The Lost Boys (1987)

After moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers:

Jan Fischer (story) (as Janice Fischer), James Jeremias (story)

Stars:

Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Patric	...	Michael
Corey Haim	...	Sam
Dianne Wiest	...	Lucy
Barnard Hughes	...	Grandpa
Edward Herrmann	...	Max (as Ed Herrmann)
Kiefer Sutherland	...	David
Jami Gertz	...	Star
Corey Feldman	...	Edgar Frog
Jamison Newlander	...	Alan Frog
Brooke McCarter	...	Paul
Billy Wirth	...	Dwayne
Alex Winter	...	Marko (as Alexander Winter)
Chance Michael Corbitt	...	Laddie
Alexander Bacan Chapman	...	Greg (as Alexander Bacon Chapman)
Nori Morgan	...	Shelly

Storyline

A mother and her two sons move to a small coast town in California. The town is plagued by bikers and some mysterious deaths. The younger boy makes friends with two other boys who claim to be vampire hunters while the older boy is drawn into the gang of bikers by a beautiful girl. The older boy starts sleeping days and staying out all night while the younger boy starts getting into trouble because of his friends' obsession.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | vampire | california | small town | 1980s | 

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Taglines:

Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire.

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Fan Page

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 July 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Lost Boys

Filming Locations:

Cliffs, Marineland of the Pacific - 6610 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,236,318, 2 August 1987

Gross USA:

$32,222,567

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$32,222,567

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Emerson's truck is a 1968 Toyota Land Cruiser [FJ55].

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Goofs

When Sam wears the concealed garlic necklace to bed with his mother, she exclaims that he smells like garlic. However, the garlic around his neck is still whole in bulbs and would therefore have a very weak scent, if any. It is not until garlic is peeled or crushed that its smell becomes apparent.

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Quotes

Alan Frog: First come, first staked.
Sam Emerson: What was that? A little vampire humor? Well, it wasn't funny!

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Connections

Referenced in Weeds: Last Tango in Agrestic (2006)

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Soundtracks

Cry Little Sister (Theme From The Lost Boys)
Written by Mike Mainieri (as Michael Mainieri) and Gerard McMahon (as Gerard McMann)
Performed by Gerard McMahon (as Gerard McMann)
Produced by Mike Mainieri (as Michael Mainieri)
Co-Produced by Gerard McMahon (as Gerard McMann) and Bruce Martin

User Reviews

When you're strange...

I loved this film as a kid and it has always stayed at the top of my vampire genre list, you could bet I was plenty surprised when I found out that this little jewel of 80's cinema was directed by the now yawn worthy "Phone Booth" helmer, Joel Scumacher (the man who massacred the "Batman" franchise).

The best element of this movie is that fact that it doesn't take itself very seriously, but in no way does that effect the relative creepiness of the main storyline. The makeup is top notch, as are the special effects and the acting is a perfect fit to the context of the film. Yeah, Corey Haim may not be a Dean or Brando, but he is pitch perfect as the annoying little brother who talks big and runs fast in the face of trouble. Jason Patrick is as good as an actor could possibly be in a role that requires very little character development but the big star here is Kiefer Sutherland who channels his "scary bad boy" look into a character who is as fun to watch as he is frightening. Rounding out the rest of the cast is Dianne Wiest as the sweet mother, Corey Haim and Edward Hermann as the vampire killing duo Edgar and Alan (a cute Poe reference) Frog and 80's movie staple Jamie Gertz as the gypsy-esque Star.(sidenote: Yes that is Alex Winter of "Bill and Ted" fame as one of the lesser vampires)

The film has many memorable scenes including the vampire initiation and the scene where Patrick first approaches his brother in vampire form. Though the 80's fashion and music are powerful throughout they borderline overdone and are still enjoyable. Plotwise the set up is acceptable: Wiest and her two sons(Patrick and Haim) move into her father's house in Santa Carla, California, a quaint little beach side town that has been suffering from a high homicide rate. While mom looks for a job the boys look for something to do, Patrick setting his sights on the alluring Star and Haim settling into the local comic den, both fail to notice the ridiculous amount of "MISSING" posters on the walls. Patrick is led astray by a group of youths who like to drag race and hang out in a cave, eventually peer pressure rears its ugly head and soon enough Patrick is one of them. Then he finds out exactly why they only hang out after dark.

Full of great one liners and comedic performances (Barnard Hughes is great as the eccentric taxidermist/grandfather) "The Lost Boys" is a film showcased by the small touches: we still have the usual vampire yarn, but the youthful overtones create a different effect. Yes its 80's but its damn fun to watch. Schumacher creates a film that is not only a fun take on vampires but a creative take on teenagers and their neverending trek to belong.

Reccommended to those who have a sense of humor and enjoy vampire films.

8 out of 10.