Names were assigned to each character in the script but, in fact, the names are never referenced in the film. Only the actors know the names of the characters.
The only name referenced in the film is that of a "Larry Foster" which is printed on one of the soldier's dog tags. Larry Foster is actually the name of the director's film production instructor from years earlier in film school. Alan make's references to Larry Foster in every film he makes.
In the liquor store scene, Amanda Miller is actually acting with a serious concussion for most of the scene. Production was postponed when she received a concussion during high school basket ball game the night before the scene was to be shot. Days later, she agreed to come to the location but had not fully recovered.
During the shooting outside the liquor store, security officers arrived and requested that the film crew exit the premises immediately. Permission had been obtained from the liquor store owner but not from the parking lot owner. Jacob Sutton, the DP, continued to shoot as much as he could while Alan Williams, the director dealt with the security firm. The result was a greatly simplified opening sequence from the camera work that had been storyboarded but a sequence was obtained nonetheless.
The "musak" in the liquor store is Alan Williams playing a revamped version of the 'The Girl From Eponema' on his son's Casio electric keyboard.