The Lost Boys

No Emo Boys Allowed

It's hard to make fun of this classic, especially in light of what is happening to vampires today. I'm talking about The Lost Boys, that delightful 'fangboys are bad boys' flick. This was one of those iconic flicks that succeeded in transforming the vampire in a castle concept to suit the modern era. When I say succeed, I mean flesh out a bloodsucker who did had some semblance of dignity left.

The Lost Boys centers around two teenage brothers who move to Santa Carla with their mother. They stay with their grandfather, an eccentric taxidermist with a weird sense of humor. The mother finds a job and tries to settle in while the boys start making friends. Only problem is, there seems to be a lot of strange kids about. As if that is not bad enough, there are also a number of creepy disappearances in that area. The older brother, Michael, gets involved with the wrong crowd. You know, the ones who drive motorbikes, wear leather and have ear piercings and look like they listen to the Sex Pistols? In hindsight, Spike (from the Buffy series) comes across as a tribute to this group.

The other brother, Sam, hooks up with the Frog brothers, two odd folks from the local comic book store. After befriending them, he realizes that his brother's buddies just might be more than naughty folks who tag subways. Oh no, they are the bloodsucking variety, ones who are being led by a Master vampire. Now they have to save the brother, kill the master vampire and hope that no innocents die in the process.

This movie had got to be one of the better adaptations of the vampire image. Think about all the essential qualities they retained. Bloodthirsty and ruthless? Check. Conniving and manipulative, possibly using these skills to recruit newbies? Check. Has a creepy hideaway where they feed and rejuvenate? Check. Spends hours bickering with a clingy ditzy girlfriend whilst refusing to drink blood? 'Wait, what?' would be the reaction of these punk-style vampires to this last query. Yes, guys, say hello to your successors.

My point is, The Lost Boys presents us with a new type of vampire whilst staying true to all qualities that give these guys their oomph. Instead of capes and evening attire, the fanged ones now look like the bad boys of their era, the 1980s. It's not all about the look either; these guys do justice to their vampiric tendencies, delighting audiences with their antics. Well, those of us who have a soft spot for the fanged ones anyway.

Another aspect that was noteworthy was the references to comic books. At times, the Frog brothers, who are the ones bringing up these references, steal the show with their contributions. As it is, every time Sam enlists their help to save his brother, the two keep suggesting that it just might be time to stake him. Perhaps the most hilarious bit is their failed attempt to uncover the vampire master.