Let’ face it, sometimes that post-credit scene that half the audience [or maybe more] never watches is one of the best in a movie. Or, at least one of the most important. Sometimes, that final scene explains away something that was left a mystery beyond our comprehension or, more often than not, sets the scene for a sequel.
From Ferris Bueller to the Matrix
Most of the many popular films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have them. “The Matrix” movies had them, too. And, one of the best-known scenes that appeared after the credits was the wildly popular teen comedy, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” where Matthew Broderick sent us all heading home via a pretty funny one-man scene. That was definitely a scene that was worth seeing but most people probably never saw it. Most moviegoers bolt out of their seats and head for the exit as the very first credit roles. Frankly, I first started sitting thru the credits just to avoid getting trampled on the way out of the theater. It just seemed more sensible to just sit there for a few minutes until the crowd thinned. But, then I realized that maybe I was missing something. So, now I watch the credits and never miss a single post credit scene.
Lost Boys Lost Scene
What I didn’t know, however, is that some movies were actually meant to have one but ended up without it. One such film was the 1987 horror classic “Lost Boys”. In fact, there was a book written about the making of the movie. It was penned by Paul Davis and was called “Lost In The Shadows: The Story Of The Lost Boys”. In the original script, which was written by Jeffrey Boam, Jan Fischer, and James Jeremias, after the credits, the camera went flying above the boardwalk, settling on an old 1900s-era mural. One of the images looked like the head vampire, Max, wearing a straw hat and talking with several teenage boys. For both budgetary and creative reasons, the scene was never shot. Director Joel Schumacher felt that Grandpa’s remark about the “damn vampires” was a more suitable ending.
Vampire Forerunner
Whether it was better off without the post-credits scene or not remains to be seen but, either way, it was a classic teen horror film starring Kiefer Sutherland long before he became famous for “24” and now “Designated Survivor. He did a great job in ‘Lost Boys”, as did the entire cast, including the Coreys, Feldman and Haim. All of the acting was stellar, the special effects superb, and the scenery gorgeous. Santa Clara may have been cursed by vampires but it’s certainly a pretty place. It was one of the forerunners of other vampire fare, like “True Blood” and the wildly popular ‘Twilight” movies. But, on the other hand, we probably have Anne Rice to blame for the entire lot of them.
Thou Shalt Not Kill
And, every time I see it, “Lost Boys” wows me again and again with its haunting opening scene. It includes one of the best aerial shots I’ve ever seen of the Pacific coast, zooming over the water accompanied by the haunting song that threads its way throughout the movie and contains that memorable line “Thou shalt not kill”. Good advice, unless you’re a vampire.
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