The Lost Boys tells of two brothers, Michael and Sam, who move from Arizona to California, and unknown to them at first, to a town haunted by Vampires. After seeing a girl he likes the look of at a concert, Michael follows her and she leads him to a world he could never have dreamed of, one filled with vampires. Sam, the younger brother, gets talking to the Frog brothers, part time comic book store workers and full time vampire investigators, who are initially suspicious, but let their guards down once they realise he is just like them. The film focuses on Sam, Michael, Star and the Frog brothers' journey to find and kill the head vampire, as once he is killed, all other half-vampires will be returned to their normal state.
The Lost Boys is without a doubt the best vampire film I have ever seen. Playing around with classic vampiric lore and integrating it into a part comedy part horror plot works perfectly, with there being just enough tension, action and laughs to keep the audience well invested for the hour and a half running time. The film would have been a shock to the '80s mainstream audience, with the blood, remorseless murder and general recklessness, and Schumacher was aware of this, putting a poster of '80s icon Molly Ringwald in Sam's bedroom, an ironic reminder that this film was made in the same generation as the likes of The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, this is the polar opposite to any John Hughes film, and don't we just love it.
The soundtrack to the film is brilliant, the guitar rock emphasises just how badass the vampires are, with Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' playing over a reckless murder spree taking place being one my favourite moments of the film. The excitement of Michael witnessing his first murder, and the catchy music leaves us tapping our feet in rhythm with Steven Tyler's high notes, making the audience feel like one of the gang simply by enjoying something associated to the vampire lifestyle, and with Kiefer Sutherland playing the lead vampire of the pack, I don't think anyone denies the tiniest feeling of wanting to join in on the activities.
The performances from both of the brothers in the film are notable, also. Jason Patric shows Michael to be a teenager torn between his now natural instincts of wanting to kill and feast on humans, and his love for his brother, with his awareness that he is a role model for the young boy being a stronger motive to become human than his desire to feast. Corey Haim plays the absolutely hilarious Sam, the younger brother who tries to find the head vampire through the films most laugh out loud scene, a dinner with his mother's new date. The constant questioning and probing that takes place to try and catch out Max is brilliant and definitely a highlight of just how classic the comedy is.
This was the most enjoyable film I've watched in a long time, with an awesome ending and buckets full of blood, everything that a vampire film should have is covered in The Lost Boys. The directing and the actors performances combined makes for an energetic thrill ride, and there is no way in Hell that you'll ever be short of ideas for a Halloween costume after this film.
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