The Lost Boys (1987)

The Lost Boys: Directed by Joel Schumacher. With Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes. After moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

“There are many films about vampires, but one that is almost always remembered with a shy smile on the face is definitely u0026quot;The Lost Boysu0026quot;. As one of the best remembered films of the 80s, this movie has become part of pop culture and a defining film for that period as it showcases most of what was cool or hip in that decade. While its status as u0026quot;horror classicu0026quot; has a lot to do with the nostalgic factor, itu0026#39;s an entertaining film on its own right and its modernization of the vampire myth along with its tongue in cheek humor still make for a charming and funny session of pure mindless entertainment.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe movie begins with Lucy Emerson (Dianne Wiest) as she moves to Santa Clara, California, with her two teenager sons, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) after a bitter divorce. In Santa Clara, Michael becomes involved with a local gang of bikers who have a dark and mysterious secret while Sam becomes friends with two weird boys who claim that the town is being invaded by vampires and its their mission to get rid of them. As Michael begins to act strange, Sam suspects that his brother has become one of the undead and begins to take his friends seriously.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDirected by Joel Schumacher, u0026quot;The Lost Boysu0026quot; is a movie that effectively combines a cool and attractive look with a simple but entertaining plot resulting in a successful and charming film. The story modernizes classic elements of the vampire myth and adapts it to its time with intelligence and definitely tongue in cheek humor. In fact, this self-aware comedy approach is what makes the film enjoyable, and it relies more on fun and laughs than in actual scares. The plot is rather simple, and lacks some character development, but it makes an interesting (although also quite simplistic) analogy between the troubles of youth and becoming a vampire.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eVisually the movie looks great, although by now it has that dated nostalgic look of a past decade. Still, the flamboyant visual composition fits perfectly in the filmu0026#39;s time and context and it is one of the films biggest assets. Schumacheru0026#39;s fluid and energetic camera-work makes the movie flow at with a nice rhythm and the movie never becomes dull or boring.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe cast is very effective and everyone makes a great job. Corey Haim is remarkably good and while he may not be a good actor, in this film he is perfect for the role of Sam. Jason Patric is less lucky and he is overshadowed by the very talented Kiefer Sutherland, who steals every scene with his charm and presence. Jami Gertz gives a somewhat forgettable performance but veterans Dianne Wiest and Edward Herrmann are both excellent in their roles and have some funny lines.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;The Lost Boysu0026quot; suffers a lot from its own self-referential nature, it looks old and severely dated by now even when itu0026#39;s 20 years ago when it was released for the first time. The cleverly written plot is very entertaining, but somehow the lack of character development and the comedy take on the story make it to never reach its full potential. The premise is quite interesting but the u0026quot;Lost Boysu0026quot; theme is never fully explored leaving at a nice but a bit shallow experience.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDefinitely most of the charm of u0026quot;The Lost Boysu0026quot; is due to nostalgia, as the movie is now basically a time capsule of the 80s. However, it is hard to deny that despite being what one would call a u0026quot;popcorn movieu0026quot;, in its time it was an intelligent, original and fresh take on vampires. While it may not be a landmark of horror of a life-changing experience, u0026quot;The Lost Boysu0026quot; is one of those films that will definitely deliver what they promise: a healthy dose of mindless entertainment.”