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The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys

By Patrick Samuel • December 4th, 2013
Static Mass Rating: 4/5
THE LOST BOYS (MOVIE)
Warner Bros.

Original release: July 31st, 1987
Running time: 93 minutes

Director: Joel Schumacher
Writers: Janice Fischer, James Jeremias, Jeffrey Boam
Composer: Thomas Newman

Cast: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Edward Herrmann, Barnard Hughes

The Lost Boys

Vampires have probably been around for as long as we have, moving among us undetected. There’s probably a few of them in powerful positions in society today – who knows. Would you recognise them if you saw them?

We all know what they’re supposed to look like in films – pale faces and long fangs – and what we should have if we ever meet one…a crucifix, holy water and garlic. Fire might keep them at bay for a while, but if you really want to get rid of one then sunlight, a stake through the heart and good clean decapitation should do the trick. Still, who’s to say we’d remember any of these things should we come up against them?

When recently-divorced Lucy Emerson (Dianne Wiest) moves to a coastal Californian town with her two sons, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim), to live with their Grandpa (Barnard Hughes), they have no idea it’s being overrun with vampires. While she settles into her new job at a video store, Michael falls in with the fangy crowd after seeing Star (Jami Gertz), whom he falls for. David (Kiefer Sutherland), the leader of the vampire gang, taunts and teases him, but wants to make him a member of their little exclusive club.

Michael is soon on his way to becoming a vampire and while his mother thinks he’s being a typical teenager; staying out all night, sleeping all day and generally being in a bad mood, Sam realises something else is going. At a comic book store he meets two brothers who are vampire hunters, Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan Frog (Jamison Newlander) and learns that vampires are reason for the town’s high missing persons rate.

The Lost Boys

Unwilling to slay Michael, Sam decides find a way to save him, but in order to do that, they have to keep their mom from finding out he’s been partying with the undead. Lucy’s got her own problems without the boys adding more – her boss, Max (Edward Herrmann), has taken an interest in her and their dates keep ending in disaster. When Sam starts to think Max is the head vampire they have to kill to save Michael it might put a crimp their mom’s social life.

As David and his gang descend on the family’s house while the grow-ups are out (even Grandpa has a date!), Michael, Sam, Edgar and Alan have no choice but to defend themselves and face the head vampire if they’re to save themselves.

The Lost Boys is pure 80’s fun and thrills and while I was too young to see it when it first came out, I can imagine what it must have been like to see it on the big screen. Schumacher fills the film with these swooping aerial shots giving us a The Lost Boyssensation of flying through the clouds and above the fairground rides. Combined with Cry Little Sister, the theme song from the film, it makes for several memorable moments.

As a story, it draws parallels with what it’s like to be a vampire and being a teenager in the 80’s which allowed The Lost Boys to become such a cult favourite today. We identify easily with either Michael and his broody rebellious nature or Sam, who’ll do anything for his big brother and mother. There’s also a good splicing of humour throughout, letting us know it’s not taking itself too seriously. The scene with Sam finding out about Michael is perhaps my favourite, but the ones with Alan and Edgar are also quite funny too.

The Lost Boys also shows that with a bit of courage and perseverance, even a kid can take on vampires and win. I’m sure if Michael or Sam ever saw another vampire again, they’d spot them a mile off, and they’d be prepared.

The Lost Boys

Patrick Samuel

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

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