Out of all the movies from the 1980's, few exemplify the era better than Director Joel Schumacher's THE LOST BOYS. The fashions, the hair, the music, everything is representative of that decade. Like it or not, it's perfect. A story about growing up, belonging, teen angst, peer pressure, etc., this movie uses the vampire mythology to tell a tale of anxiety among youth.
Michael (Jason Patrick) is bored, frustrated, and lonely. His search for something to do in the new town he's stuck in, leads him to the gang of the title. He's led to them through his desire for a beautiful young woman named Star (Jami Gertz). The group's leader, David (Kiefer Sutherland) is like no one Michael has ever met. He's bold, brash, and willing to take risks. Michael follows along, and is taken to the point of no return. This, while his younger brother, Sam (Corey Haim) looks on, astonished by Michael's transformation.
If not for the vampirism involved, this could have still been a decent film about family tensions. Of course, the monsters-of-the-night add a wonderfully dark layer to it all. The idea of never growing old is very alluring. How many of us wouldn't at least consider it, in spite of the cost?
As a kid I loved the Frog brothers (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander), the carnival setting, the funny grandpa (Barnard Hughes), Star's hotness, David's attitude, and the whole horror aspect. Now, years later, though I still enjoy all of those things, it's a more poignant film, full of memories bitter and sweet...
