You won't be disappointed!

I wanted to but couldn't!

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

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.

BAD INFLUENCE (1990) is an original, dark, disturbing tale starring of couple of very good actors, Rob Lowe and James Spader. Lowe and Spader, although both had ties or were directly affiliated (in Lowe's case) with the "Brat Pack" gang, had not done a film together before this one. And this one's a keeper! I think this is the best work that either actor had done up to this point. For me, this is the performance that showed that Rob Lowe could act. It really is his first challenging role. He does a good job of balancing charm, sex appeal, and menace throughout. Lowe's first "bad guy" role. I also think this is a groundbreaking film for Spader as well. Even though he had tackled more challenging roles than Lowe in the 80s, this is really the first "good guy" role that Spader had played. The against-type casting works to great effect as I don't think the film would have been as nearly effective had their roles been reversed.Spader is a nerdy, shy, underconfident stock broker named Michael, who is engaged to an upper class girl (Marcia Cross of "Desperate Housewives" fame). Life is good, simple, but very mundane and boring for Michael. In comes Alex (Lowe's character) who instills Michael with self-confidence, courage, and even sex appeal, molding him into his own image to a degree.The two men's "accidental" meeting early in the film at a seaside bar is a great setup for the rest of the film as it underscores the essence of each character. I also felt this scene was very realistic in the dialogue, character reactions, and outcome.Alex seems to be a drifter who doesn't stay in one place very long. In return for Michael putting him up for a while, Alex "mentors" Michael on being more assertive, confident, and uninhibited. First, Alex sets Michael up so that his fiancée dumps him. They end up hanging out at bars and ecstasy parties, then during one night, they meet Claire (played by the alluring Lisa Zane). A triangle forms as Alex compels Claire to sleep with Michael while he himself has designs on her and she seems to prefer his dangerous sex appeal, but still is drawn to Michael's underlying sweet innocence. But one night things go a bit too far as Alex takes Michael along with him goes on a mini crime spree, robbing a liquor store, and beating up Michael's jerkish colleague (but Michael doesn't remember). This is when Michael dumps Alex and tells him to get out of his life. Then things get deadly! BAD INFLUENCE was directed by Curtis Hanson (who gained international fame years later with LA CONFIDENTIAL) and his stylish touches and film noir mood and tone are evident throughout. This film was a sign that Hanson was going to become a major player in Hollywood. Lowe is very good at abandoning his "Brat Pack" persona and giving a real performance. He instills Alex with charm, sex appeal, and a sense of danger. Spader is equally excellent playing a genuine nice guy and conveys real vulnerability that he had never really displayed before this film. Highly recommended!

Rob Lowe's 1990 thriller (directed by Curtis Hanson - "The Bedroom Window") is no match for the slick and cleverly plotted "Masquerade" which, in 1988, he starred in.Story concerns a nervous young business man named Michael (James Spader) who allows a confident, smooth talking young guy named Alex (Rob Lowe) to greatly change and influence his somewhat stifled existence. Alex turns Michael's life upside down with a series of sadistic games which, eventually leave "Mick" fighting for his life.Spader is competent as the weak-spined account analyst who allows life to dictate to him, while Lowe is certainly well cast as the ultra-cool confidence trickster who seems to get his own way with everyone.David Koepp's story is as "90's" as they come, with plenty of sex, drugs and violence to please today's young audiences. Director Hanson makes sure to stick with the formula too, but the result is a movie that entertains only at surface level. Lacking in the necessary plot intricacies, it opts rather for a hit you in the face style that lacks a certain depth.Not a complete waste of time in any case, but we've definitely seen better in the last five years.Saturday, July 30, 1994 - Video

"Bad Influeince:" Yup, that's a good title for one of the main characters in this movie: "Alex," played by Rob Lowe. His grin alone is pure evil! In fact, Lowe's character is one of the lowest I've encountered in these modern-day thrillers. This also could be called a modern "noir," because it has a lot of that genre's qualities. This also is different from the normal cops-vs.- crooks film.As bad as "Alex" was, I couldn't root for the other main character, either: "Michael Boll" (James Spader). Spader is one of these actors that seems to play very snotty, unlikeable people. Maybe he's just good at play annoying characters.An odd character, and one that added to this film, was the guy (Christian Clemenson) who played Spader's older, stoned-out brother "Pismo." What a loser.....but an interesting person.I really was intrigued by this film the first time I saw it but less so in the next two viewings, finally trading this in for something else. But for one viewing, it's recommended for crime fans, or people who just plain like evil characters.