Peter McEnery was originally cast as Gary but proved unavailable. The role was then offered to singer Scott Walker who turned it down. Mark Wynter was then cast.
Michael Armstrong's original script was much more psychedelic and envisaged David Bowie in the role of Richard, but he was overruled by AIP as it was considered that Bowie would clash with Frankie Avalon. He was replaced by Noel Janus but objections by Equity led to him being replaced with Julian Barnes (who had originally been cast as Henry).
Boris Karloff was offered the role of the Police Inspector but health problems forced him to decline. He was instead offered a smaller role as the film's narrator but this was scrapped when his health deteriorated further.
Mark Wynter receives an "introducing" credit.
Selected by Quentin Tarantino for the First Quentin Tarantino Film Fest in Austin, Texas, 1996.