Blu-ray Review: The Lost Boys (1987)

"Easily one of the Top 10 Vampire Movies ever made."

(aka MTV: Fangs.)
Release Date: July 31st, 1987.
Country: USA.
Rating: R.
Written by: Jan Fischer and James Jerimias.
Directed by: Joel Schumacher.
Starring: Corey Haim, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, and Jami Gertz.

From a personal standpoint, we'd love to say that The Lost Boys is the best vampire movie ever, because to us, it just might be. If we're being honest though, it's not THE best. Top 10, objectively, and depending on your taste in vamp flicks, but definitely not #1.

Regardless of ranking, The Lost Boys remains today one of the most stylish, enjoyable Horror flicks to come out of the 80's, and in fact, I'm listening to the soundtrack as I write these words, and not just because we decided to watch and review the movie; no, this soundtrack has been in my rotation since it first came out, because it rocks.

Talk about staying power...

A recently divorced mother moves she and her two kids, Sam and Michael, to the scenic beach town of Santa Carla, California to live with her father. Sam is a bit of a comic book geek, and Michael is a brooding bad boy looking for adventure (girls), so when they realize that their Grandpa is a half bubble off plum, they take to the local boardwalk to find some action.

IT ACTUALLY FINDS THEM.

Michael, being an angsty teen with a pecker that cant be contained, falls under the spell of a beautiful local girl named Star, which in turn leads him to a gang of motorcycle riding Abercrombie models who are nothing but trouble. As Michael is inducted into the Lost Boy's gang, Sam meets the Frog Bothers; two local kids who run their dad's comic book shop, who are also fearsome vampire hunters. Sam thinks that they're crazy at first with all of their "Santa Carla is crawling with vampires" talk, but it's not long before he realizes they're right, when Michael begins showing signs of vampirism.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

As Michael gets closer and closer to falling into the eternal grasp of The Lost Boys, Sam and the Frog Brothers decide that they only way to save him is to kill the master vampire, which is David... and David is a bad-ass who isn't going to be easy to kill.

Death by stereo ensues.

ON THEIR OWN, JUST THE WAY THEY LIKE IT.

The Lost Boys is a classic Horror movie in every sense of the word. It's smart, slick, populated with well-written characters who are played by a perfect cast, and not only does it capture the unique style of the 80's perfectly, but it plays every bit as well today as it did back in 1987. You can't say that about a lot of movies. It's a lot of style, to say the least, but its also got a lot of substance to it too.

This one is way more fun than it is scary (although the vampires, especially David, were ferocious at times), and it's plan to see that its tongue is planted firmly in its cheek, and maybe that's why it works so well; it's funny without trying to be, and it's intense without needing to be. The script is sharp and witty, and the direction by Joel Schumacher is perfect, but it's really the cast that makes this one so fantastic.

WHO'S A GOOD BOY? NANOOK, THAT'S WHO.

Fresh off of his villainous role in Stand By Me (another excellent flick), Kiefer Sutherland is the subtle standout here. His David might not speak much, but Keifer makes his words feel weighty when he does, and the way that he carries himself is truly ominous. He's one of the best vampire characters ever committed to film, and he's definitely our favorite Keifer Sutherland character (sorry, Jack Bauer.) Other than Solarbabies, Jason Patric was virtually unknown when he starred as Michael, and he and Jami Gertz (who was also in Solarbabies) made for a perfect on-screen duo in this one. Fun fact: They also dated. 

Speaking of duos, this was the first time that The Two Corey's (Haim and Feldman) starred in a movie together, and their chemistry was perfect from the get-go. It got no bigger than Corey Feldman as far as child stars in the 80's went, and Corey Haim was no slouch either, and this movie marked the beginning of their long-standing on-screen tandem and real-life friendship, which even lead to a reality show in 2007. Sam and The Frog Brothers make for a perfect vampire hunting team, and watching them riff off of each other in this one brilliant.

CREEPY.

It's a bit of a bummer watching this one knowing that Corey Haim is dead. He seemed like such a happy kid, and just knowing that abuse lead him to the lifestyle that eventually killed him is truly sad. He was our on-screen bro in the 80's, and we hope that he found the peace in death that was so elusive to him in life. 

THAT OUTFIT AND HAIRCUT THOUGH...

What in the hell was with the half-naked poster of Rob Lowe on Sam's wall?

SAM, WHERE ARE YOUR HANDS?!?

There's not as much gore in this one as you'd think there would be in an R-Rated vampire flick, but we do get a few bloody vampire-fueled kill scenes throughout.

"YOU'LL NEVER GROW OLD, MICHAEL, AND YOU'LL NEVER DIE... BUT YOU MUST FEED!"

There's a love scene, but there's no nudity in this one. Well, unless you count Tim Capello being all greased up and shirtless (you can see him in the music section below.)

JAMI GERTZ WAS 80's HOT, EVEN WITH THAT JACKET ON.

In the 80's, soundtracks were often times every bit as good as the movies from which they came, and The Lost Boys is an excellent example of that. In fact, you could argue that the music added a hell of a lot to the movie, almost like it was its own character.

Lost in the Shadows (The Lost Boys) by Lou Gramm is the standout track on an album filled with standout tracks, with its energetic, anthemic grandeur, but then again Cry Little Sister is a haunting ballad... and I Still Believe has energy to spare... We can't decide!

With the exception of the instrumental track at the end, every song on this soundtrack rocks, and makes a perfect compliment to the movie.

YES TIM, WE STILL BELIEVE.

 

This WB disc is solid visually, but it isn't as good as it could be. It would be ideal if someone like Scream Factory could get a hold of the rights for The Lost Boys and give it a crisp, new, frame-by-frame transfer, but that's probably not going to happen, so this one will have to do. Don't get me wrong, this movie looks great on Blu-ray, it's just not as eye-popping as we'd like it to be. The lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track, however, is fantastic, which is especially nice in a movie where the music features so prominently.

The Special Features are varied and solid, with the commentary track by Joel Shumacher and the deleted scenes being our faves. It's also got Lou Gramm's Lost in the Shadows video, which is a really cool bonus.

Fans of The Lost Boys should be well-pleased with this disc, especially at its $9 price-point.

FIN.

The soundtrack, the lovable and memorable characters, the great acting from such a young, unknown cast... The Lost Boys is an A+ flick for us. It's not a perfect movie, as few ever are, but it's a slick, stylish flick that blends Horror and Comedy together perfectly, the end result of which is an ultra-enjoyable movie that holds up just as well today as it did when it premiered nearly 30 years ago.

If you haven't seen The Lost Boys yet, which would be really odd, you should grab a copy of the Blu-ray, and kick back and enjoy the nostalgic 80's Horror feels that it offers.

A+

The Lost Boys is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD.

Jami Gertz made our hearts skip a beat when we were kids, and she still looks fantastic decades later. Good for her.