The onscreen chemistry between Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis was genuine. They were in the midst of a year-long relationship while filming this movie.
Writer-director Allan Moyle described the movie's protagonist and central character of Mark Hunter (played by Christian Slater) as an amalgam of Lenny Bruce and Holden Caulfield.
Christian Slater became physically ill several times during filming due to all the cigarette smoking he had to do.
Music throughout the movie:
- "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen
- "Love Comes in Spurts" by Richard Hell and the Voidoids
- "Girls L.G.B.N.A.F." by Ice T
- "Get Together" by Youngbloods
- "Weinerschnitzel" by Descendents
- "Scenario" by Beastie Boys
- "Freedom of Speech" by Above the Law
- "Tale O'The Twister" by Chagall Guevara
- "Talk Hard" by Stan Ridgway
- "If it be Your Will" by Leonard Cohen
- "Kick Out the Jams" by Brad Brains with Henry Rollins
- "Wave of Mutilation" by Pixies
- "I've Got a Miniature Secret Camera" by Peter Murphy
- "Why Can't I Fall in Love" by Ivan Neville
- "Everybody Knows" by Concrete Blonde (Cover)
- "Dad, I'm in Jail" by Was Not Was
- "Fast Lane" by Urban Dancesquad
- "Stand" by Liquid Jesus
A Jamie Portman article, 'Movie Views Cruel World of Today's Teenage Angst,' mentions: "The school in the film, Hubert Humphrey High, was based on a Montreal high school where director Allan Moyle's sister used to teach that, according to Moyle, had a principal 'who had a pact with the staff to enhance the credibility of the school scholastically at the expense of the students who were immigrants or culturally disabled in some way or another.'"