Sam Emerson: 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!
After moving to a new town, two brothers are convinced that the area is frequented by vampires.
The 80s vampire hit "The Lost Boys" made its premiere on July 31, 1987. Released to 1,027 screens its opening weekend, the film earned over $5.2 million and, in time, would eventually gross over $32.2 million at the Box Office. Ranked #38 at the Box Office that year (according to earnings), other films that premiered on July 31st were "Maid to Order" and "The Living Daylights". Though "Maid to Order" failed a bit with the ranking of #89 out of 100, audiences were desperate to watch yet another James Bond film. "The Living Daylights" wound up #19 on the list of the Top 100.
This was the fourth film directed by Joel Schumacher who, previous to this, gave us what would become another 80s hit, "St. Elmo's Fire". Certainly no Academy Award or Golden Globe nominations for this film, but it did win the top honor by winning the Saturn Award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror films for Best Horror Film of the Year. I'll add that "The Lost Boys" also won the Young Artist Award for Teenage Favorite Horror/Drama Motion Picture.
"The Lost Boys" starred Jason Patric as Michael, Corey Haim as Sam, Diane Wiest as Lucy, Jami Gertz as Star, Kiefer Sutherland as David, and co-starred Corey Feldman as Edgar, Ed Herrmann as Max, and Barnard Hughes as Grandpa. All had been in films before; it was the sixth feature film for Corey Haim and only the second for Jason Patric.
Filmed at such locations as Mobile, Alabama, Santa Cruz, California, and Stages 12 and 15 at the Warner Brothers Studios, here's some more fun facts about "The Lost Boys" you might enjoy knowing...
1. The title of the film is a reference to the companions of Peter Pan, who remained forever young.
2. Executive producer Richard Donner originally intended to direct the movie himself, but as production languished, he moved onto "Lethal Weapon". Mary Lambert was brought in but left due to "creative differences." Therefore, Richard hired Joel Schumacher for the job. Leaving the film was most likely a wise decision on Richard's part as "Lethal Weapon" wound up being #9 at the Box Office that year. Mary Lambert was hardly known at the time, having previously directed the TV documentary short "The Go-Go's: Wild at the Greek" and the video shorts of Madonna's "Borderline" and "Like a Virgin".
3. The original screenplay written by Janice Fischer and James Jeremias was originally about a bunch of "Goonie-type 5th-6th grade kid vampires", with the Frog Brothers being "chubby 8 year old cub scouts", and Star being a boy instead of a love interest. Joel Schumacher hated that idea and told the producers he would only sign on if he could change them to teenagers, as he thought it would be much sexier and more interesting.
4. Keenan Wynn and John Carradine (a veteran of vampire films) were both original choices for Grandpa. Wynn died right before filming and Carradine was too ill.
5. As previously stated, a lot of the movie was filmed in Santa Cruz, CA. Santa Cruz in Spanish means "Holy Cross," which is an interesting connection given the vampire subject matter and their vulnerability to crucifixes.
6. Both the bandstand that the band is playing on the first time Michael sees Star and the Frog Brothers comic book shop were destroyed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
7. Sam (Corey Haim) has a poster of Rob Lowe on the outside of his closet door. On the DVD commentary, Joel Schumacher says that it was there because had recently directed Lowe in "St. Elmo's Fire".
8. It is not shown for long, but Laddie is the missing boy on the milk carton that Lucy picks up off the floor. He is not a relative of Star, just a boy the vampires picked up as a companion for her.
9. The names of the Frog brothers, Edgar and Alan, are a reference to Edgar Allan Poe, the well-known writer of horror fiction.
10. The second time Sam visits the comic shop two men can be seen playing pinball. The guy with the facial hair is Joe Ferrara who actually owned the comic shop Atlantis fantasy world. The comic shop has now moved location but is still owed by Joe.
11. Notice that when Max first arrives at Sam, Lucy and Michael's house for dinner he does not enter until invited in by Michael. This echoes many vampire films in that, according to vampire myths, vampires must be invited in before they can enter someone's home.
12. Kiefer Sutherland was only meant to wear the black gloves he wears as David when riding the motorbike. However, while messing around on the bike behind-the-scenes, he fell off, breaking his arm so he had to wear the gloves through the whole movie to cover his cast.
13. The merry-go-round sequence foreshadows the order in which the Lost Boys die. Marko dies first, Paul second, Dwayne third and David last. Also, Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman)
foreshadows how each of the vampires die: "No two vamps die the same way, some yell and scream, some go quietly, some explode, some implode..."
14. Corey Feldman said in the documentary "bloodsucking cinema" that all the blood had glitter in it and was "slimier than other fake blood."
15. David' (Kiefer Sutherland) is impaled on a pair of antlers and doesn't disintegrate like the other vampires. Despite what Max later says, he is not really dead. This was intended to be picked up in the sequel, "The Lost Girls", which was scripted but never made. In the Wildstorm comic's mini-series "The Lost Boys: Reign of the Frogs" (2008) - which helps bridge the 20-year gap between films - it's implied that 'David' not only survived the impaling but went on to create 'Shane' the head vampire in the film's sequel, "Lost Boys: The Tribe".
16. This movie invented the phrase "vamp out", which has passed into common usage on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
17. In other countries around the world, the film's title "The Lost Boys" translated as: "Hidden Youth" (Spain), "Lost Generation" (France), "Children of the Night" (Greece), and "Boys Night" (Portugal).
18. Though he was previously in other feature films and did television work, "The Lost Boys" was Corey Haim's rise to stardom.
And now you know.
This was Corey Haim and Corey Feldman's first film together, which marked the start of a popular 80s trend "The Two Corey's" in which Corey Feldman and Corey Haim starred together in a number of teenage films.
As a youth, Corey Haim was an actor I enjoyed watching. Sometimes I could relate to him in one way or another. Years after "The Lost Boys" came out, Corey was being interviewed, saying, "I was working on 'The Lost Boys' (1987) when I smoked my first joint. But a year before that, I was starting to drink beer on the set of the film "Lucas" (1986). I lived in Los Angeles in the '80s, which was not the best place to be. I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack. I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck. But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day - the doctors could not believe I was taking that much. And that was just the valium - I'm not talking about the other pills I went through."
We all have our struggles. Some make a break-thru and, sadly, some don't. RIP, Corey. You're missed.
Please enjoy the following...
13. The merry-go-round sequence foreshadows the order in which the Lost Boys die. Marko dies first, Paul second, Dwayne third and David last. Also, Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman)
foreshadows how each of the vampires die: "No two vamps die the same way, some yell and scream, some go quietly, some explode, some implode..."
14. Corey Feldman said in the documentary "bloodsucking cinema" that all the blood had glitter in it and was "slimier than other fake blood."
15. David' (Kiefer Sutherland) is impaled on a pair of antlers and doesn't disintegrate like the other vampires. Despite what Max later says, he is not really dead. This was intended to be picked up in the sequel, "The Lost Girls", which was scripted but never made. In the Wildstorm comic's mini-series "The Lost Boys: Reign of the Frogs" (2008) - which helps bridge the 20-year gap between films - it's implied that 'David' not only survived the impaling but went on to create 'Shane' the head vampire in the film's sequel, "Lost Boys: The Tribe".
16. This movie invented the phrase "vamp out", which has passed into common usage on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
17. In other countries around the world, the film's title "The Lost Boys" translated as: "Hidden Youth" (Spain), "Lost Generation" (France), "Children of the Night" (Greece), and "Boys Night" (Portugal).
18. Though he was previously in other feature films and did television work, "The Lost Boys" was Corey Haim's rise to stardom.
And now you know.
This was Corey Haim and Corey Feldman's first film together, which marked the start of a popular 80s trend "The Two Corey's" in which Corey Feldman and Corey Haim starred together in a number of teenage films.
As a youth, Corey Haim was an actor I enjoyed watching. Sometimes I could relate to him in one way or another. Years after "The Lost Boys" came out, Corey was being interviewed, saying, "I was working on 'The Lost Boys' (1987) when I smoked my first joint. But a year before that, I was starting to drink beer on the set of the film "Lucas" (1986). I lived in Los Angeles in the '80s, which was not the best place to be. I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack. I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck. But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day - the doctors could not believe I was taking that much. And that was just the valium - I'm not talking about the other pills I went through."
We all have our struggles. Some make a break-thru and, sadly, some don't. RIP, Corey. You're missed.
Please enjoy the following...
First, the original theatrical trailer of the film...
Now pictures of the key characters...
Next some picture stills from the film arranged in chronological order to that of the film itself...
Lastly, some behind-the-scenes pictures...
Edgar Frog: You did the right thing by calling us. Does your brother sleep a lot?
Sam Emerson: Yeah, all day. Alan Frog: Does the sunlight freak him out?
Sam Emerson: Uh, he wears sunglasses in the house.
Edgar Frog: Bad breath, long fingernails?
Sam Emerson: Yeah, his fingernails are a little bit longer, um, he always had bad breath, though.
Alan Frog: He's a vampire all right.
Edgar Frog: All right, here's what you do: get yourself a good sharp stake and drive it right through his heart.
Sam Emerson: I can't do that; he's my brother.
Alan Frog: OK, we'll come over and do it for you.
Sam Emerson: No!
Edgar Frog: You'd better get yourself a garlic T-shirt, buddy, or it's your funeral.
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