A new book by Andrew Buss, Top Five: How High Fidelity Found Its Rhythm And Became a Cult Movie Classic takes a look at the original text by Nick Hornby, as well as its film and Hulu adaptations. Some of the best chapters focus on the movie, which was set in Chicago and required a local spin to the London-based book. In a nod to High Fidelity’s famed “Top Five” lists, we’ve pulled together our favorite new Chicago insights from Buss’s book.

1An annual talent show at Evanston Township High School bonded the movie’s three screenwriters.

While attending the school together, D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, and John Cusack were involved in the talent show, YAMO (which is still held today). Pink had not been particularly close to Cusack or DeVincentis until he was chosen to be one of the writers of the show along with Cusack. Pink also wound up acting in one of the sketches alongside DeVincentis. The trio bonded and went on to found the Chicago theater company New Crime Productions, which would later also become the name of their film production company.

2Learning the Biograph Theater’s history on the spot led to one of the movie’s most iconic lines.

DeVincentis recalls pointing out the little alley next to the theater in Lincoln Park and telling director Stephen Frears that it was where John Dillinger was shot to death. “And you know what happened? His fucking girlfriend tipped him off,” DeVincentis told Frears. They added the line to the script.

3A Chicago music legend helped design Championship Vinyl.

DeVincentis was close friends with Dan Koretzky, founder of the local record label Drag City, which has produced records for Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Bill Callahan, Joanna Newsom, and Silver Jews. To fill the record store set, the film’s production team bought up all the records from a store going out of business — but it was a Christian music store. “I warned that if the camera stopped moving for a second, all credibility in the store might be lost,” Koretzky says. They quickly ran to Dusty Groove and bought “cool” records to sit at the very front of the racks.

4The shop-lifting punks are from Second City.

Characters Vince and Justin — “those little skate fuckers” — were played by Ben Carr and Chris Rehmann. They were taking classes at Second City (separately) while the film was casting. Claire Simon, who handled local casting for the film, asked the two to audition.

5Director Stephen Frears was nearly killed on a Chicago highway.

Frears and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey would carpool to the set each day. One particular morning, McGarvey was too hungover to drive, so Frears took the wheel. They drove onto the freeway in the wrong direction before pulling off to the side. When the police arrived, Frears rolled down the window and said, “I’m terribly sorry. I’m English.”