by Kimmie Chameleon:
“Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.”
The Film
With a tagline like that, every teenager in America wanted to sprout a pair of fangs. Released on July 31, 1987, The Lost Boys became the ultimate teen angst film of that year and grossed over $32 million at the box office. Generation X had claimed this movie as their coming of age story, and redefined the image of vampires forever. Gone was the depiction of eloquently spoken vampires clothed in layers of lace and capes. The Lost Boys ushered in a new rendition of bloodsuckers. Dripping in head to toe leather, these teenage vamps were fashion forward and sporting the latest trend in hairstyles. (Which *gasp*included the trendy mullet….Oh, the 80’s.)
At the start of every summer since the movie’s release, I have made it my tradition to welcome in the summer with a viewing of The Lost Boys. The images of a fictitious Californian beach town called Santa Carla, (which was actually Santa Cruz, Ca.) and its vibrant beach boardwalk ripe with strange people to look at, tugged at my rebellious heart. The story centered on a teen named Michael who just relocated to his grandfather’s house with his divorced mother and little brother. A beautiful girl named Star catches Michael’s attention, and leads him to meet her group of troublesome biker friends. The gang initiates Michael, but fails to inform him that he will now be transformed into a vampire. Michael tries to hide his condition, but his brother Sam figures it out and contacts some local vampire hunters known as “the Frog brothers”. Edgar and Alan Frog devise a plan with Sam to try and kill the leader of the vampire gang because according to the comic books they read, that is how Michael can escape his curse to remain a vampire. Meanwhile, Michael falls deeper in love with Star, who has also been freshly initiated. Keeping all of this a secret to their mom, Lucy, is no easy task. Especially since they suspect that her new boyfriend may be a bloodsucker himself.
The Lost Boys connected with teenagers and young adults so well because of the relatable storylines: Divorce, peer pressure, physical changes (puberty), rebelliousness, sex, personal freedom, sibling rivalry, etc. Older adults could also relate, as well: Divorce, dating after divorce, parenting, living with their older parents, financial struggles, etc. Even though there were some gruesomely bloody horror scenes in the film, we connected with it because of the lovable characters and well-timed humor and tender moments. All of this, AND a seductive sax soloist covered and smothered in body oil! (Even Michael was mesmerized.)
The Cast
Jason Patric sweltered us with his portrayal as Michael the newly transplanted resident of Santa Carla. His wavy hair and trademark wayfarer sunglasses, (as featured on the movie poster) became a fashion staple for teens in the late 1980s. Jason went on to lesser known films, such as Sleepers and Speed 2: Cruise Control. His upcoming projects include The Outsider and Cavemen, both in post-production. I will forever have the urge to look at him and say, “Michael, join us. Michael…Michael…Michael…”
Kiefer Sutherland completely hypnotized us all with his piercing blue eyes, alabaster skin, and perfectly spiked mullet. With his darkly seductive and purring voice, we were in a trance with his character David. Kiefer would go on to dazzle on the silver screen in hit movies like Young Guns and The Three Musketeers. His most popular role formed in the popular television series 24, as FBI agent Jack Bauer.
Corey Feldman and Corey Haim were already each established young actors in Hollywood before The Lost Boys, but this film brought them together. They became a brand known as “The Two Coreys” and subsequently became teen idols during the late 80s/early 90s with a string of hit movies like, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream. As the years passed, both battled drug addiction, though Feldman successfully kicked it. Haim, however, tragically passed away in 2010 from pneumonia. As far as their roles in The Lost Boys, who can ever forget Haim singing Ain’t Got No Home by Clarence Frogman Henry while taking a sudsy bubble bath?!
Jami Gertz prior to The Lost Boys worked her way into our hearts with her snobby roles as Muffy Tepperman in Square Pegs, and also as Boots St. Claire on The Facts of Life. Her role as Star in The Lost Boys didn’t quite showcase her full range of acting talent, but rather on her smoldering beauty and unruly hair. Jami went on to land starring roles on E.R., Entourage, Modern Family, and most recently The Neighbors.
Dianne Wiest’s character, Lucy, was clearly the heroine of the film. Her role as Sam and Michael’s recently divorced mother, tugged at our heart strings. A chance to start over by relocating to Santa Carla, Wiest portrayed Lucy as a sympathetic, yet stern single parent. Diane simply does not stop adding to her list of accolades and praises. A slew of films such as Parenthood, Edward Scissorhands, and Practical Magic decorate her resume.
To me, Barnard Hughes stole the show with his role as Sam and Michael’s grandpa. His grumpy demeanor, his womanizing, his improvising (uses Windex as cologne) and his insistence on keeping the boys away from his clearly marked stash of goodies in the fridge, kept me laughing hysterically throughout the film. Hughes passed away in 2006 at the age of 90, and left behind a legacy. Some of his projects included Midnight Cowboy and Tron (1982).
The Soundtrack
Adding to the whole alternative teen vibe of The Lost Boys included an ultra-cool soundtrack. Tracks like “Good Times” and “Laying Down the Law”, both by INXS and Jimmy Barnes, rocked our woes away. Echo & the Bunnymen did a spot-on cover of The Doors song, “People Are Strange”. Another notable cover was Roger Daltrey’s version of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John. Exclusive to the film (and really the most memorable) are the songs “Lost in the Shadows (The Lost Boys)” by Lou Gramm, and “Cry Little Sister (Theme from The Lost Boys)” by Gerard McMann. As a rebellious teen during the late 80s, I found myself rewinding my tape over and over again for those songs. The somber mood matched my own.
Favorite Quotes
Sam:” There’s no TV! Have you seen a TV, Mike? I haven’t seen a TV. Do you know what it means when there’s no TV? No MTV!”
Grandpa: “Second shelf is mine. That’s where I keep my rootbeers and my double-thick Oreo cookies. Nobody touches the second shelf but me.”
Grandpa:” Lucy, you’re the only woman I ever knew that didn’t improve her situation by getting divorced.”
Michael:” I can’t beat your bike.”
David: “You don’t need to beat me. You just need to keep up.”
David: “How are those maggots?”
Michael: “Huh?”
David: “Maggots, Michael. You’re eating maggots. How do they taste?”
David: “What, you don’t like rice? Tell me Michael, how could a billion Chinese people be wrong?”
Edgar Frog: “You think you really know what’s happening here, don’t you? Well, I’ll tell you something, you don’t know shit, buddy.”
Alan Frog: “Yeah? You think we just work at a comic book store for our folks, huh?”
Sam: “Actually, I thought it was a bakery.”
Edgar Frog: “This is just a cover; we’re dedicated to a higher purpose. We’re fighters for truth, justice, and the American way.”
Grandpa: “Hey, anything around here that might pass for aftershave?”
Sam: “How about some Windex, Grandpa?”
Grandpa: “Yeah, yeah, let me try some of that.”
Michael: “You have a big date tonight, Grandpa?”
Grandpa:” I’m going to drop my handiwork by the widow Johnson.”
Michael: “What’d ya stuff for her? Mr. Johnson?”
Sam: “Look at your reflection in the mirror. You’re a creature of the night Michael, just like out of a comic book! You’re a vampire Michael! My own brother, a goddamn, shit-sucking vampire. You wait ’till mom finds out, buddy!”
Grandpa: “Well, now, let me put it this way. If all the corpses buried around here were to stand up all at once, we’d have one hell of a population problem.”
Sam: “Death by stereo!”
The Lost Boys DVD, Blu-ray, Instant Rental, and Soundtrack can be found on Amazon.com