Trivia

A very rare workprint of the movie has circulated among fans. Although most copies are poor quality, it has 30 to 40 minutes of footage not available in any other version. It also has all of the X-rated material removed from the final release.

Brian Thompson had to buy his own ticket to see the film himself personally because he was not invited to the films' premiere by the films' producers and Warner Bros. which still mystifies him to this day.

The knife used by the Night Slasher character was made for the film by knife designer Herman Schneider. Sylvester Stallone had asked Schneider to create a knife that audiences would never forget. The knife was so sharp that Night Slasher actor Brian Thompson, would often cut himself by accident. One of these moments was caught on film, in which he tests the blade on his hand while saying, "She's mine."

When Sylvester Stallone was signed to play the titular lead in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), he decided to rewrite the script almost completely, removing nearly all the comedic aspects and turning it into an action-packed blockbuster extravaganza that he felt was better suited to him. The studio read his revised script and rejected it. The proposed action scenes would have increased the movie's total budget far beyond what they planned. Stallone later channeled his ideas for it into an original script. When Stallone left Beverly Hills Cop, Eddie Murphy was brought in to play the lead role. Brigitte Nielsen(Ingrid) would play a villainess in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) against Murphy's role.

At one point during filming, Sylvester Stallone complained to cinematographer Ric Waite that they were falling behind, and said he and his crew needed to work harder. Waite responded by saying that if Stallone "gets his hands off Brigitte Nielsen's ass and stops showing off to his bodyguards, maybe they wouldn't have problems with time". Stallone was shocked that somebody would talk to him that way, but he toned down his ego for a few weeks. In an interview, Waite also said that Stallone had a great sense of humor, despite his huge ego. He also confirmed a rumor that Stallone was the true director of the film, calling credited director George P. Cosmatos a good producer, but a bad director.