...Wait, we're almost halfway through October already?
Browsing the imdb, I'm struck by the lack of serious, thoughtful critique of Joel Schumacher's kiddie horror The Lost Boys. Not, I hasten to add, that I have any to offer myself, but I've always been under the impression that I'm the only person of my generation not to have seen and loved it, so it surprises me that nobody's in any hurry to discuss it in detail.
Except that having seen it, no, it doesn't, not really. This isn't a movie that rewards prolonged contemplation, and it certainly doesn't encourage it. It's style over substance all the way as our teenage heroes discover their new small-town home holds some nasty secrets of the bloodsucking variety.
Not going to waste too much time on this, because it's one of the shallowest films I've seen in a long while. It plays like an extended music video, with far more emphasis on the staging than on the scripts. I'm not saying it isn't passable entertainment - I was mildly entertained throughout - but less than a day later, I feel as though the whole thing could easily have been condensed into six minutes of storytelling backed up by the extended mix of one kickass tune.
Personally, I thought the visuals were great, although your mileage may vary according to your tolerance of 100 proof, concentrated essence of 80s. I loved the beachside setting (Santa Clara in the movie, Santa Cruz in real life) and I most especially loved the Big Dipper on the boardwalk with its chasing lights. As for the performances, I'm tempted to comment on Kiefer Sutherland's screen presence, but I suspect that any credit I'm giving him for charisma should probably be offered to his outfit instead, or maybe his hairstyle.
The effects are serviceable, and I was mildly impressed by the restraint exercised here - for the first hour, I thought Schumacher was chasing a PG:13 rating. Eventually the action ramps up a little as the vamps begin to meet increasingly messy ends; I watched through my fingers, but then, I'm a screaming coward. The final payoff is cute, too, and even if I didn't laugh at it I definitely remember wanting to.
So, um, yeah. That was that.
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