The Lost Boys, Twilight

The Connection Between ‘The Lost Boys’ And ‘Twilight’ That You Probably Never Noticed

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We all know The Lost Boys. The iconic ’80s vampire movie introduced many of us to the wonder that is Kiefer Sutherland and his glorious spiky blond mullet. We reveled in the vampy goodness and always paid close attention to the oiled up chain-wearing muscleman playing the saxophone. The Lost Boys gave an entire generation a cool vampire movie we could bond over.

Then there’s 2008’s Twilight. Based on a YA romance novel, the film series feels like the antithesis to its ’80s counterpart. Featuring brooding stares and simpering dialog, the fanbase for this one is split between fans who take it seriously and those who love to hate it. Sparkly 100-year-old vampires fighting over their 17-year-old bland-as-can-be girlfriends seem like the exact opposite of The Lost Boys. In the venn diagram of Lost Boys and Twilight fans, there seems to be very little overlap.

But what if I told you that there’s a connection between The Lost Boys and Twilight–one that you might be angry about when you see what it is? Let’s begin.

The Lost Boys were hot–by ’80s standards, anyway.

Let’s face it: The Lost Boys was one of the first movies to give us pretty boy vampires. Before Twilight, before Interview with the Vampire, there was David and the boys rocking their mullets, leather jackets, and souped-up motorcycles. David was rugged though, right? The Lost Boys didn’t look like they’d just walked out of a spread from GQ. They didn’t sparkle.

Edward Cullen being ever-so sparkly in Twilight.

And that was the big complaint with Twilight. Any time a vampire purist would start bemoaning the content of the 2008 romance, they’d inevitably bring it back to the sparkly skin. The big problem with being a vampire, according to the brooding Edward Cullen, was that they sparkled like diamonds when blasted with direct sunlight. No death, no turning to dust. They’d just sparkle. How rough his extended life must be.

This is where the connection comes in.

Corey Feldman is about to to do some damage in The Lost Boys. (Peep the retractile wooden stake.)

How mad would you be, Lost Boys fan, to find out that David and the gang sparkle, too? When Sam and the Frog brothers finally make their way to the vampires’ hideout with the goal of killing the head vampire, they find the sparkle connection first-hand. They roll up on the vampires’ den finding the beefcakes hanging from the ceiling by their gross taloned feet. With a bit of hyping from his brother, Edgar Frog pulls back his wooden stake and plunges it into Marko’s heart.

Gallons of vampire blood rain down on the trio of pubescent teen boys and they’re soaked. You might not have noticed anything while they were still in the dank vamp cave, but when they get outside, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

As they hop in the car with Michael, Laddie, and Star, take a close look at the blood still caking Sam and the Frog Brothers. See the telltale sparkle? The filmmakers filled the vampires’ blood with glitter. You read that right. The Lost Boys’ blood sparkles when it gets into direct sunlight. Hmm, sounds like the skin of some other vampires we know. If you’re unconvinced, feel free to watch the movie again. You can find it on Netflix.

An ancient and inaccurate meme.

It looks like this old meme, which has been circulating ever since Twilight came out, isn’t exactly accurate, is it? Sorry vampire purists–Twilight vamps weren’t the first to sparkle.