The Lost Boys (1987) - Kayıp Gençler

Denizin üstünden, ışıklarını geceye cömertçe dağıtan lunaparka doğru, Gerard McMann’ın “Cry little sister” şarkısının gotik etkisi altında büyülü bir yolculuk ve kışkırtıcı bir dünyaya adım attığımıza dair içimizde yükselen kıpırtılar...

“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 kil…l”

Michael ve Sam kardeşlerin anneleri ve köpekleri Nanuk eşliğinde Santa Carla’ya gelişleri ve bu fantastik kentin olağandışı insanlarıyla ilk karşılaşmaları esnasında, fonda Echo and the Bunnymen grubunun coverladığı Doors grubunun üstün “People are strange” şarkısının da katkısıyla, belleklerden silinmeyecek bir giriş…

“People are strange, when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked, when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven, when you're down…”

Plajdaki partide Star ve Michael ilk kez karşılaşırken, Sam’in çizgiroman dükkanında unutulmaz Frog kardeşlerle tanışması...ve sahnede Tim Cappello’nun tutkulu ve kışkırtıcı saksofon soloları ile müthiş bir performans sergilediği “I still believe” parçası...

“But I still believe
I still believe
Through the cold
And through the heat

Through the rain
And through the tears
Through the crowds
And through the cheers

Oh, I still believe…”

Sevdiğim kitaplara, filmlere dizilere, müziklere dostlarım demek hoşuma gidiyor. İşte bu film benim için en eski ve en yakın dostlarımdan birisi. Kaç kere seyrettim hatırlamıyorum. Tam bir şaheser. Tüm dünyada da kült bir film haline geldiğini sevinerek  görüyorum. Kadroya bir bakın. Corey Haim ve Corey Feldman ikilisi...Kiefer Sutherland...Jamie Gertz...Edward Hermann...Dianna Wiest...Barnard Hughes...Jamison Newlander...Jason Patric...ve diğerleri.. Hepsi o kadar iyi bir performans sergiliyorlar ki...İnanılmaz..! Bu arada “Grandpa” Barnard Hughes’u  2006 yılında kaybettik. R.I.P.

Filmin yönetmeni Joel Schumacher müthiş bir iş çıkartmış. “St. Elmo’s Fire” ve “Flatliners” filmleriyle tarzına beni iyice hayran eden bir yönetmen.  

The Lost Boys filmiyle ilk karşılaşmam video kaset döneminde oldu. Warner Bros’un Türkiye’ye getirilmiş süslü kapaklı (insert) serisinin ilk partisinde vardı diye hatırlıyorum. Türkçe ismi "Kayıp Gençler"di. Tabii ki defalarca kiraladım. Sahnelerini ve repliklerini ezbere söyleyebiliyordum. Kendime bir komando çantası yapıp içine dallardan yapılmış küçük vampir kazıkları ve sarımsak bile koydum. Yalnız kutsal su ve haç kısmı biraz güç olmuştu. Ne camiye ne kiliseye gitmişliğim vardı. Neyseki Kadıköy’deki Surp Takavor kilisesinin yardımsever rahiplerinden küçük bir haç bulabildim. Artık tam bir vampir avcısı olmuştum.   

İlerleyen yıllarda tekrar seyrederken filmde beni çekenin ne olduğunu düşünme fırsatı buldum. Aslında uzaktan bakınca ahım şahım bir konusu yoktu. Basit bir vampir hikayesiydi nihayetinde. Sanırım beni yakalayan faktörler arasında karakterleri kendime yakın bulmam en önemli faktördü. Özellikle Frog kardeşler ve Sam ile Nanuk. Bunun yanında video kliplerdekine benzer bir müzikal bütünleşmenin çekiciliği, stilize çekimlerin harika bir atmosfer yaratması ve son derece tempolu ve sürükleyici bir akış beni etkileyen diğer özellikleriydi. Daha net bir ifadeyle müzikler harika, çizgiroman var, kıyafetler müthiş, vampirlere karşı savaş tam benlik, köpeğiyle gezen çocuk tiplemesi harika, oyuncular rollere oturmuş, Frog kardeşler efsane, çekimler dinamik, stil sahibi bir yönetmenlik, akıcı bir senaryo. Daha ne olsun…  

Filmin atmosferinde müziklerin seçimindeki ustalığın büyük etkisine ayrı bir paragraf açmak lazım. Gelmiş geçmiş OST’ler arasında ilk 20’ye kesin koyarım.

The Lost Boys’un üzerimdeki etkilerinden biri de kılık-kıyafet konusunda olmuştu. Özellikle bandana, her zaman takamasam da, çocukluğumdan beri benim için vazgeçilmez bir aksesuar haline geldi. Gardrobum hala Frog kardeşler ile Indiana Jones karışımı bir paterne sahip olmak için direniyor. Sokaktaki birbirine benzer kıyafetler içimi sıkıyor. Sanki aramızdaki yabancıları kolay tanıyalım diye herkes aynı tipte giydiriliyormuş gibi hissediyorum özellikle Türkiye sokaklarında. Bugünlerde yine fena değiliz ama 20-25 sene önce tam bir tek tip kıyafet durumu söz konusuydu.

Joel Schumacher devam filmini çekmek istiyordu, hatta bu filmde Kiefer Sutherland’ın canlandırdığı David karakteri de geri dönecekti. İsim olarak da The Lost Girls düşünülmüştü ama proje gerçekleşmedi. Bu arada filmin ikincisini ve hatta üçüncüsünü başkaları çekti. İkinci film Lost Boys: The Tribe 2008 yılında DVD olarak piyasaya çıktı. Üçüncü devam filmi ise 2010 yılında Lost Boys: The Thirst oldu. İkincisi biraz daha seyredilebilir olmasına karşın kilometrelerce öteye atılmış birer ıska olmaktan öteye geçemediler.

IMDB TRIVIA

This was Corey Haim and Corey Feldman's first film together, which marked the start of a popular 80s trend "The Two Coreys" in which Corey Feldman and Corey Haim starred together in a number of teenage films.

The original screenplay written by Jan Fischer and James Jeremias was originally about a bunch of "Goonie-type 5th-6th grade kid vampires", with the Frog Brothers being "chubby 8 year old cub scouts", and Star being a boy instead of a love interest. The original inspiration came from James, who caught upon the notion that Peter Pan could fly, visited Wendy and her brothers at night, and never grew old. The simple notion that Peter Pan was a vampire was the genesis for the story. In the first draft of the script, the character of David was originally named Peter, and other characters also had names from the Peter Pan story. In the final draft, many name changes were made, but originally the two brothers were Michael and John (which was later changed to Sam) and the mother's name was Wendy. The most obvious nod to the Pan story is the dog, Nanook, inspired by the character Nana the dog. The Grandfather character was never a part of the original story but later created in the draft by Jeffrey Boam, who was hired to do the final rewrite.

Joel Schumacher hated that idea and told the producers he would only sign on if he could change them to teenagers, as he thought it would be much sexier and more interesting.

The film is titled after the companions of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, who remained forever young.

Two men can be seen playing pinball the second time Sam visits the comic shop. The guy with the facial hair is Joe Ferrara II, who actually owned the comic shop Atlantis fantasy world. The comic shop has now moved location but is still owned by Joe.

The names of the Frog brothers, Edgar and Alan, are a reference to Edgar Allan Poe, the well-known writer of horror fiction.

This movie invented the phrase "vamp out," which had passed into common usage on the TV series Vampir Avcisi Buffy (1997).

In Max's video store, you can see a single copy of The Goonies (1985), which also starred Corey Feldman.

In the cave of the Lost Boys, you can see a poster of Jim Morrison, who recorded the original version of "People are Strange" with The Doors. Also, when Star and Laddie are being carried into Sam's room, you can see a poster of Echo & The Bunnymen, who recorded the version used in the movie.

Sam (Corey Haim) has a poster of Rob Lowe on the outside of his closet door. On the DVD commentary, Joel Schumacher says that it was there because had recently directed Lowe in St. Elmo's Fire (1985).

The movie was filmed in only three weeks.

Executive producer Richard Donner originally intended to direct the movie himself, but as production languished, he moved onto Cehennem silahi (1987) and eventually hired Joel Schumacher for the job.

In Cehennem silahi (1987), when Murtaugh and Riggs are walking down the street discussing how Murtaugh owes Hunsacker, a movie theater's marquee displays "Lost Boys: This Year's Hit". Richard Donner directed that film and produced this one. Both were both released in the same year.

The new location of the Atlantis Fantasyworld comic book store, which was featured in the film, is owned by Joe Ferrara II, who still carries the original #1 issue of 'Vampires Everywhere' that Sam reads in the film. The comic was created only for the film, and it's opening page is signed by all of the cast members from the movie. The owner Joe Ferrara II allows any shopper to hold it and take a photo with it free of charge.

Jami Gertz was actually recommended by Jason Patric. Joel Schumacher was originally looking for a blonde. They had both previously starred in Solarbabies (1986) and is probably the reason why he recommended her.

The movie was filmed in Santa Cruz, CA. Santa Cruz in Spanish means "Holy Cross," which is an interesting connection given the vampire subject matter and their vulnerability to crucifixes.

Gerard McMahon wrote the theme song "Cry Little Sister" to the movie after only reading the script and without ever seeing a frame of the film.

Corey Haim jammed with his co-stars between takes, and enjoyed the large props room. Precluded from the nightly parties held by the older actors, Haim bonded with Corey Feldman as they stayed in the hotel watching movies and visited the local arcade.

Every year at the landmark Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, this film is screened as part of the park's free summer movie series. Beach goers may bring outdoor furniture and supplies to watch after sunset. Many features of the town shown can still be recognized, most notably the rides and games of the Boardwalk itself.

The saxophonist who is performing on stage when Michael first sees Star for the first time was Timmy Cappello, the tour saxophonist for Tina Turner.

Though this was their first movie together, both Coreys auditioned for the part of Mouth in The Goonies (1985), with Corey Feldman ultimately getting the part.

Both The Lost Boys and its direct-to-video sequel The Lost Boys: The Tribe star a son of Canadian actor Donald Sutherland: Kiefer Sutherland plays David in The Lost Boys, while Angus Sutherland plays Shane in Lost Boys: The Tribe.

Corey Feldman and Kiefer Sutherland were in Stand by Me (1986).

According to Corey Feldman, Joel Schumacher wanted his character to resemble action stars of the day, so he told him to rent Sylvester Stallone and Chuck Norris films.

At one point, Corey Haim wears a bathrobe with a pattern based on the geometric motifs used by the painter Piet Mondrian.,

The merry-go-round sequence foreshadows the order in which the Lost Boys die. Marko dies first, Paul second, Dwayne third and David last.

The movie didn't originally end on a joke. After the scene with Grampa at the refrigerator, it was supposed to cut to the surviving Lost Boys regrouping in the sunken hotel. The last shot was of a mural on the wall, made in the early 1900s, with Max in it - looking exactly the same as he did today. All of this appeared in an early draft of the script, but ultimately was never filmed.

David is impaled on a pair of antlers and doesn't disintegrate like the other vampires. Despite what Max later says, he is not really dead. This was intended to be picked up in the sequel, "The Lost Girls", which was scripted but never made. In the Wildstorm comic's mini-series "The Lost Boys: Reign of the Frogs" (2008) - which helps bridge the 20-year gap between films - it's implied that David not only survived the impaling but went on to create 'Shane' the head vampire in Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008).

When Sam is in the comic book store the first time he tells the Frog Brothers he's looking for a Batman #14. Joel Schumacher a lifelong and devoted Batman fan, directed Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997) and Corey Haim was considered for the part of Robin.

IMDB Quotes

[last lines]

Grandpa: One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach; all the damn vampires.

Max: It was all going to be so perfect, Lucy. Just like one big, happy family. Your boys... and my boys.

Edgar Frog: Great! The Bloodsucking Brady Bunch!

Alan Frog: [after Laddie vamps out] Holy shit! It's the attack of Eddie Munster!

Sam Emerson: Wait, wait. You *have* a TV?

Grandpa: No. I just like to read the TV Guide. Read the TV Guide, you don't need a TV.

Max: Don't ever invite a vampire into your house, you silly boy. It renders you powerless.

Sam Emerson: Did you know that?

Edgar Frog: Of course. Everyone knows that.

Grandpa: Second shelf is mine. That's where I keep my rootbeers and my double-thick Oreo cookies. Nobody touches the second shelf but me.

Edgar Frog: I think I should warn you all, when a vampire bites it, it's never a pretty sight. No two bloodsuckers go the same way. Some yell and scream, some go quietly, some explode, some implode, but all will try to take you with them.

David: What, you don't like rice? Tell me Michael, how could a billion Chinese people be wrong?

Sam Emerson: Got a problem, guys?

Edgar Frog: Just scoping your civilian wardrobe.

Sam Emerson: Pretty cool, huh?

Alan Frog: For a fashion victim.

Edgar Frog: You did the right thing by calling us. Does your brother sleep a lot?

Sam Emerson: Yeah, all day.

Alan Frog: Does the sunlight freak him out?

Sam Emerson: Uh, he wears sunglasses in the house.

Edgar Frog: Bad breath, long fingernails?

Sam Emerson: Yeah, his fingernails are a little bit longer, um, he always had bad breath, though.

Alan Frog: He's a vampire all right.

Edgar Frog: All right, here's what you do: get yourself a good sharp stake and drive it right through his heart.

Sam Emerson: I can't do that; he's my brother.

Alan Frog: OK, we'll come over and do it for you.

Sam Emerson: No!

Edgar Frog: You'd better get yourself a garlic T-shirt, buddy, or it's your funeral.

Sam Emerson: And then his dog started chasing my mom like the hounds of hell in "Vampires Everywhere."

Edgar Frog: We've been aware there's some very serious vampire activity in this town for some time.

Alan Frog: Santa Carla's become a haven for the undead.

Edgar Frog: As a matter of fact, we're almost certain ghouls and werewolves occupy high positions at city hall.

Alan Frog: Kill your brother, you'll feel better.

Edgar Frog: Are you OK?

Sam Emerson: I nailed one of them downstairs with a bow and arrow.

Alan Frog: All right, Sambo!

Edgar Frog: We trashed the one that looks like Twisted Sister.

Alan Frog: Totally annihilated his night-stalking ass!

Edgar Frog: Well, Nanook helped a little.

Alan Frog: Death to all vampires!

Edgar Frog: Maximum body count!

Edgar Frog: We're awesome monster bashers!

Alan Frog: The meanest!

Edgar Frog: The baddest!

Edgar Frog: You think you really know what's happening here, don't you? Well, I'll tell you something, you don't know shit, buddy.

Alan Frog: Yeah? You think we just work at a comic book store for our folks, huh?

Sam Emerson: Actually, I thought it was a bakery.

Edgar Frog: This is just a cover; we're dedicated to a higher purpose. We're fighters for truth, justice, and the American way.

Michael Emerson: Is there any jobs around here?

Stranger: Nothing legal.

KARIŞIK RESİMLER