Review of The Lost Boys (1987) by Timothy S — 26 Mar 2012

All signs point to "The Lost Boys" being a vampire movie, but this film is more concerned with style and being hip than it is with actual horror. It's a terribly entertaining and good-looking film with a bright young cast and a great soundtrack. Die hard horror buffs are sure to be disappointed, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to like here.

Joel Schumacher is normally a hack director whose films have no style or distinction, but this one has some spark and life to it, Credit a sharp, breezy script and an energetic cast. Kiefer Sutherland makes a great villain, but the real stars here are the Corey twins, Haim and Feldman. They never got much cooler than they are in this picture, but I guess that was good enough.

There's nothing all that fresh about the movie as it rolls out all of the usual vampire cliches, but I sure did appreciate its sense of humor and a number of clever moments. The weapons of choice to take out Sutherland and his brood are particularly inventive. It's a bold statement, but the movie is also the proud owner one of the greatest soundtracks to emerge from the '80's. It's just loaded with one catchy pop/rock song after another.

There aren't a lot of surprises along the way, but there's also a lot of laughs. There's never a dull moment in "The Lost Boys". It's flashy and hip and a great horror film for people who don't like horror movies.