When I first saw THE LOST BOYS on VHS—I rented it shortly after it was released on video, not being yet old enough (or licensed to drive) to go see it in the theater—I found it entertaining, enjoyable, but I dismissed it as, for lack of a better word, “fluff.” For one thing, in those days everything Horror for me centered on the slashers, Jason, Freddy, and Michael. Vampires, excepting the classic iterations like Lugosi and Lee, had become somewhat lackluster. They didn’t have a “modern” masterpiece to cement their place in (my idea of) contemporary cinematic glory the way werewolves did, with THE HOWLING and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. (I did see the goofy made-for-TV film I, DESIRE and loved it, but mostly ‘cause I was a horny teenager and the female vampire lead appealed to my hormones.) It wouldn’t be until the early 90s and BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA that vampires would truly return to their place of prominence in my estimation.
Little did I recognize it then, but THE LOST BOYS indeed WAS one of those modern masterpieces. Its reputation has grown with the years, perhaps because fanboys like me have gotten older and are more capable of appreciating it. It is to those fanboys and fangirls that the new making-of book LOST IN THE SHADOWS will most appeal. It’s a limited edition piece, though, so better order your copy now.