Fresh Eyes: The Lost Boys (1987)

FRESH EYES is a series where Kyle watches highly acclaimed horror films for the first time.

Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Dianne West

Directed by Joel Schumacher

Format: DVD

Tagline: “Sleep All Day. Party All Night. Never Grow Old. Never Die. It’s Fun To Be A Vampire.”

“Sam and his older brother Michael are average, everyday teens. But after they move with their mother to peaceful Santa Clara, California, things mysteriously begin to change. Michael’s not himself lately. And Mom’s not going to like what he’s turning into.

The Lost Boys reshapes vampire tradition, deftly mixing heart-pounding terror, rib-tickling laughs, and a body-gyrating rock soundtrack.”

If my memory serves me right, I think my aunt got me this flick as a gift one year. We may have been at a horror convention when the topic came up that I had never seen The Lost Boys. It has sat on the shelf for at least six years. For years, I had some sort of negative relationship to the idea of watching The Lost Boys. Not quite sure where it came from; it might have been my aversion to vampire films, it might have been my aversion to Corey Feldman, it might have been me being told “oh dude, you GOTTA see Lost Boys!” If there is something I hate(d), it’s being told that I HAVE to see something. I have since grown some from that and those negative feelings towards the film have seemingly faded, I’m ready to go in with FRESH EYES.

Thoughts:

• Is the name of this amusement park Mullet Mountain?
• Oh man, I forgot that vampires fly.
• Honestly, I think the last vampire movie I watched was Near Dark like, two years ago.
• “If you read the TV Guide, you don’t need a TV.” Speak on it, Grandpa.
• Oh shit, I’ve heard so much about the “I Still Believe” saxophonist. It’s happening right in front of my face and it’s glorious.
• Dude, the Santa Carla pier is LIT.
• Lost Boys? Found ’em.
• David is the dude. His facial hair is on point.
• I love that this woman is laughing maniacally while reading a “Sad Sack” comic.
• Alright, Feldman as Edgar Frog is kinda dope.
• Did kids in the 80s think that this was what California beach life was all about?
• Michael did NOT learn anything from the DARE program. The peer pressure is TOO REAL.
• Michael, man, you’ve been a real jerk ever since you hung out with those bikers.
• I’m all for Edward Hermann’s look.
• Damn, this “Cry Little Sister” song is dope.
• “Kill your brother, you’ll feel better.”
• Alright, why was Alex Winter the first?
• Grandpa is the best.
• I want to live in the Santa Carla Video Store.
• The Frog Brothers going to church made me laugh out loud.
• They are straight Home Alone-ing this house, how rad.
• Oh damn, “Death By Stereo” was dope.
• I thought Max would be more upset about his familial dilemma. But whatever.
• How BAD did kids want to be the Frog Brothers in ’87?
• This cover of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” during the credits is FIRE.

 

The Verdict:

I once wrote a piece about how being a horror fan of my generation (born in ’91) can be difficult because the prior generation was around during the second “Golden Age” of horror, so they remember and lived through the films that modern horror fans celebrate. The Lost Boys fell into the category where I found it difficult to relate, or want to relate, to the film. It’s an 80s-kid adventure film with vampires and this dreamlike sense of things that I thought I couldn’t relate to. My serious interest in horror came post-9/11. And while I’ve come to enjoy many a horror film from past generations, I didn’t think The Lost Boys was gonna do it for me. But what a well-made, clever and genuinely fun flick. I was afraid the 80s cheese was going to be over the top, but there was a masterful balance between comedy, action and horror. That balance, along with the smart vampire nuances and misdirection, made for a really tight film. For me, there weren’t any eye-rolling moments or scoffs; The Lost Boys felt really fresh and pure. On par with films like Fright Night and Near Dark. Maybe my aversion to vampire flicks is waning. Or maybe I’m just picking some good ones and leaving plenty of space between. As you can see, I didn’t have many “thoughts” while watching because I was so intrigued by the film. But this verdict, man, I get it now. I get why people love this film so much. I can only imagine what it would’ve been like watching it as a kid in ’87, it would’ve blown my mind! It could’ve easily have been my favorite movie at that time. Thanks, Auntie, for getting me this movie. Sorry it took me so long to watch it.