| Martin apparently makes reference to the song "Live and Let Die" while phoning Marcella, when he says "I've got a job to do and I'm gonna do it right" (sic). "Live and Let Die" is used in the film twice. |
| The cyclist at the beginning of the film is apparently a reference to the psychotic paperboy in Cusack's 1985 film "Better Off Dead." |
| The attempted poisoning by string is a reference to the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice." |
| When Martin enters the Ultimart, a muzak version of "Live and Let Die" is playing in the background. It is perfectly timed with the Guns 'N Roses version that plays before he enters. |
| The high school scenes were supposed to be shot at Grosse Pointe South High, but permission wasn't granted by the school board, who felt that it would be inappropriate to show someone graduating from their school system to become a hit man. The school is actually John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, California. |
| Grosse Pointe has two high schools, Grosse Pointe South and Grosse Pointe North, but there is no "Pointes High." |
| Benny Urquidez, who plays Felix La Pubelle, is a world champion kickboxer who also served as John Cusack's kickboxing instructor. |
| In addition to siblings John and Joan Cusack appearing in the film, two more of their siblings, Ann (Amy, the drunk woman in the Hippo Club) and Bill (the waiter in the Hippo Club), appear in the film as well. |
| In addition to "Grosse Pointe Blank," John Cusack has appeared in seven other films with his sister Joan: "Class" (1983), "Grandview U.S.A." (1984), "Sixteen Candles" (1984), "Broadcast News" (1987), "Say Anything..." (1989), "Cradle Will Rock" (1999) and "High Fidelity" (2000). |
| Says Cusack, of his role as Martin Blank, "the assassin I played is a regular, confused, sensitive guy who likes talking to his shrink and is searching for some higher truth to live by. He finally finds it when he realizes that the girl he left is the only one who can give some meaning back to his life. It's a basic, obvious truth, but I think it was important to try to attack the subject. The film was about feeling lost and unloved." (IMDb, 1999) |
| Writers D.V. DeVincentis and Steve Pink both appear in the film, as Dan Koretzky and Terry Rostand, respectively. |
| Patrick O'Neill (Nathaniel) and Jeremy Piven (Paul Spericki) both appeared with Cusack in his 1989 film "Say Anything..." as Lloyd's friends at the Gas 'N Sip. |
| Both Jenna Elfman (Tanya) and Mitchell Ryan (Mr. Newberry) now star in the TV show "Dharma and Greg" together: Elfman as Dharma and Ryan as Greg's father. |
| When Martin and Paul return to the dance--after disposing of Felix's body--Tanya is seen sitting at a table. If you look closely, you will notice Bob DeStepello is seated next to her, flirting with her. This is doubly ironic considering the fact that he is always asking people if they'd like to "do some blow" (cocaine), and the song that played during Tanya's "life after death" story was "White Lines," a song about cocaine. |
