Bad Influence Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Bad Influence Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 19, 2016

Curtis Hanson's "Bad Influence" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Shout Factory. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and new video piece with screenwriter David Koepp. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The players

In his office in downtown Los Angeles Michael Boll (James Spader, Dream Lover) is a man who demands and gets a lot of respect. He has worked hard to get to where he is at and is prepared to work even harder to get to where he wants to be -- at the very top. It is his dream and he has dedicated his entire life to it.

But outside of his office Michael is a shy loner who frequently feels depressed. He has a brother (Christian Clemenson, Broadcast News) but he is a dopehead and they see each other only when he needs to borrow more money from him to support his unhealthy habit. Michael cares about him but no longer tries to change his life. It has been a waste of time for him and he feels that it is already too late to make a difference.

A casual encounter reinvigorates Michael’s private life. In a cheap bar he meets Alex (Rob Lowe, The Hotel New Hampshire), a mysterious charmer, who confronts another man threatening to wipe the floor with him because he has bought his girlfriend a drink. They talk and when later on they meet again Alex takes Michael to a fancy club where they flirt with a couple of beautiful girls. They form a strong bond and soon after begin looking for a lot more intense thrills.

Michael and Alex’s relationship becomes very complicated when Alex humilities Michael’s fiancée, someone beats up his main competitor at work, and then the cold body of a girl (Lisa Zane, Terrifiedthey picked up in a club pops up in his fancy home.

Curtis Hanson has directed edgier (8 Mile) and more elegant (L.A. Confidential) films, but Bad Influence is arguably his one and only film in which the balance between style and substance feels right. This isn’t to imply that Bad Influence is a flawless film -- there are obvious plot holes that cannot be ignored -- but it has a certain underground feel that blends the good and the bad and makes the end product look very attractive.

The film is unquestionably a product of its time -- interestingly enough, this is something that actually works in its favor now because it is becoming increasingly clear that the ‘80s/early ‘90s was the last period in which directors and screenwriters had the courage to work on original projects without being afraid that they would be targeted by some prominent politically correct watchdogs and bullies -- but it feels surprisingly fresh. Indeed, it is scripted as a crime thriller in which two with men big egos and multiple identities try to overpower each other, but at its core it is actually a pretty effective condemnation of the values and standards contemporary America has been using to define strength and success.

Spader’s financial analyst is a lot like Charlie Sheen’s iconic trader Bud Fox (Wall Street). They are both brainwashed to believe that there is a natural correlation between greed and success and that their mission in life is to get to the top, where all the winners are. Their mentors are different – one is a suave charmer, the other a ruthless investor -- and enter their lives under different circumstances, but they also bring out the worst in them in similar ways.

When it is all said and done, however, it is fairly easy to tell that Hanson and screenwriter David Koepp’s ( intent wasn’t to go against the system and culture that have created the analyst and his nemesis. They wanted a stylish roller-coaster of a film that would appeal primarily to the ‘thinking’ adults. At the end, it is basically what they got.

Bad Influence Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Curtis Hanson's Bad Influence arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory.

The release is sourced from an older master with some obvious limitations. As a result, the technical presentation is somewhat inconsistent. Indeed, while most close-ups convey fairly decent depth the larger shots tend to look rather flat (see screencaptures #9 and 11). During the nighttime footage or elsewhere where light is intentionally restricted shadow definition also isn't as good as it should be; select segments are clearly too dark and some detail is lost. Generally speaking colors are stable, but in two different segments I noticed very light but short color pulsations. Also, colors should be lusher and with a much better range of nuances. There are no traces of recent degraining or sharpening adjustments, but grain should be better exposed and resolved. During a couple of darker segments some light halo effects can be spotted as well (see screencapture #17). Overall image stability is good. Lastly, a few minor flecks pop up here and there, but there are no large cuts, damage marks, or torn frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Bad Influence Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film has what I consider to be a classic late '80s/early '90s soundtrack that breathes much easier here than it does on the old DVD release. Generally speaking, dynamic intensity is more pronounced, but even during the more casual footage there are obvious improvements in terms of depth (these are very easy to hear during the action scenes). However, I think that there is still room for improvement as some nuances in the mid- register appear a bit flat. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Bad Influence Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original U.S. trailer for Bad Influence. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Under the Influence of David Koepp - in this new featurette, screenwriter David Koepp discusses his early original work, the evolution of his work after he established himself in the business (including his work as a dierctor), the independent feel of the early films he scripted (including Bad Influence whose script was apparently influenced by Apartment Zero), what constitutes a good script, the atmosphere of Bad Influence, some of the main dilemmas James Spader's character faces, etc. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).

Bad Influence Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I always felt that Curtis Hanson's Bad Influence never received the praise it deserved. It emerged just before Hollywood basically made it impossible to shoot original projects that were either 'unsafe', meaning not politically correct, or meant to appeal to the 'thinking' adults. By the late '90s, R-rated films already had a completely different vibe and were targeting a very different audience -- which is why now a lot of younger film aficionados are discovering all sorts of intelligent 'risky' films from the '70s and '80s. Bad Influence is not a 'risky' film, but I think that those of you that enjoy genuinely dark and stylish thrillers will find it very refreshing. Shout Factory's recent Blu-ray release of Bad Influence features a very good new video piece with award winning screenwriter David Koepp (Carlito's Way, Panic Room). RECOMMENDED.