By: Blake Allen
Even though it ended 30 years ago, the 1980s still captures the zeitgeist of the current day. Every subject, from movies, to TV, and even products have created something that is set in or a nostalgic look at that time period. From Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things” to the revival of permed hair, the 1980s has continued to influence pop culture. However, there is nothing that oozes 80s more than a movie from the 80s! That movie in question being Joel Schumacher’s 1987 film, “The Lost Boys.” Taking inspiration in its name from “Peter Pan,” it is filled head to toe with the attitude and culture of the decade, it succeeds at creating memorable and distinct sets and characters that fit the style of the movie, even when leaning a little too heavily into the punk attitude of the then adolescents. The movie follows a family of three, Lucy, Michael, played by Jason Patric, and Sam, played by Corey Haim, who have moved in with their grandfather in the town of Santa Carla, a shady town filled with “colorful” characters and a mystery of residents going missing. The three explore the town at the local boardwalk, where Lucy gets a job at a video store and falls in love with the manager Max, and Sam meets with two boys who warn him of vampires. Meanwhile, Michael falls in love with a girl named Star, who hangs out with a group of punk rebels, headed by Kiefer Sutherland’s character, David, who later indoctrinates Michael into their group. Michael develops abnormal habits after this encounter, which makes Sam suspicious. He suspects that his brother may be a vampire and seeks out the help of the two comic store boys, while Michael continues to come across the gang. One night, however, Michael joins the group to crash a local party, which turns into a feeding frenzy and, horrified, goes to get help from his brother and friends. After killing one of the vampires during their sleep, the others have enacted vengeance on Michael and Sam at their house, where they find out that the vampire in charge of all the weird happening in Santa Carla was attributed to Max. With all the twists and turns the film has to offer, it was still well paced, with each scene raising the bar on how exciting and intense it could get, as if it was trying to outdo itself from moment to moment. However, coming from the 1980s and tapping into the trends and point of view of what is dubbed the MTV generation, it does rely on those elements that can be considered cheesy today. Several scenes, such as Sam interacting with the two comic boys, and topical one-liners were laughably bad and can be considered cringe by today’s audience. The acting also went deep into an 80s attitude, with Sam reminiscent of pop culture, edgy but caring child characters of the time, and Michael with his too-cool, laid back tone. But even then, they all thrived in delivering a great performance in making each character distinct and what type said character is. The breakout star out of all of them, though, is Kiefer Sutherland as the vampire, David. With his slicked-back, bleached hair, leather outfit, suave and discomforting approach, and troublemaking facial expressions, he sells his character as being a punk and a leader to the point where I could even visualize him existing in real life during that time period. And even though the movie lands more on the cornier side, it can use that aspect to its advantage, specifically the ending when the vampires are defeated and grandpa goes back to his routine stating, “One thing about living in Santa Carla I could never stomach, all the damn vampires.” It fits in with the tone of the movie for it to end on a joke-related note and aligns with its more camp attitude. Even though the plot and tone have a spotlight on the film, the real shining star is arguably the setting. The locations used in the film, from the cave to the boardwalk to grandpa’s house, were some of the most memorable places that made you want to visit it in real life. Each set is filled with intricate details that give each place character, and it could be said that the style of “The Lost Boys” is its most defining quality. An example is the cave where the vampires hang out, with its natural dirtiness and the punk furnishings that are being worn out and rotting; it’s hard to imagine the movie without these elements. The boardwalk is too memorable as its bright carnival lights and high energy not only draws viewers in, but also fits in with the theme of the movie the most: where not everything seems to be what is appeared. Santa Carla appears to be a regular beach city, but digging deeper reveals that there are vampires who cause trouble for the residents who live there. In the same vein, boardwalks historically have colorful and almost innocent facades, but are more shady when we delve deeper into them. The same could be said for most of the effects, as they work effectively, particularly when they go for simpler tactics like flying. The strings attached to the actors and the camera moving to simulate a point of view of flying sound simple, but works the best because of its simplicity. That said, other effects, like the blood were more poor quality as its color was more brown tinted and appeared to be semi-transparent like water. This is most glaring because of the film’s major emphasis on blood and gore, a remnant of other horror films from the decade. Others like “Nightmare on Elm Street,” also utilize a large amount of blood for its horror and shock value, but “The Lost Boys” almost lingers on its violent scenes, such as blood gushing from every pipe and faucet in the sink and bathroom and an electrocution death which goes on for a minute before the character combusts in all of its gory mess. It is definitely surprising considering gore is no longer a major element in today’s horror genre, and is my favorite part because of how shocking the cinematography frames it that it is hard not to look away. However, not everyone works well with gore, so it should be taken into consideration that if violence doesn’t work well with you, this film should be skipped. “The Lost Boys” is drenched in 1980s cheese, and at times could lean too heavily on the culture of the time which seems hilarious by today’s standards, but its detailed, memorable locations, distinct characters, and heavy violence makes it stand out as an enjoyable time. It may be more of a camp film, but is a fun one to watch, which is really the only way to enjoy it. Plus, its contemporary outlook on vampires, inspired future films with similar subject matter, from “Bram Stoker's Dracula” to “Twilight” that if you want to see the beginning of mysterious, artsy vampires, check out this 80s classic. Rating: 🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛ out of 🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
StaffLearn more about the people behind the stories by clicking the button below. Archives
September 2023
Categories |