The Lost Boys (1987)

[Brian G Turner]

Deciding to revisit some nostalgia (and continue the process of converting my vinyl LPs to shiny CDs) I ordered the Lost Boys soundtrack from Amazon.

And it's been absolutely great re-visiting it.

Although some of the songs, by themselves, would otherwise fall down, their use together in the compilation makes for a sometimes eclectic set of bedfellows.

"Cry Little Sister" remains both brilliant and haunting, and "For the Shock of Miss Louise" continues to impress for it's originality. Of course, there's also Echo and Bunnymen, INXS (who I'd otherwise care little for), a surprise vocal by Roger Daltrey on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (which was written by Elton John, but only later performed and recorded him) - and then a couple of small-time soft-rock groups who manage to somehow enhance the collection, rather than destroy it.

But the film itself...

...I can't wait to watch it again. I've been holding off from buying it on DVD because it looks effectively like a cheap and second-rate lift from video, and I'd prefer to get a properly remastered "special edition" version. But...as it's cheap I think I'll spend a few pounds to get it next time.

The Lost Boys as a film was pretty life-changing for myself when I watched it when younger - Michael's dilemna of being enticed into the darkness was such a powerful metaphor for the agonies of adolescence, as we struggled with the different ways life and consciousness pulled on us, and ultimately, wrestled with our own dark sides as our personalities took deeper form.

The Lost Boys presented an image - and after watching it I stopped growing my hair. That was about 1988, and I'll only ever had it trimmed since (next time on Tuesday, and it's a tad shorter than it has been, as I need to keep my hair at least tidy-ish for work).

The image stayed, though - it helped define that dark trench-coat look (I still have one, though I need to buy a newer one).

Our sixth-form college also put up a Lost Boys poster - big horizontal one of Kiefer's face, and the motto:

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

(The poster mysteriously disappeared and magically re-appeared in my bedroom, above the headboard - when I went to uni it suddenly disappeared as my middle-brother traded it for tobacco).

I also found myself tracking down Kiefer Sutherland films and watching them (the only other one I really remember was "Promised Land", because of it's poignant theme of growing up into disillusionment - teenage dreams falling to grown-up harsh realties - and the memorable ending as 2 school-child friends collide paths). (Flatliners was fun, but popcorn disposable.)

I haven't seen the Lost Boys in years - no doubt a lot of it will seem *even more* cheesy now. And it'll seem more strange that Ted from Bill and Ted will be running around, baring fangs, trying to look nasty.

I'm really looking forward to watching it, though - I'll hold off until my other half comes back next week with the kids, after visiting family.

And so I turn this thread over into a discussion about the film "Lost Boys", with a couple of memorable quotes...

"I don't want to have to kill you Michael"
"Worms!"

 

[Morning Star]

I recently bought the video for a friend of mine. She loves it, I then watched it for the first time as well. Man, I loved that twist in the end and the grandfather's final comment cracked me up. The 80s were an excellent period for 'coming of age' films. You could find one in every genre, though the most common seemed to be comedy/dramas (Breakfast Club, St Elmos Fire, 16 Candles) and horrors (Silver Bullet, Stand by Me, Lost Boys...)

 

[littlemissattitude]

I've always liked "The Lost Boys". I think part of it is that they chose to use Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as one of the primary locations for the film. I've been there a couple of times, and found it to be a strangely eerie place, especially at night.

As far as the soundtrack goes, what stands out for me is the Echo and the Bunnymen cover of the Doors' "People are Strange". I really love the Doors, and covers of their songs usually just irritate me, but this cover was really carried off well, I think.

Also, as a bit of trivia, in the INXS songs on the soundtrack, they are joined by another Aussie vocalist, Jimmy Barnes, who had a pretty good album out the same year as the film (1987), called "Freight Train Heart". I remember hearing him referred to at the time as "the Australian Bruce Springsteen", but I don't think the comparison is quite apt. I'm going to have to dig that tape out and listen to it - it's been awhile.

 

[Princess Ivy]

I think it was this film that started my Vampyre phase, Not that I've gone off vamps now, but it started me watching and reading everything I could lay my hands on.
Wonder what happened to Haim and Feldman? they were fantastic as the brothers Frog!
I loved everything about the film,
In fact, I think i'll put it on tonight when the kids and hubby are in bed...

 

[Brian G Turner]

Last set of rumours I heard about both, both Corey's lost most of their film cash to parent greed and cocaine. Bit sad, really.

 

[LadyFel]

I'm currently listening to 'Cry Little Sister' on Winamp...I love the movie and that song...

My mum didn't let me watch it for a long time as she thought I was too young, but I remember setting up the video to tape it one night when I was about 14... Within two weeks I knew the entire script off by heart, including the most banal bits, like the guard at the beginning telling the guys to get off the boardwalk...

I also remember that I developed a passion for long floaty dresses and skirts at the time, like the ones Star wore, which still hasn't left me...They were never full of sequins like hers but there it is...

I recently wathced it again to show my husband what he'd missed, he wasn't too impressed, and, I have to admit, even I found it a touch corny...but I loved it all over again

 

[dwndrgn]

One of my favorite 80's films. I think I liked it because it seemed to me to be more adult than the other teen flicks - or maybe more cerebral. The whole film had a wonderfully eerie feel that would have given you goosebumps but wouldn't have really scared you. I don't really know why I liked it so much - it was just cool

The soundtrack though - one of my first and one of my favorites! Great stuff. I could listen to it over and over (and did, until I wore the cassette out!). Unfortunately I haven't yet got it in CD, but I will someday...

 

[LadyFel]

I can't find the CD anywhere, I'll have to order it, but the casette died a death a few years ago, half the songs were unrecognisable by the time I finished wih it...I think it must have spent two years straight in my player...

 

[Brian G Turner]

Noticed this in Tescos yesterday - digital transfer, plus second disc containing various addon features. They finally erleased a proper version of the film, byt the looks.

I actually put it in my shopping cart, then took it out because I'm supposed to be careful with money.

Looks like it's time to buy the film on DVD now, though.

 

[Princess Ivy]

Oh, thats good news. I want the film on DVD, but as it was made so long ago (OMG I Feel old), one has to wonder about the quality of the special features.

 

[LadyFel]

Don't care, don't care ...Old movies rarely have 'special features' which were meant for release, so any extra material they release with them is even more special to me - it wasn't done with the public in mind, but for the people working on it to have a reminder. The features that come out on newer DVDs like LOTR or Matrix are made specifically for the audience, and I view them as sort of routine, too planned and perfect...When it's collected for an older movie, it has more of a human touch, it doesn't feel all Hollywood and out for the money...

I saw the end of a 2h special on the making of Gone With The Wind years ago, and I remember being devastated that I didn't catch it in time to tape it...I'd love to know how they did all the effects without all the tech there is today...In LOTR, I sat down to watch and ended up with them showing two scenes being planned and executed, and two hours of the SE team patting each other and Peter Jackson on the backs...lame...

On topic...thank you, Brian, for the info, I'm thinking I may pull a few strings (ona my husband's money bags if nothing else) and get my hands on this film...

 

[Princess Ivy]

Don't care, don't care ...Old movies rarely have 'special features' which were meant for release, so any extra material they release with them is even more special to me - it wasn't done with the public in mind, but for the people working on it to have a reminder. The features that come out on newer DVDs like LOTR or Matrix are made specifically for the audience, and I view them as sort of routine, too planned and perfect...When it's collected for an older movie, it has more of a human touch, it doesn't feel all Hollywood and out for the money...

I saw the end of a 2h special on the making of Gone With The Wind years ago, and I remember being devastated that I didn't catch it in time to tape it...I'd love to know how they did all the effects without all the tech there is today...In LOTR, I sat down to watch and ended up with them showing two scenes being planned and executed, and two hours of the SE team patting each other and Peter Jackson on the backs...lame...

On topic...thank you, Brian, for the info, I'm thinking I may pull a few strings (ona my husband's money bags if nothing else) and get my hands on this film...

I got the four disc box sets of the first two LOTR, third for Xmas this year, in all honesty I still haven't watched the two bonus discs. . No time, in between the eight year old, the two year old and the hubby, I'm very lucky to have been able to even watch the films.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I always stayed away from the earlier DVD release of Lost Boys precisely because it was almost certainly nothing more than a lift from video. But, it's digital transfer on the new edition, so hopefully will mean it's a better quality.

Second CD - can't remember all the features. Some interviews with the Corey's Feldman and Haim...

 

[Princess Ivy]

I wonder if those interviews were done at the time of filming, or if they are more recent. That will be interesting.

 

[LadyFel]

I got the four disc box sets of the first two LOTR, third for Xmas this year, in all honesty I still haven't watched the two bonus discs. . No time, in between the eight year old, the two year old and the hubby, I'm very lucky to have been able to even watch the films.

Same here...I have the three 2 disc releases as well, and I tried watching the extended edition with the actors commentary turned on but gave up after 45min...I've seen the films so many times it got boring...

Don't get me wrong, I do like the special features, but these days they're so obviously made from profit and not for the sentimental value, that I prefer what I saw on the Back to the Future Trilogy release...they were...unencumbered with the need to impress, if you get what I mean...

 

[LadyFel]

Anyways...As I have a lot of free time, I just went digging up some vampire dirt, and here's a full review of the special edition and the extras...Enjoy!

Mysource today: http://dvd.ign.com/articles/542/542104p2.html

The Audio


The film comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Dialogue and music is clear but it's not exactly an aggressive mix with very little being done with the rear channels. The audio track doesn't bring the rest of the film down, but it's obvious this area saw the least amount of attention for this release. A French track and subtitles in English, French and Spanish are also available.

Score: 5 out of 10

The Extras

Wow, talk about the deluxe treatment. I've never seen an '80s genre film get such a relevant and extensive set of extras as this.

First up on disc one is a commentary track with director Joel Schumacher. It's not a particularly exciting commentary but he's full of interesting tidbits regarding the artistic choices he made in the film and problems that arose, like being forced to change the name of the town from Santa Cruz (where filming actually took place) to 'Santa Carla' because the townsfolk didn't want their home to be known for teenage violence.

He also reveals the cinematographer on the film previously shot Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, and Ray Manzarek re-recorded the Doors classic People Are Strange with Echo & The Bunnymen specifically for this film.

Disc two starts with The Lost Boys: A Retrospective, a collection of recent interviews with Schumacher, Richard Donner (the executive producer and original director, who bowed out to helm Lethal Weapon), Kiefer Sutherland and the two Coreys, among other cast and crew.

They give a great collection of memoirs, mostly because the film isn't incredibly revered or disliked, so their comments are all nostalgic and lighthearted. Schumacher tends to repeat a lot of the same information from his commentary track, but both features are definitely worth checking out.

Inside the Vampire's Cave is a collection of four pretty fascinating featurettes in which Schumacher talks about shaping what was originally a kid's film into a stylish teenage one, as well as the possibility of a sequel (he suggests Lost Girls) and the balance of comedy & horror the film constantly plays with. It's rare to see a DVD with featurettes that actually tackle the pertinent questions the fans might have rather than just showcasing talking heads who gush over their work for fifteen minutes.

Vamping Out: The Undead Creations of Greg Cannom takes the viewer into the studio of the film's makeup artist with plenty of on-set photos of the actors in prosthetic application process. The Vampire's Photo Gallery is a collection of makeup test shots and on-set stills (it's also oddly enough the only anamorphic extra on disc 2).

Haimster & Feldog: The Story of Two Coreys (albeit a nauseating title) focuses on those two seminal '80s actors, in which they recall first meeting each other (they'd both auditioned for the part of Mouth in The Goonies, but The Lost Boys was their first actual work together) and how they connected, as well as why they're taking a break from working together.

There's also an interesting if somewhat awkward multi-angle commentary with the two Coreys and Jamison Newlander (the third child star in the movie) in which they provide video commentary on eighteen minutes of their characters. What's strange is each actor provides his own, separate commentary, which the viewer can switch between with the 'angle' option. It would have been more effective with all three actors in the room together, but video commentaries are always fun all the same.

The Lost Scenes montages about fourteen minutes of cut scenes and alternate angles, most of it pretty forgettable. A World of Vampires is a surprisingly thoughtful interactive documentary in which you can select one of several countries on world map and hear the local lore of vampire-like creatures from that area, complete with moody cultural artwork. It's a shame each clip is so short because this would make a fascinating documentary on its own.

Lost in the Shadows is a remarkably dated video for Lou Gramm's original song for the film. And the special features are rounded out with one of the original theatrical trailers.

Since most of the featurettes share the same format (talking heads/clips), it's a shame there's not a 'play all' function because they would have worked well as a single documentary. But menus are easy to navigate and who can really complain when there's this much good stuff? The extras alone make this set worth the purchase price, and they're much more well-rounded than the standard, repetitious featurettes we're used to.

Score: 9 out of 10

 

[Brian G Turner]

Hooray!

 

[dwndrgn]

Please make your comments and discussion on The Lost Boys here

 

[Foxbat]

It's been a few years since I've seen this one so I'm viewing it with a bit of nostalgia I suppose.

This film had some fine one liners but it was the Frog Brothers that stole the show for me.

I didn't feel there was anything deep or meaningful here but it is a fine attempt at a Vampire film for the MTV Generation which I thoroughly enjoyed watching. I suppose it's teenage rebellion taken to a new level - a kick against the machine with a wonderful soundtrack.

If this were Jukebox Jury I'd be saying Hit!

 

[Brian G Turner]

I watched it last night, but only after some trepidation. The film is now 16 years old, so I feared something lame and dated. The wobbly camera in the first couple of shots heightened fears.

However, overall, this film is still great - the sense of weirdness and rebellion that it opens with, followed by some quirky excellence and character comedy. Grandpa repeatedly steals the show with his complete rejection of society - from his buying the TV guide to not have to watch TV, to starting the car up and then getting out without having gone anywhere.

I never liked the Frog Brothers originally - but here I could really appreciate the humour.

It's the humour that definitely makes the film - not outright jokes, as much as the character interplay and off-the-wall events.

Jason Patric seems to spend more time making faces then having meaningful dialogue, and I've personally never seen any attraction in Jamie Gertz. The Lost Boys themselves are pertty superb, though - Kiether Sutherland still rocks. Corey Haim sparks some excellent character interplay and dialogue, too. For example, one of the best quotes in the film:

[size=-1]My own brother, a goddamn, sh!t-sucking vampire...you wait 'til mom finds out![/size]

Anyway - afterwards - glad I watched the film again. I really appreciate the general undertones of "rejection of society" a lot more as well. It also manages to stand the test of time, in my opinion - it remains a classic.