Martin Scorsese (left) and Michael Jackson on the set of “Bad.” THR was not a fan of the CBS special on which the video premiered, calling it “TV’s hucksterism at its most abominable.”
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There was no small thing about the long-awaited sequel to Michael Jackson’s 1982 smash hit. thriller, the best-selling album of all time. Released in 5 years thriller helped the singer establish himself as the King of Pop, bad Five singles made history by topping the Billboard Hot 100, but only one of them, the title track, featured an 18-minute music video directed by Martin Scorsese.
Written by Richard Price, who also wrote Scorsese’s 1986 feature film. color of money, the video for “Bad” was a narrative short film focusing on Darryl (Jackson), a speedy prep school student who is drawn back to a life of crime when he reunites with a friend from his neighborhood. The gang leader, Mini Max, was played by then-unknown Wesley Snipes, a recent graduate of New York Purchase’s theater program.
Snipes recalls that Jackson was a little misunderstood about his background. hollywood reporter “MJ thought I was a real gang member hired from the streets and encouraged me to pursue acting as a real career,” he says with a laugh. Initial confusion aside, Snipes described filming as an “incredible experience” and said Scorsese, who was soft-spoken and didn’t tend to give much direction, told Scorsese to “rehearse it like it was my one-off act.” I remember encouraging them to work on their goals.
The project debuted as part of a prime-time special on CBS Michael Jackson…Magic Returns August 31, 1987, the same day the album was released. THRreview dismissed the “bad” video as “stale and creatively bankrupt”.
But the experience certainly influenced Scorsese. After Jackson’s death in June 2009, the filmmaker, who was nominated for Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, Murderers of the Flower Moon He is scheduled to receive the PGA’s David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement Award on February 25th. ”
As for Snipes, he quips about Scorsese: “He’s a much better director than he is a dancer.”
This article first appeared in the February 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter.Click here to subscribe.
