‘Lost Boys’ bar in Santa Cruz? What do locals think?

Would you go to a “Lost Boys”-themed restaurant or bar in Santa Cruz? How about a museum or a festival?

Part of getting your genuine Santa Cruz merit badge these days is having an opinion about the 1987 quasi-horror flick “The Lost Boys,” filmed at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, downtown Santa Cruz, the Pogonip and other nearby locales. 

Last week, Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud conducted a highly unscientific survey of locals on their opinions re: “Lost Boys,” and got varying degrees of enthusiasm for the movie about the fictional town Santa Carla and its teenage vampire infestation.

Everyone Kevin talked to had not only seen the movie, but had seen it more than once. Anthony Clemento of Corralitos, for example, estimated his viewings as “somewhere north of 30.” He also said, “If it was on TV tomorrow, I would watch it again.”

Does that translate into big profits for any prospective “Lost Boys” bar/restaurant? That’s a definite maybe.

Leah Adrian of Santa Cruz answered with an instant “Hell yeah!” when asked if she would go to a “Lost Boys” restaurant. She gave the same response when asked if she would go to a “Lost Boys” museum. But others, perhaps figuring that a “Lost Boys” restaurant would cater mostly to tourists, were a bit more lukewarm. Steve Principe of Santa Cruz said, “If I had some out-of-town guests, I’m sure I’d end up there.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

But Carly Cross, who grew up in Santa Cruz, suggested that an embrace of “The Lost Boys” is an essential part of living here. “It’s a cult classic,” she said. “If you grew up in Santa Cruz, or even if you know of Santa Cruz, anywhere you travel, you can talk to people about that movie.”

Carly, in fact, thinks of “The Lost Boys” quite often: “Every time we walk across the railroad tracks there from the harbor side across to the Boardwalk, we always talk about that movie. Every single time.”

Do you have an opinion worth sharing on “The Lost Boys”? Would you frequent a “Lost Boys”-themed business? Let us know at wallace@lookoutlocal.com.

And if you just want to see what all the fuss is about, the Boardwalk is presenting a free screening of “The Lost Boys” on Main Beach on the evening of June 13. 

Also, the day before the screening, Jamison Newlander, who played the role of Alan Frog in the film, will visit Atlantis Fantasyworld in Santa Cruz to sign autographs and talk to fans, from 4 to 6 p.m. June 12.

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