Bad Influence **** (1990, Rob Lowe, James Spader, Lisa Zane, Kathleen Wilhoite) – Classic Movie Review 4393

Director Curtis Hanson’s dark, weird and sexy 1990 American psychological thriller film noir Bad Influence stars Rob Lowe and James Spader. It is based on an original script by David Koepp, launching his career.

James Spader stars as the protagonist Michael, a wimpy financial executive who takes lessons in the ways of the world from cruel charmer Alex (Rob Lowe) and walks into violence and disaster. And then, after lashings of sex, lies and videotape, there follow robbery, assault and murder.

Director Curtis Hanson’s 1990 yuppie exploitation noir thriller is sharp and entertaining, with smooth, creepy performances and sleek and glossy direction. David Koepp’s clever screenplay delivers on the thriller front, in a setup that recalls Strangers on a Train, while also having something on its mind to say about the clash between being happy versus being a yuppie.

Bad Influence also appears cheekily and amusingly to play off the real-life Rob Lowe sex-tape scandal. But that is accidental. Curtis Hanson recalled: ‘There were people who actually wrote in reviews that this picture had been put out to capitalise on the scandal. Which, of course, would have been impossible.’ Indeed they obviously considered dumping Lowe before eventually deciding to keep him in the film.

In 1988, Lowe, 24, was involved in a sex scandal over a videotape of him having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met in a nightclub. This derailed his career, though it rebounded eventually. The story broke around the rehearsals for Bad Influence. Director Curtis Hanson stated: ‘The story broke shortly before rehearsals and my reaction was completely selfish. I kept wondering, ‘How does this affect the movie? How does it affect his performance? It was like a carnival atmosphere around him.’

But ultimately it was decided to keep Lowe in the part. In other good news, Lowe has been married to makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff since 1991 after re-meeting on the set of Bad Influence.

Bad Influence also stars Lisa Zane, Christian Clemenson, Kathleen Wilhoite, Tony Maggio and Marcia Cross, with David Duchovny.

It is Koepp’s first original script with sole screenplay credit, loosely basing the villain on a real-life nomadic surfer who befriended the executive producer Morrie Eisenman. Koepp had previously worked on only one movie, Apartment Zero (1988).

Filming started on 20 June 1989 and it was released on 9 March 1990. It cost $7 million and earned $12,626,043 at the box office.

It runs 100 minutes.

Hanson said the film is similar to his previous films The Silent Partner and The Bedroom Window. All are about a ‘character who takes a step out of line. In these pictures the guy is very guilty and his guilt gets him in deeper and deeper. Because he’s guilty he pays a terrible price, but we feel better because he paid that price and he ends up with a strict moral code he didn’t have at the start of the picture.’

Lowe had a choice of roles. He said: ‘My strongest reaction on a visceral level was to Alex. But I was nervous about playing him because I felt the character didn’t go through any sort of arc or metamorphosis. He ended up unredeemed, unlike the villain I’d played in Masquerade.’ So Lowe decided to play the protagonist Michael. But then he had second thoughts after being persuaded by Koepp to play Alex.

Spader called it ‘an extremely strange, peculiar thriller, and where you end up is extremely surprising. You really think you know where you’re going all the way along, and, boy, you’re surprised just how lost you are.’

In a 2017 Lowe said the film did not get the attention it deserved. ‘It was really ahead of its time. I’m really proud of it. It’s sexy. It’s weird. It’s dark. The characters are great. It’s also a great snapshot of underground LA at the beginning of the Nineties and yet it doesn’t feel dated.’

Hanson said he was very fond of the film but ‘it was an unhappy experience when that picture got released, because it coincided with that ridiculous Rob Lowe videotape scandal. Rob, who I thought was really good in the movie, had his performance overshadowed by this sort of tabloid approach to him and the movie.’

Curtis Hanson (March 24 1945 – September 20 2016) won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1998, for co-writing LA Confidential with Brian Helgeland.

His directing work also includes the psychological thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The River Wild (1994), the comedy Wonder Boys (2000), the hip-hop biopic 8 Mile (2002), and the romantic comedy-drama In Her Shoes (2005).

Hanson began screenwriting in 1970 as co-writer of The Dunwich Horror. He wrote and directed his first feature, Sweet Kill, starring Tab Hunter, in 1973.

The cast are Rob Lowe as Alex, James Spader as Michael Boll, Lisa Zane as Claire, Christian Clemenson as Pismo Boll, Marcia Cross as Ruth Fielding, Kathleen Wilhoite as Leslie, Grand L Bush as Bartender, David Duchovny as Club Goer with Glasses, Perri Lister as Claire’s Friend, Michael Kristick as Bouncer, Bianca Rossini as Bumped Woman, John de Lancie as Howard, Warren Stanhope as Banker, Lilyan Chauvin as Art Gallery Patron, Rosalyn Landor as Britt, Tony Maggio as Patterson, Palmer Lee Todd as Naked Woman, Sunny Smith as Waitress, Susan Lee Hoffman as Karen, and Jeff Kaake as Willie.

Bad Influence is directed by Curtis Hanson, runs 100 minutes, is made by Epic Productions, Sarlui and Diamant, is released by Triumph Releasing Corporation (US) and Entertainment (UK), is writtten by David Koepp, is shot by Robert Elswit, is produced by Steve Tisch, and scored by Trevor Jones.

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