Synopsis:
“Grandpa: The Original Lost Boy?”
Throughout The Lost Boys, Grandpa leaves numerous clues suggesting that he might be a vampire or at least part vampire. This intriguing theory has been circulating for some time, and the recently revealed deleted scenes lend further credence to it. One such deleted scene that was put back in, features Grandpa casually mentioning Lucy’s boss, Max, by name, leaving her visibly shocked. He claims to know of him, which raises even more questions about his true nature.
Knowledge of Vampires: Grandpa seems to know a lot about vampires without ever explicitly saying so. His famous line, “One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach... all the damn vampires,” suggests he’s long been aware of their presence, perhaps more than an ordinary human should be.
Unexplained Absences: Grandpa frequently leaves the house and doesn’t always explain where he goes. His vague, unpredictable comings and goings could be a sign that he’s leading a double life, possibly as a vampire.
Avoidance of Town: Grandpa mentions several times that he doesn’t like going into town, which could be interpreted as him avoiding other vampires to prevent his secret from being exposed. This mirrors the way some vampires in fiction tend to stay away from heavily populated areas to avoid detection.
The “Date” Excuse: Grandpa often goes on “dates” with the Widow Johnson, but we never see her. It could be an excuse to cover for his nocturnal activities or to hide the fact that he doesn’t age and can’t be seen in public for long periods.
Stuffed Animals as Trophies: The stuffed animals around his home could be seen as trophies of his hunting, symbolizing his mastery over nature. If he were a vampire, this could be a subtle hint that he’s also skilled at hunting vampires or other creatures, using it as a cover for his predatory nature.
Garlic in the Fridge: The refrigerator is notably stocked with raw garlic, a known vampire deterrent. While this could be to ward off vampires, it’s also possible that Grandpa uses it to mask his true identity, knowing it could deflect suspicion from himself.
The Forbidden Fridge Shelf: Grandpa has a golden rule about a certain shelf in the fridge that he insists no one should touch. This shelf is kept hidden from view, implying that it holds something more sinister than mere root beer. This could insinuate that it contains blood, hinting at his true nature as a vampire or his connection to their world.
Grandpa’s Vehicle as a Weapon: In the climax of the film, Grandpa drives his vehicle through the house to stake Max, the head vampire. While this could just be Grandpa coming to the rescue, some fans believe he might have had prior knowledge of how to kill vampires effectively, possibly because he’s one himself but acts against his own kind (similar to how Blade is a vampire who hunts vampires).
Ambiguity Around Aging: Grandpa doesn’t seem to age, although this could be attributed to his healthy, outdoorsy lifestyle. However, his youthful energy and eccentricity might hint at something more supernatural, like vampirism. Living Near the Vampire Nest: Grandpa lives on the outskirts of town, near the area where the vampire gang operates. His proximity to them without ever being harmed could be because he’s one of them, or at least shares some of their nature.
Deleted Scene Clues:
The Taxidermy Scene: In a deleted scene, Grandpa offers Sam a stuffed dog and says, “He was mine when I was your age.” This odd moment raises eyebrows because Grandpa, an older man, implying that the dog is decades old, subtly hints that Grandpa might not age, supporting the idea that he could be immortal, like a vampire.
Nocturnal Habits: In another deleted scene, Grandpa is seen rising at night to do some odd chores around the house. While this could be chalked up to eccentricity, it does suggest that he is more active at night, a common trait of vampires. His preference for nighttime activity adds another layer of suspicion to his behavior.
Grandpa’s Reflection: There is also a deleted scene where Grandpa talks to Sam while looking in a mirror, but his reflection seems to be unusually dim or faint. This could be a subtle nod to the common vampire lore where vampires either have no reflection or a weakened one.
Casual Mention of Knowing Max: In a deleted scene, Grandpa casually mentions to Lucy (the mom) that he knows of Max, asking about him during a conversation. Lucy seems surprised, indicating that it’s unusual Grandpa would have heard of him. This implies that Grandpa may have some prior knowledge of Max’s true identity or involvement in the vampire world. The casual nature of the conversation suggests that Grandpa is more aware of local vampire dealings than he lets on, further supporting the theory that he could be a vampire or at least have deep ties to their community.
Intentions:
This project was inspired by the edit The Lost Boys - The Extended Night Cut by u/vasglorious. I used their brilliant edit as a base and added to it. I left a detailed comment on their post, praising their flawless reintegration of the deleted scenes and how closely it follows the original script. Their edit transforms the tone of the movie in amazing ways, and I highly recommend watching it. After experiencing this version, I can’t go back to the official release.
My goal was to match color correction and upscale the deleted scenes as much as possible to match the rest of the film. I’m also looking into AI tools to enhance these scenes further. If anyone has recommendations for AI tools that can help upscale scenes to HD quality, please let me know.
This edit follows the original script and gives Michael the character arc he deserves. We now see his transformation from a happy brother and son, enjoying time with his family, to his gradual descent into darkness (similar to Anakin’s arc in Star Wars). The deleted scenes provide much-needed depth to his character.
Change List:
• Synced all the sax music at the boardwalk, even including the deleted scenes (which was very time-consuming).
• Added appropriate color correction and background music to the deleted scenes to match the tone of the film.
• In the deleted scenes where Michael lifts weights, I added “Should I Stay or Should I Go” as background music. The song fits his emotional state and is era-appropriate (1980s). The deleted scenes originally lacked any background audio.
• In the deleted scene where the Frog Brothers first meet Michael on the stairs, I replaced the silence with intense music.
• Added a new opening intro.
• Some scenes are out of order compared to the theatrical release due to the inclusion of deleted scenes. This fan-edit follows the order of the original script, which makes more sense. The theatrical release rearranged scenes, and viewers who’ve only seen that version may not realize this.
• This edit supports the theory that Grandpa is either a vampire or a vampire hunter. In the theatrical release, Grandpa avoids getting involved when Max arrives for dinner. In this version, Grandpa admits to Michael’s mom that he knows Max. When Michael “turns,” Grandpa seems aware but keeps his distance. At the end, Grandpa rigs his truck with stakes to kill Max, acting as a vampire slayer. His last line about “all the damn vampires” further supports this theory. Also, when they first arrive at his house, Grandpa’s rule about not opening the shelf with his “root beers” takes on new meaning—he keeps it covered, making it more plausible that he’s hiding something.
• Added music and color correction to more deleted scenes to better match the tone of the entire film. Minor scene reordering shows Michael establishing rapport with Star at the boardwalk while David and Marco stalk him from a distance.
• This is the best possible edit until the deleted scenes can be upgraded to HD via AI.
• The result looks perfect on a flat screen.
• Every deleted scene now has background audio and colorization.
Special Thanks:
This was inspired by the edit and utilized his base: The Lost Boys - The Extended Night Cut. Props to u/vasglorious for utilizing his base.