The Lost Boys - Awesome Edition

Mulletville, a place where where vampires torment citizens by eating their neighbors, and wearing horrible haircuts with pride. The Lost Boys (1987) is about a misunderstood teen boy who finds acceptation in a mysterious band of guys. Directed by Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys is a reference to Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie's (even more manly). Several phrases in pop-culture have been a result to this film. The term "vamp-out" has been used several times in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Distressed teen brothers, Sam and Michael, leave their native Phoenix and move to Santa Carla, California. On their visit to the local boardwalk, Michael is intrigued by girl and follows her only to find that she came with male company, which is a local gang. At the same time, Sam enters a comic book store where he meets the Frog brothers. They explain a critical situation that is taking place in Santa Carla. The town is infested with vampires. Sam, in denial, decides they are lunatics. Lucy, their mother, meets Max, a man who offers to take her to dinner. Michael is taken to a the gang's secret hangout where he is pressured into drinking a wine bottle (actually blood) to be part of a gang. Later, Michael begins to act strange. Sam reveals and proves to Michael that he is a vampire now. Sam calls the Frog brothers for assistance. The Frog brothers learn that Michael is a half-vampire and can be change to a human again if the head vampire was killed. As a team, the Frog brothers and Sam test Max (their first suspect) when he comes to eat dinner with Lucy. The test fails. As a result, both the Frog brothers and Emerson brothers (Sam and Michael) go to the secret hangout to slay the head vampire. Michael, weak, goes and finds Star and Laddie (a child half-vampire). Only to be awoken by the first vampire murder committed by the Frog brothers and Sam, the vampire attack for revenge but the boys are able to get to sunlight before serious injury. Michael, Sam's companions drive frantically back to their house. They know that the remaining gang of vampires will avenge them.

I would describe this movie as being like cheesy nachos, a little bit of crunch but a whole lot of cheese. First impressions are important. The beginning of the movie is corny and involves two stuck up bratty teens who blame their boredom on a city rather than themselves. The only reason why I did not throw my chair at the screen was because there was lots of humor. Corny comedy is the only genre of cheesy I can stand. In actually, The Lost Boys was a little more comedy than it was horror. The only part of the film that felt like a scary movie was when the vampires are dying in very diverse manners (exploding, burning with holy water slowly, electrocution). Plus, the mullets did not help the non-cheesy factor. Although the 80's is my favorite decade, this movie, hopefully, does not define or is even closely define cinematography in the 80's.

Beat Sheet:

1. Opening Image: Sunny and happy Santa Carla with normal people
2. Theme Stated: "Don't follow the crowd"
3. Set-up: Introduced to Michael, Sam, Lucy, Grandpa,
4. Catalyst: Michael meets Star
5. Debate: Whether or not to take the motorcycle challenge
6. Break into Two: Michael drinks the blood and becomes a member of the gang
7. B Story: Introduced to Max, and all members of the gang
8. Fun & Games: The gang shows Michael what he has become and kill teens at the beach
9. Midpoint: Michael becomes weaker because he fights the urge to kill
10. Bad Guys Close In: Go to the secret hangout and kill a vampire
11. All is Lost: Sam tells Lucy about their situation but she does not believe him.
12. Dark Night of the Soul: Sam learns that Michael can change back if the head vampire is killed
13. Break into Three: Prepare to vampire attack
14. Finale: Both pairs of brothers fight with vampires
15. Final Image: Santa Carla, a dark and mysterious place