The young upstarts from Ohio weren't prepared for the surreal scene around Young. "Devo was like the crew of the starship Enterprise – we just watched the behavior of people in Los Angeles and couldn't believe it," said Gerald V. Casale. "It was really like observing another reality as an alien being, like the nerd that finally gets let into the prom."

Young assembled an impressive cast consisting of Stockwell, Tamblyn, Sally Kirkland and Dennis Hopper, but this was years before the actors were rediscovered by David Lynch or Kirkland got an Oscar nomination for Anna. "It seemed like an unhappy time," Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh said about some of the cast. "they were all drinkin' heavily, doin' lots of drugs. Neil was the most grounded of all . . . . they had attached their egos onto him."

Well into the substance abuse that nearly finished him, Dennis Hopper was a little unhinged during much of the filming. "Hopper I remember as being totally frightening, like the guy in Apocalypse Now – a little Frank Booth, too" said Casale. "He wouldn't let you alone. He'd chase you around the set givin' you his rap, whether you wanted to hear it or not – 'Devo, you think yer shit doesn't stink, don't ya.' And Dean Stockwell would be behind him, laughing at everything he said – 'heh, heh, heh' – this evil laughter, like Ed McMahon. You never knew what the hell was going on. A lotta mind-fuck games." (Hopper sighed when I brought up Devo. "They'd say, 'Oh, remember him – he's that old actor.'").