The Lost Boys, released in 1987, was directed by Joel Schumacher and stars Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Corey Feldman, and Keifer Sutherland. The film follows a mother in the midst of a recent divorce who along with her two teenage boys move to the beautiful beach town of Santa Clara, California. The boys soon discover that there might be something a bit sinister stalking the nighttime streets of Santa Clara. The mid to late eighties was an undeniably glorious time for horror comedies and The Lost Boys is one of the absolute best. It blends elements of classic vampire lore, goofy comedy, gory frights, and a banging eighties rock soundtrack to create one of the most effortlessly enjoyable films of the time period. That being said, like most films, The Lost Boys isn’t without its share of flaws.

What really stands out to me after my most recent viewing is how much fun almost all of the characters are. I think this is achieved through an equal combination of silly fun dialogue and the performances the actors are able to bring to the characters. I was surprised by the unique combination of confidence, childishness, and humor the late Corey Haim is able to bring to his performance as the co-lead of Sam. It really does stand out to me as one of the more fun performances in the film, though I didn’t remember it much before a rewatch.

 On the other hand, Corey Feldman’s performance as Edgar Frog, one half of the teenage vampire hunting duo known as the Frog brothers, is extremely memorable. His red bandana, camouflage shirt, and scruffy hair are a clear emulation of Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo in First Blood (1982), but the viewer gets a sense that this is more of a way for the character to act like a cold-blooded vampire killer without actually being one. You get the sense that he’s just like any other teenager deep down. I initially suspected this might have just been a cheesy mistake or cheap reference on the film’s part, but it truly is hinting at something about the character that is revealed later in the film. He almost emulates a comic book character in a sense: “Edgar Frog: The Teenage Vampire Slayer.” This fits snug with the tone the film is trying to achieve, and feels intentional. This is supported by the scenes set in a comic book shop in which the Frog brothers attempt to warn Sam about the vampire threat by giving him horror comics centered around vampires.

 Jason Patric is serviceable in the other lead as Sam’s brother Michael, giving a better physical performance than anything. The agony during his transformations into a vampire are palpable. Other than that, he plays your typical eighties cool-guy outsider whose good guy nature will eventually triumph over all. 

Dianne Weist plays Lucy, Sam and Mike’s mom. She plays what is seemingly the typical soft-spoken movie mom from this era, but what’s interesting is that there is a nice bit of strength beneath her fragile demeanor. Her love for her family really comes through, and because of that, I was able to buy into their family dynamic as a whole. 

Keifer Sutherland plays the main villain of the film, and pretty much does his typical Keifer Sutherland villain a la Stand by Me (1986). Although a bit derivative,I don’t mind this, especially in vampire form. I always thought he gave off vampire energy in Stand by Me (1986). Keifer would eventually reteam with director Joel Schumacher for another villainous role in 1996’s A TIme to Kill. 

One last performance I want to make note of is Bernard Hughes as the family’s grandpa. They move in with him at the beginning of the film and he is immediately the source of the film’s biggest laughs. At one point, they imply he’s a stoner because he consumes root beer and double stuffed OREO cookies. You don’t have to be stoned to enjoy those! They’re delicious as is!

This was the beginning of a three film stretch where Corey Haim and Corey Feldman co-starred in three films together: The Lost Boys (1987), License to Drive (1988), and Dream a Little Dream (1989). The two would eventually star in the reality show The Two Coreys (2007-2008) that followed their lives as adults. After Haim’s passing in 2010, Feldman went on to speak out against the abuse they both faced in Hollywood as child actors. Feldman also went on to star in two direct to video sequels to The Lost Boys as the only returning character. 

Although the film’s comedy doesn’t always work, it works effectively enough to balance out the horror. Balance is truly what matters in the sub-genre. If the film is too funny, it dives into Scary Movie (2000) territory. If the film is too scary, it becomes something more akin to American Psycho (2000). That’s not to say that Scary Movie or American Psycho are lesser in any way because of their imbalance, they just can’t achieve the level of balanced thrills that something like The Lost Boys has to offer. It feels more commercial in a sense, but in a way that makes the film feel effortlessly entertaining as opposed to story-by-committee sludge that bogs the film down. 

The dialogue isn’t perfect, but more often than not it succeeds in drawing laughs from the characters’ goofy, irrational, and terrified reactions. The film also avoids unnecessary exposition and explanation that could have possibly bogged it down. The practical monster effects are also great here as they usually were during this time, proving once again that practical horror effects trump CGI any day of the week in any era. The film does unfortunately suffer from a few eighties cliches, visual and otherwise. In some instances, this adds to the eighties charm of the film, making it feel like a time capsule or even as if it could have been made in the modern day, the filmmaker attempting to emulate what he thinks the eighties must have been like. Other times, these cliches are cheesy and cringe-worthy. 
The film crescendos in a climax that is as fun as the genre has to offer, with all the vampire zaniness a viewer could ask for.  What I’m left with after my most recent watch is how much fun this era had with films. This truly was the era when it was about making something that was just plain hip and fun. Those films still exist today, but not with the artistic originality or confidence that this film presents. It strikes a perfect balance of zany, hip, and scary. Something that Joel Schumcaher would fail at 10 years later with Batman & Robin (1997). It really is a time capsule of a film that along with Fright Night (1985) would be one of the first films I would suggest to someone who wants to watch a full blooded eighties film. A-