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"Bad" Music Video / Short Film

 

Martin Scorsese, director, Rolling Stone (June 24, 2014)

Rolling Stone: Jackson and iconic director Martin Scorsese teamed up for an 18-minute, big-budget epic. Filming near condemned Harlem buildings, Scorsese paired Jackson with a young Wesley Snipes for a dramatic black-and-white confrontation – then the video's second act bursts to life with a West Side Story-style combat dance staged in a Brooklyn subway station. "We went over schedule; it was two and a half weeks of the dance sequence alone," said Scorsese. "I was mesmerized by it. The video monitor made us all dancers."

“I remember meeting him at a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel. He was very quiet. The first thing he asked me was, ‘Do you know about Michelangelo?’ And I said, ‘Yes!’ And we started talking about Michelangelo. He’d just discovered his paintings – the Sistine Chapel and the sculptures. He was taken by all of that.

It was a different form for me. The big issue really was the temptation to do this really major dance piece with camera moves and cutting which we had planned on page based on his choreography. And working with Michael Chapman, who choreographed the fight scenes in Raging Bull. Shooting the big dance scene was the allure of it. Michael was never a person who was overly enthusiastic. He was quiet. Accepting. How should I put it? He was very precise about what he wanted in the choreography. He was concerned, like with any great dancer, they like to be seen full figure. But that wasn’t the case because I’d planned other things. The use of close-ups, and tracking him. Eventually he understood that. There was never any resistance, but questions. He was open to everything.

The most interesting thing about it, is when we cast the picture, Wesley was the man. Michael went through those scenes in the film and he was toe-to-toe with every one of those actors. It was quite moving and powerful performance I thought. Like that scene in the hallway. We did that maybe 40 times. He stood up to Wesley, and Wesley is a wonderful actor. Formidable. Strong presence. And Michael did it. It was quite something.

We shot it in Harlem, and when he goes home to his apartment, he was very quiet looking around. The apartment was quite nice, actually. But it was in Harlem. Across the street the buildings were torn down or condemned. He took me aside, ‘Do people live here?’ I said, ‘Well, yes, this is actually a well-done apartment!’...I think he was overwhelmed by what he saw…These tenements had, when you come in the front hall, there’s an apartment in the back on the ground floor. There was an unfortunate person in there, in bed pretty much, coughing and seemed like on his last days. Michael said, ‘Do you see what’s in there?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I know.’ He was in the place and it worked for him. It worked for him as a performance, but his compassion for the people came through. It was very moving.

He was very sweet. He came to our apartment. My mother cooked dinner. He was very easy to be with. There was a genuine sweetness about him. And treating everybody the same way. Didn’t matter who it was — my family, the crew. The only time he expressed [a production demand], and again it was out of compassion — the older man is getting mugged and gets pushed at one point. And we did it a couple of takes and he was nervous about that. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt. We didn’t know if we had it on film and we said, ‘Let’s do it again.’ And he begged me not to do it again. He said, 'Please, this shouldn’t be violent.' So I didn’t do it.

Wesley Snipes, actor, “The Tonight Show” (September 17, 2015) (summary/quotes)

“I auditioned for Scorsese and Q – Quincy Jones – and they selected me out of, I don’t know, maybe hundreds of guys who auditioned,” Snipes says in the clip. After Fallon asks about his impressions of Jackson, Snipes tells the hilarious story – earning uproarious laughs from Questlove and the Roots.

“The great Michael: the inspiration, the muse,” he says. “Michael was very interesting – very, very interesting. He actually was a little nervous filming in Harlem because we filmed some of the ‘Bad’ video there in Harlem … He was a little nervous because the fans were a little ambivalent with him. Some of them loved him. Some of them hated him. So you hear them literally yelling out, ‘Michael Jackson! We love you! Oh my God – I want to have your baby.’ And you have other people going, ‘You ain’t bleep! Michael Jackson, you ain’t never coming back to the ‘hood! Michael Jackson, what you do for us?’

“So Michael turned to me and was like, ‘Are you scared?'” he continues. “I was like, ‘Yo, Mike, what are you talking about?’ ‘Are you scared? Really, are you scared?’ I was like, ‘No, Mike, this is Harlem, baby! This is where we grew up. They love you. Really, you’re scared?’ He was like, ‘A little.'”

Snipes jokes that he was “demoted” from actor to “bodyguard.” But he says the unorthodox gig was worth it: “I’d do it again any time,” he says. “He was such an inspiration, such a wonderful talent.”

“Conan” (August 9, 2017) (summary/quotes)

Wesley Snipes remembered battling Prince during auditions for a key role in Michael Jackson‘s 18-minute “Bad” short-film on Conan on Wednesday. Snipes ultimately won the part, landing one of his first major on-screen looks before he exploded as a movie superstar in the Nineties.

“Me and Prince were auditioning together, and I blew Prince out of the water,” Snipes declared. “Michael had told Prince that he had the role, and then he met me.”

“This is a true story,” he reiterated. “Prince was actually considered the lead character in the ‘Bad’ video, and then Michael met me and kicked Prince to the curb.”

In a VH1 interview with Chris Rock in 1997, Prince offered a different reason for not appearing in the “Bad” video: He said he turned down the role because he wasn’t comfortable being the object of the single’s sensual first line, “Your butt is mine.”

The “Bad” clip, directed by Martin Scorsese, is an 18-minute story revolving around inner-city gangs, and Snipes said part of the reason he got the role was that Jackson believed he was actually a gang member in real life. “[Jackson] really thought I was in a gang – he didn’t know that I was a trained thespian,” the actor recalled. “At the time, the great Michael hadn’t spent very much time in the ‘hood.”

 

Bea Swedien, wife of studio engineer Bruce Swedien, “My Life as a Studio Wife: A Lifetime of Love and Music with Bruce Swedien” (August 11, 2025)

One day we were in a studio in New York where Bruce and Mr. Scorsese were mixing the song to picture. I was relaxing in the ‘green room’ and was shocked to see a really large rat run across the room and disappear under a couch. Only in New York!

 

Rolling Stone (September 24, 1987)

Three weeks prior to the release of Bad, Quincy Jones is recalling this scene from his bed in L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he is soon to undergo oral surgery. Tonight the fifty-four-year-old veteran producer of such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Count Basie is recalling the recording of Bad in his inimitable hipster voice while viewing a rough edit of the "Bad" video on a TV across the room. On the screen Michael is sizzling through a highly stylized dance number like a young incarnation of James Brown.

As soon as he heard "Bad," Jones thought of getting his friend Martin Scorsese to direct the video. But Michael was unfamiliar with Scorsese's work, having only seen New York, New York, and wanted George Lucas or Steven Spielberg. But the image-savvy Dileo pushed Scorsese, knowing that a glossy Spielberg-type fantasy would merely cement further Michael's problematic Peter Pan-sy image.

According to a close friend of Scorsese's, the filming of "Bad," which kept Michael out of the studio for six weeks last fall, was "a nightmare." Michael insisted the director "reshoot and reshoot." Scorsese describes his star as "a perfectionist" and says that because of Michael (who was also footing the bill), the video went "two or three times over budget," costing about $2 million. Still, the director found Michael "sympathetic and sweet and open."

The "Bad" script, written by novelist Richard Price, was inspired by the true story of a Harlem youth named Edmund Perry who went to prep school at Phillips Exeter. The subject of the recent book Best Intentions, by Robert Sam Anson, Perry was shot to death two years ago by a New York plainclothes policeman who claimed Perry had tried to mug him. The video romanticizes things somewhat, allowing Michael's character to dance his way out of the situation, though the ending is ambiguous. "Bad" – a stunning minimovie that enhances the lyrically vague song with vivid images – could help Bad beat the follow-up jinx.

 

Album Cover Shoot

Rolling Stone (September 24, 1987)

Meanwhile, back in the real world, the proposed cover portrait was causing a commotion. When Walter Yetnikoff saw it – a close-up of Michael's heavily made-up face with black floral lace superimposed – he went berserk, allegedly telling Dileo, "Look, this cover sucks." The feminine-looking shot was scrapped in favor of a promotional photo of Michael in his tough-guy duds taken during a fifteen-minute break in the "Bad" filming.

 

Unknown newspaper snippet

The girls at exclusive Masters School, in Dobbs Ferry—a tiny hamlet in upstate New York—were told they could have the day off studying, as a record company wanted to make a video, using them as extras.

"Just another music clip", they thought, but 300 turned up and were delighted to discover it was none other than Michael Jackson making a promo video for "Bad", a track for his next album.~

 

Unknown newspaper snippet

"I'd always been fascinated by Michael Jackson's performance as a dancer", he explains. "All these years, I'd been watching Minnelli films, and I hadn't done a musical for 10 years. So when I found out that most of Michael's video would be dancing and I'd be able to move the camera and have some fun with him, I agreed to do it."

Ever since "The Last Waltz", which captured the mood of a concert the way no other film has before or since, Scorsese has been offered, and turned down, a lot of video projects. "He just caught me at the right time", he shrugs.

..."All I know is that we had to hurry up and shoot it, and now it's not coming out", jokes Scorsese.

 

"Right On! Focus" magazine (1987)

The Jackson magic has touched a lot of people. When it was time to do the video for his new record, some very lucky young actors, one in particular, was touched by Michael’s magic. “I am not going to lie. It was the most exciting time in my life. Here I was, Sam Bono, working with Michael Jackson. It was really a dream come true”, Sam told us in an exclusive interview.

New York actor / model Sam Bono grew up listening to the music of the Jacksons. Sam confessed that he had often dreamed of sharing the stage with his favorite group and to have a small part in the Jackson video was a perfect Christmas gift. “It was hard to believe” – he said, sharing his initial reaction. “I got a call from my casting agent. He asked me if I would be available for the next two weeks. Being the unemployed actor that I am most of the time, naturally I sad “yes”. He then told me “Michael Jackson is in town doing a video, would you be available to work on it?" I jokingly said, “Let me check my calendar.” Then I screamed “Yes!”

Next, Sam told about the audition. “I went in to read for the casting person. He liked me and asked me to return the next day. That’s when I read for Martin Scorsese. He liked me. In a few days, I got a call saying that I had this small part. I flipped.”

The video for the song "Bad" is loosely based on a true story from the pages of a newspaper. Michael plays a youngster named Darryl. He is an inner city kid that attends a mostly white prep school. They shot these scenes at the Master’s School in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Bono has vivid memories of his days of shooting his scenes. “I woke up, looked in the mirror, and said, 'Bono and Jackson. Well, this is the day.' I was so excited.”

Sam said that he ran to meet the bus that took him to the the set. He said that he just stared out of the window all the way to the school. He was wondering what the day was going to be like. He said that when they finally arrived, there were enough trucks, cameras, and crew for a major motion picture. Sam and a number of other actors were taken into a classroom where they awaited Jackson’s arrival. Bono recalls, “We waited about an hour, then Michael’s limo arrived. I saw him get out with the mask on. But that was the only time that he wore it, and I think that was only because of the photographers that were there. He walked into the classroom with his security guard and two local policemen. There was total silence in the room. You could have heard a pin drop. Michael didn’t say much; he just looked around, then took a seat.

Sam said that Michael appeared to be very shy and avoided eye contact with anyone other than his staff. Sam said that Michael was nice and friendly, but quiet. The producer, Quincy Jones, had rented a commuter train to shoot some of the scenes in. That is where Sam says that he got to know the real Michael. “In the classroom, Michael would do his scenes, then go back into his trailer. However, when we were doing the train scenes, there was no trailer for him to get into. And none of his security or other staff could be around, which is what I liked. They were not allowed in the car, because we were filming and they would have been seen on film.

“That is when I really got to know him”, Sam offered. “It was just us, the camera and the director. That is when he opened up. He let loose. We talked about everything from the weather to his 'Thriller' video. He was like a regular guy and he was very professional.” Sam said that after seeing Michael smothered by his staff, it was good to see Michael left alone and allowed to be himself. Mike told Sam that he really got a charge out of doing the "Thriller" video. It seems that the monsters gave him a real thrill.

Bono said that he and Michael talked about girls and family. Sam got a surprise reaction to the Mary Wilson book. He recalls, “Being that we were on the train for 5 hours and we spent a lot of time waiting, I pulled a book out of my bag. It was the new Mary Wilson book, ‘Dreamgirl’. I asked Michael if he would write something in the book for me. When I handed the book to him, he looked almost shocked. Michael said, “Are you reading this book?”. I said, “Yes, have you read it?” He said, “I won’t read this book, Mary is so jealous of Diana. You should have seen her at the Motown 25th special...' He just went on and on recounting, as if I was there”, Sam recalls. "So, I jokingly said to him that I knew just what he was talking about, 'I spoke to Diana last night. She said to tell you, "Hi"'... and we both laughed about that.”

Sam said that Michael spoke with pride about the new album. Sam said that there is no doubt in his mind that Michael is a genius. He said that Michael spent most of his free time composing songs in his head. Bono remembered, “Between takes, you would bear this incredible singing and humming. Michael would be running these tunes off the top of his head. They were good enough to be pressed into records. Everything that comes out of that kid’s mouth is golden”.

The cast and crew rode the commuter train for five hours, back and forth, shooting over and over again. When the director finally said that it was a wrap, the train started back toward the school. Michael spotted the conductor. Sam continues, “Michael asked him, 'Could you show me how the train works?' The conductor was more than thrilled to take him by the hand and walk him up to the front of the car. He took Michael into the cabin and showed him all the controls. Michael seemed fascinated. The guy let Michael take control of the train. We started going slow, then we jerked. I yelled out to the others, 'Michael is driving the train.'  An older lady yelled out, 'Oh my God', but everyone else was amused. I told Michael, 'Go for it, Mike, give it some more power.' The conductor showed Michael the horn, and he just laid on it."

The word had gotten out that Michael Jackson was around and fans were all over the train station. As Michael pulled the train into the station, he could see all the fans with his pictures, posters, buttons, and albums. You can’t imagine the amazement in one boy’s eyes as he jumped up and down, screaming, “Mommy, Mommy, look, Michael Jackson is driving the train."

 

Chris Cadman, author, “Michael Jackson the Maestro”

Michael originally wanted Steven Spielberg to shoot the video for ‘Bad’. However, with Spielberg committed to several other projects, Quincy Jones suggested Martin Scorsese.

Short film was written by Richard Price, writer of such works as The Wanderers and Blood Brothers.

Ex Shalamar star Jeffrey Daniels worked on choreography and also appeared in the final dance scenes. He said Michael was looking for a contemporary version of West Side Story for the underground scene, which was shot in the Hoyt Schermerhorn Station in Brooklyn.

The opening black & white School scenes were shot at the Master’s School in Dobbs Ferry, New York. In the video it’s renamed The Lunston School.

...Michael plays the part of Daryl in the video.

The voice of Michael’s mother in the early scenes was Roberta Flack.

The gear Michael wears in the dance segment of the Bad short film and worn on the cover of his Bad album was picked up from Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.