit cold'. In July of 1991, he married her. He also suggests that Bad Influence was originally submitted as a writing sample to producer Steve Tisch ("the only man with both an Oscar and a Superbowl trophy"). Lowe had originally wanted to play the role of Michael, "the average Joe", but was taken to lunch by David Koepp, and talked into taking the role of Alex. He describes Tom Brokaw leading the evening news with the Rob Lowe sex tapes, and following that item with news about Tiananmen square.

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Goofs

Lowe wore a glove on one hand to smear blood on the wall of Michael's apartment. In the following scene, the glove switched hands.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Pismo Boll: So what are you gonna tell them?
Michael: I'm gonna tell them what happened.

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Connections

References Strangers on a Train (1951)

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Soundtracks

"THE HIGHWAY"
Written by Inger Lorre and Jet Freedom
Performed by The Nymphs
Produced by Earl Mankey
Courtesy of David Geffen Company

User Reviews

Not a bad movie at all, but not a great one either.

I enjoyed this movie very much, which is why it got seven stars from me, but it's by no means a fantastic or transcendent experience. It does it's job as a thriller ably, and it's worth watching.

The good: You do care about the characters, and James Spader and Rob Lowe are both fantastic actors who are on the top of their game here. It's interesting to see Spader play a guy who isn't super cool and self assured for a change, and he handles it well. Lowe channels a bit of Patrick Bateman and creates a great GQ sociopath. The supporting cast is quite good as well, however this could very well have been a two-man film, as you can fit the dialog of all the other characters in the movie combined onto maybe two sheets of paper. The director also had a great eye for style, as the locations, clothing and music were gorgeous and perfectly suited to the era, and gave the film a great deal of authenticity.

The bad: I'm not entirely convinced why Spader was so quick to discard his fiancé (who was beautiful, rich and from all indications a very nice person that cared for him a great deal). The film never really sets up any kind of conflict or apprehension between the couple to justify Spader's truly rash behavior. Yes, I get that he wanted a taste of the bad-boy life that Lowe was a part of, but he seemed to throw it all away far too easily and willingly. For the type of character that he was, I'd expect a little more internal conflict, moralizing and apprehension to go along with a decision like that. It just seems like his descent was inexplicably rapid and left a lot of questions unanswered. Beyond that, I think the ending (or last 30 minutes or so) could have been done a little better.

The good does really outweigh the bad, and the movie is genuinely worth watching if you're a fan of the genre. Don't expect a Michael Mann film, but you can definitely get some solid entertainment value out of it nonetheless.