Eighteen minutes. That’s how long the full version of the Michael Jackson Bad video actually is. Most people only remember the five minutes of dancing in the subway, but the short film directed by Martin Scorsese is a gritty, cinematic beast that tried to answer a single question: Was Michael still "street" enough?
It’s 1987. Thriller is the biggest thing to ever happen to music. Michael is everywhere, but he’s also becoming this ethereal, otherworldly figure. He needed to ground himself. He needed to prove he wasn't just a guy who hung out with bubbles the chimp or lived in a dreamworld. So, he hired the guy who made Taxi Driver.
The result? A cultural earthquake.
The Scorsese Connection and the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Reality
Basically, the Michael Jackson Bad video isn't just a music video. It’s a short film titled Bad. Scorsese brought a level of cinematic realism that the music industry hadn't really seen before, at least not at this scale. They shot it in Brooklyn over the course of six weeks. That’s a lifetime for a music video.
The plot is actually pretty heavy. Michael plays Daryl, a kid who goes to a fancy private school but returns to his tough neighborhood for winter break. His friends, led by a then-unknown Wesley Snipes, think he’s changed. They think he’s "soft."
They want him to prove he’s still down by mugging an old man in the subway. Daryl can’t do it. He stops them. And then, the magic happens. The black-and-white film snaps into vivid color, and the music starts.
That subway station? It’s real. It’s the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets station in Brooklyn. If you go there today, you can still feel the ghost of that choreography. It’s iconic. But the "street" look was carefully crafted. Michael’s outfit—the black leather, the countless buckles, the zippers—was designed by Elois Jenssen and Dan Moore. It became the definitive look of the late 80s.
Honestly, the buckles were a lot. But they worked.
Wesley Snipes and the Casting Genius
Before he was Blade, Wesley Snipes was Mini Max. He’s the antagonist in the Michael Jackson Bad video, and he’s terrifyingly good. He brings a raw, masculine tension that contrasts perfectly with Michael’s fluid, almost feline movements.
Snipes actually thought he was going to get fired. He told stories later about how he tried to stay in character, being real and "street," while Michael was being Michael. But that friction is what makes the video breathe. It’s not just a dance-off; it’s a power struggle.
The choreography was a collaborative masterpiece between Michael and Jeffrey Daniel of the group Shalamar. They didn't just want to repeat the zombie dance from Thriller. They wanted something aggressive. Something sharp. The "crotch grab" that became Michael’s signature? It debuted here in its most defiant form. It wasn't just a move; it was a punctuation mark.
Why the Michael Jackson Bad Video Almost Didn't Happen This Way
You’ve gotta realize that the original plan for the Michael Jackson Bad video was a duet with Prince. Can you imagine? The two biggest icons of the 80s on screen together.
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Prince famously turned it down. He allegedly told Michael that the first line of the song—"Your butt is mine"—wasn't something he was going to sing to another man. Prince said, "Who's singing that to who? Because you sure aren't singing that to me."
So, Michael had to pivot.
By going with Scorsese instead of a Prince-led spectacle, the video became a narrative about identity. It became a story about being caught between two worlds: the life you’ve earned through education and the life you came from. It’s a surprisingly deep theme for a pop song.
The $2.2 Million Price Tag
People talk about budgets today like they’re nothing, but in 1987, spending over $2 million on a music video was insane. It was the most expensive video ever made at the time.
Where did the money go?
- Six weeks of location shooting in New York.
- A massive crew.
- High-end 35mm film stock.
- Top-tier post-production.
But it paid off. The Michael Jackson Bad video didn't just promote an album; it redefined Michael’s image. It took him from the "boy next door" of Off the Wall and the "supernatural hero" of Thriller to the "tough, edgy rebel" of the Bad era.
It’s worth noting that Michael’s appearance was changing during this time, too. The video is one of the first high-definition looks at his evolving features. The media was already starting to buzz, but the sheer power of the performance in the subway silenced a lot of the critics. For a moment, the music was all that mattered.
The Technical Mastery of the Subway Scene
If you watch the Michael Jackson Bad video closely, the camerawork is incredibly sophisticated. Scorsese didn't just park a camera and let Michael dance. He used "The Louma Crane."
This allowed the camera to dive into the middle of the dancers, swerving and dipping with the rhythm. It makes you feel like you’re standing on the tracks, right in the line of fire. The sound design is also legendary. The echoes of the snaps, the thud of the boots on the concrete—it’s visceral.
The backing dancers weren't just random extras either. They were some of the best street and technical dancers in New York. They had to rehearse for weeks to get that synchronized, military-style precision.
The Impact on Hip-Hop and Fashion
You can’t talk about the Michael Jackson Bad video without talking about its legacy. Before this, "urban" videos were often low-budget or caricatured. Michael and Scorsese gave the inner-city setting a grand, operatic feel.
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- It influenced the "street-cinematic" style of Hype Williams in the 90s.
- The leather-and-buckle aesthetic filtered into high fashion almost immediately.
- It legitimized the "long-form" music video as an art piece, not just a commercial.
Even the way the video ends—with the a cappella version of the chorus—is a masterclass in tension. It strips away the production and leaves just the raw vocal and the rhythm. It’s a bold move that most artists wouldn't dare try today.
What Most People Miss About Daryl’s Story
The ending of the full-length Michael Jackson Bad video is actually kind of bittersweet. After the dance, after Daryl has "proven" himself, his friends leave. He’s left alone in the subway.
The color fades back to black and white.
He’s still Daryl. He’s still the kid who doesn't quite fit in either world. It’s a lonely image. It suggests that even though he’s "Bad," he’s still isolated by his choices. That’s the nuance that Scorsese brought. It wasn't just a happy ending where everyone becomes friends. It was a realization that staying true to yourself often means walking alone.
How to Experience the Bad Video Today
If you want to truly understand why this matters, you can’t just watch the 4-minute version on a loop. You have to find the 18-minute short film. It’s available on the Michael Jackson's Vision DVD set and various official streaming platforms.
Steps to analyze it like an expert:
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- Watch the first 13 minutes in silence. Notice how Scorsese builds tension without music.
- Pay attention to the transition from black-and-white to color. It happens exactly when Daryl decides to be himself.
- Look at Wesley Snipes’ eyes. He’s acting his heart out in a role that could have been a cliché.
- Listen to the a cappella section at the end. Notice the layering of Michael's beatboxing and vocal pops.
The Michael Jackson Bad video remains a benchmark for what happens when the world’s biggest pop star meets the world’s most respected director. It’s a collision of pop culture and high art that hasn't really been replicated since. It wasn't just about selling records; it was about claiming a territory.
And forty years later, he still owns it.
Actionable Insights for Content Creators and Fans
To get the most out of the Bad legacy, consider these steps:
- Study the lighting: Notice how the subway is lit to look both grimy and magical. This "chiaroscuro" effect is a Scorsese staple.
- Analyze the editing: The cuts happen on the "snaps" and "pops" of the music, creating a subconscious physical reaction in the viewer.
- Visit the location: If you’re in New York, the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station still has the same tiles and layout. It’s a pilgrimage site for a reason.
- Contrast with Thriller: Look at how Bad uses reality while Thriller uses fantasy. It’s a total shift in artistic direction that defines Michael's mid-career transition.
The Michael Jackson Bad video isn't just a nostalgic trip. It's a manual on how to reinvent an image through sheer talent and the right collaborations.