A college freshman (Andrew McCarthy) returns to L.A. for the holidays at his ex-girlfriend (Jami Gertz)'s request, but discovers that his former best friend (Robert Downey) has an out-of-control drug habit.
Writer Bret Easton Ellis hated the film initially but his view of it later softened. He insists that the film bears no resemblance to his novel and felt that it was miscast with the exceptions of Downey and James Spader. There really is no argument that Downey as a drug addict was a great piece of casting and this film somewhat foreshadows his downfall in the late 1980s / early 1990s.
Hearing the production stories, it's interesting the film was pulled off at all. New scenes had to be shot, some scenes were cut. It seems like the crew was switched out part-way through. The finished product is far from a masterpiece, but it is still a good film, and has an even better pedigree now (2017) given the success of its main actors.
Writer Bret Easton Ellis hated the film initially but his view of it later softened. He insists that the film bears no resemblance to his novel and felt that it was miscast with the exceptions of Downey and James Spader. There really is no argument that Downey as a drug addict was a great piece of casting and this film somewhat foreshadows his downfall in the late 1980s / early 1990s.
Hearing the production stories, it's interesting the film was pulled off at all. New scenes had to be shot, some scenes were cut. It seems like the crew was switched out part-way through. The finished product is far from a masterpiece, but it is still a good film, and has an even better pedigree now (2017) given the success of its main actors.