Santa Cruz, standing in for the fictional town of Santa Carla, was once plagued with the reputation of being "The Murder Capital Of The World" because of a series of very brutal murders by three different very disturbed men in the early 1970's. Because of John Linley Frazier, Herbert Mullin and Ed Kemper, Santa Cruz endured 28 murders over a 30 month period between 1970 and 1973.
The new location of the Atlantis Fantasyworld comic book store, which was featured in the film, is owned by Joe Ferrara II, who still carries the original #1 issue of 'Vampires Everywhere' that Sam reads in the film. The comic was created only for the film, and its opening page is signed by all of the cast members from the movie. The owner Joe Ferrara II allows any shopper to hold it and take a photo with it free of charge.
This was Corey Haim and Corey Feldman's first film together, which marked the start of a popular 1980s trend "The Two Coreys," in which Feldman and Haim starred together in a number of teenage films.
Corey Haim jammed with his co-stars between takes, and enjoyed the large props room. Excluded from the nightly parties held by the older actors, Haim bonded with Corey Feldman as they stayed in the hotel watching movies and visited the local arcade.
Every year at the landmark Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, this film is screened as part of the park's free summer movie series. Beach goers may bring outdoor furniture and supplies to watch after sunset. Many features of the town shown can still be recognized, most notably the rides and games of the Boardwalk itself.