Trivia: Part of the film was actually shot at the infamous Cabrini-Green housing projects. The crew had to pay off members of local street-gangs in order to maintain a peaceful shoot. (Although allegedly, one bullet was fired at a production vehicle during photography).
Trivia: Michael Madsen was extremely reluctant to film the torture scenes, especially when he was required to hit Kirk Baltz.
Trivia: Betty Spaghetti is played by director Penny Marshall's daughter, Tracy Reiner. Walter Harvey is played by the director's brother, Gary Marshall.
Trivia: Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has a cameo as a lawyer in a bar talking to a woman about one of his cases.
Trivia: The movie that Frank and Rachel watch is called "Yojimbo." Yojimbo is Japanese for bodyguard.
Trivia: When Coach Bombay is talking to the old store owner guy while he sharpens a skate and whatnot, there is a picture of Mike Modano hanging up behind them. Modano was the Minnesota North Star's first overall pick in the 1988 entry draft. He even stayed with them when they moved to Dallas in 1993.
Trivia: Director Paul Verhoeven approached Peter Weller for the role of Nick Curran but the producers opted for Michael Douglas instead.
Trivia: The Berlin railway station where Melanie Griffiths first meets John Gielgud is in fact St Pancras station in London.
Trivia: Shannon and Joseph's mean boss at the chicken plant is played by director Ron Howard's brother, Clint.
Trivia: The scene at Danas's Luncheonette were shot at Danas's Luncheonette in Downtown Lowell, Massachusetts.
Trivia: Early on in the film an officer shows a copy of Playboy magazine to a crewman. Erika Eleniak was the centerfold in that issue of Playboy.
Trivia: Most movie buffs probably know this, but the mighty Mr. Eastwood is allergic to horses.
Trivia: In one scene, Kiefer Sutherland wears glasses and a fishing hat. This is a tribute to his father, Donald Sutherland, who sported a similar look in M*A*S*H.
Trivia: The Desi Arnaz character is played by the son of the real Desi Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Junior.
Trivia: When Campbell Scott is in a depressed state, lying on his back on the floor, listen to Blue Train jazz music in the background. It's the same song used in Jerry Maguire when Tom Cruise and Reene Zellweger have sex. Apparently Cameron Crowe loves this song.
Trivia: In Richard Corliss' review of the film in Time magazine, the first letters of each paragraph spelled out "She is a he."
Trivia: When Charlie and Frank fly from Boston to New York there is an airport scene before they depart, but the airport in this scene is Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, which is already by New York and very far from Boston.
Trivia: At the beginning, Robert Downey Jr, as Chaplin, sits down to take off his make-up. On the table is a picture of Geraldine Chaplin who is Chaplin's daughter, and later she plays his mother.
Trivia: Dale Cooper's role was originally larger than it appeared in the final film. Kyle MacLachlan had originally declined to appear, for fear of being typecast. To compensate, his role was downgraded to a minor cameo, and a new character was created to fill the role of lead investigator.