Original titles for the film included "Free Popcorn" and "Closed for Remodeling." Presumably both were rejected for the confusion they would cause when displayed on a theater marquee.
The gorilla, Dino, is played by special effects make-up artist Rick Baker, wearing the prototype design he made to audition for King Kong (1976).
In the "Fistful of Yen" sketch, when Loo first meets Dr. Klahn, the Chinese characters start speaking in Korean. Klahn says "Sorry to Korean fans that we're talking random things in Korean, but someone asked me to speak in Korean, so I just have to."
The nunchaku scene in "Fistful of Yen" was originally cut from the UK release because nunchakus are illegal weapons in Britain and Ireland. Authorities only recently loosened restrictions on displaying them on television and film.
Nearly all the extras, and many of the actors in the "Fistful of Yen" sketch, were recruited from nearby martial arts gyms.
Stephen Bishop: As a charming man. Bishop played charming characters in other John Landis movies such as National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) (as a Charming Guy with Guitar) and The Blues Brothers (1980) (as a Charming Trooper).