The Lost Boys (1987)
Also known as "The Lost Boys Special Edition DVD"
Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire.
Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Brooke McCarter, Billy Wirth, Alex Winter, Chance Michael Corbitt, Alexander Bacon Chapman, Nori Morgan
Director: Joel Schumacher
Running Time: 97 minutes
US MPAA rating: RUK BBFC rating: 12
Comedy, Horror
On DVD Teen vampire flick 'The Lost Boys' isn't exactly the scariest horror movie ever made. In fact, the ridiculously over-sized 80s hairstyles on show are probably more frightening than the teeth. Come to think of it, it's not exactly the funniest comedy you're ever likely to come across either. But there's just something about its 50-50 mix of the two genres that just works fantastically well, creating a memorable nocturnal knees-up that manages to amount to much more than the sum of its parts.
The main focus of the film is the Emerson family. Mum (Diane Wiest) has just split up with her hubby so, along with her two sons Michael and Sam (Jason Patric and Corey Haim), she drives to the seaside town of Santa Carla to stay with Grandpa (Barnard Hughes, who you might also remember as the Gramps out of 'Blossom'). One night, the fam are all out enjoying a nice evening of live soft rock power ballads (what a soundtrack this one's got, by the way), when Mikey spots himself a long-haired lovely by the name of Star (Jami Gertz). He follows her for a while, gets introduced to her pals (among them a bemulleted Kiefer Sutherland, in his breakthrough role) and, yadda yadda yadda, he becomes a vampire. And THAT, kiddy-winks, is why you're not supposed to wander off with strangers.
Despite its fairly conservative running time of just over an hour-and-a-half, there's loads going on in this film. Alongside Michael's delve into the world of transition vamp (not to be confused, of course, with that band Wendy James was in), there's a blossoming romance between Mum and creepy storekeeper Max (Edward Herrmann), a couple of brothers (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander) who claim to be the local experts on bloodsucker-busting, and even a bit of space at the side for that bloke who played Bill in 'Bill & Ted' (Alex Winter, who never really did as well as Keanu Reeves, did he?).
It's pure popcorn stuff, of course. It's not saying anything profound, and it's certainly not trying to teach us anything - but Hell, if you're after that sort of thing you're hardly likely to settle down with a Joel Schumacher movie anyway. What is it, though, is an extremely entertaining goth romp featuring some very black comedy, tongue-in-cheek performances all round, and just enough climactic gore to go out with a bang.
DVD Extras: In celebration of this film's undying (or should that be undead?) popularity, Warner Home Video have released this jam-packed 2-disc Special Edition. It features a director's commentary, deleted scenes, a retrospective documentary, a multiangle featurette on Corey's Haim and Feldman (or 'The Lost Coreys' as I like to call them), four 'Inside the Vampire's Cave' features, and a behind-the-scenes butcher's at the work of make-up master Greg Cannom.
It's Got: An end-of-film bloodbath. Literally.
It Needs: Plenty of Holy water.
Alternatives: From Dusk Till Dawn, John Carpenter's Vampires, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Summary: This silly-but-enjoyable cult classic is really something to get your teeth into.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 12th November 2004
Image Gallery
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External Links
The Lost Boys at the IMDB
Comments6 Comments |
| this movie is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| Comment by:- | | 08 December 2004 | ip: logged |
| this movie is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| Comment by:- | | 08 December 2004 | ip: logged |
| GREAT MOVIE! I LOVE ALEX AS MARKO. |
| Comment by:- | | 21 December 2004 | ip: logged |
| I loved this film, and though i was only 3 years old when it came out, i wished i was young in the late 80ies! Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland look great, wish they would right now... lol |
| Comment by:- | | 30 December 2004 | ip: logged |
| Cindy - I think you'll find you WERE young in the late 80s. Your were three. |
| Comment by:- | | 30 December 2004 | ip: logged |
| mystertious pedant - yes i was a child when the lost lost boys came out, that's what i meant... i wish i was a teenager then ok now??? and sorry for the possible mistakes, english isn't my mother language, dutch is. |
| Comment by:- | | 03 January 2005 | ip: logged |
