Less Than Zero (1987)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Marek Kanievska

Writers:

Bret Easton Ellis (based on the novel by)
Harley Peyton (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It only looks like the good life.

Plot:

A college freshman returns to L.A. for the holidays at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.

Plot Keywords:

Wealthy | Christmas | Friend | Drugs | Nightclub

Cast

Andrew McCarthy	...	Clay
Jami Gertz	...	Blair
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Julian
James Spader	...	Rip
Tony Bill	...	Bradford Easton
Nicholas Pryor	...	Benjamin Wells
Donna Mitchell	...	Elaine Easton
Michael Bowen	...	Hop
Sarah Buxton	...	Markie
Lisanne Falk	...	Patti
Michael Greene	...	Robert Wells
Neith Hunter	...	Alana
Afton Smith	...	Kim
Brian Wimmer	...	Trent
Kelly Wolf	...	Lile
David Colby	...	Kid #3
Anthony Kiedis	...	Musician #3 (as Cole Dammett)
Flea	...	Musician #1
Brittain Frye	...	Teenager #2
Jack Irons	...	Musician #4
Afrika Islam	...	D. J.
Kris Jorgenson	...	Bouncer
Jeannette Kerner	...	Margery Easton
Lee Kissinger	...	Photographer
Moya Kordick	...	Liz
Jayne Modean	...	Cindy
Jude Mussetter	...	Alice
Jessica Puscas	...	Little Girl
Jandi Swanson	...	Jenny
Eric Walker	...	Seth Wells
Scott Warner	...	Teenager #1
John Yurasek	...	Naked Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christopher Maleki	...	Guy at party (uncredited)
Brad Pitt	...	Partygoer / Preppie Kid At Fight (uncredited)

Directed by
Marek Kanievska

Writing credits
Bret Easton Ellis		(based on the novel by)
Harley Peyton		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jon Avnet	....	producer
Jordan Kerner	....	producer
Marvin Worth	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
Edward Lachman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter E. Berger
Michael Tronick

Casting by
David Rubin

Production Design by
Barbara Ling

Art Direction by
Steven James Rice		(as Stephen Rice)

Set Decoration by
Nancy Nye

Costume Design by
Richard Hornung

Makeup Department
Adam Christopher	....	makeup artist
Angelo Di Biase	....	hair stylist (as Angelo DiBiase)
Deborah Figuly	....	makeup artist
Barbara O'Neill	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
S. Michael Formica	....	production manager: second unit
Kurt Neumann	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robin Holding	....	second assistant director
Deborah Love	....	first assistant director
Jeff Rafner	....	additional second assistant director

Art Department
Mike Arbios	....	swing gang
Michel J. Briere	....	carpenter (as Michael J. Briere)
Dean R. Brown	....	construction foreman (as Dean Brown)
Jeff Casto	....	carpenter
Michael Conn	....	carpenter
Cosmas A. Demetriou	....	assistant art director (as Cosmas Demetriou)
Scott Doran	....	set dresser
Erin Ellwood	....	set dresser
Jeremie Frank	....	scenic artist
Trish Gallaher Glenn	....	property master (as Trisha Gallaher)
Michael Gastaldo	....	assistant property master
Margaret Goldsmith	....	set dresser
Sean Haworth	....	art department assistant
Scott Head	....	carpenter
James Hegedus	....	storyboard artist
Curt Jackson	....	scenic paint foreman
Dea McKibben	....	set dresser
Chuck McSorley	....	leadman
John Moore	....	carpenter
Regina O'Brien	....	visual assistant
Randy Severino	....	swing gang
Frank Viviano	....	construction coordinator
Ron Woods	....	assistant property master
Kelly Granite	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Glenn E. Berkovitz	....	sound mixer (as Glenn Berkovitz)
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as David Campbell)
Daniel F. Finnerty	....	assistant sound editor
Frank Garfi	....	sound recording engineer
Kimberly Harris	....	sound editor
Tom Hartig	....	cable man
Denise Horta	....	supervising adr editor
Joseph A. Ippolito	....	sound editor (as Joey Ippolito)
Larry Mann	....	sound editor
Victoria Martin	....	foley editor
Kevin E. Patterson	....	boom operator (as Kevin Patterson)
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Watters II	....	supervising sound editor
Gary Wright	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Ron Grudon	....	special effects assistant (as Ron Grunden)
Danny Lester	....	special effects (as Dan Lester)

Stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunts (as Gil Combs)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts (as Steve Davison)
Tim A. Davison	....	stunts (as Tim Davison)
Tom Elliott	....	stunts
Tim Gilbert	....	stunts
Gary Hymes	....	stunt coordinator
Gary Hymes	....	stunts
Gary McLarty	....	stunts
Noon Orsatti	....	stunts
Karen Price	....	stunts
J.N. Roberts	....	stunts
Spike Silver	....	stunts
Jerry Spicer	....	stunts (as Jeremy Spicer)

Camera and Electrical Department
Tom Adams	....	second grip
Herb Ault	....	key grip
James D. Ault	....	grip (as J. D. Ault)
John Clifford	....	still photographer
Susan A. Cohen	....	electrician (as Sean Cohen)
Michael Danesky	....	rigging gaffer
James A. Earley	....	grip (as Jim Earley)
Mark Gambino	....	grip
Bruce Alan Greene	....	Steadicam operator
Jonathan D. Guerra	....	lamp operator (as Jon Guerra)
Bob Hall	....	assistant camera
Danny Jimenez	....	dolly grip
Frank Krejsa	....	best boy rigging
Walt Lloyd	....	camera operator
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	Steadicam operator (as Greg Lundsgaard)
Michael A. McFadden	....	grip (as Mike McFadden)
Jonathan Sharpe	....	second assistant cameraman
John Shoemaker	....	lamp operator
Mark Simon	....	assistant cameraman
Stephen St. John	....	Steadicam operator
Kevin Mulvey	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lisa Beach	....	casting assistant
Rich King	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Camille Argus	....	costume supervisor
Joan Hunter	....	costumer
Sara Markowitz	....	costumer
David Page	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Fred Dawson	....	apprentice editor
Mary Nelson-Duerrstein	....	negative cutter (as Mary Duerrstein)
Arthur Tostado	....	color timer
George C. Villaseñor	....	assistant editor
Craig Zisk	....	editorial coordinator

Music Department
David Lyons	....	music consultant
John Richards	....	music scoring mixer
Rick Rubin	....	music supervisor
John Vigran	....	music scoring mixer
James B. Campbell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Rick Cox	....	musician (uncredited)
Kenneth Karman	....	music editor (uncredited)
Thomas Newman	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ken Peterson	....	transportation coordinator
Kenneth Strong	....	transportation captain (as Ken Strong)
Bob Wachs	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Jackie Baugh	....	production accountant
Charles W. Belisle	....	craft service (as Rusty Belisle)
Steve Buhai	....	production assistant (as Steven Buhai)
Sebastian Casadesus	....	assistant: Mr. Kanievska
Carol Chacamaty	....	assistant: Mr. Avnet
Robin Citrin	....	location manager
Richard Clark	....	video consultant
Jim Dalessandro	....	production assistant
Dorothy Davis	....	assistant: Mr. Kerner
Gregory A. Gale	....	production assistant
Suzie Greene	....	assistant: Mr. Kanievska
Sean Haworth	....	production assistant
Martin Huberty	....	production assistant
Kelly Lampert	....	assistant: Mr. Avnet
David Landau	....	production assistant
Rik Lander	....	video multiscreen assistant
Bruce Loeb	....	security
Peter Boyd Maclean	....	video multiscreen supervisor (as Peter Boyd MacLean)
Taman McCall	....	assistant location manager
Richard Mirisch	....	production assistant
Richard Murken	....	production assistant (as Rick Murken)
Reinhart 'Rayteam' Peschke	....	technical supervisor (as Reinhart G. Peschke)
Laura Petticord	....	production assistant
Carla Plucknett	....	production secretary
Trudy Ramirez	....	script supervisor
William F. Rose Jr.	....	assistant accountant (as Bill Rose Jr.)
Lata Ryan	....	production coordinator
Frank Scheidbach	....	assistant technical supervisor
Anne Marie Stein	....	unit publicist
Allen Tinkley	....	assistant location manager (as Alan Tinkley)
Lynne White	....	production coordinator: second unit (as Lynne Kalbsleisch)
Jack E. Herman	....	extras set coordinator (uncredited)

Thanks
Eletra Casadei	....	the producers wish to thank
Tommy Mottola	....	the producers wish to thank
Margery Simkin	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• Amercent Films (produced in association with)
• American Entertainment Partners L.P. (produced in association with)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)
• Fox Network (1990) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1989) (Belgium) (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Arrangment, The  location catering by
• Atmosphere Agency, The  extras casting
• City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works  the producers wish to thank
• Columbia Records  original motion picture soundtrack album on (as Def Jam Recordings/Columbia Records Cassettes and Compact Discs)
• Def Jam Recordings  original motion picture soundtrack album on (as Def Jam Recordings/Columbia Records Cassettes and Compact Discs)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.®)
• Jimmy Z  the producers wish to thank
• Kurland / Summers Gallery  the producers wish to thank
• Lion's Gate Sound  furnished by: post production sound (as Lion's Gate Studios)
• Mortons Restaurant  the producers wish to thank
• Optical Radiation  the producers wish to thank
• Palm Springs Film Location Office  the producers wish to thank
• Proton Corporation  the producers wish to thank
• Rado Watch Co.  the producers wish to thank
• Rebecca's Restaurant  the producers wish to thank
• SGPS/Showrig  the producers wish to thank (as Showlites, Inc.)
• Sony Corporation of America  the producers wish to thank
• The City of Beverly Hills  the producers wish to thank (as City of Beverly Hills)
• Westheimer Company  titles and opticals

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (No. 28819) | West Germany:16 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills High School - 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Keanu Reeves was originally cast as Clay Easton.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Clay and Blair are walking through the tunnel arguing, just before they stop walking, Clay's eyes clearly shift ahead of them several times to check his mark (the point where he stops and stands in place).

Quotes:

Rip: Everyone is accountable.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 17 Again (2009)

Soundtrack:

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Brilliant

As a graduate of 1987, this brings back memories of the younger years.

Care free days of youth. Though the movie is a tragic Drama. It captures the fall of Wells very good. His friends trying to help and not realizing he is on borrowed time.

Andrew McCarthy as the one has seen his partying days go by and now concentrates on college and Robert Downey Jr. still stuck in his high school memories and addictions.

Jami Gertz as the one who loves McCarthy as a soul mate and Downey Jr. as a brother.

Very dramatic and moving. Very Tragic ending, but does have a little light before the closing credits.

Fabulous soundtrack and even better acting. Jami Gertz is Brilliant. I would highly recommend this movie.