With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless others delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. From grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create.
It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay homage to the monstrous, deadly, and often slimy creatures that made the ‘80s such a fantastic decade in horror.
For decades, vampires were synonymous with gothic horror. Or rather, most vampire movies were either Dracula-centric or took cues from Dracula. Which meant gothic castles, lush set pieces, damsels in distress, and formal attire for the lead prince of darkness. Not always, of course, but that was the standard. That carried through in the ‘80s, too. Fright Night’s Jerry Dandridge might have worn modern garb, but he felt like an elegant descendant of Dracula. So did The Hunger’s Miriam. But soon enough, the vampire got a major shakeup. Vamp delivered creature-like vampire strippers, Near Dark gave us vicious blood-drenched killers, and The Lost Boys showed off the playful, unruly side of immortality. Greg Cannom was responsible for two out of three.
Director Joel Schumacher had been wanting to do a brat pack movie with a darker spin for a while, and signed on to do The Lost Boys only if it would align with his vision. Meaning older rebellious teens, not the younger kids the screenplay initially had been written for. Then the cast fell into place, a group of mostly unknown, attractive young actors.
If you’re a regular reader of this column, then you have a semblance of an idea that the most precious commodity on set is time. A luxury item not usually available. That certainly applied here. Cannom, fresh off working on A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, received the call for The Lost Boys when it was already roughly halfway through production. The film already had someone working on the makeup design, Steve Johnson (Night of the Demons, Lord of Illusions), but it wasn’t really what Schumacher wanted. Johnson’s design was elaborate and monstrous; Schumacher wanted his attractive vampires to remain attractive. Artist Ve Neill recommended Cannom, who designed a much sleeker and simpler vampire.
The more subtle prosthetics let the custom contacts and vampire teeth take the center stage for most of the film, but the special makeup effects team got to cut loose in the climactic showdown at the Emerson household. The two highlights being Paul’s (Brook McCarter) holy water bath meltdown, and Dwayne’s (Billy Wirth) death by stereo. McCarter’s head was molded and cast in screaming position (imagine holding that position), Styrofoam heads were made and painted, and a mechanical skull was crafted out of epoxy. When shot, the actor comes out of the water then back down again. Then cut to the effects; corrosive acetone filled the tub, which melted away the Styrofoam heads and left behind the mechanical skull. The pretty vamp was melted down in a gruesome death.
As for the memorable death by stereo, which has Dwayne receiving an arrow that pins him to a stereo that then electrocutes him, a stunt person was rigged with explosives. Cut to a mechanical body that moved and twisted, operated by the mufx team. It also was rigged with explosives that shot out of the back and caused the arms to fall off.
The Lost Boys remains a fan favorite even today. So much so that a TV show is currently in the works. The blend of horror and comedy, the great cast, the talented crew, and the new spin on a classic movie monster are worked in unison to make something special. Cannom and his team, filled with amazing artists like Neill, Everett Burrell, Earl Ellis, Brent Baker, Larry Odie, Tony Gardner, John Vulich, Keith Edmier, Bill Forsche, and Chris Goehe, had no pre-production time to prepare. Cannom came into the project when it was well underway, tasked with handling all of the makeup and many special effects. There wasn’t even time to wait for the special custom contact lens to ship in- he had to fly overseas to pick them up himself.
Given all the behind the scenes issues, Cannom and his team’s creation of a brand new style of vampire is all the more impressive.
