Ah, The Lost Boys. I haven’t seen saxophone playing that sexy since Rob Lowe in St. Elmo’s Fire. Both of those films are directed by Joel Schumacher. Hm.
Sam (Corey Haim), his brother Michael (Jason Patric) and mother Lucy (Diane Wiest) are relocating to Santa Carla, California after Lucy has divorce the boys’ father. They are moving in with Lucy’s eccentric father (Bernard Hughes). Seeing things like “murder capital of the world” spray painted on a sign, posters with missing people on them and all kinds of weirdos running around the boardwalk do not exactly make the boys feel good about the move. Grandpa is also a weirdo, who likes smoking weed, taxidermy and keeping Oreos in the refrigerator next to his root beer. While out on the boardwalk one night, Lucy goes in to a video store and meets Max (Edward Hermann), the owner, and takes a job there. Sam visits a comic book store where the Frog brothers, Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander) give him a vampire comic. The speak vaguely and call the comic a survival guide, and hint that something is not right in Santa Carla (I never understood this; the movie makes it clear right away that there are vampires about. I have often wondered why the Frog brothers just did not outright say from the beginning that the town is crawling with them). Michael (whose name is spoken easliy 100 times in this film) sees and beomes fascinated with Star (Jami Gertz), who he first encounters at the aforementioned steroid saxophone jam. While trying to woo Star, Michael falls in with David (Keifer Sutherland) and friends who live in a cave. They are reprobates for sure, but because Star hangs out with them, Michael does also. They put him through various “tests” as initiation, including having him unknowingly drink David’s blood. Michael then becomes a half vampire and slowly starts displaying the warning signs: see through reflection, sleeping all day, flying. Some of the behaviors he is displaying are the same as a troubled son, so Lucy assumes that he is rebelling due to the divorce. Sam, having read the vampire comics supplied to him, recognizes the transformation that his brother is going through and tried to alert his mother, but this usually ends in disaster and Lucy again thinks that, reacting to the divorce, her other child is now acting out. Sam must now save his brother, who is torn between good and evil, and resisting the urge to become a full vampire (by killing someone) is becoming increasingly difficult.
I will just come right out and say that The Lost Boys is every bit as good as it was over 20 years ago. Even as I typed “20 years ago,” it does not seem like the film is that old. It doesn’t look it, that’s for sure. The 80’s is one of the most visually obvious decades when captured on film and aside from maybe a vampire mullet or two, the film does not have that look to it at all. You may have to ignore the umpteen occasions in which “Cry Little Sister” is played to remove yourself from 1987, but if you did that, you wouldn’t be watching The Lost Boys, would you?
The film blends horror and comedy perfectly, and what helps is that neither of the two is over the top. Lines are genuinely funny, and the gore is rather limited, yet very effective. This lends believably to an otherwise unbelievable story. Also, everyone in it was pretty much perfectly cast, right down to the two Coreys. This was their first film together, and what a legacy they have left us.
The most enjoyable part of this film was that it focused on the fight for Michael. We seem him turn half vampire early, and the bulk of the film is him battling the urge to give in and become full vampire. He seeks help from Sam but at the same time, returns to David. This was much more satisfying than a simple battle between vampires and humans. This was a fight for property and territory that is complicated by love and family.
Also enjoyable is the whole “my kids are just acting out” explanation that Lucy assigns to her kids’ behavior. I mean, it makes logical sense, so why wouldn’t she? How funny is it, that of many things kids might battle with (drugs, etc), Michael ends up running with blood suckers? It’s almost a blatant commentary on how oblivious some parents can be.
There really isn’t anything negative to say about this film. Every second is thoroughly enjoyable. What’s more impressive, is that it will without a doubt be just as good in another 20 years. Whereas I could not make it through an entire installment of Twilight when it was new, I can make it through this film with the same level of enjoyment each and every time. I am unsure if Schumacher knew he was making a film that would be sort of timeless, but that it exactly what he did. There are countless vampire films, and it is almost a reflex to mention The Lost Boys when someone demands a list of best vampire films of me.
Comments
Post a Comment