Bad Timing (1980)

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writer:

Yale Udoff (screenplay)

Release Date:

October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

His terrifying obsession took them to the brink of death and beyond. [Video Australia]

Plot:

The setting is Vienna. A young American woman is brought to a hospital after overdosing on pills, apparently in a suicide attempt...

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Detective | Doctor | Flashback | Drinking

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Art Garfunkel	...	Alex Linden
Theresa Russell	...	Milena Flaherty
Harvey Keitel	...	Inspector Netusil
Denholm Elliott	...	Stefan Vognic
Daniel Massey	...	Foppish Man
Dana Gillespie	...	Amy Miller
William Hootkins	...	Col. Taylor
Eugene Lipinski	...	Hospital Policeman
George Roubicek	...	Policeman #1
Stefan Gryff	...	Policeman #2
Sevilla Delofski	...	Czech Receptionist
Robert Walker	...	Konrad
Gertan Klauber	...	Ambulance Man
Ania Marson	...	Dr. Schneider
Lex van Delden	...	Young Doctor

Also Known As:

Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (USA)
Illusions (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German | Czech | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Canada:18+ (Ontario) | UK:18 | West Germany:18 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

Dana Gillespie's scenes were severely cut before release, in the process completely deleting her scene with Carolyn Seymour.

Quotes:

Alex Linden: Everything you need, you'll get from her.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game-On: Bad Timing (#1.3)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Berceuse

Complex and shocking and riveting

I saw this film when it was originally released and it still ranks as my all-time favorite. From the opening strains of Tom Waits' gritty "Invitation to the Blues" (which is cut off by the wail of an ambulance!) every aspect--music, scenery, the astonishing acting--melds together into a masterpiece.

Theresa Russell is simply a knockout as Milena, a woman who refuses to be "owned". She's beautiful, sexy, carefree, and absolutely infuriating to Art Garfunkel's psychologist Dr. Linden. His compulsion to control her leads to disaster, and Garfunkel's performance is absolutely astonishing. The expression on his face in the final scene is unforgettable. It haunts me still.