The Lost Boys (1987)

Lost in the Shadows / Cry Little Sister

Autumn is here now and that means only one thing—Schlocktoberfest! Well, that and apple and pumpkin spiced underwear. But we here are getting excited for Halloween and getting in the mood for creatures of the night (Which isn’t just some lame KISS cover group from Big Beaver, Pennsylvania) and listening to some 80s hair metal.

Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys is probably the best teen-centric vampire movie of all time. If any one mentions anything about Stephanie Meyer’s bullshit gets a visit to the hospital. Seriously, it has some of the coolest imagery of the late 80s—Teen vampires hanging out on a California pier. Dangerous dirt bike races. Hanging off a very high train bridge and falling into clouds—there’s no sparkly mopey vampires in this flick. It also has some damn fine actors and yes I’m including Corey Feldman. But tell me you wouldn’t be enticed and charmed by Keifer Sutherland? Vampire or not, I would follow that mullet of his off a bridge too! I always liked Jami Gertz, she’s a very pretty lady and I always thought her career would be synonymous with like Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock but she’s pretty much done very underwhelming and low-profile work since 1987. Looking back, I think she was miscast in Lost Boys. Sure she’s pretty and almost gypsy-looking, which maybe that’s what Schumacher was going for but she wasn’t “dangerous” enough for a vampire lover. I don’t know. Maybe I should watch it again. But I dare you to find a better teen vampire movie.

The soundtrack was awesome too. I believe it introduced me to The Doors with Echo & The Funnymen’s cover of “People Are Strange,” which is a perfect song for a vampire flick. I’m still scratching my head though at how they didn’t get The Cult to be on the soundtrack, The Cult would’ve been absolutely perfect for this movie. I mention this because for years, I always assumed “Cry Little Sister” was a Cult song but it’s not. Some guy named Gerald McMann. Should’ve been The Cult but great song nonetheless. However, listening to the song again after so many years, I’m kinda dumbstruck at the lyrics. From the looks of it, it sounds blatantly incestuous. Especially since it’s played when Patric and Gertz are boning.

A last fire will rise behind those eyes
Black house will rock, blind boys don’t lie
Immortal fear, that voice so clear
Through broken walls, that scream I hear

Cry, little sister – Thou shall not fall
Come to your brother – Thou shall not die
Unchain me, sister – Thou shall not fear
Love is with your brother – Thou shall not kill

Blue masquerade, strangers look on
When will they learn this loneliness?
Temptation heat beats like a drum
Deep in your veins, I will not lie

Chorus

My Shangri-La
I can’t forget
Why you were mine
I need you now

Chorus

Blind boys don’t lie? Love is with your brother? What in the hell is he talking about?! Nonetheless, it’s a very sexy song and fits perfectly with a vampire themed movie. I’m sure a ton of people shagged to this song back in the late 80s.

Another great song that fits in well with the vampire/teen shenanigans is Lou Gramm’s “Lost in the Shadows.”