Corpsing: On the scene where Chet is interrogating Gary and Wyatt along with their girlfriends in his home, Anthony Michael Hall and Suzanne Snyder as well as Ilan Mitchell Smith can be seen trying hard not to laugh.
Dawson Casting: Suzanne Snyder (Deb) was 22 while filming her role as a high school student.
Deleted Scene: A scene was filmed featuring Ian and Max fleeing the party after the bikers arrive. Outside the house, they are engulfed by a colored cloud and transformed into a hog and a jackass, respectively. Prosthetic masks were made for Downey and Rusler, and pictures from the scene circulated in some magazines of the time. Producer Joel Silver, though, thought it would detract from Chet's transformation later in the film and cut the scene entirely.
Enforced Method Acting: In an interview at Comic Con, Kelly LeBrock said when she did the kissing scene with fourteen-year-old Ilan Mitchell-Smith, he got carried away and stuck his tongue down her throat. Afterwards she told him: "If you ever do that again, I'm going to kick your ass!"
No Stunt Double: The Girl Playing Piano was played by Kym Malin, who did her own stunt work in the scene, and who was Playboy's Playmate of the Month for May 1982.
The Other Marty: Filming began with American model Kelly Emberg cast as Lisa, but she was replaced after a couple of days of filming by Kelly LeBrock.
Referenced by...: Sex Robots and Vegan Meat: Harmony is a prototype Sex Bot from the RealDoll company. The author says "She looks unsettlingly familiar: like Kelly LeBrock in Weird Science, but with poker-straight auburn hair instead of the perm."
Throw It In!: Several of Chet's most famous taunts were suggested by Bill Paxton, based on things people had said to him.
When Gary and Wyatt get back from the nightclub, Chet says to the very drunk Gary "How about a nice greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?" Bill Paxton said this line was based on something his father used to say to him when Bill was hungover from a night of drinking.
Pop-Culture Urban Legends: According to a recent interview on The Howard Stern Show, Robert Downey Jr. cleared up the rumors that he defecated in Kelly LeBrock's trailer. He stated that he and his co-star, Robert Rusler (Max) joked about defecating in people's trailers throughout the shoot. They eventually did it in one female cast member's trailer, but it was not LeBrock's. John Hughes questioned everyone in the cast as to who did it, and when he got to Downey, he replied, "No, but I sure wish it was me who did it." He also stated there was never any tension between him and Hughes, and he highly respected his friendship.
What Could Have Been: The 2019 Blu-ray came with interviews of several people involved in the production of the film, as well as a copy of the "Revised Final Draft Screenplay" by John Hughes. Some highlights from those and other sources:
Demi Moore and Robin Wright auditioned for Lisa. Their scene partner for their screentests was Mikul Robins, who appears in the movie as one of The Weenies. Wright was actually offered the part, but moved on to a soap opera role when filming on the movie was postponed. Then, Kelly Emberg was cast (see The Other Marty above).
Instead of the signature line "So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?", Lisa's first words to the boys were simply going to be "You dudes wanna party?"
The Girl Playing Piano was originally to be stripped completely naked before being sucked into the chimney. This would have given the movie an R-rating. Therefore, the decision was made to strip her only to her panties to keep the rating at PG-13.
The end credits would have featured scenes wrapping up the fates of several other characters. No Reset Button for many of them after the events of the weekend:
Ian and Max are still transformed into a hog and a donkey and get laughed at as they try to go back to school.
Gary's dad still doesn't remember he has a son.
Wyatt's grandparents wake up, still in the kitchen pantry where Lisa put them.
Wyatt's mom notices footprints left on the ceiling from the girl in the upside down bathroom.
Wyatt's dad turns on the TV to find the partygoer that was trapped in there still banging on the glass.
Chet gets pulled over for speeding and complains about how he wouldn't be in such a hurry if it weren't for his "worm-ass brother". He suddenly transforms back into the blob, this time permanently.
The final shot of the film is Lisa going to Las Vegas, instead of showing up as the new gym teacher.
The TV show:
Dawson Casting: When the series began, John Mallory Asher (Gary) was 22 and Michael Manasseri (Wyatt) was 19 though their characters were only supposed to be 15.
Keep Circulating the Tapes: It was years before and years since a DVD release of Seasons 1 and 2 came out. The series also hasn't aired on American television in a decade- it was last seen on what was then Fox Family, to give you an indication of how long it's been. The series is, however, available on Hulu. Downside is that eleven episodes are missing. The entire series was released on DVD in Australia in 2017 but there is no sign of any other DVD releases in the US or elsewhere.
The Other Darrin: Wyatt's Mom and Dad. His mother Marcia was played by Melendy Britt in Seasons One and Two and, after being entirely absent in Season Three, by Melanie Chartoff in Seasons Four and Five. His father Wayne was played by Richard Fancy in Season One and by Andrew Prine for the rest of the series.
Playing Against Type: A retroactive case for Lee Tergesen. While playing villains, jerks, and morally a,biguous characters became his wheelhouse, Chet is much more comedic than the rest of his roles.
What Could Have Been: Seth Green auditioned for Gary and came very close to getting cast. He guest starred in a season 2 episode as a classmate selling bootleg computer games.
