[.ca] The Lost Boys: Two Disc Special Edition

From Amazon.com:
This 1987 thriller was a predictable hit with the teen audience it worked overtime to attract. Like most of director Joel Schumacher's films, it's conspicuously designed to push the right marketing and demographic buttons, and granted, there's some pretty cool stuff going on here and there. Take Kiefer Sutherland, for instance. In Stand by Me he played a memorable bully, but here he goes one step further as a memorable bully vampire who leads a tribe of teenage vampires on their nocturnal spree of bloodsucking havoc. Jason Patric plays the new guy in town, who quickly attracts a lovely girlfriend (Jami Gertz), only to find that she might be recruiting him into the vampire fold. The movie gets sillier as it goes along, and resorts to a routine action-movie showdown, but it's a visual knockout (featuring great cinematography by Michael Chapman) and boasts a cast that's eminently able (pardon the pun) to sink their teeth into the best parts of an uneven screenplay. --Jeff Shannon

Thou Shall Not Kill:
When a single mother (Dianne Wiest) and her two kids (Jason Patric, Corey Haim) pack up and move from Phoenix to southern California, more specifically, Santa Carla, "the murder capital of the world," they have more than a little bit of adjusting to do. The two teens and their mother move in with their quirky but loveable grandfather (Barnard Hughes), who has an inkling that there is more to this town than meets the eye. At first, things seem different but manageable, until Sam meets the "Frog brothers" at the local comic book shop. They hand him a horror comic about vampires and tell him to think of it as a survival manual. Are these two merely kids with an over-active imagination, or is there some supernatural cause for this odd little coastal town's nickname? When the older brother, Michael, goes into town for a live concert, he runs into a rather attractive woman named Star (Jami Gertz). Star introduces Michael to her friends, who just happen to be vampires, and they decide to invite Michael to be one of them. Unbeknownst to Michael, he drinks the blood of David (Kiefer Sutherland), the leader of a band of motorcycle riding teenage vampires, thus giving Michael this supernatural dark gift. However, he must make his first kill before becoming a true creature of the night. Only one thing can save Michael from an eternity of bloodsucking. The head vampire must be killed. But who is the head vampire, and can he be found before Michael gives in to temptation? Will Sam and his newfound friends be willing and able to help Michael before it's too late? This film is a classic, light-hearted 80's foray into the horror genre, complete with horrible wardrobe, glam rock, goofy humor, and a stellar cast performing a great screenplay with a cohesive plot. There are indeed some great lines in this film that are quite memorable. The Frog brothers, in particular, serve as some cute comic relief. The effects and make-up are outstanding, and this is really noticeable in the final, knock-down, drag-out fight in the end of the movie. The cinematography is also really well done (for example, the aerial shots when the vampires are flying towards the house). This movie is not meant to be taken very seriously, and it is certainly not Anne Rice or Bram Stoker by any means, but it is some great old-fashioned weekend entertainment. Overall this is a great movie that everyone who grew up in the 80's should definitely own. Moreover, it's a great addition to anyone's vampire or horror collection. If you can enjoy a light-hearted romp through vampire mythology, then definitely pick this film up! A small downside to this DVD is that there are few extras. If you merely want a great movie at a low price, then pick up this DVD. Otherwise, there is a two-disc set coming out soon that should be worth checking out!

The Lost Boys! My favorite:
This is the movie that started it all for me. Vampires into rock n roll, and the lead actor looking like Jim Morrison who can ask for anything more. I loved how the culture of the 80's was brought out in this classic horror film. The Big Hair, the tight pants, the rock n roll, and vampires all in one, who could ask for more. I highly recommend this movie for anyone who wants a scare.

Superb Vampire Movie of it's Time:
A superb vampire flick. The story line was perfect for a modern (80's), and hopefully now, vampire movie. I like the roles the actors were subjected to and performed them well. Maybe we will see Jamie Gertz in Lost Boys 2 as well ( I see vampires-I see cows!)The news is that Lost Boys 2 is in production now and you can see for yourself. Soundtrack is even perfect.

Bloodsucking Fun and Big Hair:
I don't think I was old enough to remember this film hitting cinemas, but I discovered it before I got too cynical and still have a deep affection for it. It combines horror, forbidden romance, comedy, and touches on issues of peer pressure, loss, divorce and the importance of sticking by your family (even if your brother is a vampire). A mother (Dianne Wiest) and her two sons (Corey Haim and Jason Patric) move from Arizona to sunny Santa Carla and in with their formulaic "crazy granpa" (you know the type I'm talking about) as a result of divorce. The eldest son Michael (Patric) quickly falls in with the Wrong Crowd by accidentally moving in on Head Honcho's girl (the lovely Jami Gertz). Things take a turn for the worse when Michael discovers these aren't your average bike punks, but a gang of wild vampires. Indeed. It's all up to bratty little bro Sam (Haim) and his new allies the Frog Brothers to save the day, and stop his mother from getting too cosy with a new guy who doesn't just run an appliance store (a nice performance from Edward Herrmann who seems to pop up everywhere). Kiefer Sutherland is a treat as David, leader of the biker vamps, I still marvel at how he can make a peroxide mullet look cool. He plays this role as a sort of seductive bully very well. Corey Feldman (because 1 Corey is never enough) also puts in a nice turn as Edgar Frog, plus you'll spot Alexander Winter of Bill & Ted's fame as one of the gang. It's better than any recent vampire movie, has a great 80's soundtrack (Cry Little Sister, you know you love it) and a greasy saxophone man in purple pants. It's fun, there are a couple of scares and a nice hint of splatter (the Surf Nazi attack is like something out of Peter Jackson's Bad Taste). I give the bare-bones DVD package 3, but the movie 4. And fear not, there will be a special edition very soon with retrospectives, making of and tons more stuff, keep eyes peeled!

Being a vampire is cool:
The Lost Boys practically defines 80s teens movies as a horror movie with a gtreat teen cast. Two Brothers, Sam (Haim) and Mike (Patric) move with their newly divorced mom (Wiest) from Phoenix to Santa Carla, a place where, if the corpses were to all stand up at once, there'd be one hell of a population problem, as their goofy backwoods grandfather (Bernard Hughes) explains. Mike is the first to find out why when his interest in a girl suddenly lures him into a world of trouble with a clan of teen vampires lead by a guy named David (Sutherland). And as Sam's brother turns into a "goddamned bloodsucking vampire," Sam has to call on the strange Frog brothers (Feldman and Newlander) for help, despite his disbelief of their previous warnings that Santa Carla has a major vampire problem, and to their suspicion, possibly werewolves and ghouls as well. They have to find out who the head vampire is before Mike, Star (Jami Garr), and Laddie (Corbitt) become full vampires. This is one fantastic movie as teenagers try to save the day from the cave-dwelling bloodsuckers. Even their enemies--David (Sutherland), Marco (Winter), Paul (Wirth), and Dwayne (McCarter) are cool, even though they are vampires out to kill Sam and Mike and everyone else. The cast was great in this movie, even Bernard Hughes as Sam and Mike's grandfather because he is just so completely goofy. Edward Herrman and Diane Wiest are likewise funny as their dates are usually spoiled by the intervention by Sam and his vampire hunting endeavors. But, the reason why this is probably the great 80s movie that it is aside from the story, is the hot teen cast, particularly the gorgeous Jason Patric and even Kiefer Sutherland in a part very contrasting to the wierd roles he seemed to be accustomed to in those days. Jami Garr, too, was fantastic as Star, breaking out of previous typecasting as a geek like Muffy Tepperman on "Square Pegs" or for her brief role in Mischief. Unfortunately, for those who are Corey Haim and Feldman days, this film (and possibly License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream) mark the last good movies that either will appear in as they eventually went on a junkie fest in the later 80s. This is one the greatest films that you'll see either Corey in. As for other qualities of the movie, you do get a real feel for 80s culture, particularly in the opening sequence along Santa Carla's pier. The soundtrack is pretty good, too, with a collection of songs by INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Tim Capello (who used performed with Tina Turner in the Mad Max music videos "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "One of the Living"). Got to love it.