Two days before principle photography was set to begin in Arizona, a monsoon storm ripped through the old western movie town of Mescal, reeking havoc on the sets that had been standing for over 40 years and completely destroying 10 buildings. Director Dennis Hauck and Cinematographer Bill Fernandez watched from the questionable safety of their car as 70 mph winds destroyed the period sets. When the damage was surveyed the next day, the production was forced to shut down for 4 weeks while the town was made safe for filming. Despite the delay, the collapsed buildings were not able to be rebuilt in time for the new start date, and the severe damage to the town was written into the script and ultimately embraced.
Lance Henriksen was originally cast in the role of "The Sheriff" but was forced to drop out just days before the shoot due to a scheduling conflict caused by weather delays. The production was one third of the way through principle photography before Dean Stockwell was secured as his replacement.