filmed in georgia and rural inland california in the spring of 1993, "kalifornia" premiered at the montreal world film festival on august 27, 1993, where it was awarded two competition prizes. it was released theatrically the following week in the united states, but was a box office bomb, grossing $2.4 million against a nearly $9 million budget. the film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its art house sensibility, while others dismissed it as a violent exploitation film. despite this, the film's acting was largely praised, and critic roger ebert heralded the performances of pitt and lewis among the best he had ever seen. the film was nominated for three saturn awards in 1994, including for best horror film.