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By Anthony Faust · December 8, 2017
Screenplay by: Jan Fischer, James Jeremias, Jeffrey Boam
Breakdown by: Anthony Faust
Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, and Jason Patric star in this 1980’s classic about a group of vampires terrorizing a small coastal town in Southern California.
After the prologue, which shows a policeman being brutally attacked by an unseen perpetrator, we see a family on the move. Their destination is the same place where we witnessed the carnage depicted in the opening scene. The screenwriters do something clever to signal to the reader that Michael will be the one we will follow in the subsequent pages.
PAGE 2
EXT. PACIFIC COAST – MORNING
Helicopter shots of the COASTLINE and HIGHWAY 17 approach-
ing Santa Clara: ocean, agriculture, etc. CAMERA FINDS
a beat up LAND ROVER pulling a U-HAUL TRAILER.
INT. ROVER
LUCY ANDERSON drives — late thirties, sexy, warm, com-
fortable with herself — a bit of a free spirit. SAM,
11, a victim of too many afternoons in shopping malls
watching Bratpack movies, sits next to her in his trendy
duds, suffering the foreign coastline with his large
Malamute dog NANOOK.
MICHAEL, in his late teens, slumps in the back seat. He
is a loner, an independent and not enjoying the ride.
LUCY
We’re getting close…
SAM
What’s that smell?
LUCY
(filling lungs)
Ocean air!
SAM
Smells like something died.
LUCY
Guys, I know it hasn’t been easy…
the divorce and now the move… but
I think you’re really going to like
living in Santa Carla…
No reply. Her sons look unconvinced.
LUCY
How ’bout some music.
She turns on the radio to COUNTRY AND WESTERN.
SAM
Keep going.
She next finds an EASY LISTENING station.
MICHAEL
Keep going.
She next finds Donovan singing “Mellow Yellow.”
SAM/MICHAEL
Keep going.
LUCY
(laughing)
Wait. Haight-Ashbury! The summer
of love! ‘Mellow Yellow.’
SAM/MICHAEL
Keep going!
They all laugh as Lucy turns the dial to a CURRENT ROCK
HIT and the boys relax.
THEIR POV – LARGE BILLBOARD
Showing Boardwalk, Pier, etc. Reads: “Welcome to Santa
Carla.”
As they pass, only Michael notices what has been spray
painted on the back of the sign: “MURDER CAPITAL OF THE
WORLD.”
In showing Michael as the only one among his mother Lucy, and his brother Sam, to receive the privileged information that Santa Carla, their new home, is the murder city capital of the world, the screenwriters communicate to the reader that Michael acknowledges an obstacle. It will be a place he will soon find himself struggling desperately to survive. The focus here is on Michael.
Considering the fact that The Lost Boys describes a demographic in its title, its not surprising that the first ten pages of the screenplay contains numerous references that appeal to teenagers. This is a screenplay that speaks to the MTV generation. Michael is the guy the target audience will empathize with. He’s cool, assured, and a bit mischievous as this passage insinuates.
PAGE 7
INT. AN UPSTAIRS BEDROOM
Sam is stacking his comic book collection on the shelves
when Michael enters.
MICHAEL
This room is mine.
SAM
I was here first.
MICHAEL
Okay. I’ll flip you for it.
Sam can see it’s his only chance.
SAM
Okay…
Michael smiles, grabs Sam suddenly and “flips” him upside
down. Michael is laughing, but his tone changes dramati-
cally when Sam reaches out, grabs hold of Michael’s crotch
and squeezes hard. Michael drops Sam.
MICHAEL
Owwww! You little shit!
Sam is out the door as Michael pursues.
DOWN THE STAIRCASE THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM
Sam yells to Lucy, who is outside.
SAM
Help me, Mom. Help.
LUCY
Soon.
Sam tears open a pair of old sliding doors and runs into:
THE OLD BAR
Stuffed animals of all kinds staring down at him: Squir-
rels, birds, cats, etc.
Also, boxes of eyes, pelts, hides, wooden animal forms.
In other words, all the equipment and accouterments of
a taxidermist.
MICHAEL
dashes in. Both boys stare in wonder.
The whole scene is very weird. Suddenly a voice from
behind.
GRANDPA
Rules!
Both boys jump, Grandpa is behind them.
GRANDPA
Got some rules around here.
INT. KITCHEN
Grandpa opens the refrigerator revealing a shelf with a
cardboard flap on it reading: “Old Fart.”
GRANDPA
Second shelf is mine… keep my
root beers and double-thick Mint
Oreo cookies there… Nobody
touches the second shelf…
Grandpa closes the door as Michael notices something out
the window, as they follow Grandpa back towards the
living room. Michael points to a small marijuana crop
growing outside. Sam is puzzled but Michael make a
“smoking a joint” gesture.
In The Lost Boys, the dramatic situation is expressed in two parts to the reader. First, the drama, which gives the situation that follows context, is supplied in the prologue. The screenplay opens with this bristling scene.
PAGE 1
EXT. THE OCEAN – NIGHT
CAMERA SKIMMING along the top of the water. Moonlight on
the surf. Racing toward the beach where large bonfires
burn. TITLES AND TITLE SONG.
CAMERA FLIES THROUGH FLAMES revealing:
THE SANTA CARLA BOARDWALK
This is the place where it’s all happening on warm summer
nights. MUSIC and NOISE. Arcades. Thrill rides. A
brightly-lit Ferris wheel turning against a jet black sky.
INT. CAROUSEL
Spinning merrily. Loud CALLIOPE MUSIC. Young kids and
teenagers occupy the horses and benches. A tough group
of “SURF NAZIS” also ride. “My Beach, My Wave” on their
T-shirts.
The LOST BOYS enter the carousel house. Cool kids in dis-
tinctive dress. Compelling; not threatening. They are
DAVID, MARKO, PAUL, DWAYNE; David the obvious leader.
GREG, the head Surf Nazi, sits in one of the carousel’s
benches with his arm around his girl, SHELLY. He thinks
he’s King of the Boardwalk.. And doesn’t like it one bit
when Shelly casts an appreciative glance toward David.
David smiles back at her. Not flirting, just being chi-
valrous.
Greg scowls and takes his anger out on Paul by
tripping him as he goes by. An insult… a shove. David
joins Paul. Surf Nazis join Greg. The Lost Boys close
ranks. A major melee seems ready to erupt, when the ugly
end of a nightstick is shoved against his Adam’s apple.
A three hundred pound security GUARD is at the other end.
The ride suddenly ends. CALLIOPE MUSIC STOPS.
GUARD
I told you to stay off the
boardwalk.
For an endless moment David’s and the Guard’s eyes lock
in mortal combat. Neither one willing to give ground.
Then David smiles.
DAVID
Come on, let’s pull.
The Lost Boys begin to leave as the Guard turns to Greg
and the Surf Nazis.
GUARD
You too, off the boardwalk. And
don’t come back!
Greg and the Surf Nazis grumble and leave. There is
bad blood between them and the Lost Boys, but both groups
hate the Security Guard more.
EXT. BOARDWALK – NIGHT (AERIAL SHOT)
CAMERA TRAVELS through the empty amusement park as the
lights go off systematically. CAMERA CONTINUES past the
rides to reveal:
LARGE, EMPTY PARKING LOT
The Security Guard approaches his lone car carrying his
lunch pail. Deadly quiet.
VAMPIRE POV SHOT
Zooming down on the Guard. A rush of air. High-pitched
SCREECHING. WHISPERING VOICES.
THE GUARD
looks up — reacts for a split second — and then he’s
gone — pulled UPWARD OUT OF FRAME so fast, he’s just a
blur. Only his lunch box — bouncing on the pavement
— remains behind.
SHOTS OF GROTESQUE CARNIVAL IMAGES ON THE BOARDWALK
Clown faces bobbing. Dark images in the carousel.
EXT. DESERTED BEACH – NIGHT
WAVES LAP against the beach. Lonely and deserted. No
one around for miles.
All is quiet and still, until… WHOOSH! THUD!
THE GUARD’S BODY
falls from the sky and lands in the wet sand directly IN
FRONT OF CAMERA.
Horrible and bloodless. Sucked dry, like a deflated
balloon. CAMERA PULLS UP, UP, UP until the coastline is
visible to us. And NIGHT DISSOLVES INTO DAY.
Drama has been given to the reader in this heart-pounding set-up. The situation, the second part of this rule, is made clear in the subsequent scene when Michael sees the “Murder Capital of the World” graffiti on the back of the sign.
Only then can we put these two together and understand the screenplay’s dramatic situation. A family looking for a fresh start must contend with the reality dramatized in the prologue.
WORLD OF THE STORY
In The Lost Boys, the screenwriters describe a lively, eccentric beach town on the edge of the world. Read how the tone is set by describing Santa Carla as a place that harbors a dark secret.
PAGE 4
EXT. SANTA CARLA – MORNING
ESTABLISH Summer/Fun atmos — Bikinis, Surfers, Bikers,
Colorful Locals, etc.
HIGH SHOT soaks in boardwalk and surrounding area as
CAMERA MOVES DOWNWARD finding Sam and Nonook in the crowd
running to:
EXT. GAS STATION/SURF RENTAL/TRAMPOULINE RIDE
In the center of the action. Lucy pumps gas into the
Rover as Sam runs up to her.
SAM
Mom, there’s an amusement park
right on the beach!
LUCY
That’s the boardwalk, Sam.
SAM
Can we go now, huh?
LUCY
Maybe later. Grandpa’s expecting
us.
Lucy is disturbed as she notices TWO RUNAWAY TEENAGERS
RUMMAGING through a nearby garbage bin for something to
eat. She and Sam are distracted however as they see
Michael rolling his HONDA MOTOR BIKE from out of the
U-Haul.
THEME
The Lost Boys is a classic coming of age story. After the first few pages, this theme is crystal clear. A young teenager, Michael, and his younger brother, have come to a town after a divorce has ripped their family apart. The temptations of Santa Carla will be too great for Michael to resist. One of those is a young, beautiful woman that Michael’s gaze locks onto during a rock concert along the beach.
PAGE 9
EXT. BEACH IN FRONT OF THE BOARDWALK- NIGHT
Michael and Sam walk across the beach, around the burning
bonfires. The beach is crowded. Greg and the Surf Nazis
hang out. It is all very strange and exciting to Sam and
Michael who make their way towards the lively boardwalk.
Sam fusses with his “mussed” hair and trendy clothes.
MICHAEL
You’re beautiful.
SAM
Wanna change my hair, my clothes,
my face.
They go up the stairs near the bandstand. A LOUD ROCK
GROUP performs. The crows and action are exciting.
Michael and Sam make their way through the young people..
Michael suddenly sees:
STAR
A heart-stopping young beauty. Different from anyone in
the crowd, listening to the music and even though she’s
with LADDIE, 14, a sweet-faced but sad boy, she seems
alone. As the MUSIC BUILDS, she suddenly feels Michael’s
gaze and their eyes meet. She is a person looking for a
friend. Michael smiles. Star wants to smile back, but
she can’t, and reaching for Laddie, disappears through
the crowd. Michael grabs Sam and follows.
In conclusion, The Lost Boys is a strong screenplay. Despite a somewhat schlocky plot that deals heavily in vampires and 80s tropes, it tells a good story and follows the five rules in its first ten pages quite effectively.
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Staff · November 1, 2017
