The Grand Ballroom at Planet Comicon Kansas City is famous for its marquee panels, but few match the sheer nostalgia of bringing together the stars of two 80s genre pillars. This weekend, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland, and Alex Winter took the stage for a sprawling group chat that bridged the worlds of the Santa Carla vampires and the Lincoln County Regulators.
It was a unique dynamic on stage, with Kiefer serving as the common thread between both iconic films. The trio remained incredibly gracious, repeatedly crediting their long careers to the fans who have supported these movies for nearly four decades.
Learning the Craft
The actors reflected on how young they were during production. Kiefer joked that while he was just a kid during The Lost Boys, he felt he had “matured” significantly by the time they shot Young Guns—a whole two years later!
Kiefer admitted he didn’t fully grasp Director Joel Schumacher’s vision for The Lost Boys while they were filming. It wasn’t until he saw the finished product that he realized how special the movie actually was.
Fate and “La Bamba”
Lou Diamond Phillips shared a story of pure serendipity: running into Kiefer at a movie theater and discussing how great it would be to work together. Just two weeks later, they were both cast in Young Guns.
The chemistry was instant, even in tense moments. Lou recalled a terrifying flight on a small promotional plane that hit severe turbulence and dropped 100 feet. Seeing that Lou was shaken, Kiefer leaned over and jokingly sang, “La-la-la-la Bamba,” perfectly cutting the tension.
Emotional Echoes
The panel took a poignant turn when Lou discussed playing Ritchie Valens. He described the profound honor of being embraced by the Valens family, who treated him like their own brother. He even slept in Ritchie’s childhood bed. During the filming of the fateful plane crash scene, Ritchie’s sister fell into Lou’s arms weeping, finally finding the closure she never got with her brother.
Behind the Scenes: Outtakes and Horses
When asked about bloopers, Kiefer deadpanned, “I have never flubbed a line in my life.” The group explained that both sets were quite serious, so “planned” outtakes were rare. However, they did poke fun at a certain Young Guns co-star who was notoriously afraid of horses. While they didn’t name names, it’s a well-known bit of trivia that Charlie Sheen struggled with his equine co-stars; many of his “riding” shots actually featured him on a saddle-topped board carried by stuntmen!
The Den Dad and the Coreys
Alex Winter shared his experience as the “veteran” among the younger actors on The Lost Boys, essentially acting as a den dad for Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. He recalled how a young Corey Haim wasn’t allowed to use a real bow during practice, so he would mimic the swish sound with his mouth. When it came time to film the actual takes, Haim couldn’t stop himself from making the sound out loud, much to the crew’s amusement.
The Ultimate Question
The panel ended with a fan asking: “Which gang had better hair?” The consensus? The Young Guns had more hair, but the Lost Boys definitely had more hair product.
While the spotlight often stayed on the Young Guns duo, Alex Winter provided wonderful context for the cult classic that defined a generation of horror. It was an unforgettable hour of storytelling that reminded us why these films—and these actors—remain legends.
Stay tuned for more panel coverage!
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