‘The Lost Boys’ Retro: 35 Years of Monsters and Mullets

July 31, 2022

Every time someone asks me what my favorite vampire flick is, it becomes a constant battle in my head. Usually, my first reactionary answer is Fright Night (1985), the underrated, Tom Holland-directed film that features possibly the sexiest vampire in film history, played by Chris Sarandon. But, once the conversation starts to settle, my heart shifts over to a 1987 movie that checks all my fun boxes, and one I consider to be the most ’80s-encompassing film of all time, The Lost Boys. From monsters, to mullets, to ripping saxophone solos; this 35-year-old cheese fest is not only my favorite Joel Schumacher film, but one of my favorite movies from the ‘80s, period.

For those unfamiliar with one of the greatest vampire stories of all time, The Lost Boys follows brother Michael and Sam, and their mother, Lucy, as they move to Santa Carla, California, the murder capital of the world. While out on the town for the first time, Michael instantly falls for Star, a beautiful girl he spots during a raging Tim Capello concert at the boardwalk, and through her, he meets David, the bleach-blonde mullet-wearing leader of a vampire biker gang. David tries to turn Michael, and Sam enlists the help of the Frog brothers, who own a local comic shop and are in the know about how to deal with vamps. The three team up to help save Michael and Star, and dispatch the gang of unruly bloodsucking teens.

If you filled a hat with random ‘80s-focused actors and pulled a few out, chances are, you’d snag a few of the cast members of The Lost Boys. Jason Patric takes on the lead role of Michael, and Corey Haim, who was fresh off a role in Silver Bullet, played Sam. Corey Feldman, who at the time had already starred in Friday the 13^th: A New Beginning, Gremlins, The Goonies, and Stand by Me, shined in his role as Edgar Frog. The vampiric villains had some recognizable faces as well, as Alex Winter would make a pre-Bill & Ted appearance, and of course, Kiefer Sutherland in one of the most iconic vampire roles in film history.

Sutherland was reluctant to accept the role, especially after just playing a villain in Stand by Me, but was convinced to join the cast after hearing that bands he loved would be included in the soundtrack. Originally, the role of David was considered for Jim Carrey, after he’d had a major vampire role in Once Bitten, but Schumacher and executive producer Richard Donner (The Goonies, Superman) agreed on Sutherland. Donner was actually supposed to direct The Lost Boys, but handed the reigns over to Schumacher in order to take on the director’s role of Lethal Weapon.

Going back to the soundtrack, it’s simply one of the best of the ‘80s, and one that is continuously in my listening rotation. The soundtrack includes bangers from INXS, Gerard McMahon, Tim Capello, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Lou Gramm. It’s one of the most perfectly-fitted soundtracks in horror, and one of the most memorable things about the film.

I think one of the most interesting things about The Lost Boys, is that it is very much intended for a child/young adult audience, despite the R-rating and the gore. The story is a bit similar to The Monster Squad in this way, with a sort of “kids club” taking on some vicious monsters. In fact, The Monster Squad premiered just a couple weeks after The Lost Boys, and comparatively, was a flop. This was extra surprising, considering the PG-13 film would have had a much wider audience than The Lost Boys.

Where The Monster Squad only made $3.7 million on its $12 million budget, The Lost Boys was a smash hit, racking up $32.5 million against its $8.5 million budget. It was odd that a movie with kids filling up super soakers with holy water to shoot at vampires, wasn’t really for kids. However, this is in line with a lot of darker ‘80s films that were intended for kids, though those were usually PG or PG-13.

The gore and effects were prime ‘80s horror, too. There was no shortage of practical prosthetics or blood spray. In fact, to give the blood more of a shiny look, glitter was added to create a sparkling effect. I guess Twilight wasn’t the first movie to mix vampires and glitter together. A mixture of modern and classic vampire lore was used. They were weak to sunlight, wooden stakes, and holy water, of course, but also weren’t weak to garlic, and followed the lore of needing to be invited in.

The Lost Boys was the first movies to make vampires “cool”. Sure, Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night was sleek in a Casanova way, but David and his gang were riding motorcycles, wearing studded leather jackets, listening to Jim Morrison, and giving the finger to the establishment, including eating security guards. As a kid, I wanted to be part of David’s vampire gang just as much as I wanted Sam to defeat them. The film also brought forth the usage of “vamping out”, which would become a staple in vampire films thereafter, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The Lost Boys also had a fantastic red herring twist. Max, played brilliantly by Edward Hermann, was dating Michael and Sam’s mom, and was suspected of being the head vampire by Sam and his friends. After hilariously making him eat garlic and throwing mirrors in his face, they’re convinced he couldn’t possibly be involved. However, it’s later revealed that he actually is the head vampire, and his closeness to Sam’s mom gives him the invitation he needs to enter their house. It’s a brilliant villain reveal!

Honestly, I could go on for days about The Lost Boys, and the more I do, the more cemented it becomes as my favorite vampire film, or at least neck-and-neck with Fright Night. In a world where we have Near Dark, Buffy, and What We Do in the Shadows, it’s pretty impressive for The Lost Boys to stand so tall after more than three decades.