Photo credit: Warner Bros
The Lost Boys Movie Trivia
Part 1
The Lost Boys is one of the best, if not the best, vampire movies ever made.
I, myself, have seen it around 300 times.
So, as a superfan, I’ve scoured the internet, documentaries, and the incredible Paul Davis book for little known trivia about this 1987 movie with a huge fanbase. This is part one of a multipart series.
Buckle up, and as Grandpa(Barnard Hughes) said, “Let’s go to town!”
The Vehicles
Photo credit: Warner Bros
“Do you know the rule about filling up the car with gas when you take it without asking?”
“No, Grandpa.”
“Well, now you do.”
Four vehicles feature prominently in The Lost Boys:
- 1968 Toyota Land Cruiser: When the film opens, Lucy(Dianne Wiest) is driving with Michael(Jason Patric) and Sam(Corey Haim), traveling to Grandpa’s home in Santa Carla. If you look closely enough, you’ll see Mexican parking stickers on the windshield.
- 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner: Grandpa’s convertible that the boys ultimately steal to rescue Star(Jami Gertz) and Laddie(Chance Michael Corbett), and find where the vampires sleep.
- 1986 Chevrolet Corvette C4 convertible: Max’s(Edward Herrman) flashy car, seen at his video store, and driving Lucy to Grandpa’s house.
- 1942 International Harvester M-2-4: Used by Grandpa to visit The Widow Johnson, and to carry wooden posts.
Other vehicles:
- Honda XL 250S: Michael’s bike
- Honda XR: Marko’s(Alex Winter) bike
- 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme: The security guard’s car(in the film’s opening)
- 1961 Plymouth Valiant: The car used by the comic book thief and his girlfriend
This info came from the incredible Imcdb.org . If you see any vehicle in almost any movie, and want to know about it-that’s the place to go.
Do You Know Their Names?
Photo credit: Warner Bros
Not to sound like a Christmas song, but you know David(Kiefer Sutherland), and Michael, Sam, and Lucy Emerson, and Max. But characters apart from the leads have names, too.
David, Star, Laddie, and Marko are mentioned enough in the movie, so that they are pretty well known names.
But what about the other two vamps?
Blond, glam-metal vampire? That’s Paul(Brooke McCarter).
Dark haired, silent vamp? Dwayne(Billy Wirth).
Purple spandex wearing, muscle bound sax player that sings at the beach concert? Tim Capella.
Video store clerk? That’s Maria(Kelly Jo Minter, who was supposed to have a larger role-more on that later).
The security guard the gang encounters at the beginning is Vernon Beasley(J. Dinan Myrtetus).
The man that starts the fight at the beginning, steals comics, and gets the roof of his car torn off? That’s Greg(Alexander Bacan Chapman). His girlfriend, who gets David’s attention that starts the fight at the beginning of the film, is Shelly(Nori Morgan).
Blink and you’ll miss it, but Arli$$ actor Jim Turner plays a gas station attendant. He is the one telling Michael that there aren’t any legal jobs in Santa Carla.
Sam’s Alaskan Malamute was Nanook(played by two dogs, Cody and Mika).
Cody
Photo credit: Warner Bros
Mika Photo credit: Warner Bros
Max’s hellhound was named Thorn(Folsom).
Folsom
Photo credit: Warner Bros
Do You Know Their Frames?
Michael’s iconic sunglasses aren’t Ray-Bans; they’re LA Optical frames(more info on those are available in the great book named above in the intro). Ray-Ban does make a very similar pair or two; the pair I have is the RB 3507.
The Lost Boys’ Fashion
Photo credit: Warner Bros
You can’t write about The Lost Boys without mentioning the fashion.
Note: I realized I was using the word ‘iconic’ in front of every piece mentioned, so I had to go back and delete the word from every one; just add it where applicable, which will be everywhere.
Marko’s tapestry jacket is made from a cheap rug- the incredibly talented Costume Designer Susan Becker and seamstress Alexis Silver had to make six copies of that jacket.
In fact, most costumes used in movies/TV were/are made in multiples; some for stunt doubles, scenes where the wardrobe will get all gore-ified, backups for mishaps, etc.
Dwayne’s motorcycle jacket has a hand painted tiger on the shoulder.
If you look closely at David’s jacket, you will see that there aren’t buttons, but watch faces.
Star’s skirt was sari material.
Again, I will refer you to the Paul Davis book for the interview(s) with Becker.
And now a really embarrassing personal story.
I fell in love with that skirt and Marko’s jacket the first time I watched The Lost Boys. Being a dumb teenager who knew nothing about costumes, Hollywood, or how expensive those costumes are to make, wrote ‘Warner Brothers attn: Lost Boys costumes’ to inquire about purchasing the items, or getting a pattern.
I never heard back.
We know we’ll never be able to afford the items used on film. But there is a website where you can buy merch. Mugs, stickers, shirts, even auto accessories and wrapping paper.
Contact us on Twitter/X @FANdemoniumNET and we’ll give you a discount code for anything on the site!
Part two of this article is coming soon.
The Lost Boys is available on pretty much any media you can imagine.
