EDITOR’S NOTE: Less Than Zero was on USA Up All Night on June 25, 1994.

Directed by Marek Kanievska, written by Harley Peyton and based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis, Less Than Zero exists in that world where five years seem to have passed between high school graduation and Thanksgiving break during the first year of college. Clay (Andrew McCarthy) comes home only to learn that his ex-girlfriend and now model, Blair (Jami Gertz), and friend Julian (Robert Downey Jr.) are addicted to drugs and sleeping with one another. Also: Julian is homeless and being harassed by Rip (James Spader) for the money he’s owed for his drug habit.
80s kids were scandalized to learn that Downey Jr.’s character would be turned out and pimped to rich men before dying of a heart attack. Yes, the idea that male prostitutes mainly were with other men — and women rarely paid for sex — was alien to us back then.
But the soundtrack! A Def Jam soundtrack with Aerosmith doing “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu,” Danzig writing “Life Fades Away” for Roy Orbison, Poison covering KISS, LL Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali,” The Bangles covering “Hazy Shade of Winter,” Slayer blowing through “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” and Danzig and the Power and Fury Orchestra playing the theme song to this movie, which sounds a ton like “To Sir With Love.” It’s the first post-Samhain Danzig song, and Rick Rubin thought Eerie Von wasn’t good enough on bass, so George Drakoulias played. And while not on the soundtrack, The Cult’s “Lil Devil,” Run D.M.C.’s “Christmas In Hollis,” “Bump ‘n Grind” by David Lee Roth, “Fight Like a Brave” by Red Hot Chili Peppers and “Moonlight Drive” by The Doors are in the movie.