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Less Than Zero (1987) 6.1
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. Director:Marek Kanievska |
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Title: Less Than Zero (1987)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Andrew McCarthy | ... | ||
| Jami Gertz | ... | ||
| Robert Downey Jr. | ... | ||
| James Spader | ... | ||
| Tony Bill | ... |
Bradford Easton
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| Nicholas Pryor | ... |
Benjamin Wells
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Donna Mitchell | ... |
Elaine Easton
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| Michael Bowen | ... |
Hop
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| Sarah Buxton | ... |
Markie
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Lisanne Falk | ... |
Patti
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Michael Greene | ... |
Robert Wells
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Neith Hunter | ... |
Alana
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| Afton Smith | ... |
Kim
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Brian Wimmer | ... |
Trent
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Kelly Wolf | ... |
Lile
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
Clay, an eighteen-year-old freshman, comes back from his first term at a college in New Hampshire to spend his Christmas vacation with his broken-up wealthy family in Los Angeles. His former girlfriend, Blair, is now involved with his ex-best-friend, Julian. She warns Clay that Julian needs help: he is using a lot of cocaine and has huge debts. What follows is a look at the youth culture of wealthy post adolescents in Beverly Hills with a strong anti-drug message. Apart from the setting and the names, the film has very little to do with Bret Easton Ellis's book by the same title on which it was based. Written by Jeroen van Bree <J.vBree@kub.nl>
Taglines:
In Beverly Hills, you can have anything your heart desires. You just can't have it the way it used to be. See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
6 November 1987 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Corrupción en Beverly Hills See more »Filming Locations:
Leo Carrillo State Beach - 35000 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA See more »Box Office
Gross:
$12,396,383 (USA)Company Credits
Production Co:
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Amercent Films, American Entertainment Partners L.P. See more »
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Performed by LL Cool J (as L.L. Cool J)
Written by Rick Rubin and LL Cool J (as James Todd Smith)
Courtesy of Def Jam Recordings/Columbia Records
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Both "Less Than Zero" and its reported sequel expected in 2012, titled "Imperial Bedrooms" are named for Elvis Costello song and album respectively. "Less Than Zero" is the first single off of "My Aim is True" (1977), and "Imperial Bedroom" is the name of Elvis' 1982 album. See more »Goofs
A camera man is seen when Blaire is in the broken in loft. The camera man is in bottom left corner of the window. See more »Soundtracks
"Going Back To Cali"Performed by LL Cool J (as L.L. Cool J)
Written by Rick Rubin and LL Cool J (as James Todd Smith)
Courtesy of Def Jam Recordings/Columbia Records
See more »
Before watching "Less Than Zero", I had read the book and was aware of the criticism this movie gets for not being anything like Bret Easton Ellis' first book. After watching it, I would definitely agree that it is nothing like the book, but I did like it for what it was.
Clay (McCarthy) is coming back to Los Angeles for the Holidays. He meets up with his old Girlfriend, Blair (Gertz) and Best Friend, Julian (Downey). Clay last caught them in bed together during a Thanksgiving visit. It seems that for the past few months, Julian has developed a serious cocaine addiction that has put him $50,000 in debt with his vicious Coke Dealer, Rip (Spader).
So what can I say? The film looks terrific. The Cinematography by Edward Lachman is amazing, and it is also highlighted by Thomas Newman's haunting score. The performances are great, particularly Robert Downey Jr as Julian (Who I think plays the part pretty accurately as his counterpart from the book), and although Andrew McCarthy and Jami Gertz get a lot of bashing for their performances, I think they're both quite effective. And Also worth noting is James Spader as Rip, who seems almost like an even slimier version of "Stef" from "Pretty in Pink".
Although it has its critics and it isn't an adaptation of the book, I personally love this movie and think that it deserves more credit than it gets.